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.
Forty Niners 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