The 49ers have been hit hard by injuries lately, but it hasn’t affected the quality of their poor play. The backup players have proved to be nearly as semi-talented as the starters they have replaced.
That would be good news, if it wasn’t also bad news. It means both the starters and the backups, predominantly as regards the secondary, are all essentially backup quality players. And without a pass rush to help cover their deficiencies, they’re getting burned every week and will likely continue that trend for the rest of the season.
Currently, with 25% of the season entombed into history, the Niners rank 12th on offense and 27th on defense. This should make this week’s game at home against the Cardinals interesting, since the Cards are ranked 32nd offensively and 15th defensively. A battle of opposites. It’s also a battle for last place in the NFC West.
This is not where we expected the team to be at the quarter pole, grubbing around for last place again, but perhaps it’s still a little early to throw in the towel. The season really comes down to whether the 49ers can beat the Seahawks and the Cardinals. If they can beat the Cardinals, then four of the next six games are winnable and would put them with a 5-5 record at the BYE week.
Unfortunately, a couple of other things have also changed since the start of the season. Then, it looked like if the Niners survived the tough opening schedule, they could make a late season run. DC Robert Saleh thought so, springing a stiffy at the thought of it. But that late season run doesn’t look like such a given anymore. The Bears are no longer a pushover, nor the Buccaneers, and the burial of the Seahawks might have been premature, too.
At any rate, Sunday’s game figures to be the most winnable game this month. A loss here and you can forget about saving that towel. It’ll be lights out for the 2018 season.
Skeebs- it’s still year two of a total rebuild and the injuries have just stopped us in our tracks. I believe we have some pretty good players even on defense. I don’t know why we have such trouble tackling but what’s more of a concern is that we are out of position most of the time and our pass rush truly sucks. A lot of that is youth but I think it mostly falls on our coaches. If things don’t change we will lose out the rest of our games.
It’s contracr time for Ward and Armstead and they have not justified their first round status or have even come close.
Unless they are dirt cheap they can walk as far as I’m concerned.
We got spoiled with Willis and Bowman who were sure tacklers.
Foster and Warmer need to refine their technique and might learn a lot from studying old film of Patrick and Navarro because they were All Pro.
bullit- I have already given up on Ward, keep waiting on Armstead but the time seems to have run out already. Just two more Baalky duds. I also think we over reached on Thomas I believe he will be a good player for us for a lot of years but not worth the spot we got him.
The way Beathard got pounded last week, it’s a pretty good bet we’ll see the Nick Mullens era sooner rather than later.
In the ha ha department: “Jimmie Ward added to 49ers injury report, questionable for Sunday.”
In all fairness, he did play one consecutive game without getting injured.
Beathard is definitely old school but the pounding will get him sooner or later. I have no idea who’s gonna be on our Oline this week. I guess CJ is gonna have to learn to get rid of the ball in less than 11/2 seconds or else it’s hammer time. I am not sure we even have a healthy rb this week. There is no way we win this week unless AZ is already tanking.
Bright spots so far have been Kittle, Breida and Warner all looking like future stars !
They all are players we added at positions of need and are coming up big !
Always with the negative stuff, Rob ¡¡¡
Keep an eye open for LB Germaine Pratt NCSt in April
Tackling machine with Edge speed.
Rob- I think those 3 players are gonna be Niners for a long-time. I like the way they play the game.
From what I have read it looks like we get our starting Oline back with Brieda, and Goodwin suiting up. That changes everything I think we will win this one now.
We have to keep AZ in the basement.
Rams should demolish Seattle too, which should leave both us and ‘Hawks at 2-3, if that happens.
No one is keeping up with the Rams it would appear.
Just hoping we do a respectable job with CJ, for the remainder of the season, while giving ourselves a decent Draft slot in the process.
NJ
Keep your eye on WR Collin Johnson of Texas
He’s 6″6″ and finally reaching his potential. He’s from San Jose and the son of Ex Longhorn Johnny Johnson who had a great career as a Ram.
Looks like he’s a second or third round pick right now and fits the role of a bigger receiver who is a red zone threat and who’ll get you that must have first down. Very good at 50/50 balls because of his height
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i12v_xdZsSM
49ers inactives
WR Marquise Goodwin
WR Dante Pettis
CB Jimmie Ward
DT D.J. Jones
DT Jullien Taylor
OG Joshua Garnett
OT Shon Coleman
Well this is appalling. 4 turnovers and there’s your game.
Watching this game against thr Cards is death by 1000 paper cuts
Beathard holds on the ball too long
Would rather see Richie James than Victor Bolden
We have a 2-1 edge in total yards, and BETTER than a 2-1 edge in Time of Possession.
And we’re losing.
Because a 5-0 deficit in turnovers outweighs the rest of the game.
A 5-0 turnover deficit means your chance on winning is less than 1%
Beathard needs to learn to climb the pocket rather than stand there like a statue
This one was just about as bad as it gets.
Just about. Not only Ugly but Historic.
“The 49ers are the first team in NFL history to pick up 30 first downs in a game, hold their opponent to 10 or fewer first downs, and lose by double-digits.
“After today, NFL teams are 46-4 all time when they pick up 30 first downs and hold their opponent to 10 or fewer.”
Saw bits-n-pieces via RZ today and thought the same thing with CJ Bullit.
He’s staring down the Receivers and definitely not moving within the pocket.
Hence the final nail, getting the ball swatted out for 6, when there was a chance to eat clock and potentially steal the Win.
He’s got no pocket awareness and. like RG III, thinks there’s a week to throw in the NFL.
Stats-schmatz at this point too.
CJ isn’t a quick trigger guy, nor accurate enough to lead guys open it seems.
I’ll watch the game, in it’s entirety, later in the week. When I have time for a few beers to numb the pain.
What a debacle….
Bullit I was actually in and out of the TX/OK game the other day and saw a rather large target whose name I didn’t get.
Is Johnson going in the 230lbs range? Or was that a TE I’m thinking of?
Is his Brother the RB? Kirk Johnson
New post is up.