Week 12 - 2014: Thoughts after rewatching the game...

1) Kap: I know what peeps are gonna say...and I'm actually gonna cover this with both #1 and #2 today...but I thought Colin actually played pretty well. The INT sucked, but it was really a "throw it up and take your chances that Anquan beats to rookie to the ball" type throws and the rook made a play. 20 of 29, some frustrating drops (more on that later), 256 yards, TD, INT...all in all....not bad.

I already know there are some of you that are probably annoyed already by that analysis and that's what leads me to #2.


2) 49ers Fans/Bay Area media: Begin Rant - So, I was at the game and I took my pops who just happens to be a Redskins fan. He loves RGIII but is frustrated as all hell by his play this year. He and I spoke before, during and after the game and we came to the same conclusion...49ers fans and Bay Area Media are some of the most spoiled and delusional fans in the NFL. I do not paint the brush over our entire fanbase (and for the most part at least not many in this forum), but there were about 20 times I wanted to turn around and tell a few of the guys behind me to just STFU.

An example: It's halftime. RGIII has like 30 yards passing. Guy behind me is going off on how much Kaepernick sucks and how much he's the source of all our problems. Kaeps statline at that time? 10-14, 155 yards, a TD, and a rating of 131. Its indicative of the stupidity that absolutely drives me crazy. After the game I'm hearing peeps talk about how terrible the offense was. All over the radio people are calling in talking about the playcalling and Kaepernicks troubles. I'm just shaking my head. He was far from perfect, but he was almost their entire offense. Despite at least 3 drops he completed 69% of his passes. I'm listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and all I'm hearing is Chris Townsend talk to Jeff Garcia about Colin Kaepernick. W. T. F. Are we watching the same games?

Meanwhile, Gore and Hyde COMBINED for 20 carries for 52 yards and 2 fumbles. Nope...can't be the run game. After all the solution to all problems is give Frank the ball more, right? The simplistic thinking that Kap is the source of all problems makes me actually NOT want to go to games because people are so incredibly stupid.

They show a graphic on the Jumbotron of Kaps postseason success as a runner and another guy is going off on how Kap doesn't deserve to be on the same screen as Steve Young. I want to smack the guy upside the head. In his first 4 years in the NFL, Steve Young had a combined 24 TDs and 24 INTs. Kap has 46 TDs and 17 INTs. Steve didn't become a full-time starter in SF until his EIGHTH season in the NFL. Even when he WAS the starter, SOOO many couldn't stand the guy because he had the audacity not to be named Joe Montana.

Bottom line, Kap ain't perfect and he's be the first to tell you that, but he is a young, exciting, PROMISING QB and we are freakin' lucky to have him. I wish to hell peeps would stop with all the BS about what he can't do and focus on what he IS doing and what he's improving on. Great throw to Boldin for the TD. Another great throw (and catch) by Crab to get into field goal range at the half. Great throw to Boldin (and again, great catch) on the pass down the seam that got Ryan Clark hurt.

I just wish peeps would STFU with the Kap hate and realize the game is about a lot more than one man. Don't give me this BS about his paycheck or the "the QB gets all the blame" cliché BS. That stuff is just the simple minded way to try and make a complex issue simple when it ain't simple at all.

End Rant.


3) Gore/Hyde: On the topic of who is struggling...as I said before, 20 carries for 56 yards, 2 fumbles and a TD. A few things to say on this...Gore isn't Gore anymore. He'll find a crease from time to time, but he's just not the same guy anymore. Love him. He's probably my favorite Niner of all time...but he's just not the same. Hyde still has the same problem with running into the line...but they really seem to have something when they run the read option with him. When the DE is forced to make that choice which creates space, Hyde hit that hole so hard that there's no time to recover. That's what happened on that walk in TD. We need to see MORE of those read options to Hyde.


4) Vernon: I'm at a loss for words. Its like his head is in the clouds. No idea what's going on there.


5) Anquan: Thank god for Anquan Boldin. Thank you Balimore for your unbelievable stupidity. Anquan Boldin has been an absolute Godsend. I was a bit disappointed to see him not really make a big effort at the ball on the INT, but he made up for that in spades the rest of the game. In particular, that seam rout. WOW. He got blasted and Ryan Clark just bounced off him. I never thought we'd get so much out of him this late in his career. The guy looks like he could play another 5 years. Unreal.


6) Parrish Cox: Please God, bring Bruce Ellington back. He's not a great return man at the moment, but at least he appears to have heard of a Fair Catch.


7) Harbaugh: I just have to give it up for that ballsy move of going for it on 4th down on that game-winning drive. Run game had been stifled all day...and they called a fairly long developing run play that very nearly got blown the hell up by Brandon Meriweather as Mike Iupati ran right past him. If Frank doesn't make a cut in the backfield he wouldn't have picked it up. Still tho...ballsy as all hell and a move that I think was more about the realization that it wasn't just the game on the line...it might very well have been the SEASON on the line.


8) Aldon Smith: Thank You, thank you, thank you. A Pass rush AT LAST. He presence doesn't only help because HE can provide pressure, but he frees up everyone else on that line. He's back and he's the same guy he was before. The two sacks were impressive, but there were a few times he got some crazy pressure. On RGIIIs completion to Garcon, I didn't even see the catch because all I was watching was Aldon completely jack up the TE running across the formation to block him. Aldon stood him up and shoved him all the way back into RGIIIs lap. GREAT to have him back.


9) Lynch/Borland watch: First off Lynch got robbed. I dunno if you could do twice what happened to him on the penalty. His helmet hit Reids helmet which bonced like a queue ball into RGIIIs head. That rule needs to be modified. No intent whatsoever and just a wild circumstance. It was even the BACK of Reids helmet that hit RGIII. Anyway, that was a great rush and he got yet another sack on top of it. 4 Sacks (should have been 5) in the last 5 games. He actually TIED with Anthony Barr for the rookie lead. Not bad for a 5th round pick.

Borland was a bit quieter than in past weeks. He had a few really good plays, but he also guessed wrong a few times, got caught up in the wash a bit, and got absolutely juked out of his shoes once by Morris in the whole. That's OK tho...he was bound to come back to earth at some point...and he still led the team in tackles and got at least one TFL.


10) NFC West: Figures. I finally get to the point that I want Arizona to WIN....and NOW they lose. LOL. I guess just gotta let it all play out and stop worrying so much about what the rest of the division does. I keep saying that here every week...and then on Sundays I drive myself crazy rooting one way or the other.

good job.

love the rant

Run game's been average to below average for a couple years now, you can blame Frank all you want but Hyde is putting up even worse stats and yet people seem to think it's time to move on. The reality is that Roman's offense has been figured out long ago.

I have to agree with you on the Rant Marvin.

Love this thread Marvin, and I love your points about Kap even more. I keep saying it over and over, the way you talk about SF fans being crazy is on point, we're spoiled by Montana/Young (even Garcia a bit I guess). It's funny, when non-49er fans talk to me about Kap, most are in aww, my stepfather is a Steelers fan and he told me he'd take Kap #1 over every player in the NFL if they had some sorta NFL wide, every player up for grabs draft. He's so talented, so young, ppl forget a lot of times that it took Steve Young a while to get to a point to where he was an elite QB.

As for Gore, I agree he's not the same guy he was when he was younger, but he's still a great back (and I want him resigned for next year). But, we are doing a horrible job of handling his duties. We don't split the carries up enough between him and Hyde for one, the other is we always, and I mean always run him into a pile, last week we got him out on the edge and it worked, this week, we abandoned it aside from one or two attempts.

I agree with you that it's scary watching Cox return punts but I'm not really concerned about him fumbling, I'm worried he'll get hurt, hurry back Ellington (same goes for Hyde as a KR, I actually think Hyde is better than Bruce in that area but he's so violent of a runner, I want him out of that role ASAP)

As for the NFCW, why root for Arizona to win? They lost their starting QB, they still play us week 17 and have another game against Seattle, this is the hardest part of their schedule. I'm still rooting for the NFCW division crown. We can run the table and they can lose a few more games and it's ours, that's what I want.

With the way Washington was losing DBs left and right, and with their decent run D, we should have been passing a lot more.

But not out of 5 wide!!!! Leave a RB in there roman! Leave them guessing at least a little bit.

Very, very frustrating watching the offense in the second half. Other teams are pasting WA. We're remedial on offense. I thought Kap played well I just hate the tempo that we use. Slow, plodding, and not very effective.

Davis needs to sit a game or two.
Hyde needs more carries

Why don't we run the no huddle more? Seems like when we need to drive quickly in games we have the ability.

4.) Seemed like we tried to get Vernon in the game plan at least a little more but I def see what you're saying. Not getting deep enough on those routes was problematic but hey..baby steps, something to build from going forward.
5.) I questioned the effort on crabs deep ball too.
3.) I wanted to say the same thing about Gore, but you know, I can see him going off again so I kept my mouth shut, but I was definitely a little upset about him. Some of it may be the O-line unable to get push. idk still waitin on Hyde to break one.
7.) Good call on 4th down. but I think it less ballsy than just " if we can't get this on them we deserve to lose" like one of commentators said mixed with ": f**k this team, we are the niners". and the fact there was a lot of time and we were keeping them out the endzone.

I like to think that the coaching staff likes to hold back some things on offense but that's most prob wishfull thinking.

and lastly, you have to expect most fans to not really be as in depth as you, most people Are stupid. As a faithfull though I feel we are obligated to say something at least like " hey, do you think you can take it easy". But then again people are dumb and the last thing we want is our own fans fighting on sportcenter.

ps. Borland had 2 tackles for loss I believe and led the team in tackles. still looks awesome imo... and maybe he missd a tackle due to his length...maybe

@49ers_Stats · Nov 17

With drops, throw aways, spikes, batted passes and hit as throwns taken into account, Kap has a COMP% of 74.3, the same as Peyton Manning.

Good job on the rant

People used to say the same stuff about Steve Young at games. Some fans are just annoying as f**k.

Originally posted by znk916:
Run game's been average to below average for a couple years now, you can blame Frank all you want but Hyde is putting up even worse stats and yet people seem to think it's time to move on. The reality is that Roman's offense has been figured out long ago.

I didn't say Hyde was much better...but he does seem to be better when running the read/option.

The problems in the run game though aren't just Frank Gore. That's absolutely true. He's just not quick enough anymore to make plays when its not blocked perfectly anymore. He still has a place on this team and can be effective, but his days as the Bell Cow are done.

I hate it when I hear people say stuff like "Frank gets 20 carries and they win. He doesn't and they lose". Peeps see that stuff and think..."well obviously the answer is feed Frank all day". No.

Frank gets the ball 20 times WHEN THEY ARE HAVING SUCCESS RUNNING THE BALL. If they are getting stuffed on first down it puts you into long yardage and you can't keep running the ball.

Originally posted by matt49er:
As for Gore, I agree he's not the same guy he was when he was younger, but he's still a great back (and I want him resigned for next year). But, we are doing a horrible job of handling his duties. We don't split the carries up enough between him and Hyde for one, the other is we always, and I mean always run him into a pile, last week we got him out on the edge and it worked, this week, we abandoned it aside from one or two attempts.

I think part of the problem is that he's too good at squeezing through tiny gaps of daylight that Roman calls plays like this its the only thing he can do.

Cohn Jr. has been writing about this regularly lately, seems like the only plays which consistently work for ~5 yards are misidrection counters, which by design get the runner away from the mass of bodies and give him relatively more room to operate.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
1) Kap: I know what peeps are gonna say...and I'm actually gonna cover this with both #1 and #2 today...but I thought Colin actually played pretty well. The INT sucked, but it was really a "throw it up and take your chances that Anquan beats to rookie to the ball" type throws and the rook made a play. 20 of 29, some frustrating drops (more on that later), 256 yards, TD, INT...all in all....not bad.

I already know there are some of you that are probably annoyed already by that analysis and that's what leads me to #2.


2) 49ers Fans/Bay Area media: Begin Rant - So, I was at the game and I took my pops who just happens to be a Redskins fan. He loves RGIII but is frustrated as all hell by his play this year. He and I spoke before, during and after the game and we came to the same conclusion...49ers fans and Bay Area Media are some of the most spoiled and delusional fans in the NFL. I do not paint the brush over our entire fanbase (and for the most part at least not many in this forum), but there were about 20 times I wanted to turn around and tell a few of the guys behind me to just STFU.

An example: It's halftime. RGIII has like 30 yards passing. Guy behind me is going off on how much Kaepernick sucks and how much he's the source of all our problems. Kaeps statline at that time? 10-14, 155 yards, a TD, and a rating of 131. Its indicative of the stupidity that absolutely drives me crazy. After the game I'm hearing peeps talk about how terrible the offense was. All over the radio people are calling in talking about the playcalling and Kaepernicks troubles. I'm just shaking my head. He was far from perfect, but he was almost their entire offense. Despite at least 3 drops he completed 69% of his passes. I'm listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and all I'm hearing is Chris Townsend talk to Jeff Garcia about Colin Kaepernick. W. T. F. Are we watching the same games?

Meanwhile, Gore and Hyde COMBINED for 20 carries for 52 yards and 2 fumbles. Nope...can't be the run game. After all the solution to all problems is give Frank the ball more, right? The simplistic thinking that Kap is the source of all problems makes me actually NOT want to go to games because people are so incredibly stupid.

They show a graphic on the Jumbotron of Kaps postseason success as a runner and another guy is going off on how Kap doesn't deserve to be on the same screen as Steve Young. I want to smack the guy upside the head. In his first 4 years in the NFL, Steve Young had a combined 24 TDs and 24 INTs. Kap has 46 TDs and 17 INTs. Steve didn't become a full-time starter in SF until his EIGHTH season in the NFL. Even when he WAS the starter, SOOO many couldn't stand the guy because he had the audacity not to be named Joe Montana.

Bottom line, Kap ain't perfect and he's be the first to tell you that, but he is a young, exciting, PROMISING QB and we are freakin' lucky to have him. I wish to hell peeps would stop with all the BS about what he can't do and focus on what he IS doing and what he's improving on. Great throw to Boldin for the TD. Another great throw (and catch) by Crab to get into field goal range at the half. Great throw to Boldin (and again, great catch) on the pass down the seam that got Ryan Clark hurt.

I just wish peeps would STFU with the Kap hate and realize the game is about a lot more than one man. Don't give me this BS about his paycheck or the "the QB gets all the blame" cliché BS. That stuff is just the simple minded way to try and make a complex issue simple when it ain't simple at all.

End Rant.


3) Gore/Hyde: On the topic of who is struggling...as I said before, 20 carries for 56 yards, 2 fumbles and a TD. A few things to say on this...Gore isn't Gore anymore. He'll find a crease from time to time, but he's just not the same guy anymore. Love him. He's probably my favorite Niner of all time...but he's just not the same. Hyde still has the same problem with running into the line...but they really seem to have something when they run the read option with him. When the DE is forced to make that choice which creates space, Hyde hit that hole so hard that there's no time to recover. That's what happened on that walk in TD. We need to see MORE of those read options to Hyde.


4) Vernon: I'm at a loss for words. Its like his head is in the clouds. No idea what's going on there.


5) Anquan: Thank god for Anquan Boldin. Thank you Balimore for your unbelievable stupidity. Anquan Boldin has been an absolute Godsend. I was a bit disappointed to see him not really make a big effort at the ball on the INT, but he made up for that in spades the rest of the game. In particular, that seam rout. WOW. He got blasted and Ryan Clark just bounced off him. I never thought we'd get so much out of him this late in his career. The guy looks like he could play another 5 years. Unreal.


6) Parrish Cox: Please God, bring Bruce Ellington back. He's not a great return man at the moment, but at least he appears to have heard of a Fair Catch.


7) Harbaugh: I just have to give it up for that ballsy move of going for it on 4th down on that game-winning drive. Run game had been stifled all day...and they called a fairly long developing run play that very nearly got blown the hell up by Brandon Meriweather as Mike Iupati ran right past him. If Frank doesn't make a cut in the backfield he wouldn't have picked it up. Still tho...ballsy as all hell and a move that I think was more about the realization that it wasn't just the game on the line...it might very well have been the SEASON on the line.


8) Aldon Smith: Thank You, thank you, thank you. A Pass rush AT LAST. He presence doesn't only help because HE can provide pressure, but he frees up everyone else on that line. He's back and he's the same guy he was before. The two sacks were impressive, but there were a few times he got some crazy pressure. On RGIIIs completion to Garcon, I didn't even see the catch because all I was watching was Aldon completely jack up the TE running across the formation to block him. Aldon stood him up and shoved him all the way back into RGIIIs lap. GREAT to have him back.


9) Lynch/Borland watch: First off Lynch got robbed. I dunno if you could do twice what happened to him on the penalty. His helmet hit Reids helmet which bonced like a queue ball into RGIIIs head. That rule needs to be modified. No intent whatsoever and just a wild circumstance. It was even the BACK of Reids helmet that hit RGIII. Anyway, that was a great rush and he got yet another sack on top of it. 4 Sacks (should have been 5) in the last 5 games. He actually TIED with Anthony Barr for the rookie lead. Not bad for a 5th round pick.

Borland was a bit quieter than in past weeks. He had a few really good plays, but he also guessed wrong a few times, got caught up in the wash a bit, and got absolutely juked out of his shoes once by Morris in the whole. That's OK tho...he was bound to come back to earth at some point...and he still led the team in tackles and got at least one TFL.


10) NFC West: Figures. I finally get to the point that I want Arizona to WIN....and NOW they lose. LOL. I guess just gotta let it all play out and stop worrying so much about what the rest of the division does. I keep saying that here every week...and then on Sundays I drive myself crazy rooting one way or the other.

Love the analysis, but I'll get straight to the rant. What I find to be interesting about the Kap criticisms are the QBs he's compared to. Guys like Peyton Manning, Drew Brews, and Aaron Rodgers, all of him I'd say Kap had done more and was further along in his career than all three of those guys at the same point. But of course none of that matters.

Originally posted by matt49er:
Love this thread Marvin, and I love your points about Kap even more. I keep saying it over and over, the way you talk about SF fans being crazy is on point, we're spoiled by Montana/Young (even Garcia a bit I guess). It's funny, when non-49er fans talk to me about Kap, most are in aww, my stepfather is a Steelers fan and he told me he'd take Kap #1 over every player in the NFL if they had some sorta NFL wide, every player up for grabs draft. He's so talented, so young, ppl forget a lot of times that it took Steve Young a while to get to a point to where he was an elite QB.

As for Gore, I agree he's not the same guy he was when he was younger, but he's still a great back (and I want him resigned for next year). But, we are doing a horrible job of handling his duties. We don't split the carries up enough between him and Hyde for one, the other is we always, and I mean always run him into a pile, last week we got him out on the edge and it worked, this week, we abandoned it aside from one or two attempts.

I agree with you that it's scary watching Cox return punts but I'm not really concerned about him fumbling, I'm worried he'll get hurt, hurry back Ellington (same goes for Hyde as a KR, I actually think Hyde is better than Bruce in that area but he's so violent of a runner, I want him out of that role ASAP)

As for the NFCW, why root for Arizona to win? They lost their starting QB, they still play us week 17 and have another game against Seattle, this is the hardest part of their schedule. I'm still rooting for the NFCW division crown. We can run the table and they can lose a few more games and it's ours, that's what I want.

Simple.

Chances are they still win division. If given the choice between Seattle winning it and Arizona winning it, I'd MUCH rather Arizona wins it.

Why? If Niners make it as a WIld Card (and yes, I know mathematically SF can still win division), I'd MUCH, MUCH rather go to Arizona and face Drew Stanton than go to Seattle and face Russell Wilson.

I don't think the league cares itf it's intentional or not with the helmet to helmet hits. it's all about protecting themselves from lawsuits. Any contact no matter how small is gonna be called. Just sucks. That was a legit sack. I don't understand why they don't count it as a sack then add on the penalty.

CK played well imo. On that int though I just wish he had some more patience. If the guy doesn't bite on the double move than you need to go to another read. His protection wasn't an issue.

I think we are all at a lost for words in regards to VD. He's just lost out their. Hopefully is't some type of personal issue that he can clear up. Or they hiding something about his back injury? The drops were just crazy

The run game was horrible. I don't expect Gore or Hyde to repeat those performances. Seems like the runs plays at times take too long to develop in the backfield. Need more quick hitter iso leads and wham plays.

Please somebody rescue special teams return games. My god s**t is bad

Good write up as always. The three turnovers hurt bad. I thought two were preventable, the Hyde fumble was a very good defensive play. The Gore fumble was preventable because Gore should have been carrying that ball with his left hand, not his right hand where it's closer to where all the defenders are coming from. Kap threw it to Boldin when Boldin was not open.

The 49ers came into the game looking for the big pass play. First play of the game to Crabs where it came within 2 inches of connecting, then later on the drive with Boldin's TD catch. I thought that was actually a bad thing in the long run as there were times they looked to go deep and nothing was really there. There was the INT, the play where SJ had to play CB to break up an INT, then several times where it seemed Kap was looking deep downfield, saw nothing, and the play broke down. They need to understand that the deep connection to Boldin was an anomaly, not the norm - especially with VD not being the same speed threat we are used to.

The WAS ground game was chugging along and it seemed to be a result of missed tackles more so than the Dline being blown off the ball. Morris is a tough runner, but not as tough as Lynch. They need to fix that issue fast. RG3 is horrible and how he led that TD drive in the 2Q was a bit of a shock. He quickly reverted back to his normal self.

Someone mentioned that the WAS defense isn't as bad as their team record may indicate. They're actually tied for 7th best in the league giving up 3.8 rush yards per carry. With ADavis being out, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised the 49er run game was kept under wraps.