49ers Blog and Q&A

I have not yet re-watched today’s 23-3 loss to the Seahawks. I did, however, do a Zapruder job (Back, and to the left. Back, and to the left) on the big hit that Rocky Bernard put on Alex Smith on the third play of the game and it’s clear the problem was the same one that’s been plaguing the 49ers all season: bad communication on the interior of the offensive line. On the play, center Eric Heitmann begins blocking Bernard (and actually grabs his facemask) but then switches off of Bernard to block Lofa Tatupu, who is coming from Heitmann’s right. Heitmann assumes that Larry Allen, who isn’t blocking anyone, will take over on Bernard, but Allen’s too late. Allen gets a hand on Bernard but the big defensive tackle is on Smith in a second, driving his shoulder into the ground. Heitmann and Allen – appropriately, I guess – end up running into each other like a couple of Keystone Cops. I asked Mike Nolan after the game if he might make changes along the offensive line. He responded by saying there were about 25 places on the team he might make changes. It would surprise me, however, if David Baas doesn’t start seeing some action either at center or right guard, where Justin Smiley had three penalties and was responsible for at least one sack.

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How long will Smith be out? No one knows right now. He has a separated shoulder, which could keep him out a few days or a few months depending on the severity. He’ll have an MRI today. Trent Dilfer said today he’s suffered 10 separated shoulders and has missed only one start the following week.

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This will give you a taste of how antiquated the 49ers’ press box is. I had to go to the bathroom during today’s game and used the injury timeout for Billy Bajema as my opportunity. So I’m in the bathroom, which only has one urinal, and I’m, you know, “going” when the door opens behind me and a guy starts telling me, “Come on! Come on!” in an agitated voice. I, of course, thought it was one of my jackass fellow beatwriters, but when I turned around it was actually defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who needed to “go” before the defense took the field. The coaches don’t have their own bathrooms and have to share with the lowly reporters. You’ll be happy to know that even in his haste, Manusky washed his hands.

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The 49ers had only one injury to report – Smith’s – but as in previous weeks they’ll likely reveal more bumps and bruises by midweek. Bajema’s sprained ankle, after all, allowed me and Greg Manusky to have a bathroom break.
-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers just released their inactives for today's game and ... drum roll, please ... Kwame Harris will be in uniform. Harris has been practicing at both tackle positions and could be used as an emergency left tackle if injuries should mount. Injured players Vernon Davis (knee), Jason Hill (hamstring) and Tarell Brown (hamstring) are among the inactives. The other inactives are Ray McDonald, Atiyyah Ellison, Tony Wragge and Dashon Goldson. Shaun Hill is the No. 3 quarterback.
For the Seahawks, receiver D.J. Hackett is inactive with an injury. Another inactive is guard Mansfield Wrotto, the player Seattle drafted with the fourth-round pick it received for Darrell Jackson.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hi Matt. In reading your article today: 4-3 or not 4-3. You spoke with Ray McDonald, will he be activated any time soon to your knowledge? He was pretty exciting to watch during the preseason. I thought he was placed on IR for the remainder of the season. Like reading your stuff.
Danny, Wasco, Ca.

Answer: I don't know and neither does McDonald. The problem is that the 49ers run a 3-4 defense but have eight defensive linemen. Most 3-4 teams have five or six DLs. I'm just as surprised as you are that he's not active. It seemed like he was one of the few 49ers who consistently pressured the quarterback during the preseason.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I understood last year's game plan. Run Gore middle, run him left, run him right. It worked. But in the offseason we got Jackson, Lesley, Davis and Smith matured, yet opposing defenses are still able to stack 9 guys in the box against us. When forced to throw in the last 5 minutes of games Smith looks great. Wouldn't it be in Nolan's best interest to just create a game plan around starting with Smith in the shotgun and throwing to get opponents off balance? Starting like that would give Smith the ability to open up screens and draws.
Mark, Sacramento

Answer: That's a good game plan, Mark. But the 49ers' offensive line has been just as lousy at protecting Alex Smith as it has at opening holes for Frank Gore. Mike Nolan is nothing if not stubborn, and I suspect he will continue to try to get the running game on track starting with Sunday's game against Seattle.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey Matt, my Q is what is wrong with the o-line? The one unit we thought we didn't have to worry about seems to be our biggest problem. We haven't been able to run the ball consistently at all (subtract the 43 yrd td run by Franky and his numbers are horrible.) And when the 23 year old kid drops back to pass he is not exactly getting "qaulity alone time" to make his reads.
Jason, Sacramento.

Answer: I totally agree. There are a lot of things you can point to regarding the offensive woes. One of the biggest is the O-line play. It seems that the two tackles, Jonas Jennings and Joe Staley, have played well. The problem appears to be the interior of the line, which has had a hard time picking up stunts and delayed blitzes on passing downs. As far as the running game, it seemed to me as if the o-line was finally breaking open some holes for Gore in the third-quarter of the Steelers game. Perhaps that's a signal that they are on the verge of recapturing their 2006 form.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: How can the Niners improve the play of the offensive line, which I think is the Niners main problem this year? Even in Gore's best play from scrimmage, it was all Gore and some bad tackling from the Rams. They did solve some of the protection problems by rolling Alex out more often in the Steelers game but they still need to improve their blocking to get Gore going.
-- Saad, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Answer: I think they should run to the left more than they have and should use the Redskins' old "counter trey" by pulling Justin Smiley and Joe Staley in that direction. Smiley and Staley are two of the most mobile o-linemen in the league and the 49ers should play to their strengths.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hi Matt. You're correct about the offensive line play. Have you or any of your colleagues pressed the Niner's coaching staff on why the line is having problems with blitzes? And why they are reluctant to replace the center/right guard combo that seems to be having the most problems.
Mel, Union City.

Answer: Yes, we've been asking those questions for the last two weeks. The answer, in a nutshell, is that something different seems to go wrong on every play. Which is a way of saying that the line is not yet in sync. When asked about the play of Eric Heitmann last week, Nolan said he's played "ok."
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey there Matt. Great work as always. Regarding Pereira's comments on the Davis (non)catch, did he ever address the fact that the ball never hit the ground? How can you have an incomplete when the ball never touches the ground?! There are only two calls that can be made, a catch or an interception. I wish Eisen hammered him on that.
Mike, San Francisco

Answer: He showed a frame in which the corner of the ball appeared to be on the ground. But it seemed to me as if Davis had the ball controlled in his forearm. I'll go to my grave thinking that was a legitimate catch.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Matt, the head referee for the Niners vs. Steelers game seemed to be a 1000 years old. Do you think that because he was alive before replay, television and fire were invented prevented him from making the right call on Davis' catch?
John, San Francisco

Answer: Maybe he forgot to take his Centrum Silver. Whatever the case may be, he certainly didn't seem too current on the rulebook.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: From the rulebook: "A forward pass is complete when a receiver clearly possesses the pass and touches the ground with both feet inbounds while in possession of the ball. If a receiver would have landed inbounds with both feet but is carried or pushed out of bounds while maintaining possession of the ball, pass is complete at the out-of-bounds spot." Is there some clause elsewhere in the rulebook that covers the "volitional" aspect of bringing a foot down? I doubt it. Pereira is lying. He should tell the truth: NFL refs always give the Steelers the calls and always have.
Bill, La Canada, Ca.

Answer: Darrell Jackson and the rest of the players who were wearing Seahawks uniforms in February 2006 would tend to agree with you.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I know Vernon Davis has all the physical tools, but I have more confidence in Delanie Walker catching the ball. Plus, he's very good after the catch. With the 49ers being a run first team, who will start at tight end with Davis out?
Ron, Elk Grove

Answer: I tend to agree with you, Ron. I think at this point, a pass to Walker is more likely to be complete than a pass to Davis. I'm not sure who will start between Walker and Billy Bajema. It depends on the play call. But the two will see an equal amount of time.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Isn't it about time for the 49ers to open a game with 80% pass plays so that Alex Smith could be on the attack instead of playing to not make a mistake? Sure he would have some picks but he would also make some big plays. I think Alex Smith is playing down to the coaches' expectation level.
Gary, Carmichael

Answer: If Alex Smith was in an offense that was, say, like the Arizona Cardinals (of 2006) or the Denver Broncos', I have no doubt he would put up equal or better numbers than that of Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler. As it happens, he runs an offense that leans very heavily on Frank Gore and the run. For better or for worse, I don't see that changing any time soon.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: With Vernon Davis out who starts at TE? If time is split between Bajema and Walker won't it tip off what kind of play is coming, like when Baas was the second TE against the Rams?
Ken, Salem, Ore.

Answer: That's a good point, Ken. I'm predicting that Billy Bajema will get his first catch since his rookie season. I don't see him turning into Tony Gonzales, mind you. But I bet at least one ball will go his way.
-- Matt Barrows.

Question: Hi, Matt. Great blog, as usual. My question is about Ashley Lelie. I saw him in on the one play in Pittsburgh when he ran the "lazy route" and missed a decent pass. I didn't see him in the game at all after that. Does Nolan really have that short of a leash on him?
Nick, San Diego

Answer: I think Nolan got Lelie in the game because Lelie spent most of the week practicing for Darrell Jackson, who had a sore back. If Lelie makes that catch instead of swatting at it, does Nolan leave him in a little longer? We'll probably never know. One of the issues regarding the passing game in my most humble of opinions, is that the 49ers' two starters, Arnaz Battle and Jackson, essentially have the same skill set. They are really both flanker receivers, even though Jackson is playing split end. What the 49ers need is someone who can stretch defenses. So far, no one has stepped up.
-- Matt Barrows

The 3-4 defense is all about disguising your intentions before the snap. The problem with the 49ers' 3-4 defense is that the team's master of disguise, the chameleon-like Manny Lawson, is out for the season with a torn ACL. So I asked Mike Nolan the other day whether there was a chance the 49ers might go back to a 4-3 defense. Yeah, there's a chance, Nolan said. How big a chance, I asked. Nolan responded by holding his hands apart as if he was describing the size of a brown trout. Then he moved them apart as if the brown trout had grown to a striped bass. Then he contracted them as if the striper had turned into a crappie. In other words, Nolan is gonna keep us guessing.

Here's an argument for moving to a 4-3: It would allow the 49ers to get one of their best pass rushers, defensive end Ray McDonald, on the field. I spoke to McDonald the other day. The rookie was being a good soldier, although he said he was surprised he's been deactivated the first three games of the season. McDonald, after all, was a big part of the team's third-down package during the preseason and was the only 49er defender who consistently broke into the pocket during the summer.

McDonald would be an excellent defensive end, or even a defensive tackle, in third-down situations. The question is who would be the team's base defensive ends. Marques Douglas certainly would be one. In fact, despite some excellent plays in recent games, he's probably better suited as an end in a 4-3 than a 3-4. The other end could be Bryant Young, who spent a little time there two years ago. At defensive tackle, meanwhile, the 49ers' cup would runneth over with Isaac Sopoaga, Aubrayo Franklin, Ronald Fields and Atiyya Ellison. The third-down combination of Sopoaga and McDonald at defensive tackle, and Tully Banta-Cain at defensive end might be particularly effective.

Am I saying the 49ers should move back to a 4-3? No. I'm just saying the can if they want to ...

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Nolan began today's media session by announcing that back-up left tackle Damane Duckett was the practice player of the week. Nolan said he always names a PPOTW, but this is the first time he's announced it to us.

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The team captains for Sunday are Michael Lewis on defense, Keith Lewis on special teams and former Seahawk Darrell Jackson on offense.

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Jonas Jennings was back at practice today and should start. Vernon Davis (knee) and Jason Hill (hamstring) are out. Tarell Brown (hamstring) is questionable. Look for Donald Strickland to be activated if Brown can't play.

-- Matt Barrows

Delanie Walker may not be as fast as Vernon Davis. He might not be as strong as Vernon Davis. The one thing he does have, however, is Davis' world class self confidence. Walker, a wide receiver turned tight end, assured the media today that he will be a more-than-adequate replacement for Davis in the passing game this week. Davis is recovering from a knee injury and will miss the next two games.

"I'm always open when I run my routes," Walker stated with Davis-esque bravado.

Walker said he is the best receiver out of the 49ers' tight-end trio. Would Davis take exception to that?

"He'll probably agree," Walker said. "He knows I run better routes."

Walker may be onto something. No one will argue that Walker is a better player than Davis, who is probably the fastest man on the roster and one of the most powerful. But if Davis has a shortcoming, it's as a pass catcher. I'm not saying he's a bad pass catcher. He's just not refined yet. He's not great at catching the ball in traffic - something a tight end must be able to do - and as Walker alluded, Davis' pass routes still need work.

Walker, meanwhile, is an excellent pass catcher (although he did have a rather high and hard pass ricochet off his hands on Sunday). He played 20 games at receiver - about a season and a half -- at Central Missouri State and finished with 113 receptions and 1,347 receiving yards.

"He was a college wide receiver, and therefore the strength of his game is (pass catching)," Mike Nolan said of Walker. "But as you notice, we use him as fullback, we use him as tight end. He wears a lot of hats. He's done an outstanding job to be honest with you. From a second-year player standpoint, a guy that's from a small school, and had been a wide receiver - to come in and all of a sudden be a tight end and a fullback at the NFL level .... That's quite an accomplishment. He has not reached his potential, but I'm glad he's with us."

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There was a nice moment in the Dallas area on Wednesday. Four of Dick Nolan's former players -- Len Rohde, Dave Wilcox, Jimmy Johnson and Ed Beard - paid a visit to their one-time coach. Nolan, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, lives in an assisted living center near his wife, Ann, in Trophy Club, Texas. Mike Nolan said he spoke to his younger brother, Jimmy, about the visit and said that Jimmy choked up when describing Dick Nolan's reaction.
"He just lit up when he saw them," Mike Nolan said. "I thought that was kind of neat."
The quartet of former 49ers, three of whom live on the West coast, flew to Texas on Tuesday and spent three or four hours with Nolan. The coach is in the advanced stages of his disease, but Ann has said that many of the memories he has retained are football memories.
"That was a big part of his life," Mike Nolan said. "I'm sure he got a lot of his identity from that."
In fact, when the four arrived in his room, they asked Nolan if they remembered them. His reaction: "Heck yeah, I remember you."

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Jonas Jennings (leg), Tarell Brown (hamstring) and Jason Hill (hamstring) did not practice. Jennings should be back tomorrow. Mark Roman (elbow) returned to practice after missing Monday's session.

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Have a copy of "Goodnight Moon" collecting dust on the bookshelf? No one reading "James and the Giant Peach" anymore? Then bring them to Sunday's game, where volunteers from the Children's Book Project will be on hand at every gate to collect donations. Fans can donate new and "gently used" children's books three hours before the game until kickoff.

-- Matt Barrows

As many of you undoubtedly saw, Mike Pereira, the NFL’s head of officiating, gave his take on Vernon Davis’ controversial “incompletion” a few minutes ago on the NFL Network. Pereira, of course, supported referee Gerald Austin’s contention that Davis did not clearly get two feet on the ground. Instead, he said Davis had one foot down and that safety Troy Polamalu’s hit forced the second foot to touch the grass before he was upended. “That’s the key,” Pereira said. “Did he complete the catch?” Davis did not clearly establish himself as a runner, Pereira said. Under that scenario, Pereira said, Davis would have to have maintained control of the ball as he hit the ground. Pereira then showed a frame in which the ball appeared to hit the ground as Davis was landing.
My reaction? If I ever committed a crime, I would want Pereira and his team sitting next to me in court because it seems as if they worked very, very hard to come up with a plausible scenario to defend Austin’s call. Remember, Austin’s argument at the time of the call and immediately following the game is that Davis “barely got the second foot on the ground” not that Polamalu drove that second foot into the ground. Austin also said that Davis failed to make a “football move,” a term that was eliminated from the NFL rulebook during the offseason regarding what constitutes a catch. Kudos, however, to Rich Eisen, who grilled Pereira pretty hard during the segment even though they both work for the NFL. No journalistic lapse there …
-- Matt Barrows

Earlier this year, Seattle coach Mike Holmgren was asked by a Fox Sports reporter about the fact that the 49ers swept his team last season. Holmgren's response in the story: "I guarantee that won't happen this season." The 49ers say they aren't making a big deal about the comment, but it's not like they're ignoring it, either. Both Mike Nolan and Alex Smith said today they'd heard or read about the quote. "We'll see," Smith said in response to the guarantee.

Holmgren, however, insists he didn't make it. "Does that sound like something I'd say?" he asked on today's conference call. Ok, then, what did he say? "'That can't happen again,' is, I believe, the direct quote."

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Newcomer Michael "Beer Man" Lewis turns 36 on Nov. 14, making him the oldest 49er. (Larry Allen will celebrate his 36th birthday 13 days later). But Lewis noted that in "football years" he is still a young man. After all, he played only one year in high school and not at all in college. In fact, he didn't start playing in the NFL until the ripe old age of 29. Lewis had a workout two weeks with the 49ers, and Brandon Williams' lackluster performances against St. Louis and Pittsburgh likely convinced the 49ers coaching staff to make the switch. Lewis said his health is "great" and that he thought he could play until he's 40. He also said he would return kicks if the 49ers asked him, but for now they want him to concentrate on punt returns.

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Speaking of Michael Lewis, there are now two Michael Lewises on the team. How would the equipment staff have handled that situation in the past? "By using the smallest font possible," equipment manager Steve Urbaniak said, and using the first initial of their middle names. Ah, but there's been a rule change this season. In the past, players who share their last name with a teammate used the initial of their first name to distinguish themselves. Alex Smith was A. Smith, for example. This year, the league decided that the player's number is enough of a distinguishing characteristic. It's a good thing, too. In addition to having three Lewises, the 49ers have two Hills, three Smiths (one is on the practice squad), two Moores and two Harrises.

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Nolan said today that the team was planning to increase rookie receiver Jason Hill's role last week when Hill suffered a hamstring injury. Nolan said the plan would be on hold until Hill's injury heals.

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Kudos to John from Sante Fe for pointing out that receivers no longer are required to make a "football move" in order to be awarded a catch. That was one of the league's offseason changes, although referee Gerry Austin apparently didn't get the memo. "You have to get two feet clearly down and make another football move," Austin explained after the game in regard to Vernon Davis "incompletion" in the third quarter. Receivers now have to get two feet down (which Davis clearly did) and maintain possession of the ball.

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Rookies Tarell Bown and Jason Hill both have hamstring pulls and did not practice. Safety Mark Roman has an elbow injury but might practice tomorrow. Larry Allen and Bryant Young never are required to practice on Wednesdays. Neither is Walt Harris, although he went through a limited practice anyway.

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Jonas Jennings suffered a leg injury -- later described as a leg strain -- during practice and did not return. Jennings sat on a cart for several minutes but was never driven into the lockerroom. He walked gingerly back to the practice field and watched the remainder of the session from the sideline. He will be re-evaluated Thursday. If Jennings' injury is serious, Adam Snyder likely would replace him in the starting lineup. Kwame Harris also has been getting repetitions at left tackle. ... In other news, Manny Lawson had surgery Wednesday to repair his ACL tear.

-- Matt Barrows

Brandon Williams, the 49ers' third-round pick in 2006, was cut today in order to make way for long-time New Orleans Saints special teams ace, Michael Lewis. Williams had been a mostly sure-handed return man -- he fumbled a punt last week in St. Louis -- but showed little burst in his returns. He had five fair catches on the season and averaged a ho-hum 6.4 yards per return. Lewis, meanwhile, is familar to special teams coach Al Everest having played for Everest's former team, the Saints, from 2001 until this past June when he was cut. His nickname in New Orleans was "Beer Man" because he drove a beer truck before getting a tryout with his hometown team at age 29. Lewis is the Saints' all-time leader in both kick and punt returns. He turns 36 in November. The 49ers also signed linebacker Tyson Smith to their practice squad. Smith played in three games last year for the Giants.

Would the 49ers have won Sunday's game if those bad calls hadn't occured? Maybe. Dunno. Probably not. Even if they had scored a touchdown on that fateful drive in the third quarter, they still would have been down by four points and their problems stopping Willie Parker probably would have been exacerbated in the fourth quarter. But it would have been a better game if they didn't have to compete against Parker, Ben Roethlisberger AND referee Gerry Austin. That's quite a triumvirate. To wit:

• On Allen Rossum's kickoff return for a touchdown, there is one blatant block in the back on Keith Lewis and another questionable one on Michael Robinson. Robinson especially was in position to make the tackle.

• On the very late illegal chuck call against Nate Clements, Clements definitely tangles with the receiver, but does so within 5 1/2 yards.

• On the non-intentional grounding call, Austin says that Ben Roethlisberger is out of the pocket when he throws. Out of the pocket? He was still between his guards.

And of course there's the biggy, the "incomplete" pass to Vernon Davis. Austin justified his ruling because Davis never had two feet down and never made a football move. After watching the play over and over (I've studied it more than the FBI did the Zapruder Film) it's clear to me that Davis did indeed have two feet down. And if being catapulted into the air by an NFL safety and crashing to the ground is not considered a "football move" I don't know what is. Davis landed with the ball firmly in his grasp. His elbow, forearm and hand all hit the ground and there was a moment in time - a beat, if you will - before the ball popped up.

Here's the clincher for me. If you go back and re-watch the entire game, there's a rather innocuous play in the second quarter in which Roethlisberger throws a short pass to Hines Ward. Just as the ball arrives, Ward is hit by Mark Roman and slammed to the ground at which point the ball immediately pops out. The official near the play then runs up to the spot and points to the ground, indicating that Ward caught the ball and that it was the ground that knocked it loose. How that completion is any different than the Davis incompletion I haven't a clue.

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I thought the 49ers did a very good job roughing up the toughest receiver in the league. Ward was mostly a non-factor and was on crutches Monday with what Mike Tomlin described as a bone bruise.

Once again, I'm going to defend Alex Smith. The guy didn't get much time to throw and he certainly didn't get any help from his receiving crew, which dropped passes (Davis), ran lazy routes (Lelie) or ran the wrong route (Jacobs).

For some reason, the offensive line can't seem to handle stunts or delayed blitzes. It's hard to understand why. Aside from Joe Staley (and the line's struggles are by no means Staley's fault) this is a veteran group that has certainly had enough time to jell.

Why does the back of Michael Lewis' jersey say "Lewis"? Shouldn't it say "M.Lewis"?

-- Matt Barrows

Mike Nolan is still playing hush-hush regarding Manny Lawson's replacement. Today's inactive list says Hannibal Navies or Parys Haralson will start. Haralson is more of a pass-rush specialist while Navies is probably better in coverage. He'll have his hands full today with Steelers tight end Heath Miller, a player the 49ers coveted in the 2005 draft. If Pittsburgh hadn't nabbed him at the end of the first round, the 49ers would have at the beginning of the second. Instead, they took David Baas.

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When you grow up on the east coast like I did, you quickly learn to dump on the east coast cities near yours. Philadelphia? A sewer. Baltimore? Even worse than Philly. New York? They have rats the size of German Shepherds. So I'll admit I had preconceived notions as I headed into Pittsburgh yesterday. The truth is that it's pretty nice-looking town that seems to shine even more on a beautiful day like today. To get here, M2 and I took a cab to the city's new baseball stadium and then walked along the Allegheny River to Heinz Field amid Steelers fans tailgating ... from their yachts. Not a bad set-up at all.

Speaking of Steelers fans, I have never seen so many team jerseys. We estimated that 90 percent of the folks arriving were wearing the team's gear with Hines Ward's No. 86 a top seller. There are also a fair amount of 49ers' jerseys. In fact, my plane from San Jose to Chicago and Chicago to Pittsburgh was teeming with Niners' backers. Before taking off in Chicago, they began a "Niners! Niners!" chant from the back of the plane. The front of the plane then erupted in "Steelers! Steelers!" Eventually the Dallas-based Southwest flight attendant got on the intercom and said, "Go Cowboys!" Everyone started booing.

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The 49ers inactives are cornerback Donald Strickland, safety Dashon Goldson, guard Tony Wragge, tackle Kwame Harris, defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison, receiver Jason Hill, defensive end Ray McDonald and quarterback Shaun Hill.

-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hi Matt: Hostler is getting all the flack for the terrible offensive showing while Nolan continues to get a pass. I think Nolan is more involved in the offense then he admits. My question is: Do you know of another coach in the NFL that was given a quart of vanilla ice cream by the owner? Something for Dr. York to ponder.
Orland, Pleasanton

Answer: Oh, snap! I can't believe Orland went to the Danny Snyder ice-cream incident. (But I love the reference). I don't know the extent to which Nolan is involved with the play calling. But I suspect you're correct. Even if he has no hand in it, this is Nolan's team. He's hand-picked the coaches and the players. It's Nolan who's built the offense to be a run-oriented, ball-control unit that doesn't commit turnovers. Which is to say, even if the plays are coming from Hostler and Hostler alone, he's making those calls under the umbrella of Nolan's philosophy. But I also feel I need to defend the head coach. Allow me to clear my throat and cup my hand around my mouth: HE'S 2-0 FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! I'd hate to see the e-mails I'd be getting if those numbers were reversed.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Matt, are you allowed to answer the following questions regarding Friday's practice? Did Jackson practice on Fri? If not, who took his reps? Did Heitmann (ankle) or Baas take the first-string center snaps? Who took Lawson's reps in the base 3-4? Who took Lawson's reps in the nickel? Who took Lawson's reps on special teams? Likely activation in lieu of Lawson: McDonald or Goldson?
Jim, Walnut Creek

Answer: I could tell you, Jim, but then I'd have to kill you. Seriously, though, we reporters are allowed to watch practice under the condition that we don't reveal things that could give the Steelers a competitive advantage such as trick plays, key substitutions, etc. I can tell you that Jackson practiced Friday and should start Sunday and that Heitmann is still the team's starting center. As far as who will be activated in lieu of Lawson, I can only give my best guess: Zak Keasey. I figure he will step into the special teams role of the player who takes Lawson's spot in the starting lineup.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I just heard the news about Manny Lawson and I'm worried about who is going to replace him. I don't think Haralson or Navies could get the job done. Is there any free-agent linebacker that the 49ers could pick up or trade for? Kwame for a good linebacker would be nice. What's your opinion?
Joel, Sacramento

Answer: You're right - Navies and Haralson won't be able to fully replace Lawson, who is one of the most unique players in the league. But I also don't think there are any free agents out there who can do a better job than Navies and Haralson. As far as a Harris-for-a-linebacker trade - that's an intriguing idea, but I don't know whether Harris is going to land you anyone who is all that better than Hannibal Navies. After all, the best trade offer the 49ers have received thus far is for a sixth-round draft pick.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: It seems the offensive line is not yet playing up to their ability and the receivers are dropping passes. Do you think Hostler and Nolan are keeping a lid on things until everyone comes together as a unit, or "gels" as they say?
Chris, Manalapan, NJ

Answer: I think the root of the 49ers' conservative nature is Nolan. He's a defensive coach and sees the game through that prism. The two games the 49ers have played also have been, for the most part, defensive battles. When it's tight like that, the coaches are far more reluctant to be the first team that makes a catastrophic turnover. Also, is it "gels" or "jells"? Any William Safires out there?
-- Matt Barrows

Question: You postulated early in training camp that the 49ers had the potential to experience a game like recent Chicago/Kansas City/Washington Redskins debacles. I think that could easily happen against Pittsburgh. It's painful to watch Alex Smith. Is he the problem or is it Nolan? He goes back, looks..looks..looks, then tries to move. Does he see the field? They should encourage him to take off if the receiver isn't open and use him on bootlegs, ala last year at Seattle. So what if he gets hurt!
James, Lincoln

Answer: Smith was definitely holding the ball too long in St. Louis, which is puzzling because I felt "pocket awareness" was one of the areas in which he made his greatest strides in 2006. I'm not sure what the problem is and why it seems like he's digressed in that area. Smith certainly has had scant opportunities to find a rhythm, and it's quite possible that he is still familiarizing himself with Darrell Jackson. And you're right about bootlegs and roll outs. Smith is very comfortable on the run and the coaches need to do a better job of putting him in his comfort zone. If he struggles again on Sunday, this indeed could be another Chicago/KC/DC disaster.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: If the 49ers continue their struggles on offense for the rest of the season, do you think Mike Nolan would fire Jim Hostler and try and sign a big-name offensive coordinator and make Alex Smith learn another offense? I think Jim Hostler was just hired because there was no veteran big name play callers out there anymore? What do you think?
Drew, Sacramento

Answer: Well, I think Hostler was hired because the 49ers didn't want to go through the process of learning a new offense for the third season in a row. The question is whether Hostler, a first-time offensive coordinator, is being too cautious or is being restrained by Nolan. That is, because Nolan gave him his first shot, does Hostler feel obligated to call games the way Nolan, a former defensive coordinator, would want them? Some people have suggested that Hostler needs to call plays from the coaching booth not to get a better view of the field but to get away from Nolan. (See: Davis, Billy). Would Nolan replace Hostler at year's end? If they finish dead last in offense (as they are now) I think he'd have to.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Matt, is Nolan sticking to his plan of limiting Bryant Young's minutes? He said he was going to rest him more to keep him fresh throughout the year and avoid last year's late-season slump. Also, where has Tully Banta-Cain been? He's added very little if anything to the pass rush.
Bryan, Stockton

Answer: It seems like the 49ers are doing a better job of giving BY adequate rest. That started in the offseason when Young hardly practiced at all in training camp. You'll also notice that Ronald Fields gets in the game a lot in order to keep BY fresh in the fourth quarter. The result is a league-leading four sacks. The key, of course, is to maintain that freshness throughout the season. As you'll recall, BY also began last year with a flurry of sacks but dropped off by season's end. As for TBC, it seems like he's giving his opponent too much time to set up. Let's give him a little more time before we declare him a bust, though.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey, I'd like to ask you a question about something I'm sure you never get a chance to talk about... the Niner offense. We are always hearing about how much the coaching staff and ownership loves Alex Smith and believes he is the future of this franchise. Why then do they not allow him to act like it and baby him when playcalling? Isn't it about time they let him have the reins... we saw what he can do when he is aggressive against Arizona. Are they just conservative or should we be worried about a lack of faith?
Bobby, El Dorado Hills

Answer: Ah, a topic I've hardly touched on. I agree with you 100 percent about the QB, Bobby. It's not like Smith is inaccurate or throws an interception every time he lets go of the ball. Smith's problem is that - whether because of the play call or indecision - he hardly ever lets go of the ball. He had 17 attempts against St. Louis. There are some QBs that have 17 attempts on a single drive. I don't think it's a lack of faith in Smith. If anything, it's too much faith in the running game. There appears to be a belief that whenever the 49ers need 10 yards, all they have to do is hand the ball to Frank Gore and - voila! --.a first down. It's a nice thought and a very safe play. But aside from one 43-yard run, so far it hasn't worked out like the 49ers have hoped.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey Matt, can you please let me know what is up with Lelie. Why is he not in on every three WR set? He is clearly the third-best receiver on the team. The number three receiver sees quite a bit of time over the course of the year and is obviously a big factor. Why is Nolan not putting his best option out there? Is Lelie in the doghouse? Jacobs might be productive in practice, but not in real games. We need some kind of spark, and maybe the man who got paid $2 mil can provide that.....
Ross, Sacramento

Answer: One reason why Lelie hasn't gotten any opportunities showed up in practice this week. With Darrell Jackson and Arnaz Battle both nursing injuries Wednesday, Lelie got a chance to run with the first team. The result - lots of dropped passes. And there's the rub. Lelie's not a practice guy but shows up on game day. Taylor Jacobs is Captain America in practice but Shirley Temple on Sundays. I tend to agree with you, though. It seems as if Lelie would give defenses far more to think about than Jacobs. If you were a defensive back, who would you rather face? I wonder, too, if this whole Lelie vs. Jacobs debate can be folded into the "Nolan is too cautious" argument. I'll leave that for guys to ponder.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Why are we not hearing about Aubrayo Franklin? Is he hurt again?
Don, Rocklin

Answer: No. In fact, Franklin has been the starting NT the last two games. Franklin is more of a hold-the-point type of NT whereas Isaac Sopoaga is more of a burst into the backfield type of NT. Thus, one shows up more when you're watching the game. Franklin also is probably still working off the rust after missing training camp with a knee injury. By the way, look for Sopoaga to get a contract extension offer some time during the season.
-- Matt Barrows

Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan are on the lookout for a linebacker who can take Manny Lawson's spot on the active roster. In the meantime, the team has elevated Zak Keasey, a favorite of Nolan's, from the practice squad. Keasey, of course, is a fullback. But he's also an asset on special teams and expects to play on the punt and kickoff units on Sunday. If he does, it will be Keasey's first regular-season action since the first game of his rookie season when he was a member of the Washington Redskins. He was deactivated after that game and cut a month later. Keasey's official position that season - linebacker.

Said Nolan: "We are looking for linebackers. For right now, this is the move we will make."

Nolan again declined to name the new starter at outside linebacker, but he did say that two players likely would rotate in and out of the position throughout the game.

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A remarkably chipper Lawson said the surgery on his torn ACL is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday. Right now, he's debating on the type of surgery he'll choose. Apparently, there are three options. Lawson can:
a.) Have the tear repaired with a ligament taken from a cadaver (dead person).
b.) Have it repaired using part of his own patella tendon.
c.) Have it repaired using a part of his own hamstring.
Lawson said the injury was a clean tear and that he expects to make a full recovery.

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The New York Giants continue to be the only team who has inquired about benched right tackle Kwame Harris. A couple of weeks ago, the Giants dangled a sixth-round pick in front of the 49ers. The team, however, would need a conditional fifth-round pick (one that could improve to a fourth if Harris plays a lot) in order to bite. Personally, I can't believe the Redskins have not come calling. The team has lost both its starting right tackle and right guard in the last two weeks.

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Every player save rookie Jason Hill practiced Friday. Hill injured his hamstring Thursday and is questionable for Sunday's game. He likely would have been deactivated in any event. Billy Bajema (ankle), Arnaz Battle (groin), Eric Heitmann (ankle), Darrell Jackson (back) and Michael Lewis (ribs) are all probable. The Steelers, meanwhile, have only one injured player. Rookie tight end Matt Spaeth is out with a quadriceps injury.

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The team captains for Sunday will Bryant Young on defense, Frank Gore on offense and Andy Lee on special teams. Lee played his college ball at Pitt.

-- Matt Barrows

Mike Nolan was Mr. Mysterioso today about how he'll deal with Manny Lawson's season-ending injury. He said both a decision on Lawson's roster spot and who will replace Lawson in the starting lineup will be made before Sunday's game.

In all likelihood, Lawson will be placed on injured reserve and the 49ers will bring in a free-agent linebacker to take his roster spot. I spoke to Patrick Estes' agent today and he said the 49ers were not interested in signing his client at the moment. A natural move would be to sign linebacker Roderick Green, someone whom Nolan said would be on the 49ers' "short list" should there be a need at linebacker. Green, however, is a pass-rush specialist and probably wouldn't be as effective at Lawson's position, strong-side linebacker.

Lawson's probable replacement in the starting lineup is Hannibal Navies, who is knowledgeable and versatile enough to play several linebacker positions. Brandon Moore and Parys Haralson also are options, although Haralson, too, is more of a weak-side pass-rusher than a strong-side linebacker. A third option is to elevate Mark Washington from the practice squad. The team is high on Washington's potential although he is another guy who mostly played weak-side linebacker during the offseason.

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Why isn't Ashley Lelie getting more of an opportunity? Lelie keeps asking himself the same question. The only thing he can come up with is that the 49ers (read: receivers coach Jerry Sullivan) want him to run routes in a very specific way. "The way I run my routes - I don't know - I guess the quarterback can't tell when I come out of my breaks." Connecting with the quarterback, however, certainly wasn't an issue in the preseason. Lelie was the team's top wide receiver this summer. Is it frustrating to stand on the sideline and watch the 49ers' plodding offense? "It's been frustrating. I'm sort of over the frustration," Lelie said.

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Nate Clements was named the GMC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Rams. He beat out Lance Briggs, Roosevelt Colvin, Darren Sharper and Bob Sanders.

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The NFL has a new sack leader, and his name is Bryant Young. The veteran defensive end on Thursday was credited with a sack in the first quarter or Sunday's game that originally was awarded to Lawson. That gave Young three sacks on the game and four on the season, which is a half sack more than Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel. Young has had a three-sack game three times in his career. All of them have come against the Rams.
-- Matt Barrows

The NFL injury bug took a big chunk out of the 49ers this morning. The team learned that outside linebacker Manny Lawson tore his left ACL during practice Wednesday. Lawson called it a "tweak" at the time. As it turns out, it will cost him the season.

A first-round draft pick a year ago, Lawson fought through a learning curve that had him going from college defensive end to pro linebacker. He has played more aggressively this season, however, and the combination of Lawson and Patrick Willis seemed like it would only grow more formidable as the season progressed.

The team already has lost another outside linebacker, Jay Moore, for the season with a high-ankle sprain. Veteran Hannibal Navies likely will start in place of Lawson with second-year player Parys Haralson also factoring into the mix.

No one can every accuse Vernon Davis of being timid. The 49ers' tight end not only complained to the media Sunday about being underutilized, he also took the issue up with his head coach. Nolan said Davis both phoned him earlier this week and paid him a visit in his office.

"I admire the courage that it took to do it," Nolan said.

The conversation, of course, revolved around Davis' lack of production. After being the go-to guy for all of spring drills and training camp, the 49ers have thrown to Davis a grand total of four times over the last two games. Three of those passes have gone for four yards or less. Nolan's message to Davis: Keep working; don't lose focus; the offense - and your production - will increase in time.

"That will happen," Nolan said to Davis. "You certainly won't have to block every down."

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Center Eric Heitmann, who didn't have the greatest game of his life Sunday, will sit out today's practice with an ankle injury. David Baas will work with the first-team offense instead. Asked if Baas could substitute for Heitmann in games, Nolan didn't rule it out: "As we go forward, we'll see how it goes."

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Nolan acknowledged that all the questions about creativity - or lack thereof - probably would have gone away had the 49ers made one simple block on an end around against the Rams. The third-quarter play would have been a huge gain, perhaps a touchdown, if one of two linemen, Heitmann and Justin Smiley, had blocked cornerback Ron Bartell. They didn't and Bartell made the tackle for an eight-yard loss. "There were other plays in that game, not just that play," Nolan said.

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Frank Gore won't be back from the Miami area until tonight. Jonas Jennings, Moran Norris and running backs coach Bishop Harris, all of whom attended the funeral for Gore's mother, flew back Tuesday night. Gore has several DVDs of the Steelers' defense and presumably will watch them on the plane ride home. Jennings said it seemed like the entire Coconut Grove community arrived for Liz Gore's service. "The church wasn't even really big enough," he said. He also said Gore, who was not one of the scheduled speakers, stood up and said a few impromtu words about his mother. "He just got up. It took strength. It just hit him."

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Heitmann, Arnaz Battle (groin), Darrell Jackson (back) and Michael Lewis (ribs) won't practice today but are expected to be back in action tomorrow. Thirty-somethings Larry Allen, Walt Harris and Bryant Young also got the day off. Billy Bajema, who missed Sunday's ame with a bad ankle, went through a limited practice Wednesday. Linebacker Manny Lawson suffered a knee spain in practice. The severity will be known tomorrow.

-- Matt Barrows

After two games in which the 49ers failed to reach the 200-yard marker on offense, there's been plenty of kicking and screaming about Alex Smith. After watching my TiVoed version of the game this afternoon, I'd like to paraphrase Robin Williams' character in "Good Will Hunting": It's not his fault. Smith was accurate on every throw that left his hand. The problem was there were very few throws that actually left that hand against the Rams.

The 49ers' coaches are not giving Smith a chance to make plays. There were five plays Sunday in which, whether because of a penalty or a sack, the 49ers had to go 14 or more yards for a first down. You're thinking that the 49ers perhaps ran a few crossing patterns or deep outs in order to gain those yards. Wrong. On each one of those plays - EACH ONE! - the 49ers ran the ball. Sure, long passes are usually low-percentage plays. But running the ball on third and 18 is pure capitulation. You might as well punt on third down.

Smith, of course, shares some of the blame. He held the ball too long on several plays. On the play in which he fumbled - his second fumble in as many games - he stood like a statue while the Rams defensive linemen bowled over Eric Heitmann, who did not have one of his best games. Perhaps Smith was holding the ball because there were no open receivers. Maybe he's still not familiar enough with Darrell Jackson and Vernon Davis, with whom he's only played a handful of games. He seems cautious, but I wonder how much of that caution is being channeled to him from offensive coordinator Jim Hostler and Mike Nolan. At some point, they're going to have to set Alex free.

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Now in defense of Hostler: That end around to Taylor Jacobs in the third quarter should have been a huge gain. Jacobs had Heitmann and Justin Smiley in front of him. The only Rams defender on that side of the field was cornerback Ron Bartell. The problem is that Heitmann whiffed on his block of Bartell and Bartell made the tackle for an eight-yard loss.

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Just as big a concern as the somniferous passing game, in my opinion, is the running game. Frank Gore's 43-yard scamper was great, but the Rams really should have stopped him after a one- or two-yard gain. It was poor tackling. Without that run, Gore rushes for 39 yards and has a 1.95 yards-per-carry average. The alarming part is that the Rams D (and they're not the 1979 Steelers by any stretch) was stopping Gore just as easily at the end of the game as it was at the beginning. The 49ers offensive line should have been getting more of a push at that point.

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The 49ers have a great player in the secondary, Nate Clements, and a great linebacker in Patrick Willis. They don't have anyone who is great along the defensive line, but Marques Douglas deserves praise. He's a gritty, blue-collar guy who makes a lot of plays.

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Tully Banta-Cain does a lot of head-bobbing and spinning when he's rushing the passer. But is it me, or is he most effective when he just bull-rushes his opponent? He had a nice hit on Marc Bulger at the end of the game by doing just that.

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The 49ers coverage units are pretty special. It seems as if there are three guys - Keith Lewis, Jeff Ulbrich and Marcus Hudson - who are in the middle of every play. If Andy Lee keeps it up, he should be getting Pro Bowl attention at the end of the year.

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I have to give kudos to referee Jeff Triplette and his crew. Nothing bothers me more than a conspicuous officiating crew that ruins the flow of a game. (I'm talking to you, Ed Hochuli). Triplette and co. called seven penalties, many of them in the opening minutes. It sent an early message to the players that the officials were watching them. After that the zebras receded into the background and let the game play out ... just as a good crew should.

-- Matt Barrows

You've suspected it for years. Mike Nolan is turning the 49ers into Baltimore Ravens West, a town where passing statistics go to die. Sure, there were always the former Ravens - guys like Marques Douglas to Chad Williams to Trent Smith --Nolan brought to San Francisco. And there was Patrick Willis, who reminded Nolan so much of his beloved Ray Lewis that he not only drafted him 11th overall this spring, but gave him Lewis' number, 52.

The latest - and most damning - evidence is an offense that bears an uncanny resemblance to that of the Ravens', circa 2000. It's blah. It's cautious. It does the bare minimum. It's 11 men in a plain brown wrapper. It's the Gerald Ford of NFL offenses. Even writing about it makes me... (yawn) ... want ... to ... fall ... zzzzzzzz.

Nolan, of course, doesn't think so. He resisted the comparison Monday (he seemed ready for the question), noting that he spent his first two seasons rebuilding the offense not the defense. "We're not trying to build a football team like that at all," he said. "... I want to be well-balanced."

The truth is that the 49ers have more offensive talent than the Ravens did during their Super Bowl run. They don't need to throw two-yard dumps to the fullback on third and eight. They don't have to run six straight times at game's end. They have two capable wideouts in Arnaz Battle and Darrell Jackson. They have a tight end, Vernon Davis, who insists he is open on every play. The only thing Nolan and the 49ers must do is, you know, actually use them.

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I anticipate writing the following sentence a lot this year: Patrick Willis led the 49ers in tackles on Sunday. The official game book has the rookie linebacker finishing with eight stops. His best play, however, was a pass break-up in the back of the end zone on a would-be touchdown pass to Drew Bennett. When you watch the replays from Marc Bulger's vantage point, Willis is not even in the picture before springing - Matrix-like - in front of the pass. The Rams had to settle for a short field goal on the drive.

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I had no room to include this in today's paper, but Maurice Hicks' one-handed snag of an Alex Smith pass in the fourth quarter was a big play. Screens have not gone well for the 49ers so far. They require a good deal of coordination, and coordination is not exactly what the offense is known for at this point. Hicks' play, however, was a rare third-down conversion at a time when the 49ers desperately needed one.

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Speaking of third downs, the 49ers were even worse against St. Louis than they were against Arizona. Jim Hostler said the goal is to finish the season with a conversion rate of 40 percent or higher. The Niners' rate Sunday was 23 percent. Against the Cardinals, it was 25 percent. There are too many third-and-long situations, which is partly due to a stagnant running game and partly due to a lack of creativity on offense.

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The 49ers reported no injuries but Nolan admitted that Jackson and Gore were nicked in the game. Jackson hurt his back making a block while Gore strained his leg and was limping following the game. Gore is now in South Florida for his mother's funeral. Running backs coach Bishop Harris, fullback Moran Norris and tackle Jonas Jennings will accompany him. All are expected back in the Bay Are by Tuesday night.

-- Matt Barrows

Not only is Kwame Harris still on the team, he's active this week. The 49ers' eight inactives for today are tight end Billy Bajema, who has an ankle injury, safety Dashon Goldson, cornerback Donald Strickland, guard Tony Wragge, defensive end Atiyyah Ellison, receiver Jason Hill and defensive end Ray McDonald. Shaun Hill is the third quarterback. The 49ers say they still haven't received any trade interest for Harris. That may change if Javon Kearse gets six sacks this week ...
Meanwhile, the Rams are in tatters. They lost left tackle Orlando Pace last weekend because of a shoulder injury. Here are their other lineup changes: guard Claude Terrell replaces Richie Incognito; linebacker Chris Draft replaces Pisa Tinoisamoa; cornerback Lenny Walls replaces Tye Hill. The team already was without cornerback Fakhir Brown, who is serving a steroid suspension, so they had to elevate rookie Darius "Who?" Vinnett to the active roster.
What does this mean? It means the 49ers really should win this game. Only one Rams offensive lineman, center Brett Romberg, is playing the same position he played last week. And I haven't seen a secondary this bad since the 49ers circa 2004-05. If Alex Smith, Darrell Jackson and Vernon Davis can't get something going today -- well, they'll have some 'splaining to do this week.

Question: I'm wondering if Mike Nolan, any of assistants or even Tully Banta-Cain have commented on or off the record on the Bill Belichick controversy?
Ben, Boston

Answer: What's up, Ben? Yes, Nolan touched on it Friday in fact. He wouldn't comment on whether the Patriots' punishment fit the crime, but he did say that knowing the opposition's signals would be a huge advantage. "There's a point where you cross the line, and I think that was crossing the line," he said. "Because if it was OK, there would have been 32 teams doing it. ... I know as a coordinator, if someone knows when I'm going to blitz, that can hurt me real bad." Nolan did note that teams - especially back-up quarterbacks - will sometimes watch the opposing sidelines hoping to decipher the signals. "But I can't remember ever going into a game saying, 'Boy, this is going to be part of our plan,'" he said. "And I think when you go to the extreme that was taken, that's exactly what was going on."
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey Matt, just a question. After the Patriots were punished for the videotaping incident against the Jets, the NFL will take away their first round draft pick for 2008 if they make the playoffs for this year. The 49ers also gave them a first round pick as well, so what happens with that one? They're not going to be allowed to keep a pick in the first at all will they? Thanks.
Jeff, Sacramento

Answer: Unfortunately for the 49ers, the Pats will get to keep the first rounder they got from the 49ers in April. The 49ers do have a first rounder from the Colts, but if Week One is any indication they could be picking 32nd.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: The strength of the 49ers team is supposed to be the offensive line. What happened on Monday night with not only the running game, but pass protection?
Gary, Sacramento

Answer: It's a good question. The 49ers had all sorts of pass protection issues, especially in the middle. The running backs seemed to have a hard time picking up blitzes, too. A lot of times the Cardinals had six players rushing the quarterback. That, to me, seems like a perfect time to fire a quick dart to Vernon Davis. The running game bears watching. If the 49ers can't run right like they used to, the Kwame haters might start clamoring for his return.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Did Antonio Bryant ever catch on with another club? Is he out of football?
Thomas, Roseville

Answer: It surprises me that he hasn't been picked up. Yes, he still must serve a two-game suspension. And yes, he's one of the most volatile guys I've ever seen. But he's big, fast and as tough as they come, and it seems to me he could help a team. You can't tell me that some free agents who have recently been picked up (Reche Caldwell???) are better than Bryant.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hello Matt! I was at Monday night's game and the wind was blowing very hard. It was hard to throw the football in the parking lot before the game and I noticed many of the kick-offs needed to be held. The pre-game fireworks smoke left the stadium in a huge hurry. A paper on the field made it across in seconds. I haven't heard anybody talk about this but I have to figure it played at least a little factor in the bad passing for the game against the Cardinals. Have you heard anybody talk about it?
Berger, Reno

Answer: Hey, Berger. Yes, I believe someone asked Alex Smith about the wind and he downplayed it. Could be that he didn't want to make excuses for his poor performance. I also think that the wind died down after sunset.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hey Matt, a lot of people obviously would have been calling for Alex Smith's head if he had not pulled off that winning drive (and some are calling for it anyway), but many know that the blocking, the dropped passes, and the play calling is at fault as well. Do the coaches plan to be a bit more aggressive after seeing what Smith can do when he is allowed a bit more freedom?
Corey, El Dorado Hills

Answer: Well, if they were planning to be more aggressive, they wouldn't tell us. Smith, however, did say he needed to take more shots downfield in order to foil the blitz. It seemed like every time he intended to against Arizona, Karlos Dansby was in his face. But he did appear a bit cautious out there. Sometimes in a defensive game, quarterbacks are hesitant to make a mistake and lose the game. The flip side, of course, is that the 49ers offense only began to roll when Smith threw caution to the wind.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I saw the 49ers play Sept. 10th and found in my opinion that Thomas Clayton was outstanding. Was he the one that had 52 on his jersey?
Mary, Mesquite, Texas

Answer: No, Mary, No. 52 is Patrick Willis, a linebacker. (Clayton is a running back). Willis was very good indeed and is an early frontrunner for defensive rookie of the year. Good eye.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Matt -- are you getting flack from your married friends today? I can tell you where the wife and I were (Sunday). Right next to the kegerator in the garage bar, watching every NFL game imaginable. You forget, some women like the game just as much as men. I'm lucky enough to be married to one of them.
Bill, Sacramento

Answer: Kegerator? Bar? Football? Hold onto that woman like grim death, Bill.
-- Matt Barrows

Frank Gore was back at practice this afternoon two days after his mother, Liz, passed away from kidney disease. "It's tough but I know my mom -- she'd want me to be here right now," Gore said. "That's why I had to suck it up and come (to practice)." Gore said he would play Sunday in St. Louis and would dedicate the game to his mother. Gore asked that any donations be made in his mother's name to either the American Kidney Fund or National Kidney Foundation.

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Alex Smith somehow brings out the worst in Darnell Dockett. The Cardinals defensive tackle was fined $7,500 by the league for striking Smith in the chest with his helmet on Monday. Dockett also was fined $7,500 last season for diving at Smith's knee when the quarterback was out of bounds.

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Over the years, the 49ers have been the kings of road trips, typically flying farther than any team throughout the year. This season, however, is a walk in the park. The team will travel 19,902 miles, merely the eight-highest total in the league. The road kings this season are the Rams, who will go 35,352 miles. The Jets travel the shortest distance - a yawn-worthy 9,186 miles. The 49ers fly to St. Louis today and they will have a walk-through at the Edward Jones Dome tomorrow.

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Tight end Billy Bajema (ankle) went through a limited practice today and is questionable for Sunday. Dashon Goldson (elbow), Shawntae Spencer (elbow) and Marcus Hudson (quad) are probable.

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Finally, there is a movement afoot to have the 49ers retire Roger Craig's number 33. Five players have worn it since Craig, the most recent being safety Tony Parrish. Another safety, Sean Patten, wore it in training camp this summer. Anyone interested in joining this movement can sign a petition, which can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/rc33/petition.html

-- Matt Barrows

Sad news from 49ers headquarters today. It turns out the rumors about Frank Gore's mother's passing were true. Mike Nolan said that Gore's mother, Liz, who has been battling kidney ailments for years, died on Wednesday. Gore did not practice today but is expected to play in Sunday's game in St. Louis.

"He said, 'Coach, I'm going to play,'" Nolan said. "I didn't have to ask. Frank just kind of offered it."

Gore flew to Miami a few weeks ago to be with his mother who, according to Nolan, was having surgery. He felt that if he did not see her then, he might not see her again. He'll likely make a return trip to Miami following Sunday's game.

We spoke with Gore around 1 p.m. yesterday and the discussion ranged from former Miami teammate Kevin Everett's recovery to Gore's problems catching passes Monday night. He was on his cell phone and checked text messages before we talked, and it didn't appear as if anything was amiss.

Gore, who grew up in Coconut Grove, Fla., was very close to his mother, who raised Gore, his two siblings and several cousins in a one-bedroom apartment. Gore often said that taking care of her was his top objective and one of his first extravagant purchases was a four-bedroom home for Liz, 46, in West Kendall, Fla.

Nolan said Gore arrived for practice Thursday morning but was having such a tough time, he was told to go home. Gore has family in town to help him with the loss.

-- Matt Barrows

To kick or not to kick? Aye, that was the question last year in St.. Louis. Mike Nolan's answer - yeah, let's kick a field goal - didn't sit well with the masses. As any suffering 49ers fan will tell you, the decision to kick a field goal on fourth and 1 from the St. Louis 7 yard line proved disastrous when the Rams put together a touchdown drive in the final minutes and won 20-17. Going for it on fourth down -- so the argument goes -- would have resulted in a first down. The 49ers would have run down the clock, probably scored a touchdown and gotten an eight-point lead

Would he do it differently if he had a chance? Of course, Nolan said. His team lost after all. But his explanation for what he would have done differently confused me. He said he would have challenged the spot on Michael Robinson's failed conversion attempt on third and one. He would have lost, of course, because Robinson was stopped for no gain. But the challenge would have given his exhausted offensive line (see: Allen, Larry) a chance to get their wind back.

I'm confused because Nolan called timeout just before the third-and-one play for that exact reason. It was that timeout, in my humble (read: expert) opinion, that gave the Rams defense a chance to recover and stop Robinson. Until that point, the Rams D had been slapped around worse than Connie in Godfather I. It's the only situation that I can remember when an offense has the defense on the ropes and calls timeout because the offense is exhausted by kicking the other team's butt so badly. The Rams basically pulled a rope-a-dope.

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Kwame Harris said today that he's talked to his agent about the possibility of a trade. Two teams, the Redskins and Rams, lost starting offensive tackles in Week One. According to 49ers officials, however, nobody has contacted the team about trading for Harris, who had started 33 games before being deactivated Monday against Arizona.

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Say Uncle. The Rams are going to get a very in depth scouting report this week on the 49ers' quarterback. After all, their new advance scout is Alex Smith's uncle - John L. Smith. Rams coach Scott Linehan hired Smith in August. Linehan was returning a favor. He himself had been hired by Smith on three occasions, including at Louisville, which nearly recruited Alex Smith out of Helix High.

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The 49ers are testing out their new "Non-Pacific" practice schedule this week. The idea is to get onto the field earlier so that the team gets accustomed to Sunday's kickoff time - about 10 a.m. Pacific. The 49ers have six games out of the Pacific time zone this year.

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I knew it was too good to be true. Instead of having zero injuries as the 49ers have said for the last two days, they actually have three. Tight end Billy Bajema has a high-ankle sprain and will not practice today. Cornerbacks Marcus Hudson (quad) and Shawntae Spencer (elbow) were limited in practice. Oldsters Walt Harris, Bryant Young and Larry Allen will take every Wednesday off.

-- Matt Barrows

Give yourselves a pat on the back, 49ers fans. Mike Nolan certainly did. Nolan today made special mention of the pandamonium in Monster Park Monday night, and said that the crowd noise even influenced one of his play calls. Early in the third quarter, the Cardinals, who were already backed up, got a penalty on second and long. Nolan said he normally would have declined the penalty and made it third down. But the crowd noise in the south end zone was so deafening that he decided to make it second a 24 from Arizona's own 4-yard line. "It paid off for us," Nolan said. "I thought the crowd had as much to do with the victory as anything."

Remember when Nolan named his so-called "Committee of 10" and Bryant Young wasn't on it? Well, the first order of business for the committee was to approach Nolan and ask that Young be included. Ergo, the Committee of 10 is sort of like the Big 10 conference. It actually has 11 members.

In case you're wondering, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky made every play call last night. Nolan, who had a hard time giving former D-coordinator Billy Davis full autonomy, was very pleased with what he saw. "I thought he did an outstanding job," Nolan said.

Frank Gore dropped a couple of passes, but the coach said he didn't think Gore's still-healing right hand was the culprit. Gore was wearing a glove that had padding on the top, put not on the palm of the hand. By the way, fans love to point out that Michael Robinson is a sub-par back-up running back. But Robinson threw several key blocks in the backfield during the game-winning drive Monday night. His best block saved Alex Smith from being sacked by safety Adrian Wilson on Smith's 25-yard scramble on fourth down. Without that block, the Cardinals win 17-13. Robinson also made a key block on Arnaz Battle's winning TD.

I'm still astounded that there were NO injuries. I think it's the first game I've ever covered where there wasn't at least one guy who came out of the game with a sprained ankle or quad contusion. That's a very good development for a team playing on the road and dealing with a short week of preparation.

You know who quietly had a very nice game? Linebacker Manny Lawson. He was part of the reason Matt Leinart and co. couldn't throw the ball downfield and he made a couple of nice stops -- and one big hit -- in the running game.

Nolan said he didn't see the play in which safety mark Roman was flagged for taunting. The Cardinals scored their go-ahead touchdown on the very next play. Roman told Nolan that he was cut-blocked by a receiver on Leinart's long run downfield even though he wasn't all that near that play. Apparently, there's an understanding between receivers and defensive backs that they won't go after each other's legs on blocks. The Cardinals went against that etiquette and Roman reacted.

Ok, about the B+ grade I gave the offense. Perhaps I was swayed too heavily by the miraculous final drive. Perhaps I inflated the grade too much. Maybe it should have been more like a C- or a D+. But don't you wish you had had Mr. Barrows in high school?

-- Matt Barrows

This is how crazy Monday night's game was. Over the last quarter, I wrote three different lead paragraphs to my game story. When the 49ers were winning 13-10, this was how the game-day story read:

"The 49ers had been knocked silly in previous encounters with Arizona's fast and physical wideouts, but this time their defensive backs struck back."

After the Cardinals went up by four points following a VERY questionable flagrant face-mask call against Bryant Young, I changed the opening paragraph to this.

"It seemed like the 49ers' defense had forced yet another Arizona punt Monday night when Bryant Young's right hand gave the Cardinals new life."

Then, of course, the 49ers' offense - legally dead until this point - engineered its white-knuckle final drive and I switched gears again, this time to the version that appears in today's (yes, it's officially Tuesday) paper.

On second and one from the Arizona 45 yard line, Smith hurled a perfectly-thrown pass to Darrell Jackson in the back of the end zone. You're supposed to act very professionally in the press box, but for a split second I was sure Jackson had come down with the ball and I yelled, "HE CAUGHT IT!" He, of course, did not.

On fourth down, Smith seemed penned in by safety Adrian Wilson. He dodged left. He went right. Then he went left again, and kept going for a 25-yard gain. Three plays later, he found Arnaz Battle in single-coverage over the middle and it appeared Battle would win the game as he tumbled into the end zone. One problem: He tumbled in without the ball, which a Cardinals defensive back should have pounced on to give his team the win. Instead, it squirted free and Jackson gathered it up.

The ball went back to the spot of the fumble (The Holy Roller rule) and that's when offensive coordinator Jim Hostler made his best call of the night. Battle said they practice that end around all the time and it worked like a charm. The game ball went to Battle.

Afterward Smith said that the 49ers have been concentrating on their two-minute offense all summer. It shows - their two-minute offense was far, far better than the rest of their offense.

****
Young, along with the rest of Monster Park, wasn't too happy with that face-mask penalty. "I didn't even know I had a face mask," he said. "I barely grazed it." For a while, it looked like that penalty was going to be the play of the game. The Cardinals offense had gone nowhere in the second half, and that play seemed to give them the boost they needed. "I didn't want to be the goat of the game," Young said.

****
Here's some advice for when the 49ers next play the Cardinals: Block Karlos Dansby. The linebacker was in Smith's face all night, and he finished with a team-high 11 tackles and a half sack. Dansby seemed to be particularly effective coming on a delayed blitz up the middle. Patrick Willis led the 49ers with 11 tackles, including one in which he jarred the ball loose from Edgerrin James. The rookie also had a big hit on Matt Leinart in the third quarter.

****
Here's some more good 49ers' news regarding the win: no injuries. There might be some guys who come in today a little hobbled, but there was no one - nada, zilch - on the injury list Monday night. That's odd for any NFL game and is especially uncharacteristic in a week in which injuries dominated the NFL headlines.

-- Matt Barrows

Right tackle Kwame Harris is one of the eight 49ers who will not suit up for tonight's game, but team officials say they have not had any trade talks concerning Harris. It's reasonable to assume the Redskins, who lost right tackle Jon Jansen for the season on Sunday, might be interested in a replacement. I have been on the lookout for Scot McCloughan for the past three hours but he has eluded me thus far.
Harris, who had started 33 straight games for the 49ers, lost his starting job to rookie Joe Staley last month. The other inactive players are safety Dashon Goldson, cornerback Donald Strickland, guard Tony Wragge, defensive end Atiyyah Ellison, receiver Jason Hill and defensive end Ray McDonald. Shaun Hill is the third quarterback.
Wragge is a bit of a surprise considering he plays three positions and was needed in last year's opener against Arizona. Any even bigger surprise is McDonald, who seemed to be the only 49ers d-lineman who pressured the quarterback during the preseason.

After watching football all afternoon, I'm taking a quick break to write about football. (To my married friends - hope you had fun at Bed, Bath & Beyond). A couple of thoughts from the Sunday fare:

-- Redskins right tackle Jon Jansen dislocated his ankle early in the team's win over Miami. Now let me see ... is there a team out there that has a starting-caliber right tackle just sitting on the bench? Think, Barrows, think! If any team is crazy enough to trade for a guy who will become a free agent at the end of the season, it's the Redskins. I wonder if Scot McCloughan is on the phone right now.

-- Maybe Jon Kitna's 50-touchdown prediction isn't so absurd after all. Kitna had three on the road against a very good Raiders defense and had a chance for two more. Thank goodness I have Kitna on my fantasy team (sincere).

-- What happened to the Rams? Maybe resting Steven Jackson during the preseason wasn't such a good idea. He had just 58 yards rushing and lost two fumbles. Thank goodness I have Jackson on my fantasy team (sarcastic).

-- Ok, it's only Week One. But I'm feeling good about my SB prediction. New England had a tough time against the Jets last year but whooped up on them pretty good in New Jersey. Crossing my fingers that my other SB team - Dallas -looks just as sharp. ***postgame analysis of Cowboys. Offense: ooh, la la! Defense: oh, no, no! ****

Of course, the teams that have to wait the longest for their regular seasons to begin are the Cardinals and 49ers. Who will win? I figure the atmosphere in Candlestick - nationally televised game, Bill Walsh tribute, throwbacks, suits - will be worth seven points at least, enough to give the 49ers the win. As far as the rest of the season, here are five reasons for optimism and five more why you might not want to book that February flight to Phoenix just yet.

Optimism

1.) Injuries. I've never seen the 49ers this healthy (knock on wood). When I was covering the team in the Ericksonian era, the injury report had a front and back. One of the things Nolan said he'd do as head coach is reduce the number of hobbled players, and this season at least he's true to his word. Every player on the team practiced at least once this week, although Dashon Goldson (elbow) is out for the game. Of course, the 49ers were pretty healthy going into last year's opener, too, and were without Jonas Jennings and Larry Allen by the end of the game.

2.) Alex Smith. Yeah, he wasn't great against the Bears and he stunk against the Chargers, but did you see those two teams play today? Their defenses might finish one-two in the league. Smith has made big strides in the offseason and now has the ability to win games not just manage them.

3.) The schedule. Sure, there are some tough games early on - Sept. 23 in Pittsburgh, e.g. - but most of the games after the halfway point seem winnable. If history tells us anything, it's that the 49ers play better in the second half of the season than the first. And here's another bonus - the Bears and Chargers are nowhere to be found.

4.) Depth. The 49ers' depth chart in previous years was so shallow that if a starter got hurt, they would be forced to replace him with the fry guy at Burger King. Really. This year, the roster has better depth, particular at key positions like offensive line and in the secondary. Running back depth, however, is a concern. (See below)

5.) Fresh legs. After missing nearly all of preseason, Frank Gore hit the line of scrimmage last week like he'd been shot out of a cannon. It's unknown whether Gore's right hand is fully healed, but his legs appear to be in very good shape.

Concern

1.) Pass rush. It was virtually nonexistent in the preseason. The 49ers say that's because they didn't blitz at all in the warm-up games. But it would be nice to see some sort of pressure from the base defense. A team can sign all the $80 million cornerbacks it wants, but even mediocre quarterbacks will pick a defense apart if they have time.

2.) Defensive line. What does it say when a team grabs an underachieving defensive lineman who has been cut by three other teams and places him on the active roster? It says they're not all that happy with the guys who were already on the team.

3.) Coverage. They say safety Michael Lewis hits like a linebacker. If you ask Philadelphia fans, they'll say he covers like a linebacker, too, which is why the Eagles replaced him in the starting lineup last year.

4.) New faces. Lewis is one of five new starters on defense this year. You can argue that all five are better than the players they replaced. But it will still take time for the unit to jell, especially when you consider the 49ers are learning a new defense and have a new defensive coordinator.

5.) Back-up backs. What happens if Gore goes down? Maurice Hicks runs hard but it's difficult to imagine him withstanding the pounding an every-down back receives. Michael Robinson is strong but his game is only partially developed. They both still seem like third-down backs

-- Matt Barrows.

Mike Nolan said this week that he thinks Patrick Estes has potential and that he'd like to see the recently released left tackle back on the 49ers' roster at some point. But that's not stopping Estes, who cleared waivers yesterday, from making two stops in the Big Apple next week.
Estes will work out for the Jets on Monday as an offensive lineman. On Tuesday, he will visit the Giants, who are eyeing him as a tight end. Estes, of course, played tight end at the University of Virginia, and was converted to left tackle after he was drafted by the 49ers in the seventh round in 2005. His agent told me today that Estes has resumed catching footballs -- something he hasn't done regularly since 2004. The Giants showed interest in Estes prior to the 2005 draft. Estes was 280 pounds in 2005. He was around 310 pounds before getting cut.
Estes was released on Wednesday so that the 49ers could sign defensive end Atiyyah Ellison.

It's hard to believe, but Nate Clements will be making his Monday night debut in three days against the Cardinals. That's right. In six seasons with in Buffalo, the NFL never considered the Bills part of a marquee match-up. So, are you excited, Nate?

"The whole country will be watching, and that's something that's exciting," Clements said.

Considering that the game begins at 10:15 p.m. on the east coast, most of the country might be sound asleep by halftime. But the eyeballs in the Bay Area certainly will be trained on Clements, who will be expected to help stop a Cardinals receiving duo that has tormented the 49ers in previous seasons. Clements said he's only gone against Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald once before - midway through the 2004 season. Does anything stick out from that meeting, Nate?

"Yeah, we won," he said.

****
Had a nice chat with linebacker Mark Washington, the undrafted free agent who turned some heads this summer and landed on the practice squad. You'd like to think that NFL players are judged on talent and talent alone, but so many times their standings are a result of extenuating circumstances. Washington, for example, is a 250-pound linebacker who played defensive tackle at Texas State. When you play at a small school, Washington said, you play where you're needed, and several injuries along the defensive line meant that he was needed - badly -there. So he did what he was asked.

The fact that he played against guys who outweighed him by 60 or 70 pounds is heroic, but it also meant that scouts had little on which to evaluate him when he entered the supplemental draft in June. Only a handful of teams - including the Giants, Buccaneers and, of course, the 49ers - showed up for his individual pro day. The 49ers told Washington that if they didn't pick him up in the supplemental draft, they would sign him as a free agent, and they were true to their word.

Washington played outside linebacker during training camp, but has recently been moved to middle linebacker. He's playing the "Ted" position behind Derek Smith and Brandon Moore. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Moore, who originally was an undrafted free agent but eventually was able to win a job on the active roster.

****
Good call by the ever fashion-conscious Mike Nolan to reject the "C" the NFL wants teams to wear on their jerseys this year. After watching the Colts-Saints game last night, I have a one-word assessment of the new trend: Ugs. The NFL obviously is copying the NHL, which allows the team captain to wear a simple "C" and two others to wear an "A" as the alternate captains. But the NFL decided to adorn its C with a bunch of stars, one of which appears yellow, like it's a dead tooth in a row of pearly whites. Way too busy, especially on the Colts uniform, which is notable for being clean, classic and unadorned.

****
Speaking of fashion, several fans have asked me whether the movement to wear a suit is still a go. As I've said before, I thought it was a great idea when it first surfaced several months ago. Since that time, however, the league has granted Nolan permission to wear his Joseph Abbouds for every home game, which removes the protest element from the movement. Still, if fans want to show support for Nolan by wearing a suit and tie, nothing's stopping them.

****
And speaking some more of fashion, it turns out it was Joseph Abboud (A.K.A. JA Apparel) that sent Nolan the wrong shirts this week. Nolan opened the box and found shirts with a 20" neck and 37" sleeves. The ultra-fit Nolan has to be the lightest coach in the league and thus his threads are considerably smaller. The shirts that arrived, of course, should have gone to Jacksonville, Fla. They belonged to coach Jack Del Rio. Too bad JA didn't send Nolan Mike Holmgren's duds. The 49ers need something with which to cover the field when it rains.

-- Matt Barrows

Mike Nolan has predicted that the Cardinals will provide the 49ers' biggest competition in the coming years. Why? It's not just because he's winless against the birds. It's also because Arizona is just like the 49ers - a power-based team built to exploit a mostly finesse-based division.

To wit: One of the first things new coach Ken Whisenhunt did when he arrived in Arizona was rip out the team's old weight room - which dated back to the late 1980s - and built a new one that cost $200,000. (Bill Bidwill's hand make have been shaking, but he still wrote the check).

Whisenhunt said some of the items in the former weight room were, ahem, a tad antiquated and that the team had emphasized machine-style training in the past. Think: Bally Total Fitness circa 1989. The machines got thrown in the trash heap and were replaced with free weights. Whisenhunt emphasizes power lifting, just like his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and like his Monday opponent, the 49ers.

"That made a big difference because it was a change," Whisenhunt said of the weight room. "It was something of a shock, a wake-up call."

Another similarity is that the Cardinals, like the 49ers, have put a lot of emphasis on the offensive line. Nolan on Thursday spoke glowingly about the right side of the Arizona line, which features guard Deuce Lutui, a 6-5, 338-pound second-year player out of USC, and the rookie right tackle, Levi Brown, a player the 49ers really liked in this year's draft.

"Those two players on the right are pretty stout players," Nolan said. "I think they have two above average guys."

*****
Newcomer Atiyyah Ellison certainly passes the size test. The 49ers want big, athletic guys on their 3-4 defensive line and at 6-4, 320-pounds, Ellison fits the bill. Nolan said that Ellison would be the "swing guy" at both defensive end positions. During Thursday's walk-through Ellison said he was told to observe the left defensive end.

As it turns out, the 49ers originally asked Ellison to move from the Ravens' practice squad to their practice squad. Ellison didn't like that idea.

"Why pick up and move my family across the country for the same spot, basically?" he said. But when the 49ers sweetened the deal by dangling an active roster spot in front of him, Ellison jumped. He said he's familiar with the assignments in the 49ers' defense, he just has to master the verbiage. He has a former teammate with the Ravens, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, to help him out.

Ellison said he thought he had a chance of making Baltimore's final roster because he figured they'd wind up with six defensive linemen. It turns out they only kept five. The 49ers, if you're counting at home, currently have seven defensive lineman.

To make room for Ellison, the 49ers had to cut left tackle Patrick Estes, a tough decision according to Nolan.

"I'm hopeful that he gets a job but I'd like to think he'll be back with us at some point," he said. "But we'll wait and see how that goes. It was a tough release because I think he's going to be a player."

One of the reasons Estes might have been expendable was because the team has high hopes for converted defensive tackle Damane Duckett, who made big strides this offseason. Duckett is a member of the practice squad.

"I don't believe Duck's ready for prime time, but he shows a lot of promise at the position," Nolan said.

MM also asked Nolan why he decided to keep six cornerbacks on the final roster. The coach essentially said that the last two guys at that position, Donald Strickland and Marcus Hudson, were better players than the back-ups at other positions. He also said that Hudson had enough size to possibly move to safety.

*****
Strickland (chest) will practice today but his status for Monday is still up in the air. Bryant Young and Larry Allen did not practice but it was the coach's perogative, not injury, that kept them out. The only player who will definitely be out for Monday's game is safety Dashon Goldson.

-- Matt Barrows

*** New Info *** The 49ers have waived offensive lineman Patrick Estes to make room for Ellison. It's a bit of a surprise to me considering the team had been grooming Estes, a converted tight end, for nearly three years. The 49ers also could lose three of their starting offensive linemen in the offseason.

You might as well call the 49ers "Baltimore West." The team is expected to add another former Raven, 318-pound defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison, to the active roster. Ellison, a third-year player out of Missouri, had backed up Kelly Gregg in training camp with the Ravens. He was signed off of Baltimore's practice squad.
It is not yet known who the 49ers will release to make room for Ellison. The 49ers have not yet announced the deal because Ellison has not yet signed a contract.
The 49ers' starting nose tackle, Aubrayo Franklin, also had played behind Gregg in Baltimore before being signed by the 49ers as a free agent this offseason. Ellison likely would play behind Franklin and Isaac Sopoaga at nose tackle.
Other former Ravens who have become 49ers in recent years include defensive end Marques Douglas, linebacker Roderick Green, safety Chad Williams, tight end Trent Smith and tight end Terry Jones.

Every rookie dreams of being a star in the NFL. This week, Thomas Clayton and
Jason Hill get to do the next best thing - impersonate a star in the NFL. As low men on the 49ers' totem pole, their job is to run the scout team offense so that the first-team defense can get a sense of their upcoming opponent. That means that Hill is playing Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin this week while Clayton has won the part of Edgerrin James.
Both rookies are embracing their roles.
Hill said playing with the scout team allows him to line up against Nate Clements and Walt Harris, something he rarely got to do as a third-string receiver in training camp.
"I played against them a little," he said. "But what the coach tried to do was make our starters better."
As for Clayton, he said he was disappointed when the team released him from the active roster on Saturday. But it's quite possible that there will be more opportunity to improve himself as a member of the practice squad than there would have been had he made the active roster as the 49ers' fourth tailback.
And besides, he gets to observe and mimic some of the best running backs in the league. After James this week, his next four roles are St. Louis' Steven Jackson, Pittsburgh's Willie Parker, Seattle's Shaun Alexander and Baltimore's Willis McGahee.

I was a little surprised last week when Mike Nolan said he doesn't always want the players who have been placed on injured reserve to hang around team headquarters all season. I figured that even though those players could not get on the field, Nolan would want them to learn as much as possible while they recuperate.
An injured player, however, places a big burden on an already busy team medical staff. If that player can get the same medical treatment elsewhere, sometimes it's better for the team. Nolan also doesn't want a player to attend position meetings if he's just going to yawn and daydream during the sessions. Only players committed to learning and participating are asked to stay. And sometimes - as is the case with injured Melvin Oliver - the player uses IR as an opportunity to go back to school and get his degree.
Jay Moore, however, plans to stick around all season. Moore suffered a high-ankle sprain on Thursday that will take eight weeks to heal. By then the season will be half over. But Moore, who is converting from college defensive end to NFL linebacker, said he could really benefit from watching film, sitting in on meetings and familiarizing himself with the defensive verbiage.
"I'm not going to be going back to Nebraska anytime soon," he said.
Moore said he would probably spend a week on crutches and two weeks in a plastic boot.

Mark Roman has nothing against Marquand Manuel and he doesn't want to see another player lose his job. But he couldn't help but smile when he heard Manuel had been released last week from the Green Bay Packers. The Packers, of course, not only gave gave Manuel a five-year, $10 million contract last season, they also handed him Roman's job, which prompted his jump to San Francisco. Roman had played 98 percent of Green Bay's defensive snaps in 2005 and he finished with a career-high 105 tackles. But he had only two interceptions, and the Packers felt that Manuel would make the sort of game-changing plays Roman wasn't supplying. Now Roman is a starter and Manuel is out of work. Oops. **Tuesday update ** Manuel was signed by the Carolina Panthers on Monday. Oops.

Nolan said Jonas Jennings (ankle) and Darrell Jackson (hamstring) would begin practicing on Thursday. Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin (knee) is ramping up his workload, practicing a little more Tuesday than he did Monday. The team has Wednesday off.

-- Matt Barrows

Taylor Jacobs is still the 49ers' No. 3 receiver according to Mike Nolan, but Ashley Lelie has narrowed the gap.
"Taylor's probably a half-step ahead," Nolan said at his Monday afternoon press conference.
In fact, Nolan said that Lelie is the primary backup behind Darrell Jackson at the X or split-end receiver position. Jacobs, meanwhile, is the primary backup behind Arnaz Battle at the Z or flanker position. The real question, of course, is which guy gets onto the field a week from today when the 49ers go into their three-receiver sets.
Jacobs has been the team's offseason darling beginning with an impressive showing at minicamp and OTAs. However, he failed to make an impact in games, something that Redskins fans will remember as Taylor's shortcoming when he was with Washington.
Lelie, meanwhile, has had the exact opposite offseason. He didn't practice at all this spring due to a quad injury, then started slowly in training camp because he had to pick up a new offense. But he has excelled in games and led all 49ers' wide receivers this preseason in catches and receiving yards.
With Jackson out with a hamstring injury today, Lelie saw a lot of action with the first-team unit, perhaps the most action he's seen all summer.
"Close but definitely not enough," he said when asked whether he's built up a comfort level with Alex Smith. "It's never enough. But I got a lot of reps today."

Oh captain, my captain! The NFL this season is borrowing a page from the National Hockey League by allowing five players a team to wear a "C" on their uniform. Like hockey, the "C" designates the team's captains. Every team will have players proudly wearing the "C" this season. Every team, that is, except the 49ers.
As Nolan explained today, he has 10 players he considers captains: Walt Harris, Jonas Jennings, Derek Smith, Marques Douglas, Nate Clements, Arnaz Battle, Eric Heitmann, Moran Norris, Trent Dilfer and Joe Nedney. Nolan didn't want to have to narrow that list to five, so he decided not to have anyone wear the "C" at all.
"I have twice the limit, so I'm not going to do it," Nolan said.
Nolan said that eight of the captains are the leaders of their respective position groups - Battle of the wide receivers, Nedney of the specials teams, etc. Two others, Harris and Jennings, make the list because they are the team's NFL Players' Association representatives.

Congratulations to rookie cornerback Tarell Brown, who won the team's second annual Thomas Herrion Award. The honor is given to the late-round draft pick or undrafted free agent who best exemplifies the spirit of Herrion, the rookie lineman who died shortly after a preseason game in 2005. Brown was a fifth-round draft choice out of Texas who looked good all summer and figures to be a part of the 49ers' nickel and dime coverage units this year. The irony is that Brown probably wouldn't have been a fifth-round choice - thus qualifying him for the Herrion award - had he not shown up in a couple of police reports in the months leading up to the draft. Brown, however, has been a model citizen since being drafted by the 49ers and said he was honored and humbled to receive the award today.

It's been a month since Frank Gore has practiced full time and it shows. Gore looks incredibly fresh, scampering through holes like a jack rabbit. He also reported no problems with the padded glove he'll wear to protect his still-healing right hand. Will he wear it in the game? He's not saying. After all, the Arizona Cardinals are likely scouring the papers for information.

-- Matt Barrows

Question: I have watched Alex Smith on most all of his Forty Niner TV games. Trent Dilfer seems to get back in position to pass and read where his receivers are faster than Smith. I realize Dilfer has been playing pre season games against different units than Smith, but you have watched them throughout preseason. What is your opinion? I think Smith desperately needs Frank Gore in the lineup to relieve some of the pressure by making the opposition more cognizant of the running game.
Clayton, Rancho Cordova

Answer: I won't deny that Dilfer has looked very good in training camp and in the preseason this summer. But with the exception of one game - San Diego - Smith has looked very good, too. Keep in mind that the San Diego defense makes even the best quarterbacks look foolish. Smith has everything a team would want in a quarterback. He's smart. He's tough. He's athletic. He's level-headed. He studies film. And most of all, he's shown steady progress since he's been here. It's way too early to be reaching for the eject button.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Matt, one simple question ...Are you tired of Alex's two-yard dump offs 10 out of 11 times?
Abhinav, Berkeley

Answer: Not when Vernon Davis coverts them into first downs. Let's at least wait until the Cardinals game before we start calling for Smith's head.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Starting his third season, do you think Alex Smith will ever be an NFL quarterback? He looks like another Jim Druckenmiller to me.
Cal, Marysville

Answer: Comparing Alex Smith to Jim Druckenmiller is like comparing Penelope Cruz to Rosie O'Donnell.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: I've followed the 49ers for a long time and have seen the ups and downs. After the free-agent period and the draft, my hopes rose a bit but they sank after watching Alex Smith these past two games. He is a huge mistake. Does "Mark Wilson" ring a bell? With the 1st pick, they should have traded down to strengthen the team, then draft a QB in 2006. Leinart and Cutler would both have been there. Leinart is a stud who will haunt the 49ers for years. Another option would have been Drew Brees as a free agent.
James, Lincoln

Answer: Yes, if only the 49ers had a time machine, they could have assembled the greatest team ever. If you'll remember, the 49ers wanted to trade down in 2005 but no other team would bite. Leinart and Cutler might seem better than Smith, but you have to wonder whether that's because they landed on better teams. When you're the No. 1 overall pick, it means you're part of the worst team in the NFL. Would Leinart, if he had come out in 2005, fared better than Smith these past two years? Very, very doubtful.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: With the 49ers spending so much money on the defense this year I have yet to see the improvements. Tully Banta-Cain was supposed to be the one getting to the quarterback and I haven't seen that yet. Nate Clements was supposed to be shutting down the other team's top wide receiver and you have Bernard Berrian looking like a pro bowler. I think Michael Lewis has done the best of all the new defensive players. Was it worth spending all that money on the defense this year?
Cesar, Sacramento

Answer: Well, Tully Banta-Cain says he's been working on his weaknesses in games and hasn't shown his full array of moves. But you're right - the 49ers have yet to sack another team's starting quarterback this year. I'm not sure why Clements wasn't covering Berrian more. When he was on the Chicago wideout, he seemed to do a very good job. I hate to give a wishy washy answer, but we're going to have to wait until the regular season before we can tell whether the offseason expenses were worth it.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Hi Matt -- appreciate your work. What am I missing with Brandon Williams? I still think he gets cut. He has not shown quickness, speed, elusiveness. We just missed on the draft pick of him (Hester went just before him). I think Battle will return punts in regular season as we have a bit of depth at WR now so no need to worry about injury. I also think Williams has gotten all reps there as they really wanted to see if he could do it (That one decent return if anything showed he has no speed. Any others taking reps in practice?
Mark, Bangkok.

Answer: Sorry I didn't answer this before cut-down day, Mark. As you now know, Williams did not get cut and will be the team's primary punt returner this season. I agree with your assessment of him. He is sure-handed but has not shown much burst or power. Why did they draft him? Nolan had suffered through some fumbled punts in 2005 and dealt with the same fate in the Senior Bowl that winter. He decided he wanted a punt returner, and Williams was the best one available when they picked in the third round. It should be noted that the guy they replaced in 2006 - Otis Amey - is the last 49er to return a punt for a touchdown. As far as others taking reps in practice - Battle, Taylor Jacobs and Nate Clements have taken turns this summer.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Any thought of moving "Lame" Harris to guard, where his problem with speed rushers would not be an issue? Or will he be another Donahue total bust?
Spencer, Sacramento

Answer: "Total bust" might be a bit of an overstatement. Harris doesn't come close to falling into Rashaun Woods, Derrick Hamilton, Andrew Williams, Saleem Rasheed (shall I go on?) territory. And I don't see him moving to guard. The 49ers are loaded at the position for now. And Harris would resist such a move considering how much money tackles get on the free-agent market.
-- Matt Barrows

Question: Great news/decision by Nolan re: OC working at field level.
Correct me please if I'm wrong, but this does mean play calls will go directly from offensive coordinator's mouth to the QB's ear - right? My main question: When is this communication opened and then closed, and by whom? Yea Staley! Good luck, Kwame - you gave it one heck of an effort.
Sammy, Sacramento

Answer: Yes, Jim Hostler will speak directly to Smith, which ought to shave four or five seconds off the process. I believe the communication cuts off when there is 15 seconds left on the 40-second clock.
-- Matt Barrows

Receiver Bryan Gilmore walked into the 49ers offices at 10:15 this morning and shortly thereafter got the bad news -- he had been cut.
"You know, I had my chance and I didn't capitalize on it last year," he said. "I had eight catches. And it's a business and you have to produce."
Also cut Saturday were rookie running back Thomas Clayton, defensive end Sam Rayburn, who was trying to make the transition from 4-3 defensive tackle to 3-4 defensive end, and tight end Zachary Hilton, who caught touchdown passes in each of the last two preseason games.
Meanwhile, rookie Joe Cohen emerged from the team headquarters on crutches and with a full-length cast on his right leg. He said he tore the ACL and MCL ligaments and sprained the PCL when he got caught in a pile Thursday in San Diego. Mike Nolan said both Cohen and rookie Jay Moore would be placed on injured reserve, thus ending their seasons. Moore suffered a high ankle sprain that included ligament and muscle damage, and Nolan said his rehabilitation would be "a minimum" of six to eight weeks.
The others cut Saturday were LB Colby Bockwoldt, S Vickiel Vaughn, T Harvey Dahl, T Damane Duckett, G Tavares Washington, S Darnell Bing, LB Mark Washington and TE Zach Herold.
Nolan said some of those players could be brought back and placed on the eight-man practice squad. he also said he was scanning the waiver wires for potential practice squad players who were cut today by other teams.

Cut List:
WR Bryan Gilmore -- Hard worker and a great guy. But he couldn't capitalize on the prominent role he had last season.
LB Colby Bockwoldt -- It didn't help that Jay Moore got hurt and will spend the season on IR. Moore was an outside linebacker, and Hannibal Navies -- not Bockwoldt -- has experience at the position.
TE Zach Hilton -- Good pass catcher but did not offer enough as a blocker.
S Vickiel Vaughn -- Rookie Dashon Goldson edged him out of the two-deep at safety. He also had a hard time staying healthy.
T Harvey Dahl -- A practice-squad guy last season, Dahl could wind up there this year, too.
T Damane Duckett -- Made a very nice transition to the offensive side of the ball this spring after playing defensive tackle all his life. A very good candidate for the practice squad.
OL Tavares Washington -- He got lost in the shuffle at a very deep guard position.
FB Zak Keasey -- Somewhat of a surprise because Keasey played very well this summer. Without Keasey, the 49ers have only one fullback, Moran Norris. Nolan said tight end Billy Bajema would serve as the back-up at fullback.
S Darnell Bing -- He looked good in the final preseason game. But the 49ers are full at safety.
LB Mark Washington -- One of the pleasant surprises of training camp. Washington has very good size and might stick around on the practice squad.
RB Thomas Clayton -- It's not a shock that he got cut. Still, Clayton played very well against the Chargers and actually led the league in rushing yards this preseason. Practice squad? Absolutely.
TE Zach Herold -- He has good size and decent hands. But there was no way he was going to beat out Bajema, Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker.
-- Matt Barrows