Cosell column on Smith's performance

[deep9er]

I think the article is fair. Cosell has been critical of Smith most of the year. I agree with Space that its kind of a parting shot on Smith for Cosell to end with, but no one can deny that Smith didn't have a great game Sunday. I'd say it was an average performance for a NFL QB.

If we're playing the blame game here, I'd go:

1) Williams's muffed punts
2) Smith's performance
3) Pedestrian play-calling from Roman
4) Crabtree's inability to get open
5) Poor officiating

if you factor in what limitations our offense has, didn't think he called pedestrian plays? to start with all the plays Cossell mentioned aren't pedestrian? additionally, Roman called a few QB read options and the reverse.

if these aren't varied enough, then what should've been called?

the officiating can always be better, but didn't feel it was so one-sided? for this game, too easy to use.

 

[Yadahell]

if you factor in what limitations our offense has, didn't think he called pedestrian plays? to start with all the plays Cossell mentioned aren't pedestrian? additionally, Roman called a few QB read options and the reverse.

if these aren't varied enough, then what should've been called?

the officiating can always be better, but didn't feel it was so one-sided? for this game, too easy to use.

In the 2nd half 80% of the time it was: pass on 1st down, run on 2nd down, then 3rd and long. I would have liked to have seen more variation on 1st and 2nd downs. The reverse went horribly wrong and resulted in a loss of yardage and loss in momentum.

You have something with the execution of the plays- Roman obviously couldn't do that. However, I thought the offensive play-calling in the 2nd half and overtime was predictable for the most part.

The Giants got the key calls and the 49ers didn't get them. Re-watch the game and notice how often the 49er's dline was held. I know holding is subjective, but it was a little ridiculous at times.

Not crying over spilt milk here, just assessing the blame in my opinion. The 49ers got beat. To a better team? Not so sure about that.

 

[deep9er]

In the 2nd half 80% of the time it was: pass on 1st down, run on 2nd down, then 3rd and long. I would have liked to have seen more variation on 1st and 2nd downs. The reverse went horribly wrong and resulted in a loss of yardage and loss in momentum.

You have something with the execution of the plays- Roman obviously couldn't do that. However, I thought the offensive play-calling in the 2nd half and overtime was predictable for the most part.

The Giants got the key calls and the 49ers didn't get them. Re-watch the game and notice how often the 49er's dline was held. I know holding is subjective, but it was a little ridiculous at times.

Not crying over spilt milk here, just assessing the blame in my opinion. The 49ers got beat. To a better team? Not so sure about that.

years ago people were posting our plays were predictable? you should sit down next game and write your prediction, then note what was executed? you'd be surprised at the results.

please don't just write "run" or "pass", run where? pass where?

again, not saying the calls were perfectly fair, but didn't think it was one-sided enough to use as an excuse. totally agree with holding on our D-line, there were a few i thought were obvious non-calls.

 

[MW49ers5]

As my coaches use to say: "There are no bad calls - only bad execution!"

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Just my opinion but I think Alex played great when you consider what Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers did the two weeks before against the same team.

 

[Yadahell]

years ago people were posting our plays were predictable? you should sit down next game and write your prediction, then note what was executed? you'd be surprised at the results.

please don't just write "run" or "pass", run where? pass where?

again, not saying the calls were perfectly fair, but didn't think it was one-sided enough to use as an excuse. totally agree with holding on our D-line, there were a few i thought were obvious non-calls.

I don't have time for such an exhausting exercise Deep. I also don't want to re-watch that tough loss.

Feel free to assess your "blame ranking" if you'd like... or are you saying no one is to blame?

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Alex Smith vs Giants: 196 Yards 7.54 avg 2 TDs 0 INTs 97.6 Rating
Aaron Rodgers vs Giants: 264 Yards 5.74 avg 2 TDs 1 INT 78.5 Rating
Matt Ryan vs Giants: 199 Yards 4.85 avg 0 TDs 0 INTs 71.1 Rating

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Just for the sake of accuracy in reporting, QB's will throw balls into the turf at the feet of receivers to throw it away. I haven't watched the game for a second time yet, but I know at least one of his 'shoe-top' throws (to Williams) was intentional. (Just for the record I'm not defending him here, just adding a more accurate perspective).

That is true. There was one short-hop that seemed to be a throw-away, and that was the right call. But there was at least one other, and I thought two, where the receiver was either open. He was throwing so poorly by the end of the game that I'm assuming the conditions had to be causing him problems. He was just so completely off with balls that did not call for particularly challenging throws. At least in my recollection based on the live plays. I haven't seen the broadcast at all, so it's possible there were things I missed on some plays.

 

[9er4life]

Ok, let's just say Alex hits the throw to KDub, easy TD. That's just ONE throw, that I believe should've been easily made, then nodoby is talking about the fumbles. It would just be, that kid has to work on that or we have to get Ginn back there for the SB.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

the offensive line was horrible especially in the 2nd half. before a 2nd read could be made at least 1 or more pass rushers were after smith. the giants made adjustments at halftime and we didn't.

if you're depending on the pass under those wet conditions you won't be happy. both qb's could have put up bigger numbers in better conditions. we needed to stick with the running game which was doing a good job.

I also agree that the pass-calling was questionable. We needed to run the ball more. But when Smith had opportunities, he didn't capitalize on them. At all.

 

[yossarian]

Just my opinion but I think Alex played great when you consider what Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers did the two weeks before against the same team.

Also (and I realize this is sort of going against an earlier post that every bad thing contributed to the loss), but for the fumbles we would be talking about how thank GOD Smith had those two great throws to Vernon Davis for TDs that won the game in a tough defensive struggle that shut down both quarterbacks.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Crimson.....to nitpick your nitpicks......while he was too quick to scramble - he was being flushed out pretty consistently. The pass over the middle to VD was knocked away with a nice play by the defense. The miss to Williams was fairly crucial - but does a missed bomb really equate to a bad error? The completion % in the NFL on those passes can't be much higher than 50%.

Meanwhile, for all the bad plays Smith made, the Niners offense put up more points than the Giants until Williams had his say. Maybe I'm missing something......but people saying Smith played terrible, was Eli good? Cause as far as I can tell, all those completions added up to very little. And does the Giants defense factor into any of this.....I see the Niners d get lots of credit for stopping the Giants, does the Giants D get any credit for stopping Smith?

A few disclaimers: I was at the game and haven't watched the tape yet, so some things (deflection on the VD pass, which was on the opposite side of the stadium, for instance) I might just have missed. And I agree the deep ball to Williams was a throw that even a top QB might miss. But it's the aggregate. Other than the two TD balls, which were both great, Smith didn't make many good throws.

As for Eli, I don't think he had a good game at all. He had several nice passes, including the second TD. But he's lucky as hell he didn't have at least two INTs and perhaps a couple more. He couldn't move the ball at all in the second half. But I'm not looking at Smith vs. Eli. I'm just looking at Smith. And he played pretty poorly IMO.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Also (and I realize this is sort of going against an earlier post that every bad thing contributed to the loss), but for the fumbles we would be talking about how thank GOD Smith had those two great throws to Vernon Davis for TDs that won the game in a tough defensive struggle that shut down both quarterbacks.

Think how good if he had their fucking WRs too. Oh man, we'd all be jacking off hysterically waiting for the Super Bowl.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

A few disclaimers: I was at the game and haven't watched the tape yet, so some things (deflection on the VD pass, which was on the opposite side of the stadium, for instance) I might just have missed.

And you call yourself a fan?!?!? When I got home from the game I stayed up until 2 am watching the replay....not that I could have slept anyway.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

I live in Seattle, and recorded the game on my VCR - first time I've used it in about a decade. I watched about ten minutes when I got home yesterday, but I lost my remote and was getting tired of manually fast-forwarding.

Not sure i'll have the stomach to re-watch this one, but I'm going to try.

 

[yossarian]

I live in Seattle, and recorded the game on my VCR - first time I've used it in about a decade. I watched about ten minutes when I got home yesterday, but I lost my remote and was getting tired of manually fast-forwarding.

Not sure i'll have the stomach to re-watch this one, but I'm going to try.

I live in Seattle too! Next year I'll get in touch with you if you want to go to the Seahawks game.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

ha...forgot about that. I suppose I should be congratulating you on the trip, rather than berating you for your lack of dedication!

 

[Crimsoncrew]

I live in Seattle too! Next year I'll get in touch with you if you want to go to the Seahawks game.

Next year I think I'll be back in CA.

 

[Kinzu]

Just noticed this but according to their ratings Alex outplayed Eli.

Alex Smith - 97.6
Eli Manning - 82.3

And yet Eli is elite? Eli didn't lead the Giants to victory. He needed the 49ers handing him the ball twice inside their own 30 to put up the 10 points the Giants needed to win. He also should have been picked off at least twice. If even one of them was picked off then Mannings rating would have dropped significantly.

Alex also had the best performance of any QB in the playoffs against the Giants. It wasn't a great performance by him giving the game and the fact that we really could've use one or two more plays out of him, but it was a good enough performance to get the win without 2 costly turnovers.

 

[deep9er]

I don't have time for such an exhausting exercise Deep. I also don't want to re-watch that tough loss.

Feel free to assess your "blame ranking" if you'd like... or are you saying no one is to blame?

on the NEXT game if you can remember to, don't re-watch this game, hell i'm not into cruelty. everyone who keeps saying this should do it, and you don't have to do it all game. before the end of the 1st quarter you'll realize we're not predictable.

i did this during the Nolan years and again during Singletary. you'd think they'd be even more predicatable, but was surprised. didn't do it this year cause there was much less 'conservative' posting.

everyone shares the blame cause its a team loss, thats how everyone should go publically. if you really want me to lay blame, take your list and remove play calling.