The crazy thing about football as opposed to baseball is the urgency of EVERY game. In baseball, you can go on a 6 game losing streak, and still come out of it fine. In baseball, there’s always tomorrow. In football, you drop 2 games in a row, and 3 teams can pass you up on the way to the playoffs. Parity being what it is in the NFL these days, there is NO room for error. If you look at last year’s games, there were maybe 3 plays that kept the team from being 9-7 instead of 6-10. Look at Sunday’s Eagles win. There were missed FGs all over the place, fumbles, and drive-killing penalties. But the game hinged on the pursuit of Justin Smith to strip the ball from Jeremy Maclin, and Dashon Goldson having the wherewithall to simply fall on the football and not try to do too much and be the highlight hero (hello Nate Clements).
So, here we sit, atop the NFC West with a 2 game lead 4 weeks into the season. I sure as hell didn’t think we’ll have a lead like this at this point in the season. I knew the other teams were weak, but I figured it would take the 49ers time to get acclimated to the new systems and schemes they are all learning. I guess we should all be thanking the scheduling Gods, because the Rams, on paper at least, the best team in the west, has a brutal schedule, and looks like they’ll end up 0-7, with Green Bay, Dallas, and NO as their next 3 games. Seattle and AZ certainly aren’t doing very well, and all my thoughts on getting Kevin Kolb (talk about Checkdown Charlie. AZ fans are blasting his signing now) were unfounded and silly.
TB is one of those fair to middling teams that, when on can be scary, but watching that game last night, they spent 3 quarters shooting themselves in the feeet repeatedly. They must have had around 10 holding penalties. Freeney was unstaoppable, but Curtis Painter kept Indy from doing much offensively. But, as the thread says, this is a big test for your 49ers. And one where the head coach has to REALLY stress the importance of staying focussed. They are coming home after their best road trip in probably 15 years. They are getting press (albeit it’s more of the ‘how the fuck did the Iggles give it away?’), but Harbaugh is already getting praise from the talking heads around the media-sphere. The threat is very real that these guys come in with swelled heads, and thoughtsw of prime-time glory. This is where your coach HAS to beat on these guys to remond them that it’s all about hunger. All about not reveling in the recent past. It’s about pushing forward and not believing the hype. Matt Maiocco interviewed Harbaugh after returning from Philly, and it gives me a good feeling regarding just this fact. The gist of the interview is:
Is part of your task this week to sort of gauge the pulse of the team and make sure they don’t get too high after this win?
Harbaugh: “Yeah, that’s one. It comes back to – you’re getting better or you’re getting worse, you never remain the same. We’ll keep that blue-collar mentality.”
His experience as a head coach at Stanford defintely gives him an edge that the previous head coaches didn’t have. Even more so, when you consider that keeping college football players from going to the moon after big wins (say beating USC in LA), is tougher than doing that with professional football players. Still and all, these guys, as a team, are winning games that they had previously lost. The difference is the coaches back then would praise the team for close losses (GB, Minn, Atl, NO, Colts, Titans, ring a bell in the last couple years?), and then come up short down the road becasue they would rest on their laurels and fall flat. I can’t count how many times the Niners had (to steal a phrase from Skeebs) GPS games. Statement games. Ones that would show the team’s mettle. Invariably they’d fall flat, lick their wounds, and have to rebuild themselves from scratch. The problem came from the coaches building up the team needlessly and not putting in the work. Nolan would regularly give the team Monday off if the team won the previous Sunday. While that may sound good from a player standpoint, it doesn’t drive hiome the point that you need to keep working to get better, not take time off. There plenty of time to rest in the offseason.
Here’s the entire interview with Harbaugh. It is an excellent study in motivation techniques, self-deprecation, and the ‘us-vs-them’ mentality that Bill Walsh always drove into his players.
Harbaugh understands what to do to keep these guys moving forward and not looking back. Well, the proof will be in the pudding this weekend, but he seems to have a much better grip on this than his predecessors.
Forty Niners Forever 
I think the phrase is guarded optimism, Twin. There’s very little of what you think is here that is really here.
Except for Dennis.
There’s always one exception to the rule. “As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.” -Socrates
It was either Socrates or Sgt. Schultz. I get those two mixed up.
Hey you Alex pole smokers: Steve Young just said on KNBR that he’d take Romo over Smith. Put that in your whacksock and beat it.
But the question was “Which QB would you take if you bet on the other team..”
How long has Steve Young been coaching, Dennis?
Chuck, I’ve read the comments – as we saw Sunday, all it takes is one mistake to empty the Alex Wagon..But whatever. I’m sure you’re right as always.
See how insincerely agreeable I can be?
Wow nice!
Yes, Mike . . . Still and all, I’M guardedly optimistic.
Shit, Isaac Sopoaga is out with a staph infection. Dobbs and Williams will be his replacement depending on who does better in practice.
Spencer didn’t practice as well. Not sure if he’s out or not.
We used to have way too many DBs.
Now Brock is out with a broken hand and Spencer is hurting as well . . .
But Ross and Belt are due off the DL tomorrow…oh, wrong blog
Chuck I rewatched the Philly game today and Anthony Davis was pretty solid with technique in comparison to previous efforts. Show me any OLman in this League that doesn’t roll when they cut block. He needs to polish his technique there. Babin is no joke to handle and there was 1 sack he was given because Anthony blocked down and the RB never chipped him on the way by.
All this stuff is correctable, except maybe for Chilo who just appears to whiffing at everything he attempts to hit?
TB has some young LBs starting along with DLmen. I’d look to take some big shots early. If we can grab an early lead I think we can negate Mr Blount to some degree by forcing them to throw. Especially if Ice is not there to stack up the middle.
No matter the plan, we have them at our place and I like our chances.
Boy was Steve Young backtracking on Alex today. They asked him Romo or Smith? He said something about Romo has knocked down more pins but in a very long answer that included talking about people that have dissed Peyton Manning, he sounded to me he would go with Smith. Down goes Romo again!
Steve = politician and a hella QB
Tony Promo is nothing but a hood ornament on the Cowpattie Limo.
I’m sick of hearing about him and Michael Vick already. Promo is a weak armed version of Favre. All he does is make excuses for his myriad mistakes.
We handed him that Big Drama Queen Comeback at the Stick.
All smoke and mirrors with Dallas. They can’t lose enough for me.
J.O. and Columbia’s Team. Who gives a flyn rats’ A&&?
What have they done since Mr Ego canned Jimmy Johnson?
BTW, did anyone catch Redskins’ Chris Cooleys’ comments on Promo? Hysterical.
In case anyone missed it – the sound bite was the best. ‘Love watching him Choke’.
(ME TOO)
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/10/redskins-te-chris-cooley-on-cowboys-qb-tony-romo-its-amazing-to-watch-him-choke/1
Here’s a thought on defense: through the first quarter of the season the San Francisco 49ers are tied for #1 in turnover-differential at +8. Tied with who? Why that other Harbaugh led team the Ravens. Should make for an interesting Thanksgiving Day wouldn’t you say?
“The Ravens collected seven turnovers against Pittsburgh in Week 1. The 49ers have forced turnovers at a more consistent pace, collecting three apiece against Seattle, Cincinnati and Philadelphia, and two against Dallas. They rank tied with Detroit and Minnesota for the fewest giveaways with three”. (Sando, NFC West Blog)
We have 6 Ints and 5 fumbles taken minus 3 total of our own. Net +8.
Seems I recall the Forty Niners were pretty good in this department when B Walsh was coaching.
Stuff the Fucking Bucs!
Yeah, the DBs are getting balls. There were times when our CBs would get ZERO picks on the year.
Cooley was too funny. The way most of these guys mumble banalities, it’;s great to hear shit like that.
Sad but true,ZERO PICKS! Holy shit that will never fly in the Harbaugh era. What was it with those D coaches having lame DB/Pass defenses?? Some defensive geniuses we had there, right, puke!
His guys are Hungry to make the boss happy!
Whale on the motherfucking Bucs, we got some serious payback due. Freeman is on my fantasy team? So what? Fuck that, this is reality!
Okay then….
I heard Scott Tolzien has looked good running the scout team this week.
That’s good enough for me. I’d start ’em Sunday.
Of course you would. That’s why you currently reside in the Hysterical Hilton.
Haha, Dennis. Hey whatever works, Jimbo will figure it out. Gotta a feeling the lame-o types will be hitting the pine sooner rather than later. We got someone better old AS will sit. He’s getting his chance now but Not For Long if not good.
Yeah, he’s in huge danger of losing his job, Phil.
Right, sure, uh huh, okay then. But I do want big D to recover his love for this team…
You may be in for a loooong wait, Phil.
Well dang that’s too bad but whatever Doesn’t work I guess. But again, what Is it? I think it was Flavor and twin brought this up earlier. It’s not Smith but something behind that got to be going on for old D. Only he could figure it out that’s for sure. I guess my questions are:
– What would it take for the 49ers to be OKAY?
– Would it be okay if the Niners went 10-6? Won the division? Won a playoff game? Won the the whole fucking she-bang, Super Fucking Bowl? Would that be good enough? What then would be for you?
For me, I’m pretty easy to please. Used to be in the glory years -go 10-6, beat the fucking hated Rams, win the DIV, take chances in playoffs. Now I’ll grin like a fucking idiot if we go 9-7, win DIV and a playoff game.
But fuck what do I know beyond that? Notahellalot…. grin
Can you say Chillya Rack-yall? Take a seat right over there son….
PF – Of course you elevate your goals as you get better. Our goal now should be to win the division. I think we will, and then your goal becomes to win each successive playoff game.
But honestly, in all measured seriousness, our first goal for this year was just not to suck – not to even be forced back a step because of all the changes and the lockout. There was good reason to fear we might have lost ground, even with better coaching. I am already pleased to see the team playing decent, competitive football. If we can keep that up, and get a little more productive on the offensive side, you have to call this year a solidly good one for Harbaugh. After so many disappointing seasons, this is feeling pretty good. Now if we can get some consistency in moving the chains and getting first downs, you would have to call it dramatically successful. We do it in spurts, now we have to find a way to do it whenever we need to.
Can’t find one single thing to disagree with Grumpy. Well said. :”Our goal is just not to suck”; “move the chains”. “not to be forced back….” EXACTLY
Right, some consistency on offense is a huge positive right there.
My love for the 49ers. What used to be right is wrong. Can love that’s lost be found? After the love is gone…
Bill Champlin lead guitar for Chicago (hope i got that right) was my 6th grade roommate at Ojai Valley School in da ’60s. Nice guy, friendly, from Mill Valley, friend of Julie Haas, Bill Graham, later Janice J, that bunch. He asked me what I thought of him after played guitar solo “Bulldog”. Said he was “okay”. You wonder about MY judgement? Weak, slightly off…. Nice song. Bill you done good my man~
Yes Del it can easily be found again. You will
How do I know this? I saw Spitblood change and the FORTY fucking Niners
I would toss in the “Young Frankenstein” line, “Could be worse. Could be raining.”
But it IS fucking raining.
And the glass is half empty?