Alex Smith

49ers run all over Jets in 34-0 romp

By: By Dennis Waszak Jr. 09/30/12 1:37 PM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The San Francisco 49ers are everything Rex Ryan wishes his New York Jets were. San Francisco used a solid running game, a smothering defense, a little bit of the wildcat-style offense and even blocked a punt to cruise to a 34-0 victory Sunday. Read More

49ers' Moss hints at problems in Harbaugh heaven

By: Mychael Urban 09/27/12 9:40 PM

Randy Moss raised some eyebrows during the run-up to the 49ers’ crash-back-to-earth loss last weekend by brusquely brushing off a query about his limited role in the team’s offense. For the everything’s-hunky-dory set, it was easy to rationalize at the time. “Next question” was easy to sell as Moss merely expressing disdain for the very suggestion that there might be even the slightest hint of trouble in Jim Harbaugh’s paradise. Read More

49ers' Smith, Moss yet to start clicking on the field

By: Staff report 09/24/12 7:27 PM

One player who could shake the 49ers out of their lackluster performance on Sunday in Minnesota is wide receiver Randy Moss. Moss returned to the place he started and caught three passes for 27 yards as the 49ers targeted him early with six passes thrown his way. Read More

49ers fall to Minnesota Vikings 24-13

By: The Sports Xchange 09/23/12 2:30 PM

It was nothing less than stunning, given that the San Francisco 49ers already were being considered NFL royalty and the Minnesota Vikings court jesters. But here it is: The San Francisco defense, so stout, was attacked, successfully, from the opening whistle. The Vikings defense, for two years an Achilles heel, stood tall, making stops, taking away the ball. And Christian Ponder? Well, the young Vikings quarterback was simply amazing. Read More

49ers 'Takeaway Thursdays' an emphasis on forcing turnovers

By: The Sports Xchange 09/13/12 9:01 PM

The 49ers have only played one game and already there’s a controversy in the locker room. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman said on “Takeaway Thursdays,” where the defense emphasizes interceptions and fumbles, that the defense can create seven or eight in one afternoon. Read More

Niners still not respected nationally

By: Glenn Dickey 09/13/12 8:35 PM

Even though they went 13-3 in the regular season last year and nearly beat the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers still don’t get the respect they deserve from the national media. The whole offseason we saw stories that essentially said the 49ers’ previous season was a fluke, that they wouldn’t be able to go through a season with so few injuries, that they wouldn’t be able to sneak up on teams this season. Read More

Once a liability, Smith as solid as they come at QB

By: Dylan Kruse 09/11/12 10:43 PM

If there were any lingering doubts after last season about 49ers quarterback Alex Smith’s ability to perform consistently and win games in the spotlight, he sent a clear message with a resounding win this past weekend at Lambeau Field: 2011 wasn’t a fluke. Smith turned in one of the better games of his career in outdueling the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, and he put the Niners at the forefront of the list of Super Bowl contenders. Read More

Niners make strong opening statement

By: The Sports Xchange 09/09/12 7:20 PM

It was a strong statement from a team on a quest to prove its conference supremacy. Eight months after the Green Bay Packers and 49ers were on course to meet for a trip to the 2011 NFC championship, the 49ers held off a furious comeback for a 30-22 victory on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Read More

Alex Smith, Aaron Rodger still linked years after 2005 draft

By: Staff and wire report 09/09/12 4:00 AM

The decision still haunts some 49ers fans to this day. In April 2005, the Niners had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and were desperate for a franchise quarterback to reinvigorate an organization that had fallen on hard times. The top two options were Cal’s Aaron Rodgers and Utah’s Alex Smith. The Niners took Smith and Rodgers was forced to agonizingly wait until the Green Bay Packers finally selected him at No. 24 overall. Read More

Niners have all the ingredients for a great year

By: SF Examiner Editorial 09/06/12 8:37 PM

The fortunes of professional sports teams are fickle. Take the Bay Area, for example. The Giants are early into what appears to be another decade of success following the disappointment of 2011. The frugal A’s are in the midst of an unlikely playoff push following years of inadequacy. The Warriors, largely hapless since the 2006-07 “We Believe” season, have rebuilt virtually their entire program in the past year. Read More