San Francisco 49ers: Winners, Losers at Season's Quarter Mark

Now that Week 4 of the NFL season has come to an end, who on the San Francisco 49ers should be considered the winners, and who should be deemed the losers?

The 49ers are currently 3-1 and sit atop the NFC West, so there are a handful of players who should be acknowledged for their excellent play in the early parts of the season. Alex Smith, the once-proclaimed draft bust, is now proving his critics wrong and is currently in the middle of a fine season as the 49ers quarterback.

However, don't let the record fool you. Even though a two-game lead in the division after Week 4 should not merit any griping, there are some problems the 49ers need to address. The defensive secondary has allowed big plays throughout the season, and the struggles on offense have been well documented.

Here's a list of the winners and losers on the 49ers during the first four games of the NFL season.

Loser 5: Moran Norris

Even though much wasn't expected from fullback Moran Norris at the beginning of the year, we shouldn't even expect to see him on the field from now on.

Norris is a one-dimensional fullback, and he generally only sniffs the field on running plays. Unfortunately for Norris, head coach Jim Harbaugh likes versatility and that certainly holds true when talking about the fullback position.

In steps Bruce Miller, the seventh-round pick out of Central Florida. The once-collegiate defensive end was converted to a fullback when the 49ers drafted him, and now he is seeing an extended amount of playing time.

Miller is a better blocker than Norris. He is a better pass catcher out of the backfield, which was made evident after his impressive 15-yard catch and scamper along the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Miller is simply more versatile than Norris, and that is exactly why he'll inevitably overtake Norris' starting job at some point in the season.

Winner 5: Tedd Ginn, Jr.

You can't compile a list of the winners on the 49ers without mentioning Ted Ginn, Jr., the kick returner extraordinaire.

While Ginn has been kept quiet for the past few weeks, he made his presence felt in the season opener when he returned two kicks for touchdowns. You can say that he single-handedly won that game for the 49ers.

Ginn's returns for touchdowns seem to come in bunches, so don't be surprised to see him pull a few more tricks out of his sleeve as the year goes on.

Loser 4: Braylon Edwards

It's tough to call an injured player one of the losers thus far, but Braylon Edwards' absence from the team has considerably hurt the 49ers offense.

Edwards is the first big and physical wide receiver the 49ers have had since the infamous Terrell Owens. With the 49ers trying to implement the West Coast offense into their scheme, its success largely depends on the presence of a receiver like Edwards.

Moreover, Edwards is a deadly weapon if he is properly utilized in the red zone, and that's exactly where the 49ers offense has struggled thus far in 2011.

With Alex Smith looking comfortable in the new system, Edwards' return to the starting lineup could open up an entirely new dimension in the offense that has yet to be seen.

Winner 4: NaVorro Bowman

At this rate, it won't be much longer until the 49ers are considered to have the best inside linebacker tandem in all of football.

Starting alongside the notorious Patrick Willis, second-year linebacker NaVorro Bowman is currently having an all-around fantastic year for the 49ers defense. He is consistently wrapping up his opponents and putting on a tackling clinic in the process. He has also showcased his speed by chasing down the Eagles' Michael Vick in the open field. It was a much-needed third-down stop that eventually turned out to be one of the plays of the game.

Along with accumulating 36 tackles through four games, some say Bowman is even having a better season than Willis. While that might be hard to fathom, Bowman is certainly worthy of the high praises he is receiving.

Loser 3: Secondary

If any aspect of the 49ers defense should be knocked for its poor play, it should be the secondary. While it's hard to single out one player from the group, the fact that it's ranked 27th in the league by allowing an average of 284 yards per game should raise some concern.

Moreover, the 49ers just allowed Michael Vick to throw for 416 yards, which was a career high for him.

As a unit, the secondary has allowed five passing plays of over 40 yards, which is the second most in the NFL.

However, one bright spot in the secondary is the newly acquired Carlos Rogers, who has played tremendously as the 49ers' top cover man. The other starters in Shawntae Spencer, Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson have been ridden with injuries through the season, so one could argue that the starters just need some time to adjust and learn to play with one another.

Either way, the 49ers must address the problem in the secondary, especially with Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions offense looming in the distance.

Winner 3: Front Seven on Defense

Although it is certainly up for debate, the 49ers could have the the best defensive front seven in all of football.

On the defensive line, it starts with Justin Smith, who is one of the league's most underrated players at his position. Smith recorded 8.5 sacks in 2010 and is well on his way to having another solid season for the 49ers. His hustle play to catch Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from behind and force the fumble undoubtedly saved the game for the 49ers.

Lining up opposite of Smith is Ray McDonald, who could very well be the surprise player of 2011. McDonald has consistently pressured the quarterback from the left defensive end spot and has 2.5 sacks justify that claim.

Many thought that the loss of Aubrayo Franklin—the team's starting defensive tackle for the past four seasons—would hurt the defense, but it has actually been quite the contrary. The 49ers have the fourth-ranked run defense in the NFL by allowing only 74 yards per game.

Couple the strong defensive line with a group of excellent linebackers like Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and rookie Aldon Smith, this 49ers defensive front will be a force to be reckoned with for quite some time.

Loser 2: Both of the Starting Offensive Tackles

It has been a rough year for both of the 49ers offensive tackles. Joe Staley and Anthony Davis, both former first-round picks, have struggled in pass protection as of late.

Davis is a second-year pro at the age of 22, so it should be expected to see him struggle against the league's premier pass rushers. However, there is no excuse for Staley's struggles since he is supposed to be the leader of the offensive line.  Both have been continuously beaten off the edge this year and Alex Smith has certainly paid dearly for it.

It was only this past Sunday against the Eagles when Davis was beaten three times by defensive end Jason Babin, one of which resulted in a clear shot at the quarterback and a subsequent fumble before halftime.

However, Babin's three sacks were the only ones that the offensive line surrendered, which is a considerable improvement from the weeks prior.

Winner 2: Alex Smith

The Alex Smith we saw on Sunday against the Eagles is the Smith that his few remaining supporters have been itching to see for the past six seasons.

Smith was solid in the first three games of the year, but he still left the door open for his critics to harp on his mediocre play. He didn't turn the ball over, but he didn't move the ball either. He played a conservative brand of football that wouldn't cause the 49ers to lose any games, but he wouldn't win any either.

Then lo and behold, everything changed in an instant. It was almost magical, as if Smith finally awoke him his six-year coma and figured out how to be a legitimate quarterback in the NFL. He led an inept 49ers offense back from a 17-point deficit by carving through one of the best defensive secondaries in all of football.

He was hitting his receivers in stride and giving them the opportunity to run after the catch. He was making all of the right reads. He was marching the offense up and down the field with the poise and determination that has seemingly been nonexistent throughout his NFL career.

And best of all, Smith looked like he had a sense of belonging with the 49ers organization. After the game when Smith took off his helmet, his facial expression was as if his future in-laws had finally embraced him into the family after six rough years of struggling to earn their trust.

This was hands-down Smith's best performance in his NFL career. Expect him to build off this game and use it as the confidence booster that he had been endlessly searching for.

Loser 1: Chilo Rachal

There isn't a player on the 49ers roster who has played worse than offensive guard Chilo Rachal.

His poor play has gotten progressively worse throughout the season, and it eventually caused him to lose his starting job to the likes of Adam Snyder.

Rachal struggles in pass protection by continually being shoved around by smaller defenders. He has problems with run blocking, which is supposed to be the only reason he is sniffing the field. On top of that, Rachal seems to always get his number called for a countless number of false start or holding penalties.

Rachal is a liability on the field, and Harbaugh made the right decision in benching him for at least the immediate future.

Winner 1: Jim Harbaugh

Believe it or not, Jim Harbaugh is exactly what the 49ers—a team that has been on the cusp of success for the past couple of years—needed to succeed in this league.

The Niners have had the talent on both sides of the ball in the recent past, but there was always something holding them back. The worst part was that no one could put a finger on what that problem was.

Rumors started swirling around that ex-coach Mike Singletary was the reason for the team's failures, and he was eventually used as the scapegoat after being fired during the 2010 season.

Then in steps Jim Harbaugh, the man whom many thought was was destined to become the head coach of the 49ers due to his ties with Bill Walsh. Some saw Harbaugh's potential turnaround of the franchise as a process, and that we shouldn't expect any immediate results.

But then some started to question Harbaugh's intentions due to his highly criticized support of Alex Smith. The criticism kept coming after his questionable call to take the points instead of accepting the penalty and receiving a fresh set of downs. It was the play that eventually led to the 49ers' collapse at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.

Then two road games later and a 3-1 record, Harbaugh is now being considered the savior, or the guru, that was able to rally this team into believing that it could be great. The video of Harbaugh's post-game speech in the locker room certainly drives that point home.

You can tell that the 49ers love playing for Harbaugh, and there is no better way to play this game than to love what you are doing. That's why Harbaugh alone makes the 49ers a dangerous team in the NFL.