A Press Democrat Blog

Cohn Zohn

Lowell Cohn's pertinent and impertinent take on sports

What’s the deal with Justin Smith?

Wednesday, at 10:10 by

Here is the opening to my Thursday column about Justin Smith: How effective will Justin Smith be on Saturday? That is the key question facing the 49ers as they prepare for the Packers. If Smith is healthy, the 49ers will have a formidable pass rush and can harass Aaron Rodgers and degrade his passing game. A healthy Justin Smith makes Aldon Smith a better sacker of quarterbacks. If Smith is healthy, the Niners can almost certainly negate the Packers’ run… Read More »

Justin Smith — torn triceps

Thursday, at 10:33 by

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Justin Smith has a partially-torn triceps which he suffered in the New England game. Barrows says Smith will need surgery after the season but is likely to play in this postseason, if he can tolerate the pain. Clearly, this is a serious injury. We’ve seen what the last six quarters have been like without Justin Smith on defense. Do you believe the Niners can flourish in the playoffs without Smith at… Read More »

Jim Harbaugh’s costly mistake

Wednesday, at 4:11 by

This is a little historical analysis to shed light on the problem the 49ers have right now. Their problem is no Justin Smith. Without Justin Smith their defense doesn’t seem to be a big deal. In fact, it seems to be a liability. Harbaugh may be responsible for his team losing Smith and here’s how. Before the New England game, Harbaugh activated Scott Tolzien. It was a strange call. It meant he had three quarterbacks but he didn’t need three… Read More »