The San Francisco 49ers (3-1) are hosting the Atlanta Falcons (2-1) this week and their strong defense is looking to continue their tough play.  Falcons’ RB Michael Turner is getting 3.5 yards per carry, but the 49ers have been shutting down running backs all year  The Falcons have a talented quarterback in Matt Ryan and since the 49ers have done a great job stopping the run,  Ryan will be throwing the ball a lot.  Ryan has thrown five touchdowns and only one interception, while going for 648 yards on 60/91 attempts (66%).  Mike Singletary has really lit a fire under this 49ers defense though, so it will be interesting to see how they do against Ryan and the Falcons passing offense.

The 49ers offense has been nothing to brag about this year, as they are really missing their star running back Frank Gore.  Quarterback Shuan Hill has been effective though and has done a good job of not throwing interceptions.  He has five touchdowns and only one interception, but only averages 175 passing yards per game.  This will be close and hard fought game, but with the 49ers at home with the better defense I think they will pull out the win.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  San Francisco 49ers 24, Atlanta Falcons 21

The Niners have finally signed their first round pick (#10) WR Michael Crabtree out of Texas Tech.  He played in 25 games in his two years at Texas Tech and he caught a stunning 231 passes for 3,127 yards (13.5 avg) with 41 TD grabs.  Crabtree might not be ready for this weekend against the Falcons but he should have no problem earning a starting job in the very near future.  Right now the starting WRs are Isaac Bruce and Josh Morgan.  Bruce has caught 13 passes for 167 yards (12.8 avg) this season and Josh Morgan has caught 9 passes for 124 yards (13.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  This was a smart move for the 49ers to finally get the deal done and get Michael Crabtree on the practice field.

The San Francisco 49ers (3-1) destroyed the St. Louis Rams (0-4) at home Sunday.  It was no blowout in the first half though, as the 49ers were only up 7-0 at the break and that came from the defense.  Scott McKillop recovered a fumble in the end-zone for the 49ers only first half score.  Head coach Mike Singletary was obviously not pleased with this and lit a fire under his team as they went out and put up 28 points in the second half.

The 49ers offense was able to score twice in the second half with two Shaun Hill touchdown passes.  Hill had 152 yards on 14/24 attempts ( 58%), but got a ton of help from his defense as they scored two more times in the second half.  Patrick Wilson had a 23-yard interception return in the third quarter and Ray McDonald had an 11-yard touchdown run after picking up a fumble in the fourth quarter.  Glen Coffee had a productive day on the ground, finishing with 74 yards on 24 carries (3.1 avg).  The 49ers look to continue their success next week at home against the Atlanta Falcons.

The San Francisco 49ers (2-1) should be undefeated, but Brett Favre’s late game miracle for the Vikings last week prevented that from happening.  They are looking to bounce back at home this week against the St. Louis Rams (0-3) and they should not have too much of a problem with them.  Don’t be surprised if the Rams stick around though, as the 49ers are without their best player in running back Frank Gore.

The Rams are missing one of their key players as well.  Their quarterback Marc Bulger injured his throwing shoulder in the first quarter of their loss last week and Kyle Boller will be starting for the Rams this week.  Boller looked good when he first came in last week for the injured Boller, but his rust became evident and he struggled most of the game.  Steven Jackson has been one of the few bright spots for the Rams and if the 49ers are able to stop him then the Rams don’t really have a chance.  Jackson is not only a threat on the ground, but as a receiver too, so the 49ers will have their hands full with Jackson.

The Rams run-defense is not very good, so the 49ers should attack them on the ground even without Frank Gore.  Rookie Glen Coffee will get the bulk of the carries and although his stats are not very impressive, I think he will settle in and be effective behind the 49ers strong offensive line and the Rams weak run-defense.  The 49ers defense should try and pressure Boller, as this will be his first start since 2007 and he will likely make some costly mistakes.  The Rams have a shot if Boller can play well, but the 49ers should win this game.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:  49ers 27, Rams 17

24-year old inside linebacker Patrick Willis is off to another great start for the Niners this season.  He has 29 tackles, has defensed 2 passes and he has 1 interception in the Niners’ first three games.  He also nailed QB Matt Hasselbeck of the Seahawks causing him to break a rib.  Hasselbeck has not played since and it’s hurting the division rival Seahawks as Seneca Wallace is not a good starting QB.  Willis has been a beast since entering the NFL as he was awesome in his first two years.  Willis played in 32 games his first two years and he made 315 tackles, had 5 sacks, defensed 15 passes, forced 3 fumbles and he intercepted a pass that he returned 86 yards for a TD.  Look for him to continue to dominate for the 49ers.

25-year old TE Vernon Davis is living up to his ability this season.  He has caught 14 passes for 168 yards (12.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs already this season as the Niners are focusing on short passing and the running game.  Davis has always had Pro Bowl type of ability and it’s starting to show now.  In his first three years, Davis played in 40 games in which he caught 103 passes for 1,132 yards (11.0 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  The time is now for Vernon Davis to shine.