Matthew Barrows

Eddie DeBartolo Jr. may have five Super Bowl rings, but he is still looking for one Hall of Fame nod.

Jim Harbaugh is making good on his wish to follow in the footsteps of Bill Walsh.

The NFL is trading in shoulder pads and chin straps for tuxedos and cummerbunds Saturday night.

Aldon Smith, the 49ers' first-round draft pick and a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Miami Beach early Saturday morning.

While the 49ers – and every other team for that matter – will shoot for a bumper crop of takeaways in 2012, they can't be relied upon and can't be such a crucial component of the team's winning formula.

The 49ers' special teams units were arguably the best in the league this season, and at least one other team has taken notice.

Bee staff writer Matthew Barrows hosted an online chat Tuesday about the 49ers – and the upcoming offseason. Here are some highlights:

The weather forecast today at 49ers headquarters calls for an 80 percent chance of rain with winds up to 15 mph.

Two of the 49ers' defensive starters sat out Thursday's practice, including defensive captain Patrick Willis, who missed the session with a sore knee.

Wearing a face shield on his helmet, 49ers tight end Delanie Walker returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since breaking his jaw in two places Dec. 24.

Hopped up by the energy and euphoria of his game-winning touchdown pass Saturday, Alex Smith couldn't resist tossing a dig or two toward the New Orleans Saints defenders who had been chirping at him throughout the game.

"I think he caught it." Those words came out of Jim Harbaugh's mouth three times as he walked across the Three Rivers Stadium turf in Pittsburgh on Jan. 14, 1996, searching for a replay that never appeared on the stadium's Jumbotron.

Jim Harbaugh's first words following the 49ers' first playoff win in nine seasons were for last-second heroes Alex Smith and Vernon Davis.

One shot. The two words were churning inside Vernon Davis' head from halftime onward Saturday.

A glance at today's 49ers game vs. New Orleans; including game information, three keys to the game, matchup to watch and injury report.

The 49ers and Saints, on a collision course since mid-November, finally butt heads this afternoon at Candlestick Park in what promises to be a study in contrasts.

Bee staff writer Matthew Barrows and Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune hosted an online chat Thursday about Saturday's 49ers-Saints game. Here are some highlights:

A look at five key matchups for Saturday's NFC Divisional playoff game.

Alex Smith was a terrible toddler, the type of child you wouldn't take to a restaurant, the type of kid you wouldn't dare bring on a plane.

Alex Smith is one of 12 NFL quarterbacks who started every regular-season game in 2011.

One of the ways the 49ers will try to slow Drew Brees and the high- powered Saints offense: block the quarterback's view.