"You're asking me why I did it?" Singletary responded. "You've been asking me all week why I wouldn't do it. Now you're asking me why did I do it." Yikes! Why so defensive? My theory is that Singletary never wanted to get pushed in that direction in the first place. After all, when you attempt 51 passes like the 49ers did Sunday, you run the risk of turnovers. And turnovers - four of them - killed the 49ers on Sunday.
Singletary also probably wasn't happy to see the Titans playing exactly the kind of game he had hoped for this season from his team. Which is to say, lots of running and no turnovers.
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The 49ers picked a bad time to have their longest injury list (nine players long) of the season. The 49ers host the Bears Thursday night. Players usually have two days to heal - Monday and Tuesday - before practice begins for the next week. The 49ers have today off but are expected to practice Tuesday.
The injured 49ers were: safety Curtis Taylor (shin bruise), running back Michael Robinson (shoulder), cornerback Tarell Brown (bruised ribs), guard David Baas (shoulder), tight end Delanie Walker (knee), Frank Gore (eye), safety Michael Lewis (quadriceps strain), tight end Vernon Davis (shoulder) and running back Glen Coffee (concussion). All of those players returned to the game except for Taylor, Lewis and Coffee.
Gore was poked in the right eye and looked like a boxer who had gone 12 rounds. He said the poking occurred at the bottom of a pile in the first half. Gore never left the game and the injury didn't appear to affect his vision.
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The 49ers entered the game with the league's second-best run defense, one that has held opponents to just under 85 rushing yards a game. That ranking, however, is bound to drop after Chris Johnson's 135-yard performance Sunday. Johnson's most damaging run was one of his shortest. Facing fourth and one at the San Francisco two-yard line, the Titans called for a pitch out to Johnson. The 49ers seemed to have the play strung out, but Johnson was able to beat linebacker Parys Haralson around the outside and scoot in for the go-ahead touchdown.
"You can't take anything away from the guy," said Patrick Willis, who finished with 10 tackles. "The kid is fast and he can run. ... If you give him what he is looking for, which is the edge, he can turn and run like there's no tomorrow."
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Bright spots? How about Jason Hill, who was in uniform for just the third time all season and made the most of his opportunity? Hill caught four passes for 50 yards on Sunday with two of those receptions occurring in the end zone.
The first was one of Alex Smith's best touchdown passes of his career. At the Tennessee 20-yard line, Smith broke free of a would-be tackler, sprinted to his right and just as he was about to run out of bounds, threw across his body to a wide-open Hill in the back of the end zone. Smith also found Hill with a three-yard touchdown pass late in the game.
"He and I got a lot of work together the first six weeks of the season, working out there on the scout team together," Smith said. "I've got a trust in Jason, and it showed out there today."
Hill hasn't been happy about his lack of playing time this season, but when he approached Mike Singletary on Friday, the coach told him he'd be active. "He said, you have to be ready. And (receivers) coach (Jerry) Sullivan said the same thing -- be ready," Hill said. "I thought if I could get out there, I could make a difference" Hill's playing time came at the expense of veteran Isaac Bruce, who didn't play in the second half and who finished with one catch for three yards.
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Another bright spot? Vernon Davis, who reached the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career. Davis led all receivers with 10 catches for 102 yards.
-- Matt Barrows
1st and 20 at Tenn: (Bruce has not been on field in second half) ... Draw to Gore gains 7 yards ... 2nd and 13: Dump to Davis, gains balance and runs for 7 ... 3rd and 6: Pass to Morgan appears to be just shy of first down ... 4th and five inches: Pitch to Gore is snuffed out by Titans, but Gore cuts it in and still makes play ... 1st down at Tenn 10, Walker hurt on the previous play; Niners had been using a lot of 2-TE sets... 1st and 10: quick handoff to Robinson loses 1 yard ... 2nd and 11: Pass to Robinson gains 4 ... 3rd and g from the 7: Pass to Gore is inc. ... 23-yard FG by Nedney is good, 49ers 23, Tenn 20. That was a 15-play, 66-yard drive that took up 9:45 ...
WALKER HAS A KNEE SPRAIN; RETURN IS QUESTIONABLE
Tenn takes over at own 19: Deep pass to speedster Washington is underthrown and inc. ... 2nd and 10: Johnson hesitates in the backfield, accelerates and is gone for 81 yards ... 49ers challenge, arguing his heel was out of bounds ... Great challenge -- officials rule CJ stepped out at the 40 1/2 yard line ... 1st and 10: Johnson thrown for loss by Haralson ... 2nd and 14: Young rolls out, fins Gage wide open for 33-yard gain ... 1st and 10 at SF 11: Tenn calls 2nd time out ... 1st and 10: Young forced out of bounds by Lewis; Lewis is hurt; Roman in ... 2nd and 4: Johnson carries to the 1, measure for the 1st down ... short ... 3rd and 1: White stopped just shy of the first down ... 4th and two inches: Haralson nearly strings Johnson out, but he stays in bounds and sneaks in for the touchdown ... 49ers 20, Tenn 24 ... 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:44.
MICHAEL LEWIS HAS A QUAD STRAIN; IS QUESTIONABLE TO RETURN. ROMAN FILLING IN AT SS
49ers take over at own 30: Pass to Gore for 2 yards ... 2nd and 8: Smith intercepted by Hope; was trying to hit Morgan. looked like Smith locked in on the receiver ...
Titans take over at SF 39 ... Johnson carries, gains 2. ... 2nd and 8: Willis runs down Johnson in open field, gain of 4 ... 3rd and 4: Young suckers in pass rush, throws to Scaife for big first down; gain of 15 yards ... 1st and 10: White gains 0 ... 2nd and 10: Johnson gains five... SF takes first t.o. ... 3rd and 5: Young seems to have first down, but cuts it inside and is stopped a yard short ... SF takes second time out w/ 3:09 ...Tennessee FG gibes Titans 7-point lead with 3:06 left ... 49ers 20, TENN 27 ...
49ers take over at own 28: 1st and 10: Smith throws to Morgan; pass tipped in the air, intercepted by Finnegan and returned for a TD ... Smith's last two passes Morgan were picked off ... Morgan hasn't caught a pass all game ...
3Q
49ers take over at own 24 ... 1st and 10; gore gains two ... 2nd and 8: Draw to Gore gains four ... 3rd and 4: Smith to Hill, who leans forward for the first down ... 1st and 10: False start on Davis ... 1st and 15: Short pass to Gore, gain of seven ... 2nd and 8: Pass to Morgan off target ... 3rd and 8: (both Gore and Coffee in backfield) Smith flushed, throws ball away ... PUNT -- fair catch at the 10 (?)
Tenn takes over at own 10 ...Haralson hits CJ after 1-yard gain ... 2nd and 9: Pitch to Johnson gains five ... 3rd and 4 at Tenn 16: Pass to Gage, but he's not looking ... PUNT
DAVID BAAS HAS SHOULDER STINGER; RETURN QUESTIONABLE. WRAGGE IN AT R Guard
After another terrible return, 49ers take over at own 27: Smith to Davis for 12 yards and first down ... 1st and 10: Hope sacks Smith for eight-yard loss ... 2nd and 18: Smith hit as he throws; play called incomplete but Fisher challenging ... Jacob Ford got past Adam Snyder on the play ... Officials rule a fumble. Tennessee takes over at SF 36 yard line ...
Tenn take over at SF 36: Chris Johnson runs for 8 -- Tarell Brown hurt on the play. if he comes out, Bly would take over as the starter ... Johnson carries, picks up 1st down ... 1st and 10 at SF 20 ... Pass to Washington in end zone inc., Wash got tangled ... 2nd and 10: Johnson hit by Soap after 1-yard gain ... 3rd and 9: (Hudson in) Dump to Johnson, goes 16 yards to the 3 ... Titans call time out ... 1st and G from 3: Johnson runs to the one-inch line ... 2nd and G: Johnson in for easy TD ... Tennessee turns both 49ers' turnovers into touchdowns 49ers 17, Tenn 17
49ers take over at own 27: Smith inc. to Morgan (dropped) ... Gore stopped for loss but offsides on defense ... 2nd and 5: False start on 49ers ... 2nd and 10: Pass to Gore for nine yards (bad spot) ... 3rd and 1: Norris fails to pick up yard but Titans lined up in neutral zone ... 1st and 10: End around to Morgan, gain of 11 ... 1st and 10 from Tenn 48: Gore carries, gains 2 ... 2nd and 8: Pass to Davis, thrown out at 39 ... 3rd and 1: Gore picks up first down ... 1st and 10 at 37: Direct snap to Gore, runs for 13 ... 1st and 10 at 24: Another false start on Vernon Davis ... 1st and 15: Pass to Coffee, ineligible downfield on Baas ... END OF 3Q ...
2Q
Titans 3rd and 5 from SF 19: Pass to Gage is complete for 1st down ... 1st and 10 from 12: VY to Washington, gain of three ... 2nd and 7: LenDale White hit by Franklin, gains 2 ... 3rd and five: Young scrambles in on well-designed QB scramble 49ers 3, TENN 10
49ers take over at 30: Smith to Bruce, gains three ... 2nd and 7: Gore carries off right guard, gains six ... 3rd and 1: Smith play action, scrambles for first down, gain of eight ... 1st and 10: Smith to Davis, WHO ADJUSTS WITH BALL IN THE AIR (!!) and gains 40 yards ... 1st and 10 from TENN 13: Inc. to Davis, but defensive offsides ... 1st and 5: Gore bulldozes to the three, measurement gives him first down. ... 1st and goal at the three: Gore goes in almost untouched from left side; Rachal pulls and gets a nice block; Crabtree gets into it with Finnegan at the end of the play. 49ers 10, Tenn 10
Tenn takes over at own 26: VY incomplete to Gage ... 2nd and 10: White carries for short gain ... 3rd and 9: Corner blitz, Lawson gets credit for sack, but it's a nice team effort ... PUNT ... Minus-two on Jones' return ....
49ers take over at own 45: Smith to Gore for eight yards ... 2nd and 2: Ball knocked out of Smith's hands by William Hayes, goes backward 21 yards, somehow Gore recovers .... 3rd and looong: draw to Glen Coffee ... Another huge punt by Lee, Titans take over at 14 ...
Tenn takes over at own 14 w/ 5:57 ... Johnson escapes, gains 26 before Willis runs him down ... 1st and 10: Pass to CJ, bottled up by Willis ... 2nd and 7: CJ gains four yards ... 3rd and 3: VY to Gage off target, PUNT ...
49ers take over at own 18 ... 1st and 10: Gore draw out of the shotgun, gains 8 ... 2nd and 2: Unabated to the QB ... 1st and 10 from the SF 27: Great catch by Crabtree as he is being hit by S Chris Hope ... 2MIN WARNING ... 2nd and 1: Gore carries, gains 4 for first down ... 1st and 10: Pass to Crabtree, gains 17 ... Pass to Davis, gains 4 ... Smith calls t.o. w/ 63 seconds ... 2nd and 6: Pass to Bruce, but Bruce falls down ... 3rd and 6: (Jason Hill in game) ... Smith stands in against the pass rush, hits Davis for first down to the TENN 20 ... second time out ... 1st and 10 w/ 48 sec: Pass to Gore, gain of eight ... Great pass as Smith is going out of bounds to Hill (not a typo) to give 49ers lead ... Great recognition by Smith (about 10 voices in the press box were calling out, 'Throw it away." 49ers 17, Tenn 10 ...
Tenn takes over at own 30 w/ :12 ... Johnson runs for eight yards to end half ... Niners get the ball to start the second ... Overall, a much more ambitious game plan than Raye has had thuis far this season and that he forecast last week ... Seems like the veteran play caller has a few tricks up his sleeve ...
1Q:
Curtis Taylor seems to be hurt on the kickoff ... Titans return to the 20 ...
Titans at own 20 ... Johnson rushed for 14 to the outside on first down ... Johnson gains three on first down ...2nd and 7: Young to Gage for 1st down ... 1st and 10: Young to Washington , offsides on Haralson declined ... 2nd and 1 from SF 46: Johnson walloped by Franklin, loses 5 yards ... 3rd and 6: Pass to Johnson inc., Titans have to punt ... Brandon Jones receives, does not fair catch, hit immediately at the SF 10.
TAYLOR HAS RIGHT SHIN BRUISE. RETURN IS QUESTIONABLE
49ers at own 11 ... Morgan and Crabtree start ... 1st down: Pass to Davis for no gain ... 2nd and 10: Nicely conceived screen to Gore, heads upfield with a convoy (Heitmann and Rachal). Add 15 yards for tackling with the helmet ... Gain of 35 yards ... 1st and 10: Alex Smith way too high for Walker ... 2nd and 10 from TENN 39: Pass to Walker, gain of 13 yards ... 1st and 10 at TENN 26: Smith (in shotgun) inc. to Davis ... 2nd and 10: Gore run (ist of the game) gains six yards ... 3rd and 4: Smith tries to scramble; Finnegan runs him down a yard shy of first down ... Nedney in for 35 yarder; delay of game makes it a 40-yarder ... It's GOOD ... 49ers 3, TENN 0 ... Eight plays, 67 yards, 3:40. One planned run on the opening drive; Has Jimmy Raye opened up the offense?
TENN takes over at own 20 ... Young to Washington for a 18-yard gain ... 1st and 10: Option from Young to CJ, gain of 5 ... 2nd and 5: No pass rush, Young hits Gage deep downfield for a gain of 49 .... 1st and goal from 8: Franklin again hits CJ for loss ... 2nd and goal from 9: Pass to CJ, Willis runs him down at 3 ... 3rd and g: Half-back option (they obviously studied the Colts tape) is no good ... 21-yard field goal knots the game 49ers 3, TENN 3 ... 7 plays, 77, yards, 2:39
49ers take over at own 29: 1st down: Nice pitch play to Gore, picks up 13 ... 1st and 10 from SF 42: Smith sacked, loss of 7 ... 2nd and 17: Smith too high for Crabtree ... 3rd and 17: Quick out to Crabtree gains only 4 yards ... PUNT is a beauty; downed at the 4 ...
Titans take over at own 4: Johnson gains 4 on first down .. 2nd and 6: Haralson pounces on CJ behind the line, loss of three ... 3rd and nine: Misdirection results in ugly incompletion ... PUNT ... 49ers take over at own 49, net gain of 10 yards from last possession ..
49ers take over at own 49 ... No Moran Norris, very little Isaac Bruce thus far ... 1st and 10: (Norris is in) Gore gains 2 ... 2nd and 8: Play not there, Smith throws ball away ... 3rd and 8: Pass to Crabtree too late, deflected and picked off by Hood, who returns to the 29.
Titans take over at SF 29: Johnson stuffed on first down ... 2nd and 10: Pass to Scaife, gain of five ... 3rd and 5: END OF 1Q
]]>CB Keith Smith, who was signed earlier this week, LB Diyral Briggs, C Cody Wallace, S Reggie Smith (groin), CB Nate Clements (shoulder), DE Demetric Evans (shoulder) and T Joe Staley (knee). Nate Davis is the No. 3 quarterback. That means all six of the 49ers' receivers are active, including Jason Hill and Brandon Jones. Look for Hill to play some gunner on punts ...
For the Titans:
CB Nick Harper, RB Javon Ringer, LB David Thornton, T Mike Otto, T David Stewart, DE Jevon Kearse, DT Sen'Derrick Marks and DE Dave Ball. The Titans have only two QBs on the active roster, Vince Young and Kerry Collins.
Stewart and Otto's absences could be big. Stewart is the starter and Otto is his back-up. It means that Leroy Harris, whom the Titans list as the top back-up at center and guard, will start at right tackle. That should be a match-up LBs Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson (no sacks since Week 1) can win.
Other lineup changes: Gerald McRath will start at OLB for Thornton and Rod Hood will start at CB for Harper.
]]>"I think what Jimmy's trying to do - you look at what was here and look at what Shaun was comfortable with, the concepts in the passing game. I think it's taken him a while to kind of pare things down and really get it to where it is. I think from a coordinator's standpoint, you have to focus on not only what you do as a coordinator and what you're comfortable with but what can these guys handle. I think that's a big part of it."
On Raye's ability to tailor an offense to a team's strengths:
"I think that's one of Jimmy's strengths. I think he understands what guys are capable of. You're not going to fool him. He's an intelligent guy. ... I think that's one of the things he does well. You look what they've gone through now. You go through a stretch and now you change quarterbacks. And that's not easy on a coordinator. The other thing is, you make that change, I've always said as a play caller, you have to see it through the eyes of the quarterback. Now Shaun Hill's not the quarterback. Now it's Alex. What does Alex do well? And how do we get him in a position where he's comfortable? And not only that, but it's the first time the guy has played in a while. Are we going to overload him? ...Not only that, but I've got No. 15. What's he comfortable with? It's constant tweaking as you go along. ... But I like what I see. I think they have a chance to be a pretty good team."
Perhaps the most salient thing that Gannon said is that it takes at least two offseasons for a team to really understand its new offense. Raye, of course, has had one ...
***************
Gannon also had some funny anecdotes about former Kansas City roommate, Greg Manusky. Gannon would pick Manusky up every morning at 6:30 a.m. When the temperature dropped, Gannon recalled, Manusky would wear the same outfit every day - a one-piece camouflage hunting suit. What made Manusky's ensemble unique is that he never wore anything underneath it ...
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Colts linebacker Clint Session was fined $5,000 today for hitting Smith at the knees Sunday in Indianapolis. (Personally, I'm not a fan of this "Tom Brady rule.")
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Linebacker Takeo Spikes practiced today and figures to be in the lineup against the league's top rusher, Chris Johnson, on Sunday. Meanwhile, safety Reggie Smith is a game-time decision. Both are probable.
For the Titans, RB Javon Ringer (back) is out; S Vincent Fuller (groin), CB Nicholas Harper (forearm), DE Jevon Kearse (knee), T Mike Otto (knee), T David Stewart (hamstring) and LB David Thornton (hip) are questionable. Stewart is the team's starting right tackle.
-- Matt Barrows
"No. Not at all," Raye said when asked if the team was suited for a spread attack. " ... If that was in fact true and we were going to take this deal and flip it 360 (he means 180) and all of the sudden become a shotgun, wide-open, throw the ball 48 or 52 times a game, then we have to do an awful lot of changing. We can mix that, which we have done and intend to do. But as a steady diet of that ... Right now I don't delight in that prospect. Going forward, if it manifests itself into something that will help us, we will gravitate toward that. But as of now, the answer to that question would be, no."
On the progress of his running game:
"It's coming along. But as we start to make progress then we get another hiccup. And there's no way to anticipate or expect on the first play of the game you lose you're starting left tackle. So the continuity has been slow. But we're managing. It's slowly getting better. Because if we can get the guy we've got (Frank Gore) to the second level, we can go home with the ball. It's encouraging. It hasn't been as fast as we would like, but it's getting better."
On working a deep threat like Brandon Jones into the offense:
"Brandon is in the group of guys from a perimeter standpoint that we would like to get snaps to. And as we go forward with the four or five guys that we have, if he brings an added dimension that will help us ... then he would be considered in the mix, yes."
On whether it's easier to run out of a no-fullback, spread formation:
"It does unlock the box in some cases. But there are not many defensive coaches that we face that if we eliminate the lead blocker - where we have seven (blockers) they have eight (defenders) - so if we go to six, they have seven. So you still have the same problem. They're not going to let you outnumber them in the box ... The numbers are the same except you don't have a lead blocker."
On whether the addition of Smith and Crabtree might nudge the 49ers to become more of a passing team.
"Yes, we would think of that a little more. It's difficult because we're still, in certain things, trying to get No. 15 to line up in the right place. There are more elements to it than just the physical body of the people we have. So there's a lot of things that go into that before we say we're going to switch gears and go in another direction. We can gravitate toward that and make due because of what we see out of his natural ability, but the nuances and the fine-tuning still takes some time. And then the exposure of the offensive line . . . "
-- Matt Barrows
"I think it will be fun," Brown said. "Especially a guy I played with for three years. I have a lot of respect for him. He's been an amazing player his whole life."
Several 49ers are friendly with Young, who will be making only his second start of the season against the 49ers. Brown considers him a good friend while fullback Moran Norris and safety Michael Lewis are both from Young's home town of Houston. In fact, Norris and Young both went to James Madison High School in Houston (Uninteresting side note: I went to James Madison High School in Vienna, Va.)
"We're friends off the field, but once we get on the field there ain't no more friends," Brown said. "At the end of the day, I'd love to see him do a good job. I've always had the utmost respect for Vince ... but once we step on the field it's all business."
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With Joe Staley out six weeks with a knee sprain, Barry Sims will line up at left tackle while Adam Snyder will work the right side. Sims today said he was far more comfortable on the left side than the right, where he started eight games last season. Meanwhile, newcomer Chris Patrick will be the back up at both left and right tackle. Patrick said he played on both the left and right sides at Nebraska and also has played both positions in preseason. He has not played in a regular-season game.
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With Demetric Evans (shoulder) out for three weeks, Singletary said rookie Ricky Jean-Francois would be active this week. Singletary also said there was a chance that promising young safety Reggie Smith could be active for the first time since suffering a groin injury early this season.
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Brandon Jones said his role this week would be the same as it was a week ago. That is, he'll handle some punt returns and also back up Michael Crabtree at "x" receiver. Jones was in for exactly one offensive play in Indianapolis.
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Vernon Davis said today that he's rarely been used as a blocker this season, something that's frustrated him to no end in previous seasons. It'll be interesting to see if that trend continues now that the 49ers have back-ups at both tackle positions.
-- Matt Barrows
"I can't speak for their decisions and their plans, but I can say this," Fisher said. "When you have a team that's built the way their offense is built and the way their defense is playing - the formula is working. ... what you don't want to do, what no one necessarily wants to do with a young quarterback, or a veteran quarterback for that matter, is get behind and have to hurry up and catch up."
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Fisher also was complimentary of one of his former players, saying that Brandon Jones was a multidimensional threat for Tennessee. Jones played four years for the Titans. His best season was last year when he caught 41 passes and averaged 11 yards per catch. He also ran the ball twice last year on reverses, picking up 35 yards.
"He was a guy that could do it all," Fisher said. "He could uncover in the slot. He could win the one-on-one outside. Brandon had some skills, and I imagine he still does, as far as running after the catch. He was a reverse guy who could pick up a first down for us. And if we need him to return, he'd field the ball and do those kinds of things. You know, he just struggled off and on with an injury here and there. But he made a lot of big plays for us."
So far this season, Jones has played only a handful of snaps all season for the 49ers and has not been targeted once.
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The 49ers signed tackle Kirk Barton, who had a cup of coffee with them last year, to the practice squad. Barton replaces TE Carson Butler, who was released yesterday.
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This Vince Young story slipped through the cracks -- at least for me -- but I thought it was worth reading.
-- Matt Barrows
The 49ers also released tight end Carson Butler from the practice squad.
-- Matt Barrows
]]>Joe Staley. This is the biggest injury of the three because the offensive line already had been a problem area and because Staley had been one of the team's top two linemen. (center Eric Heitmann being the other). Barry Sims played well in relief, albeit against a less-than-100-percent Dwight Freeney. Look for Sims and Adam Snyder to be the starting tackles while Staley is out. Newly-signed Chris Patrick also is an option, and the 49ers also could elevate rookie Alex Boone from the practice squad. Boone is strictly a right tackle. Bringing him to the active roster would require the 49ers to release someone on the 53-man squad, likely a receiver.
Nate Clements. Clements will miss only the second game of his career Sunday against the Titans. In fact, the team is expecting him to miss at least five more games after that as he recovers from the broken right shoulder blade he suffered while returning a punt Sunday. That puts Clements' return in mid December. The 49ers play the Cardinals, a team with which they are contending for the division and one against which Clements has been particularly effective, on Dec. 14. The 49ers likely will compensate by going with the same lineup they used Sunday - Shawntae Spencer and Tarell Brown as the starters and Dre Bly as the nickel corner. Marcus Hudson also is an option. Hudson's value, however, is mostly due to his special teams prowess. His coverage skills are questionable. Eric Green, a cornerback they looked at in training camp, also is available.
Demetric Evans. Evans is out three weeks with a sprained shoulder. He hasn't exactly been a major part of the defense - he has four tackles this season - but he has played in every game. The 49ers have a lot of defensive linemen for a team that uses a 3-4 front. They don't need to make a move at the position. Evans' injury, however, likely will allow some playing time for seventh-round pick, Ricky Jean-Francois. According to MM, the 49ers were considering giving Jean-Francois some playing time following the bye week. But the rookie may have dashed any goodwill by missing his flight out of Miami after the bye and being late for team meetings.
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Ronnie Lott will be one of four inductees into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 11. The others are legendary high school football coach Ron Calcagno, three-time Olympian Sheryl Johnson and former Stanford pitcher and announcer Bob Murphy.
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Why don't the 49ers commit to the spread offense? Who is quietly having the best season of his career? How many tequila shots did Barrows and Maiocco down Saturday night in Indianapolis, and who looked worse the next day? All this and more if you join in on this morning's Niners Chat at 11 a.m. Start practicing how to quickly minimize your screen so your boss doesn't find out ...
-- Matt Barrows
* CB Nate Clements suffered a right fractured scapula Sunday and will be sidelined 6-8 weeks.
* LT Joe Staley suffered sprains to the MCL and PCL of his right knee and will be sidelined for 6 weeks.
* DT Demetric Evans suffered an AC sprain in his left shoulder and will miss 3 weeks. ... Evans' injury likely means that Ricky Jean-Francois will be active in coming weeks.
It's good news/bad news for the 49ers. Two heretofore starters were knocked out of Sunday's game with bad injuries, but it appears neither will be placed on injured reserve and miss the season. Earlier today, Mike Singletary said that he still expects to make the playoffs and would need cornerback Nate Clements, who broke his right scapula Sunday on a punt return, for a postseason push. "We will not put him on IR," Singletary said. "If we're in the playoffs, we want him to play." Earlier this year, receiver Brandon Jones suffered a similar injury and missed six weeks. Singletary said today that Jones had healed after five weeks and was back practicing after five weeks.
Meanwhile, Staley is back from his MRI at Stanford Hospital but does not know the exact results of his sprained knee. He's walking with a brace, but not crutches, and he said the knee was stiff. He did say, however, that his sprained knee wasn't an ACL and that it wouldn't be season-ending. Results from both Staley's MRI and Clements' CT scan should be available later today.
Both players are in uncharted territory for them. Staley said he's never dealt with any serious injury, much less a knee injury. Clements, meanwhile, never missed a game until he broke his thumb last season.
As far as his Week 8 demotion, Clements said "it was tough, but I'm being professional about it and doing anything I can to help my teammates and help the team get on track." Clements, who is due for a big salary bump next season, also said he wouldn't worry about his future with the team. "I'm just going to continue to be Nate and work hard like I've always done my career," he said. "And everything else will take care of itself."
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Singletary was asked about veteran receiver Isaac Bruce, who played the bulk of the game Sunday, but who had a costly drop and didn't have his best game. "I will put it this way right now. Isaac Bruce is one of the guys we count on to win. As far as getting into, 'Is he the best 11?' and all of these other kinds of things, I'm going to say he gives us a chance to win. And in certain situations, he is one of the best 11 on the field and in other situations, he isn't. And that goes for a number of our receivers. And I just think going forward, we have to continue to evaluate our team and talent. And this team right now is going through changes and seeing some guys step up ... And it's going to continue to be that way. I believe in the best 11 guys on the field, and whoever that is, that's who's going to be out there."
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It appears that offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye has born the brunt of the blame from Sunday's loss. Singletary, however, pinned it on his team's immaturity. He said veteran teams like the Colts win those games because they've played tight games before. His team hung close, but made too many critical errors. "Yesterday was a classic case of an immature team shooting themselves in the foot," he said.
Ask if he still backed Raye's approach 100 percent, Singletary went 50 percent further. "I 150 percent back what he's doing," he said. "Absolutely. There's not one iota that I'm wavering here or there." Singletary did concede that Raye is still in the process of learning what his players do best, and thus the offense is still evolving.
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The 49ers have seemed to flourish in three-receiver formations in which Alex Smith is in the shotgun. But Smith said he wouldn't want to do that all the time because the 49ers would become one-dimensional. "When you're lopsided either way, I think it makes it easier on (the defense)," Smith said.
Odds and ends:
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Still fuming about Sunday's game? I'm listening, San Francisco. Join me tomorrow at 11 a.m. for a live chat. You'll find it at www.sacbee.com/live.
-- Matt Barrows
]]>Clements, of course, mostly was used as a punt returner. The 49ers said they didn't know how exactly Clements fractured his shoulder, but the safe money is that it happened during a return. For one thing, he played only a handful of snaps on defense. For another, he seemed to absorb and deliver a lot of big hits on his returns.
So what to do with Clements? Brandon Jones and Tony Pashos also broke their scapulas this season. Jones' injury took six weeks to heal while Pashos', who broke his last week, was placed on injured reserve. If Clements' injury heals as quickly as Jones', he might be available by Week 14 or 15, putting him on the field before a potential playoff run. And, yes, even though the 49ers have dropped three straight, they're still in the middle of the race in the blah NFC West.
As expected, Mike Singletary said the reason why Brown, not Clements, started was 'basic matchups. We felt that the matchups were good the way we had them," he said. Asked if Clements' demotion was permanent or a one-week thing, Singletary said "one-week thing." Of course, it's probably more like a six-week thing given the diagnosis.
Joe Staley suffered a knee sprain when someone rolled up on the back of his knee on the first snap of the game. Staley will have an MRI Monday. He was walking around -- albeit stiffly -- in the locker room after the game. Barry Sims filled in and played well ...
-- Matt Barrows
]]>4Q
.... Colts have 1st and 10 at 49ers' 22: Addai halfback option pass to Wayne for 22-yard TD, fools Spencer ... Colts go for 2 but Manning's pass is too high ... 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:10 ... Colts 18, 49ers 14 ...
49ers take over at 21 ... Bruce drops pass, would have been a 1st down ... 2nd and 10: Nice catch by Crabtree, who goes up to snag high pass, gain of 11 ... 1st and 10: Smith nice pass to Bruce down right sideline, gain of 20 ... 1st and 10: Gore carries, gains seven ... 2nd and 3 at Indy 41: Coffee runs, breaks a tackle, gains eight ... 1st and 10: Slow-developing screen goes inc., nearly picked off ... 2nd and 10: quick out to Morgan, gains three ... 3rd and 7: Delay of game on 49ers = 3rd and 12: Mathis gets past Snyder, sacks Smith for loss of eight ... 49ers were within Nedney's range; now punt ... Colts take over at own 10
Colts take over at own 10: Addai runs for three on first down ... 2nd and 7: Manning and Clark completely fool the 49ers' defense on pass to the 49ers' 47 ... 1st and 10: Addai carries, gains 1 ... 2nd and 9: Pass to Wayne, gains 7 ... Spikes is *hurt* ... 3rd and 3: Pass to Collie is too deep ... PUNT to Brandon Jones, who fields the ball at the three and is tackled at the 5 ...
49ers take over at own 6: Gore loses two yards on first down, but offsides on Colts makes it 1st and 5: Dump to Gore, he dives for first down ... 1st and 10 at the 18: Smith flushed, runs out of bounds for no gain, technically a sack ... 2nd and 10: Great pass over LB Clint Session to Crabtree, gain of 17 (Crabtree now has 81 yards) ... 1st and 10: Pass to Crabtree too high ... 2nd and 10: Brandon Jones in for Crabtree ... pass to Bruce too high, nearly picked off ... 3rd and 10: Freeney sacks Smith -- that gives Freeney a sack in eight straight games, a franchise record ...
Colts take over at own 33 ... Pass to Collie for two ... Pass to Clark gains four ... 3rd and 3: Manning's pass to Clark is complete ... 1st and 10 and looking bleak for the 49ers: Addai runs through the middle for 13 yards ... 1st and 10: Spikes takes down Addai after 1 yard ... 2nd and 9: Pass to Garcon snuffed out by Willis. ... 2 MIN WARNING w/ 1:58 ... 49ers have two timeouts ... 3rd and 4: Manning to Clark gets a first down and effectively ends the game ...
3Q
Colts take over at 26 ... Addai 2-yard gain ... False start on Wayne makes it 2nd and 13: Sopoaga sacks Manning, doubling the QBs sack total for the season ... Manning hits Garcon deep down field .... 1st and 10: Inc. ... 2nd and 10 pass to Addai snuffed out after 2-yard gain ... 3rd and 8: manning to Wayne for nine ... 1st and 10: Manning to Wayne gains 20 to the SF 21 ... 1st and 10: Manning too far for Wayne in the end zone ... 2nd and 10: pass to Collie complete, picks up six ... 3rd and 4: Manning sacked by Ray McDonald, loses 12, brings Stover back in for a 40 yarder ... 49ers 14, Colts 12
49ers take over at own 22: 1st and 10: Gore up middle for 2 ... 2nd and 8: Pass to Gore in the flat, cuts it up, powers forward for seven ... 3rd and inches: Coffee and Moran Norris are in, so is Morgan ... Hands to Norris for first down ... 1st and 10: Chilo loses man who tackles Gore for 1-yard loss ... 2nd and 11: Misdirection pass to Gore, cuts back up middle for 10 yards ... 3rd and 1: (same combo) handoff to Norris picks up 1 ... 1st and 10: Pass to Bruce can't be hauled in ... 2nd and 10 from SF 44: Smith to Crabtree, he fights for extra yardage and appears to have been stripped of the ball... Indy recovers and SF challenges ... Ruling upheld, Indy takes over at SF 42, 49ers docked time out ...
Colts take over at SF 42 ... Manning pass to Garcon is inc., no p.i. called (but there could have been) ... 2nd and 10: Pass to Wayne too far inside ... 3rd and 10: Pass to Garcon broken up when Goldson blasts Garcon out of bounds ... PUNT ... Brandon Jones takes punt two yards to the 20. CLEMENTS IS OUT W/ A BRUISED RIGHT SHOULDER
49ers take over at own 20 ... Gore picks up three on first ... 2nd and 7: Another Norris run, no gain ... 3rd and 7: Smith pressured, has nowhere to throw, inc. ...
Colts take over at own 30 ... Pass to Collie is inc. ... Crossing pattern to Garcon, gains five ... quick pass to Wayne picks up first down ... Haralson is *hurt* .. 1st and 10: Pass to Dallas Clark ... 2nd and short: Addai picks up the first down ... 1st and 10: Manning to Baskett inc. ... 2nd and 10: Manning to Collie, hit by Willis after 5-yard gain ... Neutral zone infraction by Sopoaga gives Indy first down ... 1st and 10 at SF 32: Addai 10-yard gain ... END OF 3rd Q
2Q
49ers take over at own 30 ... 1st down: Gore up the gut for a yard ... 2nd and 9: Gore runs right, cuts it up for two yards ... 3rd and 7: Pass to Davis is complete, but he's immediately taken down. Two-yard gain ... PUNT
Colts take over at own 25 ... 1st down: Addai carries for 7 ... 2nd and 3: Addai carries, gains 1 ... 3rd and 2: Short pass to Wayne but he's plastered immediately by Brown, no gain ... Punt ... Clements has nice return but fumbles out of bounds ...
49ers take over at own 28 ... Smith to Norris on first down, dropped ... 2nd and 10: Smith to Davis for first down, but holding on Baas makes it 2nd and 20: draw to Gore gains two ... 3rd and 18: Smith takes off and runs for 10 ... PUNT
Colts take over at own 18: 1st and 10: Manning to Wayne for big gain ... 1st and 10: Manning to Wayne for 5 ... 2nd and 5: Good coverage -- Manning sacked by Aubrayo Franklin ... 3rd and 10: Pass to Baskett broken up ... PUNT
49ers take over at own 22 ... 1st and 10: Gore runs left, gains 2 ... 2nd and 8: Davis false start makes it 2nd and 13: Smith rollout does nothing, throws inc. ,,, 3rd and 13: Pass to Crabtree is on target, but Crabtree comes back to the ball and is a yard short of first down ... PUNT, another boomer b y Lee.
Colts take over at own 18 ... Manning inc. to Clark on deep pass ... 2nd and 10: Addai taken down after short gain ... 3rd and nine: Pass to Garcon gets 11 ... 1st and 10: Pass to Wayne gets seven ... 2nd and 3: RB Chad Simpson run down by Willis, minus 1 ... 2 MIN WARNING ... 3rd and 4, Colts at own 36: Manning pass to Wayne inc. PUNT
49ers take over at own 11 ... 1:44 to go, both teams have three timeouts ... Smith bullet to Crabtree gains 27 ... 1st and 10: Smith hits Bruce for 12 to the 50 ... 1st and 10: Pass to Davis gains 10 ... Smith to Davis inc. ... 2nd and 10 w/ :51 ...Blitz, Smith reads it and throws to Gore for 15; low hit on Smith puts ball on the 12 with :43 ... 1st and 10: Smith to Gore to the 8, hit out of bounds w/ :38 ... 2nd and 6: Smith over the middle to Davis for a touchdown, nice grab by Davis... unsportsmanlike penalty called on Morgan; 15 yards will be assessed on kickoff ... 49ers 14, Colts 6 ... 7 plays, 89 yards, 1:11 and 49ers still have three timeouts ...
49ers kick off from own 15 ... Colts return to their 39 w/ :26 left ... 1st and 10: Manning blitzed, but pass complete to Collie for big gain ... 1st and 10; Pass to Clark, nine yards, goes out of bounds at SF 29, Indy calls time out w/ 14 ... Pass to Collie to the 13, Colts call second t.o. w/ six seconds, bring in Stover for 31 field goal -- good. 49ers 14, Colts 9 ... Colts go 48 yards in 25 seconds.
CLEMENTS HAS BRUISED RIGHT SHOULDER, WILL BE EVALUATED AT HALF
1Q
49ers take over at own 29 ... Crabtree and Morgan are the wideouts ... Joe Staley goes down on first-down run (7 yards) by Gore. He's still on the ground; Barry Sims is in ...Staley eventually walks off the field under own power ... 2nd and 4: Taser -- Gore picks up 1 yard ... 3rd down pass to Vernon Davis is complete but out of bounds ... PUNT ... Crabtree & Morgan in on two plays, Crabtree & Bruce in on one
STALEY HAS SPRAINED RIGHT KNEE; DOUBTFUL TO RETURN
Colts take over at own 15 ... Brown and Spencer start at CB ... Brown nearly to torched by Garcon ... Short gain ... Third-down pass to Dallas Clark, fumbles, recovered by SF at Indy 26 but will be reviewed ... Call reversed, fourth-down PUNT ... Nate Clements, who hasn't been in on defense yet, is back to return the punt ... and loses at least five yards. Penalty on the Colts, so there's a re-kick ... Big punt and Clements returns it to the 30
49ers take over at own 30 ... Short pass to Bruce on 1st picks up 5 ... 2nd: Gore squeezes through line and he's gone -- 64-yard touchdown run. Heitmann and Rachal do a good job of springing Gore. Drive takes 70 seconds ... 49ers 7, Indy 0
Colts take over at own 23 ... Short pass to Addai on 1st down ... 2nd and 8: Addai picks up six ... 3rd and 2: Manning pass nearly picked off by Bly (shoulda had it) ... 4th down PUNT ... Clements fair catch at the 27 ... Clements hasn't played a defensive snap yet. Bly has been in on third down ...
49ers take over at own 27 ... Baas steps on Smith and both go down; loss of three ... Gore loses a yard ... 3rd and 14: Smith pressured by Mathis, throws ball away ... Great punt by Lee backs Colts to own 23 ...
Colts take over at 23 ... Pass incomplete to Wayne ... Tarell Brown got tangled with Garcon and lost his shoe ... Clements is in on second and 10 ... Addai picks up 2 ... 3rd and 8: Simple screen to Wayne goes for a big gain to the SF 43 ... 1st down: inc to Wayne ... 2nd: Addai gains 1 ... 3rd and 9 (Brown back in) Manning to Collie picks up 1st down, gains 14 ... 1st and 10: Holding on Garcon backs the Colts up to the SF 38 ... 1st and 20: Manning's end-zone pass broken up nicely by Spencer ... 2nd and 20: Manning to Clark picks up 18 ... 3rd and 2: Adda hit by Balmer for no gain ... Stover 38-yard FG is good. SF 7, Indy 3
49ers take over at own 12 after Robinson is upended ... 1st: no fullback, Gore picks up three ... 2nd and 7: Smith complete to Bruce for 1st down, 13 yards ... 1st: Pass to Crabtree dropped (Crabtree's 1st drop!) ... Smith comes back to Crabtree for first down ... 1st and 10: Smith's pass to Crabtree is tipped and picked off by Bob Sanders ... to the SF 34
Colts take over at 34 ... Manning to Wayne on first down to the 21 ... 1st: Addai no gain ... 2nd: Manning to Wayne ... 3rd-down pass to Clark in the end zone is off target ... Stover boots in 33-yard FG to make score SF 7, Indy 6
]]>WR Micheal Spurlock
S Reggie Smith
LB Diyral Briggs
C Cody Wallace
T Chris Patrick
WR Jason Hill
DT Ricky Jean-Francois
3rd QB - Nate Davis
For Indianapolis:
K Adam Vinatieri
WR Anthony Gonzalez
DB TJ Rushing
DB Marlin Jackson
RB Donald Brown
G Jamey Richard
T Tony Ugoh
3rd Qb - Curtis Painter
9:06 a.m. As promised, Brandon Jones, Arnaz Battle and Nate Clements all are practicing punt returns in pre-game warm ups ...
9:10 a.m. Peyton manning just jogged onto the field. He's tossing passes to his only four wideouts, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Kendra's husband ... Wayne and Garcon, a second-year player, figure to start. Hank Baskett has one catch for the Colts so far this season ...
9:19 a.m. Niners are stretching. Jeff Ulbrich is out there in a sweatsuit, mingling with the coaching staff. Must be tough for him ...
9:29 a.m. Interesting sighting: Paraag Marathe talking to agent Tom Condon on the sideline. Condon, of course, is Alex Smith's agent.
9:55 a.m. The roof of Lucas Oil Stadium is open. Dunno whether that makes it less noisy. This is a LARGE stadium, rivaling Houston's monster facility ...
]]>It's not known whether Clements will be the slot cornerback. If he is, he could end up seeing just about as much time as the starters. I'm hearing that the move is personnel-based -- that the coaching staff feels the Spencer-Brown duo matches up well against the Indianapolis receivers, most of whom are smaller, quicker guys.
Clements is a good match on bigger, more physical receivers such as the Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald. That makes me wonder if he will be assigned to cover the Colts' Dallas Clark, a tight end who has been as prolific as a receiver this season. Brown, who was hurt in training camp, had been the No. 4 cornerback to start the season. That he is starting also means that he has leap-frogged Dre Bly for this game at least.
*************
Here is the contract status of the 49ers' cornerbacks. Obviously, the 49ers see Brown and Spencer as part of their future cornerbacks corps. Clements likely is part of that corps, although his salary will make a big jump next season.
Dre Bly - signed through 2009
Tarell Brown - signed through 2013
Nate Clements - signed through 2013
Walt Harris - signed through 2009
Marcus Hudson - signed through 2009
Shawntae Spencer -- signed through 2012
-- Matt Barrows
Asked about Brandon Jones today, Mike Singletary said that Jones would be the No. 5 receiver behind Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan and Arnaz Battle. Singletary did say that Jones, Nate Clements and Battle could see time returning punts. Jones returned punts both at Oklahoma and with the Titans and said he was looking forward to the role. "It's something I like to do - get the ball in my hands," he said. Look for Michael Robinson to handle kick returns.
Here is the 49ers' injury report. The Colts' is forthcoming.
Doubtful: S Reggie Smith (groin)
Questionable: DE Ray McDonald (ankle), LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)
Probable: CB Marcus Hudson (shoulder), RB Michael Robinson (shoulder), T Adam Snyder (calf)
These are the players who did not participate in Friday's practice for the Colts:
RB Donald Brown (shoulder), WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee), CB Marlin Jackson (knee), T Tony Ugoh (not injury related), K Adam Vinatieri (right knee)
These are the players who went through a full practice:
DT Eric Foster (shoulder), DE Dwight Freeney (knee), LB Ramon Humber (illness), S Bob Sanders (not injury related), TE Jacob Tamme (hamstring), WR Reggie Wayne (groin)
-- Matt Barrows