It's Now or Never for the 49ers

                                              Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh during a game.

With pre-season in the books and Week 1 set to kick off, the San Francisco 49ers are in perfect position for a Super Bowl run. They finally have all the pieces and a Head Coach with the work ethic to get them there. With Alex Smith finally getting comfortable with his offense and additions of rookie running back LaMichael James, Oregon, and Wide Receiver Randy Moss. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh will take this young explosive team into Green Bay week 1 to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

      The 49ers are my favorite to win the game not only because of the offense but, mainly because of the aggressive 3-4 defense that has greatly improved. This defense is a definite top 5 defense with the speedy linebacker Patrick Willis and a threatening secondary. They should be able to contain Rodgers and the Packers receivers.

      Another reason for this year being the 49ers year is the NFC west is set up perfectly for them, with Arizona in a Quarterback carousel they will be in the same position as they have been in last year, and Seattle with a young and inexperience quarterback. St. Louis Rams will be the only possible threat for them if Sam Bradford can shake off his last season performance.

      It will be an interesting and exciting season for San Francisco, the fans should be thrilled for what this young team has in store for them for this season and the years to come. It will not be long till they tie pass the Dallas Cowboys up and tie the Pittsburgh Steelers with 6 Super Bowl titles.  

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49ers Down Vikings 17-6 In Preseason Opener: Game Recap

Alright fans, the first 60 minutes of 2012 49er football are in the books, and it's time for a recap of all the action.

After breaking out to a double-digit first half lead, the men in Red and Gold played out a scoreless second half to hold on for a convincing 17-6 win over the visiting Minnesota Vikings.

The majority of the 90-man roster appeared at least momentarily in the game, but a few players who are expected to contribute heavily in 2012 failed to make an appearance on Friday night.

Veterans Frank Gore, Justin Smith and Mario Manningham were all held out of action for undisclosed reasons, and future Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss played only four snaps in his much-hyped debut in Red and Gold.

So what happened with those who did play? Okay, let's get to that.

Contrary to last year's preseason opener against the Saints, Alex Smith and the first unit came out and marched 84 yards on 12 plays, finished off by a Smith TD pass to roster hopeful Brett Swain. Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr. took the field as the starting receivers, but neither played a big part in the game—Crabtree recorded just one catch for three yards.

It wound up being Alex's only drive under center, as he finished 3/3 for 16 yards and a TD on the day. He would be replaced by current No. 2 QB and former second-round pick Colin Kaepernick, who didn't wait nearly as long as the 49ers starter to put six points on the board.

Kaepernick took a designed run play 78 yards for a TD on his second play from scrimmage—fooling an undisciplined Vikings D and going untouched before making a solid stiff arm on CB Chris Cook at the five yard-line.

Special teams standouts Anthony Dixon and Rock Cartwright surprisingly received the bulk of the carries in the run game, totaling 90 rushing yards on 20 carries between the two. Both had some impressive runs, and are probably battling each other for a spot on the 53-man roster. Brandon Jacobs and Kendall Hunter each ran with purpose, displaying their individual strengths for the faithful to see.

As for the receivers, there was some good to go with the bad. The passing was accurate for the most part—especially from Scott Tolzien—but even some of the crisp, accurate passes made their way to the ground due to lapses in focus by the wideouts.

2012 first-round pick A.J. Jenkins dropped two catchable balls, but hauled in two tough passes away from his body as well. Undrafted free agent Nathan Palmer has drawn praise for an impressive camp thus far, but struggled with his hands in this game, too. Fellow undrafted free agent and roster hopeful Chris Owusu made a couple nice grabs and showed some serious short-area quickness in gaining multiple first downs to extend drives.

Overall, it was an extremely promising performance for the offense, despite totaling just 17 points on the day.

On the defensive side of the ball, there were far less questions entering the game, but there is an additional concern coming out of it.

Rookie phenom Aldon Smith impressed early as he looks to transition into full-time duties at OLB, but took a hard spill on his hip late in the first quarter and was carted to the locker room. He was later diagnosed with a hip bruise (per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee), which is somewhat of a relief, but concerning nonetheless. Until further evaluations arise, we can only hope for a speedy recovery for our one-of-a-kind edge-rushing OLB.

In other defensive news, Pro Bowl CB Carlos Rogers was burned early by a Christian Ponder deep ball, and appeared frustrated with FS Dashon Goldson's lack of help on the play. Get it straightened out now, boys.

Other than the occasional lapse in coverage, it was a promising night for the defense as well. Keep in mind, the Vikings do not have much depth anywhere on their roster, but it's safe to say the 49ers dominated the tempo from start to finish.

The defensive line pressured consistently, hauling in an interception and recording four sacks on the night. Roster hopeful Eric Bakhtiari logged two sacks, and free-agent signing Perrish Cox looked sharp in his first action since 2010, making several big hits and making a diving interception in the game's final minutes.

The 49ers will face a much deeper, well-rounded squad next Saturday in the Houston Texans, but Friday's win over the Vikings was a great way to get things started and provides Harbaugh and the coaching staff with a solid amount of game film to begin shaping the 53-man roster.

Football is back in the Golden City, a refreshing feeling for Bay Area football fans.

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49ers Training Camp Update: Moss, Newcomers Continue To Shine

Kelley L Cox/US Presswire

We're now over a week deep into full-squad practices, and the 49ers are pumping out one productive day after another.

The team had an off day on Sunday, so there was ample time to soak in and sort out all of the action from the past week and a half.

Perhaps the greatest thing about 49ers training camp 2012, is that everybody's all in. The newcomers have stepped in (including three that didn't play football in 2011) and drawn praise consistently, performing as if they've been with the team for years.

No distractions, no resistance. There's been consistent improvement everywhere you look, and Jim Harbaugh's squad will be ready for live action in their exhibition opener Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings at Candlestick Park.

Let's begin today with a brief injury report, followed by a position-by-position assessment of the happenings in camp thus far.

Injury Report

Michael Crabtree, WR

The fourth-year receiver has missed seven straight practices since suffering an ankle injury on July 27th, the first full-squad practice of the year.

Crabtree, as you probably know, is typically a no-show for camp, whether it be injury related or his rookie holdout from 2009. The consensus around camp is that he should be returning "very soon", but for now, the rest of the group has been taking advantage of the extra reps.

It is yet to be seen if Crabtree will suit up for Friday's opener, but it's not looking good right now.

Joe Hastings, WR

The second-year wideout has missed a couple of days with a right leg injury, but has been spotted around headquarters. No further information is available at this time. The youngster has an uphill climb to obtain a roster spot, and this isn't helping his cause.

Nate Byham, TE

The third-year tight end missed all of 2011 with a torn ACL, and was held out of action on Saturday for an unknown cause. Probably nothing major, but Byham also faces stiff competition for a roster spot and the blocking specialist can't afford to miss much time.

Jewel Hampton (RB) is currently on the non-football injury list and fifth-round pick (OLB) Darius Fleming from Notre Dame is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a torn ACL in a rookie mini-camp this spring.

Okay, now for the position-by-position updates:

Quarterback

For once, there is no training camp battle to be had for the starting position. Harbaugh has made it well-known that it's Alex Smith's gig, and the only real competition has been for the No. 2 job.

2011 second-round pick Colin Kaepernick has impressed at times, but looked inaccurate at times as well. Free-agent addition and former Buccaneers QB Josh Johnson has shown flashes, too, displaying smooth mechanics and accuracy from the pocket. Former undrafted free agent Scott Tolzien has thrown a few nice balls as well, but Alex has been on top of his game and outperforming the rest of the field each day.

Running Back

Frank Gore has been, well...Frank Gore. The 49ers all-time leading rusher is happy to be back to work, and has been a physical presence in camp. In addition to some nice runs, Gore has been punishing teammates with powerful pass-blocking and even laid out safety Dashon Goldson after Goldson picked off a pass.

Rookie LaMichael James hasn't made a huge splash yet, but he's had some catching up to do since Oregon's school year ran later than most and he missed the majority of offseason work. He seems to be picking things up well, though, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted that he's clearly the fastest RB in the stable.

The rest of the group has been consistent, each breaking off a few solid runs.

Wide Receiver/ Tight End

This is the group everyone seems to be talking about from an offensive standpoint.

Former Giant and Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham has drawn praise for sliding in without missing a beat, but it's future Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss that's been the showstopper of camp so far. Moss seems to make at least one eye-popping catch each practice, and the 49er beat writers have been consistently listing him as a top offensive performer.

Rookie A.J. Jenkins has been decent, but not spectacular. He's a work in progress, which is fine, but there have been no conditioning issues to report. Harbaugh even went out of his way during an interview to make it clear that critics are dead wrong about Jenkins in calling him a bust, forecasting an "I told you so" moment for Jenkins' doubters in the near future.

Undrafted rookie WR Nathan Palmer has been a standout performer, but would need a spectacular preseason to make the 53-man roster, and possibly even the practice squad.

Defensive end Demarcus Dobbs has been trying his hand at tight end, and so far, so good. The second-year undrafted free agent has made a couple of nice catches in camp. This year's version of Bruce Miller, anyone?

Offensive Line

The only real battle for a starting position lies here, and it's at right guard. Newly signed big man Leonard Davis (6'6", 350 lbs.) is competing with former swing tackle Alex Boone for first team reps, and both have been performing well. Harbaugh noted that Davis has stepped right in and shown no signs of rust or lack of mobility.

Elsewhere on the line, there isn't much to report. Starting LG Mike Iupati has been absent due to the birth of his child, and Davis has been filling in at his spot while he's gone.

Defensive Line

The defense has dominated thus far in camp, and the D-line has been a big factor. Justin Smith has been a freak, per the usual, and the rest of the line has been trying to keep pace. Dobbs has looked good at DE in addition to TE and hopes to solidify a roster spot. Undrafted rookie Tony Jerod-Eddie has shown promise as well, but is a long-shot to survive cuts.

Linebackers

Rookie OLB's Kourtnei Brown and Cam Johnson have impressed in recent practices, earning praise from many of the beat writers. NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis are going about their business in impressive fashion, as usual, and there hasn't been much word relating to rookie standout and now starting OLB Aldon Smith has progressed in his new role.

Opposite Aldon, Ahmad Brooks has played well. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio stated that Brooks arrived to camp in the best shape of his life.

Secondary

The standout group of the defense, there have been interceptions and batted balls left and right. Newcomer Perrish Cox has looked like a seasoned vet in camp, and starting CB Tarell Brown has impressed as well.

Second-year CB Chris Culliver is progressing well, and Tramaine Brock has earned praise at times, too, despite getting burned on occasion.

The DB's have made it clear they enjoy Moss' presence in camp, fighting for chances to cover the freakish WR and put their abilities to the test. This reaction from the secondary has been encouraging in terms of realizing just how much Moss apparently has left in the tank.

Michael Thomas (S) has been working as the nickel corner in nickel packages to try and solidify a roster spot. Goldson and SS Donte Whitner have looked solid, as usual.

Special Teams

Not much to report here, except that special team's coach Brad Seely has been exploring all options in the return game, trying as many as six different players fielding kicks and punts. Yes, including Kyle Williams.

Ted Ginn figures to be the starting returner to open the season, but he provides little versatility and could lose a roster spot if someone else performs well in the preseason. Particularly if it's a player who provides significant value in other facets of the game.


It's been a great camp so far, but it's still extremely early. The preseason action will offer a better opportunity for the coaches (and us) to evaluate players and make proper personnel decisions.

We'll have another update soon, along with a recap of the Vikings-49ers game on Friday.

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