In a crazy bit of timing, the San Francisco Giants, winners of their divisional series last night, will be travelling to St. Louis today. If they planned it any better, they could share their plane with the 49ers, who are travelling to St. Louis for a Monday night matchup with the Rams. They could also possibly rub shoulders with them to get a sense of how a real team is supposed to act. All baseball season, all you heard about was the Dodgers and their ace pitchers, their ginormous payroll, and their Cuban psycho player Yasiuel Puig. Or the Nationals and their superstar players, pitcher Ryan Strassburg and major-league douche-bag Bryce Harper. Or the A’s and their scrappy play, or the Angels and their enormous payroll, Yankees, Red Sox, blah blah blah.
The Giants? No one had them on the map. Even after their hot start. They didn’t complain about their myriad injuries that threatened to derail their season, their anemic (for months) hitting, and their lot in life as they went from 21 games over .500 and a 10 game lead in early June to 5 games over .500 and 6.5 games back in late August. They just kept battling as new pieces were picked up from the scrap heap, and untested rookies stepped up and contributed huge. No one getting arrested, no fights, no front office turmoil (self-generated or otherwise) no crazy distracting antics, and no headline-grabbing bullshit. Just playing the next game on the schedule.
The Giants mantra was, just get in. Play October baseball. Reach the playoffs and everyone has a 0-0 record. A new season. A new beginning. In one short week they have knocked off the favored wild card Pittsburgh Pirates, and the best team in the National League Washington Nationals. The Giants did it through strong pitching, solid defense, and a bullpen tough as nails. They may not reach the promised land and win it all, but a lot of people are going broke betting against these guys.
Jed York, Trent Baalke, and Jim Harbaugh can learn a lot from this Giants team. They need to stick to the business at hand and neither create, nor flame, any distractions that could derail what they are trying to accomplish. Ignore the tornado of bullshit flying around the HQ and just play football.
Truth is, the 49ers ARE on a bit of a roll. Much like the Giants, they struggle mightily to score, but play solid defense, and are slowly minimizing the God-awful penalties that plagued them the first couple games. If this team eventually figures out that what works between the 20s can work in the red zone, they just might be on to something. PLEASE ditch the trick plays and just play sound football.
Forty Niners Forever 
In other news, VD is likely playing on Monday night:
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2014/10/10/practice-report-vernon-davis-on-pace-to-return-chris-cook-added-to-injury-list/
Niners are #1 in field goals and #32 in converting drives into TD’s. Someone tell me again how that is all about player execution?
There is a fundamental issue with the scheme that makes this size of disparity, moving the ball well and being unable to score TD’s the problem.
No doubt execution plays its role, but a first to last disparity, FG to TD can only be explained at the coaching/scheme level.
http://www.ninersnation.com/2014/10/11/6962295/49ers-red-zone-offense-field-goals-2014
Exactly. Lucy (Jimbo) got some splainin to do.
This Ricky would love to beat Harbaugh like a drum more than they were ever played at the Club Babalu.
You know when times are tough?
When your Coach leather money clip is holding < its retail value. That's right. I buy Coach leather for men. Coach + ponies = going broke. But you look good doing so.
Does it look as good empty as full?
Money is all a matter of perspective. At least that’s what my therapist keeps telling me. Tell that to Chase Manhattan.
How much does your therapist charge for that perspective?
12th man, the article you link to makes the case for poor execution. Looking at the KC game and the three downs that precede the FGs, we tend to go to passing personnel packages and have a 3rd down pass play that comes up short(1), goes incomplete(3) or gets the QB sacked(1).
How is that not execution?
On three FGs we were in the red zone on 3rd down. Are you saying we should have taken all our shots into the end zone? Two of those three FGs from in the red zone were in the fourth quarter. It seems like the FG is the right call there rather than risk a turnover then.
NF,
you can look at each play in isolation, game by game and try to isolate the cause and as I said, execution has its share, but a first place last place differential is far beyond execution.
Niners are absolute bottom of the barrel in scoring TD’s off of drives. How can the players be systematically good enough to move the ball up and down the field and get into scoring range yet be suddenly inept when it comes to scoring TD’s?
Its scheme/coaching/playcalling far more than simple execution.
Plays almost never work as drawn, there is almost always some breakdown or other. Just about any play by any team someone is guilty of poor execution but it doesn’t stop the TD based on scheme.
Wilson is not as good as Kap but he plays in a scheme that fits him very well, hence the better overall stats.
“Wilson is not as good as Kap.”
You make comments that are even more hilarious than my accountant does when he reads me my bank statements.
C’mon 12th?
Baalke sucks.
Capisce?
He can’t Draft WRs hence, we can’t succeed in the Red Zone.
I still think it’s beyond Jim’s scope of Offensive mentality to get beyond the Power Running game or College level gadget plays.
Let’s hope Baalke figures this out sooner than later.
I heard Baalke is benched this week NJ.
😀 Jed can’t be far behind either I’d imagine?
Damn GMs and Owners.
Can’t figure them out.
Could be worse I guess?
Idzik in NY is sitting on $20+Mil while watching his HC flounder with Geno and no Secondary to speak of.
With some people around here a $2Mil back up QB is a waste of money.
Yet, the NYJ have 2 QBs and a Brinks truck full of Cap money while losses are piling up.
Can’t please them all huh?
Meant to add that Michael Vick is making $5Mil for 1 year.
And, he admitted to not being prepared in SD last week when called upon too.
Geno is Idzik’s Man too.
Rex? Not so much.
Brilliant.
2 NYJ QBs amounted to ZERO points.
But hey, they have plenty of Cap money on hand.
Woody Johnson and John Idzik are clueless.
What an embarrassment we have with Jed and Trent.
“Its scheme/coaching/playcalling far more than simple execution.”
The trainer had ’em running in the wrong race. Needless to say, he wasn’t ready. And the jock gave ’em a shit ride. But let’s not blame the horse for being a nag.
Yup.
And let me clarify. You can’t, and I sure in the hell can’t ever blame an animal. You can’t ever blame an animal.
Only love them.
Quack.
Got a snack?
I’m out the door now with bread in hand NJ. My ducks love me.
Glad somebody does. 😛
12th man, I see your point but couldn’t the same argument apply to any facet? eg:
How can the [players/scheme/coaching/playcalling (choose one)] be systematically good enough to move the ball up and down the field and get into scoring range yet be suddenly inept when it comes to scoring TD’s?
When Iupati and Boone whiff on the same play, Kaep tries to throw short and throws too short, Kaep tries to throw long and sails it, Kaep brings down the ball and runs to sideline short of the sticks while Johnson stands in the open fifteen yards from the LOS, it isn’t the coaching or play called, and as you say the scheme has worked well enough to move the ball up and down the field, so fans can say we should have run when the pass doesn’t work or we should have passed when the run gets stuffed but I guarantee those plays have worked and are run efficiently enoug in practice to get put into the game plan. How’s that for a run-on sentence?
Wilson depends on short (1-10 yards) passes, better pass pro and a very good run game and he’s a natural at houdini-like escapes from pressure and makes great decisions. That makes any scheme/coaching/playcalling look better on game day.
NoFear49er Kaep still lacks the ‘touch’ required for many of those broken plays IMO.
He’s a fast-baller.
Russell displays the ability to keep a play alive with his legs, whereas Kaep often becomes the extra RB to make something happen.
My kingdom for a WCO-oriented screen game.
Something Alex did a very good job of, against us last week actually.
Can’t understand why we can’t defeat a blitz package to this point.
We’ve seen at from just about every opponent thus far.
Yeah that thought had occurred to me too NF.
I think there is just too much going on. Too many moving parts, meaning the more complicated something is the more likely hood of a break down.
Take play calling for instance from just outside the redzone. When did you last see Kap sling it into the endzone from say the 35 yd line? I’m sure there is an example or two but the basic MO is take little to no risk and try to incrementally move the ball with overly complex play designs that supposedly minimize risk preserving the FG aspect. As the field compresses the margin for error does too, more bodies per sq ft defending.
To me there is a balance between making sure of a score (3) and trying to aggressively put points on the board (7) and Harbaugh et al are very conservative there.
Yes they win with solid D and running/play action. But not the biggest of games so far. Not much chance of Harbaugh coming out in the second half of a SB on going onside kick.
Ultimately a first to last differential FG to TD is inexplicable without coaching/scheme being the major component.
NJ is right, Kap needs work on touch and decisions but he also needs help from the scheme with WR’s being expected to turn and face the QB as plays breakdown and being schemed into levels of availability. Dump offs are a QB’s best friend, Alex Smith turned them into a career.
It’s okay, 12th, that you don’t want to put your money where you mouth is. You can owe me.
Gawd if you keep this up you’re gonna hurt my feelings wee man. What a waste of oxygen you are. Go back to drinking, at least you were mildly entertaining then.
Much as I hate that pastie phony Jerruh, I’m pulling for his ‘Boys vs Seattle.
One thing to deal with the noise factor up there but, the Legion of Goons can’t molest WRs as they’re accustomed to doing by today’s standards.
I’m dying to see Bling going airborne on Dick next month.
Dez could give him some trouble too, if Promo gets any time to launch a few in his direction.
Yes, that’s it. They are conservative and risk averse. No doubt about that. And that explains a lot of the fans’ heartburn. They also like to motion guys like crazy trying to give Kaepernick help in identifying defensive coverages and possible blitzers.
It’s one thing to bring a young QB along I guess.
Facts still remain that we’re obviously not fooling too many DCs.
They send the house and blow up the play far too often.
We have to find a way to defeat it’s effectiveness.
Until then, they’ll continue to disrupt things with pressure packages.
Be nice if we could dictate pace and tempo as we attempted in AZ.
That is something needed in Seattle, to combat noise and, get out of the predictable snap as it relates to the play clock.
Jim is nothing if not conservative.
No surprises there.
Doesn’t always work, NJ49er. KC sent both corners on that long pass to Lloyd on the right sideline and Kaepernick had all day.
Actually Kaepernick has been blitzed on 56 drop back plays this year and threw on 47 of them. Completing 29 of those, for 391 yards and 4 TDs and a single INT for a QBR of 107 when blitzed.
Where I see the biggest concern NoFear49er is Kaep getting flushed immediately.
Rare to see him stand in and deliver.
His quick outlet options are my major concern.
Only a matter of time that he gets outside the pocket and forfeits his protection by rule.
Good numbers you cite.
Not too shabby from a QBR perspective certainly.
I’m just not a big fan of utilizing him in the read option, which has seemed to diminish some thus far.
For me, I’m happier to see him using his eyes and arm as opposed to his wheels.
He’s shown signs, as he did finding Vernon vs Dallas and Stevie at the pylon.
Keeping his eyes down field, arm loaded for a receiver, is just a safer, more preferable approach to keep him healthy IMO.
Russell and Aaron Rodgers would be guys that keep things alive for the back-breaker plays I’d like to see more of from Kaep.
I don’t give him that much credit for finding Gore on that TD play. Gore was waving and hollerin’ like hell the whole play.
I agree NoFear49er.
Dangerous throw that happened to get there.
We’ll take it of course :-D.
When I think outlet option, I’m not seeing that result too often in my head.
This blog looks like a kennel site for wayward dogs. ARF!
How about Randy Moss suggesting Harbaugh treated his players like College kids?
Knowing what we know of Randy and his track record of burning bridges, it might lend some credence to those ‘sources’ Deion might have called ‘suits’ with an axe to grind?
http://tinyurl.com/p2hwmj5
That wouldn’t surprise me a bit, NJ49er. Talking bad about a team, or a coach that helped you or tried to help you is the mark of a bitter player in decline looking to excuse his lack of plays or stats. If Moss was so unhappy why didn’t he ask for his release or complain when it was happening? He’s always been a look-at-me punk, just like the other guy.
Kicker too NoFear49er, was Harbaugh apparently having a conflict with Baalke about retaining him.
Saw all I needed to see of Randy in the SB.
The ball that sailed over his head for a pick, where he didn’t so much as make an attempt to raise his arms to catch it, pretty much summed it up for me.
I’m just hoping Bling continues to be utilized and finds enough competitiveness to actually be a factor down the road this year.
Kaep has plenty of veteran talent to throw to this year.
It’s all about getting this Offense into sync.
So far, I find too many hiccups and a lack of rhythm.
Give it a minute NJ. Kap is doing a much better job of finding guys this year despite so many new faces and lack of route running familiarity and his top TE being gone.
I think all of us expected some early problems on both sides of the ball given the roster turnover and changes in scheme emphasis yet despite that the Niners are in exactly the same place as last year when they went to the NFCCG, 3-2.
The O is showing signs of life unseen before (5 wides?) and it comes down to blending what the team does well into play packages to try to get over the hump. The coaches are pushing their envelope, perhaps too much in some areas, but at least they are trying to add to their base formations and expand what the team does.
I’m all for it and IMO they are doing exactly what we were all asking for last year, tweaking things just a bit. This O has the potential to be prolific and its close to that IMO.
Russel Wilson I was wrong about. I figured with his style of play and physical limitations that opposing D would catch up to him this year, yet his Houdini escapes and excellent decision making, coupled with the fire drill style of O they run when the called play breaks down has continued to be successful.
I know Dennis you don’t agree, but I believe Kap to be the better QB, more physically gifted, higher ceiling, but that is dependent upon Kap maturing to the level Wilson is already at. If and when he does, and he is improving without a doubt, he may end up being the best QB in the league.
Given a free pick from any QB in the league today I would take Andrew Luck and a close second Kap, to build a team around for the next 10 years.
I hear you on those points 12th.
Admittedly I’m just frustrated that we’ve let some leads evaporate to teams we had on the ropes.
I’ve jawed away pretty profusely about rhythm and our lack of it at times.
No debate that there is work to do and it appears that they’re tinkering with it finally.
Agree about Kaep’s ceiling as well.
Just hoping to see less running and more decision making from him down field.
Perhaps I’m guilty of expectations, because he does show so much potential.
Having seen a glimpse of the multi-WR possibilities vs AZ, early in the game, only to abandon it when it mattered, just left me wondering why stop?
If it works, force them to defend it.
Much like us defeating the blitz packages.
The hurry up/multi-WR sets took care of the pass rush too, why not ride it?
Quick decisions and options is the best friend of any QB staring down a pressure package.
Funny – Neon Deion has a non-sports cable TV show starting very soon. Good time to make headlines and get people Googling your name, no?
Dallas has been moving the ball pretty well. If not for the blocked punt Sea would be way behind.
Dallas coming to play today.
Go Cowpatties!
Can Promo avoid the Choko?
Raiders hanging with SD B-)
Never minimize a Division Rivalry.
Anything can happen.
San Diego D making it too easy.
AZ catches a big break, recovers a Wash fumble after guy’s knee was down, not overruled cuz camera slightly blocked.
Surprise, surprise RT.
Scene of our penalty laced debacle as well.
Officials in AZ named Homer me thinks.
Are the Cowpatties silencing the 12th Steppers up there at all?
Squawks getting beat in the trenches both sides of the ball today.
Good 12th.
Dallas needs to get 7 here and eat some clock.
Well anyway….. that was too quick but…. I’ll take it.
Cowboys D needs a stop
How bout dem Cowboys!
Still plenty of time for Russell and Company.
Can Big Duh play some D for 3+ minutes?