Why 2013 Will Also be a Lost Cause for the 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are a great team that just fell short by a few yards of achieving their goal of winning a Super Bowl. As good as they were in 2012, they will not even get back to the Super Bowl in 2013. Here's why:

1. No losing team in the big game has gotten back to the Super Bowl since the Buffalo Bills of the early 1990's (last appearance 1994). Forget the fact that the Pats are the last Super Bowl winners to return the next season. History is not on San Francisco's side.

2. Frank Gore will be 30 years old next season. While the team will likely be moving towards an offensive system that will be more beneficial for Colin Kaepernick, they will still be reliant on a running game and their star back isn't getting any younger. More carries might be given to Kendall Hunter and/or LaMichael James which means instability in the backfield.

3. Front line was very fortunate this season. There might've had minor hits and bruises but nothing serious affected the offensive front line which was very fortunate for the 49ers in 2012. Their luck up front, however, might run out next year.

4. Can Colin Kaepernick manage to stay healthy an entire season? He doesn't seem to run it as much as Robert Griffin III or Michael Vick but the verdict so far on running quarterbacks is that they cannot last an entire season without being out for some time. Making sure that Colin is healthy for the 2nd half of the year and possibly the postseason is another reason why a solid running game (reason #2) is important along with trying to create a more friendly quarterback playbook for Colin.

5. A tough NFC West to fight through now. Seattle proved to be a very tough team in 2012, so much so that they were labeled as a Super Bowl contender. Mix this in with the fact that the Rams looked solid with Jeff Fisher as their coach and the Cardinals are looking to reboot somehow with their new coach Bruce Arians makes it no guarantee that the 49ers even make the postseason in 2013.

As pessimistic as I do seem to be about the 49ers chances next season, they can still be considered contenders. The team overall is still solid, they are now strong at the quarterback position, and they have Alex Smith as a marketable commodity.

If there is one thing that San Francisco needs to improve the most during the off season it's their secondary. Pass defense is something that needs attention which seems weird to say considering they were fourth in the league in pass defense. However, their defensive line was a big reason for that coupled with the fact they made team's one dimensional with their run defense. Getting some better (and less homophobic) defensive backs will make that team a true nightmare to move the ball on.

Despite how good the team looks now and the moves they will make during the off season, there is no way I am picking them to win the Super Bowl next year. I don't have a guess for 2013 yet, it's way too soon to do that. But I can say it won't be my beloved 49ers.

49ers and Ravens Advance to First Ever Har-Bowl

There is one family in America that is ecstatic and that is the Harbaugh's.

In the NFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers lead by Jim Harbaugh, went into Atlanta to face the Falcons. After being down 17-0, the 49ers fought a great 2nd half and managed to grab the lead with a Frank Gore touchdown run in the 4th quarter. It was their first lead of the game. Atlanta tried to take back control of the game but after a failed 4th and 4 conversion attempt, the Falcons were all but done. The 49ers with Colin Kaepernick at the helm (not Alex Smith) managed to win the game 28-24 and advance to thier first Super Bowl since 1994.

As for the AFC Championship game, the Baltimore Ravens lead by John Harbaugh, Jim's older brother, went into New England and managed to keep Ray Lewis' career alive for one more final game. After being down 13-7 at the half, the Ravens defense clamped down while Joe Flacco and the offense took off. Flacco threw 3 touchdowns in the 2nd half with the last two going to Anquan Boldin. The Pats, meanwhile, couldn't put up any 2nd half points and managed one touchdown all game long. In their 2nd straight AFC Championship game vs New England, the Ravens overcome the Patriots 28-13 and go on to their first Super Bowl since 2000.

Super Bowl XLVII is set with the Baltimore Ravens vs. the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans. This marks the first Super Bowl in which the opposing head coaches are brothers. Definitely adds a bit to the term "Sibling Rivalry."

P.S. For a full recap of the 49ers win in Atlanta, click here. Be sure to visit the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for updates on the team before and after the Super Bowl.

LaMichael James, Your Time is Now

The 49ers did win the game last Sunday but they had a couple notable losses.

Kendall Hunter and Kyle Williams seasons seem to be done. Hunter and Williams were both injured on the same play during Sunday's win in New Orleans as Hunter hurt his ankle and Williams hurt his left knee. Both were put on injured reserve. As for replacements, it means more Special Teams work for Ted Ginn and now possible carries for LaMichael James, rookie out of Oregon.

Ted Ginn has experience and should do fine provided he can recover from a wrist injury and doesn't fumble the ball anymore upon return. LaMichael James on the other hand should be interesting to watch. The speedster hasn't taken a carry this year, just in the preseason. Frank Gore is good but he's only been taking half of the carries for the team as the other half has been split between Hunter and the rest of the squad. With Hunter gone, James will need to step in and be able to fill the void. Hope he's up to the task.

P.S. Either him or Brandon Jacobs. Gore can't do it by himself and hasn't been.