Daily Madden: Running Back Shortage Hurting Raiders
The Raiders may have to go with a ground game by committee on the road against the New York Jets Sunday.
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The Raiders may have to go with a ground game by committee on the road against the New York Jets Sunday.
The word among NFL pundits is that the 49ers desperately need a win when they face the Seahawks at Candlestick Sunday. But John Madden says it's an important game for the Seahawks as well.
The stakes are high for this weekend's NFC West showdown between the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, so much so that 49er executives felt it necessary to remind the faithful how to dress and cheer for the home squad.
It seems short yardage touchdown passes in the NFL are now more common than short yardage running touchdowns.
For the 49ers, moving out of Candlestick Park to their new stadium in Santa Clara can't come soon enough. But fans nostalgic about cold and windy Candlestick are shelling out big bucks for the final games.
The NFL has fined Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 for stepping on the field during a kick return by Jacoby Jones of the Ravens Thursday.
After catching his 50th touchdown as a 49er last Sunday, Vernon Davis finally got some recognition. While nobody who follows the team doubts his talent, in his 8 years as a 49er he has been named to only one Pro Bowl, and more times than not is left out of the conversation as the best tight end in the NFL. This figures to change this season though as he can no longer be ignored.
As the Oakland Raiders enter the final stretch of the 2013 season, a quick glance at their schedule shows some missed opportunities.
It appears that Seattle Seahawks fans have found a way to elevate the rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers to new heights with a plan to fly a Seahawks banner over Candlestick Park before the teams' showdown on Sunday.
Donte Whitner realizes how different the San Francisco 49ers are now from the team that got whipped at Seattle in Week 2.
In a much-anticipated showdown of two top NFL teams, the Seahawks dominated the New Orleans Saints in Seattle Monday night, winning 34-7.
The New York Jets may be 5-7 on the year and looking dysfunctional again, but they're still tough beat at home where the Oakland Raiders will travel this weekend for a Week 14 matchup.
The division rivalry between the 49ers and Seahawks has been completely one sided as of late. Seattle has won the past two meetings and will look to make it 3 straight in a game that holds playoff implications for both sides.
What will the NFL do about Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's near interference with a Raven's kick return Thursday?
The 49ers swept their season series against the Rams due to the play of the defense. While all phases of the team chipped in, it was the San Francisco defense that ensured that they maintain control of their playoff destiny as the 49ers won their second straight game.
Anquan Boldin caught nine passes from Colin Kaepernick, Crabtree made his long-awaited season debut six months after Achilles tendon surgery, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams 23-13 on Sunday.
Despite the long list of names on the 49ers injury report, the fact remains that they are getting healthier. The Rams, on the other hand have a few players getting over concussions that may not be available Sunday.
Oakland wasn't able to capitalize on a 21-7 first-half lead as the team lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
The Dallas Cowboys overcame Oakland's fumble return for a score on the opening kickoff to beat the Raiders 31-24 Thursday.
The big news around 49er camp this week is that Michael Crabtree has been activated. For a team that has struggled to throw the ball, the return of their only Pro Bowl receiver from a year ago is big news, and makes San Francisco a well-rounded team.
Both teams are mostly healthy, but there are some concerns here and there for each squad in a short week of rest and recovery from the previous game.
Just four days after losing a tough game to the Titans, the Raiders meet the Cowboys in Dallas Thursday on KPIX 5.
The offense in Oakland is no great unit, but the Raiders will only go as far as their defense takes them in 2013.
If San Francisco hopes to avoid their 5th loss this season, they are going to have to beat a St. Louis team that has improved its level of play since their week 4 match-up. While this is far from an easy win, the 49ers are at home, seem to have their offense on the right track, and should sweep the season series against their division rival.
