49ers rookie 1st round pick Aldon Smith saw significant time vs the Philadelphia Eagles week 4 mostly because the Eagles weren’t doing anything but passing the ball. The 49ers have brought the rookie who’s making the move from Defensive End to Outside Linebacker in the NFL along slowly this season. Smith has mostly entered the game on 3rd downs and obvious passing plays and lined up at DE rushing the passer, Smith has only lined up at OLB on a few plays this season.

Smith was all over the field Sunday and help apply significant pressure on Eagles QB Michael Vick. Unfortunately for the 49ers a lot of the time when you pressure Vick he simply takes off running and becomes Barry Sanders. Smith was apart of that pressure and made as many plays in the backfield as any 49er and recorded his first 1.5 sacks against his favorite QB growing up.

See what happens when you give the kid some real playing time? All of training camp the 49ers coaches, veterans and media alike were gushing about Smith’s ultra long arms, his athleticism etc. But the plan to bring him along slowly especially given the position switch seemed to make sense. After all the 49ers front 7 is extremely strong without Smith as an everydown player.

It’s time for the 49ers Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio to forget about all that and get this budding star on the field. Now and here’s why….
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Sunday I will be in Philadelphia representing NinerNoise.com  at the 49ers vs. Eagles week 4 matchup. I expect it to be a very tough game for the 49ers to win as the offense has struggled both in the running and passing game. The 49ers will need their offensive line to get things together  if they ever want this offense to take off this season. While injuries haven’t helped the offense as a whole other than the OL the other offensive position groups have graded out well.

Speaking of injuries 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh actually said something in regards to some for once today. Harbaugh who is known to describe each and ever injury the same “He is working through something right now”. This time was different as Harbaugh said he expected injured players Donte Whitner, Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore to play Sunday. Great news for the team that badly needs all their weapons on the field vs. a strong Eagles team, especially since Gore and Whitner’s status’s seemed very unsettled just yesterday.
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Eagles Quarter Back Michael Vick has suffered 2 serious injuries in the season’s first 3 weeks first a concussion then a badly bruised right hand last week.  Vick’s injury was at first believed to be a fracture that would have cost him 3-6 weeks of the season was later revealed to only be a bruise but a bad one at that.  Still Vick has practiced all week and expressed confidence that he will play Sunday vs San Francisco even going as far as saying he’s “100 percent” sure he will play Sunday.
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