2013 - Week 15: Thoughts after rewatching the game

1) Kap: Another steady game...but there were some real "wow" plays in there. The first deep pass to Vernon was nuts. Vernon couldn't get to it but he would have had he run full out on the entire pattern. The fact that he was scrambling forward and just winged it like that...damn. The MOST impressive plays to me tho were both to Crabtree. First the TD where he waited for Crab to break open and the second was the first down when almost no human being on the planet would be able to complete the pass. Running away from the rush, moving farther behind the LOS, throwing a ball on the run like a dart ACCURATLY to Crabtree on the sideline and placed well enough for Crab to pick up the extra 1 or 2 yards he needed. Seriously, how many QBs in the NFL can do that?

There were still some bad throws. This isn't a Kap lovefest. There were still times when he looked like a young QB. Games like this though just make me wonder how good he's gonna be when he figures it all out.


2) Frank: No joke...Frank needs a rest. I hope they limit him monday night against the Falcons. They can't sit him completely because they need to win, but they need to play Hunter and James more. We can't afford for him to go into the postseason on tired legs and bum ankles.


3) Crab: Getting better every week. Looking more and more like the Crab we all know and love. The frustration play was inexcusable. You don't do that. I do understand it a bit tho. He spent all season rehabing. He gets SOOOOOO overly excited in every game. He needs to calm down and play under control. I'm just so happy to see him right now because it looks like he can be a far bigger contributor than I ever envisioned this year.


4) Aldon: Damn he's good. Even though he didn't get any sacks last week, he was consistantly puching the pocket. The D's gameplan was to keep everyone in their lanes in order to keep Wilson in the pocket so he wasn't going to play like he usually did. He still put Okung on skids several times and pushed him right into Wilson. This week he was playing more like himself and was in a position to get a sack on several occasions. The Bucs were getting the ball out quickly but Aldon still was a broken tackle from 3 sacks and hurried Glennon many more times. He is healthy and motivated and turning it on at the right time.


5) Vernon: Can we all just realize what we are watching? I think we all are just used to seeing him streak past LBs and safeties because he's been doing it for so long. We may never see his like again in a 49er uniform. In his first few years, I never thought he would become a premiere TE. I just thought he was too robotic and didn't run his routes well enough. I was right about those being his problems, but he has transformed himself into something every team in the NFL is envious of...a true TE who can get deep in a hurry. I hope the guy plays forever because I dunno how we would ever replace him.


6) Baalke: This is a continuation of a conversation I was actually having on Seahawks.net. In a thread over there, many Seahawks fans simply see the age of our roster vs theirs and assume that they will stay relevant much longer and will eventually be contending with the Rams for the division instead of us. I can see how they get there. The Seahawks do in fact have a younger nucleus of players. The problem with the argument tho is that it makes the assumption that the rosters remain static. The players that are good will just get older and there will be no replacements. We have already seen that this simply isn't the case. Say what you want about the WR position, but Baalke has fortified just about every other position. He let Goldson walk and got a younger, cheaper, and BETTER player in Reid. They let Sopoaga walk and got BETTER and less expensive with Williams and Dorsey. Looney looks like a decent player. Kilgore will eventually replace Goodwin. Brock looks like a future starter and they have ALREADY extended him. Peeps who spend so much time thinking about the WR position just don't get it. Baalke is one of the best GMs in the NFL and we should be happy to have him.


7) Harbaugh and Texas: Seriously? Not gonna happen


8) Miller: Hope he's not hurt too bad. Boobie will fill in for him, but Miller was becoming a good outlet for Kap.


9) James: Pretty happy with him back there catching punts. He hasn't made too manyb mistakes and there is always a chance he's gonna do something with it when he gets a chance. He always seems to squeeze down the sideline for a few yards when it looks like nothing's there.


10) In their hands: Here we go. All they need to do from this point forward is WIN. I guess you can say that at any point in the season, but my point is that if they just win out here they may be able to avoid Seattle until the NFCCG. Thats the game I want. Nothing would make me happier then sending those fans packing in that game. Its a TALL, TALL, order and may not be doable, but I want to see them get that shot anyway.

You provide us with one of the better reads each week. Thank You.

Excellent as always Marvin! I just wanted to comment on the Vernon Davis section. I thought the same thing yesterday while watching the game. The way he runs away from defensive backs is just unreal. There is no other TE in the league that can do the things he can do period and I just had to sit back yesterday and say wow. This guy is beyond special. Frank Gore makes me say that every week but I am guilty thus far of taking what Vernon does for granted to a certain extent. Davis has always had power, and speed, but now he's added precision and route running to his arsenal and its just unbelievable at times.

One gripe I have is the Celek vs McDonald targets

Wish we fed the ball to McDonald that often

maiocco seems to think we would see more tight ends than boobie at fb in place of an injured miller.

seattles nucleus is young but they cant pay everyone like we cant do, their thing is can their gm find cheaper replacements that will be as good or better like baalke did with goldson in drafting reid.

Originally posted by crabman82:
maiocco seems to think we would see more tight ends than boobie at fb in place of an injured miller.

Could be right.

Originally posted by FredFlintstone:
seattles nucleus is young but they cant pay everyone like we cant do, their thing is can their gm find cheaper replacements that will be as good or better like baalke did with goldson in drafting reid.

This.

I see several saying something to the effect of "Schneider (sp?) is a genius...he has a plan to pay everyone". Well, unless he's so smart he has invented a new kind of math, I just don't see it.

That doesn't mean tho that they won't be able to replace more expensive players with younger, cheaper options. He drafted those guys who are looking for big $$$ to begin with...we'll have to see if he can do it again.

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by FredFlintstone:
seattles nucleus is young but they cant pay everyone like we cant do, their thing is can their gm find cheaper replacements that will be as good or better like baalke did with goldson in drafting reid.

This.

I see several saying something to the effect of "Schneider (sp?) is a genius...he has a plan to pay everyone". Well, unless he's so smart he has invented a new kind of math, I just don't see it.

That doesn't mean tho that they won't be able to replace more expensive players with younger, cheaper options. He drafted those guys who are looking for big $$$ to begin with...we'll have to see if he can do it again.

my fav is RW signing for less because he is a team guy, or sherman taking less because he wants to play in the legion of boom. riiiiiiight, the guy goes out of his way to get everyone to tell him he is the best, but doesnt want the pay check to match it. hes making a 5th rounders salary.

I've said this before... I look forward to reading your posts every week Marv! Thanks!

I too was uneasy of 85 early in his career. Robotic is the correct term. He almost never made catches with his hands... never attacking the ball with his hands... very armsy... he has put in work... its evident. I hope he plays for ever as well. What a great player. We are lucky to have him.

Oops. I confused myself.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
1) Kap: Another steady game...but there were some real "wow" plays in there. The first deep pass to Vernon was nuts. Vernon couldn't get to it but he would have had he run full out on the entire pattern. The fact that he was scrambling forward and just winged it like that...damn. The MOST impressive plays to me tho were both to Crabtree. First the TD where he waited for Crab to break open...

The thing that bugged me about that play, and I know this is splitting hairs because we got the touchdown anyway, is that it looked like Crabtree was open way earlier in the route and Kap looked right at him and didn't throw it. There's still some hesitancy there throwing to open guys for some reason. Like I said, we got the touchdown out of it anyway with Crabs running around the endzone, but I don't think it had to be that hard, lol...

Re: Kaepernick...I thought he did a quite a few impressive things yesterday: The key runs he made, especially 2 or 3 where he had to break tackles...the scrambles to avoid the rush/extend the play were nice all on their own, but then to "cap" it off numerous times with absolute darts that he threw, you can probably count on one hand the number of current QBs who could do that that many times in one game.

And then the 2 bombs to Davis...most QBs who can throw it that far have to put a lot of air under it, but both of those throws he made were frickin frozen ropes...as is seen with Davis on occasion, it didn't look like he gave full, sellout-type effort on the first one, but he obviously did a much better job on the second.

LMJ...he did have a couple iffy returns where he danced a little too much, but he also had some nice returns, including I think the 3rd or 4th return of his to be called back on a penalty this season. But this was probably the most confident he looked in the actual fielding of the punt. And loved his burst once he got the corner on that 21-yd run from scrimmage.

Thanks, Marv.

While the strike to VD was most impressive, I think that the runs and the completions on the broken plays were more so. That shows awareness and chemistry that is key to the postseason.

Originally posted by NineFourNiner:
Thanks, Marv.

While the strike to VD was most impressive, I think that the runs and the completions on the broken plays were more so. That shows awareness and chemistry that is key to the postseason.

its not always going to go according to plan, sometimes it becomes back yard ball with scrambling to run and scrambling to throw. yesterday he was very good at it.