Funny, Seattle and AZ have crept back into the playoff picture, seeing as the rest of the NFC has turned into bumbling, stumbling, here-you-take-it-I-don’t-want-it underachievers. Philly’s misbegotten disaster of a season can be saved by winning out, and the Jets beating the Giants, and then the Giants beating the Cowboys. AZ, the Giants, Chi-town, and Seattle all still have life in the playoff hunt. Atl and Deetroit are the ones they are gunning for.
Which brings us to this week’s game. The Niners are still trying to stay tied with NO to gain the bye week. However, the Niners can also dash Seattle’s playoff hopes with a victory in the turd nest in Seattle. So, a win would be doubly cool this Saturday. Thing is, Seattle is red-hot. The 2-6 Seahwaks beat the Ravens. No small feat. They have gone on a 5-1 tear since then. Yeah, they beat sad sacks like StL, but they beat Chicago and Philly pretty easily, but inexplicably lost to Washington. They’ve been winning with strong special teams play, and a tough defense. They gave up 221 yards to Chicago, and held the Rams to 280. They forced 4 turnovers against Philly, and TJackson has been fairly error-free. their special teams has also been strong.
Sounds kind of familiar. I think it’ll come down to protection. Keep Alex clean like last week, and the 49ers should be fine. Philly ran in them fairly well, and we should be able to as well. Get pressure on TJ, and he’ll make mistakes. This being said, you KNOW Pete Carroll is gunning like a mad man for this game. he wants to knock Harbaugh down a peg or two as he tries to get HIS team back on the relevancy map. A win for him this Saturday would definitely do that, even if the Hawks don;t make the playoffs. Their shot is slim anyway, but for Harbaugh to be the one to put the dagger in would be all the more sweet.
27-13 Niners. They find their way back into the end zone.
Forty Niners Forever 
TF, people like to shoot the shit, and not be villified for saying wow, Joe threw for 157 in the Super Bowl. No one is comparing anything. We’re talking, OK? All this shit about stats and numbers is all horseshit as far as I’m concerned. Fuck the numbers. That ring a bell? The NFL shouldn’t become like baseball, where stats are king. Look at any Pittsburgh game from the 70s. Bradshaw would throw 17 passes for 180. They’d run for 160, and win. Ball control. Defense. He was God for his 85 rating. They won. QBs back then were doing fine if they ended up with 18 TDs, and 16 INTs. As long as they were winning. Namath’s numbers are dogshit compared to ANYONE in the past 20 years. Well, maybe not Troy Smith’s. Steve DeBerg always had decent numbers his whole career. His wins and losses were all over the place.
Like last year compared to this. The difference? The Niners are winning. Frankly I love Smith’s attutide toward all this. While the talking heads blather about ‘game manager’, ‘not being asked to do too much’, etc. his take is, hey we’re winning. You can say whatever the fuck you want. He gives all the credit to Harbaugh. Why? Because whatever the hell is going on, it’s working.
Rail away, skippy, but I’m loving every minute of it.
Indy gets win 2! Peyton is happy.
Pay attention, I was vilified for for showing the numbers for for Alex this year and Joe in ’81… you have a problem with with that? Eat shit..
BTW- you’ve even acknowledged what I said about Smith’s numbers after Raye left , you even made it a prominent part of a thread you initiated. Then you sat silently, letting me get attacked for properly bringing up a FACT. So let me point this out AGAIN- the main difference between Smith in 2010 after Raye left, and Smith now is the defense giving up 8 points less per game.
Minnesota is very happt right about now.
StL? What do they do but trade out?
Smith said something a month or so ago in a kawakami article– he referenced Dilfer who told him to honor one thing when he finally “makes it.” He told him to stay humble and never, ever tell anyone “I told you so.” excellent advice. If the Niners won the SB I would easily put this 1 #1. i’ve always said there’s nothing like your first– but I’m older now…I’m a 42 year old fucking man, lol. I appreciate shit more now. I get how hard it is to do this. My mind would be blown. And I could only imagine the parade and the smile Alex Smith would sport. It would be epic and Denny would be front and center at the parade…
With a gun…
You know Flavor I think you’re right- Denny would be very happy if the Niners win the Super Bowl. Not that he’d let us catch him celebrating- heroic efforts would be made to appear glum or sumptin’…not that I’d be fooled, lol
Even with Tonight’s Colts victory, they still win the “Luck Sweepstakes” if they lose their finale vs the Jags. But if you’re the Jags, do you wanna win that game and have to face Luck 2X a yr for the next 10+ years? You just had your fill of Manning, you want Manning part deux? Take a dump…
No intelligent observer advocates a team losing on purpose.
Well, Flav, I tell ya, 1981 was incredible. Just getting out of HS, and watching all this happen was epic. I’ve railed time and again about the 1972 playoff game that Staubach crushed our dreams for the 3rd year in a row, and I was sitting in the south end zone. Where Staubach scored the last 2 TDs as time, and the dream ran out. 2 short years later, the Niners were a laughingstock with the singing cowboy and end end of the Morabito family ownership was a sad end to a firmly held tradition of the Niner family. When things started changing, it was a little bit like now. Although I had no idea it would be this fast.
I’ve spent the last 4 years thinking (and saying) this team has the talent to win, and at least reach the playoffs. After being screwed from within these past few years, they HAVE been amassing talent. I knew this, but I was sick and tired of seeing these guys get close, and then watch them implode from within and have to rebuild around yet another new coach. I had NO desire to think these guys were going to be anything but mediocre this year because I was sick and tired of getting my hopes up, and then getting them crushed under the reality of false expectations. I’m happily enjoying this ride, and no matter how this turns out, I’ll be ecstatic. They have improved immeasurably in a preseason that was non-existent. This team will only get better with another draft and an entire preseason to get their shit together. They are poised to be a high-profile team for the foreseeable future.
Should they somehow win it all, it would be infintely close to 1981. But like you said, there’s nothing like the 1st one . . .
That’s what she said…but I gave it my all anyway. Naw I hear ya Chuck- what an amazin’ ride this year has turned into. Nothing will match 1981 but 2011 has enough surprises, thrills and a great sense of redemption that our once proud franchise has finally gotten back on its feet again. It’s the start of something and that something will be good for us…
17-13 SEA. And I think Lynch rushes for a TD.
I also predicted 5-11 this season. Hoping my run of wrong continues this weekend.
Actually what is really hard to predict is which OL shows up. Seriously, if the OL shows up, we win. Period. If they can handle the noise, and protection, I can see us getting red zone td on their asses, and the D will hold up well. If the OL stumbles, bumbles, and turn to turnstiles, then the effect will inspire their offense too and we’ll fail. I really, really, want to see the OL stabilize and not Jekyll and Hyde as we approach the playoffs.
This would be better than ’81 ( and that’s for everyone to decide for themselves, there is no correct answer). Mainly because of Alex Smith. In fact, just being in the playoffs after all the bullshit he’s endured from coaches and “fans”, is almost as big as that SB win. Joe was already the anointed one, Alex is still derided in many circles- he doesn’t even get full credit for what he has achieved. They have a tough road-they’ll probably have to beat New Orleans and Green Bay, two far superior teams than any the ’81 team faced in the playoffs. I doubt they’d be able to survive if he threw three interceptions against either. So, without doubt, IMO, this would be a far greater accomplishment than ’81, were to happen.
If a SB win didn’t complete the redemption of Alex nothing ever would. Right now I’m happier for the team but win da SB and I’d be happier for Alex. How cool would THAT be?
Smith missed a couple last week, but this a guy who even under Singletary and Raye was one of the top Red Zone QBs in the game. It was good to see the play action on the TD to Vernon, just that one call might have opened it up for Frank’s TD. Maybe they’ll get a bit more creative with the play calls now.
Denny– your answer to my question about your mom was telling. I asked you would she be excited about the team and the upcoming playoffs. You thoughtfully answered but proceeded to tell us about Joe/steve and ultimately ended with another shot at Smith. Incredible. You (and apparently your mom) divide your allegiance to a football team down to 1 common denominator: the qb. It’s almost like you’re incapable of looking at the team as a whole. Clearly, we now see where u get it from. I don’t understand why you can’t be a fan of the team and actually be happy about our first trip to the playoffs in many years. But whatever, everyone likes football for different reasons, I guess….
If you read his post, his Mom has passed away. The invective and hatred are from Denny, not his Mom.
“I can only imagine the contempt she’d have for Alex Smith. If I didn’t get to him first, she’d kill the bastard.”
No comment from the blog author on this? Oh, I forgot ..”We’re talking, OK?”…..
Christ, I just saw it, Mike. Should I send the Thought Police to his condo?
Does everything here have to be about you and your opinions? Some people here have a different take on Alex. Most have come around somewhat. Dennis? Well, he’s riding the edge of sanity as it is. I figure if he doesn’t vent here, he’ll take it to the streets. I’m doing his neighbors a service by keeping him normal enough to function in the real world. If I cut him off, we’ll hear the story of a crazy guy in a Joe Montana jersey stuck in a 40′ Christmas tree taking potshots at people wearing Alex Smith jerseys.
Good point Chuck. Why not be good to Denny? He’s just blowing off steam with the cheap and easy potshots at you know who.
Pardon me? Complaining about ANOTHER one of his death threats somehow has anything to do with my opinion on Alex? Fuck you. I’ll take your response to mean anything goes.
It’s typical that your first response to another one of his threats is to the person who complained about the threat.
And what a dumb fuck response it was. I complain about a death threat and you say “does everything have to be about you and your opinions?” You won’t even delete a death threat. Instead you bitch at me. Again, fuck you.
Obviously, these numbers in their first full year in the WCO won’t be complete until/if Alex wins this year’s Super Bowl, but only a cretin would fail to acknowledge that Smith’s numbers this year are AT LEAST comparable to Joe’s regular season numbers in ’81. Don’t misunderstand, those are darn good numbers for Montana, even though he’d had far more time to be “coached up” in the WCO than Alex has.
Alex (14 games) 61.4 CompPct, 2752 Yds, 7.08 Y/A, 16 TD, 5 INT, 91.1 QBR
Joe (16 games) 63.7 CompPct, 3565 Yds, 7.3 Y/A, 19 TD, 12 INT, 88.4 QBR
Twin–I know his mom passed away, I remember when it happened. And I read his post. You must not have read mine: I was saying I know where he gets this from–*like mother like son*–that kind of shit.
I didn’t realize that Denny’s mom was a fellow death threat devotee. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I still have a hard time dissing dead mommies, Al Davis was easier. Not that me or *my* Mom ever wished him dead..;-)
Jesus Fucking Christ. This blog has become ridiculous.
Because everyone who makes a joke about their mom going after Alex Smith with a gun is obviously, totally, sincerely serious. Obviously. And must be reported so that it goes on their permanent record. And their mom should obvious be dug up and the body put in safekeeping in Guantanamo. Just to be safe.
*rme.
Actually, I would never disparage Denny’s dead Mom.He did that. And you.
No, Mike, when you originally posted the stats, Snarkk made a comment you didn’t like. Here’s your response:
“People like like the Snarkker will dishonestly claim that I said Alex was a better QB.” No one, including Snark, ever said or implied it, but from then on, anyone with any response regarding Smith was fair game for you to rail on.
You act like you don’t instigate things but you do. I don’t give a shit. And frankly, why all the angst over Dennis’ psychotic ramblings? Many people on other blogs wish bad things on players, including your wish for Barry Zito to be eaten by sharks. And, yes, this is my blog. Please defer from telling me how to run it.
How about you take a look at the nice pics NinerDog provided?
Actually Snarrkfuck implied exactly that, more than once. But I’ve moved on. Many people ( jokingly of course ) would say that lawyers are the scum of the earth and should be shot. I would never say such a thing but it would be OK if someone else did. We don’t the thought police here, now do we?
Your a fucking idiot. The Zito remark proves it again. For one, that OBVIOUSLY was a joke, for two, unless I’m a shark it was no death threat.
Ayway, I’m not you telling how to run your blog, I’m going by the new rules- death threats are OK. Told in jest, of course.
Actually, Denny said HE would kill, for the umpteenth time. What’s ridiculous, sonny, is that that’s ok, but arguments for Smith create firestorms. But whatever, I ‘m sure you’re smart enough to understand it would just be a joke if somebody suggested that Joe Montana should be shot in the back of the head . It would be even funnier it were repeated dozens of times.
BTW, your pal has been reported previously for more direct threats than this one. Also for one against Obama. That one was even funnier, no?