San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has said he doesn't want praise heaped on his team from other people, which means he can't like when it comes from within.
So it's safe to say the Vernon Davis trash-talking anecdote, which surfaced after the 49ers' 48-3 trouncing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, isn't sitting well with Harbaugh.
At one point in Sunday's game, Davis took it upon himself to try to pump up Ronde Barber and the Bucs' defense while the 49ers' offense had its way with them.
"I felt like they gave up," said Davis, who scored two touchdowns. "I was telling Ronde, 'Get your guys, get your guys, y'all got to play harder.'nbsp;"
Back in Tampa on Monday, Bucs coach Raheem Morris seemed to take exception to what he likely considered a classless act.
"That's great, when you beat somebody 48-3, to say that," Morris said with a smirk. "We'll see Vernon Davis again hopefully, and he'll see if we give up that time. That's all we can say to Vernon Davis. Great job, Vernon. Kudos."
Things are good right now for the 49ers, who are off to a surprising 4-1 start. And after Sunday's 45-point drubbing -- their largest margin of victory since Super Bowl XXIV, a 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos -- there's every reason for players to be excited. But could they be a little ahead of themselves?
The enthusiasm is understandable. It has been eight years since San Francisco has made the playoffs, and just last year, the team was 0-5 at this point. But Harbaugh probably would like a little more humility from his players and less of what tight end Delanie Walker had to say Monday.
"We ain't even touched the surface," said Walker, who caught a touchdown pass against the Bucs. "There's still a lot we haven't done yet. It's early in the season -- you're going to see a lot more coming. Alex (Smith) is going to be the man. You're going to hear a lot more of them chanting 'Alex' after the game. Just wait and see. It's going to be a roller-coaster ride."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
