Drew Brees after the hit:
In the woulda, coulda, shoulda game, the Niners barely pulled this one out over the mighty Saints in N’Awlins. If Frank Gore woulda caught the swing pass with 40 yards of shiny plastic turf in front of him, the Niners woulda scored and salted the game away. If the Niners coulda managed the clock and the red flag situation a tad better they coulda scored going into halftime. And, finally, the ref shoulda eaten his flag on the Ahmad Brooks sack of Drew Brees and subsequent fumble recovery by Patrick Willis in the closing moments of the 4th quarter.
As it was, Gore dropped the pass, Mangina, Kappy, Harbaugh and co. wasted all their TOs in the 1st half on a) the 1st series, and b-c) two challenges that were patently obvious to be nowhere near being overturned, and the ref threw the flag on the sack/fumble.
(Insert rant here: At what point do we just declare all sacks penalties? Or make it 2 hand touch on the QB? Brooks did not go for Brees’s’s’ head. He hit Brees across the chest and his arm slid up to Brees’ neck. Savage hit? Undoubtedly. Penalty-worthy? If so, then what do defensive players aim for? Below the waist is off-limits. The head is off limits. You can’t extend your arms to tackle the QB. If the upper chest is off limits, then you basically have an area of 12″ below the armpits and above the waist. You’re better off letting the QB run in circles, I suppose. These defenders have enough to worry about trying just to get to the QB. Now they have to stop and figure out the correct way to properly tackle the QB? Thanks for ruining the game Goodie Goodell. Goodell is all about safety, except where it comes in direct violation of slowing the money train. Can you say Thursday Night Football? Football in England for no particluar reason?)
Anyhow, this game will get dissected, like the last one, as to who f*cked up harder to lose the game. There were some positives around the loss. The play-calling was a little better. When the Niners put 4 WRs in a formation, 3 were actually WRs! An improvement (the downside was seeing Osgood on special teams make a special bus play to give the Saints 15 free yards on their final drive). The Niners took advantage of the NO mistakes. They scored a TD on the muffed punt, a TD on the Brooks pick, and got a FG on the forced fumble on the pick by Kappy. The situation they didn’t quite capitalize on was when NO went for it and failed on 4th and 4 on the SF 40, a play that would have been dissed heavily had NO lost, giving the Niners great field position. As it was they kicked a FG.
After that, it was 3 and out city. The offense did no favors to the defense by going 3 and out their last 2 drives to close out the game. Gore’s drop came after the Saints had closed the gap to 20-17, and he had a good 20-30 yards of clear sailing ahead of him. As I said. Woulda Coulda Shoulda. This is getting eerily rem,inidcent of the Nolan days where we played well eough to lose close games. This used to be a different story. Seattle, for all thier struggles in these recent games, figured out a way to win. Not to lose. Hence their 9-1 record.
My biggest peeve is not only do opposing DBs not honor our non-exisetent deep passing game, OUR OWN WRs don’t honor it at all as well. Jon Baldwin didn’t even bother looking for the deep ball thrown his way late in the game. He half-assed the route and was startled by the UFO that floated past his head.
The good news? Well, seeing as this is our 2nd 2-game losing streak, this team has the wherewithall to rip off 3 or 4 wins at the expense of some upcoming shitty teams. THese guys should be able to win 5 of the last 6 games. 11-5 should get them in.
Forty Niners Forever 
Well, Brooks did hit him across the chin. If CK were hit in the same manner, the 49ers would be calling for the flag, as well. Close call for sure, and they should have replay on those calls- But the rules were needed in light of the hundreds of players whose lives were ruined due to the nearly criminal denials of the evidence that inarguably proved the long term damage so many players suffered while the NFL fiddled and brains fried.
And no- the argument that the players “signed on” for this doesn’t wash. No one signed on to have the NFL conceal the dangers of concussions and rush concussed players back onto the field, often within minutes. Since the league has settled the lawsuit filed by 4500 ex-players, we may never get to find out what the league’s “Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee” actually did, a committee headed for a decade by….. a *rheumatologist.*
Of course Harbaugh would be calling for the flag. Harbaugh whines about everything. Me? Probably not. That has nothing to do with the call itself. The force of the blow was to the shoulder pads. Fault Brees, or salute him for drawing the flag, but the play should not have been penalized. Otherwise sacks should be outlawed.
“If the upper chest is off limits, then you basically have an area of 12″ below the armpits and above the waist. You’re better off letting the QB run in circles, I suppose.” – that was pretty funny.. There are side-by-side photos out there today showing the tackle on Brees and a tackle on Kaep. Easy to find, too. Also an article on Dixon ranting on twitter. And what a hangover it is.
I added gif showing the hit. Brutal? Yes, as I said. Illegal? No. The play that involved Clay Matthews and Kappy was very similar. The only reason that was flagged was because Kappy was OB, not because it was a neck tackle. And oh yeah. Kappy’s a runner.
This wasn’t even a clothesline tackle. He hits Brees in the shoulder pads. and his arm slides up to Brees’ neck as they both fall down.
I can’t post pics on this blog, but If you go to any Niner fan page on facebook, they have side-by-side pics of both the Brees sack and a Keap sack.. Almost identical.
http://tinyurl.com/lgk2qxf
Screw yesterday’s game! Screw it I tells ya! 6 points from 8-2.
Here is my abridged edition of the teams I love to see the Niners beat:
1) Jerry’s Toys
2) Dan Idiotsvillesner
3) (May the) Schwantz (be with you)
Note that we next play (2) and are targeting (3) [great game management at the end there yesterday, Big Guy] in the playoffs.
Get the snowshoes out of the closet for the barren, bleak trip to the Silverdome. It’ll be awesome to fudge the postgame handshake again!
Damn. I have us as the 5 seed going to DAL or PHI in the first round. You have us at 6 going to the Motor City. I thought I was the bleak one around these parts.
What I want to know is, where has the inventiveness gone with this offense. They WERE inventive last year with Kap. Are they afraid to let him run? Why draft a QB who can run if you’re never gonna let him do it. I would argue that a running QB is safer than a stand in pocket statue. If you’re running the play is out in front of you and you decide when you’re gonna slide– that’s all in your control. In the pocket you’re waiting to get blind sided.
#freeKap
Agreed. Some of his “regressing” has come from DC’s knowing his game, and scheming against. But, this BS offensive game plan is ridiculous. He’s got great running ability, and it looks like they’ve decided they can’t risk him running/getting hurt. Which is ridiculous, because the receiving corps is horrific. Consequently, he’s in the pocket mesmerized — can’t find anybody open, isn’t supposed to run. That’s what I think is going on. He’s totally confused in what to do — can’t make a decision…
Inventiveness is currently on the PUP list.
The problem is and I’ll repeat myself ad nauseum, is that no one respects our deep game so, cornerbacks don’t drop back deep with the WRs, they stay 10 yards and closer to the line of scrimmage. Therefore the running lanes that were there last year aren’t there now.
To go along with that, the passing plays are not designed very well. Kappy gets his share of fault for locking on to WRs and having problems progressing through his reads, but a lot of that is due to the fact that this is a run first offense. There usually aren’t a hell of a lot of opportunities for him to hone his game when he throws 18 times a game, as he did a lot of during the win streak.
He needs to become much better aware of the situations he’s in. He ran OB when he should have stayed in bounds late in the game, thus giving a free timeout to NO. He slid feet first when if he had gone head first would have gotten a first down.
He is still a pup, but its incumbent on the coaching staff to put him in better situations to succeed.
Other than that, the only hope we have is that Crabs really does make a difference. Then they all look like geniuses.
It’s not just the CBs. The safeties and LBs all cheat in and clog up the lanes that used to be there.
Moss was a legit deep threat. Defenses had honor that. We don’t have anyone that gets that kind of respect.
The line blocked a little better yesterday, but time in the pocket is and issue as well. We used a few quicker passes yesterday which was good. But nothing to Miller where that has been a pretty good option lately.
I remember one play specifically where the Panther up the middle got to Kappy in the gun about the same time the ball did. 2.8 seconds? 5.0? I don’t think Kappy had time to count.
The Broncos line they ain’t.
I really disagree with you on what they’re lacking, however. Mine eyes have seen… wait, wrong song. Mine eyes HAVEN’T seen:
1) Kappy taking off decisively to run when he has the window of opportunity.
2) Quick screens and flat patterns to spread the field and draw up the corners.
3) Quick slants in case the safeties start getting ideas about 2), above.
Now you’ve put a little doubt into those 9 guys sitting waiting for Frank between the tackles.
Additionally, NO MORE Frank up the middle for short on 1st, expected downfield pass for nada on 2nd, and 3rd and long (again) on 3rd. I wanted to gouge somebody’s eyes out yesterday (not my own Baby Blues, of course).
I can put together a better O game plan. Nyah,nyah, nyah!
This all started way back in the preseason games. Remember how little Kap played? They were afraid and overprotective about him getting hurt beyond what is SPO in the NFL. Jimbo and Co. wouldn’t let ’em run then, and they sure in the hell aren’t running Kap now. And if they’re so afraid about him getting hurt because of having no faith in McCoy, well, that’s all on them as well.
You don’t cage up a lion, and you sure in the hell don’t send out a warrior to battle without his sword.
Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.
—George S. Patton
Right. Dennis. The football=war analogy is not a valid one. Don’t even joke about that.
If they had better WRs out there, the offense would be a LITTLE better. Whether it would be enough to make these plays look better we’ll find out when Crabs comes back. Which should be in 2 games.
One thing you have to like about Belichick is his no-huddle on that last TD. After the catch to the 2 yard line, they run up to the line and get the play off before Carolina can sub in their goal line defense.
Hell of a MNF game. Gimn so far has the deciding TD.
Unreal. Brady’s pissed. Pick up the flag?
Shame the game had to end on such a bullshit call. This one replaces the Brooks call as the worst of the week.
2 BLEEPS!
Chuck I agree re the Brooks sack.
He did everything required to avoid the blow to the head and the neck with the initial contact.
He goes over the top, while Brees succumbs to the momentum of the hit.
It’s football.
Heard Willie McGinest on NFLN comment on the hit and he, being an old OLB himself, had no issues with the hit. He actually applauded the play in general.
I’m all for protecting a QB against unncessary roughness but, this one was actually a rather well delivered blow.
The hit Corey Liguet put on Peyton a couple weeks back, was actually more flagrant IMO.
He went below the knees and was responsible for Peyton’s gimpy ankle being publicized ever since.
Good clip from the MNF Countddown last night –
Ray Lewis, Steve and Dilfer weighed in on the Ahmad Brooks sack/penalty issue.
Ray busted out the AmEx Card and offered to pick up half of any fine Ahmad might incur as a result of the hit of Brees.
Both Steve and Dilfer defended the hit as well. Suggesting that it was part of football as they knew it.
Ray and Dilfer basically called out Brees for crying foul in the first place as well.
Naturally Ray stuck with his fellow LB Brooks.
Willie McGinest on NFLN did the same thing.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9995458/ahmad-brooks-san-francisco-49ers-fumes-flag-drew-brees-hit
Gotta love the Slo-Mo of the hit too.
Not only shows how Ahmad wrapped him up at shoulder level, it shows how Brees’ neck definitely got stretched on the hit.
Don’t know what he’s upset about?
He might be taller today?
The more it gets publicized, the more I hate the call.
Clean Football Hit.
Niners have bigger issues than that one missed call on Brooks good or bad.. Kap is having trouble making the right reads and the o-line cannot protect Kap in the pocket. Crabtree is not gonna be that big of a difference maker for our passing especially coming back from his torn Achilles. Reality is Niners look nothing like a SB contender and would be lucky to be able to make the playoffs with Az rising.
Niner loss and yesterday a dog took a chomp on the back of my lower leg. No respect! I’m peeved because the young girl had the dog on a leash but brainlessly let it wander to me as I was passing by. “I’m sorry sir, it’s a young dog,” she claimed. Thank you very much.
Was the dog’s name Nipper too I wonder?
Nice stat that was reported today, Kaep’s passes averaged 4 yards per pass. Why are we last in Passing??? That won’t get it done??? really?? And that should have been a holding call last night on the final play. It is very clear in the replay the WR was trying to get back to the ball.