Yeah, I figured this would happen. Granted, it was the defending NFC champs on a short week and a cross-country-early game, but the team at least kept trying, despite falling way behind in the 3rd quarter. And yeah, Carolina looked like they were close to unraveling completely after a Cam Newton fumble led to a FG and the subsequent kickoff was muffed by Ted Ginn and led to a quick TD.
The truth is Carolina is a better deeper team, but the team looked good at times, and looked overmatched at times. 529 to 302 in yards tell you a lot, and TE Greg Olson beat Anthoine Bethea like a drum all day. Our single coverage on Kelvin Benjamin was beaten badly as this didn’t help the pass rush in any way. . Turnovers didn’t hurt Carolina early (Niner FG off the tipped pick) but it was a killer for Hyde as Carolina got 6 off his fumble. Gabbert looked fairly solid till he started firing picks in the end. VMcD had a great play on a deep crossing route for a 75 yard TD, but dropped a big play on the next drive when the 49ers had clawed back into the game. Next pass was picked off and the route was on.
Carolina was able to take away our run game with their defense, and it showed. Forcing Gabbert to take charge came with fair results, at least early. The Niners even had a 10-7 lead after scoring on a nice 28 yard pass to Torrey Smith. This off a Carolina fumble. But this lasted exactly one play, as Greg Olson caught a 78 yard bomb from Newton, and Carolina added a FG to close the half.
17-10 and the end of the half seemed pretty solid especially when the Niners deferred on the kickoff to start the game. Problem is, the 3rd quarter started with 2 three-and-outs sandwiched around two long TD drives that the defense couldn’t get stops on. So a one-TD lead became a three-TD lead. After cutting it to a 34-27 deficit, the Niners once again couldn’t stop Carolina to the tune of 7-15 on 3rd downs. That needs to improve. Yeah, it was hotter than shit, and the aforementioned short week, yadda yadda yadda, but the team showed heart, if not consistency. All aspects played well at times, and all aspects failed at times. The signs of a young team.
Gabbert for some reason just flailed at the end as he tried to bring the team back from a 10 point deficit late. Throwing into double coverage was terrible, but it came at the heels of a big play that was dropped by VMcD. He had another game where he hit some nice passes, and threw some absolute bonehead passes, and missed another deep one. 17-36 for 243, 2 and 2 is another game where he didn’t throw for 50%. This cannot continue. He missed way too many open guys, and again threw check downs off no pressure.
On defense, the pass rush was nowhere to be found. O’Neill left the corners out on their own, and Newton took advantage. And as mentioned, Olson had the game of his life as he toasted Bethea with regularity. Benjamin as well. Tough game against a team that looked like the defending NFC champs.
We played like a young team coming off a short week and a cross-country flight. Sloppy and inconsistent. Thing is we get another road test in Seattle next week. The schedulers just love us. And for what it’s worth, the whole division is 1-1 right now.
Forty Niners Forever 
Don’t look now but….Roger just threw an accelerant on Kaep’s fire –
http://tinyurl.com/z2ctxjr
So far what do we know? The Niners suck when playing a good opponent. They were up for the Rams. Blaine Gabbert sucks. The offense sucks but not as bad as last season. Niners have a long ways to go to be a decent team. They should be better than the Browns. Kap is being paid too much for not playing. Something has to change. Either play the dude or get rid of him. Chipper wants insurance because Gabbert really sucks. I fear the Seattle game. Niners can really face plant in Seattle. Ouch!
See, Nipper, I don’t think they sucked. I thought they played great. They pulled to within 7 in the 4th. A big play, a turnover, and we’re talking about a major upset. It was a great effort against a very, very good team on the road – on a short week to boot.
And a morning game after losing 3 hours of time change.
Gregg Cosell disagrees. It’s a very mixed bag with Gabbert at best.
I wonder if Kaep is attempting to add body weight with the Afro Puff?
He’s got a long way to go if that’s the plan.
He won’t be able to wear the damn helmet.
He looks to have enough action up there to hide a small animal already.
Screw the visor.
Put a chihuahua in there and have the pooch look off the Safety?
Hern Edwards laughed and said he had an Afro just like that. It’s a style I like better way better than dreads, especially the kind you can tackle a guy with.
Yeh those were the norm when I was growing up.
Several guys I played ball with had ‘rakes’ hanging from them too.
Those things were like hand-held pitchforks.
I guarantee one thing, he’s gone up in helmet size trying to house that Angela Davis ‘do.
Skeebs, I want to break with what I wrote earlier. Then I won’t bring it up again.
Hillary Clinton is a fraud, a huckster. She is an old dinosaur who doesn’t know e-mails can be hacked (wonder why Gary Johnson is almost tied with her with millenials?). I don’t think she did anything more or less to endanger American security overseas than anybody since Ike and I’ll write arguments to back it. I haven’t trusted her since Whitewater. We had a girl like her in high school, smart, slept with the alpha male of the year to gain power, just get pushing, pushing, beyond her intelligence ior her sense.
Or Trump. Tippeecanoe and Tyler too! A car in every garage and a chicken in every pot! Aren’t slogans great! I bought one used car from a lot in my life and I swear I trust that salesman crook more than I trust Trump.
Any plans for paying for anything, Donald? Bernie detailed how he would pay for free education for young Americans. A tariff on millisecond speculative transactions that make financial companies richer.
Gary Johnson, former two-time Republican New Mexico Governor, just wants to start a third party ((I’ve listened to him long before this election cycle) and wants to legalize pot – finally (MSNBC this morning, the liberal station, is questioning why Gary is running almost dead even with Hillary and ahead of Donald with millenials. That’s why young people will rule. Pot as legal as alcohol, and college if not free, affordable. These old jackasses are so stupid – no it was not Joe or Miya). If we stop invading countries for vengeance or spite and not put the total costs off the books, like George II diid with his $3+ trillion bill he left Obama with, we’ll maybe, just maybe, be able to pay for all that.
I’ve got it easy as a voter. Hillary’s a lock because no one in my adopted state wants Feds going door to door incarcerating people. These people here are sensitive, and Latinos lived here 300 years before the Drumphs came here from Swabia.
So it’s Johnson for me. Hillary’s rotten to the core but competent. Donald’s just a nasty tweet away from Nuclear War I. The man is certifiable, or would be if he didn’t borrow his ass off to pay the doctors.
Nobody wants to remove Latinos of any variety from the country, just because they’re Latinos, just the illegals. I’m friends with several Mexicans whose families immigrated legally to the U.S. generations ago. They’ve worked their asses off and raised their families the right way and made good lives for themselves and their families. They are true Americans because they know exactly what being an American is all about.
There’s a right way to do it and to allow anybody to do it any other way is a grave disservice to the millions of hard-working naturalized citizens who did it the right way, likely including relatives in both of our family trees.
There’s not a fuicking thing wrong with expecting the law be followed, not in a nation built on laws.
It’s a great sentiment, LJ, and would have been better expressed thirty years ago when Ronnie gave illegals amnesty. Thirty years! There are entire families raised since then.
One question: when the Deportation Squads (I heard Donald and his seconds in interviews, his promise is Deporation Squads) are roaming my streets, how are they to tell a New Mexican from an illegal?
Are we tearing up and spitting on The Constitution to give Donald that power?
If it were 2 on 2, I vote Hillary.
I stand by Kap.
Sniff…….politics on Chuck’s blog. Can’t we stick with music videos?
Or ripping the Niners? Chin up Nip, we’re on the right track!
Yeah, this life shit keeps getting in the way. . .
I’m assuming that was meant for the playpen, RT. Vent away. But Iif I posted that over there, I would hear howling for 10 years. You post it there, and they purr like puss, er, kittens.
No one really cares about the kneeldown anymore, so Goodell has to spark the embers. In his eyes, pub is pub, regardless of where or how. Like he’s responsible for the players making a stand because he’s not coming down on them. He’s worse than Bud Selig. Which is saying something. What a fucking snake oil salesman.
Thanks for following, NoFear. The Central Scrutinizer knows all . . .
I’m feeling good about this game vs the Seahawks. Don’t know if I’m going to predict a win yet. I might. I won’t be able to watch the game. I’ll be in route to be at my fathers funeral n Monday. I’ll watch the tape DVR on Tuesday.
My condolences Berger.
I feel the same way about the game, Berger. This team is so due in Seattle.
Sorry to hear about your dad. Condolences.
To follow up on my last post. My father died last week and is being buried in a military cemetery next to my uncle. My uncle was a Blue Angel and my father was a Sargent in Korea.
Sorry to hear that, Bergs.
My father was AAF/AF pilot as well.
12th, did you use your actual age? I put in 55 and was flat rejected. LOL. Hey, even old guys go back top school!
No John I signed in as my son, same name but he is 19
Since he lives at home its legit but it never asked me anything. I entered the community college and his age and that was all there was to it.
NJ, with Wentz, I don’t think the league catches on to things like toughness, a willingness to stand in and take a shot to deliver the ball on target, and a cannon arm with thread the needle accuracy. He just has that something about him that makes him look legit. He’s mobile. There doesn’t seem to be any one-trick-pony about him. I think the Eagles did their homework and got a gem.
Lets grab some Berger optimism, I’m sick of my pessimism.
Shit, Ryan Leaf looked pretty tough after his first couple starts. I’m not crowning Wentz Rookie of the year quite yet. Then again I haven’t seen him at all. The Bears are obviously sucking ass, as is the factory of sadness. And yeah I like him as well in the 2nd round. Thought so n early January. The hype train soon jacked his ass up to #2 overall. And yeah the Sonny Dykes offense does not resemble a pro set like Rodgers played on. It’ll be fun to see how long this goes in LA. They are in a bit of a QB quandary as well.
Someone like Fisher just might fuck him up.
Sorry to hear about your Pop Berger, No matter what we do time is always the equalizer.
Back to the game. It is the same situation we all knew would happen, if we don’t get 1st downs our defense will be neutralized. I like the way the team looks more than last years but the problem still remains of talent on our offense. Hyde getting around 50 yards is unacceptable. Our biggest need is a QB and has been for a couple of years now. If mediocrity is the goal then Gabbert or Kappy is great. Baalky has not addressed one of our biggest needs and it doesn’t look like he’s going to any time soon. We can all hope in Ponder but once again not holding any breath on that. As far as I’m concerned we have already surpassed my expectations with the Ram win last week. But I think until we get a new GM we will be here for quite awhile.
I am wondering if Chip is still just assessing what he has. He knows he has a very good O-line. He has been running in to a stacked box on 1st down when we all know a play action is just ripe for the taking. It is like he is asking himself just how good this line really is and wanting to see to make sure.
I believe he is a wise play caller. His assessment of the line is probably complete except for the fact a coach is always assessing. The reason I think that is he made a comment at his last presser about passing more on first down to open up the running game.
What I have seen in the past is he is a good play caller but I am not feeling that after two games. I think we might be about to some changes to the play calling but still with an eye on the run game.
One thing I have always noticed about Chip, even at Oregon, he is a run 1st coach and a bit conservative. Most people see a spread formation and think it must be pass 1st or gadgets but I have never seen that from him.
Ray Ray Armstrong just went on the IR. I’ve got my fingers crossed that they bring up Marcus Rush and actually play him on Sunday!
They need to do something thats for sure and with a name like Rush what could go wrong?
Thanks for the thoughts for my father.
I sincerely hope they bring up Rush as his name is what we need. . .
Newton was untouched, and we need to get in on RW to have any chance at winning. Give him time and we lose. Plain and simple.