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.

San Francisco 49ers 24

The 49ers handed the Jets their second straight loss while the 49ers gained their second straight win against a team with a winning record. The 49ers offense and defense were in control early in the game and minus five fumbles by the 49ers (only one was recovered by the Jets) the Red and Gold were impressive throughout the game. The offensive line needed a great game to ward off the Jets and their 4th ranked run stoppers and they did their share. Frank Gore was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, but the offense line continued blocking well for DeShaun Foster as the Niner’s nursed a lead heading into the fourth quarter. Both Gore and Foster had 87 yards rushing combined. Even more important was the blocking for Shaun Hill giving him the time to allow receivers to get open and to make plays. Most of the game Mike Martz drew up short outs and slants which the Jets defense seemed completely unprepared for. Given that Hill is a best at the short passes I was waiting for the Jets to adjust and make Hill beat them deep. I think the Jets confidence in their secondary was waning as the game went on. Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson were involved heavily in the game and it was the yards they gained after the short passes that helped the 49ers win the game. Bruce and Johnson took 5 yard passes and turn them into long gains. Hill went 28 for 39 for 285 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He is developing right under our eyes and we may have our quarterback of the future.

The D was once again impressive. They only allowed Brett Favre to pass for 137 yards and held Thomas Jones to 56 yards rushing. The most impressive stat from the D is the Jets offense was only on the field for 20 minutes. Amazing considering the D in the first-half of the season allowed the opponents offense to be on the field for more than 20 minutes in just one half. The D sacked Favre three times and had one interception. In the last two games they have only given up 17 points.

The defense continues to get better each week and this can be attributed to Mike Singletary. He is instilling confidence in the D that it can play better than it did in the first half of the season. Not having Mike Nolan on the sideline huge. Not only the D but the whole team has a different attitude, that they can beat any team in the NFL. You see this in the last four games which the 49ers have won three of. Singletary’s first two games as interim head coach did not go well because he was installing what type of team he wanted to run and his players to emulate. Now the 49er Faithfull are seeing the fruits of Singletary’s labor. If you are not a fan now of him staying on as head coach then you will never be. I was unsure of whether or not to bring back Singletary wanting the 49ers to get an experience coach, but yesterday was the deal breaker. There are three games left and a lot could go wrong. But I don’t think anything can derail the progress Singletary has made with the team especially now that the team has fully bought into what Singletary wants to do and the direction they are headed.

Extra Points:

Singletary:

1.) I loved that he went for an onside kick at the start of the game. It showed his confidence in the D if the 49ers did not recover and that the 49ers would be the ones in control of the game.

2.) Going for it on fourth down twice which the 49ers converted both.

Martz:

1.) Getting the running game going and not relying on the passing game to hold the lead. Martz ran 33 times and passed 41 times. Great balance of call playing.

2.) Trusting Shaun Hill to make plays.

Hill:

Aside from the great game he played, what is with his drop back on passes? The man looks like he is doing the Super Bowl shovel every time he goes back to pass. I guess Singletary is showing him some moves because he was part of the Super Bowl shuffle, ha. But seriously someone needs to work on his feet. He looks like he is walking on hot coals.

Next Up: @ Miami Dolphins

Bring it on AFC East! In the future you will no longer take the 49ers lightly.

New York Jets (8-4) vs. San Francisco 49ers (4-8)

Bill Walsh Field at Candlestick Park

1:05 pm (PST)

The 49ers face the New York Bret’s Sunday at Bill Walsh Field hoping to extend their win last week into a two game winning streak. The 49ers have won 2 of the last 3 games and were expected to lose last week against the Bills. The Jets were expected to win against the Broncos who lost the week before to the Raiders and they were at home. Anything can happen tomorrow especially with the 49ers playing at home. The Jets are weak against the pass so Shaun Hill needs to get Vernon Davis and Isaac Bruce involved early. Frank Gore will be key as the Jets are 4th in league against the run. If Gore does not get 100 yards the 49ers lose the game. On the other side of the ball the 49ers might not have CB Nate Clements who is injured with a fractured thumb he suffered last week against the Bills. Stopping Bret Favre and his passing attack will be harder without Clements who has been improving his play from earlier this season. Clements has played in the last 124 games. Although he is listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision, he has not practiced all week. To make matters worse speccial teams return man Allen Rossum might miss his second game in a row with an ankle injury.

Predication:

Jets 16

49ers 20

The offensive line needs to step up and play well on Sunday. The offense will need all the holes and pass blocks they can get as the Jets defensive line is one of the best in the league. Shaun Hill has been playing well for the 49ers and they will only be able to pull out an upset against the Jets if he has a good game. The Jets’ Thomas Jones will need to be contained but the Niner’s D has been letting teams run over them all season. It will be a tight game but a Bret Favre mistake late in the game will allow the Niner’s to win.

Fanstasy Studs of the Game:

Frank Gore (107 yards rushing, 2 TD’s, 5 recptions, 35 yards receiving)

Forgot about a win if Gore does not have a big game. The 49ers will rely on him heavily.

Thomas Jones (130 yards rushing, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 45 yards receiving)

Did you see Marshawn Lynch last week? Jones will run all over the Niner’s D with Clements out.