And it sure aged me. I guess we can at least say that the team as currently constituted can make a comeback. The Green Bay game was a cake-walk compared to yesterday’s Jeckyll/Hyde performance.
It started out bad and and got worse. The vaunted 49ers run defense was gashed often for 10-12 yard gains. Jared Goff was pretty much perfect through the first half. The Niners were missing tackles, giving up huge 3rd down plays, and basically offfering no resistance to the Deetroit Lions. On offense, Brock Purdy looked scared and skittish as he missed checkdowns and threw a pick. He did engineer a couple good drives, one which resulted in a missed FG, the other a TD.
24-7 at the half.
I was pretty bummed, but my only consolation was the fact we got the 2nd half kickoff. If we could do something with that, we could try to shift the mo. And whatever Shanahan said at half time, that should be bottled up and saved for future generations. Because nothing could really prepare the world for what happened. Purdy led a decent drive with some nice passes to Deebo and some dolid runs by CMC but the drive stalled and Moody hit the 42 yarder.
Then, shit got weird. Dan Gamble Campbell made a pretty monstrous error (in my book anyway) ignoring the 41 yard field goal and the 3-score lead and instead going for a 4th down and 2 call. More amazing is he didn’t run for it! Detroit was running through our line like shit through a goose and Goff threw a duck to Josh Reynolds that he dropped. The crowd erupted. They had been hoping against hope for something to cheer about.
Brandon Aiyuk stepped in to make the circus catch of all circus catches as what could have been a pick instead resulted in a 51 yard completion to the Lions 4 off of the aptly named Kindle Vondor. Cue the 3rd down TD to BA. 24-17 Deetroits.
First play on the ensuing drive? FUMBLE by Jahmyr Gibbs. Purdy led that drive with a 21 yard scramble to set up CMC’s 1 yard TD. Tie game!
The D got into the act, forcing a 3 and out, which led to a long frive that led to a Moody FG, Niners up 27-24. Deetroit finally got rolling in the 2nd half and got to the SF 30. Once again, Dan Staley, uh Campbell eschewed the tie, instead going for it again on 4th and 3. Again he passed. Again he failed.
Cue the game-sealing drive with CMC running, Purdy passing, and Elijah finishing off the scoring (after CMC landed on his head) with a 1 yard plunge. 34-24. Detroit got a meaningless TD late, and there it was. An earned trip to Super Bowl LVIII.
Maybe this finally exorcises the demons of playoffs past for Shanahan. If so, it sure help to have Deebo, CMC, Aiyuk, and Kittle. They all played exceptionally and the non-existent defense decided to wake up and stop the Lions. What is nuts in the 2 sacks that Bosa got were both easily overcome by Deetroit in the 1st half.
Surprisingly this was a fairly penalty-free game. There were only 5 called, and it was a refreshing change. On a side note, the last time the Lions earned their way to a championship game, (in 1957 at Kezar!!!) they beat the 49ers 27-24. After the 49ers led 24-7 at the half. Deja vu all over again.
A tough gritty with, with kudos to Dan Campbell for turning down 6 points.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Charles Omenihu (who he? LOL) out with torn ACL for KC. He had a sack yesterday.
We have to fix our defense we can’t expect to play 30 minutes of good football and beat KC. I don’t know what is wrong with em but it isn’t just a one off. After the first 5 games our defense has been inconsistent. We did look good against Jax, Seattle and Wash. These last two playoff games though have been telling and you can bet KC will have a plan. OH
I was going to say oh yeah KC has the #1 defense in the league.
From ninersnation,
Shanahan says he hasn’t considered bringing in a defensive consultant/advisor for the Super Bowl like other teams have. The Philadelphia Eagles did the same with Vic Fangio last year, and now he’s their defensive coordinator.
The question comes on the heels of a lackluster first-half performance by the defense. It was fair to ask. Kyle didn’t sound too pleased about the Lions’ running game in the first half. He said the defense had the worst pursuit all season, and the common theme was how poorly the Niners executed on each carry.
Wilkes went back to playing the LBs 8 yards back of the LOS. I dread seeing that. Our LBs were up in the 2nd half. The Lions got 34 yards rushing in the 2nd half. Unca called it Prevent D to start the game. It wasn’t quite that, but I can see why he said that.
Been screaming about that for a while. We open games playing a prevent defense. I think it was worse in the GB game. CBs playing off, slot guys getting free reign, the short zone was too deep. The only real diff is where the safeties are.
ONce again the adjustment was made in the 2nd half instead of after the first fucking drive.
On the deep pass play to BA, It was defensive pass interference if he does not catch the ball. If he doesn’t get knocked backwards, he runs right under that throw. The pass was not overthrown.
That’s what it looked like to me also. But since he caught it I guess they just picked up the flag. The DB impeded BA without a doubt.
Still a little strange to me since they usually give you the option.
And on the interception by Purdy he said that his hand was tipped on the play.
Bolsa got 2 sacks. Deetroit overcame those. They did not overcome his pressures. They resulted in incomplete passes. One on 4th down. We pressured Goff on another 4th down. I didn’t see who got the pressure. It might have been Bosa?
GB and Deetroit have really good running games. KC, not as much. Maybe that will help. Damn you Unca, you’ve got me saying Deetroit! LOL!
DE Charles Omenihu ex49er last year I liked him a lot, but had a domestic charge incident and I guess the 49ers said adios compadre. But after starting the year with a 6 game suspension he’s been a force along with Chris Jones finishing the season with 8 sacks including a crucial strip sack fumble recovery against Lamar.It’s a huge loss for the Chiefs against the Niners..imo
Heard the latest SB cheapest tickets are going for $8,500 that’s just INSANE I could fill a whole Man Cave room with big screens and Keggers for that.
I (like many here) aged a few years between halves.
From what I gathered the halftime pep talk amounted to do we end our season like this or not?
Loved the post game interview with Erin Andrews and BA about the ricochet catch.
In his estimation, it was the ladybug that landed on his shoe pregame.
That works for me 😀
Hail Ladybug 9er.
We’re going to the SB – Let’s get #6!
Another post game interview with Warner was priceless. When asked about Purdy, he smiled, tongue in cheek and said “yeah, heck of a game manager. He managed the heck outta that game.”
A game for the ages indeed! What a turn of events. I rewatched it last night and still can’t believe it. Nothing went out way until everything went our way. Deebo came out with a vengeance to start the 2nd half and they all got it going. We’re going to the Super Bowl, baby!!
Funny, dear old mom started a trend within the family about the luck of the ladybug 20 years ago. For her 70th birthday she got a ladybug tattoo on her leg, and all the granddaughters followed suit.
Believe in the power of the ladybug!! This was a fave with my kids.
Awesome Chuck
Waiting on the reaction in Vegas as to whether it catches on.
🐞 9er POWER 😎
Prevent D or not, these last 2 playoff games we have started out playing not to lose.
What scares the shit out of me was how easily Deetroit overcame 3rd and 12, 3rd and 18 and 3rd and 9 ON THE SAME FUCKING DRIVE! And they still ony got a field goal.
Deetroit may be a decent offense, and KC is not as bad-ass without T Hill, but Pacheco can run, and we have to put a fucking body on Kelce EVERY FUCKING PLAY. The Ravens were leaving him open all the time, and he had a field day.
Someone tell Wilks (who said he’d rethink his plans) that you can’t play soft. Early or late.
Yeah, saw the flag on the Aiyuk catch and I guess they just ate it since we were obviously going to take the catch. Usually they go through the motions.
Frankly, that was one of the better games I’ve ever seen officiating-wise. Clean and crisp.
I thought the same. When you find yourself never talking about the officiating, its both rare, and refreshing.
An absolute rarity these days.
I think I was actually more stressed in the GB game. Mostly, because it was close the ENTIRE game. I mean the first half of the DET game was so dismal and pancaking, that at half, I was less stressed, and really just depressed. I’ll admit, I thought we were going to lose it.
They rallied, the entire team. From Purdy to Moody. Some great plays by many. Gipson, after getting faked out of his shoes in the first half TD run by Gibbs, makes up for it with a great pass breakup on Laporta and stripping Gibbs for the key fumble. McKivitz, not doing too well pass blocking, puts a massive beat down block on Christian McTouchdown’s 2nd TD run. Purdy’s runs were really Montana-like. They were back breakers. And his step to the left, TD pass to BA was so freaking timely. It would have been 4th and goal at that point, and mo was still trying to figure out which way to go. Our way.
I’d say even Mahomes-like. Those were SO crucial.
And yeah, the entire team redeemed itself as they just flat played like crap for 30 minutes. The amazing thing WAS holding them to a FG after they converted all those 3rd and longs on that drive to finish the 1st half.
I swear to God ONE of these playoff games has to be easy. Why not this one? The defense just needs to be put in better position to make plays. We beat Hurts by not letting him have any running lanes. Especially up the middle. Their deep game isn’t very hot anymore so we can afford to try and shut down the short mid-range passing game. The runs are all Pacheco, but we have to hit him early and not let him get outside.
In other words move up the LBs and safeties.
Purdy did to the Lions exactly like what Wilson did to us forever. Actually Purdy does remind me a lot of Montana especially in size and demeanor.
Yep. Purdy is certainly low-key cool like Joe was. The O line would ride Joe endlessly for being such a small guy (his nickname was bird-legs) but as we all know they would die for him. The team has the same kind of vibe of ‘we are all in this together’. Walsh used to pound this into their heads. Everyone hates you. Everyone is rooting for the other guys.
That was certainly the case last Sunday.
One more WIN!!!!
Thing about KC’s defense is they were 18th against the run. We need to make hay on that. If we can do to KC what Deetroit did to us in the 1st half, and get 8-10 yards per rush, then we can take this game.
I want to see where they put their LBs when the game starts. Drives me nuts to see out guys so far back to start games. GB and the Lions both. Wilks has to fucking learn from that. Now. Not in the 2nd half of the next game. This playing it safe shit has to go.
It’s going to be quite a chess match between Shanahan against KC’s DC Spagnola (4th SB for him)who will bring the Blitz but also counter with one on one and zone schemes, Shanny will have to be able to counter those moves..
I can already envision Juice’s wife Kristen (who now has approval from the NFL for branding her merchandise which is dope)making a special Ladybug design 🐞 Jacket for Deebo for the SB!!! “Nothing Finer Than A 49ER”❤️💛🏈
I don’t hear much about it anymore but lots of pro sports players are really superstitious. If ladybugs work then I’m all for it. There are times when I actually think I might jinx the team from my keyboard so I don’t say certain stuff. I remember most of the stories were about baseball players and I still think there is something to it. Baseball Gods are real and after watching a couple of those plays yesterday I feel the football Gods were looking our way.
BAiyuk for the jacket honors AK –
I near coughed up a lung when he gave credit for the newest Playoff “Catch” to the ladybug.
I rewatched the 2nd half yesterday and didn’t realize they picked up the PI flag on BA’s catch.
Whether that would have been the case if Aiyuk didn’t catch it is still a question, but I didn’t see that during the game.
Would love to see the 49ers try to establish the run game early. KC is not very good at run defense.
And one thing Andy Reid was famous for when coaching the Eagles, at least against the Niners, is he would lead off every game with a bomb.
I think that would be a great idea.
Chase Young good at pass rush , not setting the edge like Cleelin Ferrill. Assume he will be on field on rush downs with his injury healed. Also strong safety handling runs. Drop off without Hufanga.
Young was all over the place, but he was doing much better in the 2nd half holding the edge. Then again, the entire defense was doing better in the 2nd half.
New thread is up.