Week 1: Thoughts after rewatching the game...

Originally posted by Kalen49ers:

Hey guys! Check out my in-depth Recap of the week 1 game here. Would mean a lot!

http://sfsportscave.blogspot.com/2012/09/49ers-vs-packers-week-1-recap.html

Good work, nicely presented. How about including game stats?

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
LOL. Willis is not bad at coverage. He's in fact incredibly good. You guys have taken this thing and run with it too far. The coaching staff explained in interviews that they put 6 DB's on the field to stop Rodgers. Well guess what it worked. That means somebody has to come off the field. The coaching staff further explained that Bowman was left out there because the remaining position left on the field was HIS NATURAL position. Not because he is better than Willis... The interception.... Please. They threw it right to him. I could catch that. Nice play but a terrible read and bad throw. Willis gets his hands on passes all the time in coverage. He's good too and actually faster.

We just made the blueprint on how to beat the Packers. More DB's, less front 7 guys. Now it will be copied. Leave it to a real coaching staff to be innovative. The likes of NoWin and Sing couldn't come up with this.

Agreed! Bowman is good, IMO he and PW are both playing outstanding football equally. I don't see at as he is outplaying Willis.

The pick by Bowman was an awesome play, but I read somewhere or heard on one of the video interviews that coach Fangio put Bowman in position for that pick.....

Bottom line is the 9ers have two of the best, if not the best LBs in the league.....

Great thread. Agree on everything and would like to add some other thoughts:

Alex Smith - It's really great to see him still improving. I'm not even convinced he's a finished product because while he's finally clearly comfortable with the offense, he's still feeling out his personnel (Moss, Crabs, Manningham). I'm proud as a 49ers fan that he's proven people wrong because you can literally go back to the draft and read quotes from his college coach saying that until he has a complete understanding of the offense, he's just not an effective player. He's not a purely instinctive QB like a Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Rivers, etc that can make plays on the fly. But that's fine. He's making calls at the line, directing guys, making adjustments, reading the defense. Never saw him do that until last year and he did it consistently yesterday, maybe more than ever in a game. Just great to see. Again, I only expect him to improve once he really develops a rapport with his receivers.

Moss- As stated, about what I expected. Packers CBs were playing off and giving him all the underneath stuff, but after enough of those catches, CBs will eventually give up a long play. Just having him out there makes us a more dangerous offense because he's such a threat.

Gore/Hunter- LOVE this 1-2 punch. I still feel like Hunter should've been given more touches last year and am glad to see him really taking the load off Gore. It's always been talked about, but Hunter can really get it done. He's also the reason I felt like LaMichael James was a bit of a wasted pick and redundant. Hunter's legit. Gore is Gore, which is the best compliment you can give him.

OLine- Solid if unspectacular. I still think Staley is the weak link, and he did break his nose on the 1st play. Should get better as the season goes.

Crabtree - Finally had the game I've expected him to have. Had a sure TD that Smith didn't see but it's just great to see him making athletic catches and being a threat. No denying his talent.

Defense- For some reason, I didn't think our defense was as dominant. Didn't see us really smacking guys like we did every single game last year. Hopefully we're just getting warmed up. We need to get back to domination hits! Great effort overall though. Our CBs were very solid I thought, LBs were great, would've liked to have seen more pass rush, tho that was more about play calling.

Final thought- Is there anything better than Harbaugh foaming at the mouth about 14 seconds into the game???

Just rewatched the game... just a running sack total....

I sure we don't get into the 40's again this year. Year after year our pass protection is a weakness.

2.5 to Joe Staley - Also, had a hold that negotiated a sack.
.5 to Anthony Davis - Although Anthony's guy got him and got 1/2 a sack Staley's guy (matthews) blew the play up and made alex pull it down
1 to Bruce Miller - Let his guy go to help out another OL with his guy. (woodson) He might have thought Gore was staying in to protect and help him out (he was right behind miller and instead went out for a dumpoff up the middle. Some times Gore gets jumpy and wants to go out for passes too early but only they know what really happened

So 2.5 really should have been 3 and the holding penalty would have been 4.

Boone, Davis did well in pass pro.... Staley obviously was bad at times... Good for Davis because Perry looks like a huge beast that could be real good but Davis would rather take power on vs speed any day.

So Joe Staley 2.5, A. Davis .5, Miller 1 - TOTAL = 4

a couple sacks were on Alex though. He could've easily stepped up into the pocket to avoid pressure.

Originally posted by Gore_21:
Just rewatched the game... just a running sack total....

I sure we don't get into the 40's again this year. Year after year our pass protection is a weakness.

2.5 to Joe Staley - Also, had a hold that negotiated a sack.

.5 to Anthony Davis - Although Anthony's guy got him and got 1/2 a sack Staley's guy (matthews) blew the play up and made alex pull it down

1 to Bruce Miller - Let his guy go to help out another OL with his guy. (woodson maybe?)

So 2.5 really should have been 3 and the holding penalty would have been 4.

Boone, Davis did well in pass pro.... Staley obviously was bad. Good for Davis because Perry looks like a huge beast that could be real good but Davis would rather take power on vs speed any day.

So Joe Staley 2.5, A. Davis .5, Miller 1 - TOTAL = 4

i wouldnt say staley was bad though its not easy getting clay matthews 1 on 1 overall i though he did a good job on him - i mean by no means did he have a great day but its not like it was a bad one very few LT go in a game intending to go 1 on 1 with clay matthews and staley was asked to and it wasnt like he was getting beat all game


overall very happy with pass protection


@chazboner- agreed but what alex was doing was trusting the o line while looking downfield most of the sacks came immediately because the guys were beat off the snap the only one which this wasnt the case was when clay matthres got alex by the ankles in which alex did try to move up

overall i think the saks were more on the o line and im happy that alex took them the way he did - by keeeping his eyes downfield and trusting the o line to handle their assignments

1st game against a pretty good GB DL, we'll improve.

Honestly, I would add it to Alex's total as well as the blockers if I thought it was on him. To me 3 of the sacks he had no chance or no place to step up in the pocket.... they were beaten really badly. One of the Staley one's he was beat right away and Matthews came right after him. I think Alex could have possibly took off running but he had his eyes downfield and clay was on him in no time. Also, he couldn't step up in the middle it was clogged but there was a lane in the LG/LT area but Clay had his hands on him already by the time he stopped looking downfield. Like the other poster mentioned even if there are sacks on Alex this year I would rather have him looking downfield than old Alex looking at the pass rush panicking and ready to hit he ground at the 1st site of trouble.

There were no alex just held the ball too long sacks imo, there were no he could of stepped up but didn't sacks as well imo.

The good thing is there weren't any huge losses... 5 7 3 5.... none of those 10 plus yard retreating ones... anyways, yeah GB has some good rushers. No doubt about that. Wasn't too bad of a job. I just hope we aren't in the 45-50 range again, can't remember the last time we were under 40 for a season. Still if he can hold it to 0-1 for the worse teams and 3-4 or under for the good pass rushing teams that's good. Just no 6 or 9 games... side note: maybe the nose really affected him, said it was shattered and couldn't breath threw it... they need to figure something out so his helmet don't keep hitting his nose and keep opening up. (tighten up the helmet or some kind of padding)

Marvin, I love these threads. You do a great job expressing yourself and I almost always agree with your assessments. Here are my thoughts after just watching the game again. They might be redundant, but I just wanted to chime in:

1. If I were Jim Harbaugh, I would glue Aldon Smith's helmet to his head all week. Too immature for a guy we REALLY need this year.

2. For all the people who wanted Tramaine Brock cut this year, I think a small plate of crow is in order. He was the special teams standout this game. Losing Costanzo, Colin Jones, Cartwright, and even Haralson from possible coverage teams, someone had to step up. Brock is not good in coverage, but for a 5th CB, he is definitely worth it. He might be one of the BEST 5th CBs in the league as far as value. Hopefully Grant, Gooden, Spillman, and Dixon continue to fill the role of Special Teams ace, but Brock played one hell of a game.

3. Hunter needs more carries. Gore did a great job today, but Hunter's explosiveness, elusive running, and instincts will lead to bigger and bigger days for him. He is the real deal. Several of his runs were really close to breaking and it is obvious that Gore is working with him to read his blockers. That was my biggest knock on him last year. He had a tendency to hit the hole faster than the play could develop. That is Gore's biggest strength and it is why he is still able to have days like this one.

4. Walker/Staley: They were bad. Luckily, the rest of the team played well enough to win. Staley's nose might have been the reason for his struggles, but we need better from him. He admitted as much after the game and I believe he will take it as a challenge. He is still a solid LT and will have much better days ahead. Walker's drops hurt, but the other receivers were so on that it didn't matter. He needs to get right or he will lose time to Celek fast. He has the potential to be a tremendous weapon for this team.

5. QUIT THIS BOWMAN vs. WILLIS CRAP!!! Bowman had a great game. The coaches put their players in position to get the win. Willis is just as capable of playing in the dime, but they went with Bowman because he was getting it done at the moment. Good Grief, Charlie Brown...

6. Our DBs have the single most important element for success: confidence. Rogers, Brown, Culliver, and Cox all played well, fed off each other, and know they can get it done when they need to. Even the most talented DBs sometimes lose their mental edge and start playing terribly. Just look at Philly last year. Our guys seem to respect and trust each other. Goldson made a mistake that led to Jones' TD, but that is easily fixed. That was scheme related, not ability questioning. Whitner and Rogers provide great leadership and the others seem to follow their lead. Just look at the last play. Culliver was left one on one with last year's std, Nelson, so Rogers could blitz. Culliver makes a strong play and the others feed on it. Unselfish play back there is sorely underrated.

7. Kyle Williams took a BIG step toward redemption. He wasn't spectacular, but he was steady. He was smart with the ball and made one play when he had to to set up the Akers' FG at the end of the half. Yes, his mistakes last year still hurt, but if he can overcome them he will be even more valuable to this team.

8. Can you imagine what will happen when we play a team that runs the ball more? Our linebackers took more plays off this game because of all the spread sets. When Brooks finally got on the field he was an animal. When this team can stay in their base defense, they are going to be even better!

9. How lucky are we to have Jennings? Look at what happened to Oakland. Jennings has to be one of the best to ever play his position and no one outside of this fan base knows who he is....

Good stuff too karma, I like it when we can all discuss football and leave all the parking lot crap out of it.

Anyways, #9, we can probably count on one hand of a man with missing fingers how many bad snaps Jennings has had in his career. Wonder how many more years he makes it? He's 35... maybe he gets to 38-40. When he retires though I wonder if Harbaugh goes with strictly a LS and not a TE who can snap? We don't like 1 dimensional guys but in Jennings case he is so good at it we make an exception.

8. Yeah, it was great seeing all the corners excel and do their job but can't wait to get back to base and see the LBs work their magic again. Agree with all of them but won't individually comment except that I don't think Walker would lose time to Celek but I agree he's playing to stay with the team this year or a nice new contact with another team. He will have better days no doubt.

Side note on Hunter... I think the way he runs the ball so hard I would consider making him the 3rd and short back. Gore isn't the type of runner he use to be. He is too patient for 3rd downs especially when they know we are running and no holes are going to open up. Next to Brandon Jacobs (if he is his old self) Hunter might be the best option.

Originally posted by Gore_21:
Good stuff too karma, I like it when we can all discuss football and leave all the parking lot crap out of it.

Anyways, #9, we can probably count on one hand of a man with missing fingers how many bad snaps Jennings has had in his career. Wonder how many more years he makes it? He's 35... maybe he gets to 38-40. When he retires though I wonder if Harbaugh goes with strictly a LS and not a TE who can snap? We don't like 1 dimensional guys but in Jennings case he is so good at it we make an exception.

8. Yeah, it was great seeing all the corners excel and do their job but can't wait to get back to base and see the LBs work their magic again. Agree with all of them but won't individually comment except that I don't think Walker would lose time to Celek but I agree he's playing to stay with the team this year or a nice new contact with another team. He will have better days no doubt.

Thank you. To your Jennings comment, I can see him playing well into his 40s. He only plays a handful of snaps a game and really doesn't get much wear and tear. Plus, his biggest asset isn't something that he loses with age. He doesn't need elite speed to do his job. I think Harbaugh knows the importance of the position and is willing to make an exception for him. He did bring in a guy during training camp, but if you can;t have versatility, excellence is a pretty good thing to settle for.

Walker losing time to Celek is probably far-fetched, especially given Walker's ability to play Special Teams, but Walker has quite a few reasons to ge better in a hurry. As you mentioned, he is playing for a contract and we are seeing a ton of talent at his position. Remember when only a few teams had a truly athletic TE? They are everywhere now. Walker might not get the kind of offers he would have even 5 years ago. I hope he stays here next year, but he needs to have consistency in the pass game first.

My only comment is to those bagging on Staley for giving up a sack and half on Mathews and calling him a weak link. Show me a tackle who doesnt give up pressure to Mathews after breaking his nose on the first play...because I want to petition the front office to trade the farm for him.

Originally posted by Karma:
Thank you. To your Jennings comment, I can see him playing well into his 40s. He only plays a handful of snaps a game and really doesn't get much wear and tear. Plus, his biggest asset isn't something that he loses with age. He doesn't need elite speed to do his job. I think Harbaugh knows the importance of the position and is willing to make an exception for him. He did bring in a guy during training camp, but if you can;t have versatility, excellence is a pretty good thing to settle for.

Walker losing time to Celek is probably far-fetched, especially given Walker's ability to play Special Teams, but Walker has quite a few reasons to ge better in a hurry. As you mentioned, he is playing for a contract and we are seeing a ton of talent at his position. Remember when only a few teams had a truly athletic TE? They are everywhere now. Walker might not get the kind of offers he would have even 5 years ago. I hope he stays here next year, but he needs to have consistency in the pass game first.

I fully agree... Walker is so versatile but like you said those rare atheltic TE's like Vernon and Delanie that were few and far in between even 6 years ago are now everywhere. I like him becauase he is versatile but he still rarely finds the end zone. We will probably have other things to worry about 1st in next years draft but imagine a Coby Fleener, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Graham with Vernon Davis. I'm really curious to see what he is going to want after this year. I really have no idea what type of money he will want.

I think it needs to to be beaten to death that Staley played 66 snaps with a broken nose, breathing primarily through his mouth. It happened on the very first play of the game. Any athlete knows that if you have to breath through your mouth only, you become winded faster and lose stamina. The mere fact that he was able to stay in and not put the team in a bind is a testament to his toughness and skill that he "only" gave up 2.5 or 3 sacks depending on how you look at it. If he had to leave the game and Boone was put at LT with L. Davis coming in at RG we would probably all be freaking out about how badly the L. Davis signing was if he performed badly.

We really owe Staley for toughing it out and still doing a solid job.

Originally posted by BrianGO:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Was this the one where Matthews got the .5 of his 2.5 sacks? Alex did step up but Matthews grabbed his ankle as he stepped up and then another defender dove on his back for the other .5. Is this the one ppl are talking about?

Not sure but Smith has a tendency not to trust his middle...for good reason...so he takes a half step forward and really quick guys with strong hands can grab him. Last year he was able to get away from many but Matthews is too good for that--sure tackler. What I like is that by moving even that half step he keeps the pass rusher from getting a clear shot.

At 3:30 in the 3rd quarter Matthews got around Staley. If Smith "felt" it, he could have stepped up and to the right into a clear spot. That's really the only sack he took where I thought he could have gotten away from it.

Thank you...went back and looked at it. JMHO but Matthews absolutely blew by Staley on this play off the snap and what people didn't see was that Woodson also blew around Davis on the other side as well (pinching Smith in) and the actual tackle was made by #95 the DT up the middle so I honestly did not see a clean area where he could step up or even move too safely. I think they credited Woodson/Matthews each with .5 on that one.

As to all the others who are giving our pro bowl, top 100 LT a free pass for 2.5 sacks against Matthews b/c he had a broken nose and couldn't breathe through his nose? LMAO. Really...why couldn't you be my teachers in college? My dog ate my homework. I love Staley but he's always been an oft-injured player, very poor in short yardage and sealing the edge and he's usually good for one or two big-play sacks/hits/TO's a game. I do respect him (his show is my son's favorite video) and he does typically play the best pass rusher but he is average at best and a big reason for Alex's skittishness (is this a word?). All of last year I highlighted Staley and he had a TON of help from Iupati in pass protection and he still got pwned pretty good. This time, in order for us to have as many receiving options as possible for Alex (who tore it up), we needed Iupati blocking inside and Staley 1x1 and we let the TE's and RB's flare out/release. GB/Matthews CLEARLY targeted Staley all game long (smart film study and player weakness recognition) despite Matthews typically playing predominantly from the other side of the field (SAM). They didn't even bother moving him around like you would with most good pass rushers (see Aldon Smith this game).

Giving up 2.5 in one game is the exact equivalent of Aldon Smith destroying Pittsburgh's LT last year in SF on Monday night. Don't be hypocritical. He got destroyed in the run game, pass protection, with speed, quickness, pass rush moves, relentlessness and absolutely overpowered (starting with the broken nose on the first play). He admitted this. Therefore, I respect he man'd up to it and hope he rebounds this weak b/c he's right, he doesn't suck...but he's not that good either. Average, at best IMHO esp. for a blind-side protector (critical for Alex). There is no excuse and Staley would tell you that...if Alex Smith does drop one of those balls, the outcome of the game could have been very different. Period.