New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers: NFC Championship Playoff Post-Game Analysis

This NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park should be determined by their defenses.  However, we have the Giants second-ranked quarterback in rating in the post-season, Eli Manning, with 121.8 against the San Francisco 49ers fourth-ranked Alex Smith 103.2.  On the Giants red-hot defense, defensive end Osi Umeniyora and linebacker Michael Boley have five sacks combined in the post-season.  However, Eli Manning is facing the fourth-ranked defense overall during the regular season.  Who will win out in the end?  Will 49ers tight end Vernon Davis pull Alex Smith out of the fire and into Indianapolis for the Super Bowl?  Or will the Giants talented wide receiver corps overpower the 49ers defense?  Super Bowl or bust…

Now to the post-game analysis:

• With a 73-yard touchdown reception by 49ers tight end Vernon Davis from quarterback Alex Smith, the San Francisco 49ers put the first touchdown on the board with 7:21 in the first quarter.  Smith’s clutch tight end performed his magic again. Simply amazing catch and run!
• On 4th and 1, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs was stuffed on the 49ers 34-yard line.  The 49ers defense proved their mettle against the run.
• After a 36-yard pass to wide receiver Victor Cruz, the Giants finally score a touchdown to tie the game with a 6-yard pass to tight end Bear Pascoe with 11:21 in the second quarter.
• After several receptions by wideout Victor Cruz, Lawrence Tynes booted an easy 31-yard field goal with 5 seconds until halftime.  The Giants take the lead 10-7.
• After a 24-yard reception by running back Frank Gore, 49ers Alex Smith threw a beautiful 28-yard touchdown reception to his tight end Vernon Davis to bring the score 14-10 with 5:26 left in the third.
• After a Frank Gore 10-yard rush and an unnecessary roughness 15-yard penalty by Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, the 49ers drive stalled on the Giants 46 yard line as 49ers running back Anthony Dixon could not break the first-down line on a 3rd and 1.
• After a loose punt hit wide receiver Kyle Williams, New York Giants wide receiver Devin Thomas recovered the football on the 49ers 29-yard line. With this turnover, Eli Manning threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham to a Giants three-point lead of 17-14 with 8:41 left in the game.
• After a 17-yard rush by Alex Smith and a 18-yard rush by running back Kendall Hunter, 49ers kicker David Akers boots a 25-yard field goal to tie the game 17-17 with 5:43 in the fourth quarter.
• In overtime, 49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams fumbled on a kickoff with Devin Thomas recovering the ball on 49ers 24-yard line with 9:42 left.  Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked the 31-yard field goal with 7:10 in OT.

The first half was a battle of defenses, as expected.  Although the Giants defense broke down initially with the 72-yard touchdown reception by 49ers tight end Vernon Davis,  the Giants defense clenched down afterward.  On the other side of the ball, however, San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVarro Bowman was in Eli Manning’s grill constantly and a factor in almost every 49ers defensive play. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz made his impact felt as he had 125 receiving yards into the half.

The second half was one of receivers and defenses once again.  For the New York Giants, wide receiver Victor Cruz made his mark, and for the San Francisco 49ers, tight end Vernon Davis made his impact once again.  The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers defenses were stalwart when it counted.  In this half, 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was consistently in Eli Manning’s grill.

This game was not quite as action-packed as when New England Patriots Tom Brady was against the Baltimore Ravens or the Denver Broncos.  However, Brady and his Patriots are going into the Super Bowl to face Eli Manning and his  New York Giants.  This is going to be one of the better Super Bowls as Brady’s offense will have overcome this red-hot Giants defense.  Patriots Tom Brady avoided Peyton Manning this season, but he got his younger brother instead — again.  A rematch of Super Bowl XLII from 2008 coming soon to a television near you…

Mike Singletary Joins Leslie Frazier on the Minnesota Vikings: Doing The Super Bowl Shuffle

Former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers Mike Singletary has found a new home as linebackers coach/assistant head coach to new head coach Leslie Frazier of the Minnesota Vikings.  This hasn’t been the best year for head coaches, as Mike Singletary was replaced by Jim Harbaugh for the 49ers and Brad Childress was replaced by Leslie Frazier for the Vikings.

While the Minnesota Vikings aren’t quite posed for the Super Bowl yet, another gear has been set in place.  Mike Singletary lacked the decision-making skills on the offensive side of the ball, as he was contending with both Alex Smith and Troy Smith as the 49ers quarterback.  His gambling with the quarterbacks, as well as dealing with injuries to tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore, showed his lack of offensively-minded strategies.  Singletary could not make the necessary adjustments on offense to win games.

Now with the Vikings as linebackers coach/assistant head coach, he and Leslie Frazier will be capable of building a better defense overall.  However, Frazier has to deal with his quarterback situation in the off-season.  Both were teammates in the 1985 Chicago Bears team, and those Super Bowl Shuffle days aren’t gone quite yet. As long as Singletary concentrates on defense, the Leslie Frazier and the Minnesota Vikings should be able to concentrate on the offense.

The San Francisco 49ers Mike Singletary Fired on Indecision of the Smiths and Difficult Losses

San Francisco’s head coach Mike Singletary finally got fired after his 25-17 loss to the rejuvenated St. Louis Rams.  He trusted Troy Smith to get the job done against the Rams.  Unfortunately, Troy Smith struggled, completing only 36.8 percent of his passes, 1 touchdown, 1 interception with a bleak 62.0 quarterback rating.  And then in the fourth quarter, Singletary switched to Alex Smith in hopes of salvaging the game.  Smith performed somewhat better, completing 66.7 percent of his passes and a better 91.0 rating.  However, this has been Singletary’s season that cost him his job in a nutshell — the quarterback controversy and the hard losses for the once-dominant San Francisco 49ers.

The quarterback controversy between Alex Smith and Troy Smith escalated the problem with 49ers early on in the season.  With Alex Smith performing early on in the season, he was a participant in the five early losses to the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.  In hindsight, four of the five teams that Alex Smith and the 49ers lost to are bound for the playoffs.  They were quality opponents, and the 49ers kept the game within 3 points in three of five of these opponents.

The switch to Troy Smith mid-season was supposed to energize this offense.  He did win over the Denver Broncos, the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals.  But in each of his five successive performances, he played worse and worse.  Case in point, from the time he played the Denver Broncos with a 115.2 quarterback rating, he fell to a mediocre 64.0 rating.  Worse yet, he never scored beyond a single touchdown in each of those five games whereas Alex Smith scored at least two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately, for the 49ers, Alex Smith is the better of the two quarterbacks and will most likely not return next season since his contract has expired.

With the 49ers 5-1o record to date, part of it was the stability of the quarterback situation, another part of it was game management and the last part were the injuries.  Running back Frank Gore was never fully utilized, with running over 100+ yards in four of the 11 games that he played.  He only scored a rushing touchdown in two games, one against the New Orleans Saints and the other against the Denver Broncos. Much like the Miami Dolphins with their under-utilization of their once-potent running back Ronnie Brown, the 49ers fell to the same running back malaise. Then Frank Gore broke his hip against the Arizona Cardinals and ultimately placed on injured reserve as Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon took over. Vernon Davis was their most successful weapon, and he had been fighting with injuries and quarterbacks.  He was most successful under Alex Smith, and the last game with the Cardinals, it may be Alex’s last.

Mike Singletary led the San Francisco 49ers to a bottomless pit, through mismanagement of a potentially explosive team.  However, switching quarterbacks, underuse of his players and dealing with injuries ultimately cost him his job.

Dual Running Backs in the 2010 NFL Season: The Strategies Behind the Timeshare

Over the last couple of seasons, the transition from a one running back set to a two running back set has come into full effect.  The use of the West Coast spread offense contributed to it, as well as the extended games and stunning numbers of injuries to running backs.  For this season, a high number of ankle injuries have sidelined  running backs. San Francisco 49ers Frank Gore being the most recent victim. Coming to the close of the regular season, the strategies have changed for the use of running backs in their respective formations.

One-back Set Variants

Power/Receiving

Minnesota Vikings‘ Adrian Peterson is the best example of this.  He is more of a power back than speed, although he shares qualities of both.  He uses his power to break through and find holes and uses his speed once upon the flats.

Speed/Receiving

The Denver Broncos Knoshown Moreno is the best example of this.  Due to nature of the spread offense implemented by the Broncos, Knoshown does not receive much in terms of carries, but he’s an equal threat as a receiver. The Philadelphia Eagles LeSean McCoy also falls in this category.

Two Running Back Set – Long Yardage and Goal Line Set Variants

Power First, Speed Second

The New York Giants Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw is the most current example of this.  Whether Bradshaw can recover his starting job by the end of the season after his case of fumbles, it remains to be seen.

Speed First, Power Second

Kansas City Chiefs Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are the best examples of this currently.

Speed Set Duo

Detroit Lions running backs originally consisted of Javhid Best and Kevin Smith, and these two did demonstrate the use of this set, until they both fell to injury.  This is not a frequent set used in the NFL, but somewhat often in college football. 

Heavy Set Duo

This pairing of the Chicago Bears Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones was the last example of this, when Rex Grossman was under the helm.  Not too many NFL teams implement this due to the change to West Coast offense and the quick pacing in professional football.  However, in college football, the Navy Midshipmen are the best example of this, and they have been relatively successful in doing so.

San Francisco 49ers Running Back Brian Westbrook: Fantasy Football X-Factor

The former Philadelphia Eagle makes his return now for the San Francisco 49ers since Frank Gore is now out for the rest of the season, and Westbrook has made a splash in his debut against the Arizona Cardinals. Now he has young Troy Smith under the helm instead of Donovan McNabb, and he should be utilized more coming into the close of the regular season — and a factor into the fantasy football playoffs. He also has Anthony Dixon in the mix, getting goal-line touches apparently.  Against the Arizona Cardinals, he had 23 carries for 136 yards and 1 touchdown.  He maintained an fairly impressive 5.9 yards per carry.  The schedule going forward is moderate at best for the San Francisco 49ers and for Westbrook to exhibit his running prowess. He faces the Green Bay Packers next and will have difficulties with the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams.  Unless tight end Vernon Davis and wide receiver Michael Crabtree explode over the next few games, Brian Westbrook will face a stacked box, and that won’t go well for his running or his present ankle injury. He will best played conservatively as a RB2 coming into the fantasy football playoffs.  Don’t hold too high expectations, except against the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals.  He should be devastating in either game.

Fantasy Football Running Back Quick Picks for NFL Week 10

I will reiterate these are Must-Starts, or The Big Five:

• Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings
• Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans
• Arian Foster of the Houston Texans
• Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers
• LaDanian Tomlinson of the New York Jets

I know Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis had a big weekend last week against the New England Patriots.  In the same vein, Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis had a dismal showing but should have had Hillis’ numbers against the Browns defense. For the most part, the Big Five have been relatively consistent, so you can trust these guys.

Now onto another crazy week in the NFL:

Ray Rice/Willis McGahee (Baltimore Ravens vs. Atlanta Falcons): Rice has potential RB1 status. McGahee is a solid RB2 in my opinion.

Michael Turner (Atlanta vs. Baltimore): Low-end RB1/high-end RB2.

Matt Forte (Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings): Potential RB1 status, as always, but falls into a RB3 or flex status always.

Peyton Hillis (Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets): Low-end RB1. After the embarrassment of the New England Patriots, the Jets defense will stiffen a little.

DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers): RB3 or flex.

Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams (Miami Dolphins vs. Tennessee Titans): RB3 or flex.

Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos): RB1. But this could potentially turn into a passing affair. Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd could be in for one heck of a game.

Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts): Could potentially have a big game, but realistically, count him as RB2.

Donald Brown (Indianapolis vs. Cincinnati): Could potentially have a big game, but again, he’s a low-end RB2 or RB3.

Javhid Best/Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills): Should potentially have a big game for both, but play conservative as RB2.

Fred Jackson (Buffalo vs. Detroit): Should potentially have a big game, but play conservative again as RB2.

Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans): RB3 so far.

Marion Barber/Felix Jones (Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants): Seriously? The Cowboys should be more worried about Jon Kitna getting knocked out and added to the Giants list of quarterback KOs.

Ahmad Bradshaw (New York vs. Dallas): Play him if you got him. This should be a good outing for him.

Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers): Low-end RB1 against one of the surprising stiffer defenses.

Frank Gore (San Francisco vs. St. Louis): Tough. RB2.

Marshawn Lynch/Justin Forsett (Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals): Should be a breakout game, but don’t count on it. Forsett still has the higher upside, based on pure talent not on touches.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis/Danny Woodhead (New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers): Tough. RB2, maybe RB3, considering the showing last week.

LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins): Low-end RB1. The potential for Michael Vick to rush again in this matchup may hurt this running back’s stats.

Ryan Torain/Clinton Portis (Washington vs. Philadelphia): Low-end RB2s.

San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Troy Smith: Fantasy Football X-Factor

This is going to be a packaged deal for fantasy football — quarterback Troy Smith and head coach Mike Singletary.  It’s ultimately going to affect Mike Singletary’s position  — and the other players on the team, most notably wide receiver Michael Crabtree, running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis.  But we’re going to separate the fantasy football aspect from the real life aspect for a moment.

If he does indeed start, Troy Smith will face the St. Louis Rams, whose defense has been formidable at times and whose offense has remained competitive under quarterback Sam Bradford and running back Steven Jackson. Fortunately, for Smith, the Rams are not playing at home. Smith has been surprisingly accurate for 12 of 19 for 196 yards and 1 touchdown for a 115.2 rating in the Denver Broncos game.  He should accomplish much the same against the Rams. The only difficulties I see down the road are with the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers.  Troy Smith should be able to develop chemistry between Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis over the next two relatively easy games. He could potentially develop into a QB1 over the course of the season, with the ease of schedule.  As long as the team remains healthy and Frank Gore pounds the ball, it should give Troy Smith some breathing room to develop, and Mike Singletary should be able to save his job as head coach.

Fantasy Football Running Back Quick Picks for Week 8

Must-Starts until they have a severe injury or otherwise told not to.  Otherwise known as The Big Five:

• Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings
• Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans
• Arian Foster of the Houston Texans
• Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers
• LaDanian Tomlinson of the New York Jets

Here’s a quick review of all the other running backs for week 8 of the NFL regular season:

Ryan Torain (Washington Redskins vs. Detroit Lions): RB2, with potential to be RB1 against this defense.

Javhid Best (Detroit vs. Washington): Low-end RB2. Realistically, he’s a RB3 with the way he’s been performing as of late.  However, don’t give up on this running back, yet.

Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs):  Tougher sledding than before. RB3/flex option at best. Waiver wire fodder at worst.

Jamaal Charles/Thomas Jones  (Kansas City vs. Buffalo): RB1s. If they can’t get you touchdowns in this matchup, they sure as heck will gain you yardage.

Knowshown Moreno (Denver Broncos vs. San Francisco 49ers): RB2 for now. Now that Denver has a running game, it might help other facets of Denver.

Frank Gore (San Francisco vs. Denver): RB1. If Darren McFadden with a hurt hamstring can burn Denver, a healthy Frank Gore can do much better.

Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams (Miami Dolphins vs. Cincinatti Bengals): Low-end RB2, until the Dolphins get their act together.

Cedric Benson (Cincinnati vs. Miami): Low-end RB2, with this inconsistent offense.

Brandon Jackson (Green Bay Packers vs. New York Jets): RB3 or flex at best.  Keep him on the waiver wire for this matchup.

Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers vs. St. Louis Rams): RB2.

Steven Jackson (St. Louis vs. Carolina): Potential RB1; realistically still an RB2. He’s got the will to do it.

Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys): Solid RB2/High-end RB3.

Felix Jones/Marion Barber (Dallas vs. Jacksonville): RB3s.

Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Arizona Cardinals): Waiver wire fodder.

Tim Hightower/Beanie Wells (Arizona vs. Tampa Bay): Both RB1s, but Hightower gets the starting nod.

Ryan Mathews (San Diego Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans): Low-end RB2/solid RB3 at best. Good luck and best wishes.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis (New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings): Some tough sledding, but a potential low-end RB1.

Marshawn Lynch/Justin Forsett (Seattle Seahawks vs. Oakland Raiders): Low-end RB2s for now.

Darren McFadden (Oakland vs. Seattle): High-end RB1.  He’s running pissed, and he’s motivated. A volatile combination in a running back.

Chris Ivory (New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers): Low-end RB2. With Drew Brees acting up, Ivory is going to have a target on his chest.

Joseph Addai/Mike Hart (Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans): Low-end RB2 right now. Not against this defense, but as much as Peyton Manning may be desperate to re-establish himself as the best quarterback in the NFL, particularly against their rival.

Fantasy Football Running Back Quick Picks for Week 6

Justin Forsett/Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears): I would rank both of these RB2s for now. Whether one will help the other or become the primary back, it is best to wait and see.

Matt Forte (Chicago vs. Seattle): Even though he should be easily considered a RB1 in this situation, he has been too erratic as a fantasy football running back. He is realistically a RB3 or flex. High-risk gamble, high-risk reward should be his motto this season so far.

Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams (Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers): The running game has been surprisingly anemic this season for the Miami Dolphins. They should be RB3s at this point.

Brandon Jackson/John Kuhn (Green Bay vs. Miami): Same here. They should be considered RB3s, not enough carries and touchdowns to be starters.

Ryan Mathews/Mike Tolbert (San Diego Chargers vs. St. Louis Rams): Ryan Mathews may have a tougher time than he thinks. Ryan is  a solid RB2 in my opinion.

Steven Jackson (St. Louis vs. San Diego): Tough sledding. Low-end RB1 at best, but realistically, a high-end RB2.

Javhid Best (Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants): Low-end RB1/high-end RB2. He’s getting better and far more productive than some of the other backs out there despite his turf toe.

Ahmad Bradshaw/Brandon Jacobs  (New York vs. Detroit): Both should be conisdered high-end RB2s, but Bradshaw can be considered a low-end RB1.

Chris Ivory/Ladell Betts/Etc. (New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers): This one is like picking the lottery, but both of them are playing injured. Low-end RB2s.

Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans): He’s still on the waiver wire, right?

Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots): Why are you asking? RB1, unless the Earth implodes.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis/Fred Taylor (New England vs. Baltimore): Solid RB2s so far,  in my opinion.

Michael Bush/Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers):  Both warrant a low-end RB1 status.

Frank Gore (San Francisco vs. Oakland):  RB1 in this matchup. He’s one of the few consistent players in this offense.

Peyton Hillis/Mike Bell (Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers):  Low-end RB2s at best.

Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland):  Low-end RB1/solid RB2.

Arian Foster (Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs):  With this inconsistency, he should be a high-end RB2 at best.

Jamaal Charles  (Kansas City vs. Houston): RB2. Potential to be a low-end RB1.

LaDanian Tomlinson (New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos):  Always start him, even against this defense.

Keyshawn Moreno (Denver vs. New York): RB3 or flex…heck, just leave him on the wire since Kyle Orton is on the helm.

Felix Jones/Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings):  Both solid RB2s.

Adrian Peterson (Minnesota vs. Dallas):  A must-start, after the Brett Favre tendonitis and Jenn Sterger debacles. AP should hope that Brett Favre is limited. It would give him more touches.

Joseph Addai/Mike Hart (Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Redskins): Low-end RB2s/high-end RB3s.

Clinton Portis/Ryan Torain (Washington vs. Indianapolis): Solid RB2s.

Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars): Must-start.

Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville vs. Tennessee): Solid RB2.

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. The San Francisco 49ers: Pre-Game Analysis

Quarterbacks:

Alex Smith and Kevin Kolb are comparable. Kevin Kolb has slightly better statistics at a 71.1 QB rating as opposed to Alex Smith 66.6, but both are comparable.  With the exception of more playing time and the fact he has a touchdown for the last three games, the edge should go to Alex Smith.  But with the much more explosive passing offense, the edge, in reality, goes to Kevin Kolb.

Running Backs:

LeSean McCoy is playing injured, just like many other running backs in the league currently. However, he still lacks the vision downfield and leg strength, like Brian Westbrook did. Mike Bell may come in as a replacement for the injured McCoy, if McCoy can’t fight through it.  Frank Gore on the ground is doing no better, averaging a bit under 4 yards per carry, but Gore is much more dangerous a receiver for Alex Smith. Even though LeSean McCoy has the edge on the ground game at 5.5 yards per carry, Frank Gore has the talent and the skill to tear through the inconsistent Eagles defense that’s vulnerable against the run — and with Gore, against the pass. The edge goes to Frank Gore.

Wide Receivers:

Comparably, the Eagles wide reciever corp has been far superior, even though all the receivers are averaging about 11-12 yards per reception.  DeSean Jackson, while under Michael Vick, had a touchdown in each of those games, while Michael Crabtree has been struggling to even find the endzone. Supposedly, the 49ers new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will help the 49ers in this regard.  We’ll wait and see. For now, the edge still remains with the Eagles.

Tight Ends:

Brent Celek has been the more productive tight end at 12 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown at this point in the season.  Vernon Davis recently scored a touchdown in his last game — finally.  I believe Vernon Davis  is the more talented tight end than Brent Celek, but with the sputtering offense of 49ers currently, the edge goes to Brent Celek.

Defenses:

The Philadelphia Eagles defense has been great against the pass, ranking fifth currently, but against the run, not so much.  They rank on the near bottom.  The 49ers are ranked in the bottom half in both the pass and the run.  In other words, the Eagles defense should give Alex Smith trouble in allowing passing lanes. The edge goes with the Eagles.

Coaches:

Andy Reid needs to teach discipline to the defense and squash the false starts. However, with the constant quarterback rotation, it isn’t easy.  He also needs to learn how to manage the clock, but he does the same thing every year — using timeouts or challenges early and often, even with Donovan McNabb. Mike Singletary on the other hand might be fighting for his job.  A desperate man is a dangerous man is often said.  However, he lacks a team to back it up for the time being.  He can only count on two players to be somewhat consistent: Frank Gore and Vernon Davis. The edge, however, goes to the 49ers for a better coach overall. Singletary simply has less to work with, not that he’s incompetent.

The Edge:

The edge goes to the Eagles.  However, Andy Reid and the false starts and penalties can lose the game for the Eagles. I expect a good game: 24-14 Eagles.