Who's impressed with this win?

Originally posted by English:
Avoiding the argument here, the list of players missing puts the results recently into perspective.

Not just quantity. Some of out best players are gone for now. I would never have thought without Willis, Smith, Crabtree, Manningham, etc etc gone we would still be hanging on.

Kudos to Wilhoite and all the other dudes who are stepping up.

This absolutely. Young kids are acquitting themselves very well. Kind of wonder why they have not had more snaps. I advocate less hierarchical pecking order and more easygoing subbing. I think that moves towards a team-based, unit based mentality, less I am a superstar, you are a sub team-undermining mentality.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:

Originally posted by Canadian9erfan:
Yeah i dont know what people are complaining about. We won 34-3 with our QB only completing 6 balls. how many other teams can win like that?

That game last night has me thinking more positively than ever about this year. Our secondary played the best game of the season, our front 7 did OK, but when i consider A. Smith and P. Willis both missing and some young backups getting reps I am 100% fine with this as it will only improve later in the season when it actually matters.

Offensively our run game seems to be back on track these last 2 weeks, and Kaep although not thorwing for 300yds and 3 Tds each game has been efficient and moved the chains and put up points. Just thinking again about later in the season when our 3 WRs could be Crabtree, Boldin and Manningham has me really excited.

We need our players healthy and ready to go late in the season and playoffs. Until then anytime we can get a win (ugly, fancy etc) is fine by me. Especially vs a team like Houston.

Come again?

Also, do not count on Crabs or Manningham this season. Both had very tough injuries for receivers. Besides, as I and others have said in the past -- personnel is not the only issue we face when trying to get a pass game together. So even if we had these guys back 100% there is still much work to be done to have a polished evenly balanced spread-it-around attack that moves the chains and keeps DC's from stuffing us by just keying on 1 or 2 players.

If we don't accomplish this goal, I don't see us as being serious contenders for championship. I think we're more like 2011 -- strong bridesmaids who will be exposed somewhere along the line as having no means to move the ball against a superior, well playing defense.

By efficient I meant not turning the ball over. Maybe the "moving the chains" part was a bit over the top as a majority of 1st downs has been due to the running game and not Kaepernick. I do think personnel is a big issue as lining up legitamite WRs like Crabs and Manningham next to Boldin alters how the Def lines up and opens other things up. Right now teams know all we have outside is Boldin, inside is VD and lots and lots of run plays. No one fear any other WR on our team (rightfully so).

Play calling we will always b***h about when we dont get 1st downs and score. Last 2 games we have committed to the run successfully and thats what 99% of us wanted after our losses so I am happy with that.

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by dj43:
A win is a win, even if the opposing team just hands it to you.

The utter failure of the passing game offsets any great joy over the running game. The defense was good, not great. Schaub handing us the ball three times makes the defense look better than it was.

I don't expect any legit playoff teams to be so generous to a team that has only 1/2 an offense.

Glass half empty. That is the way you have to look at it until the passing game actually shows up.

it is one thing for a team to hand it to you,,, it is another thing for us to take advantage of those xmas gifts. we got three touchdowns on some of those gifts they gave us. remember it was not to long ago we would moan all we get is field goals? a good team will make teams pay for giving you stuff, with touchdowns, ck did not have great glittery stats which i know is the gold standard by which all is measured,, but he made some throws when he needed to and never made a mistake so it was not a "utter failure" unless you play madden or fantasy and then thats your problem. the defense was solid, the special teams were solid, the run game was solid, we never made mistakes... i am sorry but that is how you win games. had we not taken advantage of those gifts given to us, also our guys were in the right place at the right time and made the plays,,,,,, then we would be having a different conversation this morning

Yes, it was good that we scored TDs. That was an improvement.

My greatest concern is that I am still not seeing Kaepernick go through his progressions to find anyone other than Boldin. On several occasions Baldwin was singled covered and got separation but CK didn't even look at him. McDonald was open a couple of times but no looks at him either. It is one thing to say the passing game will get better when Manningham and Crabtree get back again, assuming they are both 100%, but Kaepernick has to learn to scan the field to find them. He also missed a couple of easy throws and was very lucky on the one low outside throw to Boldin that went right through Joseph's hands. Any other time that is a pick. Lucky there.

However, I won't spend a lot of time defending my view. It is just how I view this game. I believe the Texan team as a whole was demoralized by the early pick 6 and did not play well for much of the rest of the game. By the second half, they were just mailing it in.

Originally posted by buck:
I would not even think of telling you that.

I do think that we can contend with, and perhaps even beat, the Arizona Cardinals, right now.

Denver is not on our schedule.

We have five games and a bye week before we play the Saints. I will give you an answer on the Saints when it seems a bit more relevant.

Please don't make the mistake of assuming all games are gimme's because we played pretty well on ST and D against an imploding schaub led Texans.

Every game will be a challenge, if we can't put 200 yards on the ground by hook or by crook.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:

Originally posted by buck:
I would not even think of telling you that.

I do think that we can contend with, and perhaps even beat, the Arizona Cardinals, right now.

Denver is not on our schedule.

We have five games and a bye week before we play the Saints. I will give you an answer on the Saints when it seems a bit more relevant.

Please don't make the mistake of assuming all games are gimme's because we played pretty well on ST and D against an imploding schaub led Texans.

Every game will be a challenge, if we can't put 200 yards on the ground by hook or by crook.

Kaep can throw the ball. His confidence is shot from Seattle and Indy.. Plus our WRs suck outside of Anquan. They fit Baldwin in there a bit more and I'm sure over time it will increase.

At THIS point - I don't see people stopping us on the ground unless they sell out. With VD healthy (that hurt a lot vs. Indy), we can do what we did last night... 8-10 yard conversions on 3rd down. Once our run game's effectiveness loosened them up, he went over the top.

We have 3 capable backs (LMJ looked pretty good out there late in the game too!) to do a lot of damage with. This team is in grind mode and we win grind games. Our O-Line is absolute beast when it comes to the run. Best in the league, IMO.

I'm not worried about any of our opponents upcoming that will stop the run. The talent level is just not there on the opposing D-Line.

Originally posted by BimmerKing:
We won 34-3 and people are complaining

Lol. Niner talk for ya

OK, I'm sorry. I didn't realize this was the rah rah 9er glorification thread.

Where is the thread where we can post objective analysis and critique of game performance by players and coaches? I'll be happy to post there.

What we say on this board btw does become a part of the internal discussions of 9er staff. Language, phrases and ideas posted here wind up coming out of coaches mouths and reporters during interviews, after the fact. So what is said here does influence things a little bit, at least, IMO, though obviously nothing major.

So I think that people should continue to assess overall performance and keep their eyes on the prize of winning a championship, not necessarily get sucked up with the weekly ebb and flow of each games drama. My 2cents. Sorry I am coming of as a sour puss, but although we are improving with regard to delay of game and special teams, we did not show a lot of progress with offensive efficiency and consistency this game. Perhaps the opposite against a good Texas D.

Originally posted by dj43:
A win is a win, even if the opposing team just hands it to you.

The utter failure of the passing game offsets any great joy over the running game. The defense was good, not great. Schaub handing us the ball three times makes the defense look better than it was.

I'm guessing that the coaches and players on the Niners would argue with the proposition that the Texans just handed the game to them. Both of Brock's interceptions were exceptional defensive plays - the first one was a design man-to-zone shift set up for that kind of offense play they had obviously seen on film; the second one was a great play - he stayed with his man while watching Schaub's eyes. Schaub tried to look him off, but Brock was just on top of it. Brock was incredible last night. To say they just gave him those turnovers gives him absolutely no respect for playing a great game. Jerrod-Eddie's interception came on a classic zone blitz with a lineman backing up into a space the QB doesn't expect anyone to be occupying. Let's give the Niner defense a little credit for creating those plays, okay?

And I wouldn't be so quick to describe the passing game as an "utter failure." They only attempted 15. They hit on a 64-yard TD against one of the best pass defenses in the league. Yes, the passing game needs lots of work, but let's not panic here.

Originally posted by 5280High:

Originally posted by jays9ers:

Originally posted by GNielsen:

Originally posted by jays9ers:

Originally posted by SportsFan:
Early entrant for dumb post of the week.

Once again do we look like contenders? NOPE

Classic Web Zone thread - bordering on the absurd. Everything about the Niners team performance was great except for the passing game. The defense was absolute nails, special teams repeatedly held them in bad field position, the punter boomed 60-yarders, the running game was amazing. And this was against the #1 defense in the league, a defense that is very strong against the run and the pass. The defense was playing one of the top 7 or 8 offenses in the league. They annihilated them. The passing game had a grand total of 15 attempts. Kaepernick actually looked like he was gaining a little patience in the pocket. He held his ground a little longer than he has the past few games. He hit check-down receivers a couple of times after waiting for receivers to come open. He hit Davis in stride with a mid-level perfect pass for a 64 yarder. There were a couple of significant drops and some knock downs the Texans routinely get every week. So, it's not even like the passing game was as bad as the numbers would suggest. And what we get is an absurd question and an absurd thread. Whiners.

First off number 1 defense ranking doesn't mean squat. They're number 1 in total defense yet dead last in red zone defense soooo yea. So you're telling me you believe this team can contend with the likes of Denver or the saints right now? I think not. The running game won't always bail us out like it did tonight. We need all phases of the offense to be clicking to be legit contenders. Once again no body it's whining or crying. You guys who are satisfied with that type of performance aren't looking at the big picture here.

Put down the crack pipe...

What does a team need to go far in January? 1) Dominant Defense 2) Running game... check and check. We are a couple weeks away from MM coming back, then we get Patton and then we Crabs (hopefully). And we are still missing our top two defenders, and have two CB3's out.

Thats the big picture, we dominated with our depth... which you fail to realize. And we got a pretty good shot at going 6-2 at the midseason break.

How did that dominate defense and running game do in 2011?? Came up short in the championship game. Lets just say we did make it back to the super bowl and had to go up against a guy named Manning.. Do you believe the crappy Qb/Wr play will be adequate to win? I don't think so. We're banking on two injured WR's to come back and save us but we really have no clue how thats going to pan out. Yes I see we have great defensive depth, still doesn't solve the problems we've had all season on offense (exception gb game)..

I feel bad for some of you who cant just enjoy the wins.

Originally posted by GNielsen:

Originally posted by dj43:
A win is a win, even if the opposing team just hands it to you.

The utter failure of the passing game offsets any great joy over the running game. The defense was good, not great. Schaub handing us the ball three times makes the defense look better than it was.

I'm guessing that the coaches and players on the Niners would argue with the proposition that the Texans just handed the game to them. Both of Brock's interceptions were exceptional defensive plays - the first one was a design man-to-zone shift set up for that kind of offense play they had obviously seen on film; the second one was a great play - he stayed with his man while watching Schaub's eyes. Schaub tried to look him off, but Brock was just on top of it. Brock was incredible last night. To say they just gave him those turnovers gives him absolutely no respect for playing a great game. Jerrod-Eddie's interception came on a classic zone blitz with a lineman backing up into a space the QB doesn't expect anyone to be occupying. Let's give the Niner defense a little credit for creating those plays, okay?

And I wouldn't be so quick to describe the passing game as an "utter failure." They only attempted 15. They hit on a 64-yard TD against one of the best pass defenses in the league. Yes, the passing game needs lots of work, but let's not panic here.

Definitely this.

Originally posted by susweel:
I feel bad for some of you who cant just enjoy the wins.

The only stats that matter are wins and losses

/Thread

Originally posted by dj43:
Yes, it was good that we scored TDs. That was an improvement.

My greatest concern is that I am still not seeing Kaepernick go through his progressions to find anyone other than Boldin. On several occasions Baldwin was singled covered and got separation but CK didn't even look at him. McDonald was open a couple of times but no looks at him either. It is one thing to say the passing game will get better when Manningham and Crabtree get back again, assuming they are both 100%, but Kaepernick has to learn to scan the field to find them. He also missed a couple of easy throws and was very lucky on the one low outside throw to Boldin that went right through Joseph's hands. Any other time that is a pick. Lucky there.

However, I won't spend a lot of time defending my view. It is just how I view this game. I believe the Texan team as a whole was demoralized by the early pick 6 and did not play well for much of the rest of the game. By the second half, they were just mailing it in.

Excellent points. Kaep needs to give other receivers a chance to make plays. Greg Roman needs to give receivers a chance to make plays.

On the other hand, the running game was working great and we were up 14-0 very early. Why pass the ball in that situation? Make them stop the run. I completely agree with Roman's play calling and Kaep's decision making. But I would like to see more balance this week.

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by dj43:
A win is a win, even if the opposing team just hands it to you.

The utter failure of the passing game offsets any great joy over the running game. The defense was good, not great. Schaub handing us the ball three times makes the defense look better than it was.

I don't expect any legit playoff teams to be so generous to a team that has only 1/2 an offense.

Glass half empty. That is the way you have to look at it until the passing game actually shows up.

it is one thing for a team to hand it to you,,, it is another thing for us to take advantage of those xmas gifts. we got three touchdowns on some of those gifts they gave us. remember it was not to long ago we would moan all we get is field goals? a good team will make teams pay for giving you stuff, with touchdowns, ck did not have great glittery stats which i know is the gold standard by which all is measured,, but he made some throws when he needed to and never made a mistake so it was not a "utter failure" unless you play madden or fantasy and then thats your problem. the defense was solid, the special teams were solid, the run game was solid, we never made mistakes... i am sorry but that is how you win games. had we not taken advantage of those gifts given to us, also our guys were in the right place at the right time and made the plays,,,,,, then we would be having a different conversation this morning

Yes, it was good that we scored TDs. That was an improvement.

My greatest concern is that I am still not seeing Kaepernick go through his progressions to find anyone other than Boldin. On several occasions Baldwin was singled covered and got separation but CK didn't even look at him. McDonald was open a couple of times but no looks at him either. It is one thing to say the passing game will get better when Manningham and Crabtree get back again, assuming they are both 100%, but Kaepernick has to learn to scan the field to find them. He also missed a couple of easy throws and was very lucky on the one low outside throw to Boldin that went right through Joseph's hands. Any other time that is a pick. Lucky there.

However, I won't spend a lot of time defending my view. It is just how I view this game. I believe the Texan team as a whole was demoralized by the early pick 6 and did not play well for much of the rest of the game. By the second half, they were just mailing it in.

Given that we only had 15 passing attempts, I'm not sure on how many occasions receivers were open but Kap didn't see them. Again, there is no doubt that Kap has to become a better pocket passer, to which he is transitioning at the moment, but I just don't think that 15 pass attempts are enough to judge a QB's performance.

Originally posted by susweel:
I feel bad for some of you who cant just enjoy the wins.

It is sad, isn't it. The Niners are 3-2 with the far most brutal part of their schedule behind them. The Seahawks lost, so the Niners are just one game behind. The Niners have four absolutely winnable games coming up giving them four or five weeks to work on the passing game before they go to New Orleans. They just held the #1 offense in yardage in the NFL to their season low and 3 points. They ran all over one of the best run defenses in the league. The leagues leading sacker and a complete stud had only one sack. They even hit on a pretty spectacular 64 yard TD. They got back to even in turnover ratio with four last night. Their secondary proved to be much stronger than I thought they were. And all of this with key first team players out of the game.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm liking how this season is playing out and I'm pretty sure they're going to go on a tear here for the remainder of the year.