For the only week of the year, all of the NFL games are scheduled for Sunday. And if there ever was a week to have 16 TVs to watch all the games, this would be it. In the NFC at least, just about all the playoff spots are in a state if flux, and the idea to make the last weekend all divisional games had paid off in spades. The NFC East and NFC North have play-in games as Dallas, minus Tony Romo, squares off with Philly, and Chicago faces Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers at Soldier Field. Carolina, Seattle, and the 49ers all have a shot at getting the 1 seed. AFC? Ehhh. Don’t care at this point. Brady and Manning look to meet again if the script follows the pattern. Indy and Cincy might have something to say about it, but I doubt it. KC? Alex Smith? One would think the AFC wildcards are a quick exit. We’ll see. The combo of Miami or Balt don’t scare anyone either. The NFC? Well, whoever the wildcards are look to beat the North and East champs handily.
Anyhow, back to AZ. They started badly, but have re-inserted themselves back into the playoff race by winning 7 of their last 8, including a beat-down of the Colts, and most recently a fairly stunning road win over Seattle in the house that noise built. AZ is throwing the ball a ton, and is overcoming the 21 picks by Carson Palmer simply by throwing more. As evidenced by their win over Seattle where Palmer threw 4 picks and still won. Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd lead the way. Both are close to 1,000 yards, and both account for nearly all of their TDs in the air. Defensively AZ is fast and tough. They have the # 1 rush defense in the league and are 6th overall in yards per game given up. LBs Karlos Dansby and John Abraham are leading a group that has improved as the season has rolled on.
All that being said. I think AZ has been playing for their lives for a long time. Running on adrenaline too long, and will come back to Earth. Niners win 28-20. I also think the Rams manage to contain Russell Wilson and take Seattle at home. 2 seed and the bye. Book it.
Forty Niners Forever 
Jerruhs A$$ in crunch time = Titus Fishcunt
Anyone catch the quote from Kaep in reference to ‘Putting things on film that people are a little worried about’?
I have a vision of some Secret Playbook that only gets opened during Practice.
All I care about now is taking the first step back to the SB seriously and, coming away with the WIN in Lombardi Town.
Seems like the right place to start the trip IMO.
Too many years of Playoff disappointment there that need to rectified.
I wonder whether Harbaugh has any magical ideas about practicing in the elements somewhere cold?
Hard to simulate cold weather conditions, unless there’s a large refrigerated facility available somewhere in the Bay Area.
Special Teams Units especially.
Kicking and catching rock hard footballs isn’t an easy task.
Well, it’s about 24º this morning in the Bay Area. They should fly out tomorrow and practice there. I never understood why teams didn’t do that anyway. Get acclimated and all that. Esp for east coast/Denver games.
Black Friday! Enjoy.
I mean Monday. Oops….
It’s the Dos Equis…….gets me confused.
Yeah NJ, all those Green Bay losses were here. I was at both of the NFC Championship games Green Bay won. Both were miserable rainy days.
Of course I missed the Owens Owens OWens game.
Well, Chud’s already gone. He got his walking papers early. May the Shwartz be with you is likely out as well. And none too soon,. That team is too talented to be 6-10.
Shanny too with all the staff.
Ahh, forgot about the Shanahan Shuffle. Napalming bridges wherever he lands.
It’s too funny seeing Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones, the 2 guys with the most hands-on (read: meddling) approach to team ownership (now that re-un-dead Al has not returned from the grave) have the hardest time coming up with a winning formula.
My opinion is that for the last 8 years everyone and thery mother knows the Niners rely heavilly on Gore to get the job done. Nolan, Singletary, and now Harbaugh. They get the lead and go straight to the run. 5 mins into the 2nd quarter and they run the ball 3 straight times, twice with Gore and once with Hunter. They got 0 yardage and used up a whopping 3 mins. Oh yeah those three plays ate up clock time. What did that prove?? What Harbaugh should have seen from that is the running game was going no where fast. So he should have gone back to the pass and scored some points to put the game away. Walsh did not leave points on the field. Manning does not leave points on the field. Mike Holmgren did not leave points on the field. The list of coaches that put teams away is long.
Kevin, Kappy threw 34 passes, his 2nd highest total this season. And we ran 23 times.
I was OK with the playcalling until 3rd down. That is my biggest issue with the play calling. We go jumbo, thus forcing the defense to pack the line and then we try to run against it. Dumb. Put in 4 WRs and spread the formation on 3rd and short. Play action. Or even a run. SAs long as the D doesn’t have 8-9 guuys up close you can run. Forcing the D to pack the line and running against it is ludicrous.
Besides, the 1st drive in the 2nd quarter was 2 incomplete passes and a 4 yard Kappy run. I certainly understand the Niners trying to establish the run. And they did have a good drive stall in the 2nd quarter when Mr. Clean missed a 24 yard FG to close the 1st half.
New thread is up . . .