Steve Young on the state of the 49ers

Originally posted by GoldenGateGlory:
It doesn't matter; it is the sentiment that counts. Read the Story!

Lol, then post the correct picture, and/or info if you are going to want to 'read the story'

It still makes me Cry even Today!

The biggest difference from the latter year Walsh teams and the Holmgren OC'd teams was the effectiveness of the run game. The '87 and '88 squads really ran the ball well. That run game really deteriorated from '89-'91, but especially 1990. In '90 it took them almost 10 games to get it going but it didn't translate in the playoffs. Run game bounced back with elder Shanny and Watters. However the run game was a big stain on the 1990 three-peat attempt team.

Originally posted by Niners816:
The biggest difference from the latter year Walsh teams and the Holmgren OC'd teams was the effectiveness of the run game. The '87 and '88 squads really ran the ball well. That run game really deteriorated from '89-'91, but especially 1990. In '90 it took them almost 10 games to get it going but it didn't translate in the playoffs. Run game bounced back with elder Shanny and Watters. However the run game was a big stain on the 1990 three-peat attempt team.

Roger Craig played the 1990 playoffs with an injured PCL and couldn't turn.

We had no contingency.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/21/sports/woeful-fumble-for-49ers-craig.html

Just what happened to the 49ers' running game this season? Bob McKittrick, their veteran offensive line coach, said the problems surfaced early. Craig injured his knee and it never fully healed, McKittrick said. He said the injury warranted surgery, but Craig refused, willing to work himself back into playing shape. Injuries to the offensive linemen caused shuffling along the line, but the 49ers have always overcome injuries.

"Maybe we waited too late in the game to emphasize the running game," McKittrick said. "But on that last drive we had field position and we were running the ball well. Let's say Roger fumbles two plays later. That could have been the difference, not giving them enough time. When you lose a game like this one, you can put your finger on a thousand little things. And even if Joe is in there in that situation, he would have been handing off, too, trying to run out the clock. I'll just give the Giants the credit they deserve and leave it at that."

Originally posted by GoldenGateGlory:

Roger Craig played the 1990 playoffs with an injured PCL and couldn't turn.

We had no contingency.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/21/sports/woeful-fumble-for-49ers-craig.html

Just what happened to the 49ers' running game this season? Bob McKittrick, their veteran offensive line coach, said the problems surfaced early. Craig injured his knee and it never fully healed, McKittrick said. He said the injury warranted surgery, but Craig refused, willing to work himself back into playing shape. Injuries to the offensive linemen caused shuffling along the line, but the 49ers have always overcome injuries.

"Maybe we waited too late in the game to emphasize the running game," McKittrick said. "But on that last drive we had field position and we were running the ball well. Let's say Roger fumbles two plays later. That could have been the difference, not giving them enough time. When you lose a game like this one, you can put your finger on a thousand little things. And even if Joe is in there in that situation, he would have been handing off, too, trying to run out the clock. I'll just give the Giants the credit they deserve and leave it at that."

In 1990 we were very much still a trap, dive and sweep team out of horizontal stacked formations (split, near, far). We'd run a touch of I forms, but still basically relied of the flat forms. Holmgren adjusted to more I forms in GB and that was carried here in 1997 with mooch. The game was changing in regards to running the ball. Younger legs with Watters helped us in '92-'94, but when he left we were right back to average run games in 1995-96.

During the tail end of our dynasty it seemed like the 2 main things that derailed us was ineffective ground game and suspect secondary. Run game got us 1990 and 1995 and secondary killed us in 1992 and 1993.

We waited too long to replace Craig.

Craig was at his best when he worked in tandem. Wendel Tyler and Joe Cribbs.

IMO we should have traded for another running back to support Craig in 1989 but we were too seduced by our own brilliance at that stage.

Unfortunately, when you fall away, you fall away very quickly.

I think we've beat the dead horse with the 1990 NFCCG lol.

We get it. Craig fumbled, Montana injured, no 3-peat, blah, blah, blah.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:

I think we've beat the dead horse with the 1990 NFCCG lol.

We get it. Craig fumbled, Montana injured, no 3-peat, blah, blah, blah.

I still remember it like it was yesterday. Just like the missed Crabtree pass against baltimore.

Your memories; history and human frailty are never a dead horse.

This is 49er folklore.

It lives with you forever.

Originally posted by GoldenGateGlory:

Originally posted by Dr_Bill_Walsh:

It was actually Rathman who missed the block on Marshall (video shows this)

Marshall hit the ground from a perfect block by the OL.

The mistake Rathman made was he jumped on Marshall while he was on the ground and them rolled off him on the opposite side to Joe, hence rendering him useless in the play.

If Rathman just stays on his feet and doesn't try and jump on Marshall, he could have blocked Marshall when he got up and Montana to Rice in the NFC Championship game v New York Giants would be as big as the Catch!

^Rathman also whiffed on nullifying Lawrence Taylor with an effective block on the Craig fumble. After Erik Howard knocked the ball loose, if Rathman just blocks out Taylor (even a hold and penalty would've been preferable, it was 1st & 10 when the fumble occurred) no way he snatches the ball out of the air in the blink of an eye. Niners prob keep the ball even if they get backed up 1st and 20 to midfield, Craig (or a backup, Dexter Carter?) prob secures the ball better and the clock is still milked on the next three plays, ending with maybe a dagger FG.

The problem was also the drafting of Dexter Carter

We needed to draft/trade for a big back who could help Roger Craig with the load.

Especially as he was injured and starting to fade in his career.

Instead we chose to draft a scat back to try and be Dave Maggart.

If we had drafted Rodney Hampton who went one before Dexter Carter in that years draft. He could have come in and helped/replaced Craig.

Rodney Hampton had a 4.2 rushing average in his rookie year so that definitely would have been a big help for an ailing Roger Craig.

Instead Dexter Carter was undersized in trying to take on the big bad Giants D and we left it to an injured and aging Roger Craig to fumble twice; the second time with dire consequences..

Originally posted by GoldenGateGlory:

The problem was also the drafting of Dexter Carter

We needed to draft/trade for a big back who could help Roger Craig with the load.

Especially as he was injured and starting to fade in his career.

Instead we chose to draft a scat back to try and be Dave Maggart.

If we had drafted Rodney Hampton who went one before Dexter Carter in that years draft. He could have come in and helped/replaced Craig.

Rodney Hampton had a 4.2 rushing average in his rookie year so that definitely would have been a big help for an ailing Roger Craig.

Instead Dexter Carter was undersized in trying to take on the big bad Giants D and we left it to an injured and aging Roger Craig to fumble twice; the second time with dire consequences..

Seifert didn't draft that well that year. It wasn't until Shanahan came in, I think, where Ricky Watters really juiced up the run game. It's amazing how Walsh was able to draft consistently well, whereas most of our coaches since Walsh have never had his success.

Originally posted by Giedi:

Seifert didn't draft that well that year. It wasn't until Shanahan came in, I think, where Ricky Watters really juiced up the run game. It's amazing how Walsh was able to draft consistently well, whereas most of our coaches since Walsh have never had his success.

Watters was taking in the draft right after this game. He missed all of the 1991 season with an injury. Would have been nice to see him on that 1991 squad.

You are spot on.

It wasn't the coaching where Bill Walsh had his best talent, it was the identification of talent in a draft. He was amazing.

George Seiffet kept the same system but where we really started to fall away was strining a couple of bad drafts together. Yes, we drafted late; but we stopped renewing from the inside and that hurt us critically.

Success brings a lot of good things but it brings some bad things as well. The idea of invincibility. The idea that your way is the only way. The idea that your players are supermen.

Dexter Carter was a terrible pick. If we had just drafted a big back, maybe Chris Warren who went to the Seahawks that year. We could have replenished from the inside and who knows.

The other thing that hurt us was the Minnesota Vikings giving up their crown jewels for Herscell Walker which really lead to the rise of the Dallas Cowboys through astute use of all those draft picks. the "'Trade that made the Cowboys Dynasty"', it was the largest player trade in the history of the National Football League. It involved 18 players and draft picks.

The trade



Players/Draft Picks Received by the Minnesota VikingsRB Herschel Walker

Dallas's 3rd round pick – 1990 (54) (Mike Jones)

Dallas's 5th round pick – 1990 (116) (Reggie Thornton)

Dallas's 10th round pick – 1990 (249) (Pat Newman)

Dallas's 3rd round pick – 1991 (68) (Jake Reed)

Players/Draft Picks Received by the Dallas CowboysLB Jesse Solomon

LB David Howard

CB Issiac Holt

RB Darrin Nelson (traded to San Diego after he refused to report to Dallas)

DE Alex Stewart

Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1990 (21) (traded this pick along with pick (81) for pick (17) from Pittsburgh to draft Emmitt Smith)

Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1990 (47) (Alexander Wright)

Minnesota's 6th round pick in 1990 (158) (traded to New Orleans, who drafted James Williams)

Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1991 (conditional on cutting Solomon) – (12) (Alvin Harper)

Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1991 (conditional on cutting Howard) – (38) (Dixon Edwards)

Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1992 (conditional on cutting Holt) – (37) (Darren Woodson)

Minnesota's 3rd round pick in 1992 (conditional on cutting Nelson) – (71) (traded to New England, who drafted Kevin Turner)

Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1993 (conditional on cutting Stewart) – (13) (traded to Philadelphia Eagles, and then to the Houston Oilers, who drafted Brad Hopkins)

Without Roger Craig's fumble and the Herschel Walker trade; we may have won 6 or 7 Superbowls in a row.

Oh, and of course we also shot ourselves in the foot by trading Charles Haley to the Dallas Cowboys as well.