Archive for the ‘49ers’ Category

49ers beat Big Ben, Steelers 20-3

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

By JANIE McCAULEY

From the swirling winds off the bay that can play fits with the football to the 1989 earthquake that rocked the World Series, Candlestick Park has long been an unpredictable venue known for its challenges.

Monday Night Football nearly became a Monday Night Fiasco when everything went dark – twice.

San Francisco’s lights-out return to prime time in a 20-3 victory over the Steelers helped salvage what could have been an embarrassing evening for everyone involved on the NFL’s biggest stage after a pair of power outages delayed the game for close to 35 minutes in all.

“I just feel like San Francisco took a big step to show the NFL and to show the state of California that they need a new stadium,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “I think it was a very strategic move, and Candlestick may be no more.”

Good thing there’s a state-of-the-art $1 billion stadium in the works.

The 49ers rode their top-ranked run defense once again to keep ailing Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger off balance and maintain a hold on the NFC’s No. 2 playoff seed and a first-round bye.

“Electric atmosphere tonight,” tweeted team president Jed York – unclear if his pun was intended.

Vernon Davis caught a 1-yard touchdown pass for the 49ers (11-3) one play after setting himself up with a 21-yard reception from Alex Smith, Frank Gore ran for a 5-yard score and David Akers kicked field goals of 22 and 38 yards to overtake Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for San Francisco’s single-season scoring record.

“I think we showed the world we can play the game of football on a national stage,” Davis said. “At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about: respect.”

The Steelers (10-4) missed a key chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North and gain the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Roethlisberger, playing on a sprained left ankle that had Big Ben in a walking boot during the week, threw two early interceptions and another in the waning minutes – and a couple of light structures flickered as the final ticks elapsed.

Even all those Terrible Towel-waving Steelers supporters in the sellout crowd of 69,732 couldn’t will their team when San Francisco’s unique home-field advantage became two blackout delays.

“It’s very frustrating to feel like you let down your team and your fans and your coaches. It’s tough,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m not going to make excuses. I played a bad football game, I turned the ball over and that one’s on me.”

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to hold an opponent without a rushing touchdown through each of the first 14 games.

“I also want to recognize our defense,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “NFL record for not allowing a rushing touchdown in 14 games. I think that is huge.”

Carlos Rogers, Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown made interceptions, while Rookie of the Year candidate Aldon Smith had 2 1/2 sacks for San Francisco’s stingy defense.

The 49ers also have gone 36 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. Rashard Mendenhall had 15 carries for 64 yards.

“This team has really become a team,” Harbaugh said. I’m really proud of them for that.”

Roethlisberger still finished 25 for 44 for 330 yards, but was sacked three times. After his second pick, he fumed as he limped off the field and could be seen yelling into his chin strap.

The 49ers made a big statement in their most meaningful home game since their last trip to the playoffs in January 2003, when San Francisco came from behind to stun the New York Giants 39-38 in one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.

“It was probably the biggest home game since I’ve been here,” Alex Smith said.

They had to wait 20 minutes to get started after the power went out the first time. It didn’t seem to faze San Francisco.

“It wasn’t too bad. It was unusual,” said Alex Smith, who went 18 for 31 for 187 yards. “You don’t expect to have to deal with it, and it happened twice. But it was the same for both teams.”

Smith wasn’t sacked after being taken down 18 times in the previous three games, including nine in the Niners’ prime time flop at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against Jim Harbaugh’s big brother, John.

Jim Harbaugh prepared for the Steelers by comparing notes with his brother after the Ravens won both meetings this season with Pittsburgh in one of the AFC’s fiercest rivalries.

The Steelers are 0-for-Harbaugh this season.

“I think we need to acknowledge that was 49er football tonight,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We played the game on their terms.”

The 37-year-old Akers, who long admired Rice from afar growing up in Kentucky, topped Rice’s 138 points scored in 1987.

Yet Akers has said he doesn’t feel deserving of the points mark over a great such as Rice – who clowned around on the field before the game catching passes from fellow Hall of Famer and former QB Steve Young, including one in the end zone.

It was after Akers’ second field goal when everything went dark for a second time. Thousands of flashbulbs went off in the midst of the black, with thousands of fans sitting in darkness – including all those Steelers fans who travel the country with their team.

NFL security chief Jeff Miller said he witnessed a transformer blow up while he was monitoring a gate outside the stadium, where a shooting during the preseason already put a negative light on this venue.

The second delay came early in the second quarter and halted the game again between the playoff-bound teams for about 15 minutes. Miller and other NFL officials gathered in the press box to assess the situation, remaining in constant contact with the commissioner’s office.

This was the 49ers’ only Monday Night game this season and their final regular-season home game at Candlestick Park. The NFL certainly will want to make sure there are no problems when San Francisco hosts a home playoff game next month as NFC West champions – and Miller said he remains confident Candlestick can capably host a playoff game.

“Never in my life have I been a part of a blackout in a stadium,” Davis said.

The Steelers missed linebacker James Harrison, who served his one-game suspension for a helmet to facemask hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on Dec. 8.

“We better lick our wounds pretty quickly because we have a quick turnaround here,” Tomlin said.

This marked the fourth time in Monday Night Football history that two teams faced off with 10 victories and a winning percentage of at least .750 – and San Francisco has played in all of them, the last on Dec. 15, 1997, with the 12-2 49ers vs. 11-3 Broncos.

Notes: The 49ers lost left tackle Joe Staley to a second-half leg injury. WR Ted Ginn Jr. injured his right ankle on the second-half kickoff. … Pittsburgh managed just 84 yards rushing.

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49ers beat Rams 26-0 for 1st playoffs since ’02

Monday, December 5th, 2011

By JANIE McCAULEY

Vernon Davis pulled on a black “NFC West champions” hat to dress up his suit and tie for a snazzy night on the town with some San Francisco offensive teammates. They were off for a celebratory steak dinner at one of the city’s hotspots.

This meal – for Davis, Frank Gore, Alex Smith and many others – has been years in the making. Seven, to be exact, for Gore and Smith, and six for Davis. Star linebacker Patrick Willis, he’s been waiting five.

The 49ers trounced the beat-up St. Louis Rams 26-0 on Sunday to become the NFL’s second team to secure a playoff berth behind unbeaten defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay. Jim Harbaugh’s focused bunch wrapped up that long-awaited division title for a once-proud franchise determined to return to the glory days of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, Steve Young and Roger Craig.

The 49ers are NFC West champs and back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

“We want to make it to the championship. It’s something we’ve been wanting for a long time,” Davis said. “This is the reason why I’m here. It means a lot to me.”

Harbaugh delivered exactly what the 49ers hired him for back in January: immediate success, a major transformation in a matter of months. So much for the lockout slowing him down.

Left tackle Joe Staley delivered the Gatordade dousing on Harbaugh’s head in the closing moments – sneaking up on the coach at the 2-minute warning. Or so he thought. Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL quarterback himself in his day, dodged out of the way to avoid being fully soaked.

“This step, this game today is for all those strong and mighty men who have been carrying the flag for this many years,” Harbaugh said. “Each year that they’ve been here, thinking that was going to be the year, the year we go to the playoffs … and there’s disappointment when you don’t make that.”

Gore helped run San Francisco (10-2) right into the postseason, becoming the 49ers’ career rushing leader by passing late Hall of Famer Joe Perry and finishing with 73 yards.

Alex Smith threw second-half touchdowns of 52 and 56 yards to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams and David Akers kicked four field goals to help Harbaugh join George Seifert (1989) and Steve Mariucci (1997) as the only rookie coaches in franchise history to win the division.

The only downer came when Willis left the game in the first half with a right hamstring injury that Harbaugh afterward said he didn’t consider serious.

Rams quarterback A.J. Feeley struggled in place of injured starter Sam Bradford for the reeling Rams (2-10), who watched several more key players go down.

Even Feeley needed X-rays afterward on his right thumb.

“It’s kind of the same story we’ve had all year. We just can’t seem to put anything together,” he said. “It’s like a clock where everybody’s got to be in sync. When that doesn’t happen you put yourself in a tough situation.”

The 49ers bounced back from a discouraging 16-6 loss at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens and Harbaugh’s big brother, John, with another methodical victory. Smith was sacked nine times in that game and four more Sunday.

Despite further problems converting in the red zone early, San Francisco shut out an opponent for the first time since a 35-0 home win at Candlestick Park on Oct. 4, 2009. That was also the Rams’ last shutout.

The Niners also avenged a late-season loss from 2010 that was still plenty fresh. They had won five straight before losing at St. Louis in the second-to-last week. It was after that game when coach Mike Singletary was fired. That led to the high-profile hiring of Harbaugh in January. And the 49ers’ transformation began in earnest.

San Francisco’s impressive season might help shed that “NFC Worst” stigma from the West.

“It’s not a Hollywood team,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a blue-collar team.”

Smith, who didn’t start that last game against the Rams, completed 17 of 23 passes for 274 yards with no interceptions to finish with a career-high 142.3 quarterback rating. He gave way to rookie backup Colin Kaepernick midway through the fourth.

Gore ran for 2 yards early in the second quarter to give him 7,345 career yards rushing, moving him past Perry (7,344) for most in franchise history.

The 28-year-old Gore, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his seventh NFL season, has said it was a goal for this season to become the career rushing leader – though getting to the playoffs for the first time has always been the top priority.

“There’ve been some tough years here,” Gore said. “To get an opportunity to get to the postseason and to get it early, that’s a blessing.”

Gore and his teammates are wearing No. 34 helmet decals this season in honor of Perry, the first player with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and nicknamed “The Jet” for his sensational speed. He died in April at age 84.

Willis watched the second half on the sideline in a sweatsuit.

The four-time Pro Bowler landed awkwardly after missing a tackle on fullback Brit Miller, who made an 18-yard completion from Feeley with 4:28 left in the first quarter. Willis’ body twisted as he fell to the ground and he stayed down for a short time as trainers ran out to check on him, then helped him limp off the field.

Akers kicked field goals of 36 and 19 yards then booted a 28-yarder 1:41 before halftime for his 31st of the year, topping Jeff Wilkins’ single-season franchise mark of 30 set in 1996.

That gave the 49ers nine field goals – with only three TDs – in the last 14 trips to the red zone before Crabtree’s TD catch. Akers kicked a 34-yarder in the third quarter.

Notes: Rams LG Jacob Bell (right knee) left and didn’t return. … The Niners are unbeaten in their last 10 home games vs. NFC West. … Rookie Aldon Smith also had two sacks. … Rams DE Chris Long has a sack in six straight games.

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Harbaughs lead Ravens and 49ers into historic duel

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

By DAVID GINSBURG

The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers have thrived this season because they are physical, relentless and combative.

Just like their coaches.

The no-holds barred sibling rivalry between John and Jim Harbaugh moves to the national stage on Thanksgiving night, when they make NFL history by becoming the first brothers to compete on opposite sidelines as head coaches.

John Harbaugh is seeking to take the Ravens (7-3) to the playoffs for the fourth time in as many years at the helm. Jim Harbaugh has turned the 49ers (9-1) into Super Bowl contenders in his rookie year as an NFL coach by instilling his unyielding work ethic into a workmanlike offense and the league’s stingiest defense (14.5 points per game).

The brothers received much of their football knowledge from their father, Jack, a longtime college coach. Their competitive spirit was honed during endless duels in almost every game imaginable – including a few they invented just so they could butt heads for boasting purposes.

“We would play tennis-ball basketball on a coat hanger rim,” big brother John recalled. “We were throwing balls between tree branches, I guess, throwing snowballs against trees. It was whatever we could think of.”

Sometimes, things got a bit out of hand.

“We have never had a fight as adults, maybe since we were 25 or something,” John said. “But we had some knock-down drag-outs when we were younger. I can remember my mom screaming, wailing and crying, `You’re brothers! You are not supposed to act like this!’ There are probably a lot of mothers out there that can relate to that.”

John, 49, and Jim, 47, aren’t the only pair of brothers who have dueled while growing up. They are, however, poised to become the only ones to take that competition into an NFL game as head coaches.

“It goes back to how hard both of them worked to get to where they’re at today,” said Joani Crean, their younger sister. “Nobody said, `Oh, you’re Jack Harbaugh’s son, why don’t you come do this job?’ They both started out in their professions at the bottom rung, so to speak. They both worked their way up.”

Their players know how important this game is to each brother.

“They’re both competitive. We’re competitive as a team,” 49ers running back Frank Gore said. “Baltimore has a great team – they’ve been playing great ball for a while. Now we’re doing our thing, so it should be a great game.”

Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said, “We really want to win it bad for (John). We’ve (heard) they were going to kind of get after each other like they did when they were little. It’s going to be fun to be a part of a sibling rivalry.”

The last time John and Jim Harbaugh competed against each other in a sporting event was during an American Legion baseball game when both were teenagers. John was part of the an elite team and Jim wasn’t, so little brother created a team of his own. Jim can remember virtually all of his teammates and the final score: Jim lost 1-0.

John’s recollection of the game is not quite as precise, or so it would seem.

“We won. That’s what I remember about it,” he said. “I think I had the game-winning home run, too, if I remember correctly. At least as far as everyone here knows, right?”

The stakes will be much higher on Thanksgiving night, although to the Harbaugh brothers, it’s just another chapter in a competition that will almost certainly continue for the rest of their lives.

“I’m really looking forward to it, and I think Jim is, too,” John said. “Yeah, it’s going to be very competitive, it’s going to be very emotional. We’re going to have a lot of family in town. It’s one of those things in life where you don’t get these moments back, you don’t get these chances to live back. And this is a chance to live. Not just for Jim and I, but for the family, even the players and fans. If nothing else, it’s something to remember. It’s an event. It’s cool.”

The Harbaughs’ parents will be at the stadium early, but will watch the game at John’s house to “allow the stage to be John and Jim’s. I want to rephrase that. Let the stage be the 49ers and the Ravens. I stand corrected,” Jack Harbaugh said.

Some have dubbed this the Harbaugh Bowl, but it’s also a very important game for both teams. The 49ers have won eight straight and are chasing unbeaten Green Bay for the top seed in the NFC. San Francisco can clinch the NFC West with a win and a Seattle loss on Sunday against Washington.

The Ravens are locked in a first-place tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one game ahead of surprising Cincinnati.

Jim Harbaugh loves the idea of squaring off against John again, although he’d have preferred a more neutral scenario.

“It’s the first time in history that two brothers have coached against each other,” he said. “This will be the first time since they went to a 16-game schedule that a team has traveled three time zones to play a Thursday game.”

Asked how he will feel staring across the field at his brother, John said, “I’ll be filled with so much pride and joy. And then probably some anger and other things once we start playing. But really, it’s special.”

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Smith leads streaking 49ers past Cardinals 23-7

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ

Any questions about whether Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers could throw the ball around washed away with the rain against another overmatched NFC West opponent.

Smith threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns and the 49ers forced five turnovers to blow past the Arizona Cardinals 23-7 on a soggy Sunday at the Candlestick Park.

Smith tossed scores to Kyle Williams and Vernon Davis on the first two drives of the third quarter to help the 49ers pull away for their eighth straight victory. San Francisco (9-1) can clinch the NFC West with a win at Baltimore on Thursday and a loss by Seattle against Washington next weekend.

Patrick Willis, Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson all intercepted passes by John Skelton. The quarterback for the Cardinals (3-7) lost for the first time in three starts this season in place of the injured Kevin Kolb.

The conditions turned out to be just perfect for San Francisco’s style.

With a chilly rainstorm pelting the Bay Area since Saturday, the 49ers defense bullied and bruised Arizona all over a slick field. The Cardinals converted only two first downs in the first half and didn’t make it past midfield until late in the third quarter.

Once the rain subsided and a rainbow formed on the north side of Candlestick, the 49ers finally opened up an otherwise passive passing game.

Smith connected with Williams on a route to the near pylon in the third quarter. Williams stretched over the goal line as he was tackled to complete the 8-yard TD catch.

After Skelton sailed a pass that Whitner stood under for an easy interception, Smith rallied San Francisco for another quick score.

He found Davis for an 18-yard touchdown to put San Francisco ahead 23-0. The tight end leaped over sideline cameramen and flexed his muscles to a rain-soaked crowd covered in ponchos and umbrellas in celebration.

Far too much for Arizona’s anemic offense to overcome.

Skelton had won the previous two games against St. Louis and Philadelphia since replacing Kolb, who’s out with a right foot and toe injury. Skelton was 6 of 19 for 99 yards and was benched after throwing his third interception – the last to Goldson over the middle on a pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald – in place of third-string quarterback Richard Bartel to start the fourth.

So much for that budding quarterback controversy.

Even Bartel’s only highlight came on a shaky pass between two defenders that landed in Fitzgerald’s hands for a 23-yard touchdown for Arizona’s lone score. The Cardinals dropped their fifth straight to the 49ers.

About the only fight Arizona showed came in the fourth quarter when Early Doucet appeared to hit Goldson after the defensive back sacked Bartel. Goldson came up and threw two punches to Doucet’s shoulder pads and facemask, getting a 15-yard personal foul penalty and an ejection.

The main fight was utter domination.

San Francisco outgained Arizona 431 to 229 yards of total offense. The 49ers also held the ball for more than 44 minutes and even got away with three missed field goals and a slowed-down running game.

Frank Gore started despite a right knee injury that knocked him out of a win over the New York Giants a week earlier, finishing with 88 yards rushing. He needs 61 more to pass the late Joe Perry (7,344) for San Francisco’s career rushing mark.

The slick, sloppy surface at the start gave way to several slips.

David Akers had been one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers – making 15 straight field goals – until a field flooded with water soaked his streak. He converted field goals from 43, 29 and 22 yards in the first half but had two kicks blocked and pulled another wide right.

Calais Campbell swatted the first attempt from 46 yards and Patrick Peterson blocked one from 30 yards. After Willis intercepted a pass by Skelton, the 49ers’ offense stalled and Akers lost his footing and sent a 49-yard attempt wide right.

The defense again gave San Francisco a short field when Willis stripped the ball from Beanie Wells and the 49ers recovered. Wells was originally ruled down before the call was overturned on a challenge.

Braylon Edwards dropped a short pass in the end zone on third down and forced another 49ers kick. Later, Smith converted a fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 31 with an 11-yard completion to Williams, setting up a 29-yard field goal by Akers that gave San Francisco a 9-0 lead at the half.

The 49ers regained their rhythm in the second half and the one hiccup Smith showed came late.

He seemed to misread coverage and lofted a short pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Darryl Williams in the fourth quarter.

Smith completed 20 of 38 passes in one of his best games of the season. The only time he threw for more this season was when he had 291 yards in a win at Philadelphia.

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Smith defensive gem lifts 49ers over Giants 27-20

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

By JANIE McCAULEY

Justin Smith batted down Eli Manning‘s pass in the waning seconds of the New York quarterback’s comeback try, stopping the Giants for a 27-20 victory Sunday in a matchup of NFC division leaders.

With his team trailing, Manning completed a pair of long fourth-down passes and got his team to the red zone with 1:53 to go. Unlike last week’s rally by New York (6-3) at New England, Smith made a leaping right-handed smack of the ball on fourth-and-2 from the 10.

The 49ers (8-1) won their seventh straight and didn’t rely on Frank Gore, whose franchise-record streak of five straight games with 100 yards rushing ended with a knee injury.

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