A little of this, and a lot of that ... - Five second-half possessions. Five touchdowns. The defensive performance the Raiders turned in against the Bills on Sunday, allowing a 21-3 halftime lead to evaporate faster than an American job, was downright offensive. Read More

Jim Harbaugh is as much a football coach as a psychologist is a pixie. His words are measured, his thoughts unlimited. There’s a reason for every comment, just as there is for every play call. Wednesday at 49ers Central in Santa Clara — and via phone hookup — Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys, who play the Niners on Sunday at Candlestick Park, said what one coach always says about another: That Harbaugh is brilliant. Read More

The Jim Harbaugh Era has officially begun as the NFL kicked off its 2011 season with solemn and sincere tributes to the victims of 9/11 and their families. So what have we learned after watching the premiere of this long-awaited show? Well, one thing Harbaugh learned is that Alex Smith is no Andrew Luck. Smith’s 124 yards in the air was an average quarter’s work for Harbaugh’s QB at Stanford last season, and the Niners’ 219 yards of total offense was evidence of work in the early stages of progress. Read More

What you saw from the 49ers in the practice games, on offense and defense, was pure vanilla. What you’ll see in Sunday’s opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick will be quite different. On defense, you can expect defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to unleash numerous blitzes. Aldon Smith was taken in the first round of the draft with the expectation that he could give the Niners a strong pass rusher from outside linebacker, and he’s shown that ability, though I’m sure Fangio will drastically limit Smith’s exposure on pass coverage. Read More