Golden Nuggets: Getting ready for 49ers at Patriots, the game of the year?

Another day, another Nuggets. That's the grind of the football season. Us poor blogistes (<===French) are slaving away with infinite other monkeys at infinite typewriters. Lot's of news as the season hits the home stretch. We're embarking on the season-defining stretch with the road trip from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks. At New England and at Seattle back-to-back in primetime is about as hard as you can have it in this league. Flying across the country, the cold of NE while they're playing at their best, the most abrasive home field advantage, with the division title in the balance the following weekend! Whew! But, steel sharpens steel. And we definitely need some sharpening before the playoffs begin. We've been a bit steel, a bit tin can this season. TIME FOR STEEL!

I'm gonna lead off with Peter King's MMQB Tuesday piece. Not because I love PK or anything, but because it's got some info about the success of the different playoff seeds. So let us not fret if we don't get the No. 2 seed. Success comes from all over the playoff map. I would worry if we don't get the division. We need to play our best football, tighten up the mistakes and get ready for the 'real' games. That's all that matters.

Falcons, Texans may get top playoff seeds, but it may not mean much (King)

Week 15: 49ers at Patriots

There's really not much need to build this game up. It's the best offense in the league against the best defense. It's Tom Brady and a high-powered passing game against, well, us. It's the game of the year. Both teams want this one for playoff seeding reasons and as a measuring stick for how good they are. We've beat the other top team in the NFC (Green Bay) and the Patriots just crushed the previous No. 1 in the AFC. Bring it on!

The big question is can the 49ers pass defense, a top unit, slow down the unstoppable Brady? Carlos Rogers on Wes Welker in the slot is going to be a critical matchup. | Heavy metal: Can 49ers nickel defense thwart red-hot Tom Brady? (Barrows)

And here we have Carlos Rogers talking about that matchup. He got beaten all over the field in our first encounter with the Rams and Danny Amendola. Wes Welker is even more difficult and has one of the best quarterbacks of our generation throwing the ball. Amendola has Sam Bradford. | Carlos Rogers discusses Wes Welker matchup (49ers.com)

BASG has some ideas on how to stop Wes Welker. Don't use Carlos Rogers and have the safeties hit him early and often. I like your thinking! | How can 49ers stop Wes Welker? (BASG)

It's good to get all the help we can. It really helps when your uber-competitive brother plays against your upcoming opponent twice a year. I wish my brother had some dirt on the pain-in-the-butt assistant manager at work. But he's just sitting on his rear playing video games in California instead of battling my arch-nemesis in Australia. | Randy Moss, John Harbaugh will assist in preparation for Patriots (Branch)

Men in black - - four 49ers in no-contact jerseys (Barrows)

Same weekly approach for Kaepernick as he prepares for Patriots (Maiocco)

Welker poses immense challenge for Rogers (CSN Bay Area)

Moss on Kaepernick: "I really just compliment his leadership" (Branch)

Moss looks forward to facing his old team (Maiocco)

Niners need offense to keep pace with Pats (Scout.com)

Two ways the 49ers can beat the Pats (SF Gate)

49ers' memorable challenge: Tom Brady (Branch)

Carlos Rogers expects Tom Brady to be a challenge as 49ers prepare for Patriots (Gin)

Searching for ways to slow Tom Brady (Sando)

49ers notebook: Patriots more balanced this year (Bonagura)

Belichick talks (softly) about Harbuagh's QB move, football-smart Randy Moss (Branch)

Harbaugh transcript: 'It's definitely a big challenge and a big task' (Inman)

Kaepernick transcript: 'It's a great opportunity for us to go out and show what we're capable of' (Inman)

Week 14: 49ers 27, Dolphins 13

And in case you still want to read about the Dolphins game....we've got my piece for Bay Area SB Nation. The long fourth quarter drive by the Dolphins to keep them in the game is part of a worrying trend by the 49ers' defense to not finish teams when they are down. | Niners beat Miami in all three phases; Aldon Smith nears record (BASBN)

Assorted 49ers News

Frank Gore: The greatest 49ers' running back of all-time. I never would have imagined that so many years ago, but here he is, owning all the 49ers' records. He'll never match Roger Craig for his receiving skills but he's outpacing him in all other categories. | Gore poised to set true franchise rushing record on Sunday (Barrows)

Well this isn't specifically 49ers news, but it uses the 49ers as an example. The title says it all. | Is the 'read option' here to stay in NFL? (National Football Post)

A lengthy article by the official website of the team on Colin Kaepernick's maturation as a player. | Kaepernick growing with experience (49ers.com)

In case you haven't heard. There's a new dance. It's not the Humpty Dance....you're so behind the times. It's Kaepernicking. OK, it's not a dance....but when do I get to link to Digital Underground? It's just kissing your bicep and stuff. | 'Kaepernicking' kraze katching on tonight (Inman)

49ers jump two spots to third in AP NFL power rankings (Mercury News)

Any evidence of Brandon Jacobs being removed by 49ers (ProFootballTalk)

Mike Iupati raises play (49ers.com)

Coach's notebook: Dec. 12 (49ers.com)

Notes and quotes from Wednesday's practice (Inman)

Kaepernick's former baseball prospects (CSN Bay Area)

Colin Kaepernick vs Alex Smith: A statistical comparison (Cohn)

Videos / Assorted Media

The remix: 49ers vs Dolphins (49ers.com)

Press pass: Jim Harbaugh (49ers.com)

Press pass: Carlos Rogers (49ers.com)

Press pass: Colin Kaepernick (49ers.com)

Press pass: Randy Moss (49ers.com)

Conference call: Patriots HC Bill Belichick (49ers.com)

Conference call: Patriots WR Wes Welker (49ers.com)

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