NFL Playoffs: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints Final Injury Report

The San Francisco 49ers released their final injury report on Friday before their clash with the New Orleans Saints today. The report listed five players that were all listed as questionable, leaving it up to the public (and the Saints) who will play and who will sit in the 49ers' first playoff game in nine seasons.

The list included TE Delanie Walker, WR Ted Ginn, CB Chris Culliver, DT Ray McDonald and WR Kyle Williams. Again, all listed as questionable.

Off the bat, it looks like Walker will be out against the Saints on Saturday, although Walker was really never in the game-plan for the 49ers.

Those who will play are also fairly obvious. Ginn is sure to play through his ankle injury that has kept him out the last two weeks. McDonald, who participated in drills this last week of practice, said he is ready to go and will play on Saturday.

That leaves two players up in the air that could provide significant depth to the 49ers against the Saints. Culliver is still nursing that knee to go along with an illness, but the SFGate.com's Kevin Lynch feels he will be ready to go. San Francisco needs all the depth they can get in the secondary against New Orleans.

Williams is another player up in the air that Lynch sees playing. Williams has been out since the Week 16 incident in Seattle. Although he was in a no-contact jersey the entire week, we can expect him to play and provide necessary depth at receiver and kicker returner this afternoon.

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NFL Playoffs: San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints Preview & Prediction

It does not matter what the San Francisco 49ers' defense has done this year or what kind of a mastermind Jim Harbaugh is. It seems to be an overall consensus that the New Orleans Saints are the overwhelmingly better team heading into the game on Saturday.

The Saints are favorites not because of a west coast bias or even because the 49ers have received little if any respect throughout this entire season, but because New Orleans simply puts up points on a consistent and relentless basis.

The saying "defense wins championships" does not apply to the NFL in this day and age and especially not to the Saints or Green Bay Packers this season. Both teams sport mediocre defenses, but have offenses that score at will, and that is what matters.

So then can we write off the 49ers as just another bump on the Saints' road to a matchup at Lambeau Field with the Packers two weekends from now?

Not so fast. The 49ers will have several things going for them when they play the Saints on Saturday afternoon.

San Francisco has the luxury of playing at home at Candlestick Park away from any dome the Saints would feel comfortable in. The 49ers also have a relentless pass rush that is sure to at least perturb quarterback Drew Brees just a smidge.

However, the number of things going against the 49ers far outways the number of things going for them, and that is the reality of it.

The Saints average 467 yards of total offense per game, ranking No. 1 in the NFL, while boasting the quarterback with the second best passer rating in the NFL at 110.6. The team also averages 34 points per game.

Even if the 49ers were so lucky as to slow down the Saints' offense by a touchdown or two, it would still require the San Francisco offense to put up around 24 points on Saturday at Candlestick Park to even contend.

Alex Smith and a beat-up Frank Gore will have a lot on their plate.

If the 49ers want to win this game against a hearty offense like Drew Brees and the Saints, they will need to stick to their strengths. That means controlling field position with punter Andy Lee and David Akers, having an overwhelming pass rush against one of the NFL's best offensive lines and limiting the dump-off passes from Brees to Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas.

To say the least, it will be a tall task for the 49ers on Saturday.

X-Factor

There are two ways the 49ers can contend and win this game on Saturday, and they will need to do both for every second of all four quarters.

The first is for Alex Smith to simply put up points, most notably in the red zone. Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have had nearly two weeks to come up with some sort of offensive scheme to throw at a decent Saints defense. The reality is that New Orleans is just 30th in the NFL in pass defense, so Smith will be able to throw the ball with some consistency. Also, the Saints rush defense allows just over 100 yards per game, which will be a welcome sight for Gore and Kendall Hunter, who is sure to play a big role in Saturday's game.

It is a fact that the 49ers need to pass rush Brees to death in order to have a chance, but the Saints' best asset is that they adapt to defenses easily because they have weapons like tight end Jimmy Graham and Sproles.

Make no mistake, the 49ers are at their best when they control their opponent's field position. Brees has no problem leading a drive 80+ yards down the field, but if San Francisco can make him do that drive after drive, then that smothering 49ers' defense will have to kick in eventually, even against a New Orleans offense with so many playmakers.

The goal for San Francisco on Saturday is not to stop the Saints every drive, but to stop them just enough and when it counts. That will put them in position to win this game.

Prediction

It would be easy to pick the Saints, who are favorites and playing incredible offensive football right now, but the fact the game is outside at Candlestick Park against one of the NFL's top defenses brings this game back to nearly an even match-up.

We all underestimated Harbaugh and his coaching staff at the beginning of the season. And after a 13-3 season, i am having a hard time betting against him again.

However, that New Orleans offense is simply too overwhelming with too many targets to game plan for. Although the 49ers' defense will be able to hold the Saints back for a good portion of this game, it will only be so long before those offensive flood gates open up for Brees & Co.

Saints win 31-27

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San Jose Sharks Streaking In 2012; Crucial Road Trip Awaits

It is amazing what a new year can do to a team's self-esteem. After ending 2011 on a two-game losing streak, the San Jose Sharks have turned over a new leaf in 2012 and now ride a four-game win streak into a four-game road trip in the midst of playing 17 of their next 23 games away from HP Pavilion.

Suddenly in 2012, the power play and penalty kill do not seem so bad, under the radar players are stepping up and producing and Antti Niemi and the defense have let up two or fewer goals in all four games in 2012.

With all the ups-and-downs this team has gone through this season, which include the injuries, glaring weaknesses and inconsistent play, the Sharks still hold the top spot in the Pacific division and are just five points out of the top spot in the Western Conference.

However, if one was to make the statement that the Sharks have yet to be tested away from home, not many would disagree with them.

Good wins against the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks away from HP Pavilion are always nice, but having the luxury of playing 23 of 38 games at home to start the season, including 10 of 13 in the month of December, is a little ridiculous.

Low and behold, San Jose gets their first real test of the season on the road against quality opponents for a period of 23 games stretching over a month and a half. Key games include the Chicago Blackhawks, Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, Red Wings and Minnesota Wild twice.

Weaknesses will be revealed, changes will be made and this Sharks team will return back to San Jose a whole different team than they left with.

The Sharks had circled this stretch of games on the calendar before the season began, and they go into it riding a four-game win streak playing arguably their best hockey of the 2011-12 NHL season. They knew this was coming eventually.

Fortunately, the veterans are finally producing and the team is meshing wonderfully, coincidentally after key offseason pick-up Martin Havlat's injury sent him to the sidelines for possibly two months. Since then, the team has rallied around that incident and developed a team chemistry despite losing such a key offensive player for this team. They ride that team chemistry into Minnesota on Tuesday.

But we all know what is coming. A long road trip like this will reveal glaring weaknesses in this team that they will have to continuously work on throughout the months following this long stretch of games away from home.

Parts of the game, like the power play and penalty kill will either rise to the occasion or falter under the intense pressure of being on the road.

What we will find out in this next month and a half is how good this team really is.

A road trip this far away from home for this long a period of time will do that to a team, and we will see what kind of a squad coach Todd McLellan really has when they officially return to the Sharks Tank at the end of February.

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San Jose Sharks: Predicting the Offensive Starting Lines at Season's End

With all the ups and downs the San Jose Sharks have gone through this season, it is intriguing to see how this team will finish the season. Even with all the line changes and injuries, San Jose is still one of the better teams in the Western Conference and competing nearly every night for the top spot in the Pacific division.

The Martin Havlat injury has been a major blow to both the offensive production and overall morale of this team. Also, the defense may have received a little too much preseason credit, and have slowly come back to Earth.

Where this team will stand at the end of the year is still up in the air, but we can at least have a good understanding that the Sharks will finish somewhere near the top of the Western Conference playoff picture, as per usual.

What starting will we see at the end of the season, and will James Sheppard make an appearance in them?

Here are my predictions for the Sharks' starting lines at the end of the 2011-12 NHL season.

First Line: Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski

It is hard to imagine a better set of players that the Sharks can put out there with this much skill and chemistry nearly every night. Slowly, this squad is getting more and more familiar with each other and the production can only go up from here.

Marleau is set to have a huge second half of the season and Pavelski should continue to impress on the big stage of a premiere team in the NHL. With Thornton's consistent play-making, we should see this line become one of the more deadly in the NHL heading into the playoffs.

Second Line: Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture, Martin Havlat

Havlat should return within the next two months, giving the this set of players a good month and a half to re-familiarize themselves with each other.

When Havlat went down with injury, this was a very productive line just getting into their stride and gaining a consistency with each other.

Clowe and Couture continue to be paired up with each other while Havlat is out, so the line should not take long to get back into a groove once Havlat returns come mid to late February.

Third Line: Jamie McGinn, Michal Handzus, Torrey Mitchell

There was a moment where i thought we would see James Sheppard, the offseason pick-up who skated in practice for the first time this season the other day, on this line. Even with the surprising news, his return this season is doubtful, although we could see a game or two towards the end.

With the fourth line in tact, as well as the first and second lines, this hard-working line is all but set come season's end.

Tommy Wingels has a shot to make this line if Andrew Desjardins falls off the map during the second half, but his hard work is deserving of a spot at the end of the season. Wingels has been off and on after being called up from Worcester this season. If he gains some consistency and become that player we all saw during the preseason and the first few games of the regular season, we could see him taking McGinn's spot on this line and pushing him down to the fourth line. But that sort of roster move may not be what McLellan is thinking come playoff time.

Fourth Line: Brad Winchester, Andrew Desjardins, Andrew Murray

This is another definite spot to include either James Sheppard or Tommy Wingels in, but with Sheppard's uncertainty and Wingels inconsistency, that is highly doubtful.

This fourth line has been together the entire season with consistent productivity all around, giving McLellan no reason to split them up.

All three players have +/- in the positive numbers, which is more than you can ask for any other fourth line in hockey. They do what they supposed to do and get the job done, which is why they have stayed in tact with one another throughout this season, and also why McLellan has so much faith in them as a unit.

I am sure we will see McLellan test the waters and dividing them up during the second half of the season just to see what happens, but we are sure to see them back together towards the end.

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Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry Needs Second Option Mentality

The court was Stephen Curry's on New Year's Eve against the Philadelphia 76ers. Monta Ellis was attending his grandmother's funeral in Mississippi, and Curry was set to be the main scorer for the Warriors.

Curry finished with 21 points on 9 of 15 shooting and looked less like a go-to player and more of someone attempting to be just that. David Lee would be the one to shoot the ball 24 times in that game. Naturally, the Warriors were run out of their own gym by a 76ers squad that seemed to have it all figured out.

But Curry is not a go-to scorer, and it was wrong to put him in that situation and surround him with that much hype. We can date that back to the Warriors drafting him.

Yes, the loss of Ellis in that game hurts, which is the case whenever a team loses their majority scorer for a game, but many expected more than forced shots and awkward turnovers from Curry when the lights were shining on him.

For that reason, it is time we retire any idea of Curry becoming what many thought he could be in the NBA, which was a lights-out shooter that could potentially lead a team. That worked for him at Davidson College. On the Warriors, that role is Ellis' and Curry is just his wingman.

If the 23-year-old wants to take the next step in the NBA, he will need to accept the role of the second option and play like such.

Far too often, we see Curry forcing shots and having the ball in his hands for way too long. His name and the reputation that comes with it may suggest he should have the ball in his hands, but his style of play that translated in the NBA suggests something totally different.

Curry's role should be off the ball and less of the man with the ball in his hands. We all know he can shoot like not many other players in this league, but it is he and coach Mark Jackson's responsibility to set him up to succeed and utilize that skill in the NBA. He can play point guard well, but his game is more suited to a Richard Hamilton-style of play, and it would not take much to develop him into such a player.

Less time with the ball in his hands, but the same amount of shots per game.

For the Warriors to succeed this season, Ellis needs the ball in his hands because good things happen when it does. Curry is not at that level yet.

Meanwhile, let him play the role we know he can play: Maker of shots.

Adding in ball-handling duties and a leader of the team will hopefully come with experience, but right now he does not have it. So why does it appear like it is being forced on him?

The Warriors need to accentuate Curry's skills and abilities, and only then will this team play winning basketball.

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San Francisco Giants Speculation: Tim Lincecum Trade Possible

The words "sizable gap" were scattered around the baseball world this past week when it came to the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum.

Those are definitely not the words Giants fans want to hear when talking about their team in contract talks with their pride and joy, long-haired magician on the mound.

Reportedly, the Giants offered Lincecum $80 million for four years over the summer, and that offer has been upped in recent weeks. However, Lincecum has been adamant in his stance on wanting an eight-year contract and getting paid. It would be the first substantial payday of his MLB career, after making just $650,000 per year the first four years and a little over $11 million per year since these past two.

Lincecum, who will be a free agent after the 2013 season, reportedly wants loyalty in the form of a large sum of money for a large number of years, and it seems it does not necessarily have to be from the Giants.

The last time San Francisco gave a big-time contract to a pitcher was Barry Zito for seven years and $126 million. You can understand the hesitation of the Giants' part.

But Lincecum is different, right?

A two-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion has to mean something to the Giants franchise. However, a contract like Zito's sticks with a ballclub, the general manager that made it and the fanbase surrounding it, no matter how different these players are.

The problem here is not the eight years, although that number is large for a 5'10", 165 lbs. pitcher with an unorthodox motion to the plate. The problem is the risk of failure, and given the information in the previous sentence, that risk may be growing higher every year they give Lincecum that paycheck.

With that said, eight years is a large risk for a GM like Sabean, who still wears the $18 million per year to Zito, and the Giants franchise that cannot afford to miss or risk setting their ballclub back several years.

In any case, this potentially leaves the Giants with two options if eight years is too much: Trade Lincecum or hope he agrees to accept short-term deals of no more than two years.

The trade could give the Giants much-needed prospects or much-needed hitters, and the short-term deal could buy both Lincecum and the Giants time, as well as involve less risk for the franchise.

Who knows what the most likely scenario is now?

For the Giants, a trade may be the safest.

It rids the Giants of a very possible plunge if Lincecum goes down with injury, which many baseball minds believe could happen any season now given his calculated, yet unorthodox, motion to the plate and including his small, yet powerful, frame. Baseball scouts say it does not add up, and an eight-year contract may lead the Giants' decision-makers to think the same.

You give an eight-year contract to a fully-built workhorse, not a small-framed pothead, right?

San Francisco has a decision to make between Lincecum and fellow starter Matt Cain. Do they sign one or both?

Lincecum's recent actions may have them leaning towards settling for Cain and risking less by potentially acquiring more and dealing Lincecum this season.

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San Jose Sharks: The Best Way To Replace Martin Havlat is to Not

Martin Havlat, the speed and offensive skill the San Jose Sharks traded for during the offseason, is out for good portion of the upcoming few months. As far as we know, he will be sidelined 6-8 weeks, but we can bet on the 2 month range looking like a probable timetable for his return.

That likely return will take us to just about the end of February 2012 and leave around a month and a half left in the season for the Sharks.

With the team already struggling in several aspects of their game so far this season, it is only fitting that trade rumors surface in order to salvage a possible Western Conference playoff run.

That is what happens when Doug Wilson is your GM, though. His flair for the timely trade has become standard around San Jose, but this season may be the most important for him to come through in the clutch.

However, does this team really need to make a key acquisition right now if they are to make a real push in the Western Conference playoffs?

Losing Havlat is a blow, but overreaction may be even worse, which is why Wilson needs to take a step back for the moment and wait until the trade deadline to acquire that talent needed for a deep playoff run.

The reason for the wait is the team is used to running without Havlat. His absence from the team has been more of a distraction than his actual unimpressive play on the ice so far this season.

Wilson, given his reputation and long list of acquisitions in the Sharks' organization, should understand what a player's worth is. This far into the season, that is tough to judge.

Make no mistake, San Jose's main trade bait is goalie Antero Niittymaki, who recently returned from injury and replaced Thomas Greiss as the second-string netminder on the team, despite Greiss's respectable play behind starter Antti Niemi. Many teams are looking for a goalie and they will be calling Wilson come the trade deadline.

That time would become Niittymaki's highest value period, where teams need the goalie and Wilson can make his play for who he wants on that opposing team. Right now, although the team can use a healthy body whose name provides a bigger boost than Benn Ferriero, the Sharks need to wait and accept the "winger by committee" that is presumed to occur over the next couple months for the Sharks.

Wilson will make a significant trade this season, and it will most likely have Niittymaki's name in it, but now is the time to form chemistry with this team that includes Ferriero (the best option at winger they have) and whoever else coach Todd McLellan decides to light a fire under. Havlat will be back and he will be affective, but making a drastic trade so early in the season is nowhere near where Wilson is or should be leaning right now.

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