Last year, 49ers fans were happily surprised by the team’s record. This year, the happy surprise will be a revitalized offense.Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman kept the offense basic last season for two reasons: 1) Quarterback Alex Smith was learning a new system — again! and 2) The 49ers didn’t have the receivers to open up the field. Read More

The 49ers got some good news regarding running back Brandon Jacobs when an MRI on Sunday revealed he had sustained “no major damage” to his left knee, a source told NFL.com.It’s unclear how long Jacobs will be sidelined, but it appeared the injury might be serious when Jacobs left Saturday’s 20-9 loss against the Houston Texans after taking a hit from cornerback Kareem Jackson in the first quarter.He had to be taken to the 49ers’ locker room on a cart. Read More

Another eventful weekend in The City will be marked by several large sporting and cultural festivities — and unfortunately, plenty of chaos on the roads. The three-day Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival starts tonight in Golden Gate Park and will impact some Muni lines and mean road closures for much of the northwest area of the park. The festival is expecting a daily influx of 60,000 people, 75 percent of whom will come from outside The City. Read More

The family of former Raiders offensive lineman Chris Riehm filed a lawsuit Friday contending that traumatic brain injury from repeated head injuries was a cause or contributing factor in Riehm’s death, asserting that the NFL “promoted and mythologized” violence. Riehm, an offensive lineman for the Raiders from 1986 to 1988, died in March in his home state of Ohio at the age of 50, officially of a heart attack. Read More