Originally posted by Marvin49:
1) Kap: I know what peeps are gonna say...and I'm actually gonna cover this with both #1 and #2 today...but I thought Colin actually played pretty well. The INT sucked, but it was really a "throw it up and take your chances that Anquan beats to rookie to the ball" type throws and the rook made a play. 20 of 29, some frustrating drops (more on that later), 256 yards, TD, INT...all in all....not bad.
I already know there are some of you that are probably annoyed already by that analysis and that's what leads me to #2.
2) 49ers Fans/Bay Area media: Begin Rant - So, I was at the game and I took my pops who just happens to be a Redskins fan. He loves RGIII but is frustrated as all hell by his play this year. He and I spoke before, during and after the game and we came to the same conclusion...49ers fans and Bay Area Media are some of the most spoiled and delusional fans in the NFL. I do not paint the brush over our entire fanbase (and for the most part at least not many in this forum), but there were about 20 times I wanted to turn around and tell a few of the guys behind me to just STFU.
An example: It's halftime. RGIII has like 30 yards passing. Guy behind me is going off on how much Kaepernick sucks and how much he's the source of all our problems. Kaeps statline at that time? 10-14, 155 yards, a TD, and a rating of 131. Its indicative of the stupidity that absolutely drives me crazy. After the game I'm hearing peeps talk about how terrible the offense was. All over the radio people are calling in talking about the playcalling and Kaepernicks troubles. I'm just shaking my head. He was far from perfect, but he was almost their entire offense. Despite at least 3 drops he completed 69% of his passes. I'm listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and all I'm hearing is Chris Townsend talk to Jeff Garcia about Colin Kaepernick. W. T. F. Are we watching the same games?
Meanwhile, Gore and Hyde COMBINED for 20 carries for 52 yards and 2 fumbles. Nope...can't be the run game. After all the solution to all problems is give Frank the ball more, right? The simplistic thinking that Kap is the source of all problems makes me actually NOT want to go to games because people are so incredibly stupid.
They show a graphic on the Jumbotron of Kaps postseason success as a runner and another guy is going off on how Kap doesn't deserve to be on the same screen as Steve Young. I want to smack the guy upside the head. In his first 4 years in the NFL, Steve Young had a combined 24 TDs and 24 INTs. Kap has 46 TDs and 17 INTs. Steve didn't become a full-time starter in SF until his EIGHTH season in the NFL. Even when he WAS the starter, SOOO many couldn't stand the guy because he had the audacity not to be named Joe Montana.
Bottom line, Kap ain't perfect and he's be the first to tell you that, but he is a young, exciting, PROMISING QB and we are freakin' lucky to have him. I wish to hell peeps would stop with all the BS about what he can't do and focus on what he IS doing and what he's improving on. Great throw to Boldin for the TD. Another great throw (and catch) by Crab to get into field goal range at the half. Great throw to Boldin (and again, great catch) on the pass down the seam that got Ryan Clark hurt.
I just wish peeps would STFU with the Kap hate and realize the game is about a lot more than one man. Don't give me this BS about his paycheck or the "the QB gets all the blame" cliché BS. That stuff is just the simple minded way to try and make a complex issue simple when it ain't simple at all.
End Rant.
3) Gore/Hyde: On the topic of who is struggling...as I said before, 20 carries for 56 yards, 2 fumbles and a TD. A few things to say on this...Gore isn't Gore anymore. He'll find a crease from time to time, but he's just not the same guy anymore. Love him. He's probably my favorite Niner of all time...but he's just not the same. Hyde still has the same problem with running into the line...but they really seem to have something when they run the read option with him. When the DE is forced to make that choice which creates space, Hyde hit that hole so hard that there's no time to recover. That's what happened on that walk in TD. We need to see MORE of those read options to Hyde.
4) Vernon: I'm at a loss for words. Its like his head is in the clouds. No idea what's going on there.
5) Anquan: Thank god for Anquan Boldin. Thank you Balimore for your unbelievable stupidity. Anquan Boldin has been an absolute Godsend. I was a bit disappointed to see him not really make a big effort at the ball on the INT, but he made up for that in spades the rest of the game. In particular, that seam rout. WOW. He got blasted and Ryan Clark just bounced off him. I never thought we'd get so much out of him this late in his career. The guy looks like he could play another 5 years. Unreal.
6) Parrish Cox: Please God, bring Bruce Ellington back. He's not a great return man at the moment, but at least he appears to have heard of a Fair Catch.
7) Harbaugh: I just have to give it up for that ballsy move of going for it on 4th down on that game-winning drive. Run game had been stifled all day...and they called a fairly long developing run play that very nearly got blown the hell up by Brandon Meriweather as Mike Iupati ran right past him. If Frank doesn't make a cut in the backfield he wouldn't have picked it up. Still tho...ballsy as all hell and a move that I think was more about the realization that it wasn't just the game on the line...it might very well have been the SEASON on the line.
8) Aldon Smith: Thank You, thank you, thank you. A Pass rush AT LAST. He presence doesn't only help because HE can provide pressure, but he frees up everyone else on that line. He's back and he's the same guy he was before. The two sacks were impressive, but there were a few times he got some crazy pressure. On RGIIIs completion to Garcon, I didn't even see the catch because all I was watching was Aldon completely jack up the TE running across the formation to block him. Aldon stood him up and shoved him all the way back into RGIIIs lap. GREAT to have him back.
9) Lynch/Borland watch: First off Lynch got robbed. I dunno if you could do twice what happened to him on the penalty. His helmet hit Reids helmet which bonced like a queue ball into RGIIIs head. That rule needs to be modified. No intent whatsoever and just a wild circumstance. It was even the BACK of Reids helmet that hit RGIII. Anyway, that was a great rush and he got yet another sack on top of it. 4 Sacks (should have been 5) in the last 5 games. He actually TIED with Anthony Barr for the rookie lead. Not bad for a 5th round pick.
Borland was a bit quieter than in past weeks. He had a few really good plays, but he also guessed wrong a few times, got caught up in the wash a bit, and got absolutely juked out of his shoes once by Morris in the whole. That's OK tho...he was bound to come back to earth at some point...and he still led the team in tackles and got at least one TFL.
10) NFC West: Figures. I finally get to the point that I want Arizona to WIN....and NOW they lose. LOL. I guess just gotta let it all play out and stop worrying so much about what the rest of the division does. I keep saying that here every week...and then on Sundays I drive myself crazy rooting one way or the other.
Marvin,
You have the best thread every time. Thank you for the work that you do. It's always good stuff.
1) Roman - at times this guy really baffles me, he is always second guessing himself or if he finds something good he goes away from it. A lot of the formations to me tip off the play and it's not his fault, but we seem to have a lot of breakdowns in running the scheme. Is that Roman's fault no. But it's Roman and Harbaugh's offense, it has no flow, it stinks. It's like the Warriors with Jackson vs Steve Kerr, last year the Warriors had no flow and this year they are flowing and Ding up. RUN QUICKER PLAY GUYS......Why is that so hard? Mix up your run game. Have a back in the backfield with a 4 wr spread, and run out of it. Find an identity and execute. When you run all of these gadget plays that you don't run all of the time, you are going to have breakdowns.
2) The Fans - Yes we are spoiled. Yes we should be happy with the last few years. BUT WE ARE NINER FANS, we have a history of excellence. We have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, we should be playing better. Kap has divided the fan base. Some our saying we should have kept Alex Smith. We have a right to be frustrated with our team. We have been so close in the last three years. It's right out of our grasp.
3) Kap - This year he's playing better and probably the best he's ever played as the QB, but our offense is terrible. Is it his fault? Some of it is. Is it all his fault, NO. He has more weapons this year than at any time, but we still can't find a flow. So many times, he has easier throws underneath and he goes for the big play. He's like the opposite of Alex Smith. Maybe Kap is afraid of the short throws, because he can't find the touch. Why aren't they running him more? (ROMAN WHY?) Russell Wilson destroyed the Giants with some huge runs. Are you saying we can't do that or are they saving it for later.
4) Vernon and Crab - Vernon is a pile! He's our deep threat and he opens up the offense, but where is this guy? Is he not focused. He says he's not hurt. He has so many damn drops!!!! DRIVE KILLERS!! Michael "I am a third down receiver" Crabtree......the catch he made at the end of half was brilliant, but he hasn't brought it this year. I think if he played with quicker plays we could use his quickness more. I don't know, it's hurt us big time. I hate when the guy whines he's not being thrown to.
5) The O line - We have to get the tough yards when we need them. The 4-1 they had at the end of the game was lucky that it wasn't stopped. If Frank doesn't put a great move, the play is blown up and the game is most likely over. They have played well in the last few weeks after the Rams and Broncos game, but in the big scheme of things, we have to improve. I would almost favor more of a pass blocking line first, with the run second. What good is the hulking oline if you aren't running the ball and wearing the team down at the end of the game.
We got a huge test tomorrow. GO NINERS BABY!
Gotta blame somebody on the lack of the TE production. I'm also talking about the lack of production on the TE free agents as well as Vance.
Gotta blame somebody on the lack of the TE production. I'm also talking about the lack of production on the TE free agents as well as Vance.
