Takeo Spikes News

Forget about the Chicago defensive line. Here is what Vernon Davis and the 49ers really need to destroy tonight: Their own stupid mistakes.

TWO MONTHS ago he was the head man in charge of charisma, equal parts football coach and religious figure.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee looks at what might have been if the 49ers could have acquired Lance Briggs from the Bears.

Tight end Vernon Davis says the San Francisco 49ers will take care of business against the Chicago Bears in Thursday night's game.

Such as Mike Singletary and Jeff Fisher. In 1981, Singletary and Fisher were rookie teammates on the Chicago Bears.

This is it for the 49ers. Even though head coach Mike Singletary has said that all games are a "must win", not just this game, the team understands that a loss against the Titans on Sunday could detour them from playoff hopes.

Tight end Vernon Davis said the attitude reflects the players' belief that they can compete with anybody, which the 49ers showed in close defeats at Houston and Indianapolis.

Jimmy Raye once identified Rich Gannon as the quarterback who best fit his system.

For the first time this season, the 49ers will face a quarterback who is as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm.

"Consistency is what we're lacking," he said Wednesday. "In the few times we've put ourselves in bad situations, 3rd-and-longs resulted in not moving the chains.

Recently, the link between football, head injuries and lifelong brain damage has been a hot topic in the media and in NFL circles.

However, he might take some solace in the fact that it took a play the Colts had not used in nine years to beat the 49ers 18-14 to remain undefeated at 7-0. The 49ers, admirably, took a 14-12 lead into the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium.

HALF ASSESSMENT: The 49ers have to try the no-huddle in the second half, Alex Smith runs it so well and the increased tempo makes it hard for defenses to adjust.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes is questionable for Sunday's game at Indianapolis with a shoulder injury.

Whether linebacker Takeo Spikes takes the field against the Indianapolis Colts will be a game-time decision, coach Mike Singletary said after practice Friday.

Takeo Spikes #51 of the San Francisco 49ers heads downfield against the Green Bay Packers during a preseason game on August 16, 2008 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.

Alex Smith looked mostly fresh after two years in storage. But the rust showed during a failed two-minute drill, and the 49ers are working to correct the problems before heading to Indianapolis.

That would be the helmet that has a radio receiver installed in it, allowing the player to get instructions and calls from the coaches.

We're back with the first injury/practice report of the week. At this point it's too early to get particularly worried about given injuries, but it's still something to pay attention to.

"We're not going to be a flavor-of-the-month kind of team," coach Mike Singletary said.