"What's Changed?" - thru Game 4 of 2011

amazing how so many threads turn into alex threads. the zone creators should make a separate website about alex and reap the benefits of membership.

anyway, the one thing i notice is turnovers. we don't have many of them. and i have also noticed that small things that don't go our way don't seem to start a downward spiral. we somehow pick ourselves up just enough to stay competitive and win.

I quess my major concern is with the line and Joe Staley. I thought he was good player coming out of college. I heard commentators talk of Staley about how good he is, I just have not seen it. Bring back Barry Sims. C'mon Joe, you have to play better.

1. Almost a Charity (Thanks Ginn)
2. Charity (no thank to secondary, refs, o-line, etc..... etc....)
3. Almost a Charity (Thanks to Alex, Davis, Akers, Rodgers)

We are faster on Defense and more aggressive, pass D has improved 30% better from last year. Special teams 150% better than last year. Lee was a PB last year, but this year he is all Universe so far and so is Ackers.

I told you all that the Akers signing was huge. David Akers is the best kicker EVER!!!

Originally posted by Kilgore_Trout:
I told you all that the Akers signing was huge. David Akers is the best kicker EVER!!!

tell that to jose cortez.

Biggest change Ive seen so far is Sourdough Sam

whats changed is that alex is a more complete player now. you can see by the way he reads and reacts differently to defenses. you can see how he evades pass rushes now. you can see him go through his progressions and find the open man. you can see how he fires the ball out and doesnt let the defense have any timew to get him. the difference this year is alex smith and he will be the one in the end who leads this team to the playoffs and beyond. go alex go!

Originally posted by alexstinks:
whats changed is that alex is a more complete player now. you can see by the way he reads and reacts differently to defenses. you can see how he evades pass rushes now. you can see him go through his progressions and find the open man. you can see how he fires the ball out and doesnt let the defense have any timew to get him. the difference this year is alex smith and he will be the one in the end who leads this team to the playoffs and beyond. go alex go!

are you being sarcastic?

Originally posted by adacosta24:
are you being sarcastic?

maybe.

Originally posted by unst4bl3:

What's changed.

with goldson and spencer in, we didn't look so stupid and useless on defense.


With Miller in, our Fb actually looked athletic caught the ball, and made some actual blocks in the running game. With snyder in, Alex Didn't take anymore terrible shots, like he did last week or at the beginning of this game.

You bring up an encouraging future change here with Miller and Kendall Hunter. Both promise to give the offense extra versatility and unpredictability that we really did not get from Gore and Norris at their best. When we got positive plays from those two (which were a lot), it was because those two (and the O-line) executed their roles and won their physical battles. But they got stopped many a time too. Little deception involved. Pretty much north south, up the middle. Hunter and Miller may be able to extend the offensive options and give us glimpses of the Roger Craig/Tom Rathman days. I hope this is what Harbaugh envisions with these two or any other similar type RBs in the future.

+6 to ratio

Originally posted by alexstinks:
whats changed is that alex is a more complete player now. you can see by the way he reads and reacts differently to defenses. you can see how he evades pass rushes now. you can see him go through his progressions and find the open man. you can see how he fires the ball out and doesnt let the defense have any timew to get him. the difference this year is alex smith and he will be the one in the end who leads this team to the playoffs and beyond. go alex go!

I think that you are correct, he is a more complete player now. Hopefully, under Harbuagh's tutelage he will continue to develope and fuflfill all of the things you are describing about him.

I think that there a lot of little changes that are occuring on the team and we are slowly developing a culture of success and efficiency, and detail, and accomplishment. I see a lot of good things about our team. Another thing is that we do not seem to be intimidated by other teams. The Niners appear to feel that they can play evenly with any team.

this is alex's 1st yr with a HC who is also an OC, and Qb coach, and can coach every other position on the field. Does that sound familiar, like back in the 80s and 90s? Main difference is in 2 games this yr we would have lost both in previous yrs. The IT factor, whatever that is has finally swung back towards us. Sure the OL is as bad as always, but as opposed to our former coaches, JH is going to end up coaching around the OL. Quick 1 steppers, slants, outs, until most defenses finally get off the dam LOS and give up on the box 8.. In 2 games this yr we sent 2 teams home with one or more guys having a career game. Ginn obviously in game one. Coaching error on FG lost us game 2. We come back and our weakest D links, CB and DB, don't score but essentially win the game. 3rd game was a career game for dalton...one he won't forget anytime soon. And that is way different than last 8 yrs, even tho we are in just 3 games. Is that positive, winners attitude starting to show some spark? I wonder.

Originally posted by stepnez:

+6 to ratio

The team may have a very significant change for the better here.

In the past seasons under the Singletary/Nolan years:

2010: - 1
2009: +9, 5th in the NFL(+2 after first 3 games)
2008: -17
2007: -12
2006: -5

If just on talent and first year coaching alone, we're a 6-10 or 7-9 team, the TO ratio (if it keeps up) and superb special teams can give us 2-3 extra wins over the course of the season. Playoffs!