The 49ers game is now complete.  I'll be home later to watch the game and recap it (if anybody I'm around tells me the score today I will in fact lose it!).  The end of game/post-game thread is for discussion of the 49ers game.

This thread however, is for discussion of a very intriguing slate of afternoon games.  There is of course the most discussed game nationally, Packers vs. Vikings.  Everybody will be slobbering about Brett Favre returning to Green Bay.  I'd love to see Packers fans throw crap at him, but I don't think they'll go that far.  We'll see.

However, for 49ers fans, this afternoon is an especially big deal because the Panthers and Cardinals are squaring off.  For purposes of 2009 we certainly would like a Panthers win.  The Cardinals hold a one-game lead on the 49ers and whether the 49ers have won or lost in Indianapolis, a Cardinals loss would be huge for the 49ers playoff hopes.

Long term, a Panther loss would be a big plus for purposes of boosting that first round draft pick of theirs that the 49ers hold.  For now I'm probably rooting for the Panthers.  I really, really want to see the 49ers in the playoffs this season.  A Cardinals loss would certainly boost those chances.  And if the 49ers have lost to Indianapolis, a Cardinals loss would keep the 49ers only a game back.

By the time the Panthers-Cardinals game is over I'll hopefully be home and watching the 49ers game finally.  Whatever the case, the Panthers recap/look forward will likely be delayed today (if it goes up at all).

Also, when this post goes up, could somebody post a link to it in the end of game/post-game thread?  Thanks.

    @ 

Here's a final game thread for today's matchup.  When somebody comes in here, please post a link in the previous game thread.  Feel free to use this for the afternoon games.

GO NINERS!

    @ 

Here's a third game thread for today's matchup.  When somebody comes in here, please post a link in the previous game thread.  A final thread will open up at 1pm pacific.

GO NINERS!

    @ 

Here's a second game thread for today's matchup.  When somebody comes in here, please post a link in the previous game thread.  Let's hope things haven't gotten too ugly at this point.  The next thread will open at noon pacific time.

GO NINERS!

    @ 

Date: November 1, 2009
Time: 10:00am PST
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Records: 49ers (3-3) Colts (6-0)
Bodoglife.com Spread: Colts -13.5; Over/Under 45; Money Line: 49ers +525, Colts -725
Weather: 47°F - it's indoors so no need to worry about the wind
TV Broadcast: FOX - Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, Laura Okmin
Radio: 107.7 The Bone, 680/1050 KNBR - Ted Robinson, Gary Plummer, Rod Brooks
Spanish Radio: KIQI 1010-AM, KATD 990-AM - Mathias Godinez, Melvin Moran, Marcos Gutierrez
Colts Coverage: Stampede Blue

SB Nation Game coverage

Week 8 Prediction Contest: If you missed out on the early games, you can still make predictions for tonight and tomorrow.

Sports Bar Thread

Injuries
49ers: Out - SS Reggie Smith (groin); Questionable - DE Ray McDonald (ankle), LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder) Probable - CB Marcus Hudson (shoulder), RB Michael Robinson (shoulder), OT Adam Snyder (calf)

Colts: Out - WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee), DB Marlin Jackson (knee), K Adam Vinatieri (right knee); Doubtful - RB Donald Brown (shoulder) Questionable - DE Dwight Freeney (knee), WR Reggie Wayne (groin), DT Eric Foster (shoulder), TE Jacob Tamme (hamstring)

I'm traveling during the day and likely won't be able to watch the game until later this afternoon at the earliest.  Accordingly, I've schedule several game posts to get folks through the game.  The schedule of game threads is as follows:

Game Thread #2 - 10:45am

Game Thread #3 - 12:00pm

End of game/post-game Thread - 1:00pm

We'll also have an afternoon game thread going up at 1:15 for discussion of Panthers/Cardinals and Vikings/Packers.

GO NINERS!

Here we go. One final thread for one final drive!

    @

I wanted to get this thread up earlier and probably should have gone with it after the 49ers last touchdown.  Instead, the 49ers find themselves down 10 points with 7:16 to play.  That's plenty of time to at least tie this thing, but Alex Smith needs to make some plays on this upcoming drive.  I really didn't envision that sentence this season....or at least this early.

GO NINERS!

    @

And so here we are, entering the second half of a game that has had virtually nothing to get excited about.  Sure Michael Crabtree has a couple catches, but other than that it's been all Texans.  The 49ers defense was looking decent early, but they've gone in the tank thanks to their own struggles and the fact that the offense couldn't move the ball if their life depended on it.  The offensive line remains absolutely abysmal.  When you're getting sacked fairly easily when playing the shotgun, you know there's a bit of a problem.

After the game we'll have plenty of blame to dole out (barring a complete 180 by this team).  For now, all I can hope for is making Adam Snyder the full-time right guard.  Beyond that there's not much, and that is a very sad state of affairs.  The 49ers get the ball to start the second half, but it may not matter.  Given their performance so far, a shutout would not surprise me in the least.  I'm thinking we could maybe see a field goal or two, but I'm not holding my breath for even that.