Winners vs. Losers: About Execution

In every sport, including football, you can look over an entire game, have tons of mistakes and still be in it until the end. Great teams are able to get the stops or score the points that can help them win games. In Basketball, when a team is behind, they start fouling players to put them on the Free Throw line so they feel the pressure. Even though there was a ton of mistakes all game long, the person who makes the FT's under this pressure is considered a winner, and the ones who miss are losers. Case in point: Warriors in the 2007 playoffs, Pietrus was fouled, he misses 2 free throws, Warriors are down by 1. Baron Davis is fouled, he makes 1 and misses 1 and the Warriors are tied (end up losing the game against the Jazz). Both guys were losers in my book, no matter how all their teammates played. Teammates played well enough to win is the end of the story.

For this team, fans want to put all the blame on one player, Alex Smith. He had a very porous game on Sunday, probably one of his worst in the past year. Maybe he should be benched for not performing as well as he should, but that does not mean he's the reason we lost the game.

We were up 14-13 with 2 minutes left, if the defense gets one stop, we win. They give up a 3rd and 13+ yard play (twice), they get an interception and fumble it, then they give up a total of 170 yards in those 2 minutes, including 18 STRAIGHT offensive plays for the Falcons to take the FG and win.

In New Orleans, our offense had to score 8 points to even tie the game. Alex leads us down, scores the touchdown in 53 seconds, and even scores the 2 point conversion. What does our defense do? Allow the Saints to drive right down the field and get an easy Field Goal.

This team would be 2-2 if the defense played up to the standard many here feel they are at. IMO, the defense as a whole (including Patrick Willis who has been playing as average as I've ever seen him) has been just as bad if not more so then Alex. We had higher hopes for the Defense then Alex, and in this case the defense have been losers in three games out of four - Kansas City as well.

Originally posted by Method:
In every sport, including football, you can look over an entire game, have tons of mistakes and still be in it until the end. Great teams are able to get the stops or score the points that can help them win games. In Basketball, when a team is behind, they start fouling players to put them on the Free Throw line so they feel the pressure. Even though there was a ton of mistakes all game long, the person who makes the FT's under this pressure is considered a winner, and the ones who miss are losers. Case in point: Warriors in the 2007 playoffs, Pietrus was fouled, he misses 2 free throws, Warriors are down by 1. Baron Davis is fouled, he makes 1 and misses 1 and the Warriors are tied (end up losing the game against the Jazz). Both guys were losers in my book, no matter how all their teammates played. Teammates played well enough to win is the end of the story.

For this team, fans want to put all the blame on one player, Alex Smith. He had a very porous game on Sunday, probably one of his worst in the past year. Maybe he should be benched for not performing as well as he should, but that does not mean he's the reason we lost the game.

We were up 14-13 with 2 minutes left, if the defense gets one stop, we win. They give up a 3rd and 13+ yard play (twice), they get an interception and fumble it, then they give up a total of 170 yards in those 2 minutes, including 18 STRAIGHT offensive plays for the Falcons to take the FG and win.

In New Orleans, our offense had to score 8 points to even tie the game. Alex leads us down, scores the touchdown in 53 seconds, and even scores the 2 point conversion. What does our defense do? Allow the Saints to drive right down the field and get an easy Field Goal.

This team would be 2-2 if the defense played up to the standard many here feel they are at. IMO, the defense as a whole (including Patrick Willis who has been playing as average as I've ever seen him) has been just as bad if not more so then Alex. We had higher hopes for the Defense then Alex, and in this case the defense have been losers in three games out of four - Kansas City as well.

Method, our hopes were for the entire team, but, IMO, non so much so than Alex Smith. Everything rode on this kid's shoulders offensively, everything. His inconsistency cost us several games, not just one. Also, he continues to display the same ol stuff week in and out, failure above else.

They execute, the entire team. They just do it inconsistently especially the QB.

That's what losing us the games at all levels.

Inconsistency.

You can always pick a handful of plays where the game could have changed.

The fact is, our QB never makes plays to WIN them. He's in position to make these "game-changing" plays yet he never makes them.

Instead, we get 2 INTs on crucial drives.

When you lose, it becomes a question of "who made less plays" or "who made less negative ones."

Our defense played great for most of the game, so you don't blame them as much as you blame the sh!t performance of Smith, who played horrid for the most of the game.

It was a team loss, but Smith bears most of the responsibility for this one, IMO.

We are ranked 30th in the league in TO margin with -6 (4 takeaways and 10 giveaways)

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/29107/where-teams-rank-in-turnover-differential

When and if we fix this problem, we will win the division.

I didn't expect much from alex. I expected better from our defense so I'm way more disappointed with how are defense has played and two of those losses should be put on them.

Originally posted by ninertico:


Method, our hopes were for the entire team, but, IMO, non so much so than Alex Smith. Everything rode on this kid's shoulders offensively, everything. His inconsistency cost us several games, not just one. Also, he continues to display the same ol stuff week in and out, failure above else.

They execute, the entire team. They just do it inconsistently especially the QB.

That's what losing us the games at all levels.

Inconsistency.

I disagree.

I feel like this team was supposed to be built around a "great defense." There's definitely inconsistency from the Quarterback, but there's never been anyone saying he has to be the most efficient player for this team to win. Never. Everyone, including Singletary, has said that this team is supposed to be built around their defense. Right now it looks like it's a 20-23rd defense, not top 8 like I was hoping. If this team was top 8 defensively, we'd be in every game no matter how our offense plays, and the way Singletary built the offense, it would be hard for them to have any consistency at all because the game plan's have been terrible under Jimmy Raye. Maybe now with Mike Johnson the offense can do better, but I guess they have to be better then our defense?

How can you possibly be upset with a D they gave up 16 pts after constantly getting put in bad positions against the Falcons on the road? The offense scored 7 pts!

Originally posted by Leathaface:
You can always pick a handful of plays where the game could have changed.

The fact is, our QB never makes plays to WIN them. He's in position to make these "game-changing" plays yet he never makes them.

Instead, we get 2 INTs on crucial drives.

When you lose, it becomes a question of "who made less plays" or "who made less negative ones."

Our defense played great for most of the game, so you don't blame them as much as you blame the sh!t performance of Smith, who played horrid for the most of the game.

Totally disagreed.

Alex sucked. Everyone has admitted that, and you will never see me say otherwise.

When you're ahead 14-13 with 2 minutes left, no matter how you got there or who played poorly in the first 58 minutes, you expect either you offense to run out the clock or your defense to get a stop. It's a team sport, one player, even the QB playing poorly shouldn't constitute a loss when the defense had a chance to secure the win.

To bring another analogy to the table.

Lincecum gives up 8 runs, but the Giants score 9 runs to keep themselves ahead... If BWilson gives up a two run shot, who's to blame for the loss? Do you entirely blame Linecum for having a poor game? I wouldn't.

Method, c'mon, Alex Smith sucks. Give it up. He's the reason we've lost 3 out of our 4 games. I'll give him a pass for NO (although he still threw 2 INTs).

Originally posted by Method:

Originally posted by Leathaface:
You can always pick a handful of plays where the game could have changed.

The fact is, our QB never makes plays to WIN them. He's in position to make these "game-changing" plays yet he never makes them.

Instead, we get 2 INTs on crucial drives.

When you lose, it becomes a question of "who made less plays" or "who made less negative ones."

Our defense played great for most of the game, so you don't blame them as much as you blame the sh!t performance of Smith, who played horrid for the most of the game.

Totally disagreed.

Alex sucked. Everyone has admitted that, and you will never see me say otherwise.

When you're ahead 14-13 with 2 minutes left, no matter how you got there or who played poorly in the first 58 minutes, you expect either you offense to run out the clock or your defense to get a stop. It's a team sport, one player, even the QB playing poorly shouldn't constitute a loss when the defense had a chance to secure the win.

That doesn't make any sense. There are so many plays where the offense could have "secured the win." If you keep giving the Falcons chances, they're going to score. Why did Alex throw that INT before half? If he hadn't, we could have had another 3 or 7 and the Falcons might not have even been in the game in the 2nd half.

You can't pick the final drive and say that's the reason we lost and totally ignore all the other opportunities that the offense (Alex) wasted.

The defense allows 16 points, and the special teams gave us an additional 7. Make no mistake about it we lost this game because of Alex and our offense. You should be able to put 10+ points against a below average defense.

We're not Baltimore. There's only so much we can bend for we break. This is exactly why we keep failing. We're trying to be something that we can't be.

Originally posted by Method:

Originally posted by Leathaface:
You can always pick a handful of plays where the game could have changed.

The fact is, our QB never makes plays to WIN them. He's in position to make these "game-changing" plays yet he never makes them.

Instead, we get 2 INTs on crucial drives.

When you lose, it becomes a question of "who made less plays" or "who made less negative ones."

Our defense played great for most of the game, so you don't blame them as much as you blame the sh!t performance of Smith, who played horrid for the most of the game.

Totally disagreed.

Alex sucked. Everyone has admitted that, and you will never see me say otherwise.

When you're ahead 14-13 with 2 minutes left, no matter how you got there or who played poorly in the first 58 minutes, you expect either you offense to run out the clock or your defense to get a stop. It's a team sport, one player, even the QB playing poorly shouldn't constitute a loss when the defense had a chance to secure the win.

To bring another analogy to the table.

Lincecum gives up 8 runs, but the Giants score 9 runs to keep themselves ahead... If BWilson gives up a two run shot, who's to blame for the loss? Do you entirely blame Linecum for having a poor game? I wouldn't.

It's not the same thing b/c Wilson isn't having a part in keeping the lead through 8 innings.

The D held them to 16 pts, period. You should win when you do that, on the road.

The offense scored SEVEN points Meth, SEVEN!!!

As for the defense giving up big plays, I'm putting it more on the coaches than the players. We tend to get conservative in third and long and late game situations. Instead of blitzing, we go to three man rushes and dropping into coverage. We got burned doing that last year and we've gotten burned so far this year. The coaching on this team always boggles my mind.

You guys are right. The offense scored 7 points. Last time I checked there are 11 players on offense. Not just a qb.