Well, we are almost at the make-or-break point already in this young season. A loss to St Louis would put the Niners 2.5 (possibly 3) games behind Seattle, and leave them 0-2 in the division. Seeing as Seattle has 2 tough roadies coming up (Houston and Indy) and they are fairly crappy on the road, the hope is the Niners can pick up a game in the next 2 contests, as the Niners come home to play the 2-1 Texans after this game tonight. Playing on a short week couldn’t come at a lousier time, but all teams are getting banged up.
Here’s the Niners injury report:
Mike Iupati G Shoulder Full Participation Probable
Vernon Davis TE Hamstring Limited Participation Questionable
Frank Gore RB Knee Full Participation Probable
Carlos Rogers CB Knee Full Participation Probable
Nnamdi Asomugha CB Knee Did Not Participate Questionable
Jonathan Goodwin C Elbow Limited Participation Probable
Raymond Ventrone S Concussion Limited Participation Questionable
Ray McDonald DT Ankle Limited Participation Probable
Kyle Williams WR Rib Limited Participation Questionable
Justin Smith DT Shoulder Limited Participation Probable
Navorro Bowman LB Wrist Limited Participation Probable
Anthony Davis T Shoulder Limited Participation Questionable
Patrick Willis LB Groin Did Not Participate Questionable
Most concerning of course is the status of our linebackers. Willis is most likely out. Bowman looks to play, but I hope he’s at close to full strength. Frankly, Goodwin being out could be a blessing as he’s been part of the problems with the pressure coming up the middle. I wouldn’t mind seeing how Kilgore Trout handles himself at center. VD practiced, but again, he’ll be a game-time decision.
The things to watch for are obvious. Dallas ran all over these guys last week, so the Niners look to get Gore rolling. If Gore and co. can rattle off some big runs, the hope is the coaches can scheme up some effective pass plays. TE over the middle for example. Dallas carved up the Rams mid-range defense for a ton of yards as well. The Rams run game is non-existent without Stephen Jackson, and if the Rams make any noise on the ground, it’ll bode badly for the defense as their passing game is putting up good numbers.
All in all a ginormous game for the 49ers. The coaching staff has to do some major adjusting to how teams are now playing them. The passing offense is doing nothing at this point. They either need to scheme things differently to get guys open quicker (slants, screens), or actually USE their WRs in the 3-5 WR packages. Defenses are getting all 11 guys on or near the line to jam everything up at times. REACT! There is little to no route adjusting by the WRs. No hot reads. Or they are jammed. The run game has been abandoned too early in the last 2 games. The Niners beat a pretty banged-up Green Bay secondary, but they stopped our run game at the cost of everything else. Defensively, the pass rush has been vastly underwhelming, and curiosuly enough, the run defense has been terrible. But this is a case of Seattle and Indy going to the run late in their games when the defense was on the field all the 2nd half. The Niners need to generate a pass rush somehow. Especially against the Rams. We will likely be nickel most of the game, so draw up some blitzes. Hit Bradford early and often. Play up to your capabilities.
Gut-check, reality check, or whatever body part check you want to call it, they can’t afford to go 1-3 and expect to realistically have a shot at the division.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
I’ll be the first to admit: I can’t figure Harbaugh out. Nothing he does or doesn’t do has or will surprise me. We could come out and go heavy run and feed Frank all night or run the hurry-up first series and actually throw the ball deep. Have we even tried that yet? Not a clue as what to expect.
And why the hell will we be in nickel most of the game? That’s why teams have been running the ball down our goddamn throat thus far to date. WE need to be the D. to man-up the Rams WRs and play tight coverage and load the box. Might as well call Bradford Alex Jr. He’s another check-down Charlie specialist. I wouldn’t play any Niner defender 12 yds down the LOS. Load that sumbitch up.
The Rams have absolutely no run game. They do however throw the ball pretty well. That’s why you use the nickel predominantly.
49ers inactives: LB Willis, CB Asomugha, WR Harper, QB Daniels, WR Moore, G Looney and FB Marecic.
That means Vernon and LMJ will give it a go, and Baldwin will at least have the opportunity to see some action.
Is the Owen Marecic era over already? I hope to Christ it is.
Hey NoFear, getting back at you late- computer, internet probs, don’t ask. Hopefully Niners are better than the tech out here. We moved to a new place and the ‘net is even worse but it’s better for us.
Hoping for a Niner win but betting the Rams take it by 10
Uh Chuck I know Sunday vs Colts was a steaming pile worth forgetting but wasn’t THAT the 3rd game day? Making THIS the, you know, 4th game day?
Good catch, Phil. 4th game day, soon to be 3rd game day loss.
Yeah I think the Rams win by 10
Late money at most Las Vegas books have pushed the Niners from 3 to 3 1/2 pt. favorites. O/U of 43. The offshore number generally started at -4.
But take heed: Since Fisher arrived on the St. Louis sidelines in 2012, the Rams own a 6-1 ATS record against NFC West foes, with the lone non-cover coming against Arizona in Week 1. However, St. Louis has put together a 5-1-1 SU mark within the division since the start of last season, while winning four consecutive home games against NFC West opponents.
On the flip side, Jim Harbaugh’s club has struggled to cash inside the division by posting a dreadful 1-9 ATS record the last 10 games against NFC West teams since December 2011. However, the Niners are 3-3 straight-up the last six divisional road contests in this span, which includes a 34-27 win at St. Louis to close 2011 as 12 ½-point favorites.
22-17 Rams.
You conservative you
Phil, 3rd and 11 and Jimbo calls a draw? We were playing for the FG and we deserved to miss it. Terrible 3rd dn call.
I know amazingly bad
Rams came in worst in 3rd dn conversions, and of course we give ’em their 1st try on 3rd and long. Mighty white of us.
Very fortunate Bradford missed that WIDE open WR for 6. Where the fuck was our coverage?
WTF is everyone? Did y’all forget that we’re playing on Thursday?
Bruce Miller was WIDE open and Kap didn’t see him.
Our best play call thus far is hoping for a Rams penalty.
Same shit, different day.
Rams D playing inspired early on.
Absolutely pathetic.
I can’t believe the offense is this clueless. Gotre up the middle gets 18 so naturally, they try delays and WR screens. Shoot me now.
i’m going with niners. i just don’t see the rams scoring enough to beat even a hobbled and struggling niner team. 20-10 niners.
So here we are 4th game of the season struggling, so what do I see…2010 offense 1st down run, 2nd down run. 3rd down a pass, a shitty screen!!! This is warmed over Nolan/Singletary offense!! I hope I don’t see this for too long. Cause we all saw how 2009, 2010, and 2011 went! As they say on the street, we be fucked!!
Spread the field and run up the middle. Harbaugh Roman get too fucking cute. Run it up the middle.
Just like that.
This may be all the scoring of the game.
Fucking penalties. This team is playing clueless.
Ball on the 10? No. We get them on the 8? Oh well. It worked out.
Another quarter of football and we score ZERO pts.
Did we fire Bo Schembechler Jr. yet?
Fuck me. Give it away.
I’m here for a game and no one else is?
ruben rivera just returned that punt for the rams.
3 man rush? On the 5? Fuck this.
When served Lemonier off sides? Make lemonade aid.
Wow.
Coaching. Clueless yup
Are you kidding me? Whitner dropped the INT and Cook made the catch.
Reminiscent of Mark Roman vs. Miami.
How bad can it get?
The Rams are the worst at 3rd downs and they,ve converted 6?
Let’s see Rams 3rd and long, throw the ball “DOWN” the field, complete pass. 49ers 3rd and long throw a screen and pray!!
No shit. They are turning Kappy into Smith., it ain’t working.
smith circa 2005, that is. ck needs to return to what he does best, and he doesn’t need roman to do that.
Fuck. Bradford’s keeping us in the game.
The pass is a beautiful thing, learn it, live it, love it!!
This tricky tack shi has to go.
Oh and one more thing, put it in the end zone!!!
Thank you!!
They are going to call this back somehow.
I think it stands.
Fuck finnegan, BTW.
That was the ugliest looking PAT I’ve seen in awhile. Where’s Wersching?
Denny– I ignore your absurd “fire Harb’s” mantra because it’s too stupid to respond to. But I am interested, if you fired him who would be your “hire” if you were running the show. And you have to pick someone available or who would be available.
My “Fire Harbaugh” rants are just a release. I know there’s NO chance of hell of that happening today, or in the very near or distant future. So who I would replace him with is immaterial. Jimbo isn’t going anywhere. And we’re not going to win a SB with Bo Schembechler Jr. as our HC.
Well you said that about Alex Smith so I guess you need a new target.
We were 5 yards away from a SB last year, I’m pretty sure that shows that Harb’s can win one
All I’ve learned thus far thru this game is….
NFC WEST
Seattle
All the rest
And no sooner then we take the lead, our D lets the Rams go marching on their ensuing drive…
Fooled you!!
Well finally it looks like the 49ers have come to play. Maybe…
Hell of a play by Brock
Ha ha damn auto correct
And it is about time we saw something than up the middle with Gore
*other*
Flav, see that great pull job by #75 to help spring Frank on that last run?
Yeah, baby.
I love him–he’s my favorite player on the team this year. Got my hat in the mail yesterday.
They’re going to over-turn that Boldin catch. Didn’t complete the process.
Is it just me or have the zebras totally F’d up NFL football games now? I’m all for getting calls right, and replay, but it’s getting to the point of ridiculous with these drawn out reviews…
This is what is bullshit abou the NFL. No human error!!
Damn you didn’t have enough time to call two defensive plays!!
That was a big Fuck you Fischer!!
Fuck yeah. Gore.
Back to Niner football with Gore, ok then
That stat said it all, 10 points the last two games, 14 already for this one!!
Hail Mary, what the hell, go for it
No, no , no. WTF is this shit??
That was crap!!
Lo and behold they run Gore up the middle and take the game over.
Too funny. A free kick? Got to give Harbaugh props for even knowing that rule. Shank city by Richard fucking Dawson. We may draft a kicker with one of our extra draft picks. This is getting rishankulous.
Missed that, coconut on blink What happened?
Fair catch on a punt allows the receiving team the option of taking a free kick at the spot. Free kick — defense can’t rush and the kicker & and holder are basically all by themselves trying for a FG. In this case, from 71 yds out. WL and short, caught and returned by the Rams for little yds. No harm no foul.
Hope that helped.
Thanks that’s a new one
Hold the f-ing ball Gore. Jayzus
Well, if they can guarantee a TD every time they F up taking a Time Out because of the ridiculous delays in getting the play in, I guess it’s worth it…
Yup but it gets nerve wracking
Another Oakland score. 21-3. TD Raaaaaaaadddderrrssss!!!!
Let’s run a 5 yard route with Boldin on 3rd and 8. Fucking coaches
3 and out. That’s enough rest- 1 minute for the D right??? Fucking coaches
Gore has 143 yards today. Where the fuck was he last 2 games? Fucking coaches
We already knew this coming in, the Rams cannot run the damn ball. Well, why they even continue to try is beyond me. Coaching? The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Okay, I can live with running and Passing, if!! If they score!! I know teams that can and do get 3 scores in a quarter, 2 TD’s and a FG. Or 2 FG and. A TD. Not scoring at least a FG and a TD per Qurter is not going to get you very far in today’s NFL. Right now the Niners D is doing what they should have done in the previouse two games.
Another shitty screen on 3rd down!!
Yep I was going to mention the fucking coaching call but WTF
A screen on 3rd and long is just another run play.
I remember watching Bradford back when he was an Okie playing for the Sooners. He was completing 70% of his passes. Maybe that was because he was playing behind a great OL and his jersey never got dirty. This NFL deal is a whole another story…
21 – 3, let’s just run Gore for 3 and out and hope our defense holdsup
Another WR’s that does not know where the 1st down maker is. Are the Niners the only team that coaches that??
Yes they are
Let’s see Denver points scored, 49, 41and 37. Do we see them go strictly to the run???
I think we got lucky to draw this crappy team on a short and travel week.
What in hell happened to the Rams? I thought they’d be a lot tougher than this tonight.
Glad to see Gore can still hit those creases as well as any back in the league. Keep running Frank inside and set up some play action for big yardage.
Me too but we needed this win no matter who we beat. Screw the Rams. I still think our OC is learning on the job and has a lot of bad habits to undo starting with abandoning the run in favor of tricky short passes. Running Gore out of the pistol is a loser too
Kaepernick’s impersonation of Alex is piss poor too. AS was at least good at the conservative pocket passing routine
Hey I know let’s run Hunter into the middle of the line, brilliant.
No Hunter around the right = TD. Ok they were setting the Rams up. I get it
Just burnin’ clock and Staley got injured. We’re paying the toll on the arrogance. Nobody escapes the us and downs for long.
Jesus. COUPLE GOOD DRIVES AND THEN IT’S SHIT-TOWN.
Caps lock snafu. Bowman’s having himself quite the game. Just get the fuck out of St louie without any owies and we’re cool.
Bradford is really a pretty shitty QB. He killed a few drives and missed on the TD throw,
And Bradford is starting on your fantasy team. Chuck, you’re the next Dwight Clark. DW as a GM, that is…
I hope to hell Joe Staley is OK. He walked off, albeit gingerly, but they brought out the cart.
Tough to lose a LT. Just like they did in Denver with Clady. And the Broncos also lost their starting center in preseason. That’s a lot to ask from your starting QB.
But who is the starting QB for the Broncos? That’s right, PEYTON FUCKING MANNING.
He’s lost 2/5 of his starting OL, and he still continues to set NFL records. But God forbid Jim Harbaugh would swallow his Big 10 pride, run-first ideology and sign him last yr when we had Alex Smith.
Jim Harbaugh is the sole reason why Manning signed with Denver. The Broncos gave, and continue to give that beautiful equine free reign of their offense. Peyton didn’t want to come here and run Bo Schembechler’s 3 yds. and a cloud of dust horseshit.
Do you think for a minute, that Peyton Manning would stand for this horseshit-run offense? Of course not. That’s why he signed with Elway. Free reigns on a Bronco who conducts himself like Man o’ War. Upset this.
Dennis, the Niners just gave a beat down to the Rams on Rams turf, in a must win deal with a bunch of key guys hurt and not playing. And, you’re bitching about Peyton Manning. Give it a rest…
But I was right. So I’m allowed to bitch.
Seriously? Why aren’t we and every other NFL team running the Denver (Peyton Manning) offense? Snarkk, I’ll tell ya exactly why…we can’t. We don’t have Peyton Manning. Who is Peyton’s HC? that’s right, John Fox. Defense. Defense. Defense. He did a mighty fine job to get his Panthers to the SB, just to get nipped on a last second FG by A. Vinatieri and lose to the future president of the U.S., Tom Brady and his Patriots.
The Broncos OC? Wanna take a gander? Never mind. You’ll never guess. Adam Gase. It’s his 1st yr and he’s 34-years-old. Peyton is 37 for Christ’s sake!
Listen, Snarkk. My point is this. I like you. But I like Peyton Manning much more.
The QB in the NFL has the final say. Too many of them, follow orders from Gen. Patton (Harbaugh) on the sideline and soldier forth…
Peyton Manning on the other hand, takes matters into his own hands.
Listen to me, and listen to me good: The NFL QB is GOD. He runs the show, he runs the offense. He doesn’t have to run the play that is called. The QB has final say before the ball is snap. Audible. Audible. Audible. 58 Razor. Omaha. Set. Black. 58 Razor, set hut!
I miss that. And I miss the lost opportunity of our Niners signing Peyton Manning.
I’ll be chewing on sour apples and lemons till the day I die…
Go Niners!
And for what it’s worth, I think I deserve a little “Street Cred.” for being a Niner fan. Moms, my brother Dan and I, all endured the 2-14 seasons of ’78 and ’79. I sat in Sec. 57. Row. 5 Seat 9 for each and every game. I’m a goddamn Niner.
I was just 12-years-old at that time. I caught a lot of flack at St. Jerome’s in El Cerrito.
I had to listen to all the other Catholic kids crap. Son of a bitch, history does repeat itself…
Hide the women and children, I’m bout ready to punch the next person I see in the goddamn throat.
Hey, Spitblood? You got a minute?
I’m babysitting Chuck’s yellow lab.
On a happy note: my mallards have returned to the Pinole Creek. Countless unsuccessful walks down to the creek only to be dismayed in the last 7 or 10 days has changed. My mallards (both male and female) are eating their day-old sourdough once again.
Del Mar Dennis feeds his ducks.
And I’m a 49er fan since John Brodie. I saw his last game at the ‘Stick.
Ducks might like DOS EQUIS.
All kidding aside: great win. I’m saying “great,” but in truth, it was only good, but we beat a division opponent (Rams) on the road. so, call it what you wish, but goddamn —we won. Works for me. onward and upward…
It’s nice, when you can put up one good quarter of football, and three mediocre ones, to play a team that truly reeks like the 2013 Rams.
One good quarter was more than enough tonight.
Still issues with this team, though. Harby needs to use the long week to address the anemic passing game.
INJURIES have cost this team a lot except for last night. Rams were flat….flat….flat… at home. They better move out of that cow town and move back to LA. That Dome stadium really sucks for atmosphere.
Bingo. The 2nd half was fumble, 3 and out, 3 and out, 3 and out. They were in danger of burning the defense out again. Thankfully the Rams suck. Bowman had a monster game. Kappy started again by missing opportunities downfield. but at least they rolled him out early to allow for some quicker completions. They schemed some decent plays to no avail. The o didn’t click until they started feeding Gore up the middle.
Patton’s out, but it’s easy to miss what you don;t have. Baldwin made a couple catches. Still looking for more than Anquan. VD’s presence helped free Boldin up, so that was good news. Kappy did get to the 2nd read on the VDs TD.
The Ram pass rush was so-so, and their run defense non-existent. If the Niners had lost this game, it would have been a disaster.
LAMBS REALLY SUCK!
BAAAAAH!
Well, now that I have had a good nights sleep, lets do some critiqueing, Lets start with Gore, did our O Line suddenly remember how to run block? And did Gore suddenly get his legs back. Lets face it. until the Niners play a quality team we are not going to know what we have. I have seen too many games where Gore will have this kind of game. The next game the whole offense is based on him running the ball. The opposing Defense sees this and low and behold the run goes no where for the whole game. The OC needs to come up with the right balance. Run, pass, QB run. etc. Going back to the 1st down run, 2nd down run, and then the screen was very disappointing to say the least. If I never see that again I will die a happy guy.
Well, Gore needs to get his touches. As long as 1st down is a 4-6 yard run, it’s fine. They need to play-action off of it though. They did roll Kappy out some. Good to see. They schemed plays to get Kappy going, and it eventually worked. Having VD back helped Boldin immensely. They need to stick with tht formula and work Baldwin into some plays. If he can get 5 balls a game, it’ll help everyone overall.
Glad to have the win. Especially over the Rams who’ve been basing their rep on last year’s division record. We saw a totally different team on the field last night. For a while I thought it was a which QB sucks harder contest. After making the Rams respect the run CK7 got on track. I hope we don’t forget that formula.
Still too many backs and TEs in the backfield to suit me and too much motion. Trying to disguise everything as read options cost us more than it did the defense. Stop that and stop trying to base our offense on trickeration on every play. It takes too much practice time away from real productive football plays anyway. Much easier for the guy calling plays to dial up situation winners instead of I-hope-they’re-not-paying-attention gimmicks.
The one thing I liked was them spreading the formation w 5 WRs, and running up the middle early. It did open things up. But yeah, I’d prefer they use actual WRs in the process. Patton looks like he’s out with a knee injury. Baldwin at least made a couple catches, even if one of them he failed to reach the 1st down marker. VD’s presence kept Boldin a little cleaner than last week.
New thread is up.