Evolution requires failure

Starting Kap would be an experiment, running some new plays and trying some new wrinkles based on what the other team is doing, is what every NFL team does every week

I think there are 2 trends that have resulted in the wide variation of scores. The first is trying to implement an aggressive, deep passing attack. It didn't work with the Vikings, Jets (first half), NY Giants, or Seattle. It did work with Buffalo to great success. Our running attack, on the other hand, has been consistently good. So far, that has been the big experiment (evolution?) that hasn't worked out too well. The other is Alex Smith with a strained finger. Ever since the sprain, the passing attack has regressed. Before the sprain, you saw results that were mediocre to great, and after the sprain, the results have been poor.

I think the 49ers are at their best is when they focus on running, with an occasional short or intermediate pass. I don't think we ever want to pass the ball for 3 downs in a row. We can talk about how that is a weakness for us, but wisdom is playing to your strengths, not butting your head against the wall of your weakness.

Are Alex Smiths hands gonna get bigger?!?!

"This is not a wildcat instillation, I think they're toying around with the idea of a very confusing and dangerous "two-QB" system. "

I was thinking this same thing after the Bills game...and when we tried it against the Giants. What people didn't take into consideration during that Giants loss was the penalties on offense that set us back and those INTS by Alex.

during that Bills game it was just comical watching that defense trying to keep up with what was going on, on the field. Defenders spinning in circles trying to see who has the ball.

we took Kaep out for the Seahawks game and our passing offense still struggled...Alex still struggled, even before that INT. I think they will go back to it against the Cards myself. (I personally want them to leave Alex alone and see what he can do for this game...like the Seahawks one...and reevaluate the direction of this team if necessary during the bye week).

Originally posted by blizzuntz:
Are Alex Smiths hands gonna get bigger?!?!

lolol

This is a great thread and I believe there are quite a few examples that can be listed. My favorite is the use of many receivers rotating constantly throughout games. Normally, a team would find the best fit and ride that fit until they needed to change. If Harbaugh were to do this Manningham and Crabtree would play 95% of the offensive plays. But Harbaugh is willing to sacrifice during the season to develop a better offense by season's end.

CK has come in to try and throw the opposition off. It worked somewhat in the beginning but teams have seemingly caught on. This is not all bad as it keeps CK in the game and makes him a bit more game ready should Smith be injured.

They have had games where Gore ran a lot and a little. Pass more, pass less...lots of different game plans so that when they get to the playoffs they will not be easy to predict. Lots of long passes against Buff but few, if any against Seattle.

This team seems to be all over the map with little consistency. I like it but they may want to start developing more of sustained personality on offense.

Was listening to Mike and Mike this morning and I think it was Jaws was saying this about Bellicheck. He tinkers with his team for the first 12 weeks of the season so that by the last quarter of the season he knows what he wants his team to look like headed into the playoffs. We have seen this offense trying diff rent things here and there so that could be an option.

0-7 evolved into 5-2......I dont consider it a failure.....

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:
Are Alex Smiths hands gonna get bigger?!?!

lolol

Maybe smaller

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
I fundamentally disagree with the title of this thread.

Evolution is based on natural selection. Which is to say, the winning gene pool wins out and procreates and their genetic code seeds future generations. So no, Evolution is based on winning not failing.

Evolution requires adversity. If there is no adversity there is no selection of the superior (surviving) traits, just selection of traits that reproduce.

Evolution is the process of winning and losing, but if you are speaking in sports terms it represents good minds analyzing what works and doesn't so that they can use and enhance the positive-eliminate the negative, those things that do not work. The team that accumulates the most effective players and is able to best accentuate the positives will be most likely to win the super bowl...unless a large animal eats it during pregame ceremonies.

Originally posted by LasVegasWally:
Think of the Beatles Song - Revolution, "Say you want an evolution..."

Sorry about that.

Interesting take that I never considered. Not sure BUT I can't shake the feeling that the coaches are holding back plays & schemes. Maybe they don't want to show all our cards?

I think, last week was our first screen play of the season.

I think the NYG game was kind of an example of that. We didn't intend to lose, or to throw the game away, but I think we might have installed a vanilla scheme for the game. If we win with it great, if we don't we've managed to keep our cards close to our vest in a game we may have calculated as a loss in the long run (I know JH preaches one game at a time, but he's nothing if not inscrutable...)

I have pretty good patience.

If it can be confirmed that Harbaugh is doing this intentionally and there's a good chance we will have a surprising offense come playoff time, I will be delighted.

I can sit through some more BS Vikings, Giants, Seahawks games if it means we finally have an AS led SB winner come playoff time.

As I said before, going 13-3 as a strict repeat of last season only to get knocked out again for the same reasons would SUCK.

I'd rather have us perfect the WCO.

There is plenty to work on in this regard and we still have not looked smooth in our passing attack. I don't think our qb and wr's are on the same wavelength on certain plays/situations such as hot reads or reading coverages and making sight adjustments on the fly.

We still don't run the screen enough.

The swing pass is not a weapon at this point and we don't use the FB as a weapon in the passing attack at all.

The slant used to be a mainstay but is rarely used.

Sure, throw a flee flicker in there or a reverse but for the love of God, please lets stop with the read option.

Its insane to pull your qb in the middle or end of a drive when things are working. We are out thinking ourselves and getting cute.