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The injury report for the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams is missing any big names. Coming off their bye, both teams are relatively healthy despite the various names on both teams report.
The Oakland Raiders face a tall task in taking on the 6-2 Ravens in Baltimore Sunday. "Baltimore is a good team, and they're kind of one of those teams that out here we don't see a lot or hear a lot about them," John Madden told the KCBS morning crew Friday, noting the Ravens have won 19 of their last 20 home games.
So far this year the St. Louis Rams are undefeated within the division, and they will look to keep this streak alive against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams will need to play as a team and hope that San Francisco makes some mistakes to keep this game close.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was back in the news recently. The rumor that he was assaulted doesn't appear to be true, but the bottom line is that he continues to be involved in off-field incidents. He will need to mature quickly off the field to become an elite player on the field.
Since drafting him with the 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Aldon Smith has been a playmaker. He set all kinds of team records last year, and he is on pace this year to put up the same numbers. As his coaches realize that he can do more then just rush the passer, they have tried to find ways to keep him on the field. Give Smith a few years and the sky is the limit for the young outside linebacker.
For the 49ers to win in in the second half of the season and move forward in the playoffs, it will all come down to the play of Alex Smith. They will get consistent performances from the defense and special teams, so if the offense can do their part, then San Francisco is going to be tough to beat. The running game has been solid this year, and when the team loses it's because they got nothing from Smith and the passing game.
Although the NFC West is far from decided, it's playoff positioning that the team should be worried about. They have enough games within the division to control their own destiny so need the teams in the NFC in front of them record wise to not only lose this week, but to lose as many games as possible down the stretch.
The San Francisco 49ers went to the league after their game with the Cardinals and asked that they take another look at the 4th quarter back that was ruled a run and not a pass. If the league reversed the call then Smith would have had the highest completion percentage in a single game in NFL history. However a close look at the play shows that Smith does not deserve the record.
With another World Series now in the record books, Bay Area sports fans can turn their undivided attention to football and basketball. Except this week, since one professional franchise is taking a bit of a break.
Despite early season improvements shown by all the teams in the division, and the possibility of a bright future for all of them, the best team by far is San Francisco. The 49ers have all the tools to dominate the division for the time being. If the other teams though can make minor adjustments and stick together, then the division will not be a walkover for long.
The San Francisco 49ers' second half of the season will get the team ready for the playoffs. They will face several quality opponents, but they should be able to win most of those games if they execute properly. The two biggest tests will be the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots.
The San Francisco 49ers have wrapped up the first half of their season, and they are right where they want to be. Much of their status is due to the elevation in play of both Michael Crabtree and Ahmad Brooks. The team also has Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham still ready to make their presence felt.
The state of California has vetoed a $30 million deal between the San Francisco 49ers and Santa Clara County officials that would have allowed some of the money voters earmarked for a new stadium to be diverted to local schools.
The San Francisco 49ers defense smothered the Arizona Cardinals Monday night, giving up just a field goal in a 24-3 victory.
The heavyweight match-up between the Cardinals and 49ers might have been scheduled for 12 rounds, but it was over quickly. San Francisco raced out to the early lead and Arizona could never recover. The end result was an easy win for the 49ers, who have a bye up next and can get healthy in preparation for the stretch run.
