49ers Vs. Lions: Jim Schwartz Goes After Jim Harbaugh After Lions Fall Late

After the game, Harbaugh told reporters that he gave Schwartz “too hard” of a handshake, but Schwartz is also known for his excessive celebrations. According to Schwartz, Harbaugh shoved him out of the way and cursed at him, but there’s no way to verify the validity of his comment.

The NFL will certainly look into this situation and possibly fine Schwartz for the altercation, but this would likely be a far bigger story if it happened between two players.

It’s too bad the coaches weren’t mic’d up so we could verify Schwartz’s claim that Harbaugh swore, but as you can see in the GIF below, Harbaugh clearly didn’t take time to exchange post-game pleasantries with Schwartz. Harbaugh admitted during his post-game presser that his “handshake was too hard,” but he barely took the time to look Schwartz in the eye before giving him a forceful pat on the back:

Schwartz had to be annoyed at losing such a close game -- including the preseason, this was Detroit’s first loss since Dec. 5, 2010 -- so it’s not surprising he took umbrage at being brushed off. His reaction may have been over the top, and it’ll almost certainly result in a fine from the NFL, but it likely earned him even more respect among Detroit’s players.

Jim Harbaugh’s antics following the San Francisco 49ers win over the Lions were seen as over-the-top by Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz, and it caused a bit of a skirmish after the game. Harbaugh danced around, untucked his shirt and celebrated wildly as he headed to midfield for the postgame handshake, concluding the theatrics with an exaggerated hand-slap for Schwartz.

Following the handshake, Schwartz and Harbaugh got into a bit of a tussle, with the Lions head coach letting the 49ers head coach know he didn’t appreciate the antics. Postgame handshakes are meant to be civil, and are a prim and proper thing in the NFL.

For the year, Gore has been strong for the Niners, carrying the bulk of the load out of the backfield. Through five games -- four of which he’s started -- Gore has picked up an even 400 yards and four touchdowns on 93 carries. In his last two games, Gore picked up over 100 yards and scored a touchdown in each.

Gore was the 15th-best running back play heading into the week, according to Yahoo!‘s fantasy ranking.

Stafford entered Week 6 averaging 287 passing yards per game this season with 1436 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first five weeks of the 2011 NFL Season. He has thrown for two touchdowns each of the last three weeks.

For more on Stafford and his matchup with the 49ers, check out our Lions blog, Pride of Detrioit, and our 49ers blog, Niners Nation. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 6 action.

Jim Harbaugh is already making waves in the NFL, both with his wins and his demeanor. And it’s pretty great to watch unfold. Tell me you weren’t entertained watching Harbaugh dance around like a fool after his San Francisco 49ers beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday. And tell me it wasn’t entertaining to see his little “skirmish” with Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz.

So what happened? Handshake was too hard, Harbaugh said.

But Schwartz took exception to what he saw as Harbaugh’s excessive celebration, and went after the first-year San Francisco coach after a brusque postgame handshake. Schwartz and Harbaugh had to be separated, but it appeared that Schwartz was the aggressor throughout.

For more on the 49ers, head to SB Nation’s Niners Nation; for more on the Lions, head to Big Cat Country. For Week 6 NFL scores and news, Week 6 NFL video highlights, and Week 6 fantasy football stats and updates visit our comprehensive StoryStreams.

And then we had a Jim-off. Videos after the jump

And here’s the skirmish, which is pretty much a staple of the Harbaugh postgame at this point. It’s like his signature move, and it is oh so amazing.

Consistent points from the tight end position are fantasy gold and right now Brandon Pettigrew looks to have the Midas Touch. It wasn’t a spectacular performance, but 42 yards and a touchdown on eight catches will surely be much appreciated.

Pettigrew is averaging 55.8 yards per game with 279 total yards and one touchdown through his first five weeks of the 2011 NFL season. He caught his first touchdown catch last week against the Bears. And in Week 3 Pettigrew went over 100 yards receiving.

With San Francisco leading by a score of 15-13, the Detroit Lions are prepared for yet another comeback this season. If they do eventually pull out the win, they will likely own safety Amari Spievey a debt of gratitude for his fourth quarter 31-yard interception of Alex Smith.

Here’s the video of Spievey’s interception.

Hardly the first name in fantasy quarterbacks, Alex Smith has been more than useful this season. He averages 193 passing yards per game in Jim Harbaugh’s ball control offense. Through five games, Smith has 965 passing yards seven touchdowns and just one interception. Those are much better totals than any of his five previous seasons, which is why he’s been so easy to overlook.

Through the first half of Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, you’re probably hoping you overlooked him anyway. Smith has just 77 yards passing and five rushing yards, although the 49ers do lead 12-10.

Crabtree will start opposite fellow underachieving Top 10 pick Ted GInn Jr. while Morgan and Edwards are out, so the looks from the surprisingly effective Alex Smith should come. What Crabtree can do with them remains to be seen. The Lions D is developing a reputation for haranguing quarterbacks, but their defensive backs can be exploited if Smith can release the ball quickly.

Crabtree had just two receptions in his last game, so it’s going to take a few good performances to earn his way back into the circle of trust.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, October 16; 1:00 pm ET

Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.

Urlacher was not fined by the league office for the hit.

For more on Scheffler and the Detroit Lions, visit our Lions blog Pride of Detroit. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 6 action.