It’s week 7 of the NFL season and the 49ers are on a bye week, or Improvement Week as head coach Jim Harbaugh calls is. Time to reflect on San Francisco’s season to this point and pinpoint how the 49ers turned from one of the worst teams into one of the best.

After three games the 49ers had a 2-1 record, beating the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals and losing against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime, and were merely on par with preseason predictions. The Dallas Cowboys and the Bengals painfully put one of San Francisco’s weaknesses on display, the offensive line. The 49ers were outsacked 11-2 in those two games and rushed for 62 yards per game. Jim Harbaugh had to respond and one little change made all the difference.

I am a firm believer in the battle in the trenches. The offense stands and falls with the offensive line. If you can block rushing lanes you can establish a running game. With an established running game your pass plays aren’t so predictable. If you can protect the quarterback you can establish a passing game as well. If you fail to block or to protect you will fail to move the chain.

From week 4 on Adam Snyder replaced Chilo Rachal as the starting right guard and the results speak for themselves. In their next three games the 49ers rushed for 193.3 yards per game and outsacked their opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, 10-5. RB Frank Gore rushed for at least 125 yards and 1 touchdown in each of his last 3 games. Coincidence? I think not.

But there is a lot more to San Francisco’s transformation. Take QB Alex Smith for example. His passer rating of 95.2 is the eighth best in the league and he has thrown just 2 interceptions. His overall numbers may not look spectacular but he is very solid this season. He doesn’t always look like a top quarterback but he doesn’t get frustrated and discouraged anymore. He sticks to the game plan and focuses on the next play. And how many times did he successfully drive the offense downfield for a score?

San Francisco’s passing offense is unpredictable. Often a team would have one top receiver and target him as often as possible. The 49ers have injury issues at this position but who is San Francisco’s top receiver? Braylon Edwards? Michael Crabtree? Josh Morgan? Vernon Davis? Fact is, in 6 games the 49ers had 4 different team leading receivers. Opposing defenses cannot focus on a particular player because any of San Francisco’s receivers can take over the game.

Then there is the emergence of LILB NaVorro Bowman. San Francisco’s rushing defense ranked 6^th last season but DT Aubrayo Franklin and ILB Takeo Spikes departed. The 49ers currently rank 2^nd in rushing defense and NaVorro Bowman is on pace for 114 tackles, compared to Spikes’ 82 tackles last season. RILB Patrick Willis’ numbers may be slightly down this season but what does it matter with Bowman putting up these numbers? Is there a better ILB-tandem in the league?

It is no secret that the 49ers devote a lot of time to special teams in practice and it translates onto the field. San Francisco ranks 6^th in punt return average (13.7 yards), 1^st in kick return average (30.9 yards) and 3^rd in punting average (50.5 yards). Every week Ted Ginn Jr. and P Andy Lee put the 49ers in a position where they can succeed. Do you remember TE Delanie Walker’s go-ahead touchdown on 4^th and goal in the fourth quarter of last week’s game? It was preceded by a 40-yard punt return by Ginn Jr. to Detroit’s 35-yard line. K David Akers made 13 of 15 field goal attempts and is a perfect 3-of-3 from 50+ yards.

Let’s not forget the mastermind who is in charge of the team, head coach Jim Harbaugh. The players are totally buying into his philosophy and believe in him. Harbaugh is always well prepared and fits the system around the players he has, not the other way round. He knows what he is doing and whatever he touches turns into gold. He coaches with the same intensity the players are playing the game. He turned the franchise around in less than half a season, though it will be interesting to see how he responds when wins are expected from this point onwards. Until now the 49ers were a surprise team, now they are for real.

This leaves the secondary as the only weak link. If I had the answer on how to fix it defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would have come up with it weeks ago. The personnel is better than last year’s but the defense gives up 261 yards per game and ranks 21^st. Nonetheless, the pass defense is more aware. Last season the 49ers had 15 interceptions, this season they already have 8 and are on pace for 21. The pass rush is producing better results, too. Last season the Niners recorded 36 sacks and this season they have 17 sacks in 6 games. In a pass-happy league that favors receivers it’s getting increasingly difficult to defend against the pass. But regardless of the yardage the opponents are racking up, once they get into the red zone things become tricky. San Francisco’s opponent red zone scoring percentage is at league low of 31.58%, compared to 47.27% last season. More often than not opponents have to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown.

Jim Harbaugh is building something very special in the Bay Area. The city is excited and the 49ers are relevant again after years of anonymity. The playoffs are only a matter of time, but they are fast approaching.

The San Francisco 49ers as well as the Dallas Cowboys are two of the most storied and successful franchises in NFL history. Their battles for NFL royalty are historic and created a rivalry that spans over many decades and reached its peak in the 90s. Since then both teams played a less significant role in the league but are vying to return to glory.

The 49ers started the season, and Jim Harbaugh’s NFL head coaching era, with a 33-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The offense played solid and did what they had to do in order to secure victory. The defense played excellently and put constant pressure on Seattle’s offense. Special teams had a historical, record-breaking day and eventually put the game out of reach when the Seahawks cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter.

The Dallas Cowboys lost their season opener at the New York Jets, a game they could have and should have won. QB Tony Romo caused the Jets many problems but two costly turnovers in the fourth quarter gave New York a 17-points comeback. The defense recorded 4 sacks and held the opponent to 45 yards on the ground.

Compared to the Seattle Seahawks the Dallas Cowboys are a much tougher task. Dallas’ passing offense with Tony Romo, WR Dez Bryant, WR Miles Austin and TE Jason Witten is one of the most talented in the league and OLB DeMarcus Ware might just be the best outside linebacker in the NFL.

The Cowboys have a lot of injury concerns going into this game. Cornerbacks Terence Newman and Orlando Scandrick will be sidelined and Mike Jenkins is a game time decision. The offensive line is beat up and Dez Bryant hasn’t practiced all week, which according to head coach Jason Garrett’s philosophy would mean that he isn’t available.

Keys to Success

QB Alex Smith has to show his entire repertoire of passing plays. He has to test Dallas’ secondary with deep passes and keep their front seven out of balance with screens, sweeps and play actions.

RB Frank Gore needs to find a way to break through the middle, because OLBs DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer won’t allow big gains on outside runs.

Use Ted Ginn Jr. as a deep threat weapon.

San Francisco’s front seven has to overpower Dallas’ inexperienced offensive line and make Tony Romo feel uncomfortable in the pocket.

Use a second tight end to double-team DeMarcus Ware on as many plays as possible.

I listened to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s press conference as well as offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s this week. One thing stood out, they were focused and seemed to have a game plan. This gives me a feeling of confidence that the 49ers are ready and prepared for the Cowboys.

Probable Starters

Offense: QB Alex Smith, RB Frank Gore, FB Moran Norris, WR Braylon Edwards, WR Josh Morgan, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Chilo Rachal, RT Anthony Davis.

Defense: LE Ray McDonald, NT Isaac Sopoaga, RE Justin Smith, LOLB Ahmad Brooks, LILB NaVorro Bowman, RILB Patrick Willis, ROLB Parys Haralson, LCB Carlos Rogers, SS Donte Whitner, FS Madieu Williams, RCB Tarell Brown. 

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys 27-20

Since I’ve become a beat reporter I followed five or six of Jim Harbaugh’s press conferences and I have to say that they appear to be a challenge for every journalist. Harbaugh does not give away much and he is very secretive. Is this his style in general or is it the self-imposed pressure of being successful as the head coach of the 49ers? Regardless, you have to work with the information he is willing to share and here is his impression from Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.

A lot of things stood out for Jim Harbaugh, especially the special teams. Ted Ginn Jr. had a record setting day, punter Andy Lee had a career day with an average of 59.6 yards on 5 punts and kicker David Akers made all of his four field goal attempts and scored three more extra points. The defense had an outstanding performance and the offense did what they had to do. They made plays and didn’t turn the ball over.

Jim Harbaugh once said that you need to be better at two aspects of the game to win and that he wants to have the better special teams. He admitted that the coaching staff devotes a good share of time to special teams.

The head coach would not discuss San Francisco’s running game, which only managed to gain 85 yards, or 2.7 yards per carry in the whole game. Harbaugh insisted that this is something the coaches will figure out internally.

The media disagreed with Jim Harbaugh’s offensive play calling on 3^rd and 5, labelling the run “safe”, whereas Harbaugh insisted it was attacking. The head coach points out that it is a decision at the time what you think gives your team the best chance of success. I agree with Harbaugh when he mentions that it’s easy to say the 49ers should have thrown the ball, because had a passing play been unsuccessful everyone would have said that they should have run it. The media was also not convinced that this was a West Coast offense on Sunday but Harbaugh told them that this kind of offense is a big, big system and allows the talents of the players to be used in a variety of ways.

Jim Harbaugh praised DE Ray McDonald and QB Alex Smith. The head coach felt that McDonald was ready to explode onto the scene. That’s why it was a priority to re-sign him. According to Harbaugh, Ray McDonald had a marvellous game. Alex Smith was prepared for the game and on point. He played cool and made good decisions.

The media seemed surprised that San Francisco’s defense only showed basic packages instead of blitzes defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known for, but Jim Harbaugh said that he liked the way his defense played. He wants his defense to excel in many different styles, as a coverage team, as a blitzing team, as a run-stopping team etc. 

Frankly, I sympathize with Jim Harbaugh. The 49ers won the season opener, which merits a focus on the positives. Special teams were spectacular, the defense was outstanding and the offense was focused and effective. What more could you ask for?   

The San Francisco 49ers host the Houston Texans tonight for the third preseason game. Usually this means that the designated starters see extended playing time but the Niners have a new head coach and with it comes a new approach.

Jim Harbaugh said that he would bring in the backups early to give them the opportunity to play against starters. Quarterback Alex Smith will start tonight but could be replaced with Colin Kaepernick after two offensive series. Smith may return to the game if the situation permits. This could be for a two-minute drill or just another series.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wants to play zone defense against the Texans, after focusing on the blitz last week. Donte Whitner is likely going to be the starter at strong safety once the regular season kicks off but Dashon Goldson and Madieu Williams are battling for the other safety spot.

The left cornerback competition seems settled. Carlos Rogers will be the starter with rookie Chris Culliver as his backup. There are still three players who hope to win the starter job on the right side, Shawntae Spencer, Tarell Brown and Tramaine Brock. Look for Brown and Brock to get plenty of opportunities tonight to make big plays.

First-round pick Aldon Smith is always under the scope and many expect him to become a starter soon. Smith won the first round at New Orleans Saints but Parys Haralson was the better ROLB against the Oakland Raiders. The battle appears to be tied at the moment, which works in Haralson’s favor, so expect Aldon Smith to see a lot of action tonight.

The 49ers are converting Bruce Miller from defensive end to fullback. It would be nice to see him block for Frank Gore tonight but the running back is going to leave the game early. Regardless, Bruce Miller will see a great deal of playing time against the Houston Texans.

Lastly, the center battle is a wide open race and will remain so even after tonight’s game. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman announced that both, Adam Snyder and Jonathan Goodwin, would see an equal amount of playing time against the Texans.

Tonight may only be another preseason game but San Francisco’s backups will be tested against Houston’s starters. Jim Harbaugh wants his twos and threes prepared for every situation that may occur in the regular season, and this includes playing against the best players on the opposing team.  

The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders will match up tonight for the second game of the preseason. The Battle of the Bay is an annual preseason tradition, which dates back to 1967. Both sides won 19 encounters.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh is familiar with the Oakland Raiders and his owner Al Davis. He started his full-time coaching career there in 2002 as offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach before he moved on to coach on college level in 2004.

What to expect tonight?

A bonfire of blitzes. Plain and simple. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio announced that the 49ers are going to blitz a lot this week. The Raiders do in preseason games what they don’t do in regular season games, hence they will blitz a lot, too and should be encouraged to do so since the New Orleans Saints were very successful with this strategy last week.

What to look out for tonight?

After last week’s showings you will obviously want to have another close look at the quarterback situation. According to Jim Harbaugh Alex Smith has a clear advantage over Colin Kaepernick, thanks to a great week in training camp. Both quarterbacks completed 11 of 26 pass attempts for a combined 127 yards at New Orleans. Newly acquired veteran Josh McCown will likely play in the 4^th quarter.

The offensive line was pushed around last week and allowed 6 sacks in the first half. Jim Harbaugh mentioned during a conference call last week that the coaching staff will look at different combinations on the offensive line. Expect some of the players lining up at different positions.

Defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga seems ready to go and it will be interesting to see how the transition to nose tackle in a 3-4 system goes.

Tonight could become the Aldon Smith Show with blitzing as the main dish on the menu. This guy is strong, fast and has long arms. Vic Fangio saw all his linebackers improving, so expect them to put some serious pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

With cornerbacks Shawntae Spencer and Carlos Rogers out for tonight’s game, expect extended playing time for rookie Chris Culliver and Tarell Brown. The safety competition isn’t going to be any less interesting with Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and Madieu Williams fighting for two starting jobs. San Francisco’s pass defense ranked 24^th last season and the 49ers were busy trying to fix this through free agency. The secondary will have their hands full if the Raiders manage to pick up the blitz early.

Many say that preseason games are meaningless. The Battle of the Bay is never meaningless. Rivalries are all about bragging rights and with the series currently tied at 19, who’s going to brag next? 

San Francisco’s first preseason game did not deliver the desired result. The 49ers lost 24-3 at the New Orleans Saints who looked just as rusty as their opponent.

New Orleans put constant pressure on San Francisco’s offensive line and quarterbacks and had 6 sacks for a loss of 39 yards in the first half. The Saints were particularly hard on rookie Colin Kaepernick who got sacked on three consecutive plays in the 2^nd quarter.

Alex Smith, who started the game, was 2 of 7 for 10 yards. Colin Kaepernick was 9 of 19 for 117 yards and 2 interceptions, which gives the 49ers a QB rating of 25.6 for the game.

Colin Kaepernick showed his skill as a scrambler. His 28 yard rush late in the 2^nd quarter set up David Akers 59 yard field goal to make it 17-3 at halftime. The rookie happened to be the 49ers best rusher, finishing with 47 yards on 6 attempts. Frank Gore had 20 yards on 4 attempts.

The highlight of the game has to be Saints rookie Joseph Morgan’s 78 yard punt return touchdown to give them a 10-0 lead at the start of the 2^nd quarter.

Both defenses dominated the game as long as the starters were on the field. Especially DE Justin Smith left an early impression on Saints RB Pierre Thomas with 2 tackles. 49ers first round pick Aldon Smith had 1 sack for a loss of 6 yards in the 3^rd quarter and finished the game with 3 tackles.

The 49ers were rushing for 136 yards and passed for 98 yards. Their defense held the Saints to 138 yards on the ground and 150 yards through the air.

Head Coach Jim Harbaugh cannot be happy with what he saw on Friday night. Passing game and pass coverage need to improve and he has four more weeks to fix this for the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio has to be satisfied with the performance of his defense, although I would expect it to become more aggressive as the season progresses.