Feuds for thought as 49ers, Lions set for rematch

SANTA CLARA -- After Jim Harbaugh's handshake and back slap, and Jim Schwartz fervid pursuit of the 49ers' coach into the tunnel at Ford Field, it took quite awhile for another heated situation to simmer down.Right tackle Anthony Davis, who found himself in the middle of the post-game skirmish, got into a dust-up of his own with Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril via Twitter.REWIND: Harbaugh angers Schwartz
To maintain a G-rated standard, we'll paraphrase what Davis wrote. Davis stated with colorful language that the Lions "talked" all week and the 49ers kicked the Lions aside -- and from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Lions were 5-0 entering the game.
Avril responded to Davis, "lol that's real professional homie Well meet again and see what's up"Then, Davis wrote, "I pancaked you on a passing playsooo uh just be quiet go home play with your kids and go to bed.."On Wednesday, Davis did not back down from his comments directed at Avril following the 49ers' 25-19 victory at Detroit."I was just saying what happened," Davis said. "That's it. I didn't make anything up. I didn't fabricate the story to make it more interesting. I just said what happened. Now we play again. "But it's more about our offense executing. The defense is doing what they have to do. It's a tackle and a D-end. Who really cares?"Davis played well against the Lions. He rode Avril out of the way to create a window through which quarterback Alex Smith hit Delanie Walker on the go-ahead six-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes. Avril was credited with two tackles and one quarterback hit."It's not a big feud," Davis said. "We get to play them again. It's great. It's exciting. I know he wants to play. I want to play. I'm excited. But I'm not more excited than any other game because it's our second game. "The more notable plot from a national perspective, of course, is Harbaugh vs. Schwartz. Davis was right there in the middle of the action as the teams were departing the field. He said he objects to the notion that the two coaches "got into it.""The coaches didn't into it," Davis said, "Schwartz got into it. He bumped coach. Everybody was just excited. We just have to control it. I didn't didn't want him to knock coach over. We need our coach."REWIND: Schwartz's challenge to Harbaugh
Both coaches have been asked this about what happened a year ago, and both decided to side-step the subject. The NFL decided not to fine either coach for their involvement in the near-melee, which according to multiple sources, continued into the tunnel with Schwartz yelling at Harbaugh.Harbaugh addressed the topic on Monday."Our approach with the mini-controversies are really to give them the attention that they deserve, which isnt much," Harbaugh said. "Now, people that will use that to promote this game or any other game I think are really missing the point. The game is just so much bigger. As a rule of thumb, I have too much respect for the men who play this game, on both sides. And too much respect for the game to give it anything less than what it deserves."On a conference call Wednesday with the Bay Area media, Schwartz said last year's game will have no impact on what happens Sunday when the teams meet at Candlestick Park in a nationally televised rematch."We've all moved on from that," Schwartz said. "We've addressed that enough, and the focus is on the 49ers. Anything that happened in the game last year or anything else does not have any bearing on this game."The 49ers dropped the Lions from the ranks of the unbeaten last season. Both made it to the playoffs. Both began this season with victories in Week 1. And, then, there's the history of last year's heated game to take into account."I think all games in the NFL are intense," Schwartz said. "You're talking about two teams that come to play every week. And that's the personality of both of those teams. . . You expect both teams to be up and fighting and scratching, clawing. I think every game in the NFL is that way. I think that's the way both of these play. It means a lot to both of these teams."