Wow. What a difference a day makes. The Niners, coming off a 5 game winning streak, a bye week, and some fresh players activated for the game were expected to make a statement against the upstart Carolina Panthers. Well the statement is wait til next year? A team that was fighting for the NFC West crown is now the 6th seed in the playoff hunt, having been passed by these very Panthers. They now face the Saints and the ‘Skins on the road, followed by the somewhat surprising Rams and (gulp) Seahawks. Based on how this team looks now, 2-2 would be possible. Is that enough to hold on to that 6 spot? Probably, but of the teams lurking behind them (GB, Chicago, AZ, and Philly at 5-5), AZ is the strongest. Philly and Foles are coming on.
Regardless of playoff scenarios, how do the coaches fix this passing ‘attack?’ I’ve heard until I’m blue in the face how bad these WRs are. I’m beginning to doubt this. Ginn looks like fucking Jerry Rice compared to anyone not named Anquan Boldin. The team was hurt when VD went down yesterday, but these is NO downfield game. These problems were the same problems that plagues the Nolan/Hostler Niners and the Singletary/Jimmy-Hat Niners. If the Niners can run, they can work in some passes. Stop the run, and the passing game sputters. Or they go away from the run, as in yesterday after the Hunter fumble. Carolina teed off and the Niners couldn’t pass protect to save their lives.
Do we slow down the relentless pressure by going to quick counts? No huddle? Slants? Nope. We are going to run our slow-developing 5-step drop pass plays that we always run. This team continually has to use every second of the play clock to get plays off. Which means the defenses can adjust to what formations the Niners show. We did do some shifting later in the game, but the Panthers looked like they knew what was coming about 80% of the time.
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of this offense. There’s no imagination. There’s no adjustments. It’s a lot like the Singletary mentality of ‘here’s what we do. Stop it.’ When opposing defenses stop the run, this team struggles. So what does this mean going forward? I really don’t know, but I do know that Greg Roman has to go. Jim Harbaugh needs to get someone with a much more progressive offense. If we’ve proven anything so far this year, it’s that this team can beat the fair to middling teams, but struggles mightily with good ones. Winning the N’awlins game, which, after looking at last night’s game, appears to be a daunting task, puts the Niners at 6-4 and in dire playoff straits should they lose. Washington Seattle would be a loss, and the others wins. So it looks to me as if the best case scenario is 11-5, and the 6th seed. 10-6 and they are likely out.
Forty Niners Forever 
What is it NOW that Baalke and Harbs know about KW that they did not know after last season? Nada. So, that is why his release today is so frustrating, halfway through a season where he contributed a little bit north of zilch to this offense. The absolute worst, statistically, objectively, WR in the entire league. They drafted Patton in the 4th round. He’s been hurt, so the jury’s not out on him, it hasn’t even been picked. So, can’t blame them for that, they did draft a WR, but they could have drafted Keenan Allen in the 3rd round. Passed on him and got the TE instead to replace stone hands Delanie. They did get Boldin in a sweetheart deal between brothers. Where they’d be without him is, well, in the same place — last in the league in passing offense. Dead last WITH him. Going on three seasons and STILL this management can’t get a passing corps together other than the guy the team had (VD) before they got there. And, now, you’ve got a QB with an arm than CAN sling it downfield, but nobody to sling it to. Even if Crabby comes back semi-ready, he’s never been a downfield guy to loosen up the defense. It is mind boggling to me that they’ve allowed this to happen. This next offseason better be an all hands on deck move to get WRs in here, early and often, anyway they can find them. To be dead last in the league in passing is absolute failure in my book when you have a defense this good. Gore isn’t going to be around much longer, and when he’s gone, who knows what the running game will be like. Lattimore is a total unknown…
It’s important to note that if McDonald holds on to that perfectly thrown ball by Kap we likely win that game. And all this hand wringing isn’t happening to a team on a 6 game winning streak.
But whatever, he let it get knocked out and he’s a rookie and hopefully he holds on next time.
Manningham is a good receiver, certainly better than that idiot Williams. If Harbs and Baalke decide to run some extra La-James out there, I’m down with that (though I personally thing La-James was a wasted draft pick). Still, Manningham and James filling Fumble Williams role on the team seems like more than a reasonable proposition (at least in hopeful theory).
I have a feeling that we are going to make a game of it in NO this week. Our defense is solid and our offense is full of guys who can make plays. New Orleans is a decent defense but they aren’t as good as Carolina.
If I were a betting man I’d either take the $ line on the Niners or whatever the adjusted line is for the Saints. The Saints giving 3 seems odd to me. They either kill us or we beat them, that’s my take……
To me it still comes down to adjustments. NoFear. In all their losses, they tried to run early and pretty much went away from it in the 2nd half. Kappy was under pressure most of the 2nd half and couldn’t get anything going.
As far as Green Bay goes, Green Bay was not going to let Kappy beat them with his legs, and they had a suspect set of DBs at the time. It was the perfect storm (for us) of fortunate events. The Niners totally went away from the read-option that GB was determined to stop. Boldin got open all day. But you know that, It didn’t take Kappy very long to get that Boldin was clean nearly every play.
What’s your point, RTF? Smith has a team with a good defense. Kappy does too. Who’s comparing anyone? Kevin’s the one that posted the stats.
Smith is gone. I liked him as a Niner. As for Kap I just wish he didn’t have so many shoes. Man that guy has a collection! Still to be positive, no guns! He doesn’t fire into the air at wild parties. If he had better WRs his stats would improve.
Twinfan, you too.
My point to putting those comparisons of Kaep and Smith was to show the offense has not changed one eyota over the time that A Smith was here. NoFear probably is closest to being right. Kaep is probably over analysing the Defense too much. he should stick with the first play and see if it works. It appears he is changing every play at the line. If he is going to do that he needs to call the play and get to the line a lot quicker. Manning is the best at this. sometimes he goes no huddle, calls out a play, moves players and then sees how the D reacts.
This offense is too inept to be so complex, or vice versa. Why does it continue to take forever to get every play off? Each play takes 10 seconds to say in the huddle? And, there’s two of them, so Kap can “kill” the primary and go to the secondary play when he gets to the line? It’s not working. Who says either one of those two calls are the right calls when Kap gets to the line and reads the D set up? Maybe another play would be better? Call one play in the huddle, then Kap should be smart enough to be able to audible to half a dozen or a dozen plays at the line for a hot route call or quick hitter to Gore in a gap, or a draw (yes, a draw, I think I saw one of those once). Make it EASIER so they just make a damn play. All this shifting and endless play calling results in the players not being ready to execute whatever play eventually is the one triggered. As far as I know, in the old days of the Niner dynsasty, Walsh didn’t call two plays, and pick one at the line. It was one play, then audible out of it if necessary. And, you better be right audibling out of it, since Walsh was usually right. Chuck, what’s your take on this play calling bullshit?…
Let’s remember Chuck, Kaep is a pup in terms of experience.
Snarkk, I have a feeling they held onto Kyle until Mario was ready and, LMJ could be trusted to assume the PR/KR duties.
I think Baalke has been pretty patient about managing the Roster this year.
I’ve said it numerous times, will say it again, LMJ always impressed me as a perfect replacement for Ginn.
He’s a terror in the open field.
Be nice to see him doing what we finally saw Tavon Austin do for the Rams last week.
He’s that kinda threat IMO.
Let me be the first to suggest this, LMJ making a return engagement of the Fly Sweep.
NoFear49er, I’m with you on your analysis on Kaep completely.
It’s a maturity thing for him. He’s nowhere near ready to dissect a Defense mentally yet.
He’s being baited and confused, as well as buried in the backfield by indecision.
Teams are also exploiting the interior of our OLine and hemming him in.
I’m not panicking yet.
Still time to get Mario, hopefully Crabtree, maybe Patton into the mix before it’s over.
Chew on this possibility as well.
The NFC South isn’t a given for NO yet either.
Carolina can easily take that Division.
We have to handle our business of course.
Which means getting our passing game in order and holding onto a WCard slot.
Have to stay healthy and, get some momentum back.
December football is where it counts.
Too many numbers confuse me, Kevin. All I got from that was Kappy’s numbers have com back to earth.
And the play calling/delay of game issue has been with the team since the Nolan days. This ain’t a new problem by any means. The 2-plays-in-the-huddle thing takes a lot of deception out of the offense, I think. Defenses can adjust multiple times while the offense waits for the call from Kappy.
Since the front office went with Kappy as the guy, they should be doing a better job of helping him succeed. He may have too much to handle every snap, so don’t do the 2-play thing every time. Have some quick hitters instead of the plodding 5-step passes we always seem to run. SOME of this comes down to the methodical nature of our offense.
My point from the get-go is it’s on the coaches to do what they can to slow the game down for Kappy. Whether they’ve overwhelmed CK with too many plays, reads, and adjustments plays a part in this, but also the plays themselves don’t seem to be fooling anyone. And yes, the lack of WR talent plays a part in this. Any game (outside of KC) you will see fades, slants, deep crossing routes and the occasional go-route. Most of our passing game appears to be 8 yard outs and WR bubble screens.
Kappy’s in his 3rd year now. He needs to step up as well.
Damm, Todd Christensen dead at 57, complications from liver transplant.RIP
Mental note to Denny: Fuck the liver transplant it won’t take!!!
Stay thirsty my friend.
Article on Todd Chrstensen. The guy was a very good player. Smart, too, and wouldn’t shy away from letting you know it. Too young to go…
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/57123746-88/christensen-nfl-byu-football.html.csp
Too bad about Todd Christiansen. Great TE that fit in perfectly with the crazy-ass Raiders back then.
New thread is up.