Crabtree and Alex needing chemistry...and there's only one person to blame

Originally posted by ady2glude707:
Youre also missing the fact that Smith sees where Crabs is on the field before he throws (take the last game where crabs was down the field open by 10yds), smith threw it to him because he saw he was open, he simply over threw crabtree, not crabtrees fault

Correct.

Crabtree can't throw it AND catch it.

I'm not blaming Alex, but I'll bet if you ask him he'd tell you those were his fault. You aren't going to make every throw. Thats football.

Peeps on this site tho take EVERY opportunity to knock Crabtree. It's really quite ludicrous.

Its pretty much exactly the same way Washington fans treated Carlos Rogers.

this has nothing to with the fact that when he's wide open the ball is thrown too far or 10 ft. over his head.

graham harrell didnt have a problem throwing to him

Crabtree and Smith WILL connect this week. im expecting us to torch them this week. theyll be gearing up for Gore and i think theyre vulnerable through the air anyway.

Originally posted by sfninerfanMax:
Smith to Crabtree will improve---BUT--with Soap we have found our new Jerry Rice--great hands--great YAC--Soap will end up with 110 catches 14 TDs and Super Bowl MVP

only if he can hold off Joe Staley. that 17 yarder in stride was awesome lol

The issue is simply a matter of timing. There haven't been many pass attempts downfield this season in game situations between Smith and Crabtree. It is an element of the offense that hasn't been used much until recently. Timing is critical on these types of plays and the tempo in practice is usually very different from a game. I expect that it wont be long before the deep passing game develops between Smith, Crabtree, and Edwards. After all, we haven't had the necessary protection from the OL to throw deep up until recently as well.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
See, I totally disagree with that.

I think the real issue is that most fans and media have had an incorrect view of who Crabtree is from the very beginning. I think he's just a socially awkward dude who messed up his image when he got bad advice from an agent. He is bad in front of the camera because he's uncomfortable and doesn't know what to say.

I haven't seen ANYTHING on the field that tells me he doesn't sell out for the team. That blocking thing? He's been doing it from the beginning.

Peeps just take every opportunity to take every action and paint it negatively.

Example: He shows up when he has no obligation to do so to offseason workouts during the lockout. He gets hurt and still attends every meeting.

People here paint it as "he doesn't want to be here", "he doesn't want to practice", "he's a diva", or "he's faking an injury to get out of practice". Peeps will take any opportunity to take any action and scew it to match their own preconceived notion.

The problem is that the notion was incorrect from the start.

Wow... very nice. Socially awkward... and this has hurt with team practice that leads to more on-field chemistry and production. But that is where the negatives end for Crabtree. Well, that, and he loses focus during games sometimes... which leads to too many drops or tipped INTs.

more alexcuses, they have practiced for 8 weeks straight and people are saying cause he missed a month of TC, THATS THE REASON ALEX IS MISSING HIM?

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
See, I totally disagree with that.

I think the real issue is that most fans and media have had an incorrect view of who Crabtree is from the very beginning. I think he's just a socially awkward dude who messed up his image when he got bad advice from an agent. He is bad in front of the camera because he's uncomfortable and doesn't know what to say.

I haven't seen ANYTHING on the field that tells me he doesn't sell out for the team. That blocking thing? He's been doing it from the beginning.

Peeps just take every opportunity to take every action and paint it negatively.

Example: He shows up when he has no obligation to do so to offseason workouts during the lockout. He gets hurt and still attends every meeting.

People here paint it as "he doesn't want to be here", "he doesn't want to practice", "he's a diva", or "he's faking an injury to get out of practice". Peeps will take any opportunity to take any action and scew it to match their own preconceived notion.

The problem is that the notion was incorrect from the start.

Wow... very nice. Socially awkward... and this has hurt with team practice that leads to more on-field chemistry and production. But that is where the negatives end for Crabtree. Well, that, and he loses focus during games sometimes... which leads to too many drops or tipped INTs.

I can agree with that, but the venom on this site in regard to Crabtree is rediculous. Its as tho peeps WANT him to fail.

I'll never understand that.

Originally posted by Canadian49er:
Alex's best throws with the best touch are to Vernon. He's dropped in some amazing balls in double and triple coverage to VD.But, when it comes to Crab, the balls are too high or too overthrown. Could it be Crabtree's speed deceiving Alex? MC seems to have nice acceleration but lacks consistent and breakaway speed. But that's not the main issue...

Crabtree misses A LOT of practice time with "injuries". How many training camps has he been to again? How many days of Camp Alex did he participate in?

It's no wonder they can't get on the same page.

Remember how good Alex and Battle were at being on the same page? Arnaz and Smith spent a lot of time together on the practice field...and it's the same situation with Vernon.

Hopefully this supposedly "team first" version of Crabtree starts putting in more work off the field. Alex to Crab has the potential to be potent if they can get on the same page Alex and Vernon are on.

The responsibility of the QB is to get the ball to the receiver, period. Alex has issues with accuracy. He has missed or thrown poor balls to all of his targets. His most recent interception was a poorly thrown ball to an open VD. He throws more poorly thrown balls to Crabtree because he likely understands that Crabtree is one of his best play makers and can more so catch the ball if he puts in in the vicinity.

It is quite ignorant to keep pointing to the time Crabtree missed as a result of an INJURY as evidence of some character flaw in an attempt to excuse Alex's flaws. Last year he was injured during training camp doing what? Trying to catch one of Alex's highly thrown balls. So Crabtree is on the practice field and becomes injured trying to catch the same types of poorly thrown balls that Alex is throwing during the game and its HIS fault???? That is pathetically discriminatory (And I didn't say racial).

So what he missed time, He and Alex have played together for nearly 21/2 seasons. Crabtree ran different routes than Morgan. If Alex doesn't know the difference between the two by now, he is much less intelligent than you all make him out to be.

With your reasoning, there would never be any completions in pick-up football games. This is not a bash Alex response either. It is intended to quash the continued attempts to create a character flaw; despite all of the evidence indicating otherwise.

just saying alex needs to be a little more accurate with the ball, the great qb's do that when the opps present themselves, they make the play.
every niner fan should want him to be a great qb as his success can only help this team with that being said when he leaves some plays on the field he
deserves to take some heat too just like every other player who gets put on blast for not making a play.

i wanna hear something like "BEAUTIFUL PASS FROOOMM ALEX SMITH TO MICHAEL CRABTREE TOUCH DOWN" more often then "ahh alex smith overthrows
the receiver who looks like he had a step on the db"

go niners

Originally posted by ttime:

Originally posted by Canadian49er:
Alex's best throws with the best touch are to Vernon. He's dropped in some amazing balls in double and triple coverage to VD.But, when it comes to Crab, the balls are too high or too overthrown. Could it be Crabtree's speed deceiving Alex? MC seems to have nice acceleration but lacks consistent and breakaway speed. But that's not the main issue...

Crabtree misses A LOT of practice time with "injuries". How many training camps has he been to again? How many days of Camp Alex did he participate in?

It's no wonder they can't get on the same page.

Remember how good Alex and Battle were at being on the same page? Arnaz and Smith spent a lot of time together on the practice field...and it's the same situation with Vernon.

Hopefully this supposedly "team first" version of Crabtree starts putting in more work off the field. Alex to Crab has the potential to be potent if they can get on the same page Alex and Vernon are on.

The responsibility of the QB is to get the ball to the receiver, period. Alex has issues with accuracy. He has missed or thrown poor balls to all of his targets. His most recent interception was a poorly thrown ball to an open VD. He throws more poorly thrown balls to Crabtree because he likely understands that Crabtree is one of his best play makers and can more so catch the ball if he puts in in the vicinity.

It is quite ignorant to keep pointing to the time Crabtree missed as a result of an INJURY as evidence of some character flaw in an attempt to excuse Alex's flaws. Last year he was injured during training camp doing what? Trying to catch one of Alex's highly thrown balls. So Crabtree is on the practice field and becomes injured trying to catch the same types of poorly thrown balls that Alex is throwing during the game and its HIS fault???? That is pathetically discriminatory (And I didn't say racial).

So what he missed time, He and Alex have played together for nearly 21/2 seasons. Crabtree ran different routes than Morgan. If Alex doesn't know the difference between the two by now, he is much less intelligent than you all make him out to be.

With your reasoning, there would never be any completions in pick-up football games. This is not a bash Alex response either. It is intended to quash the continued attempts to create a character flaw; despite all of the evidence indicating otherwise.

Originally posted by Marvin49:
Dude.....Seriously? AGAIN!?! I'm gonna blow a freakin' gasket.

How many times have we been over this? HE. WAS. HURT.

Where did he get hurt you ask? At the Alex SMith practice that you chastized him for not participating in. You know, the one where there was a lockout on and he had no obligation to attend and actually took a RISK of getting injured at.

He went there, got injured, but stayed for all of the meetings even after he was hurt.

Peeps REALLY need to get off this subject. Seriously. It's old and its tired.

Dude, you know the diva rep has little to do with him being hurt and not attending camp right? It has to do with 1) insinuating that Alex Smith was the problem last year, 2) having run in with teammates and 3) holding out for more money even though a fair offer was made. Not to mention holding out for more money while the economy was deteriorating and people all over the place were losing their jobs. Wrong timing for that!

He was acting like a diva back then so just admit it. He's starting to change and that's great for him and the team. But face the facts man he came off that way to a lot of people. It's not like this thread made itself out of thin blue air. People obviosuly agree. Again, though for the record he has appeared to change and good for him. I just hope it can stay this for the long haul.

I think it's more of Alex trying to adjust to Crabtree than anything Crabtree is doing. Some passes the qb has to anticipate the speed of the receiver out of his break and lead him accurately. Other passes he has to throw high away form a defender and let the receiver jump for it, but those just takes a few inches to be too high and miss the receiver altogether. It's anticipating how far his receiver will jump for it. Then other passes where he's just throwing to a certain spot on a timing route and let the receiver get to it. It's mostly on Smith but he needs to work with Crabtree to get better. I don't see any way around it.

Originally posted by mustangmele:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
Dude.....Seriously? AGAIN!?! I'm gonna blow a freakin' gasket.

How many times have we been over this? HE. WAS. HURT.

Where did he get hurt you ask? At the Alex SMith practice that you chastized him for not participating in. You know, the one where there was a lockout on and he had no obligation to attend and actually took a RISK of getting injured at.

He went there, got injured, but stayed for all of the meetings even after he was hurt.

Peeps REALLY need to get off this subject. Seriously. It's old and its tired.

Dude, you know the diva rep has little to do with him being hurt and not attending camp right? It has to do with 1) insinuating that Alex Smith was the problem last year, 2) having run in with teammates and 3) holding out for more money even though a fair offer was made. Not to mention holding out for more money while the economy was deteriorating and people all over the place were losing their jobs. Wrong timing for that!

He was acting like a diva back then so just admit it. He's starting to change and that's great for him and the team. But face the facts man he came off that way to a lot of people. It's not like this thread made itself out of thin blue air. People obviosuly agree. Again, though for the record he has appeared to change and good for him. I just hope it can stay this for the long haul.

OK, here we go....same old crap....

1) He didn't insinuate anything. He asked who the QB was. The guy is socially awkward. It was us as fans and the media that made that an issue, not him. If Josh Morgan had said the EXACT same thing, we'd never have said anything.

2) He had ONE run-in with ONE teammate. ONE. I guess arguing with Vernon Davis automatically qualifies you as a diva.

3) The holdout was a mistake. No question. The problem tho is that is has painted EVERYTHING this guy ever does with the diva brush. If the guy takes a piss but doesn't wash his hands its because he's a diva and doesn't want to be a Niner. Its really freakin' rediculous.

I do face the facts that some people interpreted his behavior as diva-ish. I can accept that. What is UNacceptable tho is that there appears to be almost nothing he can do to change that preconceived notion and people seem to fiond anything they can to jump on him...even when he plays well. Even when he is praised by his coaches. Even when the team says they have no issue with him. Even when he sacrifices for the team and switches position. Even when he blocks downfield in a very non-diva way.

I can accept that peeps think he's a diva. I challenge other people to allow for the fact that they may have been wrong all along. It won't happen.