It is strange to me how things have gone for the 49ers defense. There have been changes of personnel from last season. Clements was replaced by Carlos Rogers. Takeo Spikes was replaced by NaVorro Bowman. Manny Lawson was replaced by Ahmad Brooks. Aubrayo Franklin was replaced by Ice Sopoaga, and Ray McDonald took over Soap’s LDE spot on the line.
Beyond that, Tarell Brown took over for a hobbled Shawntae Spencer, and 3rd round draft choice Chris Culliver has bumped our ‘best’ cover guy from last year to 3rd string. The addition of Madieu Williams and Donte Whitner has really solidified a secondary that had a hard time stopping 3rd down passes the last few years. The guys from last year have been playing outstanding football. Justin Smith has played out of his mind. Rookie Aldon Smith has played extremely well for a 20 year old raw pass rusher. He’s been held in check these last couple games, but looks to hit a few sacks against AZ’s weak tackles. Bowman has been lights-out. He’s second in the league in tackles. Willis is his solid high-motor self, but is being overshadowed by all the excitement going on around him. 9th in tackles with 71.
As it stands the defense gives up a lot of yards in the air (26th), but that stems from the run defense being the best in the NFL, and the fact that the Niners are getting a lot of early leads. Along with the yards given up, the Nniners lead the NFC in interceptions with 12, have the league leader in INTs in Carlos Rogers with 5, and are number one in the turnover ratio at +13 (12 INTs, 9 fumble recoveries against 3 INTs [should be 2] and 5 fumbles lost).
All in all, heady stuff for first year Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio. Fangio has had fair to middling success as a DC in his NFL travels, but maybe it’s Harbaugh, maybe it’s the talent on this team that he inherited, maybe it’s the learning curve of being in the game so long, or maybe it’s the mixture of all these things that have coalesced this defense into a top flight unit. Regularly is heard that this front 7 is the toughest in the NFL.
Forty Niners Forever 
I just got back from church with my new BFF, Tim Tebow. He really is the nicest guy in the world. He lit two candles for Alex Smith. He kind of had to. I blew the first one out.
LOL for real Del
On this date: Walter Peyton rushes for an NFL record 275 yards as the Bears edge Minnisota 10-7.
That is what Singletary wanted the Niners to be.
Niner history: Steve Bartowski’s desperation pass is deflected to Billy Johnson at the 5 yard line, fights his way into the end zone to give the Falcons a 28-24 win over the Niners.
KEVIN
we outplayed atlanta all game that day !
i hated that fucking fluke play so much i thought i might quit watching football after that !
nice blog post CHUCK !
imho losing manny was a loss and he’d be starting if we’d been able to keep him ! brooks would come in on passing downs imo !
harbaugh and fangio are getting the most out of our talent !
i’m saying 49ers 30 cards 9
next week 49ers 12 ravens 10
I think Tebow, who I know sucks and will be wearing a baseball cap backwards next year, catches way too much shit in general. He is what he is. And it’s not true that he’s as *outspoken* as everyone says he is. He did the super bowl commercial, that was awfully outspoken. But that’s about it. I’ve seen him interviewed lots of times, he never brings up religion unlike the players who give all the credit to God when something good happens (yet never seem to blame him when something bad happens. Curious. 🙂
Brett Butler, as a Giant, said one day after a loss that, “I guess God didn’t want us to win tonight.”
Romo to Dez Bryant for a Dallas TD. That’s how my fantasy week started last week and I still lost to Chuck. So help me Tebow I’m not taking two weeks of this shit. I’ll be the one Roaring Back today.
I find it hilarious that you lost to Chuck after all the non-stop shit you talk about him. Head to head match up is a dumb ass way to compete in fantasy sports—
You don’t play “rotisserie” in FF. It’s ALL head-to-head.
and regarding these 2 next games: I don’t think we blow out the Cards (as I posted a few days ago). There is just too much focus on the thanksgiving game. And it’s a divisional game, the Cards are as up as they’re going to get for this. I think we win by 3-7 points…..
And I feel terribly negative about the Ravens game. Shit, finish the game and assume they leave tonight (I don’t know if they are or not) then they have 3 days to get ready as well as deal with the time change. Plus, the Ravens are good. If Harbaugh pulls that game off I will call him the greatest coach of all time……..
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