LOL. Nice “question”, K. :)

His numbers don’t reflect it, but Justin Smith has been a force on defense. He plays at 6 of the seven spots in the 3-4/4-3. His numbers don’t reflect this because the problem has been that with a lack of talent in many other spots. Defenses can just game plan specifically against Smith without worrying about compensating in other spots.

If the 49ers win, expect to have seen a big day from Justin Smith. Maybe a couple tackles, a shared sack, a forced fumble, pass deflection…that sort of thing.

The 49ers don’t bring nearly enough blitzers and when they do they tend to be ineffective. Under Mike Nolan they ran a defense that was a version of the prevent where they’d play a lot back in coverage. After seeing Nate Clements get badly burned by TO Sunday I’m curious to see how the 49ers respond. I’d personally like more pressure to force the QB to make quicker decisions. The 49ers would get pressure to Romo’s right and left but it was pretty easy for him to just take a couple steps up in the pocket and have another couple of seconds to make the pass.

I know I’m answering the questions here, but what is causing Edwards’s struggles when 8 drop back in coverage. I’d imagine only 3 rushers would give him more time to find a receiver, but is he just not able to see open men?

It’s ridiculous to say, but he’s actually made more of an impact on special teams so far. For some reason when opposing teams kick short, he ends up with the ball (5 returns for 47 yards).

He’s slowly getting more playing time, but given that the 49ers are struggling with their defensive identity, it’s possible he’s just in the wrong system. He’s not big enough to be the nose tackle the 49ers need and I’m not sure if he has the skills to be a defensive end in their 3-4.

With the season quickly coming to a close, I really hope he gets more playing time so the team can fully assess him. They’ve done that with rookie guard Chilo Rachal, as he’s been plugged into the starting lineup even if he struggles. They need to do the same thing with Balmer.

Great question. He has almost 70 tackles so he has definitely made an impact. I’m really curious about how good he has looked too.

I think most 49ers fans are happy with Spikes’s contributions. He’s the second leading tackler behind Patrick Willis and has made numerous impact plays. One of the highlights of the season had to be his 3 straight games with an interception.

It’s hard to tell what kind of leadership he exerts on the defense but I get a sense that he is a vocal leader. When local media are looking for a post-game quote he’s quick to respond. Maybe that’s all just an ego thing, but he seems like a guy who is enjoying his time here and making important contributions.

All in all, he’s definitely making an impact for this defense. There are numerous holes on the defense, but the two inside linebackers (Willis and Spikes) are NOT two of those holes.

Injuries have rattled the 49ers receiving corp at different times this season, which is a big reason different players have made different impacts. Josh Morgan injured his groin a few weeks ago and the team is taking their time with him so I’d suspect he’ll be out this Sunday. Arnaz Battle missed the last three games with a foot injury, but might be back this week. Bryant Johnson was banged up throughout training camp and only now seems to be getting back to complete health. Ironically enough, the ageless wonder, Isaac Bruce, seems to be the healthiest of the receivers.

Two guys to keep an eye on are Jason Hill and Dominique Zeigler. Hill has been filling in for Battle, so if Battle is healthy it will be interesting to see how Hill’s playing time will be affected. I’d imagine he’ll start the game and Battle would slowly be worked in if he is in fact active. In spite of a poor performance last week, Hill has shown a solid chemistry with Shaun Hill that has translated to production. He’s a guy 49ers fans would really like to see step up into a big time role in the offense.

Dominique Zeigler was spending his second season on the 49ers practice squad when Morgan and Battle got injured. Zeigler seems to have really good hands, which he credits to having played baseball for a long time. He’s had only 3 receptions on the year so I’m not expecting him to blow up. When Hill was running the scout team as JTO’s backup, he and Zeigler developed a solid rapport, which could pay off for Zeigler the rest of this season.

Next season’s starters is an interesting question. Rookie (and sixth round pick) Josh Morgan had become the starter opposite Isaac Bruce but injuries have derailed his season, with the groin injury now and a staph infection at the end of training camp. If he can stay healthy through all of 2009 training camp, I’d say he’s a safe bet to start. Other than I honestly don’t know what to expect. Bryant Johnson is only signed to a 1-year deal so I’m not sure if he’ll be back next season. I really hope Jason Hill can step up and become a starter, whether it be as the #1 guy or in that slot position. And of course a high draft pick could net a receiver. Although I’d expect the team to address OL or DL with their first round pick, I’d imagine Michael Crabtree could look mighty fine in red and gold.

The opinions of 49ers fans on the worth of Nate Clements vary pretty widely. First off, as to the contract he signed. It is a large deal no matter how you slice it, but it’s not quite as big as people think. The last two years involve huge salaries that he’ll never see as a 49er.

It’s easy to point to last Sunday and TO’s numbers and say Clements is a waste of money. However, that can’t all be placed at the feet of Nate Clements as there were also issues with safeties covering over the top (or not sufficiently covering over the top might be a better way to put it). Clements has certainly had his struggles at times, but he’s also put up some great games against the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson, among others.

All in all, Clements is obviously not the #1 cornerback in the NFL. However, given the weight of such a big contract, I think he’s done a solid job. Others will disagree but I’m happy with him.

Martz has always been a throw first guy! Gore gets a lot of catches out of the backfield, similar to how we’ve seen Lynch getting a lot more carries lately.

Mike Martz has certainly frustrated 49ers fans. He uses Gore at times but then goes long stretches at critical points in the game without using him. The worst had to be when the 49ers were leading the Eagles going into the 4th quarter and Gore touched the ball something like 2 times that quarter.

I think Martz’s ego creates a stubborn streak. Since Singletary took over as head coach it has seemed at times like Martz has been reigned in a bit, and then we see a game like Dallas where Gore doesn’t get nearly enough touches, particularly in the red zone. Consider me baffled by the whole thing.

Alex Smith?

Well Alex Smith is going to be cut. It’s actually possible he returns at a cheaper contract but I kind of just want them to pull the plug and move on.

Singletary has brought a new attitude but I still think he needs to get some wins to win the full-time job going forward. The team has some great talent, but also has some serious holes on the d- and o-lines. They need to decide what kind of scheme they’ll use as that will affect their draft. If they stay 3-4 they really need a big old nose tackle. if they go 4-3, they probably need more of a pass rush defensive end.

As a whole there are plenty of people who think the team is in disarray. I actually think things are improving. The ownership has deemed their son Jed York the new face of the franchise and he seems to know his stuff (he’s got a little Eddie DeBartolo in him and Eddie D happens to be his godfather, which we like). Ownership has invested money in the team so I’m not concerned there.

I honestly think it all comes down to a few more pieces and better scheming. Singletary seems to have them going in the right direction but there’s no clear answer yet. I think by the end of the year I can give you a better answer.

There are people down on Scot McCloughan but things will be interesting with a new full time coach (whether it be Singletary or a bigger name). Nolan had a lot of influence on things, even after he was stripped of his personnel title. It’s hard to separate between what is the hand of Nolan and what is the hand of others.

Personally, I think things are going in the right direction and that started with the firing of Mike Nolan. As I stated above, it’s still a little too early to tell with Mike Singletary in regards to his impact on the performance of the team and his own input into the drafting and free agent process. I hope Singletary keeps the job after this year, but I also think he still has to prove its his job to have.

Dude, your the man. I enjoyed that very much. Most of the 9er fans were pretty cool, but I have to quote this:

Just how I see things, you may not agree, but then that doesn’t bother me overly much. – sireric himself

Awesome. Thanks for linking that!