Vernon Davis

I am equally mystified and disappointed, as I'm sure Davis is, at the lack of balls thrown his way. At this point, with others like Crabtree, picking up the load, i can't help but think he's getting open at least some of the time. Hope he's given more chances to get involved these last 3 games (and not just blocking).

Originally posted by 49Fever:

Originally posted by TDNiners:
Here is what I believe is happening.

I believe that teams double team Davis with the Safety. They are challenging us to throw to our WRs.

But
1) Our OLine are not very good pass blockers - sacks galore whoever is the QB
2) WRs can't win their one of one match ups. This is evident when I was in the Rams game. Against a JV secondary our WRs can't get open.

All teams except for the Bears are following this blueprint. Of course, success and failure depends on their personel and whether we can run that day.

The Bears didn't believe we would pass. If you watch that game again 1) you wil see they have freaking 9 in the box. 2) Their secondary lost their matchups. 3) The QB had all day to throw. NOBODY is around the QB when he lets go of the ball. NOT even in the same zip code close.

You will see this patter again. Its up to our WRs to win the battle. Very tough to do since I believe our WR's are schemed open not open because they won their battle against the secondary.

Cannot find a quality post like this these days around here
Interesting point of view
Certainly better than the "he has the handcuffs" or "roman sucks"
Thx

Spot on...this can't be ignored any longer!

I've been highlighting this as well esp. re: our pass plays. The pass plays are schemed to get ONE guy the ball while the others play a role in that pass (blocking down field as the ball is in the air, etc.). It's a college offense. Period.

This isn't a passing game built around WCO principles where you look deep, #2 option, then to the TE and then finally check down to the RB/FB in the flats. No way! But when it works, it's great esp. on 1st downs which is where the mass majority of our big plays and scores come from...b/c defenses can't predict what we'll do on that down like they can on 2nd (run) and 3rd downs (pass).

But we have a fundamental problem on offense that extends beyond our inability to win individual battles...b/c when those other receivers know based on the play call, that they are not the target, it eliminates their mindset as a receiver...they are focused on decoying or blocking.

This is especially evident when we have to ad lib. Receivers have no clue what to do. And if that one-read receiver is covered? It's scramble, sack and throw-away time. But yeah, Roman sucks too. LOL

if he isnt a big part of the offense vs the Pats, we are in some deep $#it

Too busy beastin at blocking

Originally posted by NCommand:
Spot on...this can't be ignored any longer!

I've been highlighting this as well esp. re: our pass plays. The pass plays are schemed to get ONE guy the ball while the others play a role in that pass (blocking down field as the ball is in the air, etc.). It's a college offense. Period.

This isn't a passing game built around WCO principles where you look deep, #2 option, then to the TE and then finally check down to the RB/FB in the flats. No way! But when it works, it's great esp. on 1st downs which is where the mass majority of our big plays and scores come from...b/c defenses can't predict what we'll do on that down like they can on 2nd (run) and 3rd downs (pass).

But we have a fundamental problem on offense that extends beyond our inability to win individual battles...b/c when those other receivers know based on the play call, that they are not the target, it eliminates their mindset as a receiver...they are focused on decoying or blocking.

This is especially evident when we have to ad lib. Receivers have no clue what to do. And if that one-read receiver is covered? It's scramble, sack and throw-away time. But yeah, Roman sucks too. LOL

Seems that CK was looking at more than one receiver in the Chicago game and having success. Then teams began to take VD away, allow Crabtree to catch underneath a bit and nothing else has been open. Manningham's loss really hurts and Williams somewhat, but not to the extent of the failure to pass demonstrates. Below are VD's numbers for the passed four weeks.

VD record last 4 Weeks:

Chi: 6 for 83 yards
NO 0 for 0 yards
StL 2 for 15 yards
Mia 1 for 4 yards

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

Last time I checked he had 6 straight games without a touchdown with Smith under the helm as well.

Originally posted by tjd808185:

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

Last time I checked he had 6 straight games without a touchdown with Smith under the helm as well.

No catches either?

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

No catches either?

He has one less catch in the past four games as he had in the four games prior to the first Rams game.

Originally posted by TheWooLick:
He has one less catch in the past four games as he had in the four games prior to the first Rams game.

Six against Chicago and then three over the next three weeks--one per week. My question is why? He was averaging four per game until Seattle and has only had two good receiving games since.

I don't know if this is the answer but I think teams are just game-planning against him. When Alex was QB, he averaged 18 completions per game for 207 yards. With Kaep at QB, he is averaging 17 completions per game for 216 yards. Those numbers seem the same to me whichever QB is playing. VD did have more success with Alex at QB but Alex had more games and VD had better games at the beginning of the year.

Again, even with Alex at QB, VD started to drop off after the monster Buffalo game. He had 3 rec. against the Giants, ZERO against Seattle and 2 against Arizona. Then Kaep took over and they were probably not in Sync...

Our wr's have posted more receptions with Kaep in as well. I'm not going to post every game but Crabtree and Mannigham (before the injury) appeared to have a jump in receptions per game.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Six against Chicago and then three over the next three weeks--one per week. My question is why? He was averaging four per game until Seattle and has only had two good receiving games since.

I don't know, they only targeted him twice in Minnesota as well. I would love to see him more involved as a receiver. Maybe certain games the coaches are asking him to block more.

Originally posted by NCommand:
Spot on...this can't be ignored any longer!

I've been highlighting this as well esp. re: our pass plays. The pass plays are schemed to get ONE guy the ball while the others play a role in that pass (blocking down field as the ball is in the air, etc.). It's a college offense. Period.

This isn't a passing game built around WCO principles where you look deep, #2 option, then to the TE and then finally check down to the RB/FB in the flats. No way! But when it works, it's great esp. on 1st downs which is where the mass majority of our big plays and scores come from...b/c defenses can't predict what we'll do on that down like they can on 2nd (run) and 3rd downs (pass).

But we have a fundamental problem on offense that extends beyond our inability to win individual battles...b/c when those other receivers know based on the play call, that they are not the target, it eliminates their mindset as a receiver...they are focused on decoying or blocking.

This is especially evident when we have to ad lib. Receivers have no clue what to do. And if that one-read receiver is covered? It's scramble, sack and throw-away time. But yeah, Roman sucks too. LOL

It's a simplified offense that takes the thinking away from our QB's. There's a reason for that.

Originally posted by jacklegniner:
I don't know if this is the answer but I think teams are just game-planning against him. When Alex was QB, he averaged 18 completions per game for 207 yards. With Kaep at QB, he is averaging 17 completions per game for 216 yards. Those numbers seem the same to me whichever QB is playing. VD did have more success with Alex at QB but Alex had more games and VD had better games at the beginning of the year.

Again, even with Alex at QB, VD started to drop off after the monster Buffalo game. He had 3 rec. against the Giants, ZERO against Seattle and 2 against Arizona. Then Kaep took over and they were probably not in Sync...

Our wr's have posted more receptions with Kaep in as well. I'm not going to post every game but Crabtree and Mannigham (before the injury) appeared to have a jump in receptions per game.

Good points, and I agree that VD began his tapering off with Smith at QB. It seems odd to me though, that the offense can't take advantage of this attention to VD, if that's the issue. Crabtree has been very effective this year, thank heavens! The loss of Manningham is bad and hopefully he will be back full time. Maybe it's a matter of making Crabtree, Moss and Manningham equal threats to VD so the defenses will have to cover him more honestly. With Gore, CK, James and Miller in the backfield there appear to be plenty of running threats to create a balance.

They could do different things with Vernon but they don't. They could line him up against a corner if they wanted. I can't think of anything
else but keeping it simple. Put him in motion, bunch formation which they do sometimes. Why not just say come hell or high water this is for Vernon and just chuck it.
They could do the same for Randy. At least twice a game.