Before we get to this week’s round-up of the odds, ends and trends around NFL in Week 12, we have the update you’ve all been waiting for...

SAFETYWATCH ‘08: Yet another safety this week, as Dallas blocked an Andy Lee punt through the end zone against the Niners. That’s four weeks in a row with a safety. Our long national curiosity continues. 

More updates as the situation progresses. We now return you to your regularly scheduled post:

I’ve got to be honest, I’m feeling pretty good about myself after Week 12. Last week, I wrote about how badly Donovan McNabb looked last week, and rumors he’s be benched for Kevin Kolb, and this weekend it happened. Last week, I predicted the Jets would upset the Titans, and on Sunday they did. I even had another good week with my picks. That's a lot to be thankful for right there. Of course, I did pick the Niners to win, and we all know how that turned out. But things could always be worse -- I could be a Lions fan.

THE LATER IT GETS, THE BETTER YOU LOOK: A few weeks ago, Boston fans were whining (I know, I was shocked too) that their season was over because Tom Brady was out and Matt Cassel sucked. Suddenly, they’re not only talking playoffs, but wondering if they’re not poised to make a run behind one of the hottest QB’s in the league -- some guy named Matt Cassel.

If Cassel was a stock, he’d be going in the opposite direction of all the other stocks -- up. Sunday, Cassel’s numbers reminded one of Brady’s: 30/43, 415 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. While Randy Moss had a lot to do with those stats, Cassel has always thrown well on the run, is looking better in the pocket, and even hit on some deep passes (two 20+ yard TD), which has been his weakness. It was the second straight tough division game in which he’s thrown for 400+ yards. It’s also he first time any QB has had back-to-back 400 yard games in the NFL since 2000. Sobering reminder: That QB was Billy Volek.

The question of Cassel’s availability this off-season has been raised here. I’ve been taking the position that the dollar figures being thrown around are too high, and the smart move would be to pass, but if Cassel keeps lighting up teams (especially teams which shut him down only a couple of months ago), I may have to reconsider.

To keep Cassel from free agency, New England can always franchise him, but CBS's Charley Casserley reported today that would cost them $14+ million, which they can't afford -- even if Brady’s injury lingers. And they cannot, as some have asserted, tag him with the franchise label just so they can trade him to the highest bidder -- at least, not exactly. According to NBC’s Peter King NFL rules forbid that. But it’s not that you can’t trade a franchise player, it’s that you can’t franchise them with the intent of trading them. Intent is an awfully hard thing to prove, but Bill Belichick doesn’t seem like the type of guy to try to pull a fast one and skirt league rules.

However it breaks down, it appears two things will probably change for Matt Cassel in 2009: He will play for a new team, and his salary will grow exponentially.

MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS: In 2001, the Patriots were a rag-tag squad of scrappy underdogs when they stunned the Rams, a team looking to establish a dynasty, in the Super Bowl. It seemed like a major upset at the time, but history now remembers more as a changing of the guard -- the Patriots taking their right place on the throne as next dominant team.

Seven years later, the Pats were the team looking to further cement its dynasty, and the Giants were the rag-tag squad of scrappers who capped a crazy playoff run by shocking them. But will history remember it that way? Considering how the Giants are playing this season, I’d have to guess the answer is no.

New York looks every bit as dominant now as they did throughout last January -- maybe more so. And just like during their playoff run, they don’t seem to mind losing a key contributor. In the playoffs, rookie TE Kevin Boss stepped in for an injured Jeremy Shockey, and the offense didn’t miss a beat. On Sunday, they were without starting RB Brandon Jacobs (inactive) and WR Plaxico Burress (injured early on), and still put up 37 points on the road against a playoff team. Why? Because they always get understudies to step up. Whether it’s RB’s Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, or WR’s Domenik Hixon, Amani Toomer and company, somebody always seems to make the play they need. 

Eli Manning has become a rock they can count on, as has the offensive line, and the pass rush (again, despite the loss of stars -- Strahan and Umenyiora). What’s more, if they are healthy come playoff time, these backups will have the experience and confidence from already playing important minutes. That, and the invaluable experience gained during last year’s run, I believe makes the Giants the odds-on favorite to repeat. 

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  vs. 

First off, thanks to grantmp for the suggestion of "A Prospector's Guide."  It fits in well with our Golden Nuggets links when they're rolled out.

The 49ers travel to New York to face the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants in what will be the 27th regular season contest between the two teams, dating back to 1952. The regular season series is tied at 13-13, but the two teams also have a storied history during postseason play, with the 49ers holding a 4-3 advantage over the Giants. Head Coach Mike Nolan’s ties to the Giants organization run deep, having served as the team’s defensive coordinator from 1993-96. His father, Dick, played nine seasons for the Giants (1954-57, 1959-61).

The upcoming game marks the second consecutive year that the 49ers have made the trip to New York. Last year, the 49ers fell to the Giants, 33-15, after New York scored 24 of its points on four San Francisco turnovers.

San Francisco is looking to snap a three-game losing streak after falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-26, last week. San Francisco held a 26-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but three turnovers in the final quarter proved costly. RB Frank Gore rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown, marking his second 100-yard rushing game this season. He now has scored a touchdown in fi ve-of-six games this year. TE Vernon Davis caught a season-high six passes for 75 yards, including a career-long 57-yard reception. LB Takeo Spikes posted an interception for the third straight game.

After the jump, we've got a recap of the last season's matchup, along with some facts and stats about the teams...

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Over the first two games, the 49ers seemed snake-bitten as crazy bounces were not going their way.  They righted that ship and are certainly showing signs of progress.  One area though where things have worked in their favor are opposing team injuries.  The Seahawks were absolutely decimated, which was one of the reasons the 49ers pulled out the road win.  Last week again Detroit, the Lions were missing offensive and defensive linemen and the 49ers were able to pounce.

The string of opposing team misfortune continues against the New Orleans Saints this week.  The timing on this comes as the Saints announced Jeremy Shockey would miss 3-6 weeks with a sports hernia.  That follows Marques Colston's continued absence after thumb surgery.  David Patten was sitting as their #1 receiver, but he left this past Sunday's game with a strained groin.  Also Sunday, the Saints lost left tackle Jammal Brown to a groin injury with no word on whether he'll play this coming weekend.

As you can see, the Saints are joining the list of teams suffering serious injury issues.  The 49ers are fortunate in that all their injured players this past Sunday are not expected to miss the Week 4 battle at New Orleans.  There is still no word on Shawntae Spencer, but it's appearing more and more likely that he's headed to the IR with a knee injury.  While not a devastating blow, it certainly doesn't help matters.

So, what do all the Saints injuries mean for Week 4?  Well, I'd imagine we'll see a nice fat serving of Reggie Bush.  In two career games versus San Francisco, Reggie Bush has accumulated 281 total yards and 4 touchdowns.  Not too shabby and plenty of reason to keep him extra active on Sunday. 

If Patten is also out that would leave Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore as the starting trio of receivers.  Probably more formidable than Seattle's group the other week, but a group that can be contained.  So, do the 49ers run the nickel/dime package all game long?  Would it be wise to give up the rushing yards to Bush but prevent the receiving yards?  He always seems like more of a threat in the passing game, so an option could be to have a DB shadow him the entire game.  A guy like Dashon Goldson would be able to keep up with him, but I could certainly see Bush shaking him off as Goldson over-pursues.  So, another option is a veteran like Mark Roman spying him.  Thoughts on that?

Aside from Anquan Boldin's second half performance against the 49ers, I feel safe letting them handle the receivers, whomever they may be.  I'd imagine most coaches don't like overplaying their hand and game-planning a single player.  However, Reggie Bush, at least against the 49ers, has turned into that type of player.  If they can contain Bush, I have confidence they can contain the rest of the receivers.

As the injury reports are updated I'll pass that info along.

Week 7 the 49ers head into New York to face the defending Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants.  The 49ers will be in the midst of a rather fearsome stretch: @ New Orleans, vs. New England, vs. Philadelphia, @ NY and versus the Seahawks.  If they want this season to go anywhere, 2-3 seems like a bare minimum result.

The New York Giants are represented here at SB Nation by Big Blue View, run by ETVal, so head on over if you get a chance.

Overview
While I'm sure there are people who picked the Giants to win it all, I think the general consensus is that they shocked the world this past February when they took down the unbeaten New England Patriot.  The Giants squeaked into the playoffs at 10-6 and definitely made the most of their opportunity.  Earlier in the season they faced off against the 49ers and saw their defense score 24 points in an eventual 33-15 Giants victory.  My prediction of a close Giants win was not to be.

While the Giants lost Jeremy Shockey for the season in Week 15, things worked out well enough in the end thanks to the somewhat stunning rise of Eli Manning, a superb defense and a quality year from Plaxico Burress.

Additions
The Giants made some interesting additions in the offseason.  They landed Mario Manningham, a favorite of some around here, late in the third round.  While he has a ways to climb on the depth chart, I'm curious to see how he performs in the NFL.  He came with some question marks and some baggage, but even though he's in New York, I wouldn't imagine there is a lot of pressure to put up big numbers right away.  And playing behind Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress will give him two impressive receivers to learn from.

They added veteran Sammy Knight when they elected not to shell out the big bucks for Gibril Wilson (thank you Al Davis).  The first two rounds of the draft landed a safety and a cornerback for the future, but they're in good shape for now in their secondary.  I also think they might just have a steal on their hands in sixth round pick Andre Woodson.  He struggled late which saw his stock plummet from high first rounder to where he ended up.

Subtractions
The big change is of course the most recent news of Jeremy Shockey to the Saints.  Losing the franchise's #4 man in receptions certainly won't help the team, but they showed they could win big without him.  Losing the single season sack leader (and #5 all time) in Michael Strahan is certainly a tough blow as well.  While Strahan was starting to lose steam, he still made a very solid contribution.

At the same time, even though two guys who were pretty close to the face of the franchise off and on over the last few years, I don't think the Giants are in too much trouble with these losses.  There will be an impact, but they have some talented guys behind them.  If nobody steps up there will certainly be issues, but the sky isn't falling yet (and besides they won the Super Bowl and can't complain anyways).

2008 Questions and Answers
Will there be a Super Bowl hangover?  Considering the fact that few if any people expected the Giants to win, a hangover certainly seems like a distinct possibility.  At the same time, Tom Coughlin is a disciplinarian type of coach and I can see him being the type of guy who can focus the team on the task at hand and get them thinking about 2008 and only 2008.

Will the real Eli Manning please stand up? Week 17 and the first rwo rounds of the playoffs saw Eli Manning absolutely blow up, taking care of business and moving the team forward.  While he was nowhere near as good in the conference championship game and the Super Bowl, he still didn't blow things for his team, which is sometimes all you can ask for.  The monkey of being Peyton's little brother has been removed by the Lombardi Trophy, so now we get to see what Eli can do without that kind of pressure.  It's still New York so there will always be some pressure.  Winning it all could lead to Eli getting truly comfortable as a star QB, or he just reverts back to his old ways.  Who really knows right now.

vs. San Francisco
Last season I picked a 23-21 Giants victory.  This season, I think the Super Bowl hangover happens and the 49ers offense doesn't have the turnover issues they had last year.  I'm gonna go so far as to say 49ers victory 24-20.  Of most of the predictions I'll make, this one might inspire the least confidence.  However, if the guys we expect to start are starting (meaning no 3rd string QBs and the like), I think this is a very winnable upset.  Join with me in praying for the hangover.

EDITOR'S UPDATE 12:30PM - The 49ers announced the signing of 7th round draft choice Larry Grant.  That leaves Balmer, Rachal, Wallace and Smith unsigned, although the team does not expect any trouble in getting them into camp on time.

EDITOR'S NOTE 10:05AM - Don't forget to submit your NFC Power Rankings.

Many of Niners Nation's readers make the daily trek over to Athletics Nation to get their daily dose of A's news.  One of the running features at AN is the Daily Link Dump, a collection of interesting links for a given day.  Usually they're related to the team, but just as often they can be about anything.  It's more or less an open thread for whatever.  We've introduced the link dump here in the past, but I thought it was time to brand it as something of our own.  There are not a ton of links in the offseason but there is enough to start posting this every so often. 

The name I've used, Golden Nuggets, is certainly not a definite long term answer.  I figure that since we're talking about the 49ers something to do with nuggets of gold might be appropriate.  And since I'm originally from Las Vegas, why not mix in a casino as well, right?  Any suggestions for a name for our link dump are certainly welcome.

• This first one has absolutely nothing to do with the 49ers, but they've got my favorite graphic from the recent past.  The post is at our very own The Falcoholic and is about why the Falcons won't go after Jeremy Shockey.  It's listed as #3.
• So there has been some discussion about new uniforms for the 49ers in the not too distant future.  Over at the 49ers Most Valuable Network site, they have had in depth posts about the potential pants and helmets.
• Over at the 49ers home page, they've posted previews of the QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs and a general team preview.
• It sounds like the early exhibition games could be more interesting this season.  Nolan has said that he'll have Smith and Hill playing further into the games than in the past to get a starter determined by Week 3 of the preseason.
• Matt Jones was busted in Arkansas for possession of 6 grams of cocaine and now faces felony charges.  After being converted to WR, Jones had a couple good seasons but never emerged as the #1 threat the Jaguars were looking for.
• Ed "Guns" Hochuli and Mike Carey both received the most positive votes in a survey of head coaches.
• While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were flagged for the most personal fouls, your San Francisco 49ers finished 22nd.  Stupid penalties kill teams, but once in a while it can get the team riled up.  I think Football Outsiders should do a study on that.
• Brett Favre should take notes from Trent Dilfer.
• Sounds like the Raiders and 49ers are considering a joint practice prior to their August 8 exhibition game.
• One site currently has the 49ers as +625 to win the NFC West.  For those who don't know, that means if you bet $100 on them and they come through you'd win $625.  Or for the more financially strapped $10 will get you $62.50.  Good times.

So feel free to throw out any and all links, 49ers or otherwise.  If you can think of a better name for our link dump, go ahead and let me know.

So what exactly is a semi-rational irrational prediction?  Well, it's irrational because there is very little new information that would make this a valid prediction.  We all are hoping certain things happen, but it's a long season and considering we haven't reached training camp, who knows what will happen.  I term it semi-rational though because I do have some sound reasoning for this prediction, or at least reasonably sound I guess.  Feel free to create your own semi-rational irrational prediction, or just mock mine.

Vernon Davis finished 2007 with 52 receptions for 509 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Those are respectable numbers for an anemic offense, but nothing to write home about.  However, among the 47 NFL tight ends with at least 1 reception and/or 1 receiving yard, The Disease finished 4th in receptions, 6th in receiving yards and 6th in touchdowns.  The tight ends ahead of him were the usual suspects, including Jason Witten, Chris Cooley and Jeremy Shockey.

Jason Witten finished with 96 receptions, 1,145 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Chris Cooley finished with 66 receptions, 786 yards and 8 touchdowns.  Jeremy Shockey finished with 57 receptions, 619 yards and 3 touchdowns.

In the new Mike Martz offense, Frank Gore is expected to have a big year in the Marshall Faulk role.  We're all hoping Alex Smith/Shaun Hill is able to put up big numbers, or at least better than average.  However, of all the offensive weapons, I think Vernon Davis is due to have the big breakout season.  I remain completely convinced that Vernon Davis will soon be joining the continuing evolution of the tight end position with the likes of Antonio Gates. 

Mike Martz has not used the tight end much in his offense, but he's never had a tight end that can match the rare combination of size and speed The Disease possesses.  When Davis is lined up as a tight end, no linebacker can cover him.  Check the video from the Bengals game last season where Davis made the linebacker look absolutely helpless on this touchdown catch (at the 1:15 mark and ignore the Limp Bizkit).  At the same time, he is too big and physical for a corner or safety to cover him like normal.

While there are clearly several keys to the offense turning things around (o-line, QB, RB, WR, etc...), if this team makes the playoffs, Vernon Davis will have had a big year.  There was a lot of discussion during OTAs about the installation of "hot reads."  I think Davis will be one of the primary beneficiaries.  Furthermore, I consider Davis more of a receiver than a tight end (even though he can fill both roles obviously).  As such, drafted receivers often take 2 or 3 years before they make that leap in greatness.  This is his 3rd year and I think the leap is at hand.

As far as what it will take to make it to the Pro Bowl?  Well I'll give you this prediction and say that it will be sufficient to get him in.  Davis will finish the season with 73 receptions, 805 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Maybe it's a little irrational to think he'll make the leap, but I think there is some sound reasoning for that position.

So, let's open the floor.  You're more than welcome to criticize or support my prediction, but I'd love to hear a single semi-rational irrational prediction from you folks.  I'm sure there's one guy on the team that you just have a gut-feeling about how he'll do and want to shout it on the rooftops.  So, let's hear it.  And even better, I've created a separate section for this called Preview.  So it'll be that much easier to find this wild and crazy predictions when the season comes to a close.