NFL Week 10: The wake 'n' bake Santonio Holmes version

My favorite Patrick Willis tackle.

I'm in a fantasy league that drafts individual defensive players. Every year I make it a point to take Willis -- usually a round or two too high; this year I think it was the fourth -- and every year everyone in the league laughs at me for it. I think he's one of my football mancrushes.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/08/new-poll-identifies-mike-vick-as-most-disliked-nfl-player/

 

A better angle of the same tackle:

 

shockey -- 49ers haven't been using Willis solely as a run-stuffer, he isn't even the team's leading tackler, but he has been a dynamo in coverage. Ballard has become a nice target for Eli, but Willis has been handling tight ends well all year. Should be a good matchup.

 

Chris was '08 then

 

Game tonight. Is the first Thursday game earlier this year? Seems like it to me.

 

Other than the season-opener between the Saints and Packers, yes. But it's the first on NFL Network.

 

The enthusiasm the Carson Palmer has generated with tonight's Raiders is pretty cool to watch.
I've usually written it off as his having been in Cincinnati, but I've always wondered why he's been so bally-hooed by so many outlets, but his teams never win big.
He looks the part of the leader tonight.

 

Anyone want to rethink their position on whether Philip Rivers is a better QB than Eli Manning?

 

The 49ers are decent and much improved. Harbaugh is a hell of a coach. But look at that schedule and tell me it hasn't been utter shit. We're about to find out how good they are in the second half with games against New York, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

I hope they go far, because I'd feel very confident in an NFC Championship game where my Packers host the 49ers.

 

It hasn't been utter shit. They won in cincinnati and cincinnati is 6-2. They won in Detroit and Detroit is 6-2. They beat the piss out of Tampa Bay. The Redskins and Eagles aren't great, but they aren't horrible either, and the 49ers beat both of those teams on the road. There are eight teams in the NFL that have one or two wins, and the 49ers have played a grand total of one game against that pool of teams.

I think they will go 1-2 or 2-1 in those three games you mention. And they have five games left against their own division, which is when the shit schedule really kicks in. That's a recipe for 12 or 13 wins.

 

The teams they've beaten with good records are extremely questionable teams. The Bengals might be 6-2 but I'm not picking them to beat about half the teams in the league. Same for Detroit. Tampa Bay is horrible. Obviously, I could be totally wrong, but those teams have to win some meaningful games before I'm sold on them. I wouldn't be surprised if neither makes the playoffs.

I'm holding my judgement on SF until they play Baltimore and Pittsburgh. My gut tells me that as soon as Alex Smith has to win a game, they will get destroyed.