Great collection of thoughts to ponder Pasodoc! My attempts below:
Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Corva yes HaRo did call more 3 WR sets. And yes we did get up on them. BUT...then we let them back in. Howeever, just because we ran more 3 wide sets doesn't mean that they were used in the proper sequence of playcalling. Yes, Greg knows the different plays. But NO , he has no idea how to integrate them. Also, I believe, that all but a few plays, their D was running a stacked line, usually 8, sometimes 9 or 10 guys on LOS. In effect they are saying, c'mon, kap, beat us with a pass. Well, kap did pretty darn well, but the sequence of playcalling (Ie, mixing in an occasional bomb with short to mid range stuff) was really pure vanilla. We were easy to defend and they did so.
I see it as one of two things: 1) Kaepernick just can't punish a stacked line with his arm or 2) the play calls do not allow him to make those reads quickly enough.
Not scoring in the 2nd half means that THEY make adjustments, and we don't . Coaching error there. Not knowing how to string a series of Offensive plays together successfully...coaching failure. Having one rally killing series of personal fouls called , two games in a row...coaching failure, altho the players committed the fouls. Still coaching failure.
Lack of self discipline...hmm...wonder who the role model is for lack of composure? LOL!
Defense: Fangio called a much better game than the F- he got for the BEars fiasco. He brought blitzes, he did great the first half. Then AZ changed O strategy, and fangio didn't . Coaching failure. F-.
They couldn't get to the QB with a blitz, without a blitz...very sad without Aldon. They need to shake up the line and give Justin some help. With Bowman out it hurts a great deal...Willis in the best MLB in the league but blitzing has seldom been required and when he does blitz lesser LBs have to take up the slack in coverge. With so many players missing this is a problem that may just take time to cure (like niner games
).
One wonders looking at the above, not has Coach Harbaugh lost his touch, but has he lost his team. We did not look good out there in 2nd half, lots of 3 and outs, no imagination, and when 10 guys magically appear at LOS, kap has to call a pass. Well then , some may say, he should have passed virtually every play. True. If D is loading the box you pass every play until they get out of it, screens(which we do poorly), slants, outs, mid range, occ deep balls. Just keep throwing the rock til they back off the LOS. and they didn't.
Really don't think Harbaugh has lost his team but this team in in transition, particuarly in leadership. The DBs are totally new over the past couple of years...no continuity, Bowman out, McDonald waiting for the other shoe to drop, Aldon out...I think whether Harbaugh loses this team depend on who the leaders become. He is safe with Willis, Bowman, and Justin...but not sure about the DBs or Boldin...or Kaepernick. CK may need to blame someone for his failure to develop and that would be Cryst, Harbaugh or Roman. Or he understands that it's a process and when they start winning all is good. Losing is seldom helpful in gaining trust.
So error in coaching philosophy. jH has to know that no points in 2nd half in 3 games is not a good sign. Obviously he has to change philosophy. Sure kap needs to take this team on his back and win it for us in the 4th qtr. Sure HaRo have to call a much, much improved game in 2nd half. But, my admonition back during the draft was, despite how well I like our new DBackfield, I thot it would take 3-4 games before the DBs really got to know one another, to play in unison as a team. Well, I may have underestimated that a bit. Now I will say that 6-8 games, or maybe half a season will need to go by for the DBs to learn to play together. Yes, some of that is coaching, maybe it is inferior talent, but I honestly believe, it just will take another 4-6 games to get our DBs all on the same page. And , remember, they are doing all this "getting acquainted" without BOW, and ALL-stupid-DONE. I sure hope aldon understands what his stupidity , childishness, and idiocy have cost this team...and will continue to cost us. Our DBs lost this game, and I put that on not coaching so much, but just needing for DBs having more time to know who does what, where and when.
Brock's loss has had an impact on the D. With his injury and Culliver being dinged, the defensive backfield struggled a bit late in this game. But I think much of that is also due to lack of pass rush. That's why it was so painful for me to see Willis flagged for hitting the QB. It was the only real sign the team was going to be threatening (that's hyperbole--a few hits but not many).
Meantime, HaRo have to figure out how to have kap pass every play if necessary against box 8 or more, and how to change tactics for every 2nd half. Good luck guys, you are going to need it.
Finally , if the personal fouls continue, one would have to say that Coach Harbaugh...has lost his team.
OLine, CK's lack of vision, routes, play design, play call sequence...about the only thing we can eliminate this year as a reason for failing to punish stacked boxes is lack of quality WRs. So...take your pick of the above. I think it's mostly CK not trusting his line and the line not earning his trust. A bit of it can be blamed on playcalling and routes. When I watched Denver's underneath routes it made me so jealous! Not only do they complete those passes but they are set up for yac! The niner receivers can block so I'm not sure why the lack of yac unless it's play design or comfort with the plays (experience).
Gore is a team first guy and this must be killing him! All these years of mediocrity and now they have a great collection of players at every position...and he gets six carries in a loss! Must just kill the guy. I'm wondering why, with a lead, they didn't use him more. Odd.
All due respect to Bo Schembechler but his philosophy is outdated, out of step with today's rules of the game, and thus won't win us a SB. Plus, all schemes have weaknesses. And when your opponents are pocking at the weaknesses of your scheme you have to change things up. Conversely, when things are working you make the opposing team force you out of, you don't just stop what's working to satisfy a philosophy. With the personnel we have we should keep at least 3 WR on the field at all times until teams prove they can defend it. Boldin had it right, there's not a team in the NFL that has 5 CB's that can guard all these WR's.