Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


First and Goal: I Told You So!

Sep 15, 2015 at 12:59 AM


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Welcome to 'First and Goal'. This week we'll review the stellar victory against the Vikings. We'll also peek ahead to next week's tilt against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. As always, be sure to check out our Hero Of the Week!

Before we get to the game review, I just have to say... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

All the optimists who tried to keep a glass-half-full attitude during the off-season from hell got flamed on this site and pretty much every site on the internet. Delusional they said... Baalke's an idiot they said... We're going to be lucky to win 4 games they said...

And that's why they play the game, ladies and gentlemen, because you never truly know what you got until you lace em' up and keep score for real. I know it's only one game but it was important for this team to shut up the naysayers so they can focus on what's important. Now we can finally focus on who is on our squad instead of focusing on who isn't.

Did I mention the Seachickens lost? HAHA!!

Pertinent Game Stats

Minn 3 SF 20

Bridgewater 23-32 for 231 0-TD 1-INT
Kaepernick 17-26 for 165 0-TD 0-INT

Vikings total rushing yards 71
Carlos Hyde rushing yards 168
Niners net rushing 230 yards for avg of 5.9 yards per rush

Vikings converted only 1/9 on 3rd down
Niners converted 5/12 on 3rd down

Time of Possession
Vikings 26:58 Niners 33:02

Niners 8 penalties for -57 yards (most in first half)

Game Review Offense

I expected good and bad things from the offense, mainly due to the fact that most teams don't play their starters much in the pre-season. If you watched any other games around the NFL you saw lots of ugly play on both sides of the ball. All I wanted for our team was to play good enough to win. I think we did that, and more.

I thought the season would hinge on the shoulders of Kap. It still might, but he's got a bonafide running mate now. I know what you're thinking... Carlos Hyde is the Man!! We'll get to him in a second. I'm talking about the man everyone loved to hate because he isn't Adam Gase, our OC Geep Chryst.

What I hated about Haroman was the simple fact that they rarely made things easy. Above all else, an OC is supposed to put players in a position to succeed. We did that a lot in this victory. We used Hyde in a zone scheme that he excels in. We changed the pocket around and got Kap on the move. We even threw a few times to Vance McDonald! And to the RB's! We used the whole field, we took some shots deep, we got to the line of scrimmage with time on the clock and we even made halftime adjustments. We actually looked like a real NFL team.

Kaepernick had several good plays and he had some bad plays. Again, he didn't play a lot in the pre-season so I expected him to be rusty. His accuracy was off on some throws but he also did lots of things we should be proud of. He scanned the field, he went through his progressions and above all else, he looked to throw more often than run. A few times he had nothing but space in front of him and yet he still threw the ball. Dilfer noted that he's playing with a better base. He also showed some touch. The yards weren't there but the Vikings couldn't stop the run so I'm not worried. When teams begin to stack the box I think we'll see deeper, more explosive plays out of Kap.

Hyde looked like the beast I hoped he would be. I knew he was fast and powerful, but that spin move made me jump out of my seat. I pray he remains healthy because he's the engine that makes this team go. The ZBS is a thing of beauty, and when it gets defenses rolling side-to-side the lanes get bigger and Hyde gets more aggressive. Perfect marriage of scheme and talent. I do feel Hayne did a great job coming in to spell Hyde, especially after Bush got injured. This man just put on a helmet for the first time 5 weeks ago and now he's running plays with the pros. I'm not sure how much of the offense he's mastered, but he didn't make any crucial mistakes as a RB. He's a keeper, especially on swing passes.

The beleaguered OL looked pretty good. The run blocking was stellar and the pass blocking also excellent. They only gave up one sack. I think this squad will get a boost when Kilgore comes back and then we'll see our 5 best linemen on the field. The results were good, the scheme was great and there's still time to gel. Arrow pointing up!

The TE's were involved and I was happy to see that. It makes it that much harder for the defense to know what's coming when you throw multiple TE sets at them. Vernon still can't break a tackle but that's ok, he can still get open. I'm really liking this version of Vance. Even Celek made plays. Good game all around for our TE's.

Someone made a good joke--- Did we trade Torrey Smith back to Baltimore? Going forward, we're absolutely going to see 8+ man boxes so that should open up more 1-on-1's for our speedsters.

I love Bruce Ellington's speed we need to get him more involved. Patton simply does not impress. I'm excited to see Mike Davis in this offense next week.

Game Review Defense

Giving up 3 points to a well-coached team is a huge victory. Eric Mangini called a brilliant game. We kept them on their heels with well-timed blitzes, sacking Bridgewater 5 times for a total loss of 54 yards. We played good team defense, swarmed to the ball and, more often than not, made good tackles for minimal YAC.

Our defensive line didn't seem to get much penetration but they did keep our LB's clean while also limiting the Viking's rushing attack. That's probably exactly what they were supposed to do. I did see Ian Williams make a tremendous play splitting a double-team during a big down. I also saw the DL get washed down the line a few times. It's early in the season and I expect this line to get even better as we go along. Tank had a sack, continuing the steady play he showed towards the end of last season.

Our LB's were all over the place. Bowman made his return a solid one with 7 tackles and a sack. Every time he made a play his teammates heartily congratulated him, which was great to see. This team is united that's for sure. Lynch provided some good pressure off the edge. I'm loving Mangini's liberal use of pressure up the middle. It's like our guys are shot out of a cannon. AP only had 31 yards. I say this with no surprise because that's what we do to Peterson. We stop him. Someone please tweet Heath Evans and call him out for his absolute lack of brains. (predicted 300 yards for AP)

Our secondary gave up 231 yards but they didn't give up the killer play, perhaps aided by a non-call on a long bomb against Bethea. I didn't hear Acker's name too much which means he played well. I did see Tartt make a few impact plays, closing in on ball carriers with killer intent. I'm really liking that pick. Brock even got a INT at the end, helped by pressure on Bridgewater. When it all comes together that's exactly what's supposed to happen.

Final Thoughts

I love Hayne but maybe Ellington needs to be our punt returner? I thought Pinion did pretty good but what really stood out was our coverage teams. Viking returners had nowhere to go. Dawson was solid on kicks that didn't get blocked.

Our coordinators called great games. Now let's see what they do when the NFL has film on them. Remember, it's all about making adjustments. At least now we have people who know what that word means.

I thought Tomsula looked like he belonged. The moment wasn't too big for him. And in case you forgot, he's still undefeated as HC of the Niners.

Mini-Preview of Next Week

We know the Pittsburgh Steelers have a good offense. Big Ben threw for 351 yards against the Pats and DeAngelo Williams ran for 127 yards. Antonio Brown logged 9 receptions for 133 yards. They are pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty... pretty good!

But man is their defense bad!!! Aside from a roving Ryan Shazier, their defense is terrible. They opted to leave Gronkowski wide open on several occasions and they didn't do much to cover anyone else.

I expect the Steelers to play better next week in what will be their home-opener, but they will still be missing LeVeon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey and Martavis Bryant. If we can limit their running game and keep their passing game from beating us deep, we have a great chance to win. Niners eke one out, 24-21 to start the season 2-0.

Hero of the Week!

Three Words...

Carlos-motherlovin-Hyde

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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.


12 Comments

  • Lucky Phil
    My hero of the week is Phil Walsh. Pour everyone the kool-aid we got a long losing streak coming up. You don't have a defense without a secondary or a pass rush. Thanks Baalke for wastng another draft day. Eli Harold is not the answer at OLB and Armstead is a project from a 1st rd pick? Are you kidding me!
    Sep 20, 2015 at 7:28 PM
    0
  • Terry B.
    No, I told YOU so. Guess one week in was a little too early to proclaim all is well. "Ha, ha," indeed.
    Sep 20, 2015 at 1:56 PM
    0
  • Howie
    Good game, bad uniforms. If we want to wear black jerseys and pants change the lettering to gold, like our helmets.
    Sep 16, 2015 at 12:07 PM
    0
    Response: it was definitely hard to see the numbers, as many people noted. Still, I kinda liked them. Don't want to look too much like the saints either.
  • jedediahyork
    Started out a little shaky, but once they got rolling, it was exciting to watch. Carlos Hyde looks GOOD. He looks to have that burst and speed that Frank had lost over the past few years. Kap looked comfortable and in control once he got into rhythm. He kept his eyes downfield and went through his progressions like a pro. The defense was scary good. Next week should be a pretty good gauge of where we will end up this season. The Vikings aren't an elite team yet, but the Steelers are up there.
    Sep 16, 2015 at 10:31 AM
    0
    Response: the steelers offense will be a great test. Hyde also has a gear Gore never had.
  • Beau
    I believe bell will be playing this weekend?? I'm pretty sure I heard that on ESPN this morning, I could be wrong. Either way I'm not worried with Lynch And Bowman back there.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 3:44 PM
    0
    Response: I'm confident in Mangini, something I couldn't say a few months ago.
  • VA49er
    This came down to something pretty simple in my mind. We dominated the trenches. We overmatched their O and D lines easily. I mean Hyde's spin is pointless if there is more than one man to beat on that play. Kaep had time much of the night. We still had a lot of miscues on O. Some, Reggie Bush calf strain, were unavoidable, some, false start on 4-1 with a defender not actually in the neutral zone, were understandable, and many were inexcusable. If you are playing a better team you get behind early and badly in that game. I think our Defense is way better than advertised, but better QBs will make us pay for the blitzing. I think OUr O-line had easy pickings yesterday. I am pleasantly surprised but not 100% sold on the right side of the line. Kaep has improved dramatically but he has to start connecting on deep plays or all those reads are going to disappear underneath. Ideally this game is a big building block in the season. Each of the next three weeks will get harder. Steelers O will be a big challenge, fortunately not their D. The Cardinals D will challenge our O-line tremendously and Palmer will make things very hard on the blitzers unless their O-line can't hold. The Packers...
    Sep 15, 2015 at 12:51 PM
    0
    Response: Win in the trenches, that's the idea. We'll be tested early and often, and I think we will handle it just fine.
  • gw2
    I agree with your article from top to bottom! Very well stated. I do worry about our being able to retain our effectiveness now that opponents have film to watch. We ran many plays over again and we will face defenses that have watched them over and over before they face us. I think we have to sit Reggie for now, simply because Hyde MUST have a backup and I'm not sure Hayne is ready for that duty. We need Mike Davis active.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 11:56 AM
    0
    Response: I think Reggie getting hurt will be a blessing in disguise. Mike Davis needs to be active.
  • Geep
    The 9ers showed enough to be encouraged, despite the dumb penalties in the first half! The right side of the o-line didn't allow sacks and will only get better! Hyde showed he can dominate, force the D to stack the box and open things up for the passing game! The D appears better than anyone had hoped, and Kaep appears to have progressed as both a pocket passer and reading his progressions! Best of all, the so called experts need their diaper changed.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 11:45 AM
    0
    Response: So many pundits backtracking I love it. Even vegas cut our longshot odds at a super bowl in half. HALF!!!
  • Darrell G
    It's one game, so I won't go "Super Bowl" homer. That said, the rumors of the 49ers demise have been great exaggerated.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 5:57 AM
    0
    Response: Oh, we're going to the super bowl.... :)
  • Craig
    Bad teams don't win when they play sloppy. This was a dominating performance from a 49er team that made some big mistakes. Maybe the Vikings were just that bad but we'll find out soon. Either way, this was a great way to say goodbye to that offseason.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 4:05 AM
    0
    Response: great first game. Gives us confidence while also knowing there are things we need to work on. Exactly what we needed.
  • AnfieldNiner
    I agree on coach Tomsula, he looks like he belongs. I love his simple, honest approach. He isn't glamorous, but he will take us where we want to go.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 2:40 AM
    0
    Response: We're riding that mustache to the playoffs!
  • Banjax
    Give Hayne another chance as a returner. Ellington would have been tackled immediately if it wasn't for those blatant blocks in the back, so it's a bit early to annoint him. After Hayne's fumble he had a decent return and a punt intentionally kicked out of bounds rather than allow him a return. Hayne is only going to get better.
    Sep 15, 2015 at 2:13 AM
    0
    Response: I love Hayne. Only problem is, Mike Davis is the better RB backup. So now you're in a numbers crunch on who to be active. Not the worst problem to have, but it should be Davis active with Ellington handling returns until Bush gets better.

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



49ers still favored to win Super Bowl 59 after first wave of free agency

By David Bonilla
Mar 20

After falling just short of championship glory in February, the San Francisco 49ers are eyeing another opportunity in Super Bowl 59, and oddsmakers are backing their ambitions. The latest defeat was the second unsuccessful Super Bowl trip of the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era. Now, the Niners own the best odds in the league (+550) to finally hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy once more. Super Bowl 59 will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The team that dashed the 49ers' championship dreams in February, the Kansas City Chiefs, boast the second-best odds (+600) in the NFL to win Super Bowl 59. Among the NFC West teams, the Los Angeles Rams have the next-best odds after the 49ers, with distant +3500 odds,



49ers Mock Draft 5.0: DB help added in first round

By Wayne P. Brown
Mar 23

The Pro Football Focus (PFF) Mock Draft Simulator was used to create this mock draft. In mock draft 5.0, I continued using the "best player available" model for the San Francisco 49ers. This week, the 49ers' position of need and value met in the first round. Round 1, Pick 31 CB, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama The 49ers have three defensive backs in the last years of their contracts. Charvarius Ward is a veteran in the last year of his deal with the team, and Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas are playing in the last year of their rookie contracts. Kool-Aid McKinstry is one of the best outside corners in the 2024 NFL Draft. McKinstry has excellent lateral agility, is strong in press-man coverage, and tackles well



Offense or defense? NFL.com's mock drafts predict 49ers' first-round pick

By David Bonilla
7 hrs

Three NFL Media analysts have recently released their mock drafts, projecting the potential moves of each team in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, marking their first Round 1 selection since 2021. The latest mock draft comes from Charles Davis, who has San Francisco addressing the offensive line, strengthening a unit that showed inconsistency last season. Davis predicts the 49ers will choose former Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton with their first selection. "The 49ers' offense will flourish as long as HC Kyle Shanahan is diagramming plays, and this agile former tight end has a chance to plug in



Details emerge on 49ers' 1-year deals with Jon Feliciano and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

By Site Staff
Mar 19

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles recently re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on one-year deals. OverTheCap.com has revealed the contract information for both deals. Feliciano signed a contract that includes the minimum base salary for a player with eight accrued seasons of experience—$1.21 million. Flannigan-Fowles' base salary is slightly higher, at about $1.77 million. Feliciano is scheduled to count about $2.28 million against the 2024 salary cap, while Flannigan-Fowles is slated to consume almost $1.3 million. The linebacker's reduced impact is due to the 49ers using a portion of up to $1.45 million of salary that won't count against the salary cap for veteran players. The 49ers are paying Feliciano a


Latest

More by Phil Walsh

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone