PLAYOFFS Week 2: Thoughts after re-watching the game.....

Loved your very last point!

This probably will be remembered as the season of the Smiths. Justin Smith the pillar of the defense. Alex Smith the turnaround story of the NFL. Aldon Smith the budding star. Lots of stuff to talk about for years.

Now if they could win the next two games...

Originally posted by SportsFan:
Delusional. The first TD was a perfect throw high in the air to a 6'7 guy. What do you want Willis to do there?

The second pass was high and thrown to the back shoulder in which Graham had to twist around to even come up with it. In that case Willis had perfect coverage and made Brees throw it to that location. Brees did and it is up to Whitner to break it up, not Willis.

I just don't see Eli being that accurate.

Marvin, how did the coverage look on those plays where Brees had like 10 seconds to throw?

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by SportsFan:
Delusional. The first TD was a perfect throw high in the air to a 6'7 guy. What do you want Willis to do there?

The second pass was high and thrown to the back shoulder in which Graham had to twist around to even come up with it. In that case Willis had perfect coverage and made Brees throw it to that location. Brees did and it is up to Whitner to break it up, not Willis.

I just don't see Eli being that accurate.

Marvin, how did the coverage look on those plays where Brees had like 10 seconds to throw?

It really hard to tell because they were playing alot of zone. It LOOKS like the guys are open, but who knows who is wassigned to what zone.

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
8) Willis/Bowman: As expected. Played well in coverage but not perfect. DOMINATED vs the Run. It's too much to ask of them for a perfect day against that team, but they played very well.

Didn't Willis give up the first TD to TE Graham and got turned around and fell down which led to Graham's second TD? If I'm correct on both, I wouldn't say he played well in coverage at all. Side note: I don't like Graham at all...see his two TDs, he staring down the crowd like he's gonna fight them, and after the second TD, he punches the "Niners" logo on the goal post. F*** that SOB! VD just out-shined his performance and he was humble, too.

BTW, saw that game with my dad and nearly cried when Saints scored their last TD. I really thought we were gonna lose, but ended up being being tears of joy and I screamed at the top of my lungs and hugged my dad when VD hugged Harbaugh. Great moment and one of the best playoff games ever!

Dude....

Patrick Willis is all world, but he's a 6'2" Inside Linebacker. Jimmy Graham is a 6'7" Athletic freak of a player.

Both of the passes you are talking about are indefensable, up in the air where the 6'7" guy had to go UP to get it.

You need to adjust your expectations.

Jimmy Graham has been doing that to the entire league all year long.

Umm...he allowed the catch, didn't break up the pass, then fell down and didn't make the tackle...and I need to adjust my expectations when Willis is in coverage? C'mon! I love PW just like any Niner fan. But he didn't break up the pass nor make the tackle. Once again, that's NOT good coverage, but whatever, I won't push it any further.

You know the other guys get paid too, right?

Asking Willis to hold Graham down the entire day is ludicrous.

Also...on the lat one Whitner was right there as well and ALSO didn't make the play. I praised Whitner in this post but I don't see you being critical of that one.

When I said adjust your expectations....you can't defend a perfect throw. You just can't. Both balls were HIGH where only a 6'7" uber athlete could make the catch and yes...Willis is mortal. He didn't make the tackle. Thats why I said he wasn't perfect.

Good stuff

Great read! Got me all pumped up again!!! Thanks!

Originally posted by Marvin49:
You know the other guys get paid too, right?

Asking Willis to hold Graham down the entire day is ludicrous.

Also...on the lat one Whitner was right there as well and ALSO didn't make the play. I praised Whitner in this post but I don't see you being critical of that one.

When I said adjust your expectations....you can't defend a perfect throw. You just can't. Both balls were HIGH where only a 6'7" uber athlete could make the catch and yes...Willis is mortal. He didn't make the tackle. Thats why I said he wasn't perfect.

No need in bothering to explain. He wants Patrick Willis to say go-go gadget-copter and fly up to defend that pass.

Originally posted by SportsFan:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

8) Willis/Bowman: As expected. Played well in coverage but not perfect. DOMINATED vs the Run. It's too much to ask of them for a perfect day against that team, but they played very well.

Didn't Willis give up the first TD to TE Graham and got turned around and fell down which led to Graham's second TD? If I'm correct on both, I wouldn't say he played well in coverage at all. Side note: I don't like Graham at all...see his two TDs, he staring down the crowd like he's gonna fight them, and after the second TD, he punches the "Niners" logo on the goal post. F*** that SOB! VD just out-shined his performance and he was humble, too.

BTW, saw that game with my dad and nearly cried when Saints scored their last TD. I really thought we were gonna lose, but ended up being being tears of joy and I screamed at the top of my lungs and hugged my dad when VD hugged Harbaugh. Great moment and one of the best playoff games ever!

Dude....

Patrick Willis is all world, but he's a 6'2" Inside Linebacker. Jimmy Graham is a 6'7" Athletic freak of a player.

Both of the passes you are talking about are indefensable, up in the air where the 6'7" guy had to go UP to get it.

You need to adjust your expectations.

Jimmy Graham has been doing that to the entire league all year long.

Umm...he allowed the catch, didn't break up the pass, then fell down and didn't make the tackle...and I need to adjust my expectations when Willis is in coverage? C'mon! I love PW just like any Niner fan. But he didn't break up the pass nor make the tackle. Once again, that's NOT good coverage, but whatever, I won't push it any further.

Delusional. The first TD was a perfect throw high in the air to a 6'7 guy. What do you want Willis to do there?

The second pass was high and thrown to the back shoulder in which Graham had to twist around to even come up with it. In that case Willis had perfect coverage and made Brees throw it to that location. Brees did and it is up to Whitner to break it up, not Willis.

I could see your arguement, but since im delusional, even agreeing with you wouldn't make any sense.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

8) Willis/Bowman: As expected. Played well in coverage but not perfect. DOMINATED vs the Run. It's too much to ask of them for a perfect day against that team, but they played very well.

Didn't Willis give up the first TD to TE Graham and got turned around and fell down which led to Graham's second TD? If I'm correct on both, I wouldn't say he played well in coverage at all. Side note: I don't like Graham at all...see his two TDs, he staring down the crowd like he's gonna fight them, and after the second TD, he punches the "Niners" logo on the goal post. F*** that SOB! VD just out-shined his performance and he was humble, too.

BTW, saw that game with my dad and nearly cried when Saints scored their last TD. I really thought we were gonna lose, but ended up being being tears of joy and I screamed at the top of my lungs and hugged my dad when VD hugged Harbaugh. Great moment and one of the best playoff games ever!

Dude....

Patrick Willis is all world, but he's a 6'2" Inside Linebacker. Jimmy Graham is a 6'7" Athletic freak of a player.

Both of the passes you are talking about are indefensable, up in the air where the 6'7" guy had to go UP to get it.

You need to adjust your expectations.

Jimmy Graham has been doing that to the entire league all year long.

Umm...he allowed the catch, didn't break up the pass, then fell down and didn't make the tackle...and I need to adjust my expectations when Willis is in coverage? C'mon! I love PW just like any Niner fan. But he didn't break up the pass nor make the tackle. Once again, that's NOT good coverage, but whatever, I won't push it any further.

You know the other guys get paid too, right?

Asking Willis to hold Graham down the entire day is ludicrous.

Also...on the lat one Whitner was right there as well and ALSO didn't make the play. I praised Whitner in this post but I don't see you being critical of that one.

When I said adjust your expectations....you can't defend a perfect throw. You just can't. Both balls were HIGH where only a 6'7" uber athlete could make the catch and yes...Willis is mortal. He didn't make the tackle. Thats why I said he wasn't perfect.

You're right about Whither on that play, too. Happy? Geez, sensitive fans.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
8) Willis/Bowman: As expected. Played well in coverage but not perfect. DOMINATED vs the Run. It's too much to ask of them for a perfect day against that team, but they played very well.

Didn't Willis give up the first TD to TE Graham and got turned around and fell down which led to Graham's second TD? If I'm correct on both, I wouldn't say he played well in coverage at all. Side note: I don't like Graham at all...see his two TDs, he staring down the crowd like he's gonna fight them, and after the second TD, he punches the "Niners" logo on the goal post. F*** that SOB! VD just out-shined his performance and he was humble, too.

BTW, saw that game with my dad and nearly cried when Saints scored their last TD. I really thought we were gonna lose, but ended up being being tears of joy and I screamed at the top of my lungs and hugged my dad when VD hugged Harbaugh. Great moment and one of the best playoff games ever!

Dude....

Patrick Willis is all world, but he's a 6'2" Inside Linebacker. Jimmy Graham is a 6'7" Athletic freak of a player.

Both of the passes you are talking about are indefensable, up in the air where the 6'7" guy had to go UP to get it.

You need to adjust your expectations.

Jimmy Graham has been doing that to the entire league all year long.

Umm...he allowed the catch, didn't break up the pass, then fell down and didn't make the tackle...and I need to adjust my expectations when Willis is in coverage? C'mon! I love PW just like any Niner fan. But he didn't break up the pass nor make the tackle. Once again, that's NOT good coverage, but whatever, I won't push it any further.

You know the other guys get paid too, right?

Asking Willis to hold Graham down the entire day is ludicrous.

Also...on the lat one Whitner was right there as well and ALSO didn't make the play. I praised Whitner in this post but I don't see you being critical of that one.

When I said adjust your expectations....you can't defend a perfect throw. You just can't. Both balls were HIGH where only a 6'7" uber athlete could make the catch and yes...Willis is mortal. He didn't make the tackle. Thats why I said he wasn't perfect.

People have been a little critical of Willis this year. I think he is the same player that he has been every other year. Willis probably could have played better but you can't ask a pass defender to cover forever. If Whitner had blasted Graham he probably doesn't catch the ball. It's a 2 sided coin to everything. People say Justin is the best guy on the defense right now. To me, it's just different positions. Justin is being asked to get the QB. Willis is asked to cover some dynamic TE's this year. If Willis doesn't step up and cover them, who will? If he wasn't that fast we would have to scheme differently. I think it's a testament to Willis and his versatility. Other LB's get burned by Graham, Grokowski, VD, etc... we have the LB's to disrupt dynamic players like that. The Saints love to short underneath pass to Graham and I think Willis took that away. I the end it hurts Willis' overall stats, but it wins us more games and allows guys like Justin and Aldon more time to get the sack.

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by mcbaes72:
8) Willis/Bowman: As expected. Played well in coverage but not perfect. DOMINATED vs the Run. It's too much to ask of them for a perfect day against that team, but they played very well.

Didn't Willis give up the first TD to TE Graham and got turned around and fell down which led to Graham's second TD? If I'm correct on both, I wouldn't say he played well in coverage at all. Side note: I don't like Graham at all...see his two TDs, he staring down the crowd like he's gonna fight them, and after the second TD, he punches the "Niners" logo on the goal post. F*** that SOB! VD just out-shined his performance and he was humble, too.

BTW, saw that game with my dad and nearly cried when Saints scored their last TD. I really thought we were gonna lose, but ended up being being tears of joy and I screamed at the top of my lungs and hugged my dad when VD hugged Harbaugh. Great moment and one of the best playoff games ever!

Dude....

Patrick Willis is all world, but he's a 6'2" Inside Linebacker. Jimmy Graham is a 6'7" Athletic freak of a player.

Both of the passes you are talking about are indefensable, up in the air where the 6'7" guy had to go UP to get it.

You need to adjust your expectations.

Jimmy Graham has been doing that to the entire league all year long.

Umm...he allowed the catch, didn't break up the pass, then fell down and didn't make the tackle...and I need to adjust my expectations when Willis is in coverage? C'mon! I love PW just like any Niner fan. But he didn't break up the pass nor make the tackle. Once again, that's NOT good coverage, but whatever, I won't push it any further.

You know the other guys get paid too, right?

Asking Willis to hold Graham down the entire day is ludicrous.

Also...on the lat one Whitner was right there as well and ALSO didn't make the play. I praised Whitner in this post but I don't see you being critical of that one.

When I said adjust your expectations....you can't defend a perfect throw. You just can't. Both balls were HIGH where only a 6'7" uber athlete could make the catch and yes...Willis is mortal. He didn't make the tackle. Thats why I said he wasn't perfect.

You're right about Whither on that play, too. Happy? Geez, sensitive fans.

LOL. Not sensitive. Just defending my opinion, just like you are. No worries.

Dude, I read your thoughts after rewatching the game without fail. What do you do for a living? Your analysis and writing are better than 95 percent of what the so called professionals put out. Great job and thanks!

Originally posted by SportsFan:
Great summary.

I semi forgot that Gore didn't play against the Giants (except for 6 carries). That is going to be a huge upgrade for us since their run D sucks. I hope Roman favors the run more than the pass this game. Beat them up physically on defense so that come 4th quarter they are tired.

Another key to me is our o-line vs. their d-line. They have some guys back healthy so using the run to take advantage of their aggressiveness is key.

same thing as the eagles game.....punish them with the run. make it so bad they dont want to stop it anymore just like gore said the eagles did. keep hearing its going to be wet and rainy. we will stop the giants run game and force eli to throw in bad weather. get the turnover, pound the sh** out of that d and WIN THIS GAME!

Originally posted by NavyNinerFan:
Dude, I read your thoughts after rewatching the game without fail. What do you do for a living? Your analysis and writing are better than 95 percent of what the so called professionals put out. Great job and thanks!

LOL...I work in IT. Sys Admin. ;-)