For the 49ers having already clinched the division, this Monday night showdown has a ton of playoff implications. If the 49ers win, they stay ahead of NO as the #2 seed in the NFC, while a Pittsburgh win would give them a 1 game lead on Baltimore with 2 games to go. Neither are a certainty if they occur, but either team winning would be a boost for that elusive 1st round bye. The 49ers, by losing would still get 1st round home game, byut would lose the bye week. They would drop from the #2 to the #3 seed. Pittsburgh has even more to lose. If they lose tonight, they’d fall from the #2 seed (bye week + a home game) to the #5 seed (no bye + 2 roadies).
With that in mind, Pittsburgh is now saying Ben Worthlessberger will start tonight’s game at the Stick. Little Ben showed ‘enough mobility’ in Saturday’s practice to start tonight. Which means to me, the 49ers need to show some fairly different looks early in this game. They NEED to get pressure up the middle. Skelton had no problems stepping up last week as the pressure came in from the sides. Stepping up is about the only thing that Worthless can do with his bum ankle. If Soap can’t get in on the backup center (Pouncy is out), then Pittsburgh will more than likely throw quick passes and run delays up the middle to slow down our rush, and keep Worthless out of trouble. Sending Grant in on some blitzes up the middle early, and hitting little Ben, would set the tone for the game. Letting him dink and dunk to set up the big play will not work.
How this shakes out offensively is a question as well. These last 2 games (Balt and AZ) were against teams that run very similar defenses. Pittsburgh is the same deal. Zone blitzing, overloading areas, and disguising blitzes. The good news is we’ve seen it a lot. The bad news is we haven’t adjusted very well. Hopefully by now the Niners can pick up the schemes without getting Smith killed. 18 sacks in 3 games is a trend that HAS to stop. The 49ers need to open with slants and quick passes (for more than 4 yards) that give the team favorable 3rd down situations, and keep the chains moving. The red zone just needs to be re-thought completely. I hope the extra day helps them.
Last week’s game should have been a win. They can’t leave points on the field. And, looking at how the Bolts flattened the Balts, you CAN beat an aggressive defense by being aggressive yourself. The WRs HAVE to make plays tonight. Dropping shit cannot happen. I’d put Williams as the X receiver, and try to get single coverage. Hit him deep on go routes. It doesn’t have to be a slow-developing play. Just float it out there for him when the coverage dictates. I’d try it 3 or 4 times. Ginn proves over and over that he can get open, but he just has trouble catching the goddamn ball.
Forty Niners Forever 
why don’t we look for vernon inside the 20 anymore ??????!!!!!
WTF was that 1st and goal handoff to Gore? Fuck that. That stymied the whole 1st and goal series. Alex puckers up insinde the 10 on the latter downs. Stop running on first down inside the damn 10 yard line! Sheezus….
you know smith has to just get his head in the game and just let it fly
Cheezberger can barely walk. They have to put the heat on him up the middle. Get some blitzing going. Damn, that Wallace is fast…
Well the D is bringing there A game
can goldson play or what !
Steelers are doing the quick slants and outs cuz Cheezberger can’t move. I don’t get the 3 man rush, he had all day, bad throw gets the pick. Gotta stuff the WRs at the line, get the push up the gut to make him start to move away from the pocket…
Ben, go rape an 19-year-old coed in the bathroom stall. You’re more adroit at that than throwing a football…
PLEASE START throwing to vernon 10 to 25 yards out PLEASE !
Fuckin Alex, Crabby had his guy beaten by 4 yards and he overthrows it…
Niners kicking ass, and only getting field goals. FUCK this…
Same old same old
Smith is a piece of shit.
ok the throw to vernon was good
now
if i’m harbaugh i either have a nice long talk with alex smith at halftime
or i might just consider warming up at QB in the second half !
Im sick and tired.of Fuckin FG.s in the Red Zone.Smith has.missed 2 scores.cause he Panicks.
This lights out shit in front of the whole nation is the best advertisement for a new stadium one could imagine…
Power outgauge like the 49ers in the Red Zone frustating
For the first time this year, Denny’s criticism of Smith has been valid. He’s been terribly inaccurate, missing wide open receivers. I hope he gets it together, you only get so many chances to score…
If you’ve been following along, I’ve actually been crediting AS tonight. But unfortunately, it’s been on his short throws. The one in the EZ to Williams and the deep throws to Crabs have been the killers. Then again, what’s new?
I’ll tell ya what’s not new…Any Lee is this team’s MVP. four yrs running…
I don’t get the limit to 4 man rush so far. Cheezberger has all day…
win this one !
Well, what a fricking power outage. Yeah, and the fucking lights went out, too.
Crabs and Walker were open. If Smith throws the ballwhere Williams was going, it would have been a pick.