As the 2012 season winds down, the 49ers aren’t exactly right where they want to be. The offense has been a little spotty at times, and the defense, minus Justin Smith, is struggling pretty badly. Special teams are a shambles, and the coaching staff was pretty badlyt schooled in that loss to Seattle. They are dealing with a lot of injuries, including the recently concussed Vernon Davis, Mario Manningham, and the still -healing KW and Kendall Hunter.
In other words, the injury bug couldn’t hit the team as a worse possible time. Even still, the team has a shot to secure a bye with a win over AZ, and a GB loss to Minn. Both eminently possible. Or they could fall as low as the 5th seed if the Niners lose, Sea wins, and a bunch of other weird shot happens. Sea has a shot at that bye week. How important is the bye? Well, let’s see how the team gets through the AZ game before dealing with that. More injuries to key players would likely kill their playoff run, but a week off to healthy up would do wonders to the team’s chances. More than likely, the Niners would be facing Chicago or Minn if they play the 1st weekend, or Atl if they get the bye.
AZ comes to town looking like a team that got beaten, robbed, and left for dead in a ditch on the side of the road. They beat NE on the road, and took care of biz early to go 4-0 out of the gate. Since then? 1-10. Ouch. They are in the midst of a QB merry-go-round, and their offensive line is flat terrible at pass protection. Their run game is stalled, and Larry Fitzgerald, an otherwise top 3 WR in the league, is wasting away as the QB du jour throws shit 10′ over his head, or down near his feet. Should Alex Smith hit the market, this is his likely landing spot. Granted, he’d be dodging LBs as he tries to throw, but if AZ can build a decent enough line around him, he and the team would be solid contenders in the NFC West next year.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
I still say, without major improvement on their O-line, Alex would be crazy to go to AZ. And he’d get sacked 80 times next year. Well, actually not, since he would not survive the year. For his own sake, I hope he finds somewhere better to go.
Yeah!
If Kappy has another bad game vs Arizona, does Harbaugh even entertain the idea of going back to Smith for the playoffs? They must have at least talked about it at headquarters this week….
I’ll say this, if Kap has anything less than a decent game v Arizona, limping into the playoffs with an inexperienced QB going through growing pains is the last thing we need–and it will all be created unnecessarily by Harbaugh’s rash QB decision.
I said at the time JH made the move, it was unnecessary and risky to make the switch mid season. Harbaugh is in danger of fucking this season up. He thought he’d found *now* gold in Kap after the Chicago game. As a former QB, I’m surprised he was duped into believing that. Kap is without question the more talented QB and, IMO, will have a far more decorated career than Smith. But Kap doesn’t have the consistency right now and that’s a hallmark of almost any rookie QB, especially one who gets thrown into the fire mid season–they could have easily kept things as they were and given the job to Kap next year. If JH thought Kap was so much better than Smith, why didn’t he install him as the starting QB this season and save the dough and the drama with Smith?
I really believe Harbaugh didn’t know what he had in Kap (or what he THOUGHT he had after the Chicago game). Think about it, we didn’t hear jack shit (pre-Chicago game) about Kap or how he’d been practicing since the day he got drafted. Nothing. And if you find a reputable article on the internet about JH talkin’ up Kap’s *hot hand* in practice, I’ll stand corrected.
The fact is, JH was as surprised as all of us were by the Chicago game. But the difference between *us* and Harbaugh should be greater than that………
LOL well said!
Yeah, I was for the QB switch mainly because at the time, I thought coach could do no wrong. Looking back, it was handled pretty badly, and it just might come back to bite him in the ass. Kaep has shown some great signs but the inconsistent play along with the mistakes (normal for a young QB), but man, I hope my gut feeling is wrong. Harbaugh doesn’t get a free pass anymore from me.
And the damn injuries. . . . We were fairly lucky last year, but this year has sucked on that front.
27-14 Niners, and go Vikings.
Agreed on the no-free pass, Chico. Harbaugh got too big for his britches and it *might* come back to ruin the entire season
Our defense is completely inconsistent on an every three week schedule. They are clearly not what they were last year. That was true even before Justin Smith went down, and it’s only re-emphasized with it.
This is another season where Frank Gore’s productivity has dwindled in the latter part of the year. There is nothing new about that. The guy we were hoping would pick up the pace is now on IR.
Frankly, the 49ers are not a good bet to win in the playoffs, except perhaps the first game. They certainly do not look at all the part of a Super Bowl team. And the choice of quarterback is not in any significant way the biggest part of that right now. This feels more and more like 1885 or 1991… a team which is *somewhat good, but simply not able to get all cylinders firing every Sunday.
Chuckle. 1985, obviously.
I can remember more than a few stinkers Alex stunk up all by himself, a couple this year. I can’t remember Alex matching the performance Kaep achieved in his fifth start. Benching Alex hasn’t hurt anything, except a few ex-spurts’ feelings.
All our pro-bowlers had a part in the steaming pile of shit we left in Seattle. And a big share of it goes to the coaches. How is it a strike against only Kaep?
Whatever, our O-line will have its hands full on Sunday and then there’s Peterson. “You funny, Peter-san.” Hopefully the pass pro doesn’t resemble the Seattle outting and Vernon or Delanie (hopefully both) play their part.
All QB’s, even the best, throw in stinkers. Everyone knows that. My point, which you missed, is that if he struggles v AZ then he will have produced 2 *stinkers* in a row as we prepare to head into the playoffs—not exactly what you want to see out of your rookie QB thrown into the fire mid season. Everyone knows there’s a learning curve for him in-game and that this is going to be a process. I was question, as I did at the time, Harbaugh’s timing of this bold move.
But despite what many here think, experience in the NFL at the QB position DOES matter when it comes to the playoffs— that’s actually one of the reasons, I think, that Alex excelled so well in last year’s playoffs……….
Two tweets by Barrows, less than an hour apart;
1. Justin Smith said today he’ll be ready to play if the playoffs started next week for the 49ers.
And then:
2. Jim Harbaugh said today that Justin Smith risks tearing his triceps tendon further if he plays.
If he plays, he shouldn’t play. He’d be playing with 1 arm. Not *basically 1 arm*. He’d be playing with 1 arm. The bad arm would be able to produce zero strength or push, you can’t even straighten your arm without a working tricep muscle. He would even have trouble just moving it except maybe side to side. Now, if we think a 1-armed Smith is better than a 2 armed Rickey-Jean then so be it.
But I am not of that belief………
I have little inclination to take chances with our defensive MVP. particularly in a year where I’m not expecting much success in the playoffs in any event. I hope he concentrates on healing.
Matt Millen just called one of the Rutger’s receivers a “big, good lookin’ rascal”.
I’ve never heard a athlete referred to that way before.
“…big, good lookin’ rascal” That’s a new one fer shore. You want “big” and “rascal” you see Alex Boone. “Good looking”? Naw, gotta keep looking.
Manningham and Hunter out on offense really hurts, big time. I just don’t see Delanie Walker getting much done in place of Manningham, if that’s the plan. I would not depend on Walker for anything — usual stone hands and bad ball security. And, even if J Smith plays, he’ll be diminished in ability. I love it when players say no big deal to injured stars, everybody else will just have to “step up”. Right. Second stringers are that for a reason. If they could “step up”, they would have already, and would be starting instead of the starter that just went down. If Matt Cain goes down with a bad elbow before the playoffs, you can’t expect Joe Schmo from AAA to come in and “step up” against the Reds and throw a shutout. And yes, Gore looks like he’s doing the usual, slowing down late in the season. They need another back for next season in the next draft, somebody with size and speed, since apparently Dixon always has one foot in the doghouse. Already have small and quick in LMJ, and who knows how Hunter will do coming off the achilles tear, that’s not a minor injury…
And, again I question WTF is going on with AJ Jenkins? For a first round pick, he’s got a full training camp plus near 4 months now of practice during the regular season, yet he’s had fewer sightings on the field than Sasquatch…
Jenkins figures in the passing game this weekend according to Harbaugh.
Maybe we’ll see why he couldn’t break the starting lineup or have more to wonder about why we haven’t seen him sooner.
My guess is Harbaugh/Roman are too much into 12, 22 and 23 packages to leave much room for another WR.
Yes
Woo hoo! Up 150 and hitting the slopes tomorrow. Blackjack rules.
Yeah, theft king Jenkins thing is a quandary because no one else is really stepping up wildly and they should have been working his ass in there before this point. LMJ is a diff story because hunter was doing fine.
I say we beat the Red Birds 20-16. Any other wild eyed optimists put there? What you gonna call VS the Cardinals?
Phil: 20-16 Niners. Apparently this is the week to be grumpy. Not to be Grumpy Guy but fer the guys to be pissing and moaning at some of the other guys around here in a grumpy way. We have a 3 game season left at most. I’m gonna take it one at a time. Oh and fuck the Cards. IF we’re lucky we go 2W-1L and out with our recent history (all season) and the arrival of the long dreaded injury bug.
Grumpy Guy: 31-27. A little more scoring. But I think we have two wins left; this is the first.
NoFear49er: 34-9 Niners. If the team is as pissed as I am with their performance in Seattle the AZs won’t cross the goal line. Kaep rediscovers Vernon and the o-line blocks the run again. 34-9 Niners.
Nipper: Yeah Niners win big time. Gots to have confidence!
(phil fan: Time fer some ass kicking Nip!)
unca_chuck: 27-10 Niners. Well, if the Niners can’t beat the shit out of AZ, then we may be in trouble. 27-10 is in order. All in all, a quandary. The AZ game should be little more than a formality, but as we all know, this team can look last with the best of them. I’m not too worried about it, but going forward, the Niners need luck to get the playoff bye, and will likely host a playoff game in the WC week. Chicago or Minn likely. Even still, the Niner playoff run is supposed to be about the NFC Championship game. One that will likely go through Green Bay AND Seattle. A tough row to hoe at this point.
Chico: 27-14 Niners, and go Vikings. Yeah, I was for the QB switch mainly because at the time, I thought coach could do no wrong. Looking back, it was handled pretty badly, and it just might come back to bite him in the ass. Kaep has shown some great signs but the inconsistent play along with the mistakes (normal for a young QB), but man, I hope my gut feeling is wrong. Harbaugh doesn’t get a free pass anymore from me. And the damn injuries. . . . We were fairly lucky last year, but this year has sucked on that front.
We’re gonna smoke ’em, right? Right?
Alleykat: 34-7 Niners. Shit up in Reno,Lot.s of Snow up at Donner Pass!!
Thought about my pick…Niners 34-7 Book it!!
winder: Maybe I’ll get one right sometime, 41-13 Niners
snarkk: 27-10 Niners….
miner: 13-10 Az as akers misses a 32 yd that would have sent the boring game to it.
Lose in the first rd. Kap isn’t the problem.
12th man: Having a bad day Miner? 31-13 Niners pluck the Cardinals good and proper!
Final update for ya
Low scoring. 17-6, Niners win.
AZ sucks, but their D is worlds above their O, especially defending the pass, which alas is not exactly our specialty. We stuff em and hold them to 2 FGs. We run, run and run some more. Gore gets 70+, LMJ gets 50+, Ck gets 50+. 20-6, Niners.
Okay will update before the game.
Chip Kelley to Philly? Could be:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000118315/article/chip-kelly-could-make-philadelphia-eagles-his-nfl-pick
Sean Payton signs for 5 years back in NO
Arizona is starting a QB who’s been with their organization a grand total of THREE weeks.
I shudder to think of the personal consequences should we lose. I hope I use my one phone call wisely…
NEWS FLASH: Del Mar maybe kinda thinks we’ll win vs Arizona!
You’re goddamn right I think we’ll win today! It’s Brian Hoyer and the Cardinals fer chrissakes. But that still doesn’t mean I can pick us to win. Therefore I’ll be using a guest prognosticator in my stead, my neighbor Mrs. King. She got me a new 49er t-shirt for Christmas, so I thought it only fitting to ask her as she left for church this morning for her prediction…37-15 Niners.
Maybe I’ll get one right sometime, 41-13 Niners
27-10 Niners….
…13-10 Az as akers misses a 32 yd that would have sent the boring game to it.
Lose in the first rd. Kap isn’t the problem.
Akers just missed a 44 yarder
Having a bad day Miner?
31-13 Niners pluck the Cardinals good and proper!
Let it be so
How bout dem Bears! If we don’t get the #2 seed, I hope to Christ we get to beat the shit outta the Bears again in the Wild Card round.
Where’s Chuck with the new gameday thread? He must have fell down the Bunny Slope skiing while wearing his new pajamas from Aunt Clara.
http://tinyurl.com/bxhnc5v
*skiing down the Bunny slope* would have been the more fluent grammatical sentence. Fuck you! I haven’t had breakfast yet and I’m on my fourth brandy eggnog.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I haven’t paid much attention to the possible playoff permutations. If Detroit upsets Chicago does that change anything for us besides facing a different opponent in the first round?
I’m surprised people aren’t giving Minnesota more of a chance to win today. It’s in Minn, they could easily win that game today, especially if AP is good to go…….
If you’re hoping for “AP” to be good to go, keep hoping. Adrian Peterson’s nickname is AD — All Day. AD is good to go, but good won’t be good enough vs the “Discount Double Check.”
I know what his nickname is you jackoff. I don’t call Bobby Griffin by his dumb nickname either.
After GB puts out Smokey the Bear(s), his ass will be headin’ to SF. Where we’ll hit his dumb ass over the head with his own shovel.
Insert Vikes for Bears. Regardless… We’re gonna play and beat the shit outta the Bears next weekend at Candlestick.
Shit up in Reno,Lot.s of Snow up at Donner Pass!!
Thought about my pick…Niners 34-7 Book it!!
ok got it
Hey, Flav. You still holing out hope that Alex Smith > Peyton Manning and wins you our bet?
WTF is my booze?
well, we’ll see after today, right? After Smith relieves an ineffective Kap and throws 25 td’s, I’ll send you my address. On the off chance that doesn’t happen, email me yours.
I hope Ted Ginn’s Jr. mother dies of slow eye cancer. Fuck him.
Cocksucking Ginn
Goddamned fucking Ted Ginn. That is all.
Why is he still handling punts? Thank you. He shouldn’t be. Long overdue. Did we fire Jimbo yet?
Ginn just gave them effectively 20 free yards of field position and a new set of downs.
That 3 & out is all on Ginn, the lousy piece of shit.
Jimbo’s already playing this game, “not to lose.” Fuck you. Lose you.
“He’s gone” quoth Eddie
We suck. Brian Hoyer scrambles for a first down. I need a beer.
And I HATE play-by-play callers who call an END AROUND, a fucking reverse. In order for it to be a reverse, the ball must travel in one direction, then go in the opposite. What you just witnessed was an end around. Get your shit straight, Sherlock.
Vikings 3, Packers 0.
Not that is is going to matter if we don’t start moving the ball.
It looks like Peyton Manning (Pro Bowl starter) and his Denver Broncos are on their way to being the #1 seed in the AFC. I can’t bring myself to ask, but my cat, Frank, can muster the question…
DID WE SIGN PEYTON MANNING YET!?!?!?!?!
Meow.
Kap looks like shit again. Not good. If they start losing and he keeps sucking, I’m ready for some Alex Smith Savior Action
Shit field position and our run game averaging 2.5 a carry – Alex was not any better in those conditions. Get the run game going, and some better field position, and either QB will move the ball better.
Yep but Jenkins is not helping with that ‘catch’. No first downs for Niners after 3 possessions
If you think Alex Smith is our “Savior,” well, the both of youse need to be nailed to a fucking cross.
Jesus…Must of had a brain-freeze with all the snow around.The way they look early it would take 2-3 games to get 34 pts.Did we trade for Peyton yet?
THAT was a bad, indecisive pass by Kap to VD.
Damn it, AJ.
haha, now we see why AJ doesn’t play. That was hilarious.
Ah, now we see why Jenkins has been benched
Well, Jerry Rice dropped a lot of passes his rookie year. So, Jenkins dropping one right in his hands is a good sign…
Optimist
We may be in trouble here. Their run game looks better than ours, and Hoyer looks better than Kap so far.
JimBO has no answers and the O is playing like shit- running, passing. It’s what we feared but Kap is morphing into Alex with less accuracy
“If I Had a Hammer,” the first nail hit on the head would had Jimbo laid out. Fuck him.
I may have been too optimistic in my Az 13-10 prediction.
Their running is opening things up for their passing. Our run game is just as ineffective as our passing.
How do you guys feel about a Wild Card game?
Total yards, first quarter: 129 for AZ, 15 for us.
Bears will exact their revenge at the Stick.
And AZ 6 first downs, SF none.
Every run play run by the Cardinals (as I type this) has been run to the left, Justin Smith’s spot. Think we miss ’em?
A. Brooks with the great TFL. Stop ’em!
We need to get something going here, quickly.
Our 4th drive is good so far
Delanie Fucking Walker dropped the ball. Can you believe it?
Fucking asshole.
Delanie Walker has the worst fucking hands of any player I’ve ever seen. he drops fucking EVERYTHING
He couldn’t catch the clap in a Thai whorehouse.
Az does have a decent defense
Either no one is open, or Kaepernick is afraid to pull the trigger – hard to tell on TV.
Well, that’s why we drafted James, at least.
More LMJ
More LMJAMES please
LMJ is really really good
Nice slant there to Crabs.
The Vikes are doing their best early (13-0) to beat GB, but we continue to stink on ice. I’m truly embarrassed and disappointed. We’re better than this.
LMJ!!! I told y’all I loved this pick. I hated the A.J. Jenkins selection. I know my shit. I watch more college football than the most…
you hated the Aldon Smith, too.
NO. If you go back and check the records, I hated the pick just because it was another A. Smith in the 1st round. It had nothing to do with Aldon’s play at Missouri. It had everything to do with Alex Smith.
First of al, even if that’s true, how can anyone take anything you say seriously about a draft pick if your criteria is based solely on their last name? Dumbfuck. Secondly, I dimly remember several comments from you at the time where you hated the pick. If I get bored later I’ll go back and find all of them.
Yup
Akers. Shit, what a fall from grace……
Well, how predictable was that?
Why is Akers still here again?
Son of a cocksucking bitch Akers
AKERS is pathetic.
you called it
Wow, special teams and kicking FGs is a disaster right now. How can you go into playoffs with Akers and Ginn having thier heads up their respective asses? That must be remedied, get somebody else in here, even at this late date…
Miner, Flavor and phil called fer low scoring or Z win and we’re on track so far.
WTF isn’t David Akers’ head on a pike yet? I want his younger sister to die of slow stomach cancer.
Akers is worse than cancer. Cancer can be eradicated. Wide right cannot. Fuck him.
Our DBs are not making the interceptions where there is an opportunity this year.
I find it fairly hilarious that a player can get called for taunting by doing some sort of celebration dance but Gay’s allowed to actually go directly to Akers, taunt him, and that’s not a penalty……..
I think Akers is more pissed at himself than at anyone else, though.
DB lost track of Crabs.
Our season may have peaked in NE and I said at the time: “This may be our Super Bowl so lets win it”
And that’s why Kap is our QB and not Alex. Alex doesn’t make that play even in his dreams.
Yeah, Alex has never thrown a td pass. He was wide fucking open, the DB blew the coverage.
Flav, so sorry you’re still butt-hurt over the QB switch. That should tell you everything you need to know about ’em. Jimbo knows quarterbacks. I question quite a few other things, but Harbaugh has that position down pat. You can cheer for Alex when he’s a Cardinal next year…
David Akers: I want you to get this fuck where he breathes! I want you to find this nancy-boy Eliot Ness, I want him DEAD! I want his family DEAD! I want his house burned to the GROUND! I wanna go there in the middle of the night and I wanna PISS ON HIS ASHES!
That was the pin-point passing Kap showed against the Bears!Crabs is the only threat they have going
Akers kicking short. He’s hurt looks like
Crabs again
Diva has some set of hands on her…Nice catch, Crabs.
Kat LMJ is our other weapon on O, huh?
Walker catches a tough one down the field. Great throw and catch
Alex can do that?
He does that, then usually drops two in the bread basket, or fumbles…
Maybe Delanie CAN catch the clap in a Thai whorehouse… every once in a while.
Good one
DAMN it. Would have been a first down and maybe a TD.
Gore is averaging about 2 yards a carry. 9 for 20.
Kaep is averaging 21 yards per completion.
FUCK me with a red hot poker.
Akers has to be hurt
We have Crabs, LMJ and Kap on O. Nothing else
Mother fucking twat Akers
Vikings 13, Packers 7, Vikings driving with two minutes in the half.
20-7 now Grump
I would like to amputate both of Akers legs,peck out both his eyes,cut off both.arms and throw him in a crock pot,simmering on low for eternity!!!
Speculating he is hurt – missed FGs and very short KOs
he was all pro last year. you rarely have a dive like this without an injury, kept secret of course because it’s the nfl. not too many other kickers out there either.
Whether Akers is hurt or is mentally fried, either way he has to be replaced. Stat…
Yes totally
I honestly think I’d rather see Andy Lee kick field goals for the rest of this game. He certainly couldn’t be any worse than Dumbfuck Akers.
I don’t care if he’s hurt or not. His failures are magnifying a HUGE Harbaugh gaffe by continuing to let this guy kick every week………
Thing is If he’s hurt how could the coaches not know this?
CHrist.This is a travesty in the making. Need to get way on top of these clowns.
If David Akers is still out PK in the playoffs, we DESERVE to lose.
If Akers is hurt, they should:
a) know about it
b) replace him with an unhurt guy
Yeah see my 2:51. Agree. How could the coaches not know?
Minn up 20-10 at the half. We need to get our heads out of our colletive asses. Ginn and Akers first and foremost.
Minn is doing their best to stay ahead of GB. Now 20-10 at half. Miracles we need to get this team straight = bye week please
they’ve been saying he’s been hurt for several weeks. Whatever is wrong with him, whether it’s a nagging injury or something between his ears or a combo of both, they have fucking known about this for WEEKS.
Inexcusable to still be trotting him out there…….
Oh yeah
1/6 on 3rd downs. Still a major problem ith this offense.
i thought clock management was atrocious. they just let the clock wind down giving them just the one play on 3rd down and AZ gets the ball back after the missed FG. i figured with their kicking issues this was four down territory. act like you’re going to get the first and give yourself time to get the td.
Alex can complete some long passes… but he cannot laser one in like that.
Beautiful catch and run to Crabs.