Vernon Davis

They're saving his plays for the post season. I don't think its too difficult to pick up on. Come playoffs it will be seem routes, wheels, digs, out routes, post routes, option routes, screens and split-out wide fades.

Killin my fantasy production from the TE spot tho.

Kaep likes to target Crabs. I think teams are doubling up on him too.

Originally posted by TinyHandsBigHeart:
Kaep doesn't look for him unless he's the first read and we haven't been designing plays to get it to him. I'm not sure why that is.

Or maybe Vernon is double covered because Alex Smith was not lighting up Vernon Davis either.

Originally posted by GetoThunderFist:
Help a lurker out....

Can anyone tell me why Vernon Davis has disappeared the past three weeks? Does he owe Harbaugh money?

Good question. It hasn't just been under Kaepernick, it was at least a couple weeks under Smith where VD suddenly got quiet. Kaepernick gave him some love in the Bears game (hence the "handcuffs" being removed), and then he disappeared again.

Vernon Davis is (or at least was) the fastest player on the team. Has he lost some of his speed? I don't know what to make of it.

Ive seen him drop some easy passes that hit him in the hands the past few games including today. He hasn't had much opportunities, but they don't seem to go his way down the middle often.

Originally posted by DONBIS:
They're saving his plays for the post season. I don't think its too difficult to pick up on. Come playoffs it will be seem routes, wheels, digs, out routes, post routes, option routes, screens and split-out wide fades.

Killin my fantasy production from the TE spot tho.

No. Not realistic in the slightest. Anytime a players production slides a round here, the excuse is that they are being saved for the playoffs. Thats simply proposterous. Hes having an off year, doesnt have great chemistry with Kaep, Roman doesnt seem to be intent on getting him the football, and he is being used primarily for blocking for the young QB.

Its a bit of everything, but is certainly having an off season. I love VD so please dont try to twist my words. He is simply having an off year due to all of the above, and even with AS at QB he as having an off year.

When you have a weapon like VD, you find a way to get the ball to him. The primary targets should be VD and Crabtree and I don't buy the excuse that he's getting double-covered all the time. Teams find ways to get the ball to their premier players. Gronkowski in New England isn't any less of a threat and the Patriots still push the ball to him as much as they can. The 49ers staff needs to find a way to utilize VD in the gameplan, to push the ball to him, doing so forces the defense to react and really would open up the field for everyone else.

How can it be an off year if they don't get him the ball? He is simply not being used. It's criminal.

Originally posted by IdahoNiner:
No. Not realistic in the slightest. Anytime a players production slides a round here, the excuse is that they are being saved for the playoffs. Thats simply proposterous. Hes having an off year, doesnt have great chemistry with Kaep, Roman doesnt seem to be intent on getting him the football, and he is being used primarily for blocking for the young QB.

Its a bit of everything, but is certainly having an off season. I love VD so please dont try to twist my words. He is simply having an off year due to all of the above, and even with AS at QB he as having an off year.

Flipping Jimmy Raye found ways to get the ball to VD regularly. I don't think Roman has been putting enough of an emphasis on getting the ball out to him, letting him make plays in the open field. I look at it as a failure of offensive playcalling. When you have a major weapon like VD, you utilize him as much as you possibly can.

Just another fail of Roman.

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
How can it be an off year if they don't get him the ball? He is simply not being used. It's criminal.

This. Why bother having a high-priced TE if you're using him to block about 90% of the time. Meanwhile the other TE can't catch a cold and yet they run plays for him.

Here is what I believe is happening.

I believe that teams double team Davis with the Safety. They are challenging us to throw to our WRs.

But
1) Our OLine are not very good pass blockers - sacks galore whoever is the QB
2) WRs can't win their one of one match ups. This is evident when I was in the Rams game. Against a JV secondary our WRs can't get open.

All teams except for the Bears are following this blueprint. Of course, success and failure depends on their personel and whether we can run that day.

The Bears didn't believe we would pass. If you watch that game again 1) you wil see they have freaking 9 in the box. 2) Their secondary lost their matchups. 3) The QB had all day to throw. NOBODY is around the QB when he lets go of the ball. NOT even in the same zip code close.

You will see this patter again. Its up to our WRs to win the battle. Very tough to do since I believe our WR are schemed open not open because they won their battle against the secondary.

They put the hand cuffs back on him. People assumed it was Smith that shackled him. But VD and a lot of people were wrong. It's not Smith or Kaep. It's the game plan.

Originally posted by susweel:
Just another fail of Roman.

Wow... I'm surprise... Youre not consistent.

Shouldn't you blame -----


Alex?

just kidding bro

Originally posted by BrianGO:
Kaep likes to target Crabs. I think teams are doubling up on him too.

Crabs is 231 yards away from 1000 yards on the season, and yes he targets Crabtree more. Vernon seems not open much anymore. Seems teams double team him.