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          NFL Nation

          A fresh Aldon Smith rounding into form

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2014, 11:20 PM ET
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              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
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          SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Maybe the San Francisco 49ers are onto something when it comes to keeping their players, especially on defense, fresh late in the season.

          While linebacker Aldon Smith sat out the first nine games of the season serving a league-mandated suspension and defensive end Justin Smith did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, the two combined for three of the Niners’ five sacks in their 17-13 victory over Washington on Sunday (defensive end Ray McDonald and linebacker Aaron Lynch had the others).

          Now, I’m not advocating getting suspended, but the fact is, Aldon Smith is fresher than his opponents.

          “I don’t have as many hits on my body as the guys who have been playing,” Aldon Smith said after the game. “So hopefully that comes into play on Thursday.”

          That’s when the Niners play host to the rival Seattle Seahawks and really, the only physical issue with Aldon Smith at the moment is his left middle finger, which he dislocated against Washington.

          It did not keep him from doing his job, though, as he harassed Robert Griffin III regularly and made life a living hell for rookie left tackle Morgan Moses.

          Aldon Smith’s first sack came on the second play of the game, a 9-yard loss, and his second sack came on Washington’s fourth play of the third quarter, a 7-yard loss.

          “Justin Smith is a great player [and] Aldon Smith is a great player and they have many great players on their offense,” Griffin said. “They played well and it just so happened that they played better than we did today.”

          Aldon Smith last had a two-sack game on Dec. 15, 2013, at Tampa Bay. In all, he was credited with three tackles against Washington, with four QB hurries.

          “Just working, just making plays,” he said. “We do a good job of working together. I got a good push from the guy inside, so I was able to go around and make a tackle. I was able to make a move and then make another one.

          “Things are going really good. Everybody’s playing really good ball. It’s just good being back and everybody’s just doing their thing and making plays out there.”