Building Killer Instinct

Originally posted by 16to87:

Awesome picture

Originally posted by Niners99:
It has nothing to do with 'killer instinct'. We were up 25 pts into the 2nd half. You run the ball to grind clock, and play a softer D to prevent quick, big scoring plays. Make them run a bunch of clock on their drives.

If you lead 25 into the 3rd, theres no reason to step on the gas. You just risk having short, clock stopping drives and giving the other team plenty of time to get back in it.

The 49ers drained the clock to the point where the Cowboys didnt even have time to score 26 more pts.

This

There was no need to put the Cowboys away, as they can be trusted to do that to themselves, but ordinarily I agree. I just don't think Harbaugh or Roman have it in them. They are too conservative and it doesn't fit with Kaep's mentality.

The problem with this last game is we would have won 49-3 had it not been for the refs attempting to make the game close. I've never seen so many ridiculous made up calls..

Yeah i am 100% fine with the play calling and game in general. Whether you win by 1 or by 30, its still 1 win. With large leads I am perfectly happy with our offense taking time off the clock by running the ball with our 2 legit RBs, having the defence not give up big plays (aside from the 1 lucky bomb) requiring the opposing team to use lots of clock to score, and most importantly escape with little injuries.

I am hoping Crabtree will actually be healthy this week vs bears.

Originally posted by Niners99:

It has nothing to do with 'killer instinct'. We were up 25 pts into the 2nd half. You run the ball to grind clock, and play a softer D to prevent quick, big scoring plays. Make them run a bunch of clock on their drives.

If you lead 25 into the 3rd, theres no reason to step on the gas. You just risk having short, clock stopping drives and giving the other team plenty of time to get back in it.

The 49ers drained the clock to the point where the Cowboys didnt even have time to score 26 more pts.

I agree, although I'm still bothered by the lack of a run defense. When we went to a base defense in the 3rd qtr because they were backed up near their endzone, they gashed us for some outside runs. That points to Wilhoit and the other LB'S not run supporting quickly enough. Hope that improves when the bears come to town.

Originally posted by pwillis52beasty:

The problem with this last game is we would have won 49-3 had it not been for the refs attempting to make the game close. I've never seen so many ridiculous made up calls..

The refs were definitely a factor in our offensive inconsistencies in the 2nd half.

Originally posted by Rascal:
Simple, say even if we could tie the Seahawks for the regular season record, it could come down to the tiebreaker rules. Net points and net touchdowns can easily come into play..

Net points and touchdowns are far down on the tiebreaker list:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. etc...

The only way points scored/allowed is going to be a factor is if the first six things are also tied. That is extremely unlikely. It's only a remote possibility that point scored / allowed would ever be a factor in the event of a tie with Seattle. It's unlikely enough that we should not let it dictate our gameplanning.

We know theyre capable, they need to be more precise and machine like. Blowing teams out would build confidence in them i think, I want them to get to where they almost expect to smash on everybody.

Originally posted by NickSh49:

I know this "killer instict" BS was brought up in here last season or the year before. It was a joke of a thread now and it remains one today.

I think that I agree, but then I do not really understand the concept of killer instinct. I am not sure how having a killer instinct, whatever this means in football, fixes our problems.

If we look at last year's games, I was more concerned with the number of running plays that were stuffed, what seemed to be a poor 3rd down conversion rate, a low pass completion %, and what seemed to be a strange combination of staid and bizarre play calling.

We have only played one game this year.

We could still be more efficient in the run game, but completion % and third down conversions were not a problem.

I was pleasantly surprised, almost shocked, by the play calling.

I remember Mooch was accused of not having a killer instinct ...and then we go and crush Steve Spurrier and the Skins after they ran the score up on us in pre season

Originally posted by vaden:

There was no need to put the Cowboys away, as they can be trusted to do that to themselves, but ordinarily I agree. I just don't think Harbaugh or Roman have it in them. They are too conservative and it doesn't fit with Kaep's mentality.

What does not fit with Kaepernick's mentality?

Are you saying that a killer instinct does fit with his mentality?

Are you saying that conservatism of Harbaugh and Roman does not fit with his mentality?

Once you get a comfortable lead, run the ball to run out the clock. I was perfectly fine with that game plan in the 2nd half. You don't run up the score unless you feel your D can't stop the other offense. Like others have said, I wouldn't want to show all our plays in Week 1. The 3 WR formation is going to be a key formation now with the key additions at WR and you don't want to show your whole playbook in Week 1 for that formation. That formation was clearly working well and, if possible, not to reveal too much out of that formation before Seattle.

Originally posted by leakyfausett:

Some of you have not watched enough football 28-3 is not a huge halftime lead. This is the same team that ran only 12 plays (2 punts and a FG included) in the 4th quarter and overtime against Dallas in 2011 that resulted in 3 points and an overtime loss to Romo and company. We got the ball to start the 4th quarter at the Dallas 46 yard line and gained 9 yards on 3 carries and a FG. Dallas went on to score 13 un-anwsered points.

Clearly the strategy is to run out the clock - to put a team away. But defending the run is easier when you know the other team is going to run. The real killer strategy is to convert 3rd downs. I think there has been improvement in that area but it needs to get better. In the case of being up 20+ points in the 2nd half, I don't mind running the ball so long as you can call plays that convert 3rd downs. Last year our 3rd down conversion rate (i think) was around the bottom half. You won't have any killer instinct if the 3rd down conversion rate is average. It has to be up there in the first quartile.

Originally posted by Baldie:

Once you get a comfortable lead, run the ball to run out the clock. I was perfectly fine with that game plan in the 2nd half. You don't run up the score unless you feel your D can't stop the other offense. Like others have said, I wouldn't want to show all our plays in Week 1. The 3 WR formation is going to be a key formation now with the key additions at WR and you don't want to show your whole playbook in Week 1 for that formation. That formation was clearly working well and, if possible, not to reveal too much out of that formation before Seattle.

In another thread somebody mentioned that releasing LMJ means more 3 WR formations (since you only have 2 RBs) - this makes sense to me. I believe there are 7 WR's on the team right now. Osgood or Patton can run a swing route or a Checkdown route from the RB position as easily as LMJ probably could.