The earth shook. The mountains trembled. Zeus fondled his lightning bolt. Time stood still. And there it was. With eleven minutes left in the 4th quarter in Seattle, the 49ers took a 9-6 lead. Zounds!
Then Russell Wilson said, “Screw this,” and single-handedly pushed his team down the field for the go ahead touchdown with seven minutes still remaining to play. Their kicker graciously missed the extra point, leaving room for the Niners to tie it with only a FG instead of needing a TD for the win.
Brian Hoyer responded with a brisk three and out, the Niners punted with almost five minutes left on the clock, and never saw the ball again. That’s six straight years of futility in Seattle.
After two games, it’s clear the 49er defense is vastly improved. Just how much will have to wait until they play a team with a modestly proficient NFL offense. Which neither Carolina nor Seattle has demonstrated yet.
However, after two games, the Niner offense has yet to score a TD. Heck, they’ve yet to put up as much as ten points.
There’s a twisted logic at work here, but I’m danged if I can put my finger on it. Former HC Jim Harbaugh roared into town with the reputation of an offensive guru, and he did indeed improve the offense. But the backbone of his team was the defense. Now we have Kyle Shanahan with the big offensive credentials, yet his offense is limping badly while his defense thrives.
At the end of the day, it’s another loss and an 0-2 start to the 2017 season. The post-Harbaugh Niners are 7-27 through 2+ seasons. They’re in last place in the NFC West and will remain there for at least another two weeks — either alone or in a shared occupation. The Rams come to town Thursday, and it will take a win over them to avoid being the only winless team in the division.
The Rams are 1-1 and have shown remarkable offensive life after last season’s epic fail. An example of an offensive guru (Sean McVay) who actually came in and gurued. The Niners beat the Rams twice last year. They will have their work cut out for them to duplicate that this year.
Want to see a one-gapping 3-4 in action, with a 6 ft AD as a DE.
On the post-mortem want to see how the LB’S did in pass coverage in all-22. How much blown coverage was there and LB and/or DB did the blowing.
A weak SEA OL probably covered up a lot of this. Short QB helped as well. Rams have neither.
My guess is McVay gameplan will target those weak points. Everett, Kupp, and Gurley in wheel routes to stress all three LB’s.
Our current active roster for offensive players consists of 8 players who were with the team last year and 19 who were not.That includes kickers. We are in a rebuild and it will take a little time to work things out. To compare any of this to the Harbaugh era doesn’t make any sense.
That wasn’t Harbaugh’s defense. Just as this isn’t Shanahan’s defense.
Duh. How dumb are you, Skkkeebs?
Reid is out for several weeks with a PCL injury to his knee.
Taart is questionable for the Rams with a neck problem.
Could be a Safety tandem of Ward and rookie Jerome
“CB Keith Reaser, whom the 49ers waived on Saturday to make room for Asa Jackson, signed with the KCChiefs practice squad today.”
Educational thread. Just confirms Ray Ray is a dumb dumb among men. Great discussion of cover 3 beaters. Enjoy.
http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/189302-2017-week-seattle-film-analysis-thread/
https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/2/22/14693440/2017-la-rams-wade-phillips-defense-3-4-robert-quinn-aaron-donald
Tartt practiced yesterday. As did Jimmie Ward. They’ll play.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nfl-tv-ratings-slide-worries-wall-street-1041187
Pressure on football contracts ratcheted up. No more busting the bank games that players/agents/lawyers play.
Cord-cutting has barely started. Gauging viewership is not a science, it is a racket. Advertising dollars need to reflect actual viewers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience_measurement
Football is entertainment. How the money pot is divied up in the future forces accuracy onto a bullshit industry.
So last year week 1 we were big underdogs and dominated MINN 20-3. Year before week 1 we wiped the Rams 28-0.
Now we have better O coaching staff with better playcalling and match players better with scheme. Or are those advantages being nullified.
Are we tanking on purpose without leaving fingerprints. The O is seriously underperforming. Hoyer making bad decisions and staring down receivers? Receivers are open and he is not finding them in the SEA game. Maybe Hoyer settles down in games against weaker defenses. He is good in practice.
Rams have their stud Aaron Donald rusty and new to the 3-4. The DB’S and 3 of 4 LB’s are average or less. This is the easiest D Hoyer will have faced so far this season.
I posit that Hoyer was chosen to lead this team to a top 5 pick. Prove me wrong.
We are weak in pass coverage. Will McVay expose our LB’s. Armstrong making mental mistakes. Bo still recovering to get back to his old self and Eli Harold will play with some kind of foot injury.
We may have to blitz a lot to mask our flaws. Is Goff up to it. He has weapons at all skill positions. If we don’t hit Goff early and often the game could get ugly. Or maybe Goff needs more time with McVay.
Will Tavon Austin and Todd Gurley be schemed open against our LB corp? Goff is a statue so he should have awareness of utilizing his weapons. There is a potential for a Rams blowout.
Can Goff attack the openings when we blitz. Good game tomorrow.
https://www.ninersnation.com/2017/9/20/16338980/49ers-rams-week-means-its-time-to-ram-it
Top Gun Dickerson will have Gore surpass him in career yardage in next 1 or 2 games, needs 106 or so.
Tavon Austin has become a total bust considering he was a top ten draft pick. This season he has 2 catches for 12 yds on 4 targets.
Now in his fifth year he just doesn’t strike fear as a threat where you game plan against him.
Maybe Fisherball and his motley cast of OC’s had something to do with that. Witness Goff last year versus this season.
Looking at the Rams depth chart Austin is no longer a starter.
With Kupp being the 3rd slot receiver Austin is the #4 guy.
Generally #4 receivers don’t consistently tip the balance of games.
RIP Bedrnie Casey ex Niner WR in the 60’s.
Probably known more as an actor than WR he did start when Brodie was the QB.
Waddaya think, Tom? 73-0?
If you think the new regime is coming in trying to lose games, you need to stop posting so much and start thinking a little more.
NYJ obviously tanking. Oline not touched in offseason, except a washed up Zuttah.
I am no homer. Many losses coming.
“The San Francisco Chronicle reports that tonight’s game could draw the worst crowd in the four-season history of Levi’s Stadium.”
My four win prediction is beginning to feel like giddy optimism.
Oh, well, at least I’m not smoking crack lie Rob! and Chuck. Nine wins? Where? How?
I’ve already got one eye turning to the 2018 draft.
49ers inactives
S Eric Reid
LB Reuben Foster
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
OL Erik Magnuson
WR Kendrick Bourne
LB Pita Taumoepenu
DL Xavier Cooper
Grant Cohn predicted 9 wins, too. Several times. Insistently. Now he’s berating the coaches for not living up to his opinion of the Niner talent.
Grump, don’t give up on em just yet. It’s gonna take a bit longer than most people want but it will come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaPTweZ2_fI
That’s gotta be one of the quickest TDs in history.
C John Sullivan solo block on bigger Mitchell for the TD. Sheesh.
Donate Johnson another knucklehead? Dumervil lost a sack.
Fumbleitis with backup RB’s.
Turnovers and penalties can be the difference tonight.
Tavon Austin starting over Kupp? Jet sweep fakes to freeze LB’s.
Nice to see Derek Carrier come in and kick our ass.
Niners cannot convert a gift. Austin fumbles punt to us on their 12. Penalties killed us. Only 3.
Wow. No respect. 4th and 3 to Kupp.
What did McVay see to have confidence on 4th and 3. Blown coverages by LB’s?
Where is our pass rush. Goff doing a little RW?
Are niners tired on D. Gurley and Austin are ripping. Jet sweep fake moving out a LB, good play design.
Collins worth pointed out on the Gurley reception, BO missed tackle, and YAC to 20, that a niner LB misplaced a zone D on the crosser.
Rams ripping niner D. So who’s better than us, Chuck. Everyone.
Tom
Are you a Niner fan? Seems like you are rooting against them.
What gives????
Niners made a ton of mistakes but showed grit and fight in their comeback. Missed PAT came back to bite them.
Exciting at the end as they recover onside kick.
Not this year, playing for best draft positioning.
Great game on both sides. LB play by niners needs to be all-22 analysed.
Well, we are 0-3. But the reality of it all is a couple of plays last week and a play or two tonight and we could just as easily be 2-1. If we limit our injuries I figure by the middle of the season we will be playing better ball.
Rams have bad backend on D. We should have done what we did.
No sacks. Rams had 4. What about pressures and hits? We have a lot of work to do.
The offseason will be phenomenal for us.
We’re better than last year, when we were utterly putrid.
Now we’re just good enough to break your heart.
This team can only win against a good opponent with a damned near perfect game. Even looking much better in the passing game, on third down, and in the red zone, the INT, the sacks, and the missed PAT were just enough that we could not overcome.
Better days are ahead but not quite there yet.
New post is up.