Do you believe that Harbaugh was not showing much because we were playing Seattle?

Soooo, if this game was all we have learned since the lockout, we have learned no down the field passes, and and now we're gonna try to learn it, while getting ready for the Cowboys were in trouble.

Originally posted by susweel:
No that's how pussies play with the lead.

Watch a Patriot game and that's how you play with a lead.

this made me laugh

Originally posted by susweel:
this

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by BobS:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
No. We just did what we needed to do to win. When you have the lead you want to control the ball, don't turn it over and run out the clock. Not do something stupid. It was the right strategy for the position we were in.

And he doesn't trust Alex Smith.

this

He watched every snap the guy had ever taken and then wooed him to come back. There were other options. If he doesn't trust him in game 1 then there is a serious problem of judgement in our new coach. Hopefully that isn't the reason they were conservative. Game was under control until Seattle got that TD pass at the end. Would have been interesting to see what Harbaugh and Roman would have done if Ginn hadn't had taken it to the house.

Originally posted by 49erfeeeever808:
We didn't show much because they've probably only practiced 10% of book.... because of the lockout.

This

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by susweel:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by BobS:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
No. We just did what we needed to do to win. When you have the lead you want to control the ball, don't turn it over and run out the clock. Not do something stupid. It was the right strategy for the position we were in.

And he doesn't trust Alex Smith.

No. We had the lead. And that's how you play when you lead.

No that's how pussies play with the lead.

Watch a Patriot game and that's how you play with a lead.

It's easy to play like the Patriots play with a lead when you have Tom Brady.

So then he was protecting smith.

He was protecting the WR's from running the wrong route and ending in a pick.

Originally posted by JerryRice1848:
Yes because if Harbaugh wanted to show his royal flush he would have unleashed Tolzien

No, Nate Davis!

Originally posted by BHulman:
He watched every snap the guy had ever taken and then wooed him to come back. There were other options. If he doesn't trust him in game 1 then there is a serious problem of judgement in our new coach. Hopefully that isn't the reason they were conservative. Game was under control until Seattle got that TD pass at the end. Would have been interesting to see what Harbaugh and Roman would have done if Ginn hadn't had taken it to the house.

It is pretty obvious he doesn't fully trust Smith, you dont run the ball on any third down over 5 yards if you have confidence in the QB. Harbaugh might like Smith but if it wasn't for the lockout I really doubt Alex is our QB this year.

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by BHulman:
He watched every snap the guy had ever taken and then wooed him to come back. There were other options. If he doesn't trust him in game 1 then there is a serious problem of judgement in our new coach. Hopefully that isn't the reason they were conservative. Game was under control until Seattle got that TD pass at the end. Would have been interesting to see what Harbaugh and Roman would have done if Ginn hadn't had taken it to the house.

It is pretty obvious he doesn't fully trust Smith, you dont run the ball on any third down over 5 yards if you have confidence in the QB. Harbaugh might like Smith but if it wasn't for the lockout I really doubt Alex is our QB this year.

The passing game does not just include the QB.

If the receivers are not completely familiar with the playbook, you can be in serious trouble, even if you have a great QB throwing to them.

I still think the QB and WR's have not completely clicked to Harbaugh's liking. Its not to do with trusting Alex, its not trusting the entire passing game yet.

JH showed only as much as was needed, he showed what he was comfortable calling with a limited off season, so I guess you could say he held back.

JH was protecting the entire offense. He knows that if they didnt commit any mistakes they would win. Its pretty obvious he doesnt trust his ensemble of Off players because hes working out bums. Donnie Avery is awful. Who knows if Ian Johnson has ever taken a pro snap. We will all see how good the niners offense is when they play the Coyboys. Theres nothing special about beating Seattle at home.

Originally posted by Jcool:
It is pretty obvious he doesn't fully trust Smith, you dont run the ball on any third down over 5 yards if you have confidence in the QB. Harbaugh might like Smith but if it wasn't for the lockout I really doubt Alex is our QB this year.

Or he wanted to show respect for the OLine and let them dominate...which they did not. For a smashmouth bunch of run blockers they were pretty wimpy. On the other hand they kept Smith upright for the most part, so...win some/lose some...the 9ers just won one...without a ground game...except for Smith when it counted. Let's see Brady run one in from five yards out.

There's a difference between not trusting smith and acting like smith is Aaron Rodgers...Come on now..Not only that but it was the 1st game of the season so you want to build on his confidence especially since fans would have likely boo'd him for a bad pick. (instead we boo'd frank gore, that doesn't happen often).

Tarvaris was basically a lock to throw at least one pick, which he did, so our plan was that if we win the turnover battle and at pressuring/protecting the respective QB's, we win the possession game which in turn puts us in position to score Touchdowns. I think harbaugh plans differently for every game and called this one a hard working blue collar, low mistake/turnover/penalty game. Which they succeeded at.

As painful as it is to compare singletary's approach, "hit em in da mouf" and harbaugh's similar "blue collar approach", why push yourselves to do more and potentially give the game away? There's no doubt the gameplan against dallas will be different, we'll test out their d-line with gore early and often but eventually things are going to have to open up.

Another thread turned into an Alex hater thread . I'm not an Alex Smith supporter nor am I a hater but this is ridiculous. If Harbaugh didnt fully trust Smith he never would have brought him back and support him throughout the offseason. Harbaugh said it himself. They kind of just went with the flow of this game which turned out to be a conservative, ugly game. Football is not always pretty and sometimes you have to grind out a win and thats what this game turned into. Harbaugh also said they didn't know what this team was good at. He was speaking about the identity of the team. He then continued and said that he has a better idea of what the team is good at, what the weaknesses are and I'm sure against the Cowboys he will make an adjustment to focus on the strengths. This is the first game of the season with a shortend off season, a new coaching staff, new offense and a young offensive line. It will take time for the offense to look how they envision it and for everyone to be on the same page on the Oline. Its not gonna look like the Packers, Eagles or 49ers of the 80's overnight.Be patient and enjoy the ride .

I'm going to incur some wrath here, but JH wasn't protecting alex as much as training the OL how to passblock. Think back...did you see anyone who was a real liability out there, when for last 8 yrs we have had the Kwame swinging door and every other OL guy i can think of have back to back to back terrible games? No, this was a lesson for the OL and yes, a way for them to get some confidence, that yes, they really can passblock. Every pass was a special learning experience for the OL to practice what they worked on since Saints and Texans games. OL passblocking. That is what we saw out there. Did it benefit alex? Sure did. But those dudes learned , probably for the first time that they really can pass block . JH also coached around the OL by calling snap it and sling it, some passes with no more than a single step and heave it. This was our HC teaching each OL player individually how to play his position. Rightfully he started with passblocking or we couldn't carry enough QBs to make it thru the yr.

Run blocking training and relearning will come, but later. First get the confidence of the OL going, work on individual teaching of how to play the position, and then get thru some games where they can practice what they have never learned before: passblocking, and later run blocking. Not very exciting, and sure to get fans angry, but guys, it was the right thing to do. JH was protecting the OL primarily. Alex just happened to be the beneficiary of that.