Cosell column on Smith's performance

[sayheykid1]

without reading the column first.............clearly, he didn't play as well as the previous, but didn't seem like he was THAT bad either? he didn't look 'jittery' but more cautious.

He didn't make the big plays that the article pointed out and he badly underthrew several passes.

 

[threelittleturds]

Well, it was nice to go a season without so many people going out of their way to put the loss on Smith's shoulders every week. I know they mostly just went out of their way to say Smith had nothing to do with the wins, but the good thing with that was they were trying to defend their stance against Smith during wins instead of losses...

I wonder why Kyle Williams' turnovers get forgiven and overlooked by a few people because Alex Smith could have played better, but Smith's interceptions aren't forgiven or overlooked when guys on the defense could have played better when they gave up 500 yards and 4 TDs.

To me it's kind of funny that the same people who want to hang losses on a QBs head for turning the ball over twice are the first ones saying its not really the punt returners fault for losing the game even though he turned the ball over twice.

 

[deep9er]

Well, it was nice to go a season without so many people going out of their way to put the loss on Smith's shoulders every week. I know they mostly just went out of their way to say Smith had nothing to do with the wins, but the good thing with that was they were trying to defend their stance against Smith during wins instead of losses...

I wonder why Kyle Williams' turnovers get forgiven and overlooked by a few people because Alex Smith could have played better, but Smith's interceptions aren't forgiven or overlooked when guys on the defense could have played better when they gave up 500 yards and 4 TDs.

To me it's kind of funny that the same people who want to hang losses on a QBs head for turning the ball over twice are the first ones saying its not really the punt returners fault for losing the game even though he turned the ball over twice.

your first paragrpah made me laugh, so true.

like in any loss going back years, we blame players, coaches, GM, Owner, and John Madden. NO ONE gets off clean.

 

[Flyingiguana]

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

well bad calls are bad execution on the part of the coaches...

 

[Flyingiguana]

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

what is amazing is alex smith did it with absolutely horrible wr's. crabtree was starting to look like something resemblig the pre-injury crabtree at texas tech, then he comes out looking like he couldn't outrun siragusa

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

That article is pretty spot on.

Unfortunately I have to agree. Smith still does not see the routes developing quickly enough against zone coverage.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

He didn't make the big plays that the article pointed out and he badly underthrew several passes.

Someone on KNBR said that when Smith was rolling to his right and throwing pass after pass into the dirt it looked like he was skipping rocks. I thought that described his rollout performance to a "T".

 

[clyde_carbon]

He didn't make the big plays that the article pointed out and he badly underthrew several passes.

It seems as though this is the only place that thinks Smith didn't play terribly. Everywhere I read, and I've read a lot, from sports columnists to other forums, and the vast, vast majority think that Smith played scared and was off for morst of the game.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

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.

VCR? No way you still have a VCR, no effing way.

 

[Flyingiguana]

vcr? u might be able to get lots of money for that antique

 

[Crimsoncrew]

VCR? No way you still have a VCR, no effing way.

I've got two. Though one doesn't really work any more. Cancelled DVR a few months ago when we reduced our cable package to basically the minimum. Didn't really think about the implications of losing ESPN, though otherwise I haven't really missed cable.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

what is amazing is alex smith did it with absolutely horrible wr's. crabtree was starting to look like something resemblig the pre-injury crabtree at texas tech, then he comes out looking like he couldn't outrun siragusa

Smith made two legitimately good throws all game. They were great throws, but take away those two and the gimme pass to end regulation and he went 9/23 for 59 yards. What in the world was amazing about that performance? The OL did better than we had any reason to expect. If Crabtree couldn't outrun Siragusa, well, Smith couldn't outthrow Ken Dorsey in the second half. Except even Dorsey could have hit some of those short passes Smith put into the dirt. Smith played a bad game. He had numerous opportunities to make a play, and he came up short time and again.

As for comparisons to the other playoff teams, Atlanta is a moot point. They trailed big for most of the game, placing much more pressure on Ryan than Smith was facing. The Packers just seemed off, and suffered a minimum of six drops. I can't recall a single outright drop in this one.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

I've got two. Though one doesn't really work any more. Cancelled DVR a few months ago when we reduced our cable package to basically the minimum. Didn't really think about the implications of losing ESPN, though otherwise I haven't really missed cable.

That is too funny! I hear you about the cable bill though. My DirecTV bill is so ridiculous I'm actually ashamed of it.

 

[iHATEdodgers]

Smith made two legitimately good throws all game. They were great throws, but take away those two and the gimme pass to end regulation and he went 9/23 for 59 yards. What in the world was amazing about that performance? The OL did better than we had any reason to expect. If Crabtree couldn't outrun Siragusa, well, Smith couldn't outthrow Ken Dorsey in the second half. Except even Dorsey could have hit some of those short passes Smith put into the dirt. Smith played a bad game. He had numerous opportunities to make a play, and he came up short time and again. As for comparisons to the other playoff teams, Atlanta is a moot point. They trailed big for most of the game, placing much more pressure on Ryan than Smith was facing. The Packers just seemed off, and suffered a minimum of six drops. I can't recall a single outright drop in this one.

That is just hating on one dude right there. Those sorryass receivers of ours couldn't get open for shit. That is a fact. Sure Smith missed some throws, but the receivers couldn't do SHIT. No help at all. There is a reason the receivers only caught 1 fucking pass, it's because (50%) they sucked (40%) the Giants Pass D was very good and (10%) Smith missed a few. Anyone watching the game should know this.

Someone just posted those stats of Rodgers and Ryan, there's no moot points those guys didn't get it done, Smith wasn't perfect but he outplayed both of them, but really what those stats show is how good the Giants Pass D is if you ask me. 2 passing TDs a QB rating of 97 mix in 42 rushing yards is not a "bad" game from your QB. It's not excellent either but it should have been enough to win.

Sure there were other factors in the loss, playcalling, personnel issues, a couple bad calls, a couple bad turns, a couple bad passes. Smith ain't perfect but blaming him for this loss is just fucking dumb... the Niners lost because they (meaning Williams) fucked up at the wrong time in the wrong game - which they hadn't done all season long. End of story.

 

[Flyingiguana]

Smith made two legitimately good throws all game. They were great throws, but take away those two and the gimme pass to end regulation and he went 9/23 for 59 yards. What in the world was amazing about that performance? The OL did better than we had any reason to expect. If Crabtree couldn't outrun Siragusa, well, Smith couldn't outthrow Ken Dorsey in the second half. Except even Dorsey could have hit some of those short passes Smith put into the dirt. Smith played a bad game. He had numerous opportunities to make a play, and he came up short time and again.

As for comparisons to the other playoff teams, Atlanta is a moot point. They trailed big for most of the game, placing much more pressure on Ryan than Smith was facing. The Packers just seemed off, and suffered a minimum of six drops. I can't recall a single outright drop in this one.

take away this, take away that. we basically have one playmaker in the passing game. crabtree couldn't outrun a guy who ran a 4.7 thats just horrible.

and those throws in the dirt. the clock would still be going after a 4 yard gain. there was no point to making those throws because they wouldn't have gotten out of bounds with the corner right on their back.

tha giants d deserves some credit but we made it easy on them with all the 3rd and longs in the 2nd half.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

That is just hating on one dude right there. Those sorryass receivers of ours couldn't get open for shit. That is a fact. Sure Smith missed some throws, but the receivers couldn't do SHIT. No help at all. There is a reason the receivers only caught 1 fucking pass, it's because (50%) they sucked (40%) the Giants Pass D was very good and (10%) Smith missed a few. Anyone watching the game should know this.

Someone just posted those stats of Rodgers and Ryan, there's no moot points those guys didn't get it done, Smith wasn't perfect but he outplayed both of them, but really what those stats show is how good the Giants Pass D is if you ask me. 2 passing TDs a QB rating of 97 mix in 42 rushing yards is not a "bad" game from your QB. It's not excellent either but it should have been enough to win.

Sure there were other factors in the loss, playcalling, personnel issues, a couple bad calls, a couple bad turns, a couple bad passes. Smith ain't perfect but blaming him for this loss is just fucking dumb... the Niners lost because they (meaning Williams) fucked up at the wrong time in the wrong game - which they hadn't done all season long. End of story.

I'm not blaming Smith for the loss. Acting as if he didn't play a significant role in the loss is ridiculous, though. He completely fell apart in the 4th quarter. If the offense had managed to put together a single drive in the fourth quarter or OT, we in. Regardless of Williams' mistakes. We couldn't do it, and Smith is largely to blame.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

take away this, take away that. we basically have one playmaker in the passing game. crabtree couldn't outrun a guy who ran a 4.7 thats just horrible.

and those throws in the dirt. the clock would still be going after a 4 yard gain. there was no point to making those throws because they wouldn't have gotten out of bounds with the corner right on their back.

tha giants d deserves some credit but we made it easy on them with all the 3rd and longs in the 2nd half.

We have one playmaker in the passing game who has been virtually unstoppable in the playoffs. We lack elite talent at WR, just as we lack elite talent at QB. Smith made two nice throws and had one or two good runs. Otherwise, he really struggled in this game. Denying it won't change it.

As for the throws in the dirt, the ones I'm thinking of occurred in the second-to-last drive. 1:40ish left, three TOs, and there's little doubt on at least one of them that Crabtree could have gotten out of bounds. We would have been facing third-and-five instead of third-and-ten. Who knows? Maybe we would have converted our first third-down of the game. Arguing that the clock was an issue is pretty weak. By throwing the ball into the dirt, we gave the Giants ample time for another drive.

 

[iHATEdodgers]

I'm not blaming Smith for the loss. Acting as if he didn't play a significant role in the loss is ridiculous, though. He completely fell apart in the 4th quarter. If the offense had managed to put together a single drive in the fourth quarter or OT, we in. Regardless of Williams' mistakes. We couldn't do it, and Smith is largely to blame.

You just blamed him again so you are in fact blaming him for the loss. There's no regardless of Williams' mistakes, allowing the punt to deflect off his knee was an unforced error - a mental error, an error which this team was not known for and was not built to overcome - that was a killer in a closely fought defensive battle. No regardless by a long shot. Not many teams overcome that. Eli and the Giants wouldn't have been able to if the tables were reversed not in that game not even close. There may have been some regardlesses (Bradshaw fumble, non calls on holding, missed INT opportunities) but THAT was not one of them.

Smith couldn't do it in the 4th quarter?! (I seem to remember a game-tying FG drive) First of all that's blatantly ridiculous if I didn't know better I'd say you didn't follow the Niners. Smith and the Niners had 6 4th quarter comebacks this year 7 if you count the two comebacks they produced against the Saints just last fucking week in the muthatruckin playoffs. You cannot expect that out of your QB and team every single game. Secondly Smith wasn't alone out there on the field, the team as a whole couldn't come back after the unforced errors.

Like I said plenty of blame to go around what did I just list? Sure there were other factors in the loss, playcalling, personnel issues, a couple bad calls, a couple bad turns, a couple bad passes. Smith ain't perfect but blaming him for this loss is just fucking dumb... the Niners lost because they (meaning Williams) fucked up at the wrong time in the wrong game - which they hadn't done all season long. End of story.

Smith is largely to blame!? Holy mother. My last post evidently didn't sink in or you chose to ignore all the FACTS I pointed out. Were you watching the same game? Our receivers couldn't get open on a fucking empty plain dude. Why we weren't running the ball - like we ran it down the field to tie the game with a FG? Why the fuck Williams was in the same zipcode of that tumbling punt is what's ridiculous. Well that and blaming this loss solely or as you put it "significantly" on Smith.

 

[EaseUrStorm]

Alex had a chance to win and could not convert a third down to save his life. This defense challenged him to make some throws that he wasn't comfortable with and he wasn't willing to put it up for grabs to move the sticks. More aggressive QB play could have won it, but with his limitations it also could have easily lost it. He played good enough not to lose, but he didn't play well enough to stick the dagger in the Giants when he had chance after chance. It's a tough one to think about all offseason but they will get stronger on offense with some new weapons and we do have something to look forward to because Harbaugh is the real deal.

 

[EaseUrStorm]

So as far as the blame game, is anyone else as pissed off at Dixon?