49ers WR Randy Moss was one of several players who remained in town during San Francisco's bye week. (US Presswire) |
After the team’s 24-3 win against Arizona last Monday, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh gave the team six days off -- one for each win -- to do with what they pleased.
While some players chose to use the bye week to head home or travel elsewhere, Harbaugh said the “usual suspects” remained in Santa Clara. He mentioned Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga, Randy Moss and Alex Smith, while indicating there were several others on the list.
The coaching staff used the last week to evaluate its own roster before taking the weekend off to recharge the batteries.
“It was good," Harbaugh said. "You hope that everybody had a chance to spend time with their family and take some time for themselves. Every now and then everybody needs to take a knee and sip water. But, need everybody back full strength for the second half of this campaign.”
From a health standpoint, the 49ers are in an enviable position. Injuries haven’t played a significant role and the team is arguably healthier now than it was to start the year, at least relative to the rest of the league.
WR Mario Manningham is the only player who has been inactive due to an injury and he was back the next week after missing one game.
Don’t believe rumors, says Harbaugh: Rumors about an incident involving LB Aldon Smith getting jumped are untrue, Harbaugh implied.
When asked about the alleged incident, Harbaugh was short in his response: “Well, I personally tend not to believe everything I read on the Internet, to start with,” he said. “[General Manager] Trent Baalke talked to Aldon.”
It was clear Harbaugh did not want to discuss what may or may not have occurred in Columbia, Missouri, where Smith attended college.
“What Aldon said to us was the same as what he said publicly,” Harbaugh said. “And you also tend to take a man at his word. So, I don’t know that there’s anything more to add.”
Smith had tweeted: "Didn't get jumped. Stop asking."
Harbaugh loves Lufkin, Texas: Harbaugh and San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt shared a conversation about Belt’s home town as Harbaugh drove Belt’s car in San Francisco's World Series parade.
“Yeah, we had a great talk about where he’s from, Lufkin, Texas. And when I asked him where he was from, he told me that I’d probably never heard of it,” Harbaugh said. “I said, ‘Come on, Lufkin, Texas. Everybody’s heard of Lufkin, Texas.’ That’s the Bible belt of football. Had been there to recruit and loved it."
That wasn’t all.
“Love Lufkin, Texas. I could live in Lufkin, Texas. It’s just a Friday night lights kind of setting. The water tower has the high school emblem on it. And just a great sports town and football town. So, we talked a bit about that and their year.”
During the conversation, Belt said he was a Cowboys fan.
No Luck needed: Harbaugh hasn’t kept a close eye on his former protégé Andrew Luck, but caught some of the highlights as Luck led the Indianapolis Colts to a win over Miami.
Harbaugh’s analysis of Luck’s play was succinct: “He’s done great. No surprise.”
Follow 49ers reporter Kyle Bonagura on Twitter @CBS49ers and @KyleBonagura.