No Huddle: 49ers-Cardinals Preview With Steph Sanchez →

49ers Monday Morning Chatter Week 8: Niners rout a terrible Jaguars team, cruise into their bye at 6-2

Al Sacco
Oct 28, 2013 at 8:20 AM3


With the 42-10 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the books, the 49ers end a favorable run in their schedule that saw them take full advantage of some of the lesser teams in the league. After starting 1-2, San Francisco has run off five straight wins, outscoring their opponents 174-61. Their mark of 6-2 at the halfway point puts the team in excellent position for a second half run as they get healthier and also start to see some keys players return from injury. Here's what 49er fans are talking about after Week 8:

The numbers don't paint the whole picture

Even though the numbers may not show it, Colin Kaepernick as turned a huge corner. In the last two weeks, Kaepernick is 23-of-37 for 363 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers would indicate that of a game manager and don't come close to telling the whole story. Kaepernick and the 49ers have been extremely efficient the in their recent victories, partly because of the fact that Kaepernick is making the most of this throws (He is averaging just under 10 yards an attempt). Add in the fact that he has 122 yards rushing on 18 carries and three touchdowns on the ground and Kaepernick is again a dual threat that can beat you in multiple ways. The second year starter is beginning to look a lot like the quarterback that brought San Francisco to the Super Bowl last year instead of the one that struggled early in the season.

Gore climbing the ladder

With 71 yards in Week 8, Frank Gore passed Earl Campbell and Shaun Alexander to become the 30th all time leading rusher in NFL history. Gore has 9,457 yards in his career and is now only 543 away from 10,000. If he stays healthy, he should be able to reach that mark this season. Gore also has seven rushing touchdowns which is only three off his career high of 10. There has been some talk of the 49ers possibly cutting ties with Gore after this season due to his contract and age. With the way he is playing so far in 2013, it's hard to imagine that can still be a consideration.

William's future in jeopardy?

Kyle Williams had a bad day. The much maligned returner and receiver fumbled both a punt and kickoff in the first half and had two catchable balls go off his finger tips. He also allowed his momentum to take him out of bounds at his own 3 yard line while receiving a kickoff at the end of the first half. Anthony Dixon replaced him in the second half and promptly returned a kickoff 46 yards. Jim Harbaugh said his plan was to use Dixon all along in return game which...um...is probably not true.

For the day, Williams had one catch for seven yards and one carry for 10 yards. With Mario Manningham, Quinton Patton and Michael Crabtree all due back in the next month or so, the 49ers need to make space on the roster. If Williams cannot provide anything on special teams, what purpose would he serve? There is a good chance he would be let go in favor of a Marlon Moore or Kassim Osgood who provide value in kick coverage.

Scoring machine

San Francisco has now scored 30 points or more in five consecutive games for the first time since 1997 (Weeks 3-8). The offense was so good in Week 8 that they recorded 22 first downs and their first 47 snaps and scored touchdowns on each of their first four drives. The 49ers are averaging just under 35 points per game during the five game winning streak.

Steady D

When Dan Skuta crossed the goal line to put the exclamation point on his 47 yard fumble return, it made the the 49ers 12 for their last 12. They have now scored on each of the last 12 times they have forced a turnover (eight touchdowns, 4 field goals). Two of those scores have been via the defense (Tramaine Brock had the other on an interception return against the Houston Texans).

Opportunistic play has been a big part of a defensive unit that has only given up 61 points over the last five weeks (12.2 per game). The 49ers are still hopeful that Aldon Smith will be back in the near future which should only provide more explosiveness in the pass rush.

What's next?

The bye week could not come at a better time for a team that is a little beat up and also awaiting some key members to return. The two weeks off should allow the Niners to start incorporating Manningham in the game plan and may also get rookie Tank Carradine involved. The 49ers could use someone else to get to the quarterback in Smith's absence and Carradine may be able to do that on passing downs.

In Week 10, San Francisco starts a stretch of some tough games when they host a red hot Carolina Panthers squad. After Carolina, the Niners will go on the road the following two weeks to face off with the New Orleans Saints and then the Washington Redskins on a Monday night.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


3 Comments

  • Gonzola
    I agree with cutting Kyle Williams. He still drops balls on pivotal plays. He is definitely not a clutch player. What do you think Al?
    Oct 30, 2013 at 6:09 AM
    0
    Response: I don't think he has a role on the team once the other WR's come back. At worst he's cut, at best his days are numbered in in San fran
  • On the money again Al! Thanks for the great stuff? Can you comment on the offensive play calling? Specifically do you think anything has changed overall these past 2 games versus the first 6 games? I know different calls for different teams, BUT do you think there is something going right or wrong lately and why? Maybe the inconsistency with Alex Smith was not all Alex's fault? Hmmm. I was never a Smith fan, but now I am starting to see a problem a bit higher up the food chain than the QB on the field? What do you think?
    Oct 28, 2013 at 5:17 PM
    0
    Response: I think a lot of their troubles in the passing game has to do with lack of options. Until manningham and Crabtree get back, they are going to play it conservative and keep the power running game going.
  • Monsterniner
    Trade Dixon and LaMichael James will be activated and with the comeback of Mario Manningham we can cut Kyle Williams and put James to return kicks.
    Oct 28, 2013 at 12:31 PM
    0

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Brandon Aiyuk on hand for 49ers' Monday practice

By David Bonilla
Sep 25

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is on hand for Monday's bonus practice. It's the first of four practices this week, as the team is coming off a long weekend following its Thursday night win over the New York Giants. Coaches and players had the weekend off. Brandon Aiyuk on hand for the start of 49ers practice pic.twitter.com/2n1Dlvp06g— KNBR (@KNBR)



"49ers look like the NFL's most complete team": Where San Francisco stands in Week 4 power rankings

By David Bonilla
Sep 26

The undefeated Miami Dolphins' 70-20 win over the winless Denver Broncos has shot them to the top of multiple power rankings. However, for most, the San Francisco 49ers sit in the top spot. Also undefeated and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the 49ers are coming off a 30-12 win over the New York Giants. The team is so well-rounded, and Brock Purdy continues to rack up the wins as the starting quarterback. San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the ninth time in franchise history and has now won 13 consecutive regular-season games dating back to Week 8 of last season. It's the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest winning streak in franchise



Giants at 49ers, Week 3 predictions: Fans confident Niners reach 3-0

By Site Staff
Sep 21

The San Francisco 49ers are set to host the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Thursday, September 21, at 5:15 p.m. PT. Each week, the 49ers Webzone staff predicts the winner within its annual NFL Pick 'em contest. That includes writers and forum moderators. This week, all seven participating staff members selected the 49ers to beat the Giants. San Francisco is currently a 10.5-point favorite. As for all the fans taking part in our NFL Pick 'em contest, 99 percent have the 49ers winning the game, as of this post. Of



Trap game? John Lynch shares 49ers' mindset going into Cardinals matchup

By David Bonilla
1 hr

The San Francisco 49ers are 3-0 and sitting atop the NFC West standings. The Arizona Cardinals, the Niners' next opponent, didn't get their first win until this past weekend. However, it was against the Super Bowl-hopeful Dallas Cowboys, and it was one of the biggest upsets of Week 3. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has done his homework on the Cardinals this season. While reviewing the film, he saw a team with a lot of fight, a group that contended in each of its matchups, including the losses. "They're a team that really should be 3-0 right now," Shanahan told reporters this week. Some fans may be overlooking the Cardinals, anticipating the next


Featured

More by Al Sacco

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone