Keith Brooks & Carmichael Dave - September 6, 2013
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At first glance it seems that the Packers and 49ers will both be at full strength for the match up Sunday. However, San Francisco will be without several players and will need to hold the fort until they get back their full roster.
Two teams looking to erase the thoughts of 2012 are the 49ers and Packers. While the 49ers are trying to get back to the Super Bowl, the Packers are facing the team that not only ended their 2012 season, but did so in a rout. Both teams are talented and the winner will be the team to beat in the NFL after week 1.
With fantasy drafts now in full swing, would-be owners are scrambling to unlock the secrets of this year's draft. To that end, let's take a closer look at who might be the best QB option this year in fantasy: Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees.
The Green Bay Packers drafted Alabama running back Eddie Lacy in the second round of the draft in April to fix its problematic running game. The Packers have been in the top half of the NFL in rushing just once in Mike McCarthy's seven years as head coach. Lacy, a big and powerful back, aims to fix that.
Photos from the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.
After dismantling the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the 49ers find themselves back in the NFC Championship Game. With the Falcons holding serve against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco will travel to Atlanta with one win standing in the way of both teams of a trip to the Super Bowl. By playing a Falcons team who ended the season as the number 1 seed, in the Georgia Dome, the 49ers will be the underdogs, but have to like their chances of pulling off the upset and moving on to the Super Bowl.
Maybe you missed some of this past week's football action. Here's a quick recap of the Divisional playoff games in the NFL.
The game was close on the scoreboard for the first half, but in the second half, San Francisco dominated the Packers to set up their return to the NFC Championship Game to face either the Falcons or Seahawkss. It was a complete team effort, but in his first playoff game, Colin Kaepernick again proved that he is up to any challenge and lead the charge in an performance that may be the best ever by a quarterback.
With multiple Pro Bowlers on both sides of the ball, the match-up between the 49ers and Packers will not be lacking talent. Both teams are well coached, disciplined and hungry for a win. The difference in this game will come down to the attention to 3 key areas and some luck.
By beating the Packers in Week 1, in Green Bay no less, San Francisco should have plenty of confidence that they can beat the NFC North Champs again on Saturday. While the early season victory means nothing now, the fact that the game is in San Francisco does. The Packers have struggled outside of Lambeau this year, and can't be happy to have to go to San Francisco to try and keep their season alive.
One of the major concerns for the 49ers as they prepare to take on the Green Bay Packers Saturday is the kicking game. For a team that has such a sound defense, three points can go a long way, and more times then not playoff games are decided by a last second field goal. As David Akers has regressed this season, the team signed Billy Cundiff to evaluate the teams kicking options, yet with the game less then a week away there has still been no decision made. This in camp battle doesn't figure to have a winner declared until right before the game, but with no clear favorite, the best option for the team is to deactivate Akers and go with the new guy.
With the Packers up first, the San Francisco 49ers will have a very difficult opponent to get past in order to make a trip back to the NFC Championship Game. Although the key to success in the game will start and end with stopping the Green Bay Offense, the 49ers will still need to score the ball, and that falls on the shoulder of Colin Kaepernick. The reason for Jim Harbaugh switching to Kaepernick in the middle of the season was for the first year starter to take them to the Super Bowl, and it's time for Colin to make his coach look like a genius.
Maybe you missed some of this past week's football action. Here's a quick recap of the Wild Card playoff games in the NFL.
When it was announced that Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder would be unable to play in the wild card match-up between Green Bay and Minnesota, the Packers booked their flight to San Francisco. Green Bay dominated their undermanned opponent, setting up what stacks up to be one of the best game of the playoffs, and a battle that could very well determine the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.
Although they have plenty of internal things to shore up before the take the field on January 12th, the 49ers will have a close eye on the two NFC match-ups this weekend. No team presents an easy match up moving forward, but it would benefit the 49ers for the Redskins and Vikings to emerge victorious.
A city-versus-church saga continues to unfold in Fairfield as a popular homeless ministry pushes back against a six-figure fine it has been ordered to pay.
Sacramento city leaders on Tuesday will consider passing new rules cracking down on sideshows. It comes as the number of street takeovers continues to grow.
Keon Ellis had a career high 33 points, including nine 3-pointers, to lead Sacramento.
After spending $18,000 on waterproof laminate floors, a Natomas couple spotted damage after the first cleaning.
A football player at Casa Roble High School died over the weekend in a rollover crash in Roseville, police said Monday.
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A city-versus-church saga continues to unfold in Fairfield as a popular homeless ministry pushes back against a six-figure fine it has been ordered to pay.
Sacramento city leaders on Tuesday will consider passing new rules cracking down on sideshows. It comes as the number of street takeovers continues to grow.
The nonprofit advocacy group Stop Antisemitism gave UC Davis a failing grade.
Keon Ellis had a career high 33 points, including nine 3-pointers, to lead Sacramento.
Sacramento city leaders on Tuesday will consider passing new rules cracking down on sideshows. It comes as the number of street takeovers continues to grow.
From Sacramento to the White House, here's a look at President-elect Donald Trump's pick for communications director.
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A Freeze Warning has been issued through Tuesday as our coldest temperatures of the season arrive.
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Elon Musk's social media platform X is suing California over a new state law targeting deceptive, AI-generated election content, claiming that it violates First Amendment free speech protections.
A U.S. Army soldier from Northern California who was captured during World War II and died as a prisoner of war in the Philippines has been accounted for, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Friday.
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The San Francisco 49ers got a taste of what their defense looks like without Nick Bosa in the second half of a loss to Seattle.
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From Sacramento to the White House, here's a look at President-elect Donald Trump's pick for communications director.
President-elect Donald Trump announced he selected former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general.
Two women testified before the House Ethics Committee that Matt Gaetz paid them "for sex," their lawyer told CBS News' Major Garrett.
Kennedy insists he is not "anti-vaccine," but he has a long record of false and misleading statements about their safety and benefits. What could he do as Trump's HHS secretary?
Mr. Biden has made addressing climate change a key part of his policy agenda.
The first case in the U.S. of a more severe strain of mpox was reported in San Mateo County, the California Department of Public Health said.
Since Movember started, it's raised over a billion dollars to help fund programs for prostate and testicular cancer as well as suicide prevention.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues urgent safety alert after ninth recall of adult bed rails in three years.
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Consumer Reports applauds food giant's decision after less-than-expected demand for the meal kits from school districts.
A Fairfield couple had their home insurance policy canceled because of a photo taken from high above their residence. They called Kurtis when they thought the insurance carrier got it wrong.
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A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
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CBS News California examined retail theft rates in California and whether the high-profile Proposition 36 would help combat those crimes.
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After spending $18,000 on waterproof laminate floors, a Natomas couple spotted damage after the first cleaning.
More than a year after Hai Pham canceled the trial membership, he kept getting charged every month for it.
A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
The family contacted CBS13 and the Call Kurtis consumer investigative team to look into the matter.
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The fire prompted a massive response from crews across the state, including five strike teams out of Auburn in Placer County.
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A nutrition program to get kids excited about healthy eating in Yuba City is seeing success and now the farm-to-school program will be growing not just food but in size and opportunity.
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More than one hundred customers came out to celebrate the grand reopening of a restaurant that's been around for seven decades.
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Sacramento city leaders on Tuesday will consider passing new rules cracking down on sideshows. It comes as the number of street takeovers continues to grow.
After spending $18,000 on waterproof laminate floors, a Natomas couple spotted damage after the first cleaning.
It's city versus church in a saga that continues to unfold in Fairfield. Back in October, we first told you the church was fighting to reopen its popular homeless ministry without paying the more than $300,000 in fines the city has ordered them to pay in order to reopen.
A football player at Casa Roble High School died over the weekend in a rollover crash in Roseville, police said Monday.
A football player at Casa Roble High School died over the weekend in a rollover crash in Roseville, police said Monday.