Billick: "...defense will only carry 49ers so far"

Originally posted by WeAreLegend:
Joe Montana - 1982 Superbowl -

49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers' 275.

There is a reason I have always been glad Billick was never our coach. Did I spell his name right? Probably not.

157 yards!!!! Blasphemy! That's wrong! It can't be!

Originally posted by WeAreLegend:
Joe Montana - 1982 Superbowl -

49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers' 275.

There is a reason I have always been glad Billick was never our coach. Did I spell his name right? Probably not.

Montanaxcuses

Originally posted by Micky6:

Originally posted by mickey49:
Didn't see this posted anywhere:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8234b8f3/article/in-the-passhappy-nfl-defense-will-carry-the-49ers-only-so-far

I tend to agree. The defense has been outstanding overall, but we haven't faced a QB the likes of Brady, Brees, or Rodgers this season. Come playoff time (no jinx), we might have to deal with a QB like that. Thoughts? Think our D can contain elite QBs like those guys?

While I agree with Billick that the 9ers have shielded Alex Smith from being the guy that has to win on his own... I do have to disagree with a few things. They are expecting Alex to manage the game in a basic WCO system. That is go to the line in a formation and audible changes based on what the defense is showing/giving. If the D lines up 8 in the box, Alex is going to call for protection and he's going to pass. If the 9ers spread things and the D spreads with... they'll do what they can to exploit that too. It's worked... it worked in the early 80s, and it is working now. As the offense gets more confident they can look to expand on that and be more attacking... but overall I think the team has done well. Let's not forget that the 9ers could've/should've beaten Brees last year on Monday night. This defense is better and I think the offense is as well. In terms of Brady and Rodgers... well... those guys are great. The Pats would have to figure out how to stop Gore. Their Run D kinda sucks. The 9ers could potentially keep Brady on the sidelines and force him to open things up when on the field. He's thrown a lot of picks this year. Rodgers is on a much more complete team. I see the 9ers as having no answer for them right now.

This year when the 9ers needed to open things up Smith has been up to the task. Heck... he was pretty good last year and in other years when the team had to open things up (down a lot and in a spread offense). The key is the 9ers offense is built to maintain long drives and keep opponents O's off the field... and their defense is built to help keep games low scoring. For the first time in a long, long while both the offense and defensive strategies seem to work well together for the 49ers. I think Billick is right to suggest that the 9ers haven't blown teams out by hurling the ball with reckless abandon, but at the same time... that's by design and the design is/has been working. I haven't heard on one pundit, football insider or expert suggesting that Jets were a beatable team because Sanchez can't beat you on his own... the Jets have gone pretty far doing exactly what the 9ers are doing... it's just the 9ers seem to be doing it better now.

Nice! I like it.

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:
Laughable considering he won a superbowl with Trent Dilfer

Yeah, but they cut him afterwards.

Originally posted by WeAreLegend:
Joe Montana - 1982 Superbowl -

49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers' 275.

There is a reason I have always been glad Billick was never our coach. Did I spell his name right? Probably not.

You seem to be forgetting Joe Montana leading a comeback of all ages to get to the Super Bowl.

Originally posted by LambdaChi49:

Originally posted by WeAreLegend:

Joe Montana - 1982 Superbowl -

49ers quarterback Joe Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers' 275.

There is a reason I have always been glad Billick was never our coach. Did I spell his name right? Probably not.

Montanaxcuses

Montana sux. Dan Marino had much better stats.




...
Let's ignore the little fact that Dan never won a superbowl.

the niners are only going to get better. the only reason, i think, why we lost to the cowgirls is cuz they got us in week 2. We can hang with any team IMO. and if the defense shuts down the opposing offense, there is no need for AS to put up big numbers. As long as he dont throw games away like he used to we'll be straight,

Originally posted by tjd808185:
You seem to be forgetting Joe Montana leading a comeback of all ages to get to the Super Bowl.

You're forgetting those are just stats. Stats don't ever tell whether or not somebody leads a comeback.

I am stilll not really a fan of Smith, but even he is not as bad as Dilfer or Brad Johnson. He showed the ability (against PHI) to play mistake free football when we needed him the most. Did he do anything special? no. Did we win in spite of him, because of him, or with his help? Probably with his help. I don't think Romo would have won that game.

Alex has been playing solid football, and making plays when we need him. If Billick had any sort of intelligence, he would look at Smith's passing %, TD:int ratio, and running abilities as positives. Instead, he is likely looking at yards only.

Originally posted by tjd808185:
You seem to be forgetting Joe Montana leading a comeback of all ages to get to the Super Bowl.

In which he threw 3 interceptions.

Originally posted by Legbreaker:
In which he threw 3 interceptions.

Which also tells you that we trusted him with the offense.

You look at both playoff games before the Super Bowl and Montana was no game manager.

Just to clarify my point.

Stats often reflect nothing.

There was a game against the Giants where we won it in the last seconds on a Montana to Rice 90+ yarder and the game was reeeeeaaaaalllly low scoring.

It was an absolute slugout and it took two great players to pull it off.

Some of you people really need to stop trying to find reasons to bash Smith, it's getting stupid.

Originally posted by WeAreLegend:
Just to clarify my point.

Stats often reflect nothing.

There was a game against the Giants where we won it in the last seconds on a Montana to Rice 90+ yarder and the game was reeeeeaaaaalllly low scoring.

It was an absolute slugout and it took two great players to pull it off.

Some of you people really need to stop trying to find reasons to bash Smith, it's getting stupid.

Montana is not the guy to make your point. We had a top 10 passing attack virtually every year with him.

I'm not bashing Smith at all, but when people make absurd comparisions perspective needs to be added.

Here's another eye opener for you perpetual, irritating pessimists.

Madden called Montana and Lawrence Taylor the only two players ever capable of dominating a game all by themselves.

That domination often did not involve incredible stats.

Get off the stats, get off the crack. You've been b***hing since the minute Smith was drafted.

Originally posted by tjd808185:

Originally posted by Legbreaker:
In which he threw 3 interceptions.

Which also tells you that we trusted him with the offense.

You look at both playoff games before the Super Bowl and Montana was no game manager.

It is sometimes forgotten that much of that drive was accomplished through running the ball. Lenvil Elliot was a workhouse during the drive and Freddie Solomon picked up a decent chunk of yardage on a reverse. It was the genius of Walsh to see the Cowboys were dropping six in coverage and exploiting it. I have no doubt that Walsh trusted Montana but I think his greatest faith was in himself and the offense he designed.