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Retroram52
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On a day when no one gave us much of a chance against the 49ers at home including most of us on this board and with our recent history with referee crews looming in our memories and our poor and struggling offense, the Rams surprised everyone and overcame their own stupid mistakes to eek out a defensive battle in the Bay area. It was the Defense that was the star in today's game. They played a solid full game and came up big in the end. They woke up and had 8 sacks, harassed and pressured Kaepernick all day long, shut-down Frank Gore for a second time, and they didn't cave when they have appeared to cave in the past. The team took some small steps in the right direction by beating the 49ers in their new home digs and they did it with all manner of obstacles including a offense that could not get going and a horrific referee crew that continued to screw the Rams over at the worst times in the game.
On Offense. The Positives. The O-line took some small steps today blocking fairly decent to allow Tre Mason to run 19 times for 65 yards and they only gave up one sack for 4 yards. There was just two penalties of holding on Robinson and Wells but neither gave up a sack which happened over Barksdale. This line is improving with the new alignment of left-to-right of Robinson, Saffold, Wells, Joseph, and Barksdale. They can do better but they were one of the bright spots along with Tre Mason who hit holes with explosion and speed. Kenny Brit continues to make good catches when he needs to and he had a pretty good today being number two on the catch list with 2catches for 32 yards behind Benny Cunningham who had 3 catches for 28 yards. Travon Austin had a decent day receiving and running back punts though.
On Offense. The Negatives. Austin Davis had his second tough game facing a very stout Niners defense and along with some assinine playcalling by Shittenehimer, he finished the day going 13 of 24 for a paltry 102 yards, one TD, and 2 interceptions compared to Kaepernick who went 22 for 33 for 237 yards, 1 TD, and two fumbles. Davis just could not get on track and he looked rattled early and through most of the third quarter. This was the fourth game in-a-row where we have scored zero points in the third quarter and Davis' INTS were early on in the first half where all onlookers had no idea who he was throwing to or why. Shittenheimer continues to be clueless in certain game situations and he had touches of that today.
On Defense. The Positives. The defense were the stars today. They kept us in the game all day long and helped Davis and the offense overcome those two early INTs. The sack machine returned in force. We had 8 sacks on the day, three fumbles, two recovered, and they shutdown Gore again allowing just 14 carries for 49 yards. They held the Niners scoreless in the fourth quarter as well. After being ranked 31st in the league in run defense, our run defense had a lot to prove. They did a great job primarily through A. Donald, Brockers, Laurinaitus, Quinn, Hayes, Sims, and Ogletree who quietly returned to playing sanity. For the record E. gaines was top tackler but that wasn't the story.
The story was SACKS: 8 of them and 6 in the first half. The latter we have not accomplished since 2003. Laurinaitus had a sack and a fumble recovery. That fumble recovery was the Kaepernick fumble at the goal line when the Niners were driving for a sure TD and he preserved the win with just 2 seconds left along with a defensive stand. It was a thing of beauty to watch. R. Quinn had 2 sacks, E. Sims had a sack and a fumble recovery, M. Brockers had a sack and stuffed the run all day long, A. Donald had a sack and stuffed the run all day long, and William Hayes who left the game in the fourth quarter had 2 sacks. The front seven harassed and pressure Kaepernick and kudos to DC, G. Williams, for putting together a defensive strategy that had Kaepernick confused and frustrated all game long.
On Special Teams. The Positives. Greg Zuerlein returned to form going 2 for 2 on FGs and Johnny Hekker had booming punts all day long. Zuerlein barely made his first FG but nonetheless eeked it through the uprights.
On STs. The Negatives. Penalities returned to this bunch and the worst time was at the end of the fourth quarter. They need to stop these mental errors because they continue to haunt us. Travon Austin needs to understand that when you field a missed field goal that you run like hell out of the endzone instead of almost getting tackled there for a saftey. Fisher did not like that boneheaded move right before the half at all and rightly so.
I normally don't address the referee crews because their job is difficult and they do a pretty darn good job but today, their bias was so blatant, they nearly cost us and some Niners fans believe their Niners the game. They made several blatant missjudgments and it began with failing to call a clear fumble on the Niners in the first half that was recovered by the Rams. Then they blew a punt return on the Rams late in the fourth quarter when they thought Austin stepped out of bounds but did not. They blew the play dead and then covered themselves by calling offsetting penalties and a re-kick. Then there was the fumble at the goal line by Kaepernick. After a defensive stand by the Rams with 24 seconds left at the 2-yard line, Kaepernick took the snap and it was a QB sneak but he began a fumble and never had possession. As he crossed the goal line, the ball came out and there was confusion because of the scrum of bodies. Some thought the ball crossed the goal line before Laurinaitus came out of the pile with the ball but there was no clear evidence to overrule the call on the field which was no TD and Rams ball. The game ended but it was a very poorly called game.
On we go with a road game to my home town, Phoenix against the 7 and 1 Cardinals. This will be another tough game but if our D shows up like it today, we are in the hunt at 3 and 5.
On Offense. The Positives. The O-line took some small steps today blocking fairly decent to allow Tre Mason to run 19 times for 65 yards and they only gave up one sack for 4 yards. There was just two penalties of holding on Robinson and Wells but neither gave up a sack which happened over Barksdale. This line is improving with the new alignment of left-to-right of Robinson, Saffold, Wells, Joseph, and Barksdale. They can do better but they were one of the bright spots along with Tre Mason who hit holes with explosion and speed. Kenny Brit continues to make good catches when he needs to and he had a pretty good today being number two on the catch list with 2catches for 32 yards behind Benny Cunningham who had 3 catches for 28 yards. Travon Austin had a decent day receiving and running back punts though.
On Offense. The Negatives. Austin Davis had his second tough game facing a very stout Niners defense and along with some assinine playcalling by Shittenehimer, he finished the day going 13 of 24 for a paltry 102 yards, one TD, and 2 interceptions compared to Kaepernick who went 22 for 33 for 237 yards, 1 TD, and two fumbles. Davis just could not get on track and he looked rattled early and through most of the third quarter. This was the fourth game in-a-row where we have scored zero points in the third quarter and Davis' INTS were early on in the first half where all onlookers had no idea who he was throwing to or why. Shittenheimer continues to be clueless in certain game situations and he had touches of that today.
On Defense. The Positives. The defense were the stars today. They kept us in the game all day long and helped Davis and the offense overcome those two early INTs. The sack machine returned in force. We had 8 sacks on the day, three fumbles, two recovered, and they shutdown Gore again allowing just 14 carries for 49 yards. They held the Niners scoreless in the fourth quarter as well. After being ranked 31st in the league in run defense, our run defense had a lot to prove. They did a great job primarily through A. Donald, Brockers, Laurinaitus, Quinn, Hayes, Sims, and Ogletree who quietly returned to playing sanity. For the record E. gaines was top tackler but that wasn't the story.
The story was SACKS: 8 of them and 6 in the first half. The latter we have not accomplished since 2003. Laurinaitus had a sack and a fumble recovery. That fumble recovery was the Kaepernick fumble at the goal line when the Niners were driving for a sure TD and he preserved the win with just 2 seconds left along with a defensive stand. It was a thing of beauty to watch. R. Quinn had 2 sacks, E. Sims had a sack and a fumble recovery, M. Brockers had a sack and stuffed the run all day long, A. Donald had a sack and stuffed the run all day long, and William Hayes who left the game in the fourth quarter had 2 sacks. The front seven harassed and pressure Kaepernick and kudos to DC, G. Williams, for putting together a defensive strategy that had Kaepernick confused and frustrated all game long.
On Special Teams. The Positives. Greg Zuerlein returned to form going 2 for 2 on FGs and Johnny Hekker had booming punts all day long. Zuerlein barely made his first FG but nonetheless eeked it through the uprights.
On STs. The Negatives. Penalities returned to this bunch and the worst time was at the end of the fourth quarter. They need to stop these mental errors because they continue to haunt us. Travon Austin needs to understand that when you field a missed field goal that you run like hell out of the endzone instead of almost getting tackled there for a saftey. Fisher did not like that boneheaded move right before the half at all and rightly so.
I normally don't address the referee crews because their job is difficult and they do a pretty darn good job but today, their bias was so blatant, they nearly cost us and some Niners fans believe their Niners the game. They made several blatant missjudgments and it began with failing to call a clear fumble on the Niners in the first half that was recovered by the Rams. Then they blew a punt return on the Rams late in the fourth quarter when they thought Austin stepped out of bounds but did not. They blew the play dead and then covered themselves by calling offsetting penalties and a re-kick. Then there was the fumble at the goal line by Kaepernick. After a defensive stand by the Rams with 24 seconds left at the 2-yard line, Kaepernick took the snap and it was a QB sneak but he began a fumble and never had possession. As he crossed the goal line, the ball came out and there was confusion because of the scrum of bodies. Some thought the ball crossed the goal line before Laurinaitus came out of the pile with the ball but there was no clear evidence to overrule the call on the field which was no TD and Rams ball. The game ended but it was a very poorly called game.
On we go with a road game to my home town, Phoenix against the 7 and 1 Cardinals. This will be another tough game but if our D shows up like it today, we are in the hunt at 3 and 5.
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