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.
Couple points. I think ppl complain and whine about Kaep because:
1. Washington sucks (last week same story with Giants) and yet he cant drive the offense down to score points. The QB will always take the blame. So what do we expect vs a solid team? We shall see Thursday.
2. Vernon shouldnt be on the field other than to block. i have said this for at least a month, the guy is done.Gone is the speed, hands, and mental ability. I would rather see Carrier or COUGH Vance in there to see what they can do and surprise some teams.
3. Run game - We need to run the ball in some different formations. Running plays seem obvious when they are called based on how we line up.
4. THe Def is playing very well and i look forward to crush Wilson Thursday. Borland vs Lynch should be interesting.
5. Boldin - Without this guy even last year we would be ranked 32nd on offense. He is the only WR that can consistently get open and that i trust.
I said this before the game, we do not have a high scoring offense PERIOD. Looking for Kaep to have 300 yds, 3TDS passing isnt happening. We need to score 20 pts a game and i think we can win 4 of 5 or even 5 of 5 down the stretch. If we score less, we are in trouble.
