In our daily look at the news going on with the other teams in the NFC West, there is as always the obligatory mention of the St. Louis Rams and their coaching search. They interviewed Ray Horton in a move that might just be to comply with the Rooney Rule that requires that at least minority candidate be interviewed for every head coaching job. The San Francisco 49ers place any players on the All-Pro team, and the Seattle Seahawks do some scouting, looking at Arizona States QB Brock Owseiler.
Read on and click the most interesting stories to get more.
San Francisco 49ers:
2012 NFL Playoffs: Dealing With Playoff Experience - Niners Nation
The 49ers head into the postseason with a few players having some playoff experience, but a lot of the roster being newbies to the NFL postseason. Guys like David Akers, Jonathan Goodwin, Justin Smith and Carlos Rogers have some experience in the postseason, but for the vast majority of the roster this is their first time in the NFL postseason. Many had a chance to play bowl games in college, but otherwise this is a first for them.
2012 NFL Playoffs: A Preliminary Look At The New York Giants - Niners Nation
The 2012 NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend with the wild card round presenting a variety of intriguing matchups. There are plenty of story lines to keep us all interested, but the most important part of the weekend is getting an opponent for the divisional championship round the following weekend.
The 49ers Special Teams Unit Is Delightfully Quirky - Niners Nation
We break down the quirky nature of the 49ers special teams unit.
Cheap Points in 2011: Is Regression to the Mean Good for the 49ers? - Niners Nation
As fans and pundits alike have been looking more at the statistical side of the NFL, people have become more familiar with the concept of regression to the mean. This concept suggests that unless there is some significant explanatory factor not captured by statistics, over time, statistics that look strange (exceptionally high or low) will generally change to be less strange (more like the average). The reason I bring this up is that it seemed to me that the 2011 49ers scored an inordinately low number of "cheap points"--that is, non-offensive points--in 2011. When I had a look at this in a more detailed way, the numbers bore out. Follow me after the jump to see how this affects the 49ers as we look forward to the playoffs.
2011 NFL All-Pro Team: 49ers Lead The League In Selections - Niners Nation
We break down the news that the 49ers led the league in All-Pro team selections.
49ers Injury Report: Ray McDonald Rehabs Hamstring Injury - Niners Nation
The 49ers had their second practice of the week today, and in the portion open to the media, defensive end Ray McDonald was off on a side field doing some rehab on his hamstring. McDonald apparently suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of last week's Rams game. He was seen limping after the game but is apparently not limping now. I'd imagine the team will be extremely careful with him heading into next week. McDonald has been huge for the 49ers opposite Justin Smith, so there is no need to push him in practice.
Seattle Seahawks:
Seahawks Scouting: Brock Osweiler, Arizona State QB, Reportedly Set To Go Pro - Field Gulls
Per one of my favorite Draft sites on the world wide interwebs - Mocking the Draft, sources tell the Scout.com Arizona State site Devils Digest that Arizona State QB Brock Osweiler will hold a news conference today to announce that he's entering the 2012 NFL Draft. And my interest is piqued.
"I'm A Seahawk, Man": An Interview With Cornerback Marcus Trufant - Field Gulls
There was a time when NFL players spent their entire career with one team. Now, many wistful nostalgics will tell you it's because they played in a time before all the me-first, million-dollar, prima donna nonsense you see nowadays and, if you don't cut them off, they'll also tell you about how when you bought a toaster in the '60s, you bought that toaster for life, not like now, where you gotta go get a new one every two years. Perhaps there was more loyalty in the olden days of the NFL, and maybe players did feel obliged to finish where they started, but more likely it's because before free agency players couldn't say diddly poo about where and for whom they played.
NFL Draft: "Get Your Franchise QB Late!" or "Let's Not Get Jobs, Let's Play the LOTTO!" - Field Gulls
How easy is it to find the next Tom Brady, or a franchise QB after the first round? Let's take a look with a deep look at the 2000-2003 drafts!
St. Louis Rams:
Rams Received Permission To Interview Ray Horton, Cardinals Defensive Coordinator - Turf Show Times
The St. Louis Rams did not win any other their games against NFC West opponents. With the season over they may be interested in picking off a coaching candidate from one of their rivals. According to Adam Schefter, the Rams have received permission to interview Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton for their head coaching vacancy.
Patriots And Chiefs Have Asked For Permission To Interview Josh McDaniels - Turf Show Times
In news that won't shock you, the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs have asked the St. Louis Rams for permission to speak with Josh McDaniels. Whether or not the Rams have granted those two teams permission to talk to McDaniels is unknown.
Ravens' Eric DeCosta Not Going Anywhere - Turf Show Times
Baltimore Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta has been one of the hotter names for teams looking to replace their General Managers. The St. Louis Rams were one of several teams that requested permission to interview DeCosta, but they won't get that opportunity. The Ravens announced today that DeCosta will stay with the team, declining all interviews.
More On Josh McDaniels' Future - Turf Show Times
It was reported on Thursday that two teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots, have requested permission to interview Josh McDaniels for their offensive coordinator openings. There is still no confirmation as to whether or not the Rams have acceded to those requests. At any rate, the news presents the opportunity to clarify a few things about the rules for NFL coaching hires and some additional speculation popping up about McDaniels and the Rams.
Where Things Stand With Jeff Fisher And The Rams - Turf Show Times
St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke wrapped up his interview with Jeff Fisher on Thursday in Denver. Even before the two finished, the rumor mill said that Fisher would be choosing between the head coaching jobs in St. Louis or with the Miami Dolphins. On Friday, Adam Schefter confirmed that. Let's take a look at what we know about the situation.
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