<b>UPDATE: Brandon Jacobs and Joe Staley are active, Marion Manningham is out with a shoulder injury.</b>
Well, it is officially crunch time in Ninerland. We are at a crossroads of sorts as the team tries to regain the form that led to such an impressive start. The Niers were clicking along, with one minor blip, when they ran into the New York Giants. They were buzzsawed into oblivion and were bad in every phase of the game. Problem is, as this is a ‘what have you done lately’ kind of deal, the Niners are on shakey ground. Gone is the euphoria of beating Green Bay and Deetroit. Here now is the unshakeable feeling that Alex Smith may be reverting to old bad habits. the defense was pourous in these 2 losses, and the pass rush, which was so good last year, has mysteriously vanished like so many 3rd down stops.
Enter the Seahawks. A mystery unto themselves. They’ve beaten good teams and lost to iffy ones. However, they come to town to renew rivalry between head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll, and between Seattle GM Scotty (Happy Hour) McLoughan and his former team. These games always make for interesting fodder as Scotty has been picking up our scraps ever since he got there. Michael Robinson is still on the ‘Hawks, while erstwhile jersey-winner-for-me Kentwan Balmer has moved on to other endeavors (would you like to super size that?).
I have no idea how this plays out. But I do know that this is a game the 49er should win. If they lose, the entire program will fall under the kind of scrutiny that drove the 2 previous coaches mad. Losing at home to the Hawks would be, while not a fatal blow, it will definitely put a crimp in the search for back-to-back division titles. If Alex Smith falters in a big, or even not-so-big, way, the murmurs will start getting louder for Cappy to get more reps. I think they tone down the Cappy switch-outs, but I do hope they still use him down by the goal line.
Plus, we have the SF Giants quest to tie up the NLCS at 2 or run the risk of being shut down in 5 games. All they need is one win to take the series back to the Bay. GO GIANTS ! ! ! ! Depending on the outcome of these 2 games, I may not survive the night. Be still my heart.
Forty Niners Forever 
Run that ball. Get one first down after the two minute warning and we’re done here.
Harbaugh has no more faith in Smith’s passing tonight.
Another stupid Smith run. Thy kind of play calling will give Seattle one more chance
Aldon!
Again, on 3rd dn Jimbo elects to run Alex and limit any mistakes. You people who advocated Alex > Manning really need to look in the mirror. You picked the wrong pony. Don’t feel bad, I’ve done it many times in my life. Just know that Alex smith belongs in the claiming ranks while Peyton Manning will be running in the Breeders’ Cup.
Safety and that does it.
What’s the point spread? This decision is fishy.
Well, that I’ve never seen – a team declining a safety.
OOOo. Pete missed it by THAT much. Again.
What’s Your Deal???!!!
The kneel down is probably the safer play here though.
Not if you bet the 49ers – 8. There’s gonna be hell to pay…
That safety just cost the sportsbooks major coin. But wait? Now Jimbo is declining the penalty and taking the ball on downs? So the Niners will win by 7 instead of 9? Harbaugh best hire himself a food taster. There’s a gambling bulls eye on his ass.
Won the war. But did not answer the latest round of Alex questions. We’re in for another colorful week online.
OK, I’ll start. I just have no confidence in AS against good defenses. I wish I did. I don’t. I’m glad we won. I’m glad for our D. For PW. For Gore. But I’m tired of doing the AS dance. Fucking tired. Honestly, I don’t think he has it. I don’t. His inconsistency is maddeningly consistent. And I don’t even know what the fuck that means. I admit my predictions are all over the place, and I would love, LOVE for AS to force freaking crow down my throat, but I just don’t think he has the big time cajones to make it happen against top flight defenses. Yeah, we won, but not because of him.
Bottom line, I think he’s good enough to win a SB when the planets align just so, which is not great strategy. CK may be, or may not be the answer, and probably is not, for this season anyway, but I just can’t keep on expecting AS to somehow be something he’s not. It’s fucking exhausting.
/
A W is a W is a W, Grump. A day to rest up the bruises, and then smack down those other Birds. Don’t look for Frank to carry the load next game at his age.
Roger Craig or Frank? I’m supposed to make a choice on this one?
Grump, I didn’t understand you. This is Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh here. Pete, you missed it by THAT much. Again.
Well, at least one of our teams won.
Who has Frank on their fantasy team? Not too shabby.
Who has Alex, if any, on their fantasy team? Pretty goddamn shabby.
Hmm. Maybe I’m banned for making sense, made just one comment and it never showed up..I’ll try again..tough physical game played better on every level by the Niners. Alex was OK- one bad decison, one decisive winning drive. Highest QB rating all year aagainst Searrle was 81.5 by Rodgers. They mug the wide outs and get away with it Frank was great of course.All in all, a short rest win against a very physical team leaves the rational observer with little to complain about. For those who like football it was a good game.
Night all. Menace:I have ro acknowledge the fine game from Manning. 8-8 seems more attainable for the Broncos now. As you’ve always preached before last year, the measure of a QB is wins. . Peyton has little chance to best T-Blow’s record last year, but I’m giving him 50-50 to top Sanchez this year.
Now don’r get all huffy and spill your last bottle, I’m kidding about Peyton, I definitely think he’ll beat more than one good team this year
Hey, you hear me trash Alex, Crabby? No, because I didn’t.
Didn’t read one single comment here tonight, pal, and never said one fucking word about you. Like I said, if one likes football, it was a good game. If one doesn’t, they didn’t think it was. Whatever shoe fits..
Testy, aren’t we tonight Crabby. The Niners won, 13-6 baby. Wake up.
Hey, I enjoyed the game. As I said-a good one, with the Niners better in every phase.Maybe you can find someone to read for you.
“pal” and fucking. Yes I can read, Jack. Alex looked like Mark Sanchez tonight, afraid to throw, afraid to run. Just afraid. Do you really want me to go on? I have to put a mask on first in evaluting his performance.
Nate Davis plays better games on video than Alex ever will.
It’s a long season, but if he were a rook after those last 2 games, he’d be gone.
JackDaniels, let’s just see in a couple months.
Alex will get another chance in the playoffs.
I’m deighted to have you go on. You’ve been wrong about Smith for as long as you’ve posted, why not now? You have no where to go with it anymore. 19-6 since decent coaching arrived, 90 plus QB rating since early in the season BEFORE Harbaugh, all you have left is the hate, nothing to pin it on.
I’m really too tired to do play-by-play and tell you how Alex sucked tonight, so don’t bother, Jack. The Niners got the W.
If you want to argue about how Alex did it himself as a QB, you’ll have to argue with yourself.
Good Night to you Jack, and 5-2 and division leaders!
Don’t think me wrong, Jack. I just like my QBs to throw it on target. Floating ducks are game birds in hunting season, and that 3-step drop, no-look pass to Crabtree would’ve been a pick-6 in high school.
What’s Alex now, an 18 year vet. Remind me, I forgot.
5-2 and division leaders is MY point, moron. Do not EVER presume to think you know anyrhing close to what I do about this game. And I’m honest about it- Alex was “OK” tonight, as I said. Your Nate Davis post says everything one needs to know about your knowledge.and your conduct last week says even more- I was honest enough to declare the truth about Smith’s performance- it was awful and I said so perhaps half a dozen times yet you posted as if I was sayiing he’d been good. You are a simply a liar-pal.
The “two game” point you made is a joke unless you apply it to every NFL QB who’s been around more a couple years- they’d ALL be gone by your standard. Now-good idea-,get your ass to bed and in future, don’t speak to me unless I invite you to.
MORON, now? Haha. Good one. I think I’m in 4th grade again!!!
Come on big mouth, tell us what you claim to know about the game. Because you’re acting, and you don’t know scheist.
A liar, too? I didn’t even get to that bit.
Put down the bottle, Twinnie.
Well, the strategy of lying often has been shown to have some effectiveness by the Romney/Ryan people, so perhaps that’s why you fabricate what I’ve posted about Smith.
These short games certainly wreak havoc with these teams. Not sure what to expect, but drops, bad decisions, and general ineptitude on offense on both sides of the field. A win is a win is a division win. The real good news is Seattle is 0-3 in the division, so even if the Niners lose in Seattle, they’d get the tie breaker (presumably) by having a better division record.
Frustrating night all around offensively. Mario was a late scratch. Jacobs was activated, but he saw as much action as Brian Westbrook. The Cappy handoff again worked to imperfection, but was only used once (I think). I was flipping back and forth between this game and the Giants game, so I mighta missed a Cappy play or 3. The 1st drive of the 2nd half worked great, and the run game (Mr Gore) worked well. Gore came out, and looked a little dinged up, but I havan’t heard any news. The D played very well, but got 3 huge assists from Seattle’s receivers.
The Kappy play that nearly got him decapitated was the only attempt to use him, I think..Thank God. As one of the Comcast talking heads said in a rare moment of reason, interrupting successful drives in the red zone is throwing everything off. Kappy is a gimmick and like most gimmicks, it’s best urilized midfield..BTW, it’s an absolute fabrication, as almost all media idiots proclaim, that the Niners have been most successful offensively when they first establish the run- In their best offensive games, they’ve used the pass to open up the run game, not vice versa.