John Wendling Fined For Hit On Alex Smith

Detroit Lions safety John Wendling was fined $7,875 for his hit on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

49ers Sign Linebacker Eric Bakhtiari To Two-Year Deal

The San Francisco 49ers have signed linebacker Eric Bakhtiari to a two-year deal in reaction to the three-game suspension dealt to Clark Haggans, The Sacramento Bee reports. Bakhtiari was a standout during the preseason and even led the 49ers in sacks before they cut him as they chiseled the roster down to 53 players.

That left the 49ers with only three outside linebackers on the roster. Parys Haralson was one of those, but he found himself on the injured reserve, leaving the 49ers to pick up Haggans.

But Haggans was suspended three games for violating the substance abuse policy, leaving the team with a hole to fill. That backup linebacker spot now belongs to Bakhtiari, who is out of San Diego. He has bounced around the NFL thus far in his career, having only played in three regular season games with the Tennessee Titans in 2009.

Haggans will return Oct. 8, and at that point the 49ers will have to cut a player from the active roster.

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49ers' Tarell Brown Fined More Than $5K For Wrong Undergarment Sleeves

The NFL (otherwise known as the National Fashion League) has found yet another savage criminal worthy of the most serious punishment. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Tarell Brown has been fined over $5,000 for wearing the wrong undergarment sleeves. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk files this report on Smith's fine (including an excerpt of the letter via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area).

"Dear Tarell: During the Detroit Lions-San Francisco 49ers game on September 16, 2012, you were in violation of the NFL Uniform and Equipment Rules."

Apparently, the big issue is that Brown was wearing a red undershirt as opposed to a white undershirt, when the Niners have a designated color of white for their undershirt. $5,250 is the amount of the fine the NFL has issued.

This is an actual policy by the NFL. Rule 5, Section 4, Article 1 states the following about uniform policy.

The term uniform, as used in this policy, applies to every piece of equipment worn by a player, including helmet, shoulder pads, thigh pads, knee pads, and any other item of protective gear, and to every visible item of apparel, including but not limited to pants, jerseys, wristbands, gloves, stockings, shoes, visible undergarments, and accessories such as headwear, worn under helmets and hand towels. All visible items worn on game-day by players must be issued by the club or the League, or, if from outside sources, must have approval in advance by the League office.

The NFL dress code continues to remain among one of the more ludicrous practices in modern sport, and Brown appears to be the latest victim.

Talk about the Brown fine with 49ers fans by heading on over to Niners Nation. Hit up the SB Nation NFL hub for more comprehensive pro football coverage.

49ers' Randy Moss Was Team's No. 4 WR Against Lions

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss was signed to help the team get stronger and better as a receiving unit.

At this point though, Moss has only seen a couple of touches compared to the rest of his compatriots. Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reports that Moss has taken a backseat and was the fourth receiver on the field. Indeed, if you look at snaps, Mario Manningham has become the clear No. 2 receiver behind Michael Crabtree, with Kyle Williams taking over primary slot receiver responsibilities.

Moss was only on the field for 16 snaps and was targeted two times. Moss caught one of the passes from Alex Smith for 14 yards. Then Moss managed to get an end zone target; he didn't catch the pass, but drew a pass interference flag from the Lions defender, setting up first and goal at the one-yard line. Frank Gore bunched it in a few snaps later.

Talk about Moss with 49ers fans by heading on over to Niners Nation.

49ers Vs. Lions Film Breakdown: Kendall Hunter's Mistakes, As Shown By Frank Gore

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who is a bigger fan of Kendall Hunter and what his potential is on the football field than I. Our San Francisco 49ers expert, Tre Faaborg, may actually be the only one, so at least we're both under one site, yeah? Prior to Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, I wrote about why Kendall Hunter was in for a big day of work and why he could be the game-changer.

This morning, I posted some notes and observations on the game and I was not very complimentary of Hunter. He picked things up in the second half, but for the most part, the things I say generally hold true to his performance.

Kendall Hunter did not have a good game on offense or special teams. He had a fumble on a kickoff return and was dancing around behind the line of scrimmage. Twice he was supposed to take a draw up the middle, and instead took it around the outside, which was a big issue. It's nice that he wants to make a play, but sometimes the best thing to do is pick up a couple yards.

I also reference a run from Frank Gore that closed out the third quarter. It was your typical Gore run, in which he made a cut and picked up a first down without much issue. What is of particular note about that run is that Gore had an opportunity to bounce out to the right and pick up extra yardage. Instead, he cuts inside and goes down to make it a 12-yard gain and a first down. See the .gif image below.

Again, Gore has an opportunity to bounce further out and count on wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is very good at blocking (as the beginning of the .gif illustrates), to make another block and allow him to get outside for a potential 20+ yard gain. Instead, Gore picks up a first down to extend the drive by cutting inside. He's decisive in this, because he knows that the first downs are the most important part of the game. There's no dancing while he decides.

Enter the young, prolific and somewhat indecisive Kendall Hunter. He did make up for some poor rushes with some big gains in the fourth quarter, but aside from that, he had two or three pretty poor plays in general. Below, I've highlighted one play in which Hunter was called upon for a draw, but let his indecisiveness get the best of him. It's not necessarily the worst offender, but observe.

Hunter very clearly could have kept that ball running up the gut. That was a draw play, something that Hunter can and should excel at, if only his decision-making was a little bit better. You might think that, based on what the defense was showing, he gave the play its best shot of working by bouncing outside. You'd be wrong, as Hunter was drafted especially to be able to get in between those kinds of plays.

Let's take a freeze of what Hunter saw in front of him.

Now, the play does escalate from there and turn into a big ol' mess for Hunter, but if he made the decision to run right then and there, he could have got through to the next level and possibly even been gone, given how Detroit's tackling was on Sunday. Hunter needs to be able to make the decision before or as the ball is placed into his hands if he has any shot of helping the 49ers win.

It's only Hunter's second year in the NFL and he hasn't taken that many snaps, but given how the 49ers have planned to use him all along, this is an issue he needs to correct sooner rather than later. Watch the game again and you'll find Hunter dancing behind the line of scrimmage more than a couple times, which is a serious problem. Running backs who dance when they get the ball in their hands don't succeed in the NFL.

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49ers Vs. Lions: Several Notes And Observations From San Francisco's Win

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers handled the Detroit Lions to improve to 2-0 on the season, sealing a weekend in which the NFC West went 4-0, with teams like the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins felled. We're going to gloss over the Dallas Cowboys losing to the Seattle Seahawks because Tony Romo. That sentence didn't end prematurely, in case you were wondering.

We've already had a couple recaps on the matter, but I decided to edit my notes that I was taking during the game and go ahead and post them here. It's hardly a full picture of what happened, but rather isolated things that I found noteworthy as the game was going on. You'll often find many complaints in notes like these, because it's very important to touch on the negative talking points, especially when you're a winning team.

All-in-all, San Francisco should be happy about their victory. They were in control from the start and had nothing to worry about, despite what the final score had to say. Let's get to it, shall we?

• Kendall Hunter did not have a good game on offense or special teams. He had a fumble on a kickoff return and was dancing around behind the line of scrimmage. Twice he was supposed to take a draw up the middle, and instead took it around the outside, which was a big issue. It's nice that he wants to make a play, but sometimes the best thing to do is pick up a couple yards.
• San Francisco's multiple personnel sets are awesome, and the variety of plays they run is staggering. Let's call that shovel pass play at the end of the first half a failed experiment and cross that one out of the playbook though, shall we?
• We're seeing Alex Smith turn into a big-time quarterback right before our eyes. He made some big time throws, but unfortunately, Vernon Davis and the rest of the offense also made some big time drops.
• Ahmad Brooks has been showing better and better presence in pass coverage, but it's no mystery as to why Detroit was able to convert a first down when NaVorro Bowman was rushing and Brooks was covering Johnson, and why Detroit failed to convert a first down when Bowman was covering Johnson while Brooks was rushing.
• Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner are terrifying to any receiver going over the middle. Absolutely terrifying.
• He played well, but Alex Boone lacks a lot of mobility that San Francisco has had recently out of the right guard position. On a screen to Hunter, he sort of jogged into his block and couldn't move at all. That's an area that needs improvement.
• A play from Frank Gore to wrap up the third quarter is exactly the issue with Hunter. Gore had eight yards, could have turned outside and maybe turned it into something big, but instead he turned inside and turned it into a first down.
• The drops got really bad in the fourth quarter, when Smith had three dropped passes on a single drive. One, a pass to Mario Manningham on third down, was amazing, but it was dropped. That still turned into a David Akers field goal, though.
• David Akers.
• Manningham does need the ball more, though. He's explosive once he has the ball in his hands, and is pretty much the definition of a west coast offensive wide receiver.
• You always remember the game where the quarterback is bleeding. You always do. Shame the referees missed the call on that - you're not supposed to follow a sliding quarterback down, as he's surrendering himself on the play.
• San Francisco's defense really started to fall apart really late in the game, but they were playing pretty far back, so it's understandable.

49ers Vs. Lions Postgame Notes & Quotes: San Francisco's O-Line Calls Out Detroit's D-Line

The San Francisco 49ers' offensive line wasn't overly impressed with the Detroit Lions' defensive line play in Sunday night's 27-19 win at Candlestick Park, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Despite allowing more sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits than their own defense could compile, the Niners' o-line went out of its way to make it very clear to the media that it wasn't fans of what Detroit did against them in the trenches. Here's what left tackle Joe Staley had to say on the subject:

"Look at the game. We killed them. Every single pressure they got was cheap. It was on a keep or something like that. They weren't beating us one on one. We ran for about 200 yards (148 yards) on the so-called best D-line in all of football."

Furthermore, when asked if he believed that the Lions' front four of Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams was overrated, Staley replied "extremely."

The tackle on the other side of the 49ers' offensive line, 2010 first round pick Anthony Davis, shared the same sentiment about the Lions' postulated standing as the best d-line unit in the league:

"They think highly of themselves. I heard they said they were the best D-line in the league or something. I feel that's disrespectful to other good defensive lines...It's not really an I'm-going-to-line-up-and-kick-your-(butt) kind of D-line. But people always say stuff like that. They're good at post-play stuff. They're good at getting away with nudging you at the end of a play, stuff like that."

Davis also expressed to the media in his interview how good it felt to line up in the "victory" formation to run out the clock at the end of the game with Lions forced to accept "it's over."

While this sort of talk is to be expected between two teams with such a heated recent history, there still isn't much of a rivalry between these two NFC powerhouses. Sure, both teams may despise each other and all, but the 49ers have won all nine of their most recent matchups against the Lions dating back to 1996.

For more information on the 49ers and to join in on the conversation, head on over to Niners Nation.

49ers Vs. Lions Postgame Injury Report: TE Davis Poked In Eye, But OK

At one point in the first half, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was poked in the eye and had to leave the game for a few plays.

Davis had already caught his first touchdown pass of the game, and apparently the eye didn't bother him later, as Davis caught a second TD pass late in the fourth.

Also for San Francisco, punter Andy Lee made due despite a right hand injury. But the 49ers did activate third quarterback Scott Tolzien to hold in case Lee was unable to do so.

The 49ers also were without return man Ted Ginn and running back Brandon Jacobs, neither of whom were missed much. Jacobs, according to the Bee, warmed up wearing a metal brace on his left knee.

Lions star wide receiver Calvin Johnson shrugged off a missed practice on Wednesday of game week and caught eight passes for 94 yards.

For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation.

NFL Standings, Week 2: All Four NFC West Teams Score Victories

Week 2 was a good one for NFC West football teams, with all four teams in the division: the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams winning their games on Sunday.

The 49ers led all the way against the Detroit Lions and won 27-19, improving to 2-0. The Cardinals stunned the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., 20-18, and also moved to 2-0. The Seahawks defense was dominant against the Dallas Cowboys in a 27-7 win, and the Rams gave rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III his first NFL loss, 31-28, at the Edward Jones Dome.

A quick look at the standings shows that no team is winless in the division. Seattle and St. Louis are both 1-1. The 49ers have impressive wins over two very good NFC North teams, Green Bay and Detroit, and along with the Cardinals are two of only three undefeated teams left in the NFC.

For complete coverage of the NFC West and the rest of the league, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

49ers Vs. Lions: San Francisco Could Have Won By More Than Nine

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions 27-19 Sunday night, but Niners Nation writer David Fucillo contends the win could have been by even more points. Fucillo opines:

In reality the game should never have really been this close. Alex Smith was 20 of 31 for 226 yards, but seven of those incompletions were drops. There will be drops in every game, but there were several ugly drops. They convert a few of those drops and the 49ers potentially win this game by three scores.

With 49ers quarterback Alex Smith bloodied from the bridge of the nose like Y.A. Tittle, the Lions were bludgeoned by the S.F. defense. The 49ers (2-0) look primed to win the NFC West once again, as Smith is efficient and the defense dominates.

For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions: San Francisco Grinds Out A Win, But They Were Always In Control

Last season, the San Francisco 49ers gutted out some very ugly wins. Games were won by one point and they were won on last second field goals. On Sunday against the Detroit Lions, it was a different kind of ugly win as the 49ers came out on top, 27-19. It was ugly while still being a game that San Francisco was well-in control of from start to finish. It was ugly because there were far too many mistakes for a team that is supposed to be so complete.

Alex Smith had some beautiful throws, and is becoming a top-flight quarterback before our very eyes. Unfortunately, some of them (deep down to the left sideline for Vernon Davis, over the middle in double/triple coverage to Mario Manningham) were dropped despite how easily catch-able they were. He was bloodied and could have been demoralized many, many times, and yet he played great football until the very end.

Defensively, the 49ers were solid against the run as always. They also played the pass well, until the second half. Detroit made the proper adjustments and, especially in the fourth quarter, the Lions started to pick up big chunks of yardage. They managed to score in the fourth to make the game seem closer than it actually was, but the reality is that the 49ers were in charge of this one from the beginning.

And that's the big difference between last year and this year. Last year, San Francisco was the kind of team that would grind out games and barely win. This year, they've clearly been the better team against both the Lions and the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.

Going forward, San Francisco will need to address the drops. That's one of the biggest issues of this game, and a worrying trend given the fact that San Francisco appears to actually have a strong group of receivers this time around. Late-game issues aside, this is a definite strong outing and San Francisco should be very happy entering their Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

For more on the San Francisco 49ers, join the discussion over at Niners Nation. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's NFL hub.

49ers Vs. Lions Final Score: San Francisco 27, Detroit 19

Vernon Davis caught a pair of touchdown passes from Alex Smith, who was bleeding from the bridge of his nose in the fourth quarter, and the San Francisco 49ers moved to 2-0 with their 27-12 defeat of the Detroit Lions Sunday night at Candlestick Park.

Running back Frank Gore rushed for 89 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown, and David Akers kicked two field goals. The San Francisco defense held the Lions' offense to a total of 296 yards

Davis caught his second TD pass of the game with 3:04 left to play, and it made a huge difference. It gave the 49ers a 15-point lead, and provided enough cushion for when Detroit came back with a score less than two minutes later.

The Lions tried an onside kick with 1:28 to play down by eight points, but Kyle Williams recovered the kick the Niners were able to run out the clock. San Francisco has two wins over solid NFC North opponents, Green Bay and Detroit.

The postgame handshake between Lions coach Jim Schwartz and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh went off without incident, unlike last season when the two coaches got into an altercation in Detroit.

For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions Score Update: Long Drives Result In Field Goals As Niners Lead 17-9

The third quarter was filled with long drives for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions but the teams could only put up a field goal each, leaving the score at 17-9.

The 49ers received the ball coming out of the locker room and proceeded to move it 65 yards over 10 plays. David Akers would cap off the drive with a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead to 11.

The Lions retaliated with a long drive of their own, burning more than six minutes off the clock with their intermediate passing attack. San Francisco would stand tall with Detroit approaching the red zone though, forcing Jason Hanson to take a 40-yard field goal to put his attempt total at four on the day.

After getting the ball back, the 49ers picked up right where they left off with Alex Smith incorporating Kendall Hunter and Michael Crabtree for some solid gains. San Francisco was sitting on Detroit's 30-yard line upon the conclusion of the third quarter after Frank Gore rumbled for a 12-yard run.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Lions vs. 49ers game. For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions Halftime Update: San Francisco Stifles Matthew Stafford, Leads 14-6

The San Francisco 49ers have played almost flawlessly outside of a fumbled kick return, limiting Matthew Stafford to 67 yards on 7-of-16 passing with an interception as they head to the locker room with a 14-6 lead. The Niners front-seven has also held Lions' backs to just 2.6 yards on their 17 attempts compared to a 7.6 average for their own ground attack (12 rushes for 91 yards).

The 49ers started the game exceptionally well on both sides of the ball, forcing a three-and-out on the Lions then finding the end zone in just four plays with Alex Smith hooking up with Vernon Davis (21-yard TD reception).

From there, the Lions strung together two Jason Hanson field goals with his second set up by a Kendall Hunter fumble on a kick return.

A Dashon Goldson 20-yard interception return had the 49ers sitting pretty but a bad snap on third down made them settle for a David Akers field goal attempt instead.

Then, in a strange-yet-beneficial turn of a events, the 49ers were assisted by a running into the kicker penalty by CB Drayton Florence. With a new set of downs, Smith attempted a shot at the end zone but not before the play clock seemingly hit zero. Apparently the replacement refs weren't looking though because not only did they count the play but they also called a pass interference call on Jacob Lacey to put the Niners at the one-yard line. Running back Frank Gore would finish it from there by pounding in the touchdown.

Neither team had much success for the remainder of the second quarter with Hanson missing his third field-goal attempt from 40 yards out. The 49ers gave the Lions the ball back with a little over a minute left to play after their drive stalled but head coach Jim Schwartz elected to kneel instead of taking any risks.

The 49ers will be getting the ball back to start the second half.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Lions vs. 49ers game. For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions Score Update: Niners Defense Making Matthew Stafford Sweat As San Francisco Jumps Out To 14-6 Lead

The San Francisco 49ers defense has essentially suffocated Matthew Stafford in the early going, allowing only four of his fist 10 passes to be completed while jumping out to a 14-6 lead as the second quarter began.

The 49ers defense imposed their will on the Lions explosive offense from the opening kick, forcing a three-and-out on their first position. Alex Smith and company then proceeded to find pay dirt in quick and efficient fashion, with plays of 29 and 17 yards before Vernon Davis wrangled in a 21-yard touchdown pass.

The Lions were set nicely by a questionable 33-yard pass interference call against CB Chris Culliver on their following drive but still couldn't get anything more than a 38-yard Jason Hanson field goal.

Detroit would also get a break on the corresponding kickoff when Kendall Hunter fumbled the return at the San Francisco 25 yard line. The 49ers defense would hold strong to force another three-and-out but Hanson still was able to tack on another field goal, this time from 41 yards away.

The 49ers defensive continued their reign on the Lions next drive with FS Dashon Goldson intercepting Matthew Stafford and returning it 20 yards. A bad snap on third down looked it might stall the drive but running into the kicker penalty from CB Drayton Florence would give the 49ers another chance.

The quarter would end as Smith attempted an endzone pass to WR Randy Moss with the play clock seemingly sitting at 0:00. The replacement refs allowed the play to happen, calling pass interference on Jacob Lacey to set the Niners up at the one-yard line.

Following the penalty, RB Frank Gore powered in the touchdown to make it 14-6 at start of the second quarter.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Lions vs. 49ers game. For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions Inactives: San Francisco Elects To Roll Without Top Rookies

Despite injuries to Brandon Jacobs and Ted Ginn Jr., rookies LaMichael James and A.J. Jenkins were not able to crack the 46-man active roster for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh instead elected to go the more experienced route with WR Kyle Williams filling in on punts and RB Kendall Hunter acting as Frank Gore's relief.

Along with the rookies plus Jacobs and Ginn Jr., G Joe Looney, TE Garrett Celek and NT Ian Williams are the other players that won't be suiting up for the 49ers.

On the Lions' end, Detroit will be without some major pieces in their secondary as cornerbacks Bill Bently and Chris Houston join FS Louis Delmas on the bench for this one. WR Ryan Broyles will also be making his NFL debut after being a healthy scratch Week 1 against the St. Louis Rams.

The rest of Detroit's inactives are as follows: LB Travis Lewis, OT Jason Fox, OT Corey Hilliard and QB Kellen Moore.

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Lions vs. 49ers game. For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions TV Schedule: Niners Sunday Night Matchup Highlights Week 2

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Detroit Lions Sunday night in a rematch from Week 6 of the 2011 season, a game that was notable both for the intensity of the play and for the intensity of the post-game handshake between coaches Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz.

Both teams are coming off opening-week victories, with the 49ers upsetting the Green Bay Packers in a game where the defense was as fierce as expected and Alex Smith played better than many had expected. Smith was 26-20 for 211 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Randy Moss, who just may be the deep threat San Francisco has been lacking. The Lions also won their Week 1 game, beating the St. Louis Rams on a late touchdown drive by Matthew Stafford, 27-23.

Game Time: 5:20 p.m. PT
Television Coverage: NBC
Online Streaming: provided via SNF All Access

Stick with this StoryStream for updates, scores and more from the Lions vs. 49ers game. For more insight and analysis, check out 49ers blog Niners Nation. For the perspective from Detroit, check out Lions blog Pride of Detroit.

NFL Schedule 2012: Week 2 TV Coverage Maps For Bay Area

With the excitement of the NFL's opening week in the rearview mirror, Week 2 won't be a letdown for fans with a number of high-profile match-ups. Both the 49ers and Raiders are in action on Sunday and there will be plenty of other action on CBS, FOX and NBC throughout the day. Here is a look at what games will be televised in the Bay Area.

CBS Early Game: CBS viewers in the Bay Area will get to see the Raiders try to bounce back on the road against the Miami Dolphins at 10 a.m. Calling that game, from Miami, will be Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots.

CBS Late Game: For CBS' late game, the Bay Area will see Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and the New York Jets take on Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburg Steelers. Kickoff in Pittsburg is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms on the call. Viewers more inland, watching in the Sacramento or Fresno areas, will see the Tennessee Titans at the San Diego Chargers with Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts doing commentary.

FOX Late Game: Starting at 1:05 p.m. PT the Seattle Seahawks will host the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas won convincingly in Week 1, while the Seahawks narrowly lost to the Arizona Cardinals. Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa will have the call on that game.

NBC Sunday Night Football: Sunday Night Football pits the 49ers and Lions against each other on NBC at 5:20 p.m. both teams are 1-0 after San Francisco dominated the Packers last week, while the Lions eked out a win over the Rams. The announcers will be Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth as usual for SNF.

For more on the San Francisco 49ers, join the discussion over at Niners Nation. For more on the Oakland Raiders, join the discussion over at Silver And Black Pride. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's NFL hub.

49ers Vs. Lions Injury Report: Chris Houston, Louis Delmas Doubtful

The San Francisco 49ers are still relatively healthy going into their highly-anticipated matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. The only significant injuries right now are to running back Brandon Jacobs and Ted Ginn, Jr. Jacobs has a knee injury, Ginn an ankle issue. Both of these Niner offensive weapons are considered questionable. Probable are punter Andy Lee (hand) and linebacker NaVorro Bowman (shoulder).

The Detroit Lions are a bit more banged up, and that could mean opportunity for the 49ers to strike offensively.

Both cornerback Chris Houston and safety Louis Delmas are listed as doubtful for this Sunday night contest. Bill Bentley is already out with a concussion, which could mean Detroit is without its top two cornerbacks against the likes of Randy Moss, Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree.

Also questionable: Defensive tackle Corey Williams (knee) and linebacker Travis Lewis (quad) after sitting out practice; defensive end Lawrence Jackson (calf) is questionable but did return to practice today. Calvin Johnson is probable after missing practice Wednesday with a sore foot.

Talk about the injury report with 49ers fans at Niners Nation, as well as with Lions fans at Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions: Kendall Hunter Could Be In For A Big Day Of Work

Despite the fact that Alex Smith had him a pretty great game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, much of the focus on Week 2's matchup against the Detroit Lions has focused on Frank Gore. That really should not be the case, but not for reasons you might suspect. No, we shouldn't switch our focus to Smith, but instead on another running back: second-year backup Kendall Hunter.

Aside from left tackle Joe Staley, the 49ers' offensive line had itself a pretty good day in Week 1, especially when it came to run blocking. Gore and Hunter both played very well, and a big part of that has to do with the otherworldly number of personnel packages San Francisco runs to keep things fresh. More than any team in the league they'll change things around to make a play work.

Against the tough-charging Detroit defensive line, San Francisco will need more of that. Jim Harbaugh will need to flex his creative muscle and get things moving side to side before he can get things moving up and down the field. While Gore has shown a surprising ability to run the sweep and still manage to make just the one cut, it's going to be Hunter's mobility and versatility that helps San Francisco on Sunday.

There needs to be a lot of trickery and a lot of getting Hunter the ball after those little legs have already kicked up. The 49ers have a nice weapon in Hunter, but they need to figure out how best to use him outside of running that sweep they love to run where Mike Iupati kicks out to the right side and [insert defensive player/extra offensive lineman here] gets a full head of steam as the lead.

The answer is pretty simple, actually: screens and draws. It's obvious why Hunter is great on the screen: he's just so good with his acceleration and evasiveness. The draw is a little less-obvious, until you look at Hunter in comparison to another player ... he's tiny. The draw is an effective play on its own, but with Hunter, he has the size to get in the holes created for him and may, at times, be hard to track by the defense. Give him a little extra time to do some guesswork and Hunter could be deadly against the Lions.

Sure, Smith could go out there and exploit one of the weakest defensive backfields in the NFL, but it's likely he'll end up on his back more than a few times if this happens. The smarter option is to get that running game cranked (to eleven, even) and let your defense handle Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson in much the same way they did a season ago.

For more on the San Francisco 49ers, join the discussion over at Niners Nation. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's NFL hub.

49ers Vs. Lions, Film Review: San Francisco DBs Licking Their Lips?

The 49ers face a predominantly pass-first offense when they host the Detroit Lions Sunday night at Candlestick Park. While everyone knows that Calvin Johnson always get's his catches, the idea is to limit those and keep him out of the end zone. The 49ers allowed some success to the tight ends in the last meeting of these teams, too.

In doing my own look at the Lions from their week one game against the Rams, I took a look at Matthew Stafford's three (yes, three) interceptions. My conclusion can be summed-up by saying that I wonder if the 49ers defensive backs are licking their chops...none of them were smart decisions by Stafford.

The first INT was thrown near the Rams' goal-line on an attempt to Tony Scheffler. Janoris Jenkins was in tight coverage with inside leverage. Sheffler appears to be working the outside, perhaps on a fade route. Stafford throws the ball way to the inside of the blanketed TE, right to Jenkins. The only explanation I have as to why he made this throw is that perhaps he expected Sheffler to run a slant or drag toward the inside of the field.

Here's a screen-shot just as Stafford released the ball.

The next INT comes in the second quarter on a pass intended for Brandon Pettigrew. Jo-Lonn Dunbar (LB) drops back like he's in zone but reads Stafford's eyes and breaks before the throw. He was in great position at the time of the release and Stafford's throw was again behind the receiver. The route looks like an out, there wasn't any "come-back" to it as Pettigrew kept moving toward the sideline even after the throw. Had Stafford's pass been in front of him it might have been a completion or a batted-pass at worst.

See the screen-shot below:

The next INT cost the Lions seven points as Cortland Finnegan takes it to the house for a touchdown. Finnegan lines up over the slot receiver and drops with him but quickly releases him and breaks to the outside receiver. Stafford throws the ball with Finnegan already entering the throwing lane on a 15 yard pass outside the numbers...plenty of time for a DB to jump the route

Reading Janoris Jenkins, the CB on the opposite side of the field, the way he passes-off his receiver coupled with the WLB simply occupying empty space leads me to believe this was Cover 2. The safeties both drop to depth in halves, too. Stafford has to recognize this and know he can't throw a deep out with a zone defender near the numbers. That throw takes too long to get there. It needs to go to the middle of the field between the CB and the safety, to the slot receiver.

Here's the screen-shot:

These are mis-reads by Stafford, not seeing the defenders lurking and not identifying the coverage. The 49ers can only hope he makes similar mistakes while under the pressure of their ferocious pass-rush Sunday night.

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NFC West Preview, Week 2: Could Division Be 1-1 Across The Board?

In Week 1, the San Francisco 49ers had the most impressive outing in regards to the NFC West. A win over the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field is basically the best win you can get today in the NFL, so they have a clear leg up on the rest of the division. But the 49ers face another tough matchup in the Detroit Lions, and there's something of a rivalry there. Should they falter, the rest of the division might have a chance to play catch-up.

Unfortunately for them, they've got some tough matchups. The Arizona Cardinals were the only other NFC West team to pick up a win in Week 1, and they've got the New England Patriots on the road. Arizona's narrow win over the Seattle Seahawks won't give anybody the confidence that they can stop New England. Russell Wilson may be better than originally advertised, but he's a far cry from Tom Brady and his plethora of top tier targets.

Arizona might have the best player in the game, as they often do thanks to Larry Fitzgerald, but the rest of the top talent is few and far between. They'll have trouble snagging a 2-0 record and a potential lead in the NFC West.

The St. Louis Rams and Seahawks both were on the losing end of games in Week 1. St. Louis actually showed strong play against Detroit and were 20 seconds away from picking up a win, so they might actually have a shot to best Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. Seattle also isn't fighting an insurmountable battle when they take on the Dallas Cowboys.

It isn't out of the question to think that the entire NFC West could be at 1-1 after two weeks, but that all hinges on a 49ers loss and three other teams who aren't the favorites pulling out wins.

49ers Vs. Lions Injury Report: Calvin Johnson Practicing In Full

The San Francisco 49ers continue to struggle with trying to get a few players back up and healthy. Here's the latest injury report courtesy of Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Ted Ginn has a right ankle sprain and was rehabbing it at the start of practice on Thursday.

The last time Brandon Jacobs played was on Aug. 18 in a preseason contest against Houston, when he sustained a left knee sprain.

Neither Ginn nor Jacobs are currently listed as the starters or even members of the second-string units, with Mario Manningham, Michael Crabtree and Randy Moss all listed higher on the WR depth chart, and Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter firmly entrenched as the 1-2 punch for San Francisco.

Also, NaVorro Bowman returned to practice. He's back on track to play.

For the Lions, Calvin Johnson practiced in full after taking Wednesday off due to a foot issue. Cornerback Chris Houston was limited, while cornerback Bill Bentley, safety Louis Delmas, defensive end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Travis Lewis were out.

Talk about the injury report with 49ers fans at Niners Nation, and with Lions fans at Pride of Detroit.

Alex Smith Praised By NFL Films' Greg Cosell

49ers Vs. Lions: Examining San Francisco's Strategic Ground Attack

The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for a battle on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions. After going on the road to face the Lions in 2011, San Francisco will play host to Detroit in 2012. In their last meeting, the 49ers got the best of the Lions, handing them a 25-19 defeat at Ford Field.

The 49ers run game was very much a part of their game-plan to take down the Lions that day. They got creative and used tight end Delanie Walker in motion to chip the interior lineman. On two separate occasions, that play design allowed running back Frank Gore to break loose for big gains. Both runs setup crucial scores for the Niners in that game.

The purpose of using Walker was to neutralize the Lions' best defensive player, Ndamukong Suh.

The last time they faced off, the 49ers utilized the wham block as a great way of both slowing Suh down and opening lanes for Gore. And as a runner, Gore has such great patience and vision, that he can take advantage of this kind of run being setup for him. Executed properly and it could be the difference between a 5-yard gain and a 60-yard gain.

It will certainly be curious to see if the 49ers use this technique once more against the Lions, especially since Detroit has seen the film now and would be expecting it.

Even if Detroit were to catch Walker coming in motion, setting up the wham block, they might not be able to stop it. Suh would be in his stance and Walker would have the proper leverage and angle. Walker also has the advantage in that he can get hands on Suh before Suh can get hands on him. Walker was effective dipping his shoulder into the defensive tackle, so it shouldn't surprise anyone if they dial up a couple wham blocks against Detroit.

Then again, the 49ers may have an entirely fresh, new game-plan designed around the run. This offensive staff is becoming known for it's creativity and ability to game-plan, so who knows what they'll have in their bag of tricks. One thing is for sure, keep and eye out for Delanie Walker going in motion.

NFL Picks, Week 2: Being A Homer Again For 49ers Vs. Lions

Prior to Week 1, I made my pick for the 49ers' matchup against the Packers. I went with San Francisco despite the fact that I placed the Packers at No. 1 in my power rankings prior to the start of Week 1. My reasoning that a top defense can always beat a top offense and, as it turns out, I was right.

So now the Detroit Lions are coming to Candlestick Park, fresh off of barely beating the St. Louis Rams (they required a touchdown in the final 20 seconds of play to steal the win). A season ago, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson established themselves a duo worthy of the rest of the league's top offenses. They showed that if they're not yet on the level of Drew Brees and [insert any wide receiver here], then they're at least right below that point.

Naturally, I'm going to stick with my line of thinking. Detroit's offense might have better success than Green Bay's, or it might not. What it will come down to is how San Francisco does against the Detroit defense. Detroit boasts a strong pass rush much like Green Bay, but it relies more on mean, nasty guys up front and less on scheme. Green Bay's defense fails to get much done when it can't force a turnover.

Detroit's doesn't suffer from that. Still, they're not great against the run, and if San Francisco relies less on Alex Smith and more on Frank Gore come Sunday, they should be good to go. Look at that - I'm picking the home team again. How predictable!

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49ers Vs. Lions: Alex Smith Was Great In Week 1, But Running Game Should Be Focus On Sunday

On Tuesday, we took a look at all of the sacks the San Francisco 49ers gave up against the Green Bay Packers over at Niners Nation. The gist was that left tackle Joe Staley struggled mightily against Clay Matthews (who doesn't?), while the rest of the line actually put on a strong outing. That's including right guard Alex Boone, who is starting for the first time at this level and at a new position.

Against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Boone, Staley and the rest of the offensive line will be challenged again. Against guys like Ndamukong Suh and the rest of that defensive line, San Francisco faces at least a comparable test to what Matthews and Green Bay was able to bring. It's a different kind of test though, as Green Bay relies on a few key players, while Detroit relies on a rotation that is instructed to get the quarterback and do nothing else.

This is evident by the fact that Detroit boasts a below average run defense. For all the fear Suh can instill in opposing quarterbacks, he's lackluster in his stoutness against the run. That could mean great things for San Francisco's impressive list of running backs, even if it could mean another tough day for Staley and a tough outing for Alex Smith.

People are talking about how smooth and fluid San Francisco's offense looked, and many are talking about how a repeat performance will surely mean a win over the Lions. But that's not required for San Francisco to win this game. Sure, Detroit has a much-weakened secondary, but Smith doesn't need to have that kind of performance to beat the Lions.

The best plan of attack for the 49ers is to exploit that pass rush. Detroit's biggest takeaway from San Francisco's Week 1 matchup was probably the weaknesses of the offense line. Their gameplan will center around Smith, especially after his performance. Frank Gore has had questionable effectiveness off and on because teams around the league have always put the focus on him. That's not going to be the case in Week 2.

Smith now has eyes on him, and he'll be demanding respect from the defense. That's the perfect opportunity for Gore, Kendall Hunter and everyone else to run wild and pick up some easy yardage before the Lions realize what's happened. Getting that running game going will be essential for San Francisco's 2-0 start.

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49ers Vs. Lions Injury Report: Brandon Jacobs, Ted Ginn Remain Sidelined Wednesday

The San Francisco 49ers were without a few key playmakers at practice on Wednesday as running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. did not participate, while linebacker NaVorro Bowman was limited, according to CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.

Jacobs remained on the shelf as he continues to deal with the right knee injury he suffered during San Francisco's Aug. 18 preseason game against the Houston Texans, which forced him to miss the 49ers' Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers. Ginn's right ankle injury, suffered on Aug. 26 against the Denver Broncos, is still bothering him enough to keep him out of practice, as well. He, too, missed the team's Week 1 matchup, putting Kyle Williams back in the role of San Francisco's primary return man.

Maiocco tweeted that Bowman was limited today with a shoulder injury, but is expected to be ready to go come Sunday with no limitations. The All-Pro linebacker racked up 11 tackles and an interception in Sunday's win.

As for the 49ers' Week 2 opponents, the Detroit Lions, star wide receiver Calvin Johnson sat out on Wednesday, along with safety Louis Delmas (knee), cornerback Bill Bentley (concussion), defensive end Lawrence Jackson (calf) and linebacker Travis Lewis (quad). Cornerback Chris Houston (ankle) and defensive tackle Corey Williams (knee) were limited in practice.

For more on the 49ers, head over to Niners Nation.

49ers Vs. Lions Betting Lines: San Francisco Favored By A Touchdown

The San Francisco 49ers opened up as seven-point favorites over the Detroit Lions, and that's where the line has stayed ever since. By virtue of their excellent Sunday afternoon performance against the Packers, the Niners have apparently earned a strong measure of respect for putting up perhaps the best performance of Week 1, and are laying a strong touchdown to a Lions team that struggled to win its opening game against St. Louis. Considering how dominant the 49ers defense looked at holding down Green Bay's explosive offense, you have to figure that San Francisco should be able to do the same thing to Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

The 49ers and the Lions played one of the most exciting regular season games last year, as San Francisco went into Detroit and won 25-19. This game was one of the most highly-anticipated contests of the 2012 NFL regular season, although it looks as if the Niners are the team with a clear edge in this contest.

Talk about the 49ers-Lions line with San Francisco fans at Niners Nation, and with Detroit fans at Pride of Detroit.

49ers Vs. Lions: Can Detroit Establish the Run Vs. 49ers?

Unless you've been lost at sea for a few years, you know that the 49ers defense doesn't allow anyone to run the football against them. They only allowed 77.2 yards per game in 2011 and went 14 games without allowing a rushing touchdown.

Last week vs. Green Bay the 49ers saw a familiar sight: The Packers abandoned the run and tried to throw the ball around the yard. Well, that didn't work out particularly well, either. While they threw for over 300 yards, eight of 11 drives ended in either a punt, turnover on downs, or an interception.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio played a lot of coverage, got pressure with limited pass-rushers, and mitigated big plays in the passing game despite facing the NFL's reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers. A huge key to this was being able to stop the run without loading the box with defenders.

Heading into week two against the Detroit Lions the question becomes: Will they try to run the ball against the 49ers, who showed they can stop even the most potent passing attacks?

I think they just might.

While I don't think they'll be successful, I look for Detroit to make a concerted effort to run the ball against the 49ers. If you take away what a team does best (stop the run in this case) the rest of their plan starts to fall apart, too. If the 49ers don't feel confident stopping the run in their sub packages as they did vs. Green Bay, they can't play as much coverage...which opens up plays in the passing game as well.

With the template in place from last week, I'd look for some single-back formations with the Lions either running draws or motioning the tight end back into the formation as a lead blocker. The Packers didn't try to run the ball, even against the 49ers Nickel and Dime packages. The Lions are probably wondering why not.

If Detroit is able to establish any sort of run game, the 49ers will be forced to play closer to the box, opening up the field for Calvin Johnson to get some single coverage on the outside. Even with safety help over the top, a timely run fake can draw players out of position, hanging the CB out to dry alone with Megatron.

It will be interesting to see if the Lions employ this strategy. Fangio has to know it's a distinct possibility. I have little doubt that the defense will be prepared for anything and even a few good runs wont inhibit it's ability to stop Detroit's offense.

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49ers Vs. Lions Preview: San Francisco, Detroit Look To Renew Hostilities

The San Francisco 49ers showed why they're one of the best teams in the league with a win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, but have a tough test in Week 2 when Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions come to Candlestick Park. For more on the 49ers, be sure to head on over to Niners Nation, and for the flip-side, check out Pride of Detroit.