Pundits see a Jungle for 49ers

[oldschooler]

[b] [size=6]Pundits see a Jungle for 49ers[/size][/b]

By GEOFF HOBSON
Posted 4 hours ago


The Bengals.com media forum has emerged to call Sunday’s Paul Brown Stadium opener against the 49ers (1 p.m.-ESPN 1530) and a clear-cut majority picks the Bengals to win a not so clear-cut game.

Mike Lombardi, who lends the NFL Network a load of credibility as a former NFL personnel decision-maker at several stops, sees a low-scoring day with the Bengals winning by a [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/mike-nugent/44701177-8bcb-4bb1-a348-e81af4d4583a/"]Mike Nugent[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] field goal or so. Like the rest of the panel, he’s a little uneasy about the Bengals receiver situation but in the end he thinks [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/cedric-benson/4b42e3bf-7831-490c-97e2-523f8d4d2291/"]Cedric Benson[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] and the Bengals defense carries the day.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, who reprises his riveting 1980s Sunday notes column in the [i]Atlanta Journal-Constitution[/i] via TV on the daily NFL 32 show on ESPN2 at 6 p.m., gives the Bengals the edge simply because he doesn’t see Jim Harbaugh’s new regime getting enough traction yet to coax Alex Smith to a road win.

Matt Maiocco, a long-time scribe covering the Niners now at CNSBayArea.com, also backs the idea that San Fran is going to have tough sledding on the road, where the Niners have won four non-division games during the entire stretch of Marvin Lewis’s run in Cincinnati.

The lone 49ers pick comes from the estimable Mike Sando, one of the pioneer bloggers at the [i]Tacoma News-Tribune[/i] now doing it for ESPN.com with the NFC West as his topic. He sees the Niners getting back to the basics with running back Frank Gore and asserting the kind of physicality Harbaugh used to transform Stanford.

[b]LOMBARDI[/b]

The key when you play the 49ers is always to make them one-dimensional. You want to make Alex Smith beat you and their receivers aren’t at a level where they can win consistently.

You have to stop their running game and control (tight end) Vernon Davis. The Bengals should have done a better job against the run in Denver. They’ve got a physical front seven when they play hard and are tough to run on. There are teams like Bengals, though, that play down to the level of their opponent when they think they should win. I think they’ll play better defense this week.

The 49ers have a tremendous front seven. If you can control them, you can make throws against them. But you have to be physical against them. The Cowboys had problems doing that last week and quarterback Tony Romo got killed. The Bengals should be OK. They pretty much have been able to run the ball on anybody they want, but they have to mix it up and take shots on the outside. The 49ers do have good pass rushers in Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and whoever they’ve got coming.

The one thing that worries me about the Bengals is they could be a little light at receiver depending on what happens with [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/jerome-simpson/6b6ae446-ba34-42a3-91aa-e7dda3c9255a/"]Jerome Simpson[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url]. If [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/andre-caldwell/60736524-1999-49db-b9d2-bb925291219b/"]Andre Caldwell[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] has to go outside in place of Simpson, that makes it a different dynamic. You have to be able to loosen them up on the outside.

I think [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/andy-dalton/9378c4ed-938c-434c-929d-4d45fe252101/"]Andy Dalton[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url]’s been fine. I was a little concerned about him after the first game. I think they should have beat Cleveland by more than they did. I don’t think Cleveland is as good as most people think, but Dalton has been fine and he’ll be better in Weeks 7 and 8.”


[b]THE EDGE:[/b] Bengals, 17-13. But they can’t get in a 50-pass game.



[b]MORTENSEN[/b]


At first glance I like the Bengals at home, but it’s going to be important to see how they play with the distractions of the week. Losing Simpson would be key considering they already lost Shipley.

Two matchups fascinate me. The 49ers were talking about getting either Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick at quarterback in the second round. They really liked both and they decided not to trade ahead of Cincinnati. I really like what Dalton is doing.

I was talking to a GM who had a pick late in the first round and he told me he was sold on Dalton at the Rose Bowl when he was standing on the TCU sidelines before the game and the Wisconsin fans were just really giving to the kid. Calling him everything in the book. He never flinched, never turned around and when Wisconsin took the kickoff and drove down the field, he just walked back out there and calmly took them back down the filed against a team that was supposed to handle them. This GM needs a QB and now he’ll probably have to get one next year.

The other matchup I Iike is Bengals left tackle [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/andrew-whitworth/3a81696e-e6b3-4abd-8dd0-85e8748fa086/"]Andrew Whitworth[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] against 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith. I love these two guys. Whitworth is probably the most underrated left tackle in the league and I think Smith is the most underrated defensive tackle. I mean, he just embarrassed Doug Free of the Cowboys last week. You can say, ‘It’s just Doug Free,’ but if the Cowboys didn’t re-sign him he would have been the highest paid tackle in free agency.

These are two tough, physical guys that have been around and are leaders for their teams. That’s going to be fun to watch.

I think Cedric Benson is going to run well for the Bengals and on the flip side the 49ers have a really good offensive line coach in Mike Solari, but it just hasn’t clicked yet in either the protection or the running game. What’s Frank Gore averaging on the ground, 2.5 right?

[b]The Edge:[/b] Bengals, 20-17. They’re the better team right now. The 49ers are still a team in transition.


[b]SANDO[/b]

It comes down to two areas. Can the Bengals offense do anything against the Niners front seven in the running game, and do the 49ers finally get Gore going on the ground? Gore hasn’t had much room in the first two games, although Seattle is better against the run than one might realize.


As much as they talk about Harbaugh and his West Coast offense, he was about pounding the ball at Stanford. But the 49ers blocking fullback, Moran Norris, isn’t going to play and they may do more one-back stuff. But I think on the road they try to establish Gore.

The 49ers have issues at wide receiver. Braylon Edwards is out. Michael Crabtree is returning, but he’s never had anything close to a full NFL offseason. He’s never had a great rapport with quarterback Alex Smith.

Vernon Davis is due for a big game at tight end. He wasn't happy about catching only seven passes for 65 yards in the first two games. He generally bounces back strong after a couple down weeks. How much the 49ers need Davis to help block is a key variable. There have been protection questions. The Cowboys sacked Smith six times and gave him a concussion.
Defensively, they have a really good front seven, with issues at cornerback.

Patrick Willis is the best player on the defense, but Justin Smith is a close second with great power and pass-rush ability. These are two of my favorite players to watch. He's been better suited as a 3-4 defensive end than he was as a 4-3 end with the Bengals.

Another ex-Bengal, Ahmad Brooks, can be a factor on the pass-rush. He broke Tony Romo’s rib last week, so I think he could be a guy to watch.


[b]The Edge:[/b] 49ers 23, Bengals 17.




[b]MAIOCCO[/b]

To me the key is two interesting matchups involving ex-49ers. There is (SAM backer) [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/manny-lawson/8f230b5b-dcdc-4dbc-886b-bac3666ad19a/"]Manny Lawson[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] covering the tight ends and (cornerback) [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/nate-clements/bbbf8d1c-75d6-4c45-ab56-60768094134e/"]Nate Clements[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] coming up to stop Gore in the running game.

Manny did a nice job here covering receivers. It was probably his strength. He’ll be matched up on Vernon Davis or the other tight end, Delanie Walker. Davis’s bread-and-butter with Alex Smith is the seam route, but Dallas took it away and the 49ers ended up isolating Walker on an outside linebacker.

Part of the reason they parted ways with Clements is because at his age it was a question if he can still run with top-flight receivers. But he’s one of the best corners I’ve ever seen coming up to support the run. And with the Niners wanting to establish the run, I expect he’ll be flying up to try and stop Gore. They’ll try to beat Clements with double moves by young receivers like Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn, but they know that if they catch it on him that Clements doesn’t just like to tackle, he’ll go for the strip. So you know the 49ers receivers are going to be aware of that.

You have to figure that Gore is going to get plenty of work with Alex Smith coming off a concussion. I look for the Bengals to load up the box and make Smith beat them. I just don’t think he can, given the 49ers are 14-50 on the road since 2003 and 10 of those wins are in the division.

Plus, one receiver is out in Edwards, and another, Crabtree has been limited in practice. He’ll try to go in on third down in the slot and if he feels pretty good they’ll move him around. But I don’t expect him to take more than 15 to 20 snaps.


[b]THE EDGE:[/b] Bengals, 17-14. This is a game the Bengals probably and should win at home.




[b]THE BOTTOM LINE[/b]


The Bengals run defense has to play better than it did against Denver last week. Although the Broncos’ Kyle Orton is the more dangerous quarterback, they still can’t let Alex Smith get in manageable down-and-distances so he can pay-action them and keep them on the field by pounding Gore.

The 49ers passing game is still a work in progress and the QB of the future, the Niners hope, is on the bench. Tight end Vernon Davis is the one guy that can hurt the Bengals.
Those that have played here for a few years under defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer are confident the Bengals are going respond after an underachieving effort in Denver. That’s been the Zimmer track record.

On offense the Bengals are expecting to get a heavy dose of the Steelers out of the division. Forty-Niners coordinator Vic Fangio is a Dom Capers disciple and their front seven is a Steelers-esque fast, physical and big. Brooks, Justin Smith and Willis are loads. Dalton, yet to throw a pick, is going to be challenged. The Bengals have to mix it up because if they try to slog it or air it out, they’re only going to score seven or 10 points, and get the QB beat up.

That’s why losing Simpson could really hurt the Bengals. San Fran needs to be loosened up and taken out of the box. Without Simpson, the Bengals would need a big game out of tight end [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/jermaine-gresham/66ed6d24-c4c8-45c3-83d8-438594e91723/"]Jermaine Gresham[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] in order for them to vertical the field. Gresham has been up and down, but they need him to find that consistency Sunday.

The other major matchup is Niners return man Ted Ginn vs. Bengals returner [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/brandon-tate/56768822-7e1d-43fb-94da-5c49f43032b5/"]Brandon Tate[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url]. In the opener Ginn became the first man in 62 years of 49ers football to return a punt and kick for scores in the same game. Meanwhile, Tate is learning returning punts on the job and it’s been an open classroom with some tough moments.

But special teams coach Darrin Simmons remains extremely upbeat about Tate’s explosiveness and senses big things soon. His biggest teaching tip: “Be decisive. Don’t overthink it. Take it and go.”

Another game within the game. Even if Simpson does suit up, would the Bengals dress all six receivers? [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/andrew-hawkins/e347e2a3-3711-437e-84f8-51d98e454b54/"]Andrew Hawkins[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], just signed from the practice squad is a demon covering kicks.
Because that’s the kind of game it’s going to be. An AFC North matchup that fell out of the NFC West. Defense. Special teams. Low-scoring game decided by a field goal as both teams continue to protect their young quarterbacks.




http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Pundits-see-a-Jungle-for-49ers/f29437a9-6ef0-40df-8e24-9021e642385d

[oldschooler]

[size=6][b]49ers-Bengals matchups to watch[/b][/size]

Mat Maiocco



[b]WR Joshua Morgan vs. CB Nate Clements[/b]
[b]Tale of the tape[/b]
[b]Morgan: [/b]6-1, 215, Virginia Tech, 4th season
[b]Clements: [/b]6-0, 200, Ohio State, 11th season

Morgan takes pride in being an all-around receiver, catching passes and delivering blocks in the run game. Clements has lost a step through the years, but his ability to step up in run support is one of the strengths of his game.

The 49ers released Clements after the lockout lifted because of his exorbitant contract. It did not take him long to land with the Bengals. Of course, Morgan and Clements know all about one another.


"We practiced good against him, so hopefully it will roll over into the game," Morgan said. "You know from practicing against him all his little tricks and that's what makes him a good corner because everybody don't know that, everybody's not always ready."

The 49ers believe Clements is such an aggressive cornerback that it makes him susceptible to double moves. Clements will get a chance to match up against each of the 49ers' wideouts at some point.

"My impression is the same as it was before -- a young, talented receiver corps that definitely has what it takes to have potential stars in this league," Clements said. "They definitely have speed, talent, size. I had a chance to face those guys every day in practice, so my perception has not changed."


[b]FS Dashon Goldson vs. QB Andy Dalton[/b]
[b]Tale of the tape[/b]
[b]Goldson: [/b]6-2, 200, Washington, 5th season
[b]Dalton: [/b]6-2, 220, TCU, Rookie

Goldson will see his first action of the season after returning from a knee injury. His job will be to provide some plays for a secondary that ranks 25th in pass defense, allowing 291 yards per game through the air.

Goldson certainly has something to prove, as he came back to the 49ers this offseason on a one-year, $2 million contract. With strong safety Donte Whitner playing closer to the line of scrimmage, Goldson will be responsible for providing deep coverage.

Dalton has been phenomenal in the first two games, completing 66.1 percent of his passes for 413 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"He's very efficient," 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "He's got a really good understanding of the game. Gets the ball out of his hands quickly. He's an accurate passer. I don't think the aura of playing in the NFL has affected him like it kind of affects some rookies at times."

Fellow rookie A.J. Green provides a deep threat with 11 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns.


[b]TE Vernon Davis vs. OLB Manny Lawson[/b]
[b]Tale of the tape[/b]
[b]Davis: [/b]6-3, 250, Maryland, 6th season
[b]Lawson: [/b]6-5, 240, North Carolina State, 6th season


They broke into the NFL together as fellow first-round draft picks of the 49ers in 2006. They played against each other in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They went up against each other a lot as teammates. And, now, they square off for the first time as opponents in an NFL game.

Especially with receiver Braylon Edwards out of the lineup, Davis is the 49ers' top threat in the passing game. He expressed disappointment after the game Sunday that the 49ers' offense has not gotten all of their playmakers involved.

Davis is the team's top receiver, though his stat line of seven receptions for 65 yards is not the least-bit imposing. Davis is a player the first must feature with their passing attack.

The 49ers selected Lawson to be a pass-rusher. But he developed into a better player in coverage. The 49ers made no attempt to re-sign him in free agency, and he settled for a one-year deal from the Bengals. In his first two games, Lawson has nine tackles and two pass-breakups.


[b]RDE Justin Smith vs. LT Andrew Whitworth[/b]
[b]Tale of the tape[/b]
[b]Smith: [/b]6-4, 285, Missouri, 11th season
[b]Whitworth: [/b]6-7, 335, LSU, 6th season


Smith is one of the stalwarts of a 49ers defense that has a league-best streak of 24 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. The 49ers' run defense allowed just 2.48 yards a carry in the first two games of the season to lead the NFL.

Smith is a big part of the 49ers' defense, both in stopping the run and rushing the passer. He has 15 tackles and two sacks. And, of course, he'll be going up against his former team for the first time.

"I know his style and his attitude," Whitworth told Bengals.com. "I practiced against him for two years. He's like he was when he was here: a power rusher. They play almost identical to Pittsburgh. They don't move around as much, but they're fast and physical with good players inside and outside. It's pretty close to what we see in the AFC North and their three down linemen set the tone for them."



http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/news/49ers-Bengals-matchups-to-watch?blockID=566522&feedID=2539

[oldschooler]

[size=6][b] 49ers run defense holding up well, same can’t be said for secondary[/b][/size]

[b] By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, September 23, 6:35 PM[/b]




SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have followed their defensive script to the letter during the team’s 1-1 start: Stop the run and force opponents to pass to beat them.
The NFL’s No. 1 rushing defense certainly has done its job. The team’s struggling secondary can’t say the same.

The 49ers won’t alter their approach Sunday when they travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals, part of a 10-day road trip that won’t bring them back to California until October.

But they will be making some additions in their defensive backfield that San Francisco hopes will make a difference after the team allowed 432 yards passing during last week’s overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Free safety Dashon Goldson did not play in San Francisco’s first two games due to a knee injury, and cornerback Shawntae Spencer has played only a handful of defensive snaps as he gradually works his way back from a summer hamstring injury. Both veterans carried streaks of 32 consecutive starts with the 49ers into this season.

San Francisco has been cautious with each player, but after last week’s meltdown in the secondary, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Goldson and Spencer will be worked into the defensive rotation against the Bengals.

“I’m expecting to start,” Goldson said Friday. “I can’t say what I can add, but I know what I can do as a football player. I’m another guy out there that can make things happen and be another force on the defense.”

The 49ers are looking to force the issue this week against rookie quarterback Andy Dalton after getting shredded last week by Tony Romo, who had 185 yards passing on Dallas’ final three drives to rally the Cowboys from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to a 27-24 victory.

Dalton, Cincinnati’s second-round draft pick, has had a strong start to his NFL career. Dalton set a Bengals rookie record with 332 yards passing last week against Denver, when he also became the second rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to record a passer rating of 100 or better in his first two starts.

With Goldson patrolling the deep middle and Spencer getting back in the mix, San Francisco’s secondary might have more opportunities to make plays this week.

“You always like to think you can go into a ball game and get turnovers,” said Goldson, who led the 49ers with four interceptions and three forced fumbles in 2009. “We saw a couple of plays where (Dalton) forced the ball. We’ve got to capitalize on a lot of those things, tighten up from what we learned last week and take it into this game.”

The 49ers have been playing tight run defense since the season began. They are allowing 54.5 yards rushing per game and just 2.5 yards per carry, a figure that also leads the NFL.
With three new starters among its defensive front seven, San Francisco has picked up where it left off last season, when the 49ers finished sixth in the league in rushing defense and second in yards allowed per carry.

“Our goal at the beginning of every game is to stop the run, and we take pride in that,” said inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who has 22 tackles in his first season as a starter. “Once you do that, you kind of make a team one-dimensional. We take it as a challenge to stop the run first and then see what they can do in the passing game.”

The 49ers will be challenged this week by a Cincinnati rushing attack that features Cedric Benson, who ranks ninth in the NFL with 180 yards rushing.

San Francisco has allowed 109 yards rushing through two games and hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 24 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NFL.

“We’re confident that we can play the run,” Fangio said. “We expect that to be a strength of our team and we need it to be moving forward. We’ll be tested more this week. These guys run it better than the first two teams that we’ve faced, so we’ll see exactly where we stand after this game.”







http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/49ers-run-defense-holding-up-well-same-cant-be-said-for-secondary/2011/09/23/gIQA7lONrK_story.html

[|Bunghole|]

Whitworth better dominate Smith.

[Catfish Bob]

Sounds like it will be a very exciting game.