It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, in the case of the San Fracisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Let’s take a look at a couple of football games from yesterday. The 49ers/Bucs game (of course), and the Dallas/GB game. Both featured teams that were expected to do very well and reach the playoffs with ease. Well, in both cases, each team has run into some roadblocks along the way. But as of yesterday, both had their fate in their own hands.
The Niners faced a tough road game against a team that, while 4-9, was on a roll, having won 4 of their last 5.The Niners of course have gone through their share of ugly losses, and a recent huge victory over the Seahawks. Dallas on the other hand, has yoyoed themselves through wins over the also-rans, and Philly before they got hot, and took a couple big losses in the shootout with Denver (51-48), and Chicago (45-28).
So, come yesterday, both teams had build up leads at the half. The Niners however, screwed the pup by going prevent late in the 2nd quarter to allow TB to march down the field and score a TD. Dalls, had build a seemingly insurmoutable 265-3 lead on the back of some strong DeMarco Murray running, and some big pass plays from Romo to Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Throw in 4 field goals, and there’s your 23 point lead.
While the 49ers had dominated their half, they were only up by 10, and that lead quickly shrunk to 6 points after the Niners drove for a 43 yard FG, and Tampa swithced things up by going no-huddle, and scoring very easily to mae the score 20-14. Dallas meanwhile, started their 2nd half by instantly giving GB life by giving up a 60 yard run to Edddie Lacy, and letting GB score in less than 2 minutes after the kickoff. Still, Dallas was able to drive down the field and answer with a FG of their own on a 6+ minute drive, mixing runs and passes fairly well. GB then marches down the field 80 yards in 12 plays, making the score 29-17. Closer, but no need to panic yet.
Here’s where the coaching comes in to play. Both games were now entering the 4th quarter, and both teams faced momentum shifts that had gone the other way. The Niners were only up by 6, but at this point they started pounding the ball on runs. They engineered an 18 play (10 of which were runs), 75 yard drive that burned 10 minutes of the 4th quarter. That it only resulted in a FG is of little import as the Niners had a 2-score lead, and there was little time. Dallas, who had run the ball very well all game, suddenly and inexplicably gave up on the run. So their momentum-defining drive was 2 dropped passes, and a sack. Burning less than 1 minute of clock. So they were punting from their 2. A decent punt return, and boom. 29-24, and panic starts to creep in.
The Niners were then able to salt the game away on a very high risk reverse on the ensuing kickoff, thus allowing Kendall Hunter an easy touchdown on the blown excxhange. Dallas on the other hand, was in pass-only mode. To stem the fact that Their defense was turning very sieve-like, Dallas didn’t run. They did manage a tpouchdown midway through the 4th quarter, thus extending their lead to 36-24. Certainly a big enough lead, even though their derfense was starting to gag.
Sure enough, Dallas’ defense gives up a TD-scoring drive as GB marches 80 yards in 3 minutes. 36-31 Dallas. So, instead of trying to give their defense a rest, and take time off the clock, Dallas keeps passing. Incomplete pass, sack, then the killer INT. GB by this point is doing anything they want offensively. The Dallas defense is gassed and tiring, and they give up yet another scoring drive. 50 yards in 1:30. GB up 37-36 (2 pt conversion failed). At this point it still isn’t desperation time, but it’s close. Still and all, they just need to get into FG range to kick the game-winning FG. Unfortunately (hah!!), Romo throws yet another pick to ice the game for GB.
What do we gain from this? Well, as much crap as I’ve given Greg Roman over the course of this season, he called a masterful game yesterday. He did NOT go away from the run as he had in some earlier games when the momentum was slipping away. Namely, Seattle and Indy. He stuck with the run, and was rewarded with some tough Gore runs up the middle, and some surprisingly effective sweeps from Hunter. Kaepernick had, to me, one of his best games ever, as he effectively bought time and made some huge throws under big pressure, into some very tight windows. He also ran with reckless (and effective) abandon that kept drives alive.
Dallas on the other hand, is once again looking at a statistaical marvel of a game that sdomehow slipped away amid the HC blaming his QB for calling into the pick, and the prima donna WR walking off the field with 1:30 left in the game. In other words, just another day in Pleasant Valley.
Forty Niners Forever 
With Jason Garrett soon to be the next ex-head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, I really wonder if Jerry Jerk-Off goes the ‘tough discplinarian’ route and hires (*urk*) Mike Singletary. It would fit the pattern of the so-called tough guy rattling the cages of the ‘look-at-me’ prima donnas (hello Dez) among the players on that team.
Who kows? Maybe Teflon Mike is ready for his next HC gig. Go back to where his daddy got his start.
I hope he if he gets another gig he keeps his pants on.
Well I’m no expert but it seems to me that Romo is called upon to do way too much. He needs more help to sustain drives and eat up the clock. In contrast, Harbaugh and Roman put Kap in a better position to succeed late in games. Niners have a strong running game that pays off like money in the bank.
Well, that’s the point, Nippy. Dallas was running successfully all day. They played give away with the ball when they should have been milking the clock. That’s entirely on the coaches.
According to Garrett, Romo called out of the run that was then picked off. Completely Romo’s fault, but regardless what happened, Garrett shouldn’t be throwing his QB under the bus. Bryant shouldn’t be walking off the field while the game’s going on.
There’s a huge lack of institutional leadership there, because of Jerry Jerkovitch. Which is exactly why I think he brings in a Nolan/Singletary type. Perceived disciplinarians. Hey, it could work. It’d be fun to watch either way.
Chuck,
My guess is that if JJ’s Boys make the playoffs, Garrett gets a reprieve, and stays.
If not, he becomes the scapegoat, and JJ brings in Lovie Smith. IIRC, Lovie is a Texas guy, has won some games, and is a perceived disciplinarian.
Re Singletary or Nolan, unlikely. Pa York from what I gather is buds with JJ, something to do with Oklahoma football.
What I do know is that JJ does whatever JJ wants to do. It’s good to be the King,
I hope he never changes a thing.
Bumped from the end of the last thread where Chuck left it languishing in obscurity!
This is for Dennis really but interesting read for the rest of us mooks too.
Seattle are the #1 rated team in football, Broncos the #2. To get to the SB it is almost certain to have to go through Seattle for the NFC team.
As Dennis tends to say, “nobody beats Seattle at home, period”. So I did a quick google and came up with this article about success rates of the #1 and #2 seeds winning the SB with a side dish of how often those seeds win the championships (on their home field remember).
I think it’s fair to say there is nothing certain in football. Debartolo expects the Niners to win the SB this year, even comparing it to the back to back years or yore.
http://www.footballnation.com/content/nfl-playoffs-look-how-the-no-1-6-seeds-have-fared-since-1991/20555/
Chuck says this doesn’t apply because of the noise at Squawk field.
The noise makes it tougher to win yes, but they are beatable there is no doubt. KC is noisy and broke the noise record this year, NO is crazy noisy. This idea that the Squawks are already in the SB because they can’t be beat at home is B.S. Any number of eventualities can happen, just look at the Steeler Bengals game last night. That funny shaped ball has a mind of it’s own sometimes and the Niners are due a turn at lady luck. Squawks used all theirs up in the regular season.
Niners were the last team to beat them at home and can definitely do it again if it comes to that.
Niners need to win out to get the 5th seed. That currently sends the Panthers to the Squawks. Panthers are very capable of winning that game.
It’s not easy of course but the play offs never are. Come wildcard weekend it’s a fresh slate, makes no difference who won what in season. Bragging rights mean nothing, it’s win or go home.
I’m a Niner fan loud and proud and I choose to believe both from a rational and irrational POV that my team is good enough to get the 6th Lombardi they should have brought home last year.
All this “Niners aren’t good enough” crap chaps my ass.
Happy Monday Faithful.
Nothing is written in stone, its all up for grabs yes sir. Seattle can be beat at home and I think our men will do it as they have before Cheathawks became “unbeatable”. This is shaping up to be a great end of season/playoff run and has a far different subjective ‘feel’ than last years effort. Will history repeat? In Walshs 3rd year we got our first SB and I say this is the Niners year again.
Eddie D says the same thing Phil.
Apropos of nothing: Im close to 2 great Forty Niners. Eddie D and CK. (Ok this is weak) How so you ask incredulously? Our birthdays are 3 days apart with mine smack in the middle -CK 11/3, Phil 11/4 and Eddie D 11/6. If only those other 2 saps had my wealth, fame and football skills…
If Carolina wins out as well, don’t the Niners stay 6th? I don’t see how we jump Carol since they already beat us and both teams would be 12-4. I love your optimism, and I’m hopeful Carolina gets the Hawks, because I think the 3 best teams in the NFL ARE the Niners, Hawks and Seattle. If those 2 can fight the battle royal the Niners can then beat the crippled winner.
That’s my hope anyway.
Currently NO wins the tie breaker with the Panthers so if SF, CP and NO all win out the Panthers are the 6th seed. At least that’s what I read but I stand to be corrected. In any case you get the point. This sense of defeatism is not warranted, Niners have as good a shot as anybody and are built to do well in the post season. They are improving at the right time and getting healthy now too. Iupati probably plays next week just in time to get into play off game shape.
The backups got solid exposure this year, even the WR to some extent, which serves well too. NJ has posited that the Harbs brain trust have been holding back plays this year, something they did do last year, and I agree with him. Did you guys see some of the things Kap did yesterday? I’m not sure any other QB in the league could have pulled it off.
He threw deep to VD just off his fingertips earlier in the game too. If they made that play it was a TD.
One black spot was Crabs idiotic penalty, he is salty and has done something dumb in each game since he came back. Hope he gets that restlessness out of his system soon.
Finally saw some of his scrambles and passes for 1st downs, TDs on coconut replays. Wow looking good!
The amount of pub that horsemanure team in Dallas gets is just ridiculous. They haven’t gotten the horsemanure off their boots and into the playoffs in how long? I think it has to be the cheerleaders. They’ve still got their game on. I’m assuming Jerry Jones does not have his hand in making the final choices for that team. If he does, then he should stick with that, and stay out of football operations…
Jets is a similar deal. Win nothing decade after decade and get tons of publicity, even without Teblow. I watched games last year where the winning team was almost totally ignored and the losing Jets coach was featured in the post game stuff. Even the announcer apologized to the Titans if I remember correctly for the shitty coverage.
Dallass is the same shit. Mediocre describes them year after year. Romo is a huge choke artist yet to do anything of note when it counts. GM Jones aka the crypt keeper overpays for under performers time and again. He falls in love with stats, much like Dennis does, rather than results that matter like winning in the play offs.
Dallass is currently 7-7 with a high probability of going 8-8 AGAIN!
May the crypt keeper live long and flounder.
The reason things are so fucked up is he won’t fire his GM. Who happens to be Jerry himself.
Every decision runs through Jerry Jerk-Off. He’s the owner, GM, and Head Cheerleader. For good and (mostly bad, but good for the rest of the NFL) bad. He’s assuming the mantle of Al Davis in that he’s going to continue to miromanage the team to death with knee-jerk reactions.
Davis at least was a very astute guy back in the day. The best thing Jerry Jones did was hire Jimmy Johnson. the worst thing Jerry did was fire Jimmy Johnson.
Hate to say I told ya so…
“We’ll address that with Dez today,” Garrett said in his radio interview with 105.3 The Fan Dallas-Fort Worth. “I understand why to a certain extent: They’re kneeling the ball, the game essentially is over. He’s an emotional guy; we’re all very emotional about what we do. But he needs to stay out on the field, and I’ll address that with him today, and just explain why it’s important to do that and he’ll understand.”
Garrett described Bryant, 25, as “one of the great team guys I’ve ever been around.”
“He loves his teammates, he loves this team, has a great passion for winning,” Garrett said. “You have to understand how to handle yourself in those situations. He’ll learn from this situation.”
What a pitiful excuse for a man. Garrett or Bryant, take your choice. How does a guy get to this level with such disregard for team and sportsmanship?
… and Bill Romanowski was just super competitive and an emotional guy, too.
.
btw, I laugh at the notion that Seattle is invincible at home. Give me a game with officials that actually call PI/holding and I’ll win the yardage battle on penalties alone.
Chuck, there’s a NO@Car game yet to be played. One of them has to lose or both tie. Records only, no tiebreakers involved. Niners win out = #5.
Thanks RT.
Lest we forget, Chuck, The Emperor Who Has No Clothes has a son Stephen who is Director of Player Personnel, as well as Assistant Emperor, Assistant Owner, Assistant GM, and Assistant to the Assistant HC!
RT I didn’t need that visual of Jerry Jones without clothes, just sayin…
Ack erg….
NF, I do not get your disdain for Bryant over this game. 11 catches for 153 yards and a TD strikes me as a kickass player fighting to win.
Leaving the field early, with The Pack kneeling out the clock, so the national TV audience wouldn’t see him crying over the imminent loss shows me one player trying to stay afloat in a sea of “What, Me Worry?”
I’m with NF on this one RT. Bryant had a good game and is a good WR but there is no doubt he is a “me first” mentality. Team mates need to support each other win or lose. His running away from it is weak and selfish IMO.
To each his own. I’ll take the 11/153/1. 281/3932/38 career. 38 TDs. Has he behaved like Keyshawn Johnson or Randy Moss? Remember, too, he’s only 25 singin’ “Oh Lord, stuck in Dallas again.”
Rufus, would you get it if it were Romo? Garrett? the entire team?
WTF makes Bryant’s disappointment so freakin’ special that everyone has to make excuses to accomodate whatever the f*** sort of tantrum he has on the sidelines during the game, every game that doesn’t go according to the rules of Dez? Because he’s a talented player of the foozball? If he was on my team he’d find a big yellow sticky on his locker this AM: “Your rucksack is in the hall.”
Are Romo and Garrett as good at their positions as Bryant is at his? He’s 25. You cut him, I’ll pick him up. To each his own. My sticker in his locker would read, “To Thineself Be True.”
If it’s true that Miller is done for the year that will make a big difference in the run game and Kap loses his 3rd best receiver. I’ve said many times the opposing D should just run to Miller cause that’s where the runner will be.
They don’t have a ready replacement for him on roster. Nearest would likely be Boobie Dixon.
It rose above freezing today for the first time in ten days. Being New Mexico, it crept up to 65° with warmer on the way. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! And I’ve thawed out.
All Bryant walking off the field does is set the tone that he is bigger than the team. That his feelings outweigh the rest, that he takes the loss harder than anyone else, and that the rest of the team doesn’t matter. If they had any leadership near anyone on that team, there would be repercussions for his actions. But it certainly won’t be Garrett. Or anyone else. Jerry’s bullshit generator will gloss over the fact that it’s a very loosely run program that will now likely implode through the end of the season.
Crabs on the other hand I’m sure will pay some kind of fine to the players pool, or whatever kangaroo court they have. That was a horrific move on his part that could have been very costly. He did redeem himself by getting open on the 3rd and 14 and getting the 1st down. He threw a fit in the Seattle game when Kappy underthrew him. Like Kappy took away his favorite pacifier. Crabs has shown at times the ability to be a prima donna himself. but I think the other players (say VD) ‘remind’ him of how to deal with things.
The point being, RTF, what if through some kind of Christmas miracle, the Packers fumbled the ball and Dallas recovered (remember the miracle at the Meadowlands?).
What then? Bryant’s at his locker with his pants around his ankles while the team hits the field to try and win the game. Dumb move on his part. No if, ands, or buts. Putting up good numbers (hello Tony) doesn’t mean shit if you don’t bring it for 60 minutes. 58:30 don’t get you shit.
Granted, it had to be sickening to watch the defense give up 33 points in 30 minutes, but you dance with who brung ya. You don’t walk out.
“…the team hits the field to try and win the game.”
Are we discussing the same team?
Yeah, I know. But it coulda happened, and Bryant woiuld be in the locker room with his dick in his hands,
I’m still laughing at Grant Cohnhead for saying back in August that the Cowboys would win the Super Bowl.
That’s some Weapons Grade Stupid, right there.
Yeah I used to tease Chuck about him “being” Grant Cohn couple years ago but now thats a mortal insult. Never do that now, lol.
BTW Grants not done with stoopid: he called for the Niners to win 13-10 yesterday
Hah! Didn’t know that. Classic. The rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the dead tree, eh?
Almost as good as me predicting the Raiders win the AFC West last year.
I can’t be too hard on pre-season predictions. My fantasy lineup looks bullet-proof every week. Right up until the games start.
Oh, I don’t know. Picking Dallas for anything but most headline generating is a lost cause.
I mean, really. Cohn is mainly interested in generating thrash. Just like Lowell (trade Montana for Junior Seau) Cohn.
Even I wouldn’t stoop that low as to pick the Cowboys.
Not that familiar with their “work.” Whenever I look at a blog with Cohn at the top he’s got a bunch of posters giving him hell for whatever he writes. Didn’t seem that unusual to me except the word idiot was pretty popular. And that can usually apply either way.
Touche, but L Cohn has mainly written from the viewpoint of ‘how can I piss as many people off as possible?’ I stopped reading L Cohn in the 80s. Haven’t bothered to read his son, but it appears that all I’ve gleaned from comments around the blogosphere is he’s following daddy’s path.
He’s a complete fuckin douce bag moron. Grant not Chuck…
GC does like to hate on the Niners to stir up controversy. Wonder where he learned that?
Come to think of it Del Mar does something similar…
Houston? Washington? Missed it by THAT much!
Kinda surprised at your concept of team, RT. What makes you think Bryant didn’t walk off early just for the attention it would bring to him. No winners’ interview after my superb game? I’ll just pout, very publicly. He thinks it’s all him and I guess so do you.
Isn’t Bryant the guy that had to have a 24/7 nanny from Jerry? Jerry’s Faustian bargain is paying huge dividends now, eh?
Ahhhh, my semi-crispy synapses finally get it. The Niners get the 5 seed if Carol wins the NFC South. Because then NO would have a worser (bear with me here) record than us. Carol could fall behind us as well.