Criminy, no football around these parts for ages it seems. The one game coming up is Monday night, so it won’t even be here this weekend. Thank God the Giants are giving me something to watch. The Niners could learn a lot from the Giants as they coalesced late in the year to become a team in the true sense of the word. Subsuming personal greatness for the common good. Something the Niners already do pretty well, but the Niners have looked a bit less than the dominating team that started the season by whipping on GB (a contender) and Deetroit (apparently back to being pretenders).
The NY Giants game was a debacle in EVERY phase of the game, and the Seattle game was an offensive struggle. The run game was there for the most part as they gained 170 yard on the ground. Something Seattle isn’t used to giving up. Defensively they played well enough, and were assisted by five dropped passes by the Hawks. Special teams looked more like their special selves than in recent memory.
Which brings us to Alex Smith. Like the Minnesota and Giants games, the WRs in the Seattle game couldn’t seem to shake free of the coverage. Manningham was hurt in the Giants game, and missed the Seahawk game, so you have to hope Manningham would have done a little better than Crabtree did in getting open. Smith just seemed fairly tentative out there. The best game of his life (Buffalo) was followed by his worst (NYG), and the Seattle game featured a potentially devastating pick in the end zone by Seattle. Plus there were a few too many plays left on the field that Smith missed. VD was neutralized in these games. And this is something the additional WRs were supposed to address. Mainly Moss. When Moss comes in, he usually gets a CB and a safety over the top, so his presence should open someone else up. However, Smith struggled finding guys open. Like Moss in the back of the end zone on the INT. There were other plays were it seemed Smith wouldn’t pull the trigger even though someone was open. On the rollouts, he gives up half the field. and the defense simply flows to the guys on the righ half of the field. This was evident in the Giants game, when Smith was often throwing into traffic.
Granted, Seattle has very physical corners, and no one seems to pass very well against them, but as this team works its way to the playoffs, they are going to face strong defenses like Seattle and the Giants, and especially Minnesota, a likely firswt round playoff foe. And I also know that this passing offense is still a work in progress. The Buff and Jet games were tests to see how the deep passing game would work. Well, it worked great against a couple of lesser defenses. Good ones? Not so much. They still have work to do, and Smith has to work on getting the ball out quicker. He’s take some unwarranted sacks, but the flipside being better a sack than a pick. The problem there is Smith has already equalled his pick total from last year as he’s being asked to be more aggressive. Still and all, the game-awareness is lacking at times. He’s taking sacks when he should simply throw the ball away, and he’s missing open guys at times. Nitpicking a 5-2 team? Sure. Maybe. But I AM concerned about how well this team can do in the playoffs if they can’t get VD out from double coverage, and can’t get the ball to anyone else. The run game is a plus, but if the Niners can’t cionsistenl;y hit pass plays, the 8-in-the-box scenario we grew to hate in the Singletary days will come back as a defense we regularly face.
So, as long as the Niners can get through AZ on their way to the halfway mark, and the bye, they will be in excellent shape to lock up the NFC West. a 2-0 record in the division and a 2 game lead over AZ, and possibly Seattle as they have a tough game on the road vs Deetroit. If Seattle has shown anything, it’s that they are much better at home, going 3-0 at home, and 1-3 on the road. A loss by Sea would give the Niners the tiebreaker plus a 2 game lead over both.
Forty Niners Forever 
The anti fan club if you will.
Thing is nobody is bagging on Smith really, pointing out some flaws and discussing doubts that are resurfacing about Smith’s ability to put us over the top. Problem is any comment is seen as hating on Alex and evokes an exaggerated reaction that then becomes a pissing contest. Funny stuff.
Copy. Yep. Same old same old
yeah same old same old. Better than nothing though, dog days of football for the Niners right now heading into the bye.
Chuck OTOH is a model of rationality and restraint. Serious.
I heard he was a model alright, an underwear model, hung too!
Scary that- and the squirrels = Bingo!
Giants! V. Nice
Barley said: “Yeah, I don’t quite get that ANY slight or even implied criticism of AS can evoke such vehement defense.”
It’s irrational both the anti and pro Alex covens. Naturally it’s hard to “get it”. Folks seem to be identifying personally with or against poor old Alex.
Pro: “He’s great because he suffered much and stuck with this stinker of a team, lousy situation, high school coaches; see, he’s getting better and better and will lead us to the promised land”. Translation: “I have suffered much in lousy situations with crappy support, surrounded by morons. But see I got better, I stuck with it and by God Alex is a winnah like me” Total identification. That’s fine. It happens.
Anti: ” He stinks, after 8 years he’s done nothing, never did, never will, not going to happen. Alex Smith is a waste of humanity and, should die. Now”. Translation: “Life has been hard I haven’t accomplished what I wanted to, I probably never will. Is life worth living?” Total projection. Better to see the crap in poor old Alex than in the mirror, right?
Adult POV: “Alex’s been through a lot and he’s still standing, he’s improving. That’s good, bully for him. Will he lead us to the promised land? Maybe, maybe not; jury’s still out. Dunno. hopefully he does”
Signed, Sigmund F
Thanks Siggi. One part of the Adult POV is the current soup de jour. Is Alex regressing? That’s the angle the 3 hacks I linked to also have. Too small of a sample size to know yet.
“Too small of a sample size to know yet.” That’ll never stop the east coast boys from hoping and praying that he IS regressing. Like Eli was golden every year/game.
well, I will go with 49ers 21-cards 13
Ok Kevin, you’re in the race
yeah, it’s too funny over there. Bergs is a dick, but he’s just trying to get a rise out of some of us. he’s on the same page. Bullitt and skeebs though are like 15 year old girls in their absolute disregard for anything resembling a hint of criticism of young Sir Alex. That’s why I started calling them the knights of the round table. I guess that should be the knights of the irregular table.
Bergs is the only one I like over there except some of the regulars from here. And Chuck I think you do us all a public service by “bringing out the very best in skeebers”. Good work.
Thank you
Berger is no idiot, he knows well enough Smith has shortcomings as all QB’s do. He chooses to believe that Smith has enough of the right stuff to see a sixth Lombardi in the glass case. Niners have won a lot of games with Smith so that part is valid. I hoped to see Smith take the next step following a vast improvement from him last year. I don’t see much evidence of it so far this season.
I believe the Niners gave Smith more responsibility in the passing game and it didn’t quite go as planned so they put the training wheels back on for now.
We shall see as the season unfolds.
This one game in 3 + weeks sucks.
Yeah what is this the off season, Jeeeze
I’m having a tough time getting a read on this game. Before the season started, I pegged this as a…loss. AZ has a good D, but they also gave up 250 receiving yards to…Brian Hartline — he of the Miami Dolphin Passing Juggernaut. But passing is not really our bag, yet anyway — so AZ’s pedestrian 20th ranked rushing D is their weak link and dovetails with our strength. Oh yeah, and their offense sucks eggs.
All that is to say I have no fucking idea what’s going to happen, but I’ll toss out a glass 3/4 full prediction — Moss gets a TD, Gore gets a TD, Akers gets 2 FG’s. AZ’s offense gets pummeled. 20-3, Niners.
P.S. Personal note to Andy Lee, who I’m sure spends a lot of his time hangin on this blog — do NOT punt it to Peterson. Thank you very much.
Punt to Peterson = suicide, don’t do it. It’s like walking up to Mike Tyson and saying “okay I’ll give ya one free shot right here on my jaw”. Lee’s not that kinda dumb nor is seeley
Yeah, they are tough in theri house, but they have 2 glaring problems. Pass protection and run defense. These are things we NEEED to take advantage of. Don;t let them throw quick passes, and run the ball down their throats. Get the lead, and the Niners can tee off on their QB. I don;t even know who’s in line at this point? Red Skelton?
Hey, Phil! you and me this week in fantasy football. I got off to an even effort Thurs. night with Percy Harvin and the Vikes PK. Good thing I left the Vikings D/ST on my bench. They got torched by the Bucs. How come we couldn’t put up 36 pts. on the Vikings D. like TB did? Blame it on the Coven.
I’ll get you my prediction on Monday. The Breeders’ Cup is next Friday and Saturday at The Great Race Place (Santa Anita). I’ve been busy doing my “homework.” I hope I don’t get the same D’s and F’s as our passing attack…disappointing, diminishing, depressing, disgraceful and disgusting. Faltering, fatigued, flat, floundering, futile, and last but surely not least, FUCKED!
Homework you won’t need to clean my clock in the FF League. This is going to be worse than playing the NY Giants. Shit even Chuck whipped me last week.
From Barrows talking about the Zona D:The suddenly defense-oriented Cardinals have 22 sacks this season and have held opponents to six touchdown passes, tied for the league low. The average passer rating against them, 67.4, is the second lowest in the NFL.Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/26/4940103/with-arizona-next-it-wont-get.html#storylink=cpyI don’t know about you guys but pre-season this was one of the games I had put in the loss column as one of the 5 games I thought we would probably lose. A tough division opponent on the road is no easy win.The way they have played more recently leads me to think we win this one now.
AZ ain’t very good against the run, so it looks to be a slogfest ground game. From us at least. They have allowed 35 sacks. A scary high number. That projects out to about 75 for the season.
Secret is to get on top of them early take the crowd out, and cruise home. DId I say 17-? Still sounds good.
Yeah the oline is horrible, they still have Adam Snyder at right guard?
Running is gonna be the Niners staple diet unless Roman gets another wild hair up his @ss
16-6, Chuck.
2-0 Giants!
Has anyone else but yours truly pick our Niners to lose this year? I think the majority of you had ’em going 11-5 or 12-4. Well. You have to pick ’em to lose sometime. You know goddamn well that I pick ’em to lose each and every week for my superstitious beliefs and to continue with my comedic schtick. Well, I hope you do anyway. I’m sure you could give a rat’s ass about my superstitions, but I really do hope you find my schtick at least somewhat amusing. Any of you ever been on stage, did your schtick and heard nothing but crickets in return? I blame it on the tough crowd. Just like Dangerfield would say, “I’m OK now, but last week I was in rough shape…”
I picked a win every game, some a little more certain than others (Vikings!) and some dubiously (Giants). This game with the Cards is no gimme, there is a lot a stake for them, win and we are tied for first a loss for them virtually hands the Niners the division as far as they are concerned being at home.
Your schtick is long Dennis.
P.S. Please wash your schtick from time to time.
Isn’t Schticky a cheezy lint roller infomercial? Good to know your writings weren’t heartfelt.
Your words indicated you had a bee in your bonnet or a stick up, uh nevermind.
The last time I picked them to lose was the Detroit game last year, I think. I said they’d go 14-2 this year. And that still could happen.
Your schtick is schtinky, Dennis. Don;t think I’ve picked a loss yet. My biggest worry was really the Seattle game. I just figured itd be some kind of letdown after the debacle vs NYG.
Think this next one is low scoring. No shock there/ But the Niners can’t let AZ get ahead too far.
Keep it comin’ Dennis. Have we signed Zito yet?
I pegged this one pre-eason as a loss too. IIRC, I had us losing all three division roads games, finishing 10-6 but still winning the division. I think I also had us losing in GB though. Anyway — AZ’s best chance beating us is 3-0 (3-0. What does that remind me of? Giants!). Their offense sucks. If our D can keep Fitz in front of them, I have trouble seeing them getting in the EZ. Run, run, run, play action, Moss catches in double coverage on a pass that reminds no one, especially Dennis, of Peyton Manning.