Here we are on the edge of a Super Bowl. Yes, we got past the pesky (and pesky for the foreseeable future) Packers, and now face the Dan Campbell-led Deetroit Lions. A team that hasn’t been in an NFC Championship game since before we won our last Super Bowl. As sad as they’ve been, our playoff record is a mess since the 1994 season.
And, as much as our offense struggled this last game, at least we have a much better game weather-wise. Sunny and 70 degrees for this one. The late start will dry the field out just that much more, so Brock and Co, with or without Deebo, better score early and score often.
Mainy because I have stark reservations about our defense. The $ billion defensive line is not getting home near enough lately. And Wilks seem very reluctant to dial up blitzes. We played the LBs pretty deep to start the game, and GB picked us apart with absolutely NO pressure on Love. This has to stop. Watching DeMeco, or Saleh-led defenses and you see a lot more blitzes and stunts. I didn’t see any early, and I haven’t rewatched the game yet to see what we did in the 2nd half, but this vanilla defense is maddening when you see Green bay simply getting 6 yards a play and marching down the field.
Say what you will, but the Niners lucked out big time on the dropped pick and the spot on the 4th and 1 that Green Bay didn’t get. Those 2 plays change the game big time, and our deficit is a lot more to overcome.
I really don’t understand why more isn’t being asked of the D line. Simply rushing 4 with no stunting, no blitzing, and no disguising things just pisses me off to no end. Why? Because Goff isn’t gonna get more than 12 yards running the ball, and if you rattle him early he’s worthless for the rest of the day.
Goff should be good for 2-3 interceptions if we can rattle him. Playing the milquetoast soft defense to start the game pretty much guarantees that Deetroit scores a TD on their first drive and gives Goff confidence. For all the talk about how good we are defensively, as the teams get better, our base D isn’t generating game-changing plays. It took until halfway through the 3rd quarter before we got meaningful pressure on Love, and it resulted in 2 interceptions.
Those 3.flanked by bosa and chase for the 5 man line. Goff be knee shaking.
I love Traffic. I play their Greatest Hits CD at least a couple of times a year. Just my opinion, but this is the best version of Dear Mr Fantasy. Can’t go wrong with adding Eric Clapton and Steve Gadd.
I like the 5 man D-line. Problem is it needs to be situational because it is limited, personnel wise. It worked well vs the Steelers because they run an old fashioned offense. Detroit can read and react a lot better than the Steelers. If I saw a 5 man D-line, I would throw a bubble screen to out flank it. Getting the ball out quick on slants and other quick routes defeats it.
When I was in HS, we had just beaten Ronnie Lott and his Eisenhower team in the playoffs. We then had to play the #2 team in the country, St Paul. We beat them by using a 7 man front to take away their power running game.
There decent online is missing a starting OG , Jonah Jackson . In 6 pass plays the replacement gave up 5 pressures. Could blitz A gap with LB and the 4 man line.
Snappy Khaki to the Chargers just like I thought. He’ll get a lot more out of that team than Staley did.
Draft capital of current draft order at tankathon . Surprisingly we are #10.
https://tankathon.com/nfl/power_rankings
Quantity, not quality. But this is where they do well. I hope losing Adam Peters doesn’t fuck this up. But I hope they hit much better at the top of the draft.
New thread is up.