Before 49er fan should get upset about the offensive line breakdowns, Alex Smith’s missed throws, Braylon Edwards and his dropped passes, all the penalties stop.  Remember this, it was a short week, the 49ers had to go across the country and play a very good team with a physical defense.  Preparation was limited and the offensive line had some injuries on the right side.

I may sound like a homer right now but the cards were definitely stacked against the niners on turkey day.  If the Ravens had traveled to San Francisco I really can’t see the team getting dominated in the trenches like it did on Thursday Night.

Now the 49ers did get crushed at the line of scrimmage and Smith didn’t play very well that I’m not denying.  After the jump I’ll highlight what went right and why a loss like this can help the team in the playoffs.

(more…)

Frank Gore started out the 2011 campaign with a chip on his shoulders, entering his contract year he wanted a new long term deal from the 49ers.  Gore sat out 3 days of training camp in protest and even voiced concerns over his preseason workload.  Gore also admitted his frustrations to the media, the situation was clearly on his mind.  Gore looked mostly sluggish in limited pre season work while the 49ers other running backs Kendall Hunter especially shined.

The season’s first 3 weeks weren’t kind to Gore either as he managed less than 3 yards per carry and failed to surpass even 60 yards in any game.  Week 3 in Cincinnati saw rookie Kendall Hunter inserted into the game over Gore who rushed for a key Touchdown that put the 49ers over the top. 

Whispers about Gore losing a step, losing his burst through the holes, had the toll of several injuries and 6 years of being the 49ers bell cow slowed Gore down at 28 for good?  It seemed to many that legitimate concerns of Frank Gore’s ability existed.  Well my friends like I told you it would  ,that seems like a distant memory, in the NFL 2 weeks just about qualifies as ancient history, Frank Gore is back.
(more…)

According to 49ers Running Back Frank Gore  more than 2nd half 49er brilliance  played a role in the 49ers comeback win Sunday vs Philadelphia.  Gore thinks the self anointed “dream team” threw in the towel.

Gore explains:

“I think playing that second half and the way we came out, the Eagles didn’t want to play no more,” Gore said in an interview on ESPN’s “First Take.”

“We just kept pounding and kept pounding and making plays and we kind of knocked the fight out of them,”

Now I’m not claiming to have anymore insight than someone that was actually on the field playing. I was however in the stands and it didn’t look to me like the Eagles quit.  In fact the Eagles did put together 3 nice drives during the 2nd half the problem was it only resulted in 3 pts as they missed 2 Field Goals. 

To me the defense looked worn out and beaten by the 49ers Offensive Line and in the end Gore was too much to stop as he ran the ball down the Eagles throats on the last possession capping it off with a 12 yard TD run. 

This is just another sign that the 49ers confidence is growing after a big win in Philadelphia.  49er fans are just hoping Gore and the 49ers running game can match their dominance vs the Bucs on Sunday at home. 

*UPDATE* Michael Vick Responds to Gore
Michael Vick responded to Gore’s comments earlier this week that he felt the Eagles quit vs his 49ers as the team came roaring back in the 2nd half.
Vick said:

“I don’t think the team quit,” Vick said. “I think we put up the effort for all four quarters. I don’t know, maybe, I mean he can say that but we can’t dwell on last week, it’s over.”

Follow me on twitter @Matt_NinerNoise