There is a lot going on in the NFC West, but it is a lot of waiting. The Niners are prepping for their game against the New Orleans Saints. The Rams are still waiting on Jeff Fisher's decision, but that could be coming soon. Only the Seahawks don't seem to be waiting on anyone.
Hit the jump for Thursday's NFC West links.
49ers Vs. Saints Injury Report: Ray McDonald, Kyle Williams Limited In Practice - Niners Nation
Late yesterday afternoon the 49ers and Saints released their injury reports with the only real surprise being Roman Harper's absence from practice. The 49ers side of things did not include any surprises as Delanie Walker sat out practice while he waits to be re-assessed next week. It is relatively noteworthy that Ray McDonald and Kyle Williams both got into practice, albeit in a limited form. They should be good to go for Saturday, but it's nice to see them getting work in leading up to the game.
49ers Vs. Saints: Five Questions With Canal Street Chronicles - Niners Nation
The return of football this week means we get another chance to chat with a fellow SB Nation blogger. This week Dave Cariello of Canal Street Chronicles provides some insight into a few areas of the Saints, some of which we know and some of which we don't know.
49ers Vs. Saints: Is There A Cat To Be Let Out Of A Bag? - Niners Nation
As the 49ers get ready for Saturday's game against the Saints, we've had plenty of discussion about the 49ers defense against the Saints offense. And yet, the 49ers offense will more than likely need to find some ways to put points on the board if the 49ers are going to win this game.
2012 NFL Playoffs: Justin Smith Breaks Down The Saints Offense - Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers made a variety of players available to the media the last two days, and arguably the most informative was Justin Smith. Although the 49ers have a strict policy of not talking specifics about their own scheme and plans, Smith was able to provide all sorts of details about the Saints offense. It doesn't give us everything, but it is a great read to get some more ideas about the Saints.
49ers Vs. Saints Odds: Prop Bets For Your Amusement - Niners Nation
The folks at Bovada (formerly Bodog) put together a rundown of proposition bets for all the NFL playoff games this weekend. I've posted all the 49ers-related odds after the jump. We can get an idea of how people think the game might go by some of these prop bets. The 49ers remain the underdog this weekend with the line nudging up from +3 to +3.5 Over at Scores and Odds it has gone up to four points.
2012 NFL Playoffs: 49ers Players Getting A Little Excited - Niners Nation
We take a look at some comments a 49ers player about the excitement for Saturday's game.
49ers Vs. Saints: 49ers Don't Need To Be Too Well Done - Niners Nation
We take a look at Coach Harbaugh's comments in his final press conference before Saturday's 49ers-Saints divisional matchup.
2012 NFL Draft: The Argument for Kellen Moore, Exhibit A - Field Gulls
Football is a demanding sport. There are plenty of sports that require such a balance, such a perfection of strength, size, speed, agility and stamina. But football forces an athlete to do all that...
Win Forever - A Guide to Carroll's Philosophy of Recruitment - Field Gulls
Welcome back to another installment of a short series of Fanposts that look at Pete Carroll's book Win Forever and the philosophy therein. The first two articles in the series can be found here and...
Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll and Bill Walsh, Rich Gannon, Joe Theismann, and the QB Situation - Field Gulls
Former NFL quarterback studs weigh in on the debate, and NFL legend Bill Walsh's experience provides an interesting perspective on developing quarterbacks; this could be invaluable to the Seahawks.
Round Two of the Najeh Davenport Memorial Tournament: Cortland Finnegan vs Terrell Owens ~Continuing the search for the worst roommate in the NFL.
Tarvaris Jackson shouldn't be and is not the complete scapegoat.
Mel Kiper Re-Grades Rams' 2011 Draft - Turf Show Times
How does the St. Louis Rams' rookie class of 2011 look now?
2011 Rams season review: Rookie grades - Turf Show Times
The Rams rookie class came in this year with a lot of hype, but for the most part, they didn't live up to it. On a whole, the class underperformed, and that was one of the problems that contributed to the firing of General Manger Billy Devanney. There was some shining moments for some of the rookies though, such as Robert Quinn blocking a punt against the Saints, but there was a lack of consistency from the rookies in 2011.
How Long Should The Rams Wait For Jeff Fisher? - Turf Show Times
The St. Louis Rams need a head coach like Jeff Fisher, but how much longer can they afford to wait?
Rams Interview Panthers' Chudzinski; Is He a Fit? - Turf Show Times
There still isn't any official decision on Jeff Fisher's part as to which team he'll coach in 2012. Word is that he will be making his pick later today – or maybe tomorrow, who knows with this guy. In the meantime, the Rams have been doing there due diligence, lining up interviews with the Carolina Panthers' OC Rob Chudzinski and Denver Broncos' DC Dennis Allen.
2012 NFL Draft: Morris Claiborne Declares, Should The Rams Consider Him? - Turf Show Times
LSU star cornerback, Morris Claiborne decided to declare for the NFL draft today. He is the top corner back(CB) prospect in the draft by far and will likely be a top ten pick and could factor into the Rams' draft in April.
Jeff Fisher: It's The Winning, Stupid - Turf Show Times
Consider me officially tired of the Jeff Fisher waiting game. Yes, I still think that he'd be the best option to coach the St. Louis Rams, but incessant leaking of endless minutia is getting tedious. Consider the latest report from Adam Schefter, via a "source close to Fisher."
Latest on Fisher from Adam Schefter, decision in 24 hours - Turf Show Times
Yup, I know what you're thinking, and I'm tired of all the Jeff Fisher information too. This should be coming to an end on Friday. However, if everything from this interview Adam Schefter had with Sid Rosenberg, a Miami sports radio jock, is true, it will help you understand this long and boring process.
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