The NFL postseason begins Saturday and the San Francisco 49ers are hosting the opening game and Elijah Mitchell believes they will be the ones to watch ahead of the Super Bowl

Elijah Mitchell thinks the San Francisco 49ers will be “unstoppable.”(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers open the NFL playoffs with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, and running back Elijah Mitchell has warned NFC opponents they will be “unstoppable.”

The 49ers ended the regular season strong, dominating the NFC West Division with a 13-4 record. The 49ers have had one of the best defenses in the league for a while, but now that their offense is working, they could be someone to watch.

Star players Deebo Samuel and Christian McAffrey are both finally fit enough to start together and their availability came at the perfect time. And having just scored two touchdowns, Mitchell is confident the 49ers will be the team to watch out for.

Speaking to Mirror Sport ahead of the opening weekend of the playoffs, Mitchell was asked about their chances now that Samuel and McAffrey are finally fit to start together. “The two of you together, man, they’re just all-around defenders so when I bring in what I’ve got, my running style, it’s really just unstoppable.”

The running back scored two touchdowns in his 38-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and is heading into the postseason well. “I feel good, the body feels good.”

“Obviously I’ve got two touchdowns under my belt, but I have to give my boys a lot of love on the edge. They blocked everything so all I have to do is run.”

And of course, Mitchell is certain that with confidence that the 49ers are unstoppable, the 49ers can reach, and maybe even reach, the Super Bowl on February 12th. “Oh yes, definitely, no question.”

Mitchell is feeling ‘good’ ahead of the playoffs.(Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

One of the major storylines of the 49ers season was the rise of Brock Purdy, as the rookie quarterback will now lead them into the postseason. Purdy was the last pick of the entire 2022 draft but has won every start he’s been given and could become an instant franchise legend.

As a starter, Purdy is yet to lose and has not managed to tally fewer than two passing touchdowns per game. The playoffs may be tough, but Mitchell and the entire 49ers locker room are behind him.

“Purdy, last pick in the draft to start and do whatever he does – he deserves it and he’s going to keep proving himself,” Mitchell said. “He’s a baller, Purdy is Purdy.”

The 49ers have already beaten the Seahawks twice this season but must remember that they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs when they went into the game with a 2-0 lead last time in the regular season went. The 49ers have every means of progressing, but playoff football doesn’t always work that way.

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The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the best roster in the NFL. They’re lined on both sides of the ball with All-Pros and players with the biggest contracts in their positions in the NFL as the team prepares for another try at the Super Bowl.

But even the best teams have some gaps that need to be filled. San Francisco addressed what is arguably its greatest need very early on in free agency. After being knocked out by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers made significant improvements to central defense and signed Javon Hargrave.

Having been the No. 1 defense in the 2022 season, it’s certainly surprising that all of their needs are on that side of the ball. Even with the addition of Hargrave, the defense could use a little more punch in the pass rushing area.

The 49ers had 44 sacks last season, but 18.5 of those came from Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. The team’s second and third, Samson Ekubam and Charles Omenihu, both left free hands, leaving a large gap in defense.

Sophomore defensive end Drake Jackson will certainly have a bigger role, but adding another established veteran would be a good idea. Getting players below the salary cap could prove difficult, but one player that should be on the 49ers’ radar is the Minnesota Vikings’ Za’Darius Smith.

The question is when, not if, Smith will move on this offseason. He has already written a message thanking Minnesota and his fans as he is ready to move on. Smith’s request for release was denied as the team made trade offers for him.

After averaging 10.0 sacks last season, Smith is one of the most likely players in the league to be traded leading up to training camp. What could a trade between the 49ers and the Vikings look like?

A proposed trade package would have San Francisco send a fourth-round pick to Minnesota for 2024 in exchange for the veteran pass-rusher. The Vikings have taken pay cuts throughout the offseason, fired wide receiver Adam Thielen and are also looking to leave running back Dalvin Cook.

Smith could be the next player to move as swapping with him would save the team $12.16 million off the salary cap. That’s money that could be spent elsewhere in the roster to improve the team.

As for the 49ers, they get an excellent pass rusher as a bookend for Bosa. Smith would make sure Jackson isn’t ready for an expanded role, providing the team with a reliable presence to take the pressure off the incumbent DPOY.

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SEATTLE (AP) — Jeremy Peña and the Houston Astros just kept going. Scoreless inning after scoreless inning, as day turned into night in front of a frenzied crowd in Seattle.

They eventually found a way. That’s how the Astros reached the AL Championship Series for the sixth straight year.

It’s just what they do.

Peña homered in the 18th inning, and the Astros beat the Mariners 1-0 on Saturday for a three-game sweep of their AL Division Series.

“These guys, they know not to panic,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “They don’t get too excited. They don’t get too down. It means a lot.”

Peña drove a slider from Penn Murfee deep to left-center for the rookie’s first playoff homer, providing the only run in an afternoon full of dominant pitching and empty trips to the plate.

The 18 innings matched the longest game in playoff history and the 6 hours, 22 minutes was the third-longest in time.

Exhausting for everyone? Absolutely. But exhilarating for the Astros.

“Man, that was a long game. But you still got to lock in, try to put together good at-bats,” Peña said. “I was just trying to stay inside the baseball, drove it in the gap.”

Spoiling Seattle’s first home playoff appearance since 2001, Houston continued its ALCS streak that began with its 2017 World Series title. Next up is the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Wednesday.

While Yordan Alvarez got the big hits in the first two games in Houston, it was Peña that set the table for Alvarez’s opportunities. As Game 3 made its way into its sixth hour, Peña delivered another painful blow to the Mariners that ended their short return to the postseason.

“We all know that we belong here now and we all know what it takes to get here and get beyond this point,” Seattle shortstop JP Crawford said.

After 21 years, Seattle fans welcomed playoff baseball back inside T-Mobile Park. They got their money’s worth, and then some.

Three previous playoff games reached the 18th inning, one involving Houston. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 18 innings in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS on Chris Burke’s game-ending homer.

Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS between San Francisco and Washington and Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between Los Angeles and Boston also went 18 innings.

But those games had runs. This one failed to produce anything until Peña’s swing on a 3-2 pitch.

“I feel like in the playoffs you can’t try and do too much, especially the later the game goes,” Peña said.

Seattle’s best scoring chance was Julio Rodríguez’s line drive that thudded off the wall in the eighth. The Mariners had runners in scoring position in the 13th and 17th, but couldn’t get a key two-out hit against Houston’s superb bullpen.

Unlike baseball’s regular season, there is no automatic runner when playoff games go to extra innings.

“They pitched great. They played a great series. They beat us,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “In my mind, and I think our players’ mind, is a break here or there goes our way in this series, it could have been a lot different. But end of the day, they got the big hits in each of the games and they end up winning them.”

Luis Garcia worked five innings for the win. The Astros bullpen allowed five hits and struck out 15 following six innings from starter Lance McCullers Jr.

“Watching the whole thing the guys are doing a really good job and I’m really proud of them. … I was just trying to help,” Garcia said.

Seattle’s bullpen was nearly just as good. After rookie George Kirby threw seven innings, nine Mariners relievers combined for 11 innings of five-hit ball.

The teams combined to strike out 42 times, topping the postseason record of 39 set by the Guardians and Rays last week in their AL wild-card matchup that was scoreless for 15 innings before Oscar Gonzalez’s home run sent Cleveland to the ALDS.

“Their pitching was phenomenal today as well. We kept putting the zero up there and kept putting the zero up there and you think we’re going to be able to break through because we have so many times,” Servais said. “It’s kind of what we’re accustomed to playing — those tight games and finding a way but there were no errors made in that game today.”

Houston advanced despite a rough performance for Jose Altuve, who went 0 for 8 in Game 3 for the first time in his career and was hitless in 16 at-bats in the series.

Altuve joined Xander Bogaerts in Game 3 of 2018 World Series versus the Dodgers as only players to go 0 for 8 or worse in a postseason game. But Houston’s other pieces came through, none bigger than its young shortstop who took on a prominent role after Carlos Correa departed in free agency.

Peña’s homer was his only hit in eight at-bats. But it was his contributions in the first two games that helped Houston travel to Seattle with a 2-0 lead in the series.

“In a team like this, with the pitching we have, with the defense we have, we never give up,” Altuve said. “We went out and played every single inning like it was the last inning. Putting everything we have, until Jeremy came and hit the big homer.”

KING RETURNS

Felix Hernandez threw out a ceremonial first pitch to a deafening ovation. Hernandez spent 15 seasons with the Mariners but never had the opportunity of pitching in the postseason. He won 169 games and had a career 3.42 ERA, last pitching for Seattle in 2019.

HE SAID IT

“We’re not going to forget this and coming into next year it will fuel us even more,” Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic said.

SMOKEY AIR

Seattle’s return to the postseason was played with a smoky haze and terrible air quality engulfing the Puget Sound region. A shift in winds and wildfire still smoldering in the Cascade Mountains created a dingy haze above T-Mobile Park. The air quality index in Seattle at first pitch registered at 161.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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With Aaron Judge traveling to San Francisco to hear the best pitch possible from the San Francisco Giants in their pursuit of the coveted free agent slugger, Giants outfielder Joc Pederson took to social media to give his best pitch to Judge as well.

Joc Pederson sends a message to Aaron Judge about joining San Francisco Giants

Pederson, who just rejoined the San Francisco Giants by accepting a qualifying offer, took to Instagram to send his hopes to Judge, a native of northern California, that he will make the move from the Yankees to the Giants.

The Giants’ Joc Pederson (@yungjoc650) posted this on his Instagram: pic.twitter.com/jIXD89ifZg

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 23, 2022

San Francisco and New York are rumored to be two of the most likely destinations for Judge, who set the American League record with 62 home runs this season. It could be a battle between coasts for his services, with the Giants looking to make a major step toward reclaiming the National League West title they won over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021.

Judge, however, has only played for the Yankees during his seven-year MLB career, lending plenty of reasoning to why he might choose to stay in the Bronx.

Whichever team lands Judge will pay a hefty price for his services. Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension from the Yankees in spring training and is expected to land a contract this offseason north of $300 million.

Pederson will be in his second year with the Giants after slashing .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI on his way to earning an All-Star Game bid last season. Pederson played in the outfield 114 games last season, with the vast majority of that time spent in left field. If Judge lands with the Giants, it’s expected he would play center or right field, boosting San Francisco’s outfield in a big way.

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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A bitter cold weather system settled over the San Francisco Bay Area early Wednesday, plunging temperatures to the high 20s and 30s, threatening early blooming crops and forcing homeless residents to find heat anyway they can.

The National Weather Service has issued frost and freeze warnings in the Bay Area.

READ MORE: One Dead, Three Injured In San Francisco Freeway Homeless Encampment Fire

“This string of cool days and cold nights is potentially hazardous for sensitive populations without adequate sheltering,” the weather service warned. “With cold weather arriving, make sure to remember the four Ps of preparation for people, plants, pets, and pipes…Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Amid the cold snap, San Francisco authorities were dealing with an early morning tragedy at a homeless encampment. While the cause of an encampment fire that claimed one life and sent three others to the hospital was still under investigation, temperatures were in the 30s at the time of the blaze.

San Francisco firefighters also contained an early morning, one-alarm blaze in an apartment building on Sacramento Street that erupted behind a wall heater.

Snow flurries were reported before dawn in the Oakland hills and there was a dusting of snow on the Bay Area’s higher peaks.

With the cold kicking in, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District warned residents to read the manufacturer’s instructions on their space heaters and furnaces to prevent a carbon monoxide or fire tragedy.

“Make sure it’s well maintained, in the case of space heaters. Don’t use them near — common sense, but don’t use them near any flammable objects, bedding curtains, things like that,” said spokesman Steve Hill. “Any heating device that you use in your home has the potential to emit carbon monoxide if it’s not properly vented. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.”

In December, a Pittsburg woman died and her family was sickened from carbon monoxide poisoning.

READ MORE: COVID Recovery: Business Opens As Workers Begin Returning To San Francisco Offices

In the Livermore Valley, wineries are keeping a close eye on the weather. Aggressively warm February temperatures did set the vines in motion, but the growth isn’t enough to warrant too much worry.

“I’m really not concerned today. Maybe a couple of weeks from now that could be a different story, but we haven’t gotten bud break yet. We’re close,” said Rhonda Wood of Wood Family Vineyards, where pruning was set late this week or early next week.

A mixed bag of weather was slowly leading to freezing temperatures overnight in Napa. Lows were expected to fall to 32 degrees and visitors were feeling the freeze.

Downtown Napa has been a little quieter than usual. The outdoor dining and wine tasting were practically non-existent Tuesday night as visitors opted for the cozy warm indoor spaces.

“I was very surprised.. very chilled. I expect sunshine,” says Zoe Li of Los Altos.

Lauren Garvey from Napa adds, “It’s too cold, I wish it was summer.”

It was a chilly day but one that brought about a mix of snow and sleet. At Atlas Peak, hail came crashing down on the mountain side but it also hit the lower elevations.

MORE NEWS: Pittsburg Family Memorial Gathering Erupts In Gunfire; One Dead, One Wounded

“As we approached the mountains, we saw some clouds on the horizon and then hail and we were nervous on the way up,” said Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta from San Francisco.

The post Plunging Temperatures Sends Large Chill By Bay Space – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Posted: Feb 27, 2021 / 1:50 PM EST
/. Updated: February 27, 2021 / 1:50 PM EST

Courtesy Water Mission

CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Water Mission sent a shipment of supplies to Austin, Texas to help the area recover from historic snowstorms across the state.

Plumbing supplies shipping also includes Plumbers Without Limits equipment and materials made into plumbing kits.

The kits are being delivered to residents waiting for repairs after recent winter storms.

The goal of the water mission is to restore safe access to the most vulnerable as they continue to work with the Austin Disaster Relief Network to identify the areas of greatest need.

The post Water Mission sends plumbing provides to Texas to assist with winter storm restoration appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

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