Audio: The Grant Napear Show - October 27, 2011
Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk joined Grant in the first hour to talk NFL, starting with the two star running backs on either side of the Bay: Darren McFadden and Frank Gore. Faulk praised McFadden's vision and burst when hitting the hole, saying he's lost the tentativeness that caused some struggles early in his career. When it comes to Gore, Faulk said that the Niners' back is one of the best in the business at gaining yards after contact. Marshall and Grant also discussed the struggles of the Philadelphia Eagles and the implications that would come should they lose to the Cowboys on Sunday night.
After some listener interaction that involved some unexpected inquiries over Grant's paycheck, Carlos Rogers of the 49ers talked about the team's early success and how much he enjoys being in San Francisco. Rogers mentioned that he played in the same defensive system in Washington, but is being utilized differently with San Francisco. Rogers also praised the Niners' front seven, discussed how the team has been able to succeed on the road, and how they were able to bottle up Calvin Johnson of Detroit.
In the five o'clock hour, Dan Fouts of CBS Sports told Grant he was sold on Baltimore as the top team in the AFC until their debacle of a loss in Jacksonville last Monday night. Fouts will be in San Francisco this weekend to broadcast the 49ers and Browns and said the Niners' toughness is what stands out to him the most abut the team's 5-1 start. He attributed Alex Smith's success this year to the coaching of Jim Harbaugh and the offense finally finding a way to utilize the talent on that side of the ball - guys like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and multiple first-round draft picks on the offensive line. Dan also told us at which point in the season you can truly assess whether a team is for real.
Closing things out, NFL Network's Charles Davis joined Grant for his weekly spot to talk about all things football. Boise State's weak schedule was a hot topic on the show, with Grant saying that Boise doesn't deserve to play in the NCAA championship game. Charles agreed with Grant - not because of Boise's skill level, but simply due to circumstance - the Broncos play in an awful conference. Charles then had a few thoughts on the NBA labor disruption, with the recent news that negotiations have picked up lately. Davis says the NBA doesn't have the same leverage with the fans that the NFL did when they threatened to cancel games. Charles and Grant also talked about Carson Palmer and how long it will take him to get back to NFL speed.
