Daily Madden: An Impressive Raiders Victory
The Oakland Raiders set team records in field goals (six by Sebastian Janikowski) and longest punt (80 yards by Shane Lechler) in beating the Chicago Bears Sunday.
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The Oakland Raiders set team records in field goals (six by Sebastian Janikowski) and longest punt (80 yards by Shane Lechler) in beating the Chicago Bears Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers looked slow and tired. How else can you explain nine sacks allowed? The Baltimore Ravens' pass rush isn't that good. In fact, in the previous three games the Ravens had just 4 sacks combined.
The Baltimore Ravens sacked Alex Smith nine times and beat the San Francisco 49ers 16-6 Thursday night.
Alex Smith threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers forced five turnovers to blow past the Arizona Cardinals 23-7 on a soggy Sunday at Candlestick Park.
Alex Smith, game manager or "elite" NFL quarterback? Given Smith's history since being the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, I'm amazed this discussion is even taking place.
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.
There's nothing fancy about the way the San Francisco 49ers are running away with the NFC West.
Not since Bill Walsh has a coach been the face of the San Francisco 49ers franchise. But this isn't Alex Smith's team or Patrick Willis' team, or Frank Gore's team. This is Jim Harbaugh's team and they're all drinking his Cool Aid.
After the San Francisco 49ers knocked Detroit from the unbeaten ranks 25-19 Sunday in a game that matched the pregame hype, both coaches bumped each other in an emotionally charged exchange.
Both sides of the ball and special teams have carried the division-leading 49ers to a surprising 4-1 start.
Alex Smith never got a chance to help during an embarrassing shutout loss to Tampa Bay last year.
For those numerous unfriendly jabs and the constant criticism he has endured in a roller coaster seven-year career, Alex Smith is suddenly giving people plenty to cheer about this season.
Jim Harbaugh yackin' it up with the media? It's amazing what a 3-1 record and a two-game lead in a division can do. The universal assumption was that Harbaugh would turn this thing around. But now? This fast?
Frank Gore's 12-yard run capped a second-half comeback, lifting the San Francisco 49ers past the Philadelphia Eagles 24-23 Sunday.
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh expects running back Frank Gore to play this week at Philadelphia despite a sprained right ankle that limited him in Sunday's win at Cincinnati.
One game in, the San Francisco 49ers' trip is already worth writing home about.
The big storyline from Dallas' incredible comeback win in San Francisco was Tony Romo's ability to lead the team to victory despite suffering a puncture lung and broken ribs.
There might have been a time in recent memory when these losses could be justified as "moral victories" (God, I hate that expression). The simple truth is that the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers blew it. Both should be 2-0, both are 1-1. Oakland blew a 21-3 halftime lead while their Bay Area counterparts blew a 10-point 4th quarter lead.
Playing with a fractured rib, Tony Romo hit Jesse Holley on a 77-yard completion on the Cowboys' first play of overtime that set up Dan Bailey's winning 19-yard field goal, and Dallas rallied for a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Alex Smith was in a few precarious positions in his first game under Jim Harbaugh: throwing blocks, diving for a touchdown and getting a bear hug from the new San Francisco 49ers coach.
Ted Ginn Jr. returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in a minute's span late in the fourth quarter, and the San Francisco 49ers gave Jim Harbaugh a 33-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in his much-hyped NFL debut and renewed coaching rivalry with Pete Carroll.
With Frank Gore getting the night off, Anthony Dixon capped San Francisco's first two drives with 1-yard touchdown runs and the 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 20-17 in an exhibition finale Thursday night.
The 49ers face the San Diego Chargers Thursday night at 7 p.m. on CBS 5 in the final NFL pre-season game. John Madden said the 49ers should be playing many of their projected starters.
The good news is that the San Francisco 49ers game meant nothing. The bad news is that the offensive line still has issues, schematically and otherwise.
In the ugly aftermath of the Battle of the Bay, the Monday morning quarterbacks were less concerned with Alex Smith's performance than they were with the behavior of the fans. It was an ugly spectacle to be sure.
