NFC playoff picture

[maniax]

1) Atlanta
2) Chicago
3) 49ers
4) Giants (thanks Pittsburgh!)
5) Packers
6) Seattle


I believe strongly that we could beat Seattle at home again and the outcome would be similar to last time.
That then would guarantee a matchup with Chicago, and that should be a low scoring game. I think we can run on them and get to Cutler and win a grind out type game. We'll see in a couple of weeks here. If we can make it past Seattle and Chicago, who knows who we'll get then.
Maybe travel to Atlanta, which is fine by me. Or Packers at home.

Giants scare me the most, followed by the Packers. Giants because they have our number and a formula to beat us which we haven't solved yet, and Packers scare me as well because if they get hot and pass protect for Rodgers and Rodgers starts playing out of this world then they could turn any game into a shootout and that's not our strength.

But maybe the Giants and Packers will be eliminated by the time we get to the NFC championship.

 

[CalamityX11]

Well if the niners do what they do best, beat the bears on MNF, we'll be #2!!!!(again)

 

[BloodType49]

@ Seattle is gonna be a slug fest , I will be in attendance

 

[wartyOne]

I don't know why people aren't scared of Seattle at home or Atlanta. Seems kind of silly to overlook either of these teams. We barely beat the Seahawks in San Francisco, and Seattle isn't an easy place to win.

Has anybody even seen Atlanta this year? Or are we going by scores? That team presents matchup problems EVERYWHERE for us.

 

[Bemular]

I don't know why people aren't scared of Seattle at home or Atlanta. Seems kind of silly to overlook either of these teams. We barely beat the Seahawks in San Francisco, and Seattle isn't an easy place to win.

Has anybody even seen Atlanta this year? Or are we going by scores? That team presents matchup problems EVERYWHERE for us.

I'm scared of Seattle at home - As for Atlanta, I'm splitting an asignment with a buddy of mine and will be watching their last four games this week.

 

[Jikkle]

I don't know why people aren't scared of Seattle at home or Atlanta. Seems kind of silly to overlook either of these teams. We barely beat the Seahawks in San Francisco, and Seattle isn't an easy place to win.

Has anybody even seen Atlanta this year? Or are we going by scores? That team presents matchup problems EVERYWHERE for us.

Every game in the NFC is going to be very loseable and very winnable.

Seattle in Seattle is a scary place to play but outside of it they haven't been great. Also Seattle's defense isn't looking quite a scary as it did earlier in the season especially in the run defense.

The problem with Atlanta is they've only beaten one winning team and that was against the Broncos where Manning served the ball up to them with 3 INTs and they still only managed a 4 point win. So it's hard to get a good read on if they are top of the league good or getting fat off the cupcake schedule. We've seen Atlanta do this before and proceed to get toasted in the playoffs.

Also Atlanta's run defense is towards the bottom of the league which plays right into our offense's hand. I think we dominate running the ball and slowing down their offense enough to win that game.

Giant's and a hot Green Bay team are the only two teams that I would be truly scared of. Not that I think the other teams would be slam dunk wins but I would lean more on believe we could beat those opponents than I would the Giant's and Green Bay.

 

[wartyOne]

Every game in the NFC is going to be very loseable and very winnable.

Seattle in Seattle is a scary place to play but outside of it they haven't been great. Also Seattle's defense isn't looking quite a scary as it did earlier in the season especially in the run defense.

The problem with Atlanta is they've only beaten one winning team and that was against the Broncos where Manning served the ball up to them with 3 INTs and they still only managed a 4 point win. So it's hard to get a good read on if they are top of the league good or getting fat off the cupcake schedule. We've seen Atlanta do this before and proceed to get toasted in the playoffs.

Also Atlanta's run defense is towards the bottom of the league which plays right into our offense's hand. I think we dominate running the ball and slowing down their offense enough to win that game.

Giant's and a hot Green Bay team are the only two teams that I would be truly scared of. Not that I think the other teams would be slam dunk wins but I would lean more on believe we could beat those opponents than I would the Giant's and Green Bay.

I'm not talking about playing them in Seattle in the playoffs. We have to play them there in the regular season which will impact our playoff seeding if we lose (which I think we will).

I think it's silly to overlook Atlanta for the reasons you've listed.

I'm not concerned about Green Bay. I am convinced we can't beat the Giants right now. Not without a QB who attacks the opposing defense.

 

[h0ckeysk83r]

Giants do not have our number my god. Yes they took it to us this yr but damn if it weren't for a bad muffed punt and a bad decision by KW and the strip by the giants we could of been in that Super Bowl. Don't discredit our win vs the giants in the regular season. I'm sick of this they have our number crap.

 

[Kinzu]

Giants do not have our number my god. Yes they took it to us this yr but damn if it weren't for a bad muffed punt and a bad decision by KW and the strip by the giants we could of been in that Super Bowl. Don't discredit our win vs the giants in the regular season. I'm sick of this they have our number crap.

Don't forget the blown call on the fumble that was not really a fumble. Bradshaw's forward progress was not stopped when he lost the ball and the majority of the people watching that game know that was a fumble. If that got called correct we would have had the ball in scoring range in the 4th quarter. That would have changed the entire game.

 

[Flyingiguana]

with a healthy alex smith and crabtree we will beat the giants.

 

[Category 5o]

Has anybody even seen Atlanta this year? Or are we going by scores? That team presents matchup problems EVERYWHERE for us.

Might want to listen to this guy. Atlanta runs the screen more than any other team in the NFL, and it is HIGHLY successful. I was at the Niners/Seachickens game and if there is one thing the Seachickens did well, it was run the screen to Lynch. The other thing they did well is beat the DBs on the deep routes; only to drop balls or have Wilson throw the ball a mile beyond them, or a mile out of bounds.

On the defensive side of the ball, the run defense is much improved with every week they address it. Even against Dallas missing Weatherspoon, their Patrick Willis. We all know Mike Nolan is a hell of a schemer, and he has set the defense up to play well against every different match up problem they have played. From Cam Newton and RG3, to Tony Romo and Payton Manning. Which I'm sure you all saw. Another thing we all know is Alex Smith has been questionable with his decision to throw the ball away. He's taken quite a few sacks he could have easily avoided. Falcons average 3 sacks a game (while playing quite a few QBs in the league that escape them well. The ones I named above to name a few. Niners allow 3 per game; 5th most in the NFL.

I don't see Smith being able to throw well against the Falcons, as they tend to cover the tight end with the free safety very well(see Whitten, Gates and Davis.) It will come down to whether the Falcons can stop Gore and the run game and Walker and the short pass/screen game; And whether the Niners can stop Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzales, Harry Douglas AND Jaquizz Rodgers. They have a ton of weapons, and NO ONE has been able to stop them yet. Dallas has a defense very similar to the Niners, only allowing 20 more passing yards per game, 20 more rushing yards per game, and have 1 more sack than the Niners.

Not to mention, if it's in the Dome, Ryan is 30-4 there.

I don't understand taking the Falcons lightly because of their schedule. Yes, they have played 1 team with a winning record. But the Niners have played 4. They lost big to two of them, and the two they beat were week 1 (a team that started 1-3.) and a Seahawks team that very well could have beat them AT home.

Take it with a grain of salt, but I'm a fan of both teams (I live in San Jose, 3 miles from the new stadium, was there two weekends ago and it looks awesome. Off topic I know.) But I am a bigger fan of the Falcons, have been since I was 8. I've endured a lot, just as this team has. It would be a great game, with both teams strengths being EXACTLY what the other teams weaknesses are.

 

[CalamityX11]

Giants do not have our number my god. Yes they took it to us this yr but damn if it weren't for a bad muffed punt and a bad decision by KW and the strip by the giants we could of been in that Super Bowl. Don't discredit our win vs the giants in the regular season. I'm sick of this they have our number crap.

THATS MY HOCKEY!!!!!

Fuck the G-MENNNNNNNNNNN.

Stupid KW plus refs :bj: with the whistle where we had the fumble!!!!

 

[rmilia1]

The disrespect for Atlanta stems from their lack of success in past playoffs and thats understandable but the reality is that the Falcons defense is much better this year than it has been in their other playoff runs and their offense is almost impossible to stop. Dallas held Atlanta to 19 which is their lowest output of the year but that was largely because of Atlanta missing a few FG's which you cant really count on. The team that beats Atlanta will be able to get pressure consistently with their front 4 but ONLY their front 4. If you try to blitz Atlanta you are going to be straight fucked. San Fran and the Giants are the only 2 teams I can see beating the Falcons and with Atlanta probably getting homefield its going to be tough to beat them no matter what.

 

[CalamityX11]

Matchup wise, JJ and White are the weapons that scare me for the niners. But if our secondary continues to play well AND our Pass rush returns to true form for the playoffs, we can beat them.

It goes back to Alex and the offense, do not turn it over and give ATL freebies. Execute, get TDs and pound the rock!

 

[tallglassofwater007]

Giants do not have our number my god. Yes they took it to us this yr but damn if it weren't for a bad muffed punt and a bad decision by KW and the strip by the giants we could of been in that Super Bowl. Don't discredit our win vs the giants in the regular season. I'm sick of this they have our number crap.

Don't forget the blown call on the fumble that was not really a fumble. Bradshaw's forward progress was not stopped when he lost the ball and the majority of the people watching that game know that was a fumble. If that got called correct we would have had the ball in scoring range in the 4th quarter. That would have changed the entire game.

Last I checked they beat us and went on to win the Superbowl last year. We can list a million excuses as to why we lost but the bottom line is, they had more points than us when the game ended. Kyle Williams had one huge fuck up when the punt hit his knee. The other fumble he had was because of a good play made by the Giants. They also took our receivers completely out of the game. Without saying "they have our number" can we not give credit to the Giants for beating us? Also, Eli Manning played a great game. He was getting murdered all night and he still played great. He is the reason I would give them the edge over us again.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

And whether the Niners can stop Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzales, Harry Douglas AND Jaquizz Rodgers. They have a ton of weapons, and NO ONE has been able to stop them yet. Dallas has a defense very similar to the Niners, only allowing 20 more passing yards per game, 20 more rushing yards per game, and have 1 more sack than the Niners.

You are forgetting the most important defensive stat...points per game. The Niners are #1 in the league giving up 12.9 per game. And it could even be lower if it weren't for a couple garbage time scores and a BS return TD vs Green Bay. Dallas is giving up 22.6 per game.

This doesn't mean that the 49ers would beat Atlanta, but comparing the defense to Dallas is pretty much apples to oranges.

 

[Bemular]

Last I checked they beat us and went on to win the Superbowl last year. We can list a million excuses as to why we lost but the bottom line is, they had more points than us when the game ended. Kyle Williams had one huge fuck up when the punt hit his knee. The other fumble he had was because of a good play made by the Giants. They also took our receivers completely out of the game. Without saying "they have our number" can we not give credit to the Giants for beating us? Also, Eli Manning played a great game. He was getting murdered all night and he still played great. He is the reason I would give them the edge over us again.

On the muff that hit Williams knee - his real fuck-up, IMO, was not chasing it down. He knew it hit his knee but got caught between incriminating himself and hoping the touch was too slight to be detected on film.

As for the Giants having our number - I'm not so sure they don't. They play our short & intermediate game very well. If we were playing the Giants this past Monday night I don't think we come out with a victory.

As an example of what I am talking about, during the Giants game Smith completed 19 passes for 200 yards. 60 of those yards (30%) were YAC. During the Cardinals game, 18 completions for 232 yards of which 143 yards (62%) were YAC.

The Giants basically dare us to go deep - which we did twice to Davis in the NFCCG and we all know what happened to Davis during our rematch this year. Another aspect to the Giants that I have yet to read about or hear mentioned is Coughlin. He is another reason the Giants are dangerous.

 

[rmilia1]

You are forgetting the most important defensive stat...points per game. The Niners are #1 in the league giving up 12.9 per game. And it could even be lower if it weren't for a couple garbage time scores and a BS return TD vs Green Bay. Dallas is giving up 22.6 per game.

This doesn't mean that the 49ers would beat Atlanta, but comparing the defense to Dallas is pretty much apples to oranges.

SF has a better defense than Dallas IMO but Atlanta scoring 19 against Dallas was pretty much a worse case scenario. The falcons had the ball 7 times in scoring position so in most cases they are going to score 31-34 in that game. 19 is an anomoly really. I think Atlanta probably score 24-27 against SF in the dome and 20-24 in SF. Not sure if thats enough to win the game but my guess would be that it would be really really close.

 

[MHSL82]

SF has a better defense than Dallas IMO but Atlanta scoring 19 against Dallas was pretty much a worse case scenario. The falcons had the ball 7 times in scoring position so in most cases they are going to score 31-34 in that game. 19 is an anomoly really. I think Atlanta probably score 24-27 against SF in the dome and 20-24 in SF. Not sure if thats enough to win the game but my guess would be that it would be really really close.

That's a fair guess. So the difference between Dallas and SF's defense is less than the difference between where the Falcons scored and should have scored against Dallas? Atlanta should have scored 25 or 29 against Dallas, so I would take the 20-24 range for Atlanta's output on an average day by both teams. In Atlanta would be closer to 24 and in SF closer to 20, but that's because I love my defense and am a bit biased. I did think every pass thrown Ryan against Dallas was going to be complete so I was rooting for the running option to be used (unsuccessfully) more. Just want everyone with at least one or two losses by week 12 but know it's not probable per se (would love the number one seed for the Niners or second if not).

 

[rmilia1]

That's a fair guess. So the difference between Dallas and SF's defense is less than the difference between where the Falcons scored and should have scored against Dallas? Atlanta should have scored 25 or 29 against Dallas, so I would take the 20-24 range for Atlanta's output on an average day by both teams. In Atlanta would be closer to 24 and in SF closer to 20, but that's because I love my defense and am a bit biased. I did think every pass thrown Ryan against Dallas was going to be complete so I was rooting for the running option to be used (unsuccessfully) more. Just want everyone with at least one or two losses by week 12 but know it's not probable per se (would love the number one seed for the Niners or second if not).

I wouls say on a typical day Atlanta probably scores 31-34 in the game vs Dallas ( I mean just the 2 missed FG's by Bryant takes it to 25 and Atlanta RARELY would be kicking 6 FG's and only scoring 1 TD). I believe SF has a defense that is 7-10 points better than Dallas so that leaves me in the mid 20's for what I fgure the falcons would score vs SF. I would think a SF-Atlanta game would be in the 21-20, 24-21, 21-17 ish kind of range.