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Crimsoncrew
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So I foolishly forgot to check my wife's travel plans against the Niners schedule, and as a result, missed almost the entire second half getting through security at hte airport and then on a plane. I really only saw Brock's pick and the TD pass to Walker. Even in the first half I had some trouble getting the video, so take all this with a grain of salt.
First and foremost, I want to talk about Alex Smith. In the first half, I didn't even recognize him. He was making some legitimately great throws. The TD throw to Williams, the 3rd down pass to Ginn to beat pressure...who was that guy? He's showing accuracy, touch, timing. All those things that have been lacking for so long. So what happened in the second half? Genuine question. Do people think Smith was to blame, or was it the OL and receivers? Or playcalling? I caught a replay of the INT, and that looked like the old Smith. But that was the only bad throw I recall seeing (maybe the floater over the D to Walker, I think, though I couldn't see it well enough to say with confidence).
From what I saw, the OL and pass blocking in general was a disaster. Smith was hit without any kind of chance to throw at least two or three times that I saw. I know you're supposed to let the D through on a screen pass, but I've never seen it done so badly. And we simply have no room to run. Given the way Smith has played the past two weeks, I don't think I can chalk that up to him. I've seen him actually show decent pocket presence, make hot reads, and throw strikes with pressure in his face. I've gathered the OT sack was largely his fault, though it also sounds like the defensive scheme was a good one that took away the obvious man.
Seems like more of the same for the D. They just can't stop the pass. Biting on play action, taking bad angles. Three and a half good quarters down the drain when they let an opponent march down the field to tie or win. It's the Saints and Falcons games all over again.
Re: Harbaugh's decision to decline the penalty, I can't agree with that, either. Despite his struggles, Gore has been holding onto the ball. With a 10-point lead on the horizon, at least kill some clock. Taking it on the kickoff is all but irrelevant given how Akers was kicking. I just can't understand that. Maybe Harbaugh didn't realize just how bad our D is in crunch time. Well, now he knows.
In the NFC West, this game could come back to haunt us. It would have been a huge win. Instead, it's a crushing loss the week before we go on the road for an early start in a winnable game. They've got to get their shit together.
First and foremost, I want to talk about Alex Smith. In the first half, I didn't even recognize him. He was making some legitimately great throws. The TD throw to Williams, the 3rd down pass to Ginn to beat pressure...who was that guy? He's showing accuracy, touch, timing. All those things that have been lacking for so long. So what happened in the second half? Genuine question. Do people think Smith was to blame, or was it the OL and receivers? Or playcalling? I caught a replay of the INT, and that looked like the old Smith. But that was the only bad throw I recall seeing (maybe the floater over the D to Walker, I think, though I couldn't see it well enough to say with confidence).
From what I saw, the OL and pass blocking in general was a disaster. Smith was hit without any kind of chance to throw at least two or three times that I saw. I know you're supposed to let the D through on a screen pass, but I've never seen it done so badly. And we simply have no room to run. Given the way Smith has played the past two weeks, I don't think I can chalk that up to him. I've seen him actually show decent pocket presence, make hot reads, and throw strikes with pressure in his face. I've gathered the OT sack was largely his fault, though it also sounds like the defensive scheme was a good one that took away the obvious man.
Seems like more of the same for the D. They just can't stop the pass. Biting on play action, taking bad angles. Three and a half good quarters down the drain when they let an opponent march down the field to tie or win. It's the Saints and Falcons games all over again.
Re: Harbaugh's decision to decline the penalty, I can't agree with that, either. Despite his struggles, Gore has been holding onto the ball. With a 10-point lead on the horizon, at least kill some clock. Taking it on the kickoff is all but irrelevant given how Akers was kicking. I just can't understand that. Maybe Harbaugh didn't realize just how bad our D is in crunch time. Well, now he knows.
In the NFC West, this game could come back to haunt us. It would have been a huge win. Instead, it's a crushing loss the week before we go on the road for an early start in a winnable game. They've got to get their shit together.
