49ers Win Big

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Regardless of last week’s result against the Seahawks last night’s Monday Night Football game was a must win for the 49ers.  If they had beaten the Seahawks and with the win last night the 49ers would have pulled within one of the game the NFC West title along with the owning the tiebreaker against the Cardinals.  The Niners are still technically alive for a playoff spot but in order for them to win the NFC West the Cardinals need lose their last three games (Lions, Rams, Packers) which seems unlikely but more importantly the Niners need to win to take care of themselves and win out the last three games (Eagles, Lions, Rams) to hope for a long shot spot in the playoffs.  The 49ers have two teams in front of them for the wild card, Giants and Falcons. With the NFC East being played out like a slugfest and with the Falcons big two playmakers in Matt Ryan and Michael Turner hurting and not at 100% there is a small window for the 49ers to creep up in the playoff standings.  Nonetheless the way the 49ers came out and defeated a very good Cardinals team that embarrassed the playoff bound Vikings last week the performance by the team, especially the D, showed that no matter the previous weeks results they learn from it, let it go and can come out and beat a team favored to win 24-9.  Let’s hand out some game gold nuggets:

(Game gold nuggets are based on a one to five scale, one being the lowest, five being the highest)

OFFENSE :

Anytime you switch to a spread offense your run game will suffer.  With rushing attempts of 9, 16 and 7 in the past three games for a total of 117 rushing yards it looked as though the 49ers best offensive player, Frank Gore, was becoming an afterthought in the run as offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye tried to suite the offense to Alex Smith’s abilities.  Being down in the second half in two of the last three games the switch was natural for the team looking for any type of offense and a quick score.  However last night Raye showed that the 49ers can still run the spread to move the offense but when the clock needs to be ran out to preserve a win you can always count on Gore.  With 25 rushing attempts for 167 yards, 6.7 average per carry and one touchdown Gore reminded everyone that he is the best offensive player on the Niners and that offense should run, literally, through him.  Smith did not have a spectacular game stat wise completing 19 of 35 passes for 144 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions but he ran the spread offense effectively.  With the defense creating turnovers that got the offense back Smith’s two interceptions only yielded nine points for the Cardinals.  But what does not show up in the stat book is how poised and how much of a presence Smith had on the field last night commanding the offense.  Smith is emerging out of his old shell and becoming a quarterback that you can rely on in passing situations.

There were times last night when Smith and Michael Crabtree were off as far as knowing where the receiver was going to be and where the quarterback was going to throw.  This is one of the negative side effects I see with Crabtree missing so much time before signing with the Niners but this is something that will correct itself as Smith and Crabtree work more with each other and it becomes instinct on where the two know the ball will be thrown and where the Crabtree needs to be.  Crabtree finished with 5 receptions for 67 yards with one touchdown.  His lone touchdown catch of the night gave the 49er Faithful a glimpse of his athletic ability and what to expect in the future when he pulled down a pass out of the air, continued running along the route and stiff-armed his way for a 35-yard touchdown.  That gave the Niners a 17-0 halftime lead and added momentum on top of the five turnovers by the 49ers D in the first-half.  The 49ers offense is starting to roll and finding its identity as maybe a pass first team but when the time calls for it they run the football effectively whether out of the spread or normal formations.

Another reason for the 49ers success last night was the excellent play by the offensive line that lead Gore to a big rushing night and protected Smith giving up only one sack.  The play that stood out the most to me by the O-line was on Gore’s 36-yard run in the first quarter with right guard David Baas leading the way with a crucial block that allowed Gore’s big gain.  Individually the O-line stats don’t show up in the box score but when you only give up one sack, the offense rushes for 189 yards and have 36:45 time of possession the offensive line as a whole has had a great game

DEFENSE :

The 49ers defense last night was stellar in all aspects: Seven turnovers, five in the first half, that included two interceptions (INT), seven forced fumbles (FF) recovering five of them to go along with 4 sacks.  The D got everyone involved with interceptions by safety Dashon Goldson, who also had 2 FF, and cornerback Tarell Brown.  The five fumbles were recovered by defensive end Parys Haralson, cornerback Dre’ Bly, safety Mark Roman forced the fumble he recovered and defensive end Justin Smith.  Linebacker Ahmad Brooks was the most impressive with a FF and recovery to go along with three sacks.  It is well known how good of an offense the Cardinals have and with the way quarterback Kurt Warner was playing the last four games in which he had 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions with at least a 120 passer rating in each of the games the 49ers D proved it is a force to be reckon with.  The 49ers D have been great against the run this year but it was the weak play against the passing game that opponents exploited so to shutdown a high-powered offense like the Cardinals (Anquan Boldin 5 receptions for 40 yards; Larry Fitzgerald 2 receptions for 22 yards) and limiting their big play makers the 49ers D showed to the nation how good their defense can be and how they rise to the occasion.

A lot has been said about Alex Smith and his development as a quarterback being hindered because of all the various offensive coordinators he has been through.  The 49ers D have shown what the team can develop into if they have consistent coordinators on the sideline.  Greg Manusky is in his third year as the 49ers defensive coordinator and with big games this year against the Rams (five turnovers, shutout), Colts (held Peyton Manning and company to 18 points) and holding Pro Bowl running backs Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner and Maurice Jones-Drew all under 100 rushing yards the 49ers are showing a blueprint for the offensive side of the football.

SPECIAL TEAMS :

The only blot on the special teams was Joe Nedney’s 53 yard miss in the second quarter.  It was a long field goal but there was no wind last night at the ‘Stick.  Because of the defenses performance the missed field goal did not matter but at the time the 49ers were to add to a 10-0.  53 yards is within Nedney’s kicking distance and he will need to make these kicks in the last three games of the season.  Andy Lee was his normal self averaging 41.2 yards on each punt.  He did shank one punt in the third quarter that set up a Cardinals field goal.  The big play of the game on special teams came from defensive end Ray McDonald who blocked an extra point which made the score 17-9.

COACHING :

A lot of credit has to be given to Mike Singletary in the way he prepared the 49ers for last night’s game and for making the team forget about the tough loss against the Seahawks that was a win within their reach.  Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye called a great game by starting out in the spread formation and passing a lot making the Cardinals D think that was going to be the case all night.  But slowly and effectively Raye called running plays for Gore and it worked out to their advantage.  Another great defensive scheme was set-up by defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.  The 49ers brought pressure all night on Warner and made him look like a rookie and forced him to throw into double coverage.  Manusky masked his zone coverage very well and most passing downs he was dropping seven into the zone and on one play only had two rushers and the 49ers caused an interception.  What the coaches need to do now is make sure the 49ers can carry this confidence and momentum over to the next three games if the Niners even want to entertain thoughts of making the playoffs.

Up Next @ Philly:

The 49ers will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday against an Eagles team fighting for the NFC East.  The 49ers have only won once on the road this year which was in week one against the Cardinals and the 49ers have a short week.  Anything is possible but the 49ers will need a performance like last night to be able to keep up with the Eagles.

Texans hold on to beat 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers morphed into a new identity in the second-half of their week 7 loss against the Houston Texans.  The 49ers come out in the first-half looking much like the team that was humiliated by the Falcons in week 5 and looked as though they learned and adjusted nothing in their bye week.  The 49ers allowed another receiver to catch record breaking numbers although this time it was a tight end, Owen Daniels, who caught 7 receptions for 123 yards and 1 touchdown.  Texans QB Matt Schaub looked to Daniels often in the first-half as the 49ers secondary and linebackers were mismatched any time Daniels went out for a pass.  The worst pass was Daniels only touchdown of 42 yards.  The secondary blew their assignment on Daniels and that proved to be the fatal touchdown that did not allow the 49ers to come back.  In the second-half defensive coordinator Greg Manusky did a great job of adjusting to what the Texans were doing best which was passing the football.  On the offensive side it was a move by Mike Singletary to bring in long forgotten backup QB Alex Smith that almost allowed the Niners to come back from a three touchdown deficit.  It was the right move to bring in Smith as the 49ers offensive line looked like rookies trying to stop the Texans pass rush.  Starter Shaun Hill was not at fault for playing so poorly but with the offensive line playing so bad only a running quarterback like Smith would have had any success yesterday.  Rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree (MCT) had a great debut for someone that has been out football for over nine months.  MCT showed off his great hands and his ability to make defenders miss which the 49ers will need moving forward.  After every loss there are always questions that need answers.  For Singletary and company the biggest question this week is who should start under center, Hill or Smith?

Game Nuggets

(Nugget awards are based on a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best, 1 being the worst)

OFFENSE

As much as the 49er Faithful would like to forget about the first-half and only focus on the positives in the second-half the 49ers offensive woes still continue.  The offensive line is in disarray.  Even with the threat of being benched right guard Chilo Rachal had another horrible game as he could not contain the Texans pass rush.  The Texans do have a great defensive line but Rachal gave up a sack to 39-year-old veteran Jeff Zgonina. That was one of only two sacks given up but the full story is never told in the stats alone.  With running back Frank Gore back in the lineup after missing three weeks with a foot injury could also not get the offense moving rushing for only 32 yards on 13 carries. The offensive line played a little better in the second-half but a lot of that can be attributed Alex Smith being called into the game to take over for an anemic Hill who passed for only 45 yards on 6 of 11 passes. But the main difference between Smith and Hill is that Smith is a scrambling quarterback and was able to avoid the pass rush that was still coming.  Hill clearly looks as if he has stones in his cleats as he is unable to avoid the pass rush.

With Smith coming into the game in the second-half to give the 49ers a jolt he found a familiar target in tight end Vernon Davis.  Davis continued his emergence season catching 7 receptions for 93 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Smith was coming into the game for the first time since November 12, 2007 and looked as if he had been running the Niners offense all season as he passed for 206 yards going 15 for 22 with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.  Smith was in command of the offense and almost led the 49ers to a comeback before he throw an interception with 1:38 left in the game. But should he be the starter next week against the Colts?  I know Singletary wants the best 11 men on the field that give them the best chance to win but we should not jump to a conclusion here and anoint Smith the starter.  The only way Smith should be the starter is if offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye throws out what the 49ers offensive philosophy has been which is run, run, run.  Smith looked comfortable out on the field even though he was down the whole time he was in there because the 49ers were running a spread offense that made Smith a star in college.  The spread offense is not something I think Raye and Singletary are interested in running but they had to given how much points the Niners were down.  Raye and Singletary do not want to throw the football all of the time but I say go the way of the Colts offense were you can have formations of three to four receivers while still being able to run the football by spreading out the defense.  The spread offense will tilt the playing calling more towards passing than running but the run first mentality Raye and Singletary have been trying to install clearly has not worked.  If you are going to take the chance of inserting your backup quarterback, why not take the chance of running formations that is more suitable to your quarterback?

Oh, yeah and then there was some rookie making his debut at wide receiver.  Lost in the almost blowout/comeback/Smith is our new QB was Michael Crabtree’s first game.  Singletary was criticized all week for even entertaining the possibility of starting MCT.  I heard everything from Singletary is disrespecting head coach’s and going against the norm for even playing and starting a rookie after missing months of training camp and the regular season to he has no idea what he is doing and showing a first-year coaching mistake.  None of the talking NFL pundits wanted to even say that Crabtree would have a descent game.  While he was not spectacular how much more could you ask out of MCT as he was on the field for 48 of the 49ers 54 offensive plays as he caught 5 receptions for 56 yards and caught every ball thrown his way.

DEFENSE

Much like the offense the 49ers defense was different in the second-half compared to their first-half play.  However football games are played for 60 minutes, not 30 minutes and the 49ers defense deserves much of the blame for the loss.  Defensive end Justin Smith had a huge day making 10 tackles and helped contain Texans running back Steve Slaton as he rushed for only 67 rushing yards with 1 touchdown.  Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson only had 2 catches for 62 yards but what killed the 49ers for the second straight game as they contained the running game was the passing game.  No one on the 49ers were able to cover and keep up with Texans tight end Owen Daniels who did his best impression of the Falcons Roddy White.  The 49ers stopped Daniels and the Texans offense in the second-half but teams don’t get half victories for their second-half play and moral victories have no meaning to the 49ers Faithful.  The 49ers offensive line is the biggest cause of concern for the Niners but the pass coverage of the defensive is a close second.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kickoff returner Michael Robinson averaged 31.3 yards on three returns but it was the punt returning that caused strife for the special teams unit.  Punt returner Arnaz Battle muffed a punt in the second quarter that was recovered by the Texans inside the ten yard line.  The Texans scored two plays later and went up 14-0.  Battle was trying to fair-catch the punt but lost it in the sun as it bounced off his chest and hands.  No excuses, this is your one job on the team.  Battle had to have looked up at some point before the punt to realize the sun would be in his eyes.  If he had he should have just let the football bounced without trying to make the catch.  I would rather have the 49ers start inside the their own ten-yard line than give the Texans the football so close to the end zone.

COACHING

Mike Singletary was ready to make the quarterback switch before the first-half was over as it was reported that he asked offensive coordinator Raye to think about making the switch and how he would approach the second-half with Smith in the game.  If not for Singletary’s move to put in Smith the coaches would have received only one nugget.  But the switch was what gave the 49ers the chance to come back.  Only if Singletary, Raye and Manusky had their second-half game plan for the first-half we might have seen a win yesterday.

Next up

@Colts.  The 49ers will need to play all 60 minutes if they even want to think about pulling off the upset against the undeafted Colts.  Peyton Manning is having another MVP year and the Colts are a passing machine so expect them to continue doing what the Falcons and Texans did against the Niners defense.  We will really see what type of resolve the 49ers have after losing two straight games facing off against one the NFL’s elite teams.

Starting strong safety Michael Lewis suffered his third concussion since August 18 in the Falcons loss.  For any football player to have three concussions in their career is a serious thing and for Lewis to have his third in almost as many months is not good.  I don’t expect Lewis to play the rest of the season and with strong safety backup Reggie Smith out of action in recent weeks because of a groin injury it looks like free safety Mark Roman will start until Smith comes back from his injury.  After the 49ers secondary got scorched and exposed by Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and the rest of his offense the absence of Lewis and Smith does not bode well for the 49ers when they face the high powered offenses of the Texans and Colts on the road.

Coach Mike Singletary said in his news conference on Monday that there might be a change at right guard.  Chilo Rachal who has been starting at right guard did not play well against the Falcons.  Rachal was responsible for a sack when the Falcons only rushed three defensive lineman and still managed to get to quarterback Shaun Hill.  I thought Rachal was going to be solid at right guard but so far this year he has been a disappointment.  Backup guard Tony Wragge might be in the starting lineup after the bye week.  The right side of the 49ers offensive line is a mess.  Not only do we have issues with Rachal being able to block but also at right tackle with Adam Snyder and Tony Pashos who have been alternating because neither seem to be able to consistently block on any play.  As bad and slow starting the offense has been some blame can go to offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, the running game and Shaun Hill but all plays start and end with the offensive line.  If one side of your O-line is not getting the job done the defense will exploit the weakness.

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