This is the 3rd straight division game for the Niners in the semi-interrupted path to the playoffs. This on paper looks like a game that should be a good old fashioned stomping. The Rams are a fairly non-descript team with what was thought to be a up-and-coming QB, Rookie of the year, SAm Bradford, and all-world RB Steven Jackson. Well, things ain’t going well. After firing Mike Martz in 2006, they’ve gone through Joe Vitt, Scott Linehan, Jim Hanslett, Steve Spagnulo (10-38!), and now Jeff Fisher.
After his rookie success, Bradford has struggled with injuries and inconsistency. The defense has been a continual work in progress, and the Rams promising 3-2 start has devolved into a 3 game losing streak.
Trap game? Looking forward to the 7-1 Bears next Monday night? Well, I don’t think so. I think we see a good dose of running down their throat, and play action. A methodical dismantling similar to the AZ game.
Forty Niners Forever 
3-0 in the division games after this one.
So, who do you root for in the Iggles Cowboys game? Both teams are 3-5 and both are perennially picked as great yet suck hard year after year. Strangely, they haven’t run their respective coaches out of town, but both will be gone after this season. The good news is the loser is pretty much eliminated from the playoffs.
So I guess I want Philly to win since they are toast anyway. Not seeing either the overrated Cowboys or the gutless Iggles will be a welcome relief. That being said, I don;t see Philly even coming close to a win. They are hopeless heartless, and flat awful.
We root, of course, for a major earthquake, asteroid strike, or other such disaster.
Otherwise, you have to choose between Puppy Killer and Tony Blowsmo. Just can’t do it.
There have been studies on the trap game notion. It’s a myth. Of course, a trap game has to have some parameters- Football Prospectus, in their study, defined a trap game as any game against a sub-.500 opponent slotted between two games against opponents who, on the season, posted records above .500. The proposed “trapee” would be a “good” team- one above .500.From 1983-2006 the good team won the “trap game” 82 percent of the time vs. 81.5 percent of non-trap games against sub-500 teams.
Football writers persist with the myth because it’s a good hook for a story, but in fact there is no such thing, Of course, since the crapola team does win 18 percent of those “trap games”, the myth will be perpetuated.
A trap game is when the other team shoots the gaps and we pull the guards to pick them off for big gains. I like that kind of party!
My 1st year in football as an 11 year old I was playing DT and had no idea what I was doing. At practice our offense ran a trap. I did not come through the line of scrimmage like I was supposed to do. The pulling guard ran by me, then the RB came through the hole and flattened my ass. He ran straight over me and must have tripped because I did tackle him. The coach yelled at the pulling guard, told me great play and walked away. I had a hard time getting up because I had the wind knocked out of me. Nobody noticed because they were too busy still yelling at the guard. I left practice that day not knowing what I did so well on that play. I just knew it hurt a lot.
Didn’t something like that happen to John Choma in SB 16? He was filling in on the goal line defense because we needed more bodies. He was usually an offesnive line player, a guard. I remember dimly reading somewhere that the Bengals ran some sort of trap or sucker play and Choma, not knowing WTF was going on, just stayed at home and pretty much made the tackle by accident.
Cool…
Place yer bets men. Dragged to the front = Scoring Challenged? Hard to score when ya never play a game. Lets try Niners vs Rams:
Chuck: 31-10 Niners. Well, we saw how they did after their mini-break. They dismantled AZ pretty easily. I foresee much the same this weekend. Gone were the drive-killing Cappy Capperson plays. The Niners ran at will, and thus were able to throw all night off play-action, and chew up big chunks of yards. AZ has a terrible line, and Red Skelton was pressured all night. Again, I see the same thing happening this weekend.
Phil: 27-7 Niners. Careful I might make a call like 27-7 Niners vs the Rams. Yeah the focus on Alex I don’t go there…
Grumpy Guy: 31-3 Niners. Yeah, we should beat the Lambs pretty comfortably. Their defense is not *that bad* statistically – but this is a case where i think stats are biased. How many yards and points does it take to beat a team with a lousy offense? Enough to get a comfortable lead, and then you run out the clock. I think we get 240 yards passing, 210 rushing, and win 31-3.
Twinfan1: 34-10 Niners. Rams *should* be a relatively easy win but we all know how that is. As with the other teams in the division, we’re better on both sides of the ball. I’ll go with the “easy”- 34-10 Niners.
Chico: 27-10 Niners, though if Nate Silver had the Rams winning by 17, I’d go with the Rams. 😉
12th man: 28-21 Niners. Well not that you bothered asking me Phil, and it hurt my feelings BTW, but here it is: Niners 28 Rams 21, lambs get fleeced. ( lol, phil)
barleyfreak: 25-7, Niners. The Return of The Vernon, Big day for Davis — 2 TD’s
Akers is 3 for 3, Justin Smith gets his 1st sack of the year. In the end zone. Rams only score once, but with their defense.
NoFear49er: 32-17 49ers. I think the Rams getting Amendola back might be able to move the ball with Jackson being a threat on the ground we can’t ignore. I also think we should have been able to come up with some plays to get the ball to Vernon this week if that was the problem. My only worry is their pass rushing DEs. But I think we attack the Rams mostly on the ground since our o-line’s run blocking and Gore can’t be stopped. 3 TDs, 3 FGs and a safety just to make things interesting. 2 TDs and a FG for the Rams. 32-17 49ers.
Flavor: Niners 24 Lambs 16. I’ve been picking the Niners to win huge each week but I just don’t see it this week. I think we start a little slowish and just sort of sludge our way to a victory (hopefully). Niners 24 Lambs 16
41-0 49ers!
Why so pessimistic? But….the guard stays home right? I’ll laugh if ya win this week Bergs…
rtfirefly: 23-7 Niners because they rest Frank for the real games.
“So, who do you root for in the Iggles Cowboys game?”
Trick question?
Favorite team? 49ers
Second favorite? Whomever is playing Dallas
I’ve wondered how I’d feel if one day Dallas had to beat a team for us to get into the playoffs. Talk about conflicted. I think in the end, I’d have to miss the game, climb a mountain and meditate on top, wondering about the meaning of existence. Then, upon returning to civilization, check the playoff schedule.
” Then, upon returning to civilization, check the playoff schedule.”
Over a cold one right?
Yes. Possibly two.
Hey, Dallas can win every once in a while. As long as it helps us or sn’t aginst us, and they don’t reach the playoffs? Perfect.
When you have Romo, Witten and Dez Bryant on multiple fantasy teams, the answer is simple..How bout dem Cowboys!
No, the answer is you get 40 points tomorrow and still lose . . .
Phil, I’m still searching for a reason to pick the Rams tomorrow. It’s tough making a case for the St. Louis. I just might have to succumb to peer pressure and pick the Niners. I just might…
Tough choice Del…
The United States of America is a Constitutional Democracy. It is not a Republic. France has Republics. England taught us, with John Locke being one of premier idealists behind the Bill of Rights. 23-7 Niners because they rest Frank for the real games.
Ok Rt got it
Hey we’re almost back to abnormal around here, that’s good. So g’nite gotta catch my desperately needed beauty rest before the 5:25am kickoff.
You forgot some predictions, Phil:
*Dick Morris, FoxNews: Romney 325, Obama 213. ”It will be the biggest surprise in recent American political history,” Morris said. “It will rekindle the whole question on why the media played this race as a nailbiter where in fact Romney’s going to win by quite a bit.”
*George Will, The Washington Post: “Romney 321, Obama 217.”
*Karl Rove: “Romney 285, Obama 253. He’s got Romney winning Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, Colorado, and Florida. ”
*Newt: “Mitt Romney will win big tonight. . . . Despite intense efforts, Obama will lose both Ohio and Pennsylvania. . . . One of the big Wednesday morning stories will be why most of the polls didn’t have this right.”
*Rush Limbaugh: “All of my thinking says Romney big. All of my feeling is where my concern is. But my thoughts, my intellectual analysis of this — factoring everything I see plus the polling data — it’s not even close. Three hundred-plus electoral votes for Romney.”
Creative insults I can do, politics not so much
There was a recent election? I must have missed it…
Let’s hope our Niner calls are a lot better
First off, I’d just like to say Happy Veterans Day and thanks to all the men and women who are currently serving and/or have served our country to make it truly the land of the free and home of the brave. It’s an honor and privilege to live in our great nation. Thank you.
Now on to my pick…the only way I could see the Niners losing today would be if somehow the team bus got highjacked on its way from the hotel to the ‘Stick and it forced the Gold Rush girls to suit up and play. And since I did my bus highjacking for the week yesterday, I’m unavailable today. But I can’t pick us to win. That would just be un-American of me. I’ll say the wrong sport teams show up, and we play one more baseball game.
Carlos Beltran goes yard and St. Louis beats San Francisco 3-2.
Only one TD pass for Peyton Manning today? Maybe it was a good thing we didn’t sign him…
Looking sharp coming out of the bye on that first drive. Did we insert Scott Tolzien yet?
Flavor may be right- close game?
Let’s hope.
I didn’t have a good feeling about this game this morning after seein the Giants get spanked, and even more so now.
And this was before the Ram touchdown
Wow. Little resistance there.
Home run Beltran!
Jesus H. Christ. Do we look asleep at the wheel…
I am not going to let this shit go anymore!!! Running on third and long is just plain stupid!!! Nolan, Singletary, and now Harbaugh, very little has changed!! Unless he Niners get aggressive with the passing game it will be just like last year!! Win some playoff games but will not get to the SB!! Keep this post Chuck. Cause unless they develope a passing game…oh and how did the Rams just score????
They threw a screen, not a run.
A screen, a run no difference when it is third and 13