Dominating Mediocrity a Flashback of 49ers Past

How far we've come with the San Francisco 49ers.

As a kid, I grew up reading Ira Miller's game stories and Monday morning report cards in the San Francisco Chronicle. This was during the glorious 80's, so after a few dominant seasons, Miller got spoiled along with the fans and started to expect perfection. He turned into a harsh grader, and I remember all too well how the Niners would cream some poor saps like the then-St. Louis Cardinals or the Atlanta Falcons like 34-13, and in the paper next day Miller would be giving them a "B-" here or a "C+" there. It got to the point where they were so good that it was just impossible to impress.

So imagine my surprise at how quickly the team has turned around its woebegone fortunes. In past seasons they would have had to play darn near perfectly to beat somebody by two touchdowns, but against the hapless Arizona Cardinals they won easily, 23-7, in a game where they played average at best on offense and below par on special teams.

The defense was spectacular, of course, but you knew all along it would be, didn't you? FOX analyst Brian Billick, when he wasn't butchering names left and right, relayed a quote from 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio that the Niners wouldn't even have to bother disguising their coverages against overmatched Cardinals QB John Skelton because "he can't read them anyway." Fangio had suggested to us earlier in the week that Skelton pretty much has a radar lock on Larry Fitzgerald, so once the Niners took him out of the game with double teams -- as I predicted -- the game got pretty complicated for Skelton, who was just terrible.

The pass rush was still spotty, though better than in the previous game against the New York Giants, and the run defense gave up 80 yards rushing, mostly due to boredom than anything else, but you can't quibble with four turnovers and three interceptions. Patrick Willis continues to make his case for Defensive Player of the Year honors and picked up his first interception and fourth forced fumble of the season on back-to-back Arizona possessions in the first quarter. I would've liked to see young linemen Ricky Jean Francois and Demarcus Dobbs get some playing time in this one, and Larry Grant at linebacker in relief of Willis and NaVorro Bowman, but can't complain too much because the defense was only on the field a little over 15 minutes, so for them it was like having a half off anyway.

What was a little interesting to me is how Shawntae Spencer continues to be stuck in the doghouse. He was activated last Sunday as a precaution because starter Tarell Brown banged up his knee a bit in practice the Friday before -- fourth safety Madieu Williams was scratched in his place -- but he never got into the game at all, even in garbage time. Instead Tramaine Brock got some work as the fourth corner. To see a quality corner like Spencer, who's still in his prime, go from a starter to third-string so quickly, behind a rookie and another guy in Brock who was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, is startling to see and I wonder what he thinks of this "Who's got it better than us?" business.

For that matter, how's Williams feeling these days? He was signed in late July, presumably to be the starting free safety, and a couple days later the Niners snookered him by re-signing Dashon Goldson. Williams had a bad day against Dallas in Week Two when Goldson was out, but played better as a strong safety in relief of Donte Whitner against Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Since both starting safeties returned to full health, however, he's been shoved to the background. A healthy scratch in favor of Colin Jones? That has to sting.

Offensively it was clear what the 49ers intentions were.

My guess? 49ers come out throwing, hellbent for leather, trying to get a 20-point lead so they can rest some starters going into the Ravens game.

If only I could read the rest of the league as well as these guys... anyway, the 49ers had every intention of blowing the Cardinals out early, and heaven knows Arizona was asking for it the way they took care of the ball, but as has been the running theme all year, the 49ers, who otherwise had little difficulty moving the ball in accumulating 431 yards (their second-highest total of the season) and keeping it an NFL regulation game-high 44:16, were dreadful inside the opponent's 30.

Braylon Edwards (three drops) and Vernon Davis certainly weren't any help. Edwards clearly isn't right physically and was for all intents and purposes benched in the second half. Jim Harbaugh was hot after the game about some missed assignments and poor routes in the passing game and made it clear it wasn't Alex Smith who he was focusing his glare on. Smith's first quarter pass in the left corner of the end zone was a bit hard and about six inches high, but certainly a play a receiver like Edwards should make. You have to wonder if he'd even be out there if Joshua Morgan was healthy, but Harbaugh has nobody to blame for that but himself. If he didn't try to run up the score against Tampa Bay, he'd likely still have Morgan's ankle in one piece.

(If that criticism is too harsh, witness the final two series against Arizona, where Harbaugh, with a far slimmer lead than he enjoyed against the Buccaneers, elected to run the ball every play with Smith under center instead of playing rookie Colin Kaepernick and falling for the temptation of "getting him some work." Deny it all you want, but it was a hard lesson learned for the skipper.)

Davis, meanwhile, jumped for reasons only known to him on a slant pass that was aimed at his waist and wound up being knee-level, and was sloppy enough on a corner route that he couldn't keep his second foot in bounds on a deep ball that would've set the team up 1st-and-goal. He redeemed himself with a nice over-the-shoulder grab in the third quarter for his 34th career touchdown, which set a new franchise record for tight ends, passing Brent Jones.

Edwards' slack was picked up by second-year man Kyle Williams, who's shown all year that he can make the most of what limited opportunities he gets. Williams is quicker than fast, and not very big, but he's got good skills after the catch and may have the best hands on the team. Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton foolishly tried using rookie Sam Acho, a converted defensive end (imagine Vic Fangio putting Aldon Smith on a slot receiver) on Williams and I'm sure he found the results anything but "cute." With Smith rapidly losing faith in Edwards, it won't be surprising to see Williams' playing time increase as he works to be the third option behind Michael Crabtree and Davis.

Speaking of Crabtree, how about the way he carved up Patrick Peterson, Arizona's first-round pick? Crab is no burner, but he was slick enough in his routes to get plenty of separation all game and would've had an easy touchdown in the second quarter had not Smith missed too high and far on a pass where Crabtree deked his way open by a good three yards. His highlight, of course, was an early third quarter reception for 29 yards in which he broke three tackles, and all in all it's the healthiest and most determined he's looked all year; close to the No. 1 receiver he was drafted to be. If he can sustain this form, the 49ers will be quite dangerous indeed.

But only if Smith gets more accurate. The last two games have been put squarely on his shoulders and the results were less than spectacular in the red zone. The offensive line protected him brilliantly, the receivers got open by and large, and still you had a throw that was too high, too hard, too wide, too something. Smith is playing well, but he's not playing great, and he knows it as well as anyone. If the 49ers are to challenge Green Bay in the playoffs, he'll need to be close to perfect.

Until then, we'll be left to enjoy blowouts against the crappy NFC West, wondering how it happened that the 49ers started just decimating people despite the red zone blahs.

Thursday's game at Baltimore -- a.k.a the "Harbowl," will offer a good test against one of the two proper teams left on the 49ers schedule, but to me the short rest spoils it. It's almost asking the impossible for the locals to win this one, and Harbaugh has made no secret of it, making more excuses to the media than I've ever heard from him. I think deep down he doesn't expect to win it.

For one thing, the Ravens are even better at taking the run away than his team; averaging a league-leading 3.3 yards allowed per carry. Justin Smith doesn't go into many games as the second-best defensive lineman, but will do so against Baltimore's Haloti Ngata -- whose matchup with Mike Iupati ought to be a doozy.

For another, I'd be pretty nervous about Ed Reed if I'm the Niners. He remains the premier ball-hawk in the game and I can see him baiting Smith into a pick on a seam route to Davis, making it look like the tight end is open when he's not. Or maybe it'll be like that Amari Spievey interception against Detroit, where Smith will be pressured around the edges and throw while moving up in the pocket, causing the ball to sail high right into Reed's mitts.

Mostly I worry about Ray Rice. As a running back alone he's probably the best the 49ers have faced all season, outside of Shady McCoy with the Eagles, but then you add the receiving dimension, the way they use him on screens and check-downs... well we're really going to see what NaVorro Bowman is made of in this one. I can't imagine them winning without him earning a game ball.

If the 49ers are to win, they will need to jump on Baltimore early, before the Ravens catch up to their tricks and the fatigue sets in. I expect Smith to be throwing early and often once more, to Crabtree especially, but also Davis and Delanie Walker. I do not think Frank Gore, who had 24 carries (which was too much by half) will be a factor, especially with rookie fullback Bruce Miller out with a concussion. The 49ers will run to keep the Ravens D honest, maybe pick up some short-yardage stuff and set up play-action plays, but the bread and butter will come with Smith in the shotgun.

The onus will be on the 49ers to build a two score lead by half before the short week and the jet lag and all that hits them. If they can turn the Ravens one-dimensional, if deep safety Dashon Goldson can keep Torrey Smith from killing them, if Bowman can do the job on Rice, if the tackles can block Terrell Suggs and Paul Kruger, and if Carlos Rogers can win his match-up in the slot with Anquan Boldin, the 49ers have a shot.

And even then they'll probably need Ted Ginn to make an impact in the return game and for David Akers to do a lot better than 50 percent.

Does all that sound pessimistic? It should. Don't blame me, I'm just taking my cues from the head coach. If the 49ers get Philadelphia/NY Giants/Tampa Bay Alex Smith, they have a shot. If they get the Detroit/Arizona version, they fly home 9-2 and still in good shape, but with maybe some doubts creeping in about the QB. We'll see.

The picks:

Green Bay at Detroit (+7): It's en vogue to like the Lions in this game, and maybe if it was a longer road trip for the Pack, I'd bite. The bottom line is I just don't trust Detroit yet, not after they gave up a billion points to the Panthers last week. I don't trust Matthew Stafford to avoid turnovers and I don't trust their special teams to not give up a big play to Randall Cobb. I just see too many scenarios where Aaron Rodgers and Co. get free points instead of the 80-yard drives the 49ers thrive at making opponents try. Packers 38, Lions 24

Miami at Dallas (-7): I'd LOVE to be wrong, but no, I don't see Reggie Bush and Matt Moore spoiling Thanksgiving in Dallas. The Cowboys offense is going too good right now and will be rightly chastened after nearly losing at Washington last week. Cowboys 27, Dolphins 16

San Francisco at Baltimore (-3): The Ravens have played up (or down) to their competition all year and are undefeated at home. I don't see a good reason for that to change on a short week with the Niners flying three time zones. I would've been more convincible -- maybe -- if it was a regular Sunday game. Ravens 23, 49ers 17

Carolina at Indianapolis (+4): Eventually, Cam Newton is gonna have to win a couple ballgames if he wants to win Rookie of the Year, right? Simply avoiding turnovers should be enough to get it done here. Panthers 27, Colts 17

Minnesota at Atlanta (-10): Minny without Adrian Peterson visiting the most "meh" good team in the NFL? Feel my goosebumps. I've got a good feeling about Toby Gerhart in this one because I'm biased and I like him. (I traded Anthony Dixon for him in "Madden"). Falcons 24, Vikings 17

Cleveland at Cincinnati (-8): The Bengals are on a two-game slide against the division heavies and need this game to stay in the playoff hunt. The Steelers and Ravens had little difficulty making inroads on their defense, but they should find Colt McCoy more to their liking. Bengals 26, Browns 7

Tampa Bay at Tennessee (-4): Every time you want to count the Titans out they win, so... Titans 23, Buccaneers 16

Arizona at St. Louis (0): I think Kevin Kolb is playing. I'm taking the Cardinals anyway. Cardinals 17, Rams 13

Buffalo at NY Jets (-8): Do you have any idea how unspeakably bad a team has to be to give the Jets eight points right now? Well, the Bills are worse. And they've lost Fred Jackson. Oy vey. Jets 23, Bills 10.

Houston at Jacksonville (+4): I trust the Texans running backs and defense more than I trust Blaine Gabbert or distrust Matt Leinart. Texans 20, Jaguars 13

Chicago at Oakland (-4): Darren McFadden is still out and the Raiders receivers are beat up as well. The Bears also have an injury situation you may have heard a thing or two about. Even with Caleb Hanie at the helm, I think the Bears play the smarter ballgame, doing enough of the little things and maybe getting a couple of turnovers for the upset. Chicago 17, Raiders 16

Washington at Seattle (-4): If the 49ers win and the Seahawks lose, the locals will clinch the NFC West. Well, I already picked against the Niners, so this won't make you happy either. Seahawks 20, Redskins 13

Denver at San Diego (-6): One coach really doesn't want to win and the other simply coaches like it. Which one applies to Norv Turner and which to John Fox? The beauty is that you have to ask. I wouldn't bet a nickel on this game. Chargers 20, Broncos 10

New England at Philadelphia (+3): If Vince Young plays, I like the Patriots by 30. If Mike Vick plays, I like Philly by seven. I think Young's playing. Oh, and a big eff you to Wes Welker for taking Monday night's game off against the Chiefs. Patriots 41, Eagles 10.

Pittsburgh at Kansas City (+11): How is this the Sunday night game? Don't we have flexes for this? I saw enough of Tyler Palko on Monday against New England, and the Steelers actually have a defense. Big Ben could beat these guys with no thumbs. Steelers 30, Chiefs 10

NY Giants at New Orleans (-7): A crap game on NBC and a good one on ESPN? What is this, bizarro world? Next you're gonna tell me Alex Smith is a top-10 QB and the Niners are a Super Bowl contender (Hey-O). I think the Giants play better when little is expected of them, and it's a homecoming for Eli Manning. Saints 27, Giants 24

The Power Poll:

1. Green Bay (10-0)
2. San Francisco (9-1)
3. Baltimore (7-3)
4. Pittsburgh (7-3)
5. New Orleans (7-3)
6. New England (7-3)
7. Detroit (7-3)
8. New York Giants (6-4)
9. Cincinnati (6-4)
10. Dallas (6-4)
11. Chicago (7-3)
12. Houston (7-3)
13. Oakland (6-4)
14. Atlanta (6-4)
15. Philadelphia (4-6)
16. Tennessee (5-5)
17. Denver (5-5)
18. New York Jets (5-5)
19. Miami (3-7)
20. San Diego (4-6)
21. Tampa Bay (4-6)
22. Seattle (4-6)
23. Washington (3-7)
24. Cleveland (4-6)
25. Buffalo (5-5)
26. Arizona (3-7)
27. Minnesota (2-8)
28. Carolina (2-8)
29. Jacksonville (3-7)
30. Kansas City (4-6)
31. St. Louis (2-8)
32. Indianapolis (0-10)

Who Wants To Play This Game? Noooo-body

Sunday's game between your local gridironers and the woebegone Washington Redskins at FedExField will be one of those unique sporting affairs that will feature two ticked-off head coaches who'd rather be elsewhere.

For just about any football aficionado Washington head whistle Mike Shanahan's discontent is easy enough to figure. He knows he's bringing a butter knife into a gunfight. His best running back (Tim Hightower) and tight end (Chris Cooley) are lost for the year and his top wide out (Santana Moss) will also be unavailable. Backup tight end Fred Davis is iffy with a wobbly ankle, as is left tackle Trent Williams, who's missed the past two games. Even safety O.J. Atogwe (Mike Singletary's son-in-law) is a long shot to play. We haven't even discussed their quarterback situation yet.

The Redskins have lost three in a row and four of five. Shanahan suffered the first shutout loss of his storied career last week at Buffalo and quarterback John Beck, who is winless in eight career appearances -- five starts -- was sacked a whopping 10 times by a Bills team that came into the game with four quarterback take-downs total in six games. I dare say that your Niners have a wee bit better defense than Buffalo, even without injured defensive end Ray McDonald, but allow for the possibility that playing in Toronto gave the Bills some as of yet unidentified superpowers. Still, barring a few turnovers or some special teams shenanigans (or, if you prefer, "Shanahanigans") it will be tough for the Redskins to have more points than 49ers whirling wunderkind Aldon Smith will have sacks. Call it -2.5 in favor of Washington's offense.

Meanwhile Jim Harbaugh has no fear of the Redskins per se, no more than any other foe in the Freddie P. Soft phylum of your weekly power poll, but if had his druthers the 49ers would rather be playing this game on Nov. 20, four days before their other Maryland tilt against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. The Niners fought the league's scheduling committee long and hard about the unfairness of having to fly cross-country to crab cake county twice in 20 days, but were met with the usual unsympathetic shrugs they've come to expect from the league ever since the Yorks over ownership from the disgraced Eddie D. Let's be real about it -- there are janitors in that building that Commish Goodell respects more than plucky youngster Jed York, so expect the 49ers to be boned by the schedule fairy for a bit longer until they become established contenders again.

Still, if you have to fly all the way out there you might as well win, so in that sense a trip to the nation's capitol should be perfectly pleasant for your 49ers. The 'skins are their fifth straight foe that is far more accommodating to opposing runners than they are to passers, and as you're no doubt aware that's a hanging slider right into the wheelhouse of a Jim Harbaugh Greg Roman Geep Chryst Mike Solari Tim Drevno Tom Rathman Isaac Sopoaga offense that will be looking to give the ball to Frank Gore early and often as he seeks to extend his streak of 125-yard rushing performances to five.

Also, for someone like Harbaugh who's so attuned to the pulse of his team, one would think that this would be the week he'll look to get Vernon Davis some touches, considering that it's a homecoming game for Davis, who's from the D.C. area. Ol' Vern contributed to the nation's economy by purchasing 90 or so tickets for friends and family and presumably it wasn't so they could watch him block Ryan Kerrigan all afternoon. Davis tried hard to be unquotable as possible with us ink-stained wretches on Thursday, but it was still pretty clear that he measures his self-worth in catches and touchdowns rather than seal blocks and double-teams drawn. Some appeasement is in order.

The game will present another reunion of sorts for 49ers corner Carlos Rogers, whose departure after six up-and-down seasons in Washington drew some interesting comments from Shanahan and former teammates. Rogers, who has stated ad nauseum that he did not enjoy his last few seasons as a Redskin and that he wanted out two years ago, was mocked by Fred Davis and DeAngelo Hall for his poor hands and ripped by Shanahan for "inconsistent" play. While the Washington coach was totally complimentary of Rogers to the San Francisco media, he told his local beat writers that if he felt that Rogers merited a long-term contract that he'd still be a Redskin. Rogers already has three interceptions for San Francisco after never having more than two in any season for Washington, and he'll no doubt be looking to make a point to his bronzed former boss.

Beyond all that there really aren't many story angles to discuss. The 49ers haven't strung two halves together on offense in any of their road games, but 30 minutes of competent football should more than suffice against a punchless Washington outfit. Harbaugh will be looking to get out of there quick and painless and Shanahan will probably be more preoccupied with scouting reports on Landry Jones and Matt Barkley than he will with the game plan. Nothing interesting ever happens in Washington and there's no reason to expect that to change on Sunday.

Week 8 Picks:

San Francisco at Washington (+4): As near as I can figure, the Redskins have nothing going for them aside from being home, and even that may be a drawback as their fans figure to let them have it if things get ugly early. Fortunately for them, the Niners have a gnarly habit of playing only one half of football per game on offense and back-to-back shutouts are fairly rare in the NFL, so this should be a close one. 49ers 23, Redskins 16

Atlanta at Indianapolis (+8): The Colts insist that they're trying and they will continue to. Doesn't that make this whole saga even sadder? Also, Atlanta gets Julio Jones back, just to make this match-up even more lopsided. Falcons 30, Colts 13 **FOUR POINT PICK**

New York Jets at Buffalo (-2): I'd love to pay more attention to this one live, but those damn Niners will selfishly monopolize my attention once more. What I like about the game is that we'll be forced to take the winner seriously while the loser won't suffer too badly. Kinda gives me a warm feeling as I dislike neither team. Jets 20, Bills 17

Seattle at Dallas (-12): Ugh. The only way this game gets my attention is if the Seahawks are up 10 in the fourth quarter. The sight of a smiling Tony Romo gives me gas. Cowboys 34, Seahawks 14

Miami at Kansas City (-5): Seems like a low line but A) the Chiefs have a short week B) the Dolphins play close games and C) Kansas City was secretly kind of terrible against the Chargers. Still, how many narrow losses in a row can Miami have? At some point they'll either win or lose big, right? Chiefs 26, Dolphins 9

Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-9): Vegas has caught on to the Jekyll & Hide nature of these two teams with their home/road splits, so this line makes pretty good sense, as the quarterbacks have been turnover machines on the road. (Or, in Josh Freeman's case, at "home" in England.) Drew Brees needs the running game to take a bit of pressure on him to sell the play-action and to give pass rushers something to think about. I think nine points is too much for a division rivarly game. Saints 30, Buccaneers 23

Cleveland at Houston (-11): I admit the Browns have a low-watt offense and the Texans have been locking people up the last couple of weeks, but Cleveland plays too good on defense in their own right to lay 11. I think Colt McCoy will play fairly well in what amounts to a homecoming for him. Texans 23, Browns 17

Cincinnati at Tennessee (-3): I'm kind of shocked the Titans are favored in this one. If the Bengals can win at Seattle, why not Tennessee? Don't be fooled by the Titans record. They've beaten nobody, save for a Week 2 win over a Baltimore team that was still euphoric over the beatdown they handed Pittsburgh the week before. Easy upset pick (which means it's doomed). Bengals 26, Titans 17 **SIX POINT PICK**

Denver at Oakland (-9): I don't care if Tim Tebow is the worse than Babe Laufenberg, I'm laying nine with the carcass of Carson Palmer playing for Oakland. Also, there's a good chance Darren McFadden will be out. Turnovers will be the only way either team can score. Raiders 16, Broncos 13

New York Giants at New England (-9): Patriots fans will be at full boil against the team that robbed them of a perfect season. The Giants are actually the more complete team, thanks to their ferocious pass rush and I was this close to picking them in an upset, but with Ahmad Bradshaw highly unlikely to play with a cracked bone in his foot, I just can't do it. Still, if Eli Manning just drops back to pass every play, I like that match-up against the Patriots secondary (assuming Hakeem Nicks plays). Should be a wild one. Patriots 27, Giants 24

St. Louis at Arizona (-2): Sam Bradford is probably gonna play for St. Louis and John Skelton will start for Arizona. It doesn't seem possible that Skelton could be any worse than Kevin Kolb, but until proven otherwise, I have to assume he will be. Rams 23, Cardinals 16 **EIGHT POINT PICK**

Green Bay at San Diego (+6): A interception-prone quarterback facing guys like Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields? This sounds fairly simple. And if I'm wrong, I'll hardly cry about a Packers loss. Packers 34, Chargers 20 **TEN POINT PICK**

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-4): The Steelers are a lot hotter but the Ravens are much healthier. I'm gonna go with the team that doesn't have Joe Flacco playing in prime time on the road. We might see a couple loud pops in this one. Steelers 24, Ravens 17

Chicago at Philadelphia (-8): I think the birds have found themselves and I'm pretty excited about the match-up of the Eagles defensive line against the Bears big uglies. I'm not as excited about Matt Forte against Philly's linebackers and safeties. Oh well. Eagles 30, Bears 20

Last week's W-L: 8-5
Season W-L: 73-43
Week 8 Vs. Spread: 5-7-1
Season Vs. Spread: 44-65-7
Week 8 +/- Points (All games count as one point unless specified): -2
Season +/- Points: -28

I forgot to do extra point picks last week (just as well) so I'll double them up this week, Berman-style. Good luck!

Mr. Soft May Be Brown, But Not Necessarily From Cleveland

Right about now I'm guessing that Jim Harbaugh is thankful that his Stanford team was so dominant last season, because it gave him some valuable experience in playing against the dregs and lower lights of the Pac-10 (now Pac-12). I mean any coach can rally the troops and give them the "nobody believes in us" shpiel when his team is a 10-point underdog, but the rah-rah coaching manual is decidedly more vague when it comes to the question of how to motivate your team when the whole world thinks you can win simply by throwing your jerseys out on the field.

Hence our introduction to Harbaugh's latest bit of paranoia: Freddy P. Soft. What the "P" stands for is not suitable to discuss in polite company, but if you were a fan of Naughty by Nature in the 90's then you should be able to figure it out. Mr. Soft, according to Harbaugh's description is about four inches long and likes to spend his time lurking on the shoulders of overconfident football players and whispering sweet nothings into their ears about how wonderful they are and how easy the next game will be. Basically, he's a cross between your average 49ers fan on Twitter and Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo, and his odor is more repugnant than both.

The 49ers, who enter Sunday's game against the 3-3 Cleveland Browns as 9-point favorites, have every reason in the world to be feeling rather good about themselves. They just finished a stretch of their schedule where even one win out of three against the Eagles, Buccaneers and Lions would've been considered a relative success and made them the prohibitive favorites to win the NFC West. Instead they went out and won all three, with the middle one against Tampa coming in rather convincing fashion. Then they had a bye week, which helped, according to Gen. Harbaugh, "Heal their wounds."

On the surface when you look at the match-ups, it's hard to imagine how the Browns could possibly score at all without the aid of turnovers. Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi will be out, as will workhorse Peyton Hillis, most likely. It's not like this bunch was a powderkeg offense before. The Browns are 27th in scoring (16.2), 23rd in total offense (308.3 yards), 22nd in passing (217.2 yards) and, surprisingly, 29th in rushing (91.2 yards). Second-year QB Colt McCoy is the spazziest signal caller back there outside of Arizona's Kevin Kolb.
McCoy doesn't possess a big arm and he certainly doesn't have any explosive receivers. It's a dink-and-dunk offense, the kind of outfit that can possess the ball for 43 minutes, as they did against the Seahawks last week, and yet somehow manage only six points.

Their saving grace, as with the 49ers, has been on the other side of the ball, where the Browns are fourth overall in yards allowed per game and first against the pass. 49ers Greg Roman praised the physicality of Cleveland's starting corners Sheldon Brown and Joe Haden and noted how their safeties are always in the right place. It's not a unit that's blessed with many dynamic play-makers, but one that dares you to have the patience to march down the field in 12 plays without making any mistakes (drops, penalties, missed blocks) or getting too greedy.

Basically it's the 49ers against the team everyone thought the 49ers would be. When you look at the yards the locals have gained and allowed, they really have no business being the fifth-highest scoring team in the league and second stingiest in being scored upon. The +8 turnover margin has helped, as have their boffo special teams of course. Coordinator Brad Seely, whom they poached away from the Browns, has been a godsend. While Harbaugh gets all the attention, it's Seely and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's units who have gotten the real results.

That the Niners will have to march slowly to score shouldn't trouble them much since that's the only way they can move the ball anyway. They will welcome back Braylon Edwards against his former team to take some of the pressure off Alex Smith from having to force every pass to Michael Crabtree, but their inherent mismatch will be with tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, as always. It won't always look pretty, but they'll cobble together the odd drive or three and it will dent the scoreboard just enough to keep your rowdies off Smith's back for another week.

Ol' Softie was last spotted in Jacksonville on Monday, where he ruined Harbaugh's brother John's evening but good. Can he fly cross-country in time to make this one sufficiently morbid? I'm thinking no, but that's because I've always been the pie-in-the-sky, wide-eyed optimist. Also, I have Davis on my fantasy team. Mainly it's because he's a fictional character conjured up by a man who, based on all available evidence, is clearly insane.

The Cardinal have had no problems beating up on the Washington States of the world, and Harbaugh's charges should have similar success against the Cougars' NFL equivalent in the Browns. And look at the bright side - If they blow it then everyone will think they stink again, and that's Harbaugh's comfort zone anyway. That's what we call a "win-win" in the biz.

Week 8 Picks

Indianapolis at Tennessee (-9): Here's when you know things are bad for your team: When you're a 9-point dog to a team that lost 41-7 at home the week before, who's star running back is averaging less than three yards per carry and whose best receiver is out for the season. I can't commit to the Titans giving that many points to anybody. Titans 19, Colts 13

New Orleans at St. Louis (+14): On one hand, that's a lot of points. On the other, A.J. Feeley will be getting another start and the Saints showed last week that they're not shy about handing out a proper drubbing if the opportunity's there. No Mark Ingram for the Saints means more pass attempts for Drew Brees against the world's slowest secondary. Saints 41, Rams 13

Miami at NY Giants (-10): Miami has been pretty good at hanging around in ballgames, and Eli Manning has an odd habit of keeping terrible teams in them too (see the Seattle debacle). Maybe a pouty Reggie Bush will be pumped up for this one. Giants 24, Dolphins 16

Minnesota at Carolina (-4): What's weirder if we looked at this match-up two months ago, the fact that the Panthers have a big quarterback edge in this game or that it would've been an even bigger edge if Donovan McNabb was still starting for the Vikings? Minnesota suspended Chris Cook -- with good reason -- so you wonder who'll be covering Steve Smith. Panthers 30, Vikings 20

Arizona at Baltimore (-13): O how the Ravens let me down Monday night. Yet another object lesson that I know a little tiny wee bit about the Niners and precious little about anything else. I still think they're pretty good, but that's because I'm stubborn and stupid. It would be hard to give them 13 points considering they only scored 7 the other night, but then I remember how terrible the Cardinals have been on east coast road trips. A shaky vote for Baltimore. Ravens 30, Cardinals 10

Jacksonville at Houston (-10): What's with all these huge point spreads? I'm gonna trust that Jags defense and Texans coach Gary Kubiak's wonkiness to keep it relatively close, to my great detriment I'm sure. I don't think Maurice Jones-Drew (whom I will nickname "Conveyor Belt" from now on after a story a colleague told me about him) is gonna fumble four times again, either. Texans 20, Jaguars 13

Washington at Buffalo (-6): The game's in Toronto, which probably drops the spread a point or two. The Bills are well rested and they know they have to make hay with the Jets coming on and the Bengals, Ravens and Raiders all in the wild card hunt. The Redskins are decimated and just about ready to fold, I think. Bills 27, Redskins 17

Detroit at Denver (+3): I'd like to think this line has more to do with the uncertainty in Detroit's quarterback situation than any misbegotten faith in Tim Tebow, but who knows how bettors think? As I recall, throwing a Christian to the Lions turned out rather one-sided. Lions 26, Broncos 10

Cleveland at San Francisco (-9): Barring a few egregious turnovers by one Alexander Douglas Smith, I can't imagine how Browns ever score in this one, yet I bet Grant Cohn $5 that Cleveland would have at least ten first downs anyway. 49ers 23, Browns 9

Cincinnati at Seattle (+3): I can't think of a single interesting thing to write about this ballgame. Why should it be different than any of the others? Seahawks 17, Bengals 13

New England at Pittsburgh (+3): I'd like to say I have no idea what's gonna happen and that I'd just like to see a good game but let's be real, the Patriots are gonna roll 'em in annoying Bradyesque fashion because that's what they always do to the Steelers. Also, I won't get to watch it live because of my dumb job. Patriots 34, Steelers 27

Dallas at Philadelphia (-4): Another one for the DVR. Always a fun time for me to try to get my postgame chores done at the 'Stick while the Iggles are on TV overhead. That point spread is ridiculous by the way. There is absolutely no basis for it whatsoever. So of course I'm picking them. Eagles 27, Cowboys 23

San Diego at Kansas City (+4): The Chiefs have won three in a row and always play the Chargers tough. Their crowd figures to be especially boisterous at home. Philip Rivers is slumping as badly as he has his whole career. Well, clearly I am incapable of learning things. Chargers 27, Chiefs 17

(HOLY BALLS I AM SO BAD AT THIS, I REALLY HOPE NOBODY IS GAMBLING ACTUAL MONEY BASED ON MY PICKS)

Last week's W-L: 6-7
Season W-L: 65-38
Week 7 Vs. Spread: 3-9-1
Season Vs. Spread: 39-58-6
Week 7 +/- Points (All games count as one point unless specified): -14
Season +/- Points: -26

Defense, Smith, Rookie Backfield Key 49ers 13-8 Win at Cincinnati

Okay, so it wasn't exactly Montana-to-Taylor.

Still, for this fragile, rickety, scotch tape-and-paper clips 49ers offense, that 10-play, 72-yard touchdown march in the fourth quarter at Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium was a pretty big deal.

Not only did rookie Kendall Hunter's 7-yard scamper around left end give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish -- unlike last week, when they surrendered two separate double-digit leads to Dallas -- but it also allowed quarterback Alex Smith and his offensive mates to unburden themselves somewhat after they spent the better part of an afternoon being totally frustrated by an ordinary-at-best Bengals defense.

Let's start with Smith, as we always must.

The best thing that can be said about his first half is that he didn't turn it over. He underthrew Michael Crabtree twice, missed a couple of open receivers and took at least one sack due to indecisiveness. Generally speaking, he did nothing to absolve himself of blame from the goose egg on the 49ers end of the scoreboard.

However, he had by far his best second half of this young season, completing 11-of-13 passes for 127 yards and spreading the ball around. He was robbed of a third quarter touchdown pass to Crabtree by some horrid officiating and a lazy, incompetent FOX broadcast team that couldn't be bothered to give a damn.

Trailing 6-3 with 8:57 to go after a Frank Gore fumble cost them three points, Smith was 4-of-5 for 48 yards, with the last three completions going to Vernon Davis (8 receptions for 114 yards). Sprinkled in between those passes were stretch plays and tosses to the sparkplug Hunter, who got some meaningful playing time because Gore was either benched or hobbled by a second quarter ankle injury, whichever explanation suits you.

Gore did carry it once for four yards on 3rd-and-2 from the Cincinnati 31 on the drive, but was otherwise thoroughly stymied for the third straight afternoon, totaling 42 yards on 17 carries. You'll note the consistency of his 2.5 yards-per-carry average.

Overall it was the kind of game for Smith that might win him a couple of admirers in his locker room and some begrudging respect from a coach or two, but one that won't make a blip on the national consciousness. As far as the talking heads on the highlights go -- particularly the ex-players -- Smith's name is synonymous with a joke and two or three pretty passes to Davis aren't going to change that perception anytime soon. Neither will passing numbers after 60 minutes of work that typically resemble a good quarter for Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, et al.

While it's cliche for pundits to mention the revolving door of offensive coordinators and head coaches whenever they feel like making the obligatory excuse for Smith, what I find interesting that is that his supporting cast -- particularly that offensive line -- is hardly ever mentioned.

I mean good lord, when are people out there gonna wake up and realize that this offensive line is every bit the tire fire as the ones that get Jay Cutler and Michael Vick knocked around goofy week after week? At least those teams can run block somewhat. Gore has no holes. None. Or maybe he's just too slow to hit them these days. Hunter certainly had no problem cutting back and exploding through cracks on that fateful touchdown series.

The line got Smith sacked five times -- though he might have been responsible for two -- and committed six penalties as well. Right guard Chilo Rachal in particular was an abomination, with two sacks allowed, two holding penalties and a false start. He got benched in the second half for Adam Snyder, and one has to think that Jim Harbaugh is giving serious thought to making that switch permanent. Rachal has been definitively the worst lineman on the team for three years running now, which is a formidable accomplishment.

Looking at my notes, I have the least negative plays for left guard Mike Iupati, so I guess he wins the Best 49ers Offensive Lineman of the Game award, which is about as impressive as being the Best 49ers Fullback (nice debut for Bruce Miller with four grabs for 25 yards), the Best 49ers Free Safety or the Best NFC West Team Through Three Weeks. I've got it as Iupati, Jonathan Goodwin, Joe Staley, Adam Snyder, Anthony Davis and Rachal last. Your order may differ. Either way, we'd be arguing the aromatic and gastronomic semantics of various kinds of rotten fruit.

Also, it would be nice if just once somebody noticed that the receiving crew that Smith is working with isn't exactly the '99 St. Louis Rams. In fact, this bunch might rival Cleveland for the saddest wide out corps in the NFL. Braylon Edwards was supposed to change that, but he's hurt. Crabtree is maybe 70 percent at most and has had no training camp so he's rusty as hell. Smith has had to make do with Joshua Morgan, who is slow; and Ted Ginn, who is soft. Yes, the elite quarterbacks out there could make those guys look good. But if they had to work with these receivers and this offensive line? Well good luck to whoever wants to take that Pepsi Challenge.

Alright, enough whining on Smith's behalf. He certainly doesn't ask for my help and he could've left this place for greener pastures if he wanted to. After four thousand words I've spilled on what is charitably a mediocre offense, I suppose it's time to give credit to the fellas on the other side of the ball who were actually responsible for the win.

Obviously, having Dashon Goldson and Shawntae Spencer back in the secondary made a huge difference, and after a surprising opening drive for the Bengals, where rookie QB Andy Dalton sliced through them effortlessly, the defensive backs slammed the door the rest of the way, punctuated by late fourth quarter interceptions on consecutive series by Carlos Rogers and Reggie Smith.

Cincinnati only converted 1-of-10 third down conversions and for all intents and purposes the Niners held them to just that opening field goal for the whole game. The Bengals five other points came virtue of that Gore fumble early in the fourth quarter and from 49ers punter Andy Lee running backwards 18 yards to take a safety on purpose on the penultimate play of the game.

The run defense was stout as usual, holding Cedric Benson to just 64 yards to extend their league-leading streak of holding individual rushers below a hundred to 25 consecutive games. Surprisingly, the secondary was able to cover up Cincy's receivers without the benefit of a pass rush. Ahmad Brooks had one bone-rattling blindside sack of Dalton, but outside of that he was pressured but a handful of times and seldom hit.

Strong safety Donte Whitner suffered what he described after as a non-serious hip injury, but it impaired him enough to miss all but the opening series. Madieu Williams filled in admirably in his stead, as did C.J. Spillman and Smith, in spots. The odd man out was Tramaine Brock, whose nickel role was seized by Spencer, despite the fact that Brock had an interception in each of the past two games. That's a good call by the coaches, looking at the film and not the stat sheet. Spencer is a clear upgrade at that spot.

Rogers gets the game ball on defense from me, not only for his interception but also for making a touchdown-saving tackle of Benson on a run play after Gore's fumble. It forced the Bengals into a first-and-goal instead of a 10-3 lead and they stalled out three plays later. An honorable mention goes to linebacker NaVorro Bowman who was a tackle machine and has easily been the team's best linebacker through three games, despite having Patrick Willis as his partner inside. Spencer was solid in coverage and Goldson made his mark by laying the wood whenever he could. If only those two could've played last week, this team is probably 3-0.

It was an ugly game, but full credit to the Niners for being 2-for-2 in "must-wins" so far. For their efforts they're the sole leaders of the NFC West with a 2-1 record and they'll be in great shape if they can even one of their next three games on the sked (@Philadelphia, vs. Tampa Bay, @Detroit).

NorCal Niners Ship Off To Cincy, Hope To Not Get Smoked By Bengals

Will Sunday be the most meaningful match-up between your plucky San Francisco 49ers and the woebegone Cincinnati Bengals? Historically, not so much. To the principals involved, however, far more so.

While it seems silly to declare any game in Week 3 a "must-win" a loss here would be quite perilous for the 49ers indeed. They already upchucked a ten point fourth quarter lead to lose in dispiriting fashion to the Cowboys. If they drop this one too, that would qualify what we in the biz call "a losing streak."

They're at Philadelphia next week (they'll spend the time in between the two games at Youngstown, Ohio, the hometown of the DeBartolo family, where the players will be reminded a time or twelve that this organization used to win games far more often under the previous owner), then home against a Tampa Bay team that walloped 'em 21-0 at the 'Stick last season, and then on the road against a Lions squad that just scored another touchdown against the Chiefs while you were reading this sentence.

Without a dub against the Bengals, where exactly would the losing streak end? Sure, 1-5 would only have them a game or so out of contention in the NFC Worst (see what I did there?), but still it just looks so bad in print. 1-5. It makes your lips curl in disgust just looking at it, right?

Here's the bad news, dear gentle reader. The 49ers have been downright atrocious on the road the past two seasons, especially in 10 a.m. PST starts. Last year their first such game was at Kansas City. The whole week the Niners, who were 0-2 at the time, talked about how much they needed the game and the Chiefs certainly didn't look like world beaters. San Francisco got trounced 31-10, with their touchdown coming on the final play of the game, because doggone it we play to the final whistle, that's why. Afterward, the coaching staff admitted that they worked the players too hard in practice leading up to the game and their charges didn't have their legs for the game.

Excuses were made for 10 a.m. losses at Atlanta (Nate Clements' fumble); at Carolina (Alex Smith got hurt and David Carr was David Carr); at Green Bay (they're way better than us) and St. Louis (coach started the wrong Smith).

The only early start they won was against the Broncos, and that was a special circumstance in that A) it was a neutral site game at London where the fans were clearly behind them and B) they flew to England directly from Carolina and had time to adjust their body clocks.

In 2009 the 49ers lost early road games, albeit in close, heartbreaking fashion to Minnesota, Houston and Indianapolis and the more traditional way you've become begrudgingly accustomed to at Green Bay and Philly. Their lone road win came in a meaningless Week 17 game at St. Louis, which landed the Rams Sam Bradford in the following draft.

So now they're three point dogs against a Bengals outfit that's starting a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton, who the 49ers would've picked in the draft had Cincinnati chosen Colin Kaepernick instead.

Dalton, who NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell characterized as a quarterback who "in many ways what (Alex) Smith is not," has not had a turnover in two games and has been far more impressive than expected. "He has very good pocket poise, very good command," Cosell noted. "(He) does not have a big arm, but he sort of makes up for it with his sense of timing and anticipation – two things that Alex Smith doesn’t do very well... He’s very decisive. He knows where to go with the football. The ball comes out quick."

It simply won't do for the 49ers to have Dalton show up Smith while Kaepernick, who looked completely unprepared for this level, watches helplessly from the bench. Then again, Kaepernick may have to check in, whether he's ready or not. It was revealed on Wednesday -- on an emailed practice injury report that pinged my inbox at 4:38 p.m. -- that Smith suffered a concussion against Dallas, presumably on a second quarter sack by Anthony Spencer. It would've been nice for the team to mention it during the interview sessions with Smith and Jim Harbaugh hours before, but that's SOP at 49ers land, where they've always been at war with Eurasia.

Smith said that he knew something was off, but that he felt he could play through it and that he didn't tell anyone until after the game. He went through all the testing and protocols at Stanford Hospital and was cleared to practice by Wednesday. It will be interesting to see what kind of protection he gets and the hits he takes on Sunday, being protected by a spotty offensive line that has a rep for being a step slow on the snap count in road games.

However, there is cause for some optimism.

Despite Dalton's hot start, the Bengals remain a run-first offense. Cedric Benson was suspended for three games by the league for off-season shenanigans, but he will appeal and play on Sunday. Good. The one thing the 49ers do really well is shut down the run. Every time Dalton hands off the ball, whether it's to Benson, or his backup Bernard Scott, or to Ickey Woods for that matter, he's doing the Niners a favor.

Conversely, the Bengals are only 16th in the league at stopping the run through two weeks, which might offer Frank Gore a crack of hope that he'll have more than a crack of running room on Sunday. It should also help Gore -- though he'd never admit it -- that fullback Moran Norris will be out with a fibula injury. The offense will have for more success running the ball if they spread the Bengals out and run draws rather than using seven offensive linemen, two tight ends and a fullback like something out of a Knute Rockne training video.

Another advantage the 49ers will have is getting to face guys like Nate Clements and Manny Lawson, and perhaps, if they ask really nicely, Taylor Mays. The Niners castoffs are still getting used to playing in a 4-3 scheme, and the early reviews haven't been good. Lawson has totaled three tackles while making no plays of note while Clements was toasted all game long by the immortal Eric Decker last week at Denver. Smith won't have Braylon Edwards' services on Sunday (out a minimum of three weeks with a knee injury), but he will get Michael Crabtree back, so that should be a wash.

The Bengals will be without pass-rusher Dontay Moch and two of their top three wideouts. Jordan Shipley tore his ACL against the Broncos and Jerome Simpson's availability looks hazy now that the police confiscated 8.5 pounds of marijuana from his Kentucky home (2.5 pounds shipped from California and another six pounds that was already on site). Police allegedly found distribution materials in the joint as well, including baggies and scales, so apparently Simpson was setting up a nice little side business for himself. Now those plans have gone up in smoke. Dalton's Super Bowl hopes have taken a hit now that his receiving corps has gone to pot, unless, that is, it turns out that Andre Caldwell has been laying in the weeds all along. Marijuana.

Must-win game? No. However, these are the kinds of games teams win if they're serious about winning divisions. They've got to get at least eight to sneak into the postseason and they only play six against their division rivals, so do the math. Besides, 1 p.m. is far too early to have your entire Sunday ruined and there might not be any "medicine" left now that Jerome Simpson bought it all.
******************************************************************************
Other NFL thoughts, from a man who went 0-15-1 vs. the spread last week. Seriously, this happened. I feel like the sportsbooks at Vegas should put it on some sort of commemorative plaque or at least send me a T-shirt or something. Picking the line by its very nature is a 50/50 proposition and I'm just as mathematically likely to go 15-0-1 next week, except for the fact that A) I will never, EVER, go 15-0-1 and B) if I did, without betting a penny on the games, I'd probably take a flying header off the press box.

NY Giants at Philadelphia (-6): It's been announced that Michael Vick is playing, and that's good enough for me against a battered Giants defense. For all the heat his offensive line has taken, it's worth mentioning that Vick wasn't sacked at all against Atlanta and that his concussion came on a fluke play when he banged his head against his lineman's leg. Unless the Giants run for 200 yards, Philly wins fairly easily in their home opener. Eagles 30, Giants 20. **THREE POINT SPECIAL**

San Francisco at Cincinnati (-3): Simply put if Harbaugh is at all a better coach than Mike Singletary, the Niners find a way to pull this one out. 49ers 23, Bengals 17.

Detroit at Minnesota (+4): Good lord, Calvin Johnson might turn Nate Burleson into a Pro Bowler this year and even rookie Titus Young contributed to last week's throttling of the Chiefs. No one is running harder than Adrian Peterson, but I think Donovan McNabb is shot and they don't have much deep speed to hurt the Lions. Lions 26, Vikings 20.

New England at Buffalo (+9): The Bills can run it and throw it and the Patriots secondary is suffering in a bad way (they signed ex-49er Phillip Adams this week). I'm calling the upset because Bill Belichick likes to blow one against a soft team early in the year to get his guys' attention for the rest of the year. Bills 34, Patriots 31.

Miami at Cleveland (-3): Ugh. The Dolphins, oddly enough, have been better on the road the past couple years, the Browns have no receivers and Peyton Hillis is not feeling well. Despite all of that, I'm done with Miami after they let me down last week against the Texans. Browns 20, Dolphins 13.

Denver at Tennessee (-7): Ugh, part deux. The league might prefer if Kenny Britt quietly went away, but the guy is good. Really, really good. Chris Johnson, meanwhile, is running less convincingly than Javon Ringer. The Titans had a great pass rush against Baltimore last week. Titans 27, Broncos 17.

Houston at New Orleans (-4): The Texans are quietly morphing into a run-first team before our very eyes, and why not with Arian Foster and Ben Tate (who's like a poor man's Adrian Peterson)? I'm not about to bet against the Saints at home again though after the way they destroyed Jay Cutler. Saints 34, Texans 20. **FIVE POINT SPECIAL**

Jacksonville at Carolina (-4): A previously unwatchable game gets a bit of intrigue with the word that Blaine Gabbert will be making his first start for the Jaguars. The Panthers should be running more, but it's like they've decided to forgo wins and losses and strategy and have dedicated the season to getting Newton as many reps as possible for when they'll try in 2012. Panthers 26, Jaguars 13. **TWO POINT SPECIAL**

NY Jets at Oakland (+4): Raiders offense looked very impressive last week at Buffalo, especially without Jacoby Ford or Kevin Boss, but now they're gonna face somebody who's going to make them work. Look for the Jets to get their running game going this week. Jets 20, Raiders 9.

Baltimore at St. Louis (+4): The Ravens don't often play two stinkers in a row and the Rams have some fundamental problems on both sides of the ball. I don't know how they stop Ray Rice on that turf. Ravens 27, Rams 20.

Kansas City at San Diego (-15): Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates, Mike Tolbert, Ryan Mathews against a Chiefs defense that has allowed 89 points in two games. Yikes. Philip Rivers is due for a clean game, right? Chargers 41, Chiefs 13.

Green Bay at Chicago (+4): What's with all these four point lines? For whatever reason the Bears seem to be able to slow down Aaron Rodgers and co. better than anyone else can, but how can anyone possibly trust their offense line to keep Cutler upright? With all the faces Cutler makes on the field and on the sidelines, why would they want to? Packers 23, Bears 13.

Arizona at Seattle (+4): Here's my theory: I don't think Seattle is trying. Lets see if I'm right. Cardinals 27, Seahawks 17.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay (-1): No one who watched that game seriously thinks the Falcons would come within 14 points of Philly if they met in the playoffs, right? Impressive comeback from Josh Freeman last week at Minnesota, more so because his primary receiver was Preston Parker. Buccaneers 27, Falcons 20.

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis (+11): 11 points is a lot for a home dog and I don't think the Steelers are built for two straight blowouts. A humble road win against an undermanned opponent for the defending AFC Champs, where they'll run the ball a lot and keep the fancy stuff in their back pockets. Steelers 23, Colts 14.

Washington at Dallas (even): Tony Romo is likely playing, though he shouldn't. Jon Kitna would be a whole lot better with a week to prepare, knowing he's going to play, than he was last week when he was just thrown in there. It's Dallas' home opener and I'm not quite ready to take the Redskins seriously. They pull this game out, and I'm aboard. Cowboys 27, Redskins 10. **FOUR POINT SPECIAL**

Week 2 Record: 8-8
Total Record: 19-13
Week 2 Vs. Spread: 0-15-1
Total Vs. Spread: 8-22-2
Week 2 +/- Points (All games count as one point unless otherwise specified): -25
Total +/- Points: -30

Winners and Losers from Sunday; Injury Updates; 49ers Statistical Rankings

So, what are we to take from the 49ers loss to the Cowboys? Are they the team that broke Tony Romo's ribs or the one that just sacked him once while getting eviscerated to the tune of 427 passing yards? Are they the offense that had Dallas totally flummoxed on third down, converting 8-of-10 first half opportunities despite being without their top two receivers; or the one that got sacked six times and shutout in third down conversions in the second half and overtime?

Most of all, are they the outfit that got out-gained 472 yards to 206 by a Dallas team that was missing Dez Bryant, Terence Newman and Orlando Scandrick and who had Romo, and his top three skill players all get banged up during the game; or the ones who were one play away from winning the game on two separate occasions? Indeed all the 49ers needed was a stop on 4th-and-5 or for for Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey, who hooked a 21-yard attempt in the first quarter, to do so again with a 48-yarder at the gun. Instead, the S.O.B hit one so down the middle that it would've been good in the Arena League.

Bill Parcells was fond of saying "You are what your record says you are," but with all due respect to that miserable bastard, there are games where a loss is a win and and games where a win is a loss. Then there are those wins that count double and losses that crush whole seasons. So with that, here are the winners and losers to take away from the 27-24 overtime loss:

Winners:

StubHub: First and foremost. They must have made a killing with their service charges and hidden fees and whatnot, accommodating all those Cowboys fans. Good lord, I was half expecting to see 10-gallon hats and bolo ties in the press box.

Jim Harbaugh: For one half darn near every play he dialed up was working. They were picking up all of Dallas blitzes, and Smith was finding guys open on out routes and hitches and converting third downs. The game plan showed, definitively, that they were indeed "saving" some things for the Cowboys that they didn't use the week before against Seattle. As we go, I would expect the offense to open up more and more and for Harbaugh to find answers to how people are playing his guys.

Alex Smith: Was he as good as his stats suggest? Well, no. But he made a number of fine throws, including perfect touchdown strikes to Kyle Williams and Delanie Walker and even his improvised rollout bomb to Frank Gore looked to be on the money before Bradie James took an interference penalty to break it up. Also, he gets credit for having to make do without his starting receivers and for not fumbling on all those shots he took in the second half.

Kyle Williams: Yeah, the kid has just one pass thrown his way, but he made a great catch in the corner of the end zone and will likely see more playing time with Braylon Edwards out and Michael Crabtree limping around. I've said it before, he probably runs the best slant route on the team, and with his quickness and run-after-catch ability, Williams is the one guy who can burn blitzes by taking a short hot route a long way. We'll have to see if it comes into play.

Bruce Miller: The first two games couldn't have gone much better for him. The guy in front of him on the depth chart, Moran Norris, has been a tire fire thus far, and now he's injured. Miller will crack the lineup this Sunday.

Ray McDonald: Not a great game, but another sack and one other hit on Romo. Two games in, he's looked every bit the $4 million defensive end. Kudos.

NaVorro Bowman: Not only has he held up well against the run, but he was better in coverage than just about any 49er on Sunday. He broke up two passes and I can't remember any that he gave up. Would've liked to seen him blitz more though.

Carlos Rogers: He was beaten two or three times, but he got his hand (or his head) on quite a few as well. Everyone will remember the overtime play to Jesse Holley, but for three-and-a-half quarters Rogers played outstanding football.

Losers:

49ers fans: You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Yes, your stadium is an eyesore. Yes, the parking situation is an abomination. Yes, there was potential for crowd violence a la the preseason mess with Oakland. Still, your team isn't that bad and it's downright embarrassing that it turned into a Cowboys home game. The crowd was -- and this is conservative -- at least 55 percent in favor of Dallas. Perhaps it was a gigantic middle finger to ownership, who had gotten the message out in advance of the game that they wanted the stands to be "a sea of red." Maybe it was a way of telling the Yorks "We'll buy your gear and show up to your games when you get a legitimate stadium and some good players."

Or maybe everyone in California is broke and a buck is a buck.

Jim Harbaugh: Save for one nice play-call late in the third quarter where Smith found Walker matched up one-on-one by outside linebacker Anthony Spencer and took advantage, Harbaugh and Greg Roman couldn't draw up anything to bail the offense. Three times Smith rolled out or executed play-fakes where there was an unblocked rusher waiting to meet him, and any plan that calls for DeMarcus Ware to not be accounted for seems pretty stupid to me.

Too often the plays they were trying were too cute, the kind of calls designed to take advantage of over-aggressive, inexperienced front sevens. Dallas was aggressive, but they've got a lot of veterans there who know how to read tells and diagnose plays. I think a couple times the 49ers assumed that when the Cowboys had six or seven snarling guys at the line that at least two or three would drop back in coverage and the line would be able to zone up whoever rushed. Instead, Dallas just sent everyone and that left people who weren't blocked. If the Cowboys guessed correctly on who the hot route was, Smith didn't have time to look for a second option and he was toast.

Of course Harbaugh's biggest blunder was taking the field goal with 11:12 to go to push the score to 24-14 instead of accepting a 1st-and-ten at Dallas' 22-yard-line, but we covered that extensively on Monday.

Alex Smith: How much blame does he deserve for not adjusting the line to pick up some of those blitzes in the second half or for not audibling out of bad plays? It's hard to say because we don't know the extent of his responsibilities. Maybe he did change the protections and guys simply missed their assignments. What we can blame Smith for are two throws that came back-to-back in the third quarter. On the interception he thought Davis was running a button hook. Davis, however, correctly adjusted his route to an out when he saw how much room he had to the sideline. Even if he ran the hook that Smith wanted, Dallas' Alan Ball undercut it and still would've picked it off. Smith's real sin, however, was the play before, when he rolled left and badly overshot a wide open Walker, who would've gained enough yards for a first down.

Also, I think he should've lobbied Harbaugh more, not just to keep the ball
after that penalty on Akers' field goal, but even before that, when Harbaugh elected to kick on 4th-and-1 from the 37. A good quarterback fights these decisions, but it's simply not in Smith's nature to be confrontational or argumentative.

Kendall Hunter: Welcome to life in the NFL, kid. You happened to get drafted by a team where the running back has more influence in the organization than the quarterback does. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to play when Gore gets his inevitable injury in a couple weeks.

Vernon Davis: He was asked to block a bunch against Dallas on pass plays (didn't work) and doubled when he did go on routes. These things will happen without Crabtree and Edwards. Davis is already grumpy with Harbaugh, but the 49ers do have a few games coming up against teams who can't cover tight ends well.

Jonathan Goodwin: Beaten soundly by Jay Ratliff two or three times, leading to sacks on Smith, including one in overtime that torpedoed the 49ers last chance of winning the game. He also had a terrible shotgun snap that Smith did well to turn into a positive play.

Mike Iupati: Whiffed on blocks in the run game and pass game. Continues to be confused by stunts and twists. Worst of all, I don't sense any fire from him at all.

Joe Staley: Beaten for one sack by Ware but a lot of the pressure Dallas had came from the gap between him and Iupati.

Chilo Rachal: Still getting subbed out for Adam Snyder a couple series per game. That should tell you something.

Anthony Davis: The 49ers best lineman on Sunday. Which is like being their handsomest beat reporter.

Moran Norris: Somewhere in the NFL there must be a worse starting fullback, but I can't think of one of the top off my head.

Ahmad Brooks: What a ticky-tack neutral zone call that was, giving Dallas new life and turning what should've been at the worst a 14-0 halftime lead into 14-7. Still, Ahmad, dude, you're looking right at the ball. It's 3rd-and-forever. Get a full foot behind it, just to be safe.

Tarell Brown: Beaten regularly by the likes of Holley and Kevin Ogletree. Shawntae Spencer will claim the starting job any day now.

Tramaine Brock: Nice interception and all, but putting him in the slot against Miles Austin was painful to watch. He's gonna be the odd man out of the lineup.

Donte Whitner: Witten chewed him up all afternoon. Just a hopeless match-up. Bit on a play-fake in overtime (as did Rogers), which was silly because Dallas hasn't been able to run the ball since last October.

Madieu Williams: P-U.

Reggie Smith: How stiff are those hips? I thought the 49ers traded Taylor Mays away.

Does that seem unfair, to have far more losers than winners? Well, I repeat, the yardage was 472 to 206. Should we throw the 49ers a parade? The offensive line is a sieve and the defense looks very vulnerable when people stretch them out and forget about running. I was disappointed in Vic Fangio for not calling more blitzes and trying to confuse Romo a bit. Instead the Niners got dinked-and-dunked to death in fine Greg Manusky fashion. We'll see if he gets any trickier against a rookie QB this Sunday in Cincinnati's Andy Dalton. It won't do to have him be less confused out there than Smith.
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Injury notes:

Harbaugh, in a rare lapse of his usual thousand-yard stare and dismissive non-answer routine, actually revealed that Braylon Edwards "will be out a bit" and that the receiver "underwent a procedure" on his knee. Look for Edwards to be out until the seventh game, home vs. his former club, the Browns. The Niners have their bye before that and the sixth game is on the turf at Detroit, so I think it'll be a stretch to see him play in that one, though a losing streak may change the prognosis. That's what makes this Cincinnati game so important. They simply have to win it, because the schedule gets pretty hairy the three weeks after that.

Harbaugh also said that Michael Crabtree will "most likely" play on Sunday. We saw Crabtree running routes at what looked to be full speed in individual drills, but at his locker he didn't look like someone champing at the bit to go get 'em. "It's only been three days," he said. "How much different could (his foot injury) be in three days?"

Crabtree was just "limited" in practice on Wednesday, per the official report, so we'll see.

My feeling: Crabtree really wanted to play against his hometown Cowboys and was disappointed about not getting the chance. He's probably not nearly as stoked about facing the Bengals. He'll play, but...

Alex Smith apparently sustained a concussion during Sunday's game. Nice enough for them to mention it on Wednesday, on an injury report that was sent in at 4:38 p.m... Smith seemed lucid enough during his press conference and was a full participant in practice, so it must have been a minor one.

Shawntae Spencer told CSN Bay Area's Mindi Bach that he's been practicing in full for two weeks and he's completely healed from his hamstring injury. However, he said that coaches want to see how he fits into the scheme on the practice field before throwing him out there in games. He added that he understands the scheme, but has to convince them of that. The way Brown and Brock have played, I think Spencer will get his chance, and soon.

Dashon Goldson also looked spry during individual drills, and I think he's the starter this week unless he has some kind of set back. The team desperately needs him back because both Madieu Williams and Reggie Smith were liabilities on Sunday. The team missed Goldson a lot more than they missed Spencer or Crabtree or even Edwards.

Moran Norris' injury was revealed to be a fibula problem, and despite him telling Maiocco that he's "fine" the team already declared him out for Sunday. Good lord.

Are you ready for Bruce Miller?
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49ers Statistical Rankings, presented without comment.

49ers Offensive Rankings:

Rushing: 79.5 YPG (26th); Yards Per Carry: 2.8 (29th);
Rushing Touchdowns: 2 (T-6th);

Passing: 128.0 YPG (29th); Completion Percentage (T-4th);
Yards Per Attempt: 6.9 (T-21st);

Passing Touchdowns: 2 (T-23rd); Interceptions: 1 (T-5th);
Sacks: 6 (T-22nd);

QB Rating: 95.2 (11th); 3rd Down Percentage: 32.1 (23rd);

Yards Per Game: 207.5 (31st); Scoring: 28.5 (9th)

49ers Defensive Rankings:

Rushing: 54.5 YPG (1st); Yards Per Carry: 2.5 (1st);
Rushing Touchdowns: 0 (T-1st)

Passing: 291.0 YPG (25th); Completion Percentage: 58.8 (12th);
Yards Per Attempt: 7.9 (20th);

Passing Touchdowns: 5 (30th); Interceptions: 3 (T-4th);
Sacks: 6 (T-6th);

Fumbles Forced: 4 (T-2nd); Fumbles Recovered: 2 (T-7th);

3rd Down Percentage: 37.9 (15th); Yards Per Game: 345.5 (T-17th); Scoring: 22.0 (T-12th)

49ers Special Teams Rankings:

Kickoff Return: 43.8 Avg (1st); Kickoff Return Allowed: 23.3 Avg (15th);

Punt Return: 15.2 Avg (5th); Punt Return Allowed: 9.3 Avg (T-17th);

Field Goal Percentage: 100.0 (T-1st); Net Punt Average: 51.4 Yards (2nd)

Giveaway/Takeaway:

Giveaways: 1 (T-2nd); Takeaways: 5 (T-4th); Plus/Minus: +4 (T-3rd)

49ers notes: Crabtree sits, Peelle signs, Jones resurfaces on the practice squad and Edwards sues

Obviously we weren't allowed to watch practice, but during warmups several eagle-eyed reporters saw Michael Crabtree run one three-quarters speed route in warmups and then quickly take off his helmet and chat up trainer Jeff Ferguson. That can't be an encouraging sign. Crabtree only made it through one half on Sunday and said afterward that he thought he'd re-broken his foot. He wasn't walking with a limp when he was spotted earlier in the day, but walking and running are two different things. Expect this to be an ongoing issue for a while longer.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said there's a possibility that Kyle Williams will be up for this game, as insurance for Crabtree in case he can't make it all the way through if nothing else. I'm guessing Crabtree really wants to play in the game because it's A) the regular season and B) against his hometown Cowboys, but if he's limited at all, the team may be better off just going with Williams, who had a fabulous camp and is raring to go. At this point, how could he be a drop off at all from a hobbled Crabtree who's barely practiced at all in this offense?

Safety Dashon Goldson was in uniform and pads during practice, but not really participating in individual drills. It remains to be seen how active he'll be, but it's dangerous to play the Cowboys with a gimpy safety. Reggie Smith's first game back there as the nickel guy couldn't have been too encouraging either, so it's not an ideal situation.
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Peelle in, Jones out, Practice Squad RB Shuffle

The 49ers signed tight end Justin Peelle, 32, a 6-4, 255 pound blocking specialist who’s a veteran of nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers played with just two tight ends on the roster the first week in Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, so they had to use a sixth offensive lineman in a lot of short-yardage situations that wound up being unsuccessful. Maybe with Peelle defenses will respect the run-pass option more and give Frank Gore a couple more inches of room to run. Or perhaps the coaching staff will be more willing to use the play-action in those formations and actually throw the ball. Peelle has 122 career receptions for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught 10 balls for 96 yards and as score last year for Atlanta.

"Hopefully I'll get fed every once in a while, but normally my role has been to block the past couple years," said Peelle.

To make room for Peelle on the 53-man roster, the team waived rookie safety Colin Jones, their 6th round pick from TCU. As expected, he cleared waivers and is now on the practice squad.

The team also signed running back Ian Johnson, 25, to their practice squad. Johnson, who is 5-11 and 212 pounds, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State in 2009 by Minnesota and has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers organizations too, but has never been activated for the regular season. He had 36 carries for 130 yards this preseason for the Lions. Johnson is famous, of course, for proposing to a cheerleader (who was his longtime girlfriend) on national television immediately after scoring the game-winning two-point conversion in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. He helped Boise State upset mighty Oklahoma by successfully running in a “Statue of Liberty” play. With the arrival of Johnson, running back Xavier Omon was released from the practice squad -- and quickly signed to Cleveland's.
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Vernon Davis spoke of the looking forward to the challenge of going against Dallas' elite pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware, but Joe Staley had already thrown cold water on the notion earlier during his interview. Staley explained that Ware usually lines up on the opposite side from the tight end. In the frequent instances where the 49ers will go with two tight ends, you figure Ware will choose to go against Delanie Walker, who's a far worse blocker than Davis. Also, it's a good bet that Ware, who's never been much of a coverage guy to begin with, will want no part of Davis in that regard. The Cowboys will probably use a nickel corner or a safety on him, and perhaps some bracket coverage with an inside 'backer.
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Braylon Edwards filed a $14 million dollar lawsuit against a Michigan restaurant and three of its employees for slander, alleging that a team rescinded on a contract offer they put on the table with $15 million in guarantees because of the accusation the employees made of his direct involvement in an Aug. 1 incident between his entourage and some busboys. Edwards was already cleared of any wrongdoing after a police investigation. In the suit, Edwards claims that he had to settle for just a $1 million guaranteed contract with the 49ers because of these false accusations.

I wonder if he'll sue Alex Smith, Jim Harbaugh, Greg Roman and the offensive line for hurting his 2012 earning potential...

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A look at the 49ers statistical rankings after Week 1.

49ers Offensive Rankings:

Rushing: 85.0 YPG (18th); Passing: 124.0 YPG (29th); Total: 209.0 YPG (31st); Points: 33.0 (7th).

Comment: One of these things is not like the other. Thanks, Ted Ginn!

49ers Defensive Rankings:

Rushing: 64.0 YPG (T-5th); Passing 155.0 YPG (T-5th); Total: 219.0 YPG (4th); Points: 17.0 (T-9th).

Comment: Patrick Willis always talks about wanting to be a top-10 defense, a top-5 defense. For once, 49ers come out and play like one. The Cowboys game will give them a much stiffer test, however.

49ers Special Teams Rankings:

Kickoff Return: 44.0 Avg (4th); Kickoff Return Allowed: 22.8 Avg (18th); Punt Return: 18.4 Avg (5th); Punt Return Allowed: 9.0 Avg (18th); Field Goal Percentage: 100.0 (T-1st); Net Punt Average: 54.2 Yards (1st).

It's tempting to say that new special teams coordinator Brad Seely has made difference right away, but he made his mark in the past for his kick coverage units, not the return game. I think Ginn just had a really good day and took advantage of a couple of mistakes from Seattle's Earl Thomas and Walter Thurmond, who were too overaggressive. Seely certainly has fabulous kickers to work with in Andy Lee and David Akers, so that part of the equation is easy to figure.

Giveaway/Takeaway:

Giveaways: 0 (T-1st); Takeaways: 3 (T-2nd); Plus/Minus: 3 (2nd).

Comment: Turnovers aren't always as relevant as people make them out to be. The 49ers got one on a Hail Mary at the end of the half and another on a fumble when the score was already 33-17 and there was a minute left on the clock. The most important number in this case was they didn't commit any.