It’s probably safe to say we fans will not see another two game stretch of 49er football that remotely approaches the total dominance we have witnessed against the Jets and Bills. But we could find out next Sunday that a modest form of dominance is sustainable if the team can thump the Giants more or less comfortably.
The East Coast would no doubt fall into the Atlantic should such a hohum victory occur over their beloved jerk offs. Or the ECers could simply do what they did to the Texans after Monday night’s game and simply ignore the 49ers while focusing on what sort of headlines they should write about their team on Monday morning, as though the Niners were merely an act of God that the Giants would have to overcome on their anointed way to the Super Bowl. No credit would be given the Niners. Maybe a little faint praise and backhanded compliments. But nothing more.
49er fans are enjoying the ass whipping laid on Buffalo last Sunday, but it’s a reserved kind of celebration. Almost like the Bills were some sort of brand new expansion franchise and reading anything too much into the victory would be undignified. If I was Arizona, though, I would not take for granted their game next Sunday against these same Bills. AZ does not have SF’s O-line, running game, linebackers, or QB and could be ripe for an upset.
Still, the Giants game next Sunday will be the GPS game on just how good or not quite as good the 49ers are compared to what we now perceive them to be. A clear cut, better-team-won victory is called for.
The Colin Kaepernick phenomenon is a classic example of EC blindness. Much was made of Ronnie Brown’s success as a wildcat QB a few years back with Miami, and we all know how much coverage the complete dud wearing the #15 backup jersey for the Jets gets. Barely anything has been written or voiced about Kaepernick so far, and what mention there is usually focuses on him breathing down Alex Smith’s neck for the starting job, while completely ignoring that Smith is currently the number one rated QB in the league — a double shot of ignorance and avoidance.
Kaepernick, of course, has only thrown one incomplete pass this year, but he has been an unstoppable force as a runner. You have to wonder how long it will take the EC crowd to get a clue about this marvelous athlete.
49er opponents are not so illiterate, though. Colin is scaring hell of them each week. Both in preparation and during the game. His game snaps have risen from a handful to 19 in the Bills game. Any week now, he is going to fake a handoff, fake a run, and launch a sixty yard TD, probably to Randy Moss. When that happens, white flags will be going up around the league.
It could happen this weekend against the Giants. 49er fans pooh-poohed the demolition job on the Jets two weeks ago, just like we have the Bills rout, but the concensus number one team in the league — the Texans — barely squeaked by the Jets Monday night. Maybe the 49ers are just that good.
A one point victory over the Giants would be enough to make me happy.
Pansy.
Sunday was a shellacking over an average NFL team. Buffalo is far from being the worst team as they have some offensive firepower.
The Niner defense shut them down
allowing 204 total yards and it could have been better except for Brad Smith’s wildcat scramble for 35 yards.
The offensive numbers were franchise records and are being downplayed now because Buffalo is being characterized as anemic.
I say celebrate these numbers as they have never been achieved in the history of the Niner franchise
and we have had our chances to play many weak teams and expansion teams in our history
without reaching these milestones and we might never see it broken
so temper expectations.
In last year’s NFC Championship
the Niner D held the Gnats in check and forced 7 punts in regulation and 2 punts in OT.
The 10 Gnat points were the result
of 2 belated Christmas gifts.
Whatever defensive adjustments Fangio made worked in the second half and even shut Victor Cruz down who tore it up in the first half and was torching C Rogers.
RIP, Mongo.
I think you’re right, Skeebers. AZ is ripe for an upset. Considering the performance (acting!) of their defense against the Niners, I would not be surprised if the Bills came out with an inspired (or reasonable facsimile thereof) performance on both sides of the ball on Sunday.
Our last two games against NYG have been close, tough. I think we’re due for a non-close game. I kind of like being under the EC radar, frankly. F*ck em. I say 38-17, Niners followed by long hand wringing articles about “what’s wrong with The Giants?” dominating NFL coverage.
I’m not sure what they’ll have to write about after we win the SB.
“Mongo just pawn in game of life . . .”
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R.I.P. mad duck . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H3luguo8Nw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKRma7PDW10&feature=player_embedded
Great movie RT, have to watch it again tonight.
In the NFC Championship Game Cruz caught 8 passes for 125 yds in 12 mins when Carlos Rogers had single coverage.
They doubled Cruz in the second half and he caught 2 more passes
for 17 yds,
So Cruz accounted for 40% of the Gnat’s offensive total.
Whatever they did in the second hlaf to cover Cruz worked and they should do some version of that in the defensive gameplan.
I think Cappy would really shake em up with a 60 yarder to Moss. And, I kind of like being under the EC media radar. They can all go and F themselves. We just have to win this one.
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I love the fact that Cappy’s getting more involved he brings excitement to our offensive scheme and he’s getting the needed experience on the field. Love the way Harbaugh and our OC is doing this.
Don’t worry about the media attention, they love the high-powered offenses and the drama queens. Didn’t ya know?
If Alex’s game against Buffalo *was* Alex’s game, you can rest assured we’d be getting lots of ink with our record and our defense.
The Buffalo game increased Alex’s average YPG by 20 points at least, I’m guessing. The 140 yarders are tough on the averages, too.
When our offense begins scaring teams you’ll have all the press you want. That said, it doesn’t look like Akers is going to be our MVP this year and that’s moving in the right direction.
I’m interested to see if we air it out against the Giants secondary or revert to featuring the run game but I’m really wondering what the two or three WildKaep plays will be.
I’d guess Coughlin is wondering, too.
I definitely see the Niners taking shots downfield. That’s what these last two games were about.
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Funny thing is, the Niners got exactly 1,000 yards of offense these last 2 games.
Go Giants!!!
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SF Giants that is.
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5-2 ! ! !
I thought peeps on this blog said Pablo Sandoval was too fat.
8-3 ! !! !
Yeah, who was that?
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*cough cough Bullit cough*
My observation is Sandoval is fat.
That’s why he’s nicknamed Panda.
It’s about time he started hitting,or haven’t you noticed that the bases are always empty when Posey bats?
Regular season 12 HRs and 63 RBIs doesn’t get you into Cooperstown.
This is very cool
http://tinyurl.com/8m29edh
When you are out for 2 months it does, skippy.
BTW, they call the 1-2 spots the table setters. Not the 3 spot. The 3 is a power spot.
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Your welcome.
Cainer is just gonna have to shake that Cincy juju.
GMen have weapons.
They ran well last week vs Cleveland.
OK, it’s Cleveland but, they have options beyond Cruz.
Carlos, STFU, thump your chest when you win. In February.
Bottom line, we’re faster, younger and have just as many weapons to utilize.
Execute and keep Eli on the sideline.
Curious about Jacobs, Moss and Kaep for this matchup.
Each has the ability to surprise the NYG and screw with their gameplan.
This game, while high on drama and expectations, is not nearly as important as the Seahawks who come in 4 days later.
Chuckles
Yeah and he does a poor job of that too.
From Jun through Aug he had 10,8
and 13 RBIs. In those same months his HR numbers were 1,2 and ZERO.
For a team that needed runs your beloved Fatboy was a failure.
I see nothing but lame excuses. You cannot defend these laughable numbers and actually I don’t care but you chose the wrong thing to rub in my face. He’s pathetic.
NJ
You are correct.
The next 3 games after the Gnats are division games and are more important for winning the West.
Be nice to take this game of course Bullit.
Division games matter more.
This game is more about respect and momentum.
Like our chances.
Soooo, Mike Schmidt is available, Bullit? No. The team ain’t exactly thrille with his weight, but he’s a proven player and all star.
Who has worked his way through 2 injuries.
The Giants are a real team. B.J. Raji has been lousy for the UFO Coyotes (next season Roadrunners), but he’s a helluva nose and the key to the Giants D.
They also have something called a secondary, which Buffalo might figure out some year.
My prediction goes on Chuck’s blog. I’m 4-1.
It’s back to the ground game (back?). D, ST.
The Giants under Coughlin are a much, much better team in December and January.
They can be beaten right now, and beaten big.
I expect to see the Giants come after us on the ground RTF.
They got alot of ydg last week and, likely feel that a steady dose like MN provided will be key to opening the passing game.
I’m concerned for our ST coverage and, getting pressure on Eli when they do go vertical.
Should be a good tough challenge for us.
Be nice if we could set the tone early and play with the lead.
They are the Super Bowl Champions, NJ.
The Giants are one thing right now struggling, but they are NOT the Buffalo Bills.
Agreed RTF, hopefully we’re catching them at the right time and we aren’t looking past them to Seattle.
Giants are a dangerous team as underdogs.
Here is the Giants plan of attack. You read here first.
I’ve watched Coughin since he came into the NFL.
Stop the skinny post to VD. The SS is gonna be busy.
Stop the deep corners by Moss and Manningham (Alex is throwing, not Eli Manning), less of a worry.
Keep the backers in to keep Frank, having the best year of his career, from going wild.
Ground, pound, and Eli’s brain, arm and clutch in the 4th qtr to beat a great team on the road.
RT, signing off.
That’s how the defending Super Bowl Champions play football.
3-step drop slants. If Alex sthrow thar, it means at least one backer has go medium.
With a simple crossing route and a 5-step drop, another backer has to drop into coverage.
Not many teams in this league have Frank Gore.
The Giants will be watching for the end-arounds, so don’t bother.
If Alex can hit the 3-step out, with Frank up the middle?
Only part of the Bill Walsh Offense. Is Frank too old to run the circle route? I’m guessing we see that this season.
Akers going crazy.
Should be a really, really good game.
Rufus, our defense allows room for underneath routes. One of the reasons Cruz was effective against us. They like to play both slots and trips or bunch formation. Crossing routes, outs and play-action could hurt us.
The Eagles gashed them on the ground and beat them with field goals. We may take much the same approach.
If I were them I’d try every stunt and zone blitz to get to Alex. That could be good for Gore and Davis over the middle.
Manning could be winging it if his starting receivers and TE are injured.
Alex can’t hit the 3-step out (it might be a pick-6), so that hampers the BWO. The quick slants have to be right on the money, or your receiver will refuse to catch from you again.
I see them mimmicking the MN approach NoFear49er.
Watch the Bear Pascoe and MBennett.
We need to put a Kaep in their A$$.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHf6ul_ROV
A
Goodnight Alex. Some of us are old enough to have watched you play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHf6ul_ROVc
Niners get picked again to play in London next year against the Jags. They are now a popular team and in demand but I think it’s too much of a distraction and a PR tool for the NFL. It would makew sense if the NFL schedules the bye the week after otherwise it makes for a short week.
The components of the 2013 schedule per Maiocco
49ers’ 2013 opponents
Full schedules with times and dates are announced in the spring of 2013
Home
Atlanta
Carolina
Houston
Indianapolis
NFC North
Arizona
St. Louis
Seattle
Away
Jacksonville, Sunday, Oct. 27, at London’s Wembley Stadium)
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Tennessee
NFC East
Arizona
St. Louis
Seattle
Niners get to go to the Superdome and give the Aints a home game for second straight year
Anyody notice the date today? 10-11-12!
We’ll have to wait till next year for the sequel: 11-12-13
We will have a 12-12-12 this year.
Or the Mayans favorite, 12-21-12
The NFL pays lip service to safety, but as we saw with the replacement refs, playing 16 thursday night games, and the real possibility of an 18 game season, it is only lip service.
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TEs/RBs underneath have been the way to play our defense for a while now. Mainly becuase of the underneath zone’s varying success rate. Minn used a lot of deep WR routes, which the Niners covered fine, but it left the underneath open for screens/TE curls for 12-15 yard chunks.
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If they are going to play nickel, which it sounds like, they should roll the extra safety up closer into the underneath area to keep this area a little more congested.
Seeing as there are 5,000 lawsuits from ex-players, not sure what Goodie Goodell’s reasoning is around these decisions.
Buster!
Alex has done a fine impersonation of Peyton Manning at this stage of their careers.
He can’t take a hit like Joe Flacco, Ben Rapistberger, the Mannings.
But he’s seriouly deadly if he keeps his focus. He is not the leader who can rally the team from behind (NO excepted).
If Peyton had the Niners D and ST, the horses would be 5-0. Alex should run with it while he can.
Stay on target, Alex. You will win.
Rufus, Alex doesn’t do BWO timing passes. And he’ll no doubt face more pressure from the NYGs. If he approaches 300 yds against the Giants I’ll be paying attention.
NJ49er, MIN approach? Ha! Offense or defense? Looking more to the TE? Yeah, they love to sneak one into Pascoe.
“Kaep in their A$$” that’s good, put it on a tee shirt.
Chuck, the extra safety is usually the CB Culliver and he’s usually manned up. The weakness comes from the scheme. Every scheme has them. The flats, hook, short middle and some of the deep middle are covered by two inside backers with some help from the SS sometimes. Fairly easy to find some open grass in there for receivers when the outside guys take the corners deep.
We used to have our corners play more off coverage and take some of those zones and more run support. That scheme depended on deep and inside help.
Holy crap. What a game.
Congrats to the SF Giants. It’s quite an accomplishment to return from the dead.
Dusty Baker has become the Marty Schottenheimer of baseball.
What a game. Looking forward to a few days of lower blood pressure. What an epic comeback.
Never say die, SF Giants!!
Jesus, Christ on a bicycle. What a fricking game. Kickstart my heart.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4aob4zlhIk&feature=player_embedded
Never been a big Cure fan, Hair bands and all, but shit, this should be the SF Giants theme song.
Lower blood pressure, Barley? Don’t count on it.
The Giants game plan B Stop Frank. Stop Frank. Stop Frank. Stop Frank.
Hit Alex. It’s a simple game. You throw the QB, you hit the QB, you catch the QB.
The Giants aren’t the defending Super Bowl Champions for nothin’.
I think there was a sizable outbreak of Rally Monkey Anxiety Disorder around the ninth inning today. Fortunately, this time, all’s well that ends well.
About Alex Smith
“He is not the leader who can rally the team from behind (NO excepted).”
Four regular season games come to mind from last year, Bengals, Eagles, Lions and the NY Gnat game. All were come from behind wins.
How soon we forget.
Tweet From Eric Branch: “Sprained-fingered Alex Smith throwing passes with plenty of zip during practice.”
Cure, Crue. Not too much dofferent there!
Chuck — just until Sunday. Then an immediate amp up.
Glad Smith’s finger isn’t an issue, or supposedly isn’t. This game really isn’t perhaps as important in the standings as the following division games, but in terms of continued mojo rolling, it ranks high.
RT — spot on. They’ll not believe Alex can beat them. But this IS a different offense than the one that showed up in January. He will…unless his finger really is problematic.
Bullit, I am not going to get into a pedantic ‘argument’.
I stated my opinions and analysis, and you attacked again.
You haven’t had an original thought in your life.
ESPN is cool, huh Bullit?
Right, NoFear. I think we have a little better man coverage now, and I’d like to see Culliver, or even Spillman (dime), clogging things up underneath. It’s hard to cover both the deep stuff and the underneath, but if we go nickel or dime, someone has to camp underneath to stop the dumpoffs and screens. Minnesota killed us on that stuff.
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The tradeoff there is the fact that NY runs fairly well at times with Bradshaw so they may not go dime like they did with GB and Det.
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Interesting game to say the least.
RTR Thanks for revealing your other identity.
Grow a thicker skin. If the truth and facts are hard for you to digest when you make an assertion you either make a plausable rebuttal or withdraw the assertion.
If I am wrong I will own up to it.
I don’t know. I think the Giants are not as good as they were last year. losing Jacobs and Manningham has to hurt them a little. We have the same defense, and as of now, a better offense.
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It comes down to the usual, pressure Eli, stop the run.
What are your opinions and analyis of the game against the Giants? I’m listening, Bullit.
“analysis”
ESPN doesn’t count Bullit.
Your thoughts. Let’s hear them.
RTR
How do you decide which identity to post as? It’s really hilarious when your different identities compliment each other.
You slipped up big time today.
There are Commies under every bed.
I’ve always posted as RT.
Good try at deflection for someone who hasn’t had an original thought in his life.
What is your opinion, and what is your analysis of the Giants game?I’m still listening but all I hear are chirps.
Not deflection you have made major gaffes the last few days
to reveal yourself Rufus/Pat and that’s not even the reveal.
Desparate are you Bullit?
What’s your opinion and analysis of the Giant-Niners game?
You can’t even write a sentence without an ad hominem assault.
If you want to play teenage stuff with Spitty and Chuck, that’s Skeeber’s business.
I still haven’t read your analysis of the game.
Funny. Why is it the tornado of bullshit (thanks, NoFear) always seems to surround you, Bullit?
Damn! If only I’d known how easy it was to make Tommy Tutone STFU.
Football question. Priceless.
The SF Giants are just amazing, they are truly gamers and if Timmy can pitch like that throughout the series I really like our chances even if DC beats STL. This 2012 version is a total team effort. Congrats and well done.
He’s busy on google RT, looking for his football opinion.
Lowest common denominator Chuck, emphasis on lowest.
ding ding ding ding ding
Earlier I tweeted that Buster Posey killed a rally with a HR. It was a great rally killer!
Gawd. More Giants games like that, and I’ll be in the hospital. Crazy stuff.
Chuckles
The guy who said this ain’t the Encycolpedia Britanica. What are facts? Can’t handle the truth and brought your gang of one over to help you?
All out of popcorn and tired. Despite the pathetic entertainment value, must sleep.
Just remember , Boys: Every time you reply, a troll gets his jollies. It’s not such a wonderful life, after all.
Good point Grump.
New post is up.
RT/Rufus/Pat/???
If one reads your analysis above
they might get very confused because you seem to be fighting yourself each time you post.
First you say key is 3 step drop slants, next you post Alex can’t hit those slants, then you say Alex is deadly if he keeps his focus. Stop playing volleyball with yourself. You even go from
the Gnats are a real team to the Gnats having a down year, then say they’re not the Bills
and then you go to the Gnats aren’t Super Bowl Champs for nothin. Very dysfunctional.
Along the way you need to find a need to brag about your accomplishments on predictions on another blog and mention that the key to the NY Gnat defense is BJ Raji at nose (10/10 8:50pm).
Did the Packers make a trade?