The 49ers wasted an outstanding effort from their defense due to an inept offense last night.  The offensive line was pathetic as Alex Smith was sacked an amazing 9 times last night!  Smith completed 15 of 24 passes for 140 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 12 yards (6.0 ypc) in this game.  Frank Gore (14 carries for 39 yards) and Kendall Hunter (4 carries for 14 yards) led the way on the ground for the Niners in this game.  WR Michael Crabtree (6 rec, 54 yards) and TE Vernon Davis (4 rec, 38 yards) led the way for the 49ers in the passing game.  The 49ers finished up with 74 yards rushing on 21 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 24 passes (62.5%) for 96 yards as they had possession of the ball for 28:52.

The defense was outstanding for the Niners in this game.  LBs Patrick Willis (8 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed) and NaVorro Bowman (8 tackles) stuffed the Ravens’ running game last nigt.  DT Ray McDonald also had a solid game with 7 tackles last night.  The Ravens finished up with 92 yards rushing on 35 carries (2.6 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 23 passes (65.3%) for 161 yards in this game.  The 49ers are now 9-2 on the season.

The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 on the road this year and the Ravens are 5-0 at home.  The Harbaugh’s (Jim and John) are going to duke it out tonight in the first ever matchup in the NFL of brothers that are head coaches.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the 49ers have the ball:  The 49ers aren’t going to change anything tonight in Baltimore.  The Niners are going to come out running the ball with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, but they will have to fight for every yard as the Ravens are only giving up 93.2 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.  Alex Smith will likely throw a little more than usual in this game, so the line is going to have to give him time to throw the ball.  Smith will likely keep his TEs (Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker) heavily involved in the short passing game.  The Niners will also need WRs Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams to stretch the field a little bit in this game.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The 49ers are going to key on stopping Ray Rice tonight as LBs Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are going to be focusing on slowing him down.  The Niners are only giving up 73.9 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry so far this year, so they should be up to the task of stopping Rice.  Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco is very inconsistent and the Niners have 15 interceptions so far this year, so the Niners are going to be coming after him with a heavy pass rush to try to make him make the big mistake.  The Niners have to be careful though as Ravens’ rookie WR Torrey Smith is a big time homerun threat.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 17, NINERS 13

27-year old QB Alex Smith is getting the bad rap of being a “game manager” for the 49ers.  I have even called him that, but, he has been much more than that.  Smith has played in 10 games for the Niners so far this year and he has completed 171 of 274 passes (62.4%) for 1,976 yards with 13 TD passes and 4 INTs (93.9 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 34 times for 122 yards (3.6 ypc) with 1 TD run so far this year.  Head coach Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff have done a really good job with Alex Smith as he is starting to live up to the ability that the Niners thought he had when they drafted him.

The San Francisco 49ers were ballhogs offensively and the defense was electric once again.  Alex Smith had another solid game as he completed 20 of 38 passes for 267 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 7 times for 17 yards (2.4 ypc) in this game.  Frank Gore led the way on the ground for the Niners in this game with 88 yards rushing on 24 carries (3.7 ypc).  Anthony Dixon (7 carries, 32 yards, 4.6 ypc) and Kendall Hunter (11 carries, 27 yards, 2.5 ypc) also pitched in for the Niners in the running game.  WR Michael Crabtree (7 rec, 120 yards), TE Vernon Davis (5 rec, 67 yards, TD) and WR Kyle Williams (5 rec, 54 yards, TD) led the way for the Niners in the passing game.  The 49ers finished up with 164 yards on 49 carries (3.3 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 38 passes (52.6%) for 267 yards as they had possession of the ball for 44:16.

The defense was outstanding once again for the Niners yesterday.  Patrick Willis led the way for the Niners as usual with 7 tackles, 3 passes defensed and 1 interception.  CB Carlos Rogers (4 tackles and 1 pass defensed), safety Donte Whitner (3 tackles, 2 passes defensed, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery) and safety Dashon Goldson (2 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also had solid games for the Niners.  The Cardinals finished up with 80 yards rushing on 11 carries (7.3 ypc) and they completed 14 of 35 passes (40%) for 149 yards.  The 49ers are now a sterling 9-1 on the year.

The 49ers have won 7 games in a row as they are red hot right now.  The Cardinals have won two games in a row by a combined score of 40-30.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Niners have been a run first team so far this year and that isn’t going to change tomorrow.  Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are going to get the ball a lot tomorrow against a Cardinals’ D that is giving up 123.1 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.  The Niners will pick spots to throw the ball, likely off of play action.  Smith has been a master at the ball fake and throw down the field.  Look for him to spread the ball around to Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards to keep everyone happy.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals might not test the Niners’ front seven much with Beanie Wells, as he is banged up right now.  The Cardinals are likely going to throw the ball all over the field, with QB John Skelton pulling the trigger.  He is a gunslinger, who tries to fit the ball into tight spots.  The Niners will likely give safety help to Carlos Rogers over the top as he will be dealing with WR Larry Fitzgerald all day long.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 23, CARDINALS 17

30-year old cornerback Carlos Rogers is really stepping up big time for the 49ers this year.  He has played in 9 games for the Niners this year and he has 26 tackles, 11 passes defensed, 5 interceptions (one returned for a TD) and 2 tackles for a loss.  Rogers has now played in 87 games in his first 7 years in the NFL and he has 326 tackles, 13 interceptions (2 returned for TDs), 87 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 tackles for a loss.  Rogers had the reputation of having a brick set of hands with Washington, but he’s catching the ball like a WR so far this year.

The 49ers changed things up yesterday as they were a pass first team.  Alex Smith responded by completing 19 of 30 passes for 242 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 27 yards in this game.  Frank Gore only carried the ball 6 times for 0 yards and 1 catch for 8 yards, before an injury ended his day.  Kendall Hunter took over at RB by carrying the ball 6 times for 40 yards (6.7 ypc) with 1 TD run.  TE Delanie Walker (6 rec, 69 yards), WR Braylon Edwards (3 rec, 47 yards) and TE Vernon Davis (3 rec, 40 yards) led the way in the passing game for the Niners.  The 49ers finished up with 77 yards rushing on 20 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 30 passes (63.3%) for 228 yards as they had possession of the ball for 25:23.

The defense didn’t have their best game but they did make big plays when needed.  LBs NaVorro Bowman (14 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and Patrick Willis (11 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Niners on D.  CB Carlos Rogers (6 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 2 interceptions) and DE Justin Smith (6 tackles and 1 pass defensed on the last play of the game which sealed the win for the Niners).  The Giants finished up with 93 yards rushing on 29 carries (3.2 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 40 passes (65%) for 302 yards.  The 49ers are now a very impressive 8-1 on the year.

The San Francisco 49ers are on a roll as they have won their last six games in a row by a combined score of 149-74.  The Giants are also hot right now as they have won their last three games by a combined score of 71-61.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the 49ers have the ball:  The 49ers are going to feed the ball to Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter in this game as the Giants are allowing 127.1 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Niners better hope that they get the running game going so that they can slow up the Giants’ pass rush.  The Giants have 28 sacks already this year, so Smith is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly this Sunday.  The Niners have been throwing the ball more down the field lately to WRs Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards.  Don’t be surprised if Vernon Davis is the main man in the passing attack this weekend.

When the Giants have the ball:  The 49ers are going to have to get after Eli Manning as the Giants have turned into a pass first team this year.  If Manning has time to throw the ball, the Niners could be in some trouble as WRs Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and TE Jake Ballard were making huge plays in the passing game last weekend.  Brandon Jacobs is getting another start at RB for the Giants this weekend, so there are going to be some big time collisions between the LBs.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 20, GIANTS 17

Let’s be frank, the 49ers sucked last year when they were 6-10.  The Niners then went out and signed up 47-year old Jim Harbaugh to take over as the head coach.  He has brought toughness his team overall as they play hard on both sides of the ball.  The Niners are averaging 25.8 points per game and they are only averaging 14.8 points per game so far this year.  The result is that the 49ers have the second best record in the NFL with a 7-1 record.  There is no reason to think they are going to slow down any time soon as Harbaugh is the right man for the job.

The San Francisco 49ers had control of this game from start to finish.  Alex Smith was very efficient once again for the Niners as he completed 17 of 24 passes for 200 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  Frank Gore led the way on the ground for the Niners in this game with 107 yards rushing on 19 carries (5.6 ypc).  Rookie RB Kendall Hunter pitched in with 8 carries for 25 yards (3.1 ypc) in this game.  WR Michael Crabtree (5 rec, 51 yards), TE Vernon Davis (4 rec, 41 yards) and fullback Bruce Miller (1 reception good for a 30 yard TD) led the way in the passing game for the Niners.  The 49ers finished up with 138 yards rushing on 32 carries (4.3 ypc) and they also completed 17 of 24 passes (70.8%) for 188 yards as they had possession of the ball for 32:19.

The defense was rock solid for the Niners in this game.  LBs Patrick Willis (13 tackles and 1 pass defensed) and NaVorro Bowman (8 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 fumble recovery) led the way for the 49ers on D in this game, as usual.  Safeties Dashon Goldson (6 tackles, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and 1 interception) and Donte Whitner (6 tackles, 1 QB hit and 1 interception) also pitched in for the Niners in this game.  The Redskins finished up with 52 yards rushing on 15 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 30 of 47 passes (63.8%) for 251 yards.  The 49ers are now an amazing 7-1 on the season.