2014: Thoughts on the upcoming season... | Page 5

Marvin49 · 2014-02-03T10:57:33-08:00

...but first a few things about the season just gone by... Ever since the end of the Super Bowl last year, there was something nagging at me. I never gave it a voice because I didn't really want to validate it, but it was there nonetheless. 2013 wasn't our year. It started for me with the records of teams that lose a Super Bowl. It was made worse by the realization that no team had won a Super Bowl after losing one in over 40 years. A Super Bowl held in the cold of New York (although that seems to be the most overthought story ever). Crab ripping up his Achilles did nothing to remove that nagging feeling. Aldons DUI. Vernon getting hurt. Willis getting hurt. Iupati getting hurt. The Ahmad Brooks Personal Foul. No team had ever won back to back ROAD NFCCG's. No team had EVER won 4 straight road games. It just seemed like one thing after another. The fates just didn't seem to want it to happen. Add to that Seattles stubborn refusal to lose games they seemed destined to lose. Houston. St. Louis. Tampa Bay. Taking nothing away from Seattle for winning those games, but we were all just swearing at the TV as either the team they were playing self destructed at the end or Seattle put up a fantastic defensive stand. Bottom Line? Not. Our. Year. DESPITE all that, there our boys were just one pass away from another shot at a Lombardi. Ya know what tho? All that crap is gone now. No "year after" stuff. So...on to thoughts about next year. 1) Kaepernick: Kap clearly didn't have the season we had hoped he'd have this year. The reasons for that are multiple. First, he didn't have his favorite receiver for most of the season. That was HUGE and you could really see when Crab came back how different Kap was. Second, he always seemed to lose Vernon when they could least afford to lose him. That left Kap with a bunch of substandard players, rookies, and a double or triple covered Anquan Boldin. Third, there were times that the play-calling really didn't help him. He was often in a bad situation and was asked to do something he just wasn't ready to do. I have a higher opinion of Roman than many on this site do and I defend him all the time, but I have to admit there were some real head scratchers at times this year. Finally, and most importantly, Kap just wasn't as polished a passer as we all thought or hoped. He had some issues with his receivers and play-calling, but he himself is certainly not off the hook by any stretch. The good news to me though is that he seems to know this and will work his a$$ off to improve. For all the media BS about his clothes, or his comments about Sherman or whatever, he's a good kid. He's bright. He's off the charts physically talented. He doesn't rattle regardless of what fans in Seattle might think (and BTW, can we give Kap a break now for the NFCCG after seeing how a guy who threw 55 TDs in the regular season did against them?). There are times that his youth really shows...especially when he's interviewed...but his future is BRIGHT. 2) Draft: God I love the draft. I love it even more when we have 12 picks. Even more because 6 of them are in the first 3 rounds. To put it in perspective, Seattle has 2. The NFL Draft is like Christmas for me. The only part that sucks is that you often don't get to open up your gifts until August. Obviously WR and CB have to be high on the list. I'd also expect a RB (Andre Williams is my draft crush), and even a QB. I'm just mad I have to wait till May now for one of my favorite events of the year. 3) Marcus Lattimore: MAN I can't wait to see this kid play. Who knows if he can be what he was before the injuries. Who knows that he would even be a great player had he NEVER been hurt. I just can't wait to see him TRY. The attitude and work ethic just make me pull for the guy. The fact that he was a stud in the SEC just makes me want to see him more. I don't know how much longer Frank can play, but I suspect it's not much longer (more on that later), but Lattimore seems to have a number of attributes that made Frank great. He will never give up no matter what happens. He has excellent vision. He can get low and drive a pile. I am just really pulling for the kid. 4) Tank Carradine: I am really looking forward to finally seeing him, but I'd be lying if I said I had no concerns about him. It worries me a bit that they activated him, saw him practice, and then deactivated him. It could be that his knee will never be the same. It could be that he was just overrated. It could be that he's a slow learner. It could be that he simply isn't suited to play 3-4 end. It could also be that he was just too far behind with no training camp. It could be that they felt they didn't need to push him with Dobbs and Jerod-Eddie playing well. Who knows...it could be a combination of some of those factors. What I do know is that I'd like to see him play and see if he can be an eventual replacement for Justin. He seems to have all the athletic ability you could ask for and has a great motor. We'll just have to see. 5) Frank: I say this every year, but Frank isn't getting any younger. He had a good season, but we just can't count on him holding off father time...especially when the run game is SOOOO vital to this teams success. It just isn't smart to put all your eggs into a 31 year old RBs baskett. Lattimore will be interesting, but they need to supplimant in the draft as well. As I said before, I love Andre Williams and he might be able to be had for a day 2 or day 3 pick. Dixon will be gone and I have a sneaking suspicion that either Hunter or LMJ will be as well. If I'm betting, it'll be Hunter only because he has only a year left on his contract and they might be able to get a future draft pick for him. LMJ still has 2 years on his rookie deal. I think they know that neither of those guys will be "the guy" when Frank leaves. 6) Navorro: I think Navorro will be back to being the same rolling ball of butcher knives that he was before. I think it will be toward the end of next season though. The 49ers have no reason to rush this. Thats the really nice thing about having TWO All-Pro middle linebackers and 4 LBs capable of making the Pro Bowl. In addition to that, I really like what I saw from Michael Wilhoite when he played for Willis this year. My guess is that Wilhoite, Moody, or Skuta will probably get first crack to play at least the first 6 weeks of the season as the 49ers give Bowman the first 6 weeks to recover and take it week to week thereafter. 7) Crabtree: I can't stress enough how impressed I am with Crab that he tore his achilles in May, worked like a madman, and came back DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. That's just crazy. Moreover, he was effective. There is no way in hell he was 100% out there yet when I watch him play I have real trouble figuring out which leg he injured. Now he'll have the offseason to get that leg just right. I can't wait to see him in week 1 this year. Just hopin' #81, his buddy in crime, will be there with him. 8) Patton: I can't put my finger on it. I can't quite explain exactly why I feel this, but I think this guy is going to be HUGE. He lost most of this season to injuries. He's not real fast and he's not real big, but he's got something. He played so seldom this year that I really don't have any argument to present as "proof" of that, but there is just something about him that makes me think he's going to be something in this league. I love the fact that's he'll be training with Kap in Miami and I like even more that Kap INFORMED him. He didn't ask. LOL. I think Kap may see it too...and I am much happier seeing Kap pal around the offseason with Patton than I was last year with Lockette. 9) Aldon: When Aldon came back, he was a man possessed. I don't know if it was that he was just fresh from not playing? Perhaps not drinking showed you how much better he was than he had been? Perhaps he was motivated to prove a point? Who knows. He faced countless double and triple teams and teams couldn't run at him or eliminate him fro the pass rush. He still has his DUI hanging over him but I think there is a real possibility he faces no suspension because he voluntarily left the team for 5 weeks. As Goodell said when asked last year, they will "absolutely" take into account the fact that he went into treatment. He said that the goal was not to punish players but to change the behavior. Going to treatment and missing 5 games just might eliminate the suspension. Despite constant double and triple teams, Aldon still produced 12 sacks in 12 starts last year (including playoffs and excluding the first 2 games back where he hardly played). All we can hope is that he can keep himself out of trouble this offseason and comes into next season motivated to break the Single Season sack record. 10) Seattle: Well, they got themselves a ring. It sucks. There is a bit of a silver lining though. The pricetag of a number of their free agents may have just gone way up. There will be players now who got their ring and are less likely to stay "just to get the ring". The downside is that there will me more vet players in free agency who will choose to play for them because THEY don't have a ring. The nature of this league is that when you play well it is almost impossible to keep your team together. Seattle is one of the youngest teams in the league and has ALOT of talented players still playing on rookie contracts. That won't last forever. The common thought is that they are soooo young so they could be on top for a really, really long time. That may be true, but the problem with that reasoning is that no matter how young they are, there will be a time where they simply have to pay the big guys and can't afford the players that are very good and can't fit under the cap. They have gotten good on the strength of superior drafting, so perhaps they can replenish from the draft just as the 49ers did last year and will do again this year...but the difference right now is firepower...IE, the number of picks to replace the guys you will lose when those sweet rookie deals expire. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not saying Seattle will fall apart or something. They will be a thorn in our side for a long, long time. They aren't going anywhere anytime soon. All I'm saying is that there is a smal (very small) silver lining. MAN!! I am pumped for next year!! PS: #11).... All that stuff about why the SHOULDN'T have won last year? All gone...and this upcoming Super Bowl will be Super Bowl 49. I mean seriously....how can we NOT make a run for Super Bowl 49? LOL.

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:15 AM

#61

sincalfaithful
Veteran
Posts: 27,712

Originally posted by cciowa:
people started to say our "window" is closing on thanksgiving night when we lost to the ravens.

no they didn't

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:20 AM

#62

Marvin49
Hall of Fame
Posts: 16,506

Originally posted by cciowa:
people started to say our "window" is closing on thanksgiving night when we lost to the ravens.

People say that stuff just because Gore and Justin (and Anquan and Goodwin) are getting up there in age.

The problem is that the assumption is that those players will not be replaced. The 49ers have been addressing those player departures in advance and will continue to do so with multiple draft picks.

As I said before, the 49ers have 6 picks in rounds 1-3. Seattle has 2. Seattle fans in particular said the 49ers 2012 draft was proof Baalke didn't know what he was doing. Really? How is 2010, 2011, and 2013 looking? How does Seattles 2013 look right now?

The window is just opening because the most important position on the field is inhabited by a 26 year old phenominal athete who will only improve under Harbaughs watch. People forget what Harbaugh did with Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck, and Alex Smith. Kap will improve. Despite the fact that he is a young player just learning how to play the position in this league he is STILL 4-2 in the playoffs, 3-1 on the road, and was one play from a SB title and one play from another shot at a title...and thats is in his only 2 chances. Does nobody remember Steve Young getting beat by Dallas over and over?

The 49ers are just fine.

[ Edited by Marvin49 on Feb 4, 2014 at 9:22 AM ]

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:30 AM

#63

Thechamp2987
Veteran
Posts: 16

Originally posted by Marvin49:
BS.

No coach had EVER been to the Conference Title game in his first 3 years. Ever. Not even Seifert who inherited a Super Bowl Winner.

They have not yet won the big one, but he's only coached for 3 freakin years. Most new coaches take 3 years just to get their teams into the playoffs.

Not a premiere coach? How much money do you think he'd make if he were out there right now looking for a job? Probably north of 10 mil and would be the highest paid coach in the NFL. As it is, he'll probably get that title anyway in an extension from the 49ers.

So, he should be paid higher than pety boy over there up north who just won the Superbowl? Last time i checked he won the big game. He may have went to three conferance games but at the end of the day the 49ers were at home wit the rest of the nfl teams. All I'm saying is win something first before they make him the highest paid coach in the nfl.

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:30 AM

#64

cciowa
Veteran
Posts: 60,541

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

Originally posted by cciowa:
people started to say our "window" is closing on thanksgiving night when we lost to the ravens.

no they didn't

uhmm,, yes they did,, alot of rats jumped off the ship that night. the quotes were,, the window is closing, we have been exposed etc etc. and I did not make any of those statements. i said those things late last year before the playoffs

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:43 AM

#65

sincalfaithful
Veteran
Posts: 27,712

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

Originally posted by cciowa:
people started to say our "window" is closing on thanksgiving night when we lost to the ravens.

no they didn't

uhmm,, yes they did,, alot of rats jumped off the ship that night. the quotes were,, the window is closing, we have been exposed etc etc. and I did not make any of those statements. i said those things late last year before the playoffs

no they didn't 2011 was our first year being relevant again after almost a decade of hell

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:45 AM

#66

TheRickestRick
Veteran
Posts: 10,450

Originally posted by Thechamp2987:
So, he should be paid higher than pety boy over there up north who just won the Superbowl? Last time i checked he won the big game. He may have went to three conferance games but at the end of the day the 49ers were at home wit the rest of the nfl teams. All I'm saying is win something first before they make him the highest paid coach in the nfl.

Feb 4, 2014 at 9:50 AM

#67

Marvin49
Hall of Fame
Posts: 16,506

Originally posted by Thechamp2987:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
BS.

No coach had EVER been to the Conference Title game in his first 3 years. Ever. Not even Seifert who inherited a Super Bowl Winner.

They have not yet won the big one, but he's only coached for 3 freakin years. Most new coaches take 3 years just to get their teams into the playoffs.

Not a premiere coach? How much money do you think he'd make if he were out there right now looking for a job? Probably north of 10 mil and would be the highest paid coach in the NFL. As it is, he'll probably get that title anyway in an extension from the 49ers.

So, he should be paid higher than pety boy over there up north who just won the Superbowl? Last time i checked he won the big game. He may have went to three conferance games but at the end of the day the 49ers were at home wit the rest of the nfl teams. All I'm saying is win something first before they make him the highest paid coach in the nfl.

So......in order to be considered a premeire coach you have to be better than the guy who just won the SB?

I'm not saying he should be the top paid coach in the league. I'm saying he WILL BE the highest paid coach in the league.

Your standard is ridiculous. Of course we would rather he'd won the big one, but NOBODY expected three conference championship games in 3 years. NOBODY. To say he ISN'T a premeire coach because he hasn't won a Super Bowl yet is asinine.

Neither did Carroll. Neither did Belichick. Neither did Cowher. Neither did Parcells.

Harbaugh took over a talented team that had won 30 games in 6 years.

In his THREE years he was won 36 games and been on the brink of a SB appearance twice and on the brink of a title once. If that isnt good enough for you to view him as a "premeire coach" I think you need your head examined.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:08 AM

#68

midrdan
Veteran
Posts: 1,982

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by Thechamp2987:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
BS.

No coach had EVER been to the Conference Title game in his first 3 years. Ever. Not even Seifert who inherited a Super Bowl Winner.

They have not yet won the big one, but he's only coached for 3 freakin years. Most new coaches take 3 years just to get their teams into the playoffs.

Not a premiere coach? How much money do you think he'd make if he were out there right now looking for a job? Probably north of 10 mil and would be the highest paid coach in the NFL. As it is, he'll probably get that title anyway in an extension from the 49ers.

So, he should be paid higher than pety boy over there up north who just won the Superbowl? Last time i checked he won the big game. He may have went to three conferance games but at the end of the day the 49ers were at home wit the rest of the nfl teams. All I'm saying is win something first before they make him the highest paid coach in the nfl.

So......in order to be considered a premeire coach you have to be better than the guy who just won the SB?

I'm not saying he should be the top paid coach in the league. I'm saying he WILL BE the highest paid coach in the league.

Your standard is ridiculous. Of course we would rather he'd won the big one, but NOBODY expected three conference championship games in 3 years. NOBODY. To say he ISN'T a premeire coach because he hasn't won a Super Bowl yet is asinine.

Neither did Carroll. Neither did Belichick. Neither did Cowher. Neither did Parcells.

Harbaugh took over a talented team that had won 30 games in 6 years.

In his THREE years he was won 36 games and been on the brink of a SB appearance twice and on the brink of a title once. If that isnt good enough for you to view him as a "premeire coach" I think you need your head examined.

Yeah, I can't figure out why people are so down on Harbaugh. The guy is averaging 12 wins a season, has made three straight NFC championship games ... people act like anybody could have come in here and turned that roster into a 12 win team in one off season. The SB is the ultimate goal for the team, but the coach is ultimately responsible for building a sustainable program, developing players, and implementing a positive culture. A coach that can do that will have his team in contention year after year. Harbaugh has done this. He needs to get paid.

Bill Belichick hasn't won a ring in a decade ... so I guess he sucks now? Parcells coached for 15 years and he only won two rings. So he sucked for 13 years? Bill Walsh sucked in 1979 and 1980? Bill Cowher coached for more than a decade before he won his ring - I guess he sucked too for 10 years. Same with Tony Dungy.

Tell me the coach you want instead of Harbaugh.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:13 AM

#69

Thechamp2987
Veteran
Posts: 16

Originally posted by Marvin49:
So......in order to be considered a premeire coach you have to be better than the guy who just won the SB?

I'm not saying he should be the top paid coach in the league. I'm saying he WILL BE the highest paid coach in the league.

Your standard is ridiculous. Of course we would rather he'd won the big one, but NOBODY expected three conference championship games in 3 years. NOBODY. To say he ISN'T a premeire coach because he hasn't won a Super Bowl yet is asinine.

Neither did Carroll. Neither did Belichick. Neither did Cowher. Neither did Parcells.

Harbaugh took over a talented team that had won 30 games in 6 years.

In his THREE years he was won 36 games and been on the brink of a SB appearance twice and on the brink of a title once. If that isnt good enough for you to view him as a "premeire coach" I think you need your head examined.

You are right, going to three NFC championship games and a super bowl loss is nice and all. Don't get me wrong. I am sure a lot of franchises would love to have two NFC championship loses and a super bowl lost. However, if they don't win it then what's the point? It just means that the 49ers are at home where the jaguars, titans and raiders are. A lot of fans here are happy with a NFC championship and super bowl loss. JH is a very good coach. He is a top 10 coach and a strong case could be made for top 5. Winning a lot of regular season games is cool, but they don't give out super bowl trophies for best regular season record.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:15 AM

#70

crabman82
Veteran
Posts: 17,024

Originally posted by Thechamp2987:
So, he should be paid higher than pety boy over there up north who just won the Superbowl? Last time i checked he won the big game. He may have went to three conferance games but at the end of the day the 49ers were at home wit the rest of the nfl teams. All I'm saying is win something first before they make him the highest paid coach in the nfl.

carroll got about 6 mil per from the hawks in 2010. harbaugh got 5 mil per. carroll just won the sb so now it looks good, but he was a failed coach 2 times in the nfl and was rewarded a very high salary. its not always about rings.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:17 AM

#71

NCommand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 123,365

Originally posted by NinerGM:
Again Marvin .....

Free pass to scheme and coaching. The 49ers are a run-first team and the running game was not effective nor could we rely on it when we needed to. So either we address HOW we run, or we need more talent at the LOS at the type of scheme we're trying to run. In any case, when the 49ers can't run, they tend to lose. I know I'm critical of the passing game, but let's talk about how the 49ers run.

It can't be our year - any year - if the ground game disappears in the post season. The 49ers can't suddenly become primarily passing team in December when they were a running team (albeit over lesser talented squads) during Sept - November.

Call me crazy but I took Harbaugh's IMMEDIATE comments after the loss about Lattimore as his way to start preparing fans for the end of the Gore-era and ushering in Lattimore. Our running game was predictable and untimely and certainly not one we'd stick with expecting that one or two back-breakers in our favor. The OL was outnumbered esp. on 1st downs and seemed less and less effectives as the season and playoffs progressed. It even seemed "vanilla" given that Roman is supposed to be a running game genius. Instead we had to rely on CK's legs and the standard intermediate passes on 2nd and 3rd and longs. It was tough to watch at times.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:20 AM

#72

24plus25er
Veteran
Posts: 2,180

Originally posted by Marvin49:

Originally posted by cciowa:
people started to say our "window" is closing on thanksgiving night when we lost to the ravens.

People say that stuff just because Gore and Justin (and Anquan and Goodwin) are getting up there in age.

The problem is that the assumption is that those players will not be replaced. The 49ers have been addressing those player departures in advance and will continue to do so with multiple draft picks.

As I said before, the 49ers have 6 picks in rounds 1-3. Seattle has 2. Seattle fans in particular said the 49ers 2012 draft was proof Baalke didn't know what he was doing. Really? How is 2010, 2011, and 2013 looking? How does Seattles 2013 look right now?

The window is just opening because the most important position on the field is inhabited by a 26 year old phenominal athete who will only improve under Harbaughs watch. People forget what Harbaugh did with Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck, and Alex Smith. Kap will improve. Despite the fact that he is a young player just learning how to play the position in this league he is STILL 4-2 in the playoffs, 3-1 on the road, and was one play from a SB title and one play from another shot at a title...and thats is in his only 2 chances. Does nobody remember Steve Young getting beat by Dallas over and over?

The 49ers are just fine.

Keep in mind throughout his stay at Nevada, Kap got better every year. He is a smart kid and will add on to his game and improve himself every year.

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:30 AM

#73

Marvin49
Hall of Fame
Posts: 16,506

Originally posted by Thechamp2987:

Originally posted by Marvin49:
So......in order to be considered a premeire coach you have to be better than the guy who just won the SB?

I'm not saying he should be the top paid coach in the league. I'm saying he WILL BE the highest paid coach in the league.

Your standard is ridiculous. Of course we would rather he'd won the big one, but NOBODY expected three conference championship games in 3 years. NOBODY. To say he ISN'T a premeire coach because he hasn't won a Super Bowl yet is asinine.

Neither did Carroll. Neither did Belichick. Neither did Cowher. Neither did Parcells.

Harbaugh took over a talented team that had won 30 games in 6 years.

In his THREE years he was won 36 games and been on the brink of a SB appearance twice and on the brink of a title once. If that isnt good enough for you to view him as a "premeire coach" I think you need your head examined.
You are right, going to three NFC championship games and a super bowl loss is nice and all. Don't get me wrong. I am sure a lot of franchises would love to have two NFC championship loses and a super bowl lost. However, if they don't win it then what's the point? It just means that the 49ers are at home where the jaguars, titans and raiders are. A lot of fans here are happy with a NFC championship and super bowl loss. JH is a very good coach. He is a top 10 coach and a strong case could be made for top 5. Winning a lot of regular season games is cool, but they don't give out super bowl trophies for best regular season record.

......

OK, I think you are forgetting what it was like BEFORE Harbaugh. Not being able to get a Lombardi in the last three years doesn't mean he will NEVER be able to get one. Getting as far as he has isn't "good enough". That ain't the point here.

The point is that he's made the team a contender for the title EVERY SINGLE YEAR he's been a coach. Nobody wins them all. Walsh won 3 so that means he DIDN'T win 7. As a previous poster mentioned, Belichick hasn't won a title in a decade.

GREAT coaches don't win every year. Great coaches put their teams in the position to have an opportunity to win it every year. Harbaugh has done that in spades.

[ Edited by Marvin49 on Feb 4, 2014 at 10:39 AM ]

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:41 AM

#74

NCommand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 123,365

Originally posted by 24plus25er:
I have a creeping feeling that Sherman will hold out this off season, and IMO he is a fool if he does not. He's playing for pennies given his production and this teams success. He got injured at the end of a blow out in the Super Bowl, his agent has to be grinding him about this already. If Revis is making 13 mill, Sherman can easily ask for 15.

You know what's interesting about this is that I was talking to a "real" Hawk fan about this. Sherman can bolt for the big pay day and the Hawks would be fine. Seriously. Look how well Maxwell played for them. Thurmond, Browner, etc. They draft big, tall - 6'1+ CB's who are pissed off and who are very aggressive at the LOS and run much Cover 3. That's it. It's that simple. Nothing more. That's their scheme and that scheme works esp. in Seattle. They can literally plug-n-play. 9 out of 10 times the refs won't call anything more than a 5 yard pre-pass holding call anyhow (NOT a P.I.). It's genius. Remember the years and years of discussions on whether the player made the WCO or was it the scheme that made the player....plug-n-play! We never missed a beat...

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:45 AM

#75

znk916
Veteran
Posts: 4,285

Special teams, both coverage and return units, have let us down each of the last 3 postseasons. We can definitely upgrade at KR/PR but I don't know how you fix the coverage units except getting a kicker with a stronger leg (and refs calling holding would help also....). I'd rather keep Dawson even at his salary and age because he is about as reliable as they come. Seely was supposed to be one of the best, but maybe it is a coaching issue.

Seattle went out and signed Avril and Bennett for cheap last offseason. Everyone was focused on Harvin (and rightfully so in the end) but the reason they went from a great defense to an all-time defense is because they added pressure coming from everywhere.

We need to add that same kind of depth and quality of pass rush. Aldon is terrific but he can't do it by himself. Everyone else is good enough to get pressure but not enough to get sacks. Our next best pass rushers are probably Bo and Willis, but Fangio refuses to blitz them. No reason why they can't be racking up 10 sacks a year like Dansby and Washington down in Arizona.

We need to play more aggressive on defense, because if you play bend or break, at some point you will break and it happened each of the past two postseasons with huge 40+ yd plays wiping out all the good work done on all the other plays. Unfortunately as long as Fangio stays, I don't see this changing so it's up to Baalke to get more pass rush. Skuta looked pretty good in his limited time, but Lemonier looked like a one trick pony much like Brooks. Given our cap constraints, it's gonna have to come through the draft.

[ Edited by znk916 on Feb 4, 2014 at 10:47 AM ]