Divisional Round: Thoughts after rewatching the game...

Marvin49 · 2013-01-13T10:06:47-08:00

Drove home from the 'stick as fast as I could last night because I coulsn't wait to crank up the DVR and watch this one again. Stayed up till 2 AM. 1) Kaepernick: Can we finally end this debate now? Please? Colin made a few of the mistakes that his critics (or I should say critics of the move to him...I think everyone likes the guy) had always been afraid he would make. Pick 6 on his second pass. Fumbled Snap (tho after rewatching I think the center snapped it early). A few time management issues. Even a poor decision to spike the ball after a big first down. (Bill Romanowski Voice): Guess What? He bounced back in a BIG way. THAT is why he's playing. Everytime he makes a mistake he seems to take it as a personal challenge to make up for it. He always seems to make a play. I've been talking all along about plays he can make that Alex simply can't. I think we saw about 10 of them last night. The runs. The pinpoint passing. Throwing the ball to Crab. He simply has ability that Alex doesn't. Its that simple. Most importantly, it's the stuff that can't be measured. It's the nerve. Its the ability to rebound. It's the confidense to put the ball in tight spots after making a mistake. We will never know if the Niners would have won this game with Alex. We very well could have considering the way the rest of the team was playing and the fact that they won in week one. It doesn't matter though. This team won when peeps thought Kaep couldn't. He can. He's now won just as many playoff games as Alex has and he's done it in historic fashion. He just looked like a man among boys at times last night. 181 freakin rush yards on the ground to go with 263 passing. 4 TDs total. The rest of the league is thinking to themselves, "oh f*ck, they have a QB now too!?!". A star was born last night. 2) Walker: WTF. Dude....go find a jugs machine and take passes NONSTOP till sunday. Seriously. I love your ability dude, but CATCH THE DAMN BALL. 3) Bye: Huge. HUGE. That team looked sooooo much better after the week off. Thank you Minnesota. 4) Frank: Looked GREAT after that week off. This was the best I've ever seen him look late in the season. The plan to spell him throughout the year and now getting that week off have been HUGE. James also looked really good in limited action. 5) "The last american bada$$": I have so much respect for Justin I can't stand it. Not only did he play, but he made a difference. He was getting a push. At the end of the game the Packers were double-teaming the man with one freakin' arm. I don't know how much he has left, but I love this guy. I wish he could play forever. 6) Aldon: He didn't get any sacks, but he played well. Alot of peeps attribute his production decline to Justin being out, but I think that's way overplayed. I think he was tired and hurt and not complaining. Additionally going against Brady and Wilson will lower your numbers. Brady gets rid of it so fast and Wilson was ALMOST sacked 3 or 4 times...he just scrambled away. Aldon looked rejuvinated last night. He was coming hard and was getting pressure most of the night. 7) O-Line: Holy sh*tballs. At one point last night Troy Aikman said that line was the envy of the league. I hate to agree with the guy who drove a dagger through my heart so many times in the early 90's, but he was dead on. That was IMPRESSIVE. Just like you don't simply walk into Mordor, you don't simply rush for 320 plus yards in the playoffs. You don't put up 579 yards...I don't care who you are playing. This is essentially the same line as last year with one big difference: Alex Boone. That one change to the line has made a HUGE difference. Some of that is just getting Snyder/Rachal off the field, but I can't say enough for how Boone has turned his life and the fortunes of that line around. 8) Roman: I hope you guys are enjoying it right now, because Roman has coached his last regular season game for the 49ers. I know some peeps don't like his "conservative" approach, but I love the guy. He's an innovator. My hope is that Harbaugh had alot to do with this offense so there isn't a dropoff next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Ault or Pep Hamilton as the OC next year. 9) Crabtree: Welcome to the big leagues kid. You have arrived. 10) NFC Championship Game: Two years in a row. If someone had told any one of us the day the lockout ended that we'd be playing in the NFCCG the next two years most of us would have asked them to put down the coolaid. I was high on Harbaugh from the very start and even made a "Harbaugh Era Begins" video for youtube because I loved the choice. I knew they had very good personal that fit Harbaughs system, but I never dreamed of this level of success. The Falcons/Hawks game is just starting now, so I'll sign off. I can't wait till next week. MODS, PLEASE MKE THIS OFFICIAL. THANKS MUCH.

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:20 AM

tohara3
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Posts: 30,775

Great post Marvin49! As I was sitting here with my girlfriend (who is a Packers fan) Kaep throws the pick 6 and she goes crazy, but me for some odd reason had absolutely no doubt that we were going to come right back. This is how much confidence Kaep has instilled in this fellow 49ers fan! Unbelievable game last night!

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:23 AM

Marvin49
Hall of Fame
Posts: 16,506

Originally posted by tohara3:
Great post Marvin49! As I was sitting here with my girlfriend (who is a Packers fan) Kaep throws the pick 6 and she goes crazy, but me for some odd reason had absolutely no doubt that we were going to come right back. This is how much confidence Kaep has instilled in this fellow 49ers fan! Unbelievable game last night!

EXACTLY!!

When he threw it, I was like "damn, that sucks. Alright Kaep...go make up for it". I knew he could and he did.

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:31 AM

LasVegasWally
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Posts: 24,877

Excellent post - as usual.

The week's rest was so important and had a huge pay off.

Watching Kap last night slicing and dicing the Packers was sheer joy. He's Kap the Knife [like the song Mac the Knife]
What really struck me was he wasn't juking defenders he was flat out running them - he left them in the dust.

The fans were right on point - we've also got a very good 12th man.

With Justin back it was like - "Unleash the Kracken!" The whole Dline was strong and getting very good push on their OLine.

The whole Oline was dominant. Props to Staley for playing injured. I loved Iupati's pancake of Mathews. Boone is reminding me more & more of Kevin Gogan.

Ginn looked like he got a shot of adrenilin last night. Now's the time to turn it on.

Akers didn't choke - thank God.

Game plan was dynamite!

Culliver was really feisty - I was worried we'd get a stupid penalty - we didn't. I don't think the penalty on Goldston was flag worthy.

Gettin Moss involved early was refreshing. Crabs is for real - not sure when his contrat is up BUT we need to lock him up for a long time.

Finally, VD would have scored a TD if not for the holding penalty. I feel he is statring to connect w/Kap.

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:36 AM

sfout
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Posts: 6,443

The snap was on Goodwin, wholesale - pretty much 15 of the players on the field didn't even know the ball had been snapped. only 4 or 5 players even reacted to the ball.

Also Marvin I have to beat the dead horse again. Our game planning approach is a complete effort by entire staff. Roman only creates the game plan for the running game and even then he obviously works with the OL coaches and Rathman, WR coach Morton creates the passing game plan and QB coach Chryst makes the Red zone game plan(and if the article from last years divisional round is still accurate also the 2 minute drill plays) and OCCASIONALLY Morton and Chryst actually call the plays depending on the situation and THEN every play is funneled through Harbaugh for the OK or veto.

IF/WHEN Roman leaves we need to find another Running Game Coordinator and an equally or MORE talented play caller.

[ Edited by sfout on Jan 13, 2013 at 10:45 AM ]

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:42 AM

SealTeam6
Member
Posts: 3,554

That early pass to Gore was a thing of beauty.

LMJ is for real

Crabtree hands are made for Kaep, and both those boys can fvking move

Delanie walker should stick to special teams- we can not afford to drop balls at this point.

Aldon needs to start sacking people again

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:49 AM

HudsonValley
Member
Posts: 836

Imagine if we had Mario, Hunter in the mix. Wouldve put up 50+ against that defense.

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:53 AM

bzborow1
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Posts: 3,522

It is hard to find an area of the team that did NOT play an excellent game. I'll mention someone who deserves props, Tarrell Brown. Overall, though, I believe this game was dominated by our offensive line. I believe that because the 49ers offensive line was so dominant last night, the linebackers were having to bite on run plays more than they would have liked, which led to all the open gaps for Kaep to tuck and run with it. Joe Staley's performance last night is worth special mention...the guy was clearly grimacing in pain in between plays with the right arm injury, but still managed to relegate Clay Matthews to an on-field spectator.

EDIT: Falcons have decided to come out today with the attitude that we are going to run over Seattle and its "physical" team.

[ Edited by bzborow1 on Jan 13, 2013 at 10:54 AM ]

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:12 AM

sfout
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Posts: 6,443

Originally posted by bzborow1:
It is hard to find an area of the team that did NOT play an excellent game. I'll mention someone who deserves props, Tarrell Brown. Overall, though, I believe this game was dominated by our offensive line. I believe that because the 49ers offensive line was so dominant last night, the linebackers were having to bite on run plays more than they would have liked, which led to all the open gaps for Kaep to tuck and run with it. Joe Staley's performance last night is worth special mention...the guy was clearly grimacing in pain in between plays with the right arm injury, but still managed to relegate Clay Matthews to an on-field spectator.

EDIT: Falcons have decided to come out today with the attitude that we are going to run over Seattle and its "physical" team.

That PI call on TB at the end of the game was total BS, Nelson(IIRC) totally pushed off and cut off his route but Rodgers had already thrown the post corner route and got lucky because it was such a random sequence and total lack of effort by GB that led to the INT.

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:26 AM

LasVegasWally
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Posts: 24,877

Miller also played a solid game and his blocking has gotten better every week.

Do we have an excellent coaching staff or what!

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:26 AM

#10

TheWooLick
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Posts: 44,694

Awesome post, I agree 100% with you about the bye. The team looked so fresh and they never seemed to wear down.
It was quite the coming out party for Kaepernick.

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:37 AM

#11