Whenever I read about the game-day matchups in the San Francisco Examiner on Friday, I see RB Frank Gore vs. MLB Brian Urlacher or QB Alex Smith vs. SS Todd Johnson. While I see the point of the 1-on-1 matchup, a lot of times it just doesn't apply. Obviously a WR vs. CB is logical. But I plan on exploring unit matchups such as running game vs. defensive line or Alex Smith vs. Bears secondary. I just want to mix in traditional analysis with some less utilized analysis. Additionally, while I'm getting the hang of things, I will not be looking at every potential matchup in the game, but rather a couple of the more important matchups.
Alex Smith vs. Bears Secondary: If the Bears were at full health this would be a bit of a mismatch. Mike Brown is as much the heart and soul of this defense as Brian Urlacher. Ricky Manning has put together an impressive season in spite of some off the field issues. If Manning joins Brown on the sideline tomorrow Smith might actually have a chance to make some plays. This will be the Bears first full game without Brown, so we'll see if the bye week allowed them to move past the injury. I believe the Bears are professional enough to move past it, however the drop off talent provides a potential for the 49ers offense to come out with some confidence.
49ers running game vs. Bears D-line/Linebackers: The o-line sees the return of Jonas Jennings are Larry Allen, a.k.a the entire left side of the line. Seeing a the unit together for the first time since week 1 will be a welcome sight. While they can't stop Frank Gore from fumbling the ball, they should be able to give him holes to bounce through. While they may not get 100 yards out of Gore, the 49ers are gonna need him to pound through those holes to wear down the defense, draw in the secondary and open up the play-action.
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