Should the 49ers be the favorite in the NFC?

Lol Skip Bayless basically calling us pretenders.

we will be the favorite to be preseason champions!!!

Originally posted by susweel:
damn it feels good to hear this positive stuff about our team.


Skip Bayless is a big time niner hater saying that Seattle is gonna win the division.

Skip Bayless is a moron. He climbs up on mountains of nut sack when the media boosts up a player. Tebow got his polished almost daily by Bayless. Wish I had a link of him saying Tebow was going to be an awesome QB.

Skip Bayless is just hating on Alex Smith. IF we don't make the playoffs, it will most likely have been because of Alex.

Either way I hope Alex improves on his season from last year and helps our SUPER BOWL defense out.

Herm nailed it. Defense wins it.

Otherwise, I'd go with the Pack... but their defense needs some help and they have no running game.

The most feared defense in the NFL brings back ALL 11 players for next year (im sure thats a rare feat). Our defense will start of week 1 the same way we finished the season, hopefully allowing even less than our 14 points per game. Add in the fact that aldon smith has a slight chip trying to prove hes an everydown linebacker, and patrick willis (who is an amazing humble person) maybe doesnt want to be outshined by his own teammate. I expect our secondary to be flawless as well.

Offensively our WR's have something to prove, gore wants to let our fans know he still has a couple years left in him, vernon displayed that emotion in the playoffs which told me he's DYING to win a superbowl, and ALEX need a ring for everyone to shut the f**k up. That giants game was a fluke.

-TL;DR

No s**t we're the favorite. Giants got hot, but will struggle against their own division again.

Skip was the only one who did pick us to beat the saints though so hmmmm

Skip didn't say the Niners are pretenders. He pointed out the FACT that despite the other two guys on the panel predicting the Niners as the favorites to represent the NFC in the Superbowl that neither of them think much of Alex Smith. They think the Niners are weak at a key position but will still reach the Superbowl. How can u be confident the Niners will even win their division if you think Alex is crap? That is what Bayless was saying.

Alex IS the biggest question mark/weakness on this team. Hopefully the additional offseason with Harbaugh and some new weapons (Moss, Manningham, Jenkins etc) will result in a better performance from Alex Smith next season.

Even though SF reached the NFC Championship game last season our passing offense was s**t. Niners offense was also the worst in the league on 3rd downs last yr. This isn't news to anyone who watched the Niners convert only ONE third down in the NFC championship game loss to NY. Alex Smith's lack of pocket presence, field awareness, and hesitation to "pull the trigger" were major factors in the Niners 3rd down failures in the biggest game of the season.

We need Alex to improve a ton if we want to again be in position to reach the Superbowl.

Yes they should be favored based on the return of the #1 defense, the talent they added through free agency and the draft and
the strength of Jim Harbaugh / Greg Roman and staff.

I like it better when they doubt the 9ers can get it done. I think it motivates the coaches and players to get it done.

Go 9ers

When has ESPN reported based on facts?

ESPN is a combination of opinion based journalism and entertainment television. That being said, I think it is a toss up between the 49ers and the Packers..no other team falls in the same category.

Originally posted by NineFourNiner:

Skip Bayless:ESPN::JoeCool:Niner Talk

Skip is probably taller...

Originally posted by nflguy49:

Alex IS the biggest question mark/weakness on this team. Hopefully the additional offseason with Harbaugh and some new weapons (Moss, Manningham, Jenkins etc) will result in a better performance from Alex Smith next season.

Even though SF reached the NFC Championship game last season our passing offense was s**t. Niners offense was also the worst in the league on 3rd downs last yr. This isn't news to anyone who watched the Niners convert only ONE third down in the NFC championship game loss to NY. Alex Smith's lack of pocket presence, field awareness, and hesitation to "pull the trigger" were major factors in the Niners 3rd down failures in the biggest game of the season.

We need Alex to improve a ton if we want to again be in position to reach the Superbowl.

The third down percentage was every bit as much on the rest of the offense as Smith, playcalling as well. It is shortsighted to try and blame it on one player when so many factors are involved.

Originally posted by Memphis9er:

Originally posted by nflguy49:
Alex IS the biggest question mark/weakness on this team. Hopefully the additional offseason with Harbaugh and some new weapons (Moss, Manningham, Jenkins etc) will result in a better performance from Alex Smith next season.

Even though SF reached the NFC Championship game last season our passing offense was s**t. Niners offense was also the worst in the league on 3rd downs last yr. This isn't news to anyone who watched the Niners convert only ONE third down in the NFC championship game loss to NY. Alex Smith's lack of pocket presence, field awareness, and hesitation to "pull the trigger" were major factors in the Niners 3rd down failures in the biggest game of the season.

We need Alex to improve a ton if we want to again be in position to reach the Superbowl.

The third down percentage was every bit as much on the rest of the offense as Smith, playcalling as well. It is shortsighted to try and blame it on one player when so many factors are involved.

Smith was good in the Red Zone in past years. What was different last year? His team mates, game plan and play calling were the new wrinkles so they can assume much of the blame for a conservative offense.

Now can we ask: Which players played better in clutch situations all year? Justin Smith, Alex Smith and VD...anyone else stand out?

...and no, the niners should be the heavy favorite in the west but GB and NYG are still in the way for the NFC favorite tag.