She’ll be waiting . . . Anyhow, this game is going to be a true test of the intestinal fortitude of your San Francisco 49ers. AZ is actually steadily improving lately. As NinerDog posted, their defense has become very stingy in recent games. The Niners have struggled in the red zone in recent games. As I said, I think getting Braylon Edwards is going to help, as the Niners HAVE to open things up some down close. Yes, the Niners should be able to win a defensive struggle against these guys, but they have a tough ST unit as well. Patrick Peterson has wn a couple gaems for AZ singlehandedly (relatively speaking), much like Ted Ginn’s opening day, and the Detroit game.
Interesting thing is the Niners and Raiders will be playing at the same time, so it’ll be fun to see if the Raiders can put a hurting on the Packers. Call me crazy, but I think the Raiders win this. The Packers defense is very questionable. 31st in total yards, but they do get a lot of turnovers by pick-offs. Palmer, if anything, can hit the deep pases, so if Oakland can block, they should be able to light up the scoreboard. They are also pretty good at geting pressure, so you never know.
Forty Niners Forever 
BTW, to counter the D line rush, I’m still waiting for Roman to break out the screens, draws, and even a shovel pass every now and then. Misdirection is sorely needed. Maybe they try in practice, but Gore and the other backs can’t execute these plays. At least they need to show these a few times a game. In prior years, I remember Gore collecting a screen pass every now and again. Where is it?…
Has the NFL figured out the Niners offense? Yes they have. Here’s what the NFL smart guys know by now; 1) The Niners OL and O scheme cannot handle and can be beaten by a relentless blitzing pass rush (NO, Balt, Cards) which will set the Forty Niners offense back on their heels, disrupt their O strategy and expose the following weaknesses: 2) Crappy catching TEs, 3) thin OL, 4) thin Rb corps, Thin RB corps after the old work horse Gore is hobbled and he WILL BE hobbled by game 8,. Only Gore will hurt you; do not fear any other 49er RB, 5) weak WR corps.
Please notice these are FIVE (5) glaring major weaknesses happily exploited by the NFL smart guys. 6) New coaching staff does not have or does not use their best players to their best advantage (you expected what? After new staff, 6-10 last season, no preseason? Super Bowl run? Right… 7) New offensive coaching staff will not be able to adjust to Defensive adjustments, blitzes, coverages because they lack NFL experience. 8) Shifts, gimmicks, overloaded OL, etc just ignore, this is nothing new and will Not Work against solid fundamental D, Continue Defensive attack strategy, Niners have no answer
Phil Predicts: One and done in playoffs. 10-6 next year with a more solid, versatile, experienced team. And in the meanwhile I’m gonna thank my lucky Harbaughs for the season we are having!!
(for the dumbass bozos: None of this is about the much maligned QB!)
Phil- I’m not an expert, I just play one on the blog! Seems to me if the receivers start catching some of the deep balls the safeties would need to back up a bit. This would open up some hot reads on blitzes comming at us. Alex seems to be a bit off on sideline deep balls but very accurate anywhere in the middle of the field. Those balls need to be caught more often. It also seems if a receiver isn’t a primary or second read they don’t go all out or look for the ball. After Ginn’s infamous non-TD this might start changing.
I’m playing one too Bergs! LOL. Yep actually catching the passes thrown, being aware the 3rd read might be the hot one and unlike Ginn playing an NFL receiver today- being ready to catch it, hello! Receivers catch passes, right, awwwgh!
Bergs I think we are what we are this year, a work in progress. Jimbo and staff have done wonders with the short time they had to prepare but we are full of holes which will be addressed in draft and FA. It will happen I’m certain. A solid NFL team ala the GB Pack, NO is a complex beast and we have a ways to go. And they still have holes no doubt!
But what a great ride this year is!!
There’s no shame in losing to the Cards on their turf. The shame will be in not beating the Steelers at the Stick with their beaten up QB.
We can’t beat the Steelers? That would be a sad comment on US! It might be reality tho…
The Steelers can watch film, same as anyone else. They’re going to stop the run and the short stuff, and rush Alex Smith relentlessly, and dare us to find a way to make the big plays we keep missing.
Harbaugh needs to do some serious thinking this week about his offense, and what he can do to get it going.
That’s exactly what I would be doing if I were the Steelers. Our weakest link is being exposed
Okay this what the niners CAN do, they can have good drives. Recievers can catch the ball in the open field. OL can open holes for Gore. What the Niners CANNOT do. On a short field they cannot score. The Recievers cannot catch passes in the end zone. To much pressure to score?? Gore is not a power back so rarely can he muscle his way into the end zone. See Pitts The Buss for an example. I know no longer playing. But right off the top of my head I cannot come up with a current Power back. One of you guys can tell me. So in a nut shell, Alex needs to take his 3 best receivers and practice throwing to them within the 10 yard line.
Red Zone issues or not, they led 19-7. They let Skelton escape certain sacks over and over, and he is no Tarkenton, he’s about as mobile as the old dude Joe Kapp punched.
OMG. They lost on the road to a team that has now won what? 5 of 6? They’ve plummeted to 10-3!! It’s OVER, I tell you, OVER! I knew they’d catch on to that upstart college coach and his shallow trickery !!!! Now if you want a REAL team winning the old fashioned way, GOD’S way, root for the next Super Bowl Champs: Teblow and His Pile Drivin’ Broncs…
TF, I am just pointing out what the Niners need to improve on if they don’t want to be 1 and done in the Playoffs. That is 2 games where the Niners were down in the 4th quarter and could not muster a score. I certainly am no Doomin Denny!! It is the Niners and A Smith or bust for me!!
I wrote my post before I saw yours. It was not directed at you, Kevin..
I’m referring to my 8:54. A lot of RZ issues can just be luck, just as only 2 interceptions career for Smith in the RZ has some luck attached to it. Of far more concern is the OL not protecting and the DL not getting consistent pressure.
When the Niners are in the RZ, it’s like the receivers suddenly have hands of stone. so yeah luck does have a little to do with it.
And you are up early, you seem to be feeling better than yesterday. Hope you health is doing better.
I have to go the doctor. Killing time.
Cool. Yeah a lot of RZ issues. You want to see Doomin Denny’s army go over to SFgate.
I rarely look at the Insider anymore. It shouldn’t but it upsets me. So even online, I try to avoid idiots whenever possible.
Hard to do in this day and age of electronic postings. I really wonder if some of the people out there have any education.
Hope everything goes well wjth your Dr. Appointment
I’ll second that, FWIW.
Why not throw a steady diet of smoke screens to Williams and Crabby out of different formations to counter the rush? Williams in space is a huge threat. Do it even if it gets stopped, set up some plays off of pump fakes to it later on. Of course, that’s assuming Alex doesn’t throw it into the ground, and the receivers catch the damn ball if it’s in their hands…
Just getting ‘Stevie Wonder’ Ginn out of the lineup would be a plus.
Where the hell is everyone??
imo we need to play smarter football ! mistakes cost us bigtime …
kyle williams – catching with one hand
ted ginn – KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL (duh)
delaney walker – catch it before you run with it !
alex smith – sometimes you just have to let it fly ! imho if i’m in the redzone i’m throwing to vernon davis in the endzone before i look for ted ginn !
even if vernon is double covered and ginn isn’t !
etc etc etc !
i’m sure we all saw how many opportunities we let slip away !
VD is not always the most natural, reliable receiver either. Teams have learned to take away the deep seam that produced a lot of his highlight reel catches, he has yet to show he can adjust in other ways to maintain his value. I’d actually be open to trading him, if the price is right.
Morgan, and, increasingly, Crabs are the only guys on the team who really can catch the ball. And Morgan is out. Williams may get there with time. Ginn is what he is – a good kick returner. Gore has to stay in and pick up blitzes, which has mostly taken him out of the passing game.
We need some more targets, whatever else happens on the offense. A WR like Sanu and a traditional TE in the Witten mode would help a lot.
The line gelling and blocking better as a unit would be even better…
Hope all goes well, Mike.
I don’t even know why Ginn in an option in the red zone. Where’s walker? VD? Look at the catch Williams made in week 1 vs Seattle. Great body control to get his feet down. Ginn can’t track a ball in the fricking air? Drops one on his hands in the end zone? Yeah, a tough catch, but catchable. Walker joins to dropsy club, as did Hunter, but he’a a RB. He gets a little slack.
I’m out for a while as I had a major fuck-up with my back. At some point I neeed to go under the knife for it. I’ve been holding off, but this is getting beyond the point of being able to function
Best wishes for a successful outcome Chuck
Chuck, that can be a tough decision to make. Good luck. I have been dealing with my Sciatic(?) nerve for a year now. Just this month have been able to sit down for long stretches. I actually sat through a whole movie with my daughter last night at the theaters. My lower back and Sciatic nerve are better but like I said, a year so far.
I would look for Crabby and Williams in the red zone. Crabby has the best hands of the WRs. Inside the 10, run that pick play for the slot guy or WR in motion as he runs to the front flag, it’s worked before…
Even tho Alex did not have his best day, and ditto for the OLine, the receivers GOTTA pick up the slack. I watched the throw to Edwards in the endzone again and the throw was not to where Edwards was but rather to the only place the offensive player could get it. Alex threw it to the open spot low and towards the front flag…this receiver is a pro…he has got to anticipate that or at least have the thought that it may be thrown like that…and get his body ready to make a move away from the defender and make a play toward the ball and go after the fuckin thing! Not just stand there and go “Ugh! Why isn’t it in my hands” Maybe it is just me but most redzone passes have to be thrown to a spot more than threading the needle where the Diva…uhhh…I mean the receiver…has an easy catch.
The Diva’s don’t seem to be able to create separation either.
V.Davis moves like he is a claymation movie character making easy catches look difficult, he has skills but not pass catching skills. True he leads all 49 er TE’s with TD catches but he has bed fed those.
Crabtree has not been a pro long enough to anticipate all the nuances, so it seems. Maybe I am wrong. Williams has hit the ground running, literally, but still green bananas.
Ginn, pretty damn good kick returner, not as good as a wide receiver, but he has some good moments.
I miss Morgan, yeah he was not the speed burning guy, but he caught pretty much everything and was fast enough, and big enough.
Walker is exciting, but he is half TE and half WR and well he ain’t bad but….he ain’t great either.
The Wideouts need to step up their game and maybe be more students of the game instead of tweeting about their shoes or going back home everyweekend to “hang out” on their so called days off. I think they have plenty of days off already…all fucking year. During the season they should be dedicated to learning the contingencies of what will happen in every situation when a pass is coming to them. The QB does and sometimes get blamed for a poor throw when in fact it is the only place it can be thrown w/o throwing an INT. It is called being on the same page.
Divas think they know it all, all-pro receivers never do.
The 49ers need an All-pro.
The 49ers had a fucked up day yesterday, on the road, and still could have won. They are still very much alive. As long as they are in it they could win it. Can’t count them out. They get hot and bam! Anything can happen. Injuries might limit that but….I am still gonna ride the wave!
I see ’em as one and done in postseason. And I hope I’m wrong. If so I’ll eat the crow