The Gold Standard: San Francisco 49ers Podcast Network

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we attempt to cope with another embarrassing defeat in Seattle. What happened to a 49ers defense that was supposed to be the strength of this team? Can it be fixed? And were there any positives to pull from this performance? All that, plus the latest news, some NFL quick hits, and three things to watch this week against the Cowboys. Learn more a...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, it’s the first Whomp-Whomp Wednesday of the 2016 season. We look at the biggest takeaways from a weird game against the Panthers, put the spotlight on Jimmie Ward, and offer up three things to watch when the 49ers travel to Seattle this week. All that, plus no more Ray-Ray, the inaugural version of NFL Quick Hits, and #RichardWasHere. Learn more...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, the regular season has finally arrived and it’s time to start breaking down real football! What did we take away from our first look at Chip Kelly’s offense in San Francisco? Did the offensive line really shut down Aaron Donald? How good can the 49ers’ defense be this season? All that from the 49ers’ season-opening shutout over the Rams, plus Er...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, it’s time to get prepared for regular season football! We break down all you need to know about the 53-man roster cuts before laying out our preview for the 2016 season. Why could the 49ers be better this season? Why could they be worse? Were there any surprise cuts or keeps on the final roster? All that, plus Bruce Miller, Tank Carradine’s exte...

It’s a jam-packed episode this week on the Better Rivals podcast. We recap the 49ers’ third, and most important, preseason game against the Packers, break down all you need to know about the roster cuts to 75, and preview the Cardinals with Blake Murphy from Revenge of the Birds. All that, plus Colin Kaepernick discussion, Anthony Davis at guard, and who’s trending up and down entering the final w...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we pull out the biggest takeaways from the 49ers’ preseason victory over the Broncos. How should we feel about the quarterback situation? How will the defensive backfield shake out? And is this going to be a blitz-happy defense under Jim O’Neil? All that, plus Brandan from the Seahawkers Podcast joins us to preview the Seahawks, thoughts on the...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we have real football to talk about! Who’s trending up and trending down following the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Texans? Then, Joe McAtee from Turf Show Times joins us as we begin our NFC West opponent preview with the Rams. All that, plus injury updates, QB competition talk, and Longacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

What would a playoff season from the 2016 49ers look like? On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we hop into our time machine and try to figure it out. It’s a 2016 Season Review episode in August! Who needs to perform above expectations? What areas do the 49ers need to perform well in? And is any of this reasonable? All that, plus important depth chart takeaways, technical difficult...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we celebrate the start of training camp (and some real news) with a mailbag! What should we make of the surprising NaVorro Bowman extension? How are the positional battles shaking out on offense? What can we glean from training camp reports? And is Trent Baalke entering a make-or-break season? All that, plus Anthony Davis is for reals back, some...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, we round out Scheme Month with a sort of Passing Game 101. What’s going through a quarterback’s mind before the snap? How does the quarterback determine where to go with the football? What is a passing concept and how do routes complement each other? All that, plus our first Player Spotlight, 90-man roster player rankings, and new intro music fr...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, Scheme Month keeps on keepin’ on as we explore some of the tactics used to defend the spread offense that Chip Kelly’s 49ers might see in 2016. What is the spread offense? What sort of problems does it create for the defense? And how can the defense solve those problems? All that, plus where does the Aaron Lynch suspension leave the 49ers at out...

On this week’s episode of the Better Rivals podcast, the news is slow going but Scheme Month rolls on with Run Defense 101. What roles can defenders fill in run defense? What is gap control and why is it important? What techniques to defenses use to control those gaps? All that, plus the 49ers’ best and worst contracts, #colorinthehole, and slosh ball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Better Rivals back! After a month-long hiatus, we’re kicking off Scheme Month with a look at how teams build an offensive game plan. How do coaches determine what plays to put into a game plan? What elements make up a game plan? And how can we determine whether a game plan was successful or not? All that, plus David gets caught up on mini camp news, new intro music, and we play a game of Real Quot...