What we learned from the Vikings game

Ok so we lost to the Vikes at home. Time to move on and learn from our mistakes.
IMO, the Favre miracle pass had nothing to do with it but rather this key statistic did.

Third down conversions:
Niners, 0-11
Vikings, 10-20

If you all recall, one of our biggest problems the last couple years is that our defense couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs. Allowing 50% conversion on third downs pretty much sealed the defenses fate if you ask me. Our guys are tougher this year and they can hang with any offense in the league but not if you keep letting them move the ball down field and control the clock. Preventing 3rd down conversions is a crucial part of that.

On the flip side, we didn't convert ANY third downs which, quite honestly, is just pathetic. The root of this became apparent during the game. At one point towards the end of the game they flashed a stat which showed our average yards needed on third down and it was (if I recall) around 9.2 yards. It should be no wonder we had such a hard time converting.
So why were we so often in 3rd and long situations?
Well if you watched the game you know exactly why. Jimmy Raye was challenging the Vikings d-line by trying to push the ball up the gut and let's be honest, we lost that battle far more often than we won it. When you run up the middle on first down and fail, then run up the middle on second down and fail hey guess what? It's 3rd and long now. This happened quite often, far more often than it should have.

Let's be honest. Jimmy Raye is no offensive genius. If you know you're going up against a defense that tops the league in run stoppage, why do you continue to try and run up the gut long after it's already proven to be ineffective? We won't win games with offensive playcalling like that and it shows that Jimmy Raye either:
a) Failed to gameplan properly against the Vikes
or
b) Stubbornly refused to adapt the gameplan when it was evident things weren't working.

I think it's time Sing pulled his pants down and had a chat with our OC about his offensive strategy.

we learned that it is possible to hate Brett Favre even more

Originally posted by valrod33:
we learned that it is possible to hate Brett Favre even more

That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

Originally posted by Chief:
That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

We already knew that :)

Something i noticed that I think all niners opponents have noticed is that they over pursue a lot. Especially on 3rd downs. Usually a screen play or the back leaking out of the backfield is killing the Niners on 3rd downs. Seems like the Niners defenders always go for the 1st move, and become open to a second move. the pass rushers seem to never recognize the screen pass or dump offs. They just run right past the backs.

Offensively, Raye needs to step up his playcalling. But simply put this team needs better talent. WR corp wouldn't scare my daughter's soccer team, the o line is really really inconsistent. And they have a Qb that most of us still can't figure out exactly how bad he is or how good he is.

Originally posted by scopur49er:

Originally posted by Chief:
That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

We already knew that :)

No, i just think he is proving it more now. When we take out the Rams, he is going to set up a good game against the Falcons.

Hill looked good, but he needs to be able to throw it more especially when Frankie G left the game.

GO NINERS

I still have a headache

Originally posted by lamontb:
Something i noticed that I think all niners opponents have noticed is that they over pursue a lot. Especially on 3rd downs. Usually a screen play or the back leaking out of the backfield is killing the Niners on 3rd downs. Seems like the Niners defenders always go for the 1st move, and become open to a second move. the pass rushers seem to never recognize the screen pass or dump offs. They just run right past the backs.

Offensively, Raye needs to step up his playcalling. But simply put this team needs better talent. WR corp wouldn't scare my daughter's soccer team, the o line is really really inconsistent. And they have a Qb that most of us still can't figure out exactly how bad he is or how good he is.

I've noticed the overpursuit as well but good/fast defenses who swarm the ball sometimes do this if the unit is discplined enough to cover the gaps left behind when someone goes for the first move. It could be that our boys were off-synch today because they're generally quick to the ball but I hear ya, that can be a problem too.

I've learned that I'm not numbed to a Niners lost anymore, but can actually be sick to my stomach. Yeah, this team have improved

Originally posted by Chief:
That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

This staement is laughable imo.

That Hill is actually a decent QB, I've always doubted him just because of the fact that the teams he's beat were non playoff caliber teams. Even until the AZ game that we won my doubts were still there, but man after yesterdays game I am sold on Hill.

When the game is on the line he does what he needs to do to win, he has put us in every game he's started to win the game. Yesterday the game was ours, but Favre was being Favre, even Steve Young couldn't have prevented that from happening

I just wish the team would trust Hill a bit more and let him pass some more, we are able to move the ball really well when we pass.

Originally posted by Chief:
That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

What we learned?

Mark Roman whored himself out to 31 teams and no one wanted him. He hasn't done anything for us besides being in plays made by the OTHER team.

Why in the hell is he even getting THIS much playing time? Seriously, I have no problem with our run run run in the last drive as it drained the teams timeouts. I don't have a problem with prevent because there was VERY little time remaining and the last thing we want is to blitz, get it picked up and allow a 1-on-1 jump ball.

What I DO have a problem is with some idiot who is in a prevent defense for a reason relaxes for a split second and says "Oh s**t!" as soon as Favre rifles a ball from 35 yards back only to misjudge the ball as he so often does and allow a toe tipper catch. Man, Roman has NO game awareness. I have seen Clements catch a jumping receiver and throw him out of bounds. Roman is no Clements and would have never though of trying to push the receiver out of bounds or even making contact with the receiver as soon as the ball got there.

There is a reason why Roman was passed up by 31 teams. Why the hell does he keep playing for ours AND getting time on the field?

Originally posted by WINiner:

Originally posted by Chief:
That Shaun Hill the best QB on this team and a solid starter in the NFL.

This staement is laughable imo.

why is it laughable. Shaun Hill has proven he is a capable QB for us, or do you not remember his 2 clutch 4th quarter drives this year against AZ and MIN