The near-fight between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz was the talk of the NFL on Sunday, overshadowing San Francisco’s 25-19 victory over previously undefeated Detroit.

Our friends at Sports Pickle made a joke about 49ers QB Alex Smith in real-time Sunday that couldn’t be overlooked: “I bet other No. 1 overall pick QB busts think Alex Smith has become a total sellout.”

The Denver Broncos won’t appreciate the microscope Jim Mora and Brian Billick put the organization under, nor will Rex Ryan like what Mora had to say about the New York Jets’ defense during Monday’s edition of “The Coaches Show Podcast”.

Here are a few things that caught my attention after our first full Sunday of the season.

Free-agent DT Aubrayo Franklin will fly to San Francisco on Monday to meet the 49ers’ new coaching staff, according to a league source, and could return to the team.

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt is usually focused on personnel, but his Tuesday chat this week for some reason ended up focusing on predictions for 2011 division winners – and some of the picks may be surprising.

It’s been a conclusion for many throughout the offseason that Alex Smith would return for a chance to win back his starting job with the 49ers under new coach Jim Harbaugh, who openly campaigned on the idea.

Is a return by Alex Smith a good move for the 49ers? NFL Network analyst Trent Green thinks so.

Coach Jim Harbaugh‘s quest to rebuild the San Francisco 49ers in his image got a boost Friday with the announcement of compensatory picks for April’s NFL draft.

The Buccaneers are reportedly the front runners to be the subject of this year’s “Hard Knocks” on HBO. Not a terrible choice. But we think we can do better.

As I mentioned before, there were a number of high-profile attendees at Texas Christian workout on Friday, including 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, and none of them could have been disappointed with the display of QB Andy Dalton.

FT. WORTH, Texas – They’re getting set for TCU’s pro day here, and I can tell you there is plenty of interest in quarterback Andy Dalton. Among those here to see him throw are 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

As we wrap up Day 1 of the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, we’ll leave you with a few thoughts (some random), observations and highlights from what we’ve heard.

As the combine’s opening day unfolds within the media center, quarterback talk has become an early theme.

With so many people packed in the Lucas Oil Stadium club-level lounge, it’s hard to know who’s exactly here at any given moment. But that situation led to the first light moment of this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.