In a huge game with mainly psychological implications, the San Francisco 49ers put their stamp on one of the last games they will play at the venerable shit-hole, Candlestick Park. A place, in the famous words of Jerry Garcia talking about his band, “like bad architecture, or an old hooker, eventually you gain respect.”
Did the Niners gain respect? In the grand scheme of the NFL, sure. If only til the next game. Respect is fleeting and elusive in the NFL. The 49ers earned their respect when the game came down to a final drive with 6:20 left, and the Niners trailing 17-16. The high point for me was actually seeing the Niners convert on 3rd and 1 with a run by Bruce Miller. Important because this same play failed on the goal line early in the game. It kept the drive alive. It was then followed by Frank Gore’s 51 yard run off the left tackle. Gore very smartly went down in bounds to keep the clock running. This forced Seattle to burn a timeout, as the Niners kept running. The biggest play of the game turned out to be the 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 15. Kappy drifted left on a designed sweep that was blocked perfectly, and Kappy was able to gain 8 yards, get the 1st down, and allow the Niners to run down the clock to give Seattle little chance at the end.
Kappy threw one pass on the drive, a short out to Crabs for 6 yards. The other 68 came on the ground. Something this tame has been known to abandon at times. Is this an indictment of Kaepernick? No, not really. Seattle does much the same. They rely pretty heavilly on their run game as well. That the 49ers held them in check is a testament to how well the defense played overall. Seattle was able to get some traction underneath, but never hit anything deep. Seattle’s 2 best plays were crossing routes to Luke Willson that Patrick Willis looked very slow and late on. Other than that, and a couple Golden Tate catches where coverage was blown due to Wilson buying time, the Niners did a good job of limiting damage.
The Niners on the other hand spent a lot of the game stopping their own progress with some questionable penalties and early conservative play calls in the red zone, and an awful throw by Kappy that was picked off. The 2 FG lead was quickly wiped out by a Seattle TD, and the Niners were able to regain the lead with a 52 yard FG and the VD touchdown to close the 1st half.
The 2nd half saw a menagerie of ridiculous penalties called on both sides of the ball as the refs seemed to want to put their stamp on this game. There were 8 penalties called in the 2nd half, and only one was an inocuous false-start penalty. The rest were various tauntings, unsportsmanlikes, facemasks, and holding calls, which to me mostly looked ticky tacky. The refs often cite calling games close like this to create order out of the highly charged emotions, yet all this seemed to do was kill the flow of the game and piss off everyone involved. Richard Sherman says the refs won it for SF, but Seattle got a lot of favorable calls their way. I call it evenly terrible.
In the end, it was as tough a game as we’ve played all year. The difference being the Niners closed this one out. Something they failed to do against Carol, and Nawlins.
Revenge is a dish best served in the cold mud of Candlestick Park . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
In the very cold mud of the Stick victory was achieved! Glorious VICTORY!
Bleep!
Niners win close at the Stick. Shawks win big up at the NoiseBowl. That’s not a hopeful comparison, if it comes to round 3 up in Seattle…
That would be in 5 games from now if the seeding stays the same, a lot can change in 5 games Snarkk.
Richard Sherman “This is a glorified practice” speech to his team mates in pre-game warmups before the Niner game….Oooops.
RS, Boldin has to celebrate when you don’t catch that many….Oooops
Right 67 for 915 is miniscule. I don’t really begrudge Sherman his talk, because the NFL could use more semi-intelligent banter, but he comes off looking like a fool saying this shit.
Funny thing is, up on the Seattle blogs, Sherman catches shit for getting out of his game if he misses some plays, and therefore starts grabbing out there, and gets penalized.
Then again, the blogs mirror this one in saying the play calling sucks and that RW should have run more.
I don’t know if any of you caught Richard Sherman being interviewed post game by Rich Walcoff, they played it on the post game call in show on KNBR hosted by Larry Krueger & Rich Walcoff. Might still be on their home page.
Anyways, Walcoff is egging on Sherman in the interview, Sherman blathers on about how the 49er receivers didn’t matter, that the Seahawks were expecting a blowout, and how the refs/penalties won the game for SF. Earl Thomas on the other hand is very measured in his responses.
One can almost imagine Carroll & Sherman reveling in at the thought of burying Harbaugh & the Niners in this game, and claiming the NFCW Title at the ‘Stick.
The Niners had other plans, and Carroll remains winless at Candlestick Part (0-4),guess there was still a bit of the magic left in that cold wet mud.
I kinda like the guy, he is funny and intelligent usually. Comes off as sour grapes with these comments though.
12th, I have heard Sherman when he is funny, and I suspect some of his talk is designed to elicit a response from his opponents. But, I think when it comes to Harbaugh and the Niners, because of the history, he probably loses perspective.
This is a must win game. The Niners need to put the Bucs away early. They can’t lose their focus checkin’ out manatees or hangin’ out with Rob!
For those of you with too much money burning a hole in your pocket:
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/49ers-season-ticket-holders-can-buy-their-seats-4959186.php
Looks just right for NJ49er’s game room furniture. OTOH that kind of money can get you a nice hi-power.
btw, digging out in 15º below, 45º sounds like pretty nice barbeque weather. And muddy just sounds like thawing.
15° below? Double BLEEP!
You in Alaska, NoFear? Wildwood?
I need to shop where you shop NF.
Sounds down right chilly wherever the heck you are.
They are on sale to anybody for $750, thing is I can’t shake the vision of all the ugly ass that has sat in em.
Neither can JT. Difference is he don’t wanna shake the vision
Neither can JT but for other reasons
The Shawks d-backs basically mug receivers from the get go on the line and throughout the route. No wonder they’re good, they manhandle the WRs throughout the routes if they can. I don’t understand why they should get away with it every play. If they hold or interfere every play, then call it every play until they stop. If you want to go back to 1975 rules, then go back to them for everybody. I don’t see other teams with d-backs having near the amount of physical contact during routes. IMO that’s garbage…
Yup I agree, they are more physical than any other back 4 and seem to get away with it.
Spam filter over active Chuck?
Here’s one for Irish and everyone frustrated by te play calling:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2013/12/9/5192068/49ers-seahawks-final-score-recap-greg-roman-colin-kaepernick
This writer is just a guy like any of us with no special insight or inside access.
It’s his opinion.
Interestingly he bashes CK7 for his bad throws and at the same time complains that he doesn’t do more of it.
I get the feeling he’s trying to justify his probably overstated opinion of Roman’s supposed bad play calling, even while he managed to beat our worst threat and best in the league with his “terrible” play calling and game plan. Of course we won despite Roman!
Romans play calling has been more diverse for the last 3 weeks. Kap may well be checking out of pass plays and into run plays in the redzone, we just don’t know.
That rationale sounds familiar. Must be right.
Its no ones opinion we suck on 3rd down and in the red zone. Its fact
The reason why is his opinion.
Ok got ya
Well let’s look at the true points that he makes, the fact that the D and special teams gave the Niners great field position and we came away with 2 FG. I pointed out during the game that the 49er coaches protect their receivers by not doing crossing patterns. The receivers are always going up the side line. Kaeps has to make the perfect throw or the receivers have to make plays and keep their feet in bounds. Now I don’t blame Kaep for his bad throws. Those happen, but he does still have the rookie mistakes of looking at the first read too long, waiting for the first receiver to get open. That will change as he becomes more experienced. Roman has so many more options that he does not use. When was the last time they tried a pass from inside the 5? Why don’t they use the read option more down there? Roman appears to have no imagination when it comes to play calling. Always going to what work 20 years ago.
SB, fail
Kap is learning to be a pocket passer and to read coverages in the NFL. I’m not worried about him. He’s improving. Roman worries me because we are too predictable at times. We go away from plays that work and stick with plays and players that don’t. See: KW while LMJ sits.ETC, etc Where is Manningham? Agree the O has regressed as writer sez. Win a couple playoff games I’ll have more faith this year. Like I said about last year I wasnt surprised we folded in in the SB. Hope Im wrong this year…
Some decisions have been head scratchers no doubt, ditto some calls. Thing is Kap has 2 or 3 calls in the huddle, we have no way of knowing if what he is choosing is what Roman would prefer. Makes it hard to hang it all on Roman but I’m not sold on Roman either. I think the issue is how many fingers are in the game plan pie. Feels like the whole is not the sum of all the parts.
That particular writer was talking crap IMO.
Hey Phil I asked the other day, how’s your trees?
Trees are good but on one forest our partner is a scumbag crook and we have a battle on our hands sadly. Much corruption here… Happily typhoon went north a bit and we escaped ok.
Yeah agree with Kaps learning curve it prolly retards the play calling. Hes got a lot to absorb so it is what it is. But why go AWAY from plays that are working?? Is this “too cute” part 2?
Every time you guys have a blow over there I wonder how those young trees are doing. Glad they survived for ya, takes a few years to replant. Too bad about your partner, he needs kneecapping. Scumbags don’t always get away with it…
I guess I know more about nature than about human nature- trust the wrong ones but the trees are super positive. Too bad “everyone” is on the take and the wealth doesnt get spread around much. The game is so rigged WE are charged with theft. Its bogus but expensive.
Sounds like a hot shit pie. Sorry Phil.
1st play of the game: Gore up the middle, 2 yards.
2nd play of the game: Pass incomplete.
3rd (and long): Pass incomplete.
Predictable? Not on your life; he’s lulling DCs to sleep.
Correction: That was Gore up the middle, 0 yards.
So Roman calls the incompletes? I was wondering who did that.
Exact same play sequence to start every game. You want to wait until we’re behind to change it up?
Drive 2: Pass complete, Kendall Hunter run, Pass complete. 10 plays, 56 yards = FG.
Drive 3: Gore up the middle, Pass incomplete, Pass incomplete.
Pattern? I don’t see no steenkin’ Pattern!
The 2nd and 3rd series ended in points. And the first series was nothing like the first series in the STL game. Opportunity to make plays is there.
Drive 3: 4 yards.
Yep. Roman sure showed them on that one.
Yeah, that’s what two incomplete passes back to back will do to most drives on any team. What’s the point? Roman can’t catch the damn ball, can’t throw it, or doesn’t block the pass rush well enough?
He could call different passing plays NF
I made my point. You just choose to ignore it. You still want Dingleberry’s “Who cares if the defense knows what’s coming” philosophy?
You’re right. The Rams start was decidedly different, and against the Skins he fooled everybody and ran Gore outside twice on 1st early. -1 -1 (Marcus Allen or Tony Dorsett Frank ain’t).
Total bullshit. The first pass was a play action to Crabs that was caught for first down yardage, later ruled OOB. The next was from a 2×2 set to Manningham that was knocked down by the safety? jumping the route. Too easy and way too simplistic to just say bad play calling.
You didn’t make your point to me, RT. At least I don’t accept it. It sounds like one of those typical peanut gallery mantras that gets repeated through blogdom without anyone ever stopping to analyze if it has any merit.
I can’t’ believe we drafted AJ Jenkins when we could have had Alshon Jeffery. Makes me sick.
Jenkins is lighting it up in KC
Compared to . . .?
5 for 63, no not in a game, in his career.
I guess ccompared to Baldwin he’s lights-out. He can’t even get on the field with us. I don’t fucking get it.
Whats he smokin?
Want some?
Its been 5 years but what the fuck sure
The only reason I didn’t like AJ is that everyone in the league had him as a low 2nd, early 3rd round guy. Then again, I hadn’t heard of Aldon Smith either
Hope you are watching the Cowboys eat shit tonight. Romo has been amazing or maybe I mean missing. Jerruh is going to need to botox his frown lines again.
Romo ain’t on defense. I’d love it if we faced Dallass in the playoffs as they offer no resistance defensively.
14 points ain’t defense
Dennis, your hearthrob needs a hug.
There’s some truth to that article, but a lot of bullshit. The punt was batted (illegally I thought) to the 32 yard line. Vernon Davis was double covered all day and was therefore not open. Kaepernick most of the time was throwing into very small windows, while Wilson had a lot of uncontested throws. I did hate the play calling early, esp the 3rd and 2 run up the middle as he noted. We have V McD and VD to play action to. Fuck, use Miller on a chip and release. Kappy did have a pedestrian game, but he did make some plays. The only truly bad pass was the pick because he HAS to understand you either get it to Crabs or overthrow it. You can’t leave that one short. Kappy did throw into coverage, but more often than not he’s got no choice but to throw into coverage. Boldin has proven to be the only one that can really go and get it. Crabs is great to have back, and he made some great catches. The hope is Manningham can get open. he seems to not be coming around. Though they did use him well on the few slants we ran a couple weeks ago. As Kevin noted, we rarely run slants and it baffles me to this day. When we do use them, they usually work.
I read a piece on that batting deal. It is a foul but the options are take the penalty and make them re kick or refuse the penalty and take the ball where it lays.
Ok to the questions of “Is it play calling” or “Is it Kaepernick?” Id like to hear what % is G Ro’s fault and what % is Kaps in your OPINION since we really dont have enough info to really say exactly. I think its BOTH and am gonna say 50% fault of CKs inexperience and 50% brainless OC calls
In my opinion
I think most of Kaps difficulty comes from changing him from a pistol one read option QB to a pocket passer and that is on the coaching but I agree he needs it to succeed long term but using the 5 you offer I would say 60/40 coach/QB
% you offer
Ok interesting. I say the coaching/calls could do more to help QB, WRs than what we are getting now
I agree to some degree Phil. I don’t see a lot of easy stuff or quick stuff in general terms.
philippnefan,
I agree with your percentages. However, instead of the term OC calls, I would call it the Jim Harbaugh offense.
Sure, Roman maybe the play caller but I would be surprised if the game plans, and play calls are not expressly approved by JH.
From what I read and heard, for every snap, Roman sends 2 play calls to Harbaugh, who then adds his stuff before relaying it to the QB…..A control guy like Jimbo, with his background, ceding control of his offense to an OC, sorry I do not buy that, just my 2 cents.
Beg your pardon, *phiippinefan.
Wish there was an edit button.
Good point. Harbaugh has to be responsible for a % too! No wonder the calls get in so slow…often
Random just call me Phil for sake of ease