why do we keep using 2 wr?

[Flyingiguana]

imo mcdonald is better than any other wr we have atm outside of boldin.

 

[NinerSickness]

imo mcdonald is better than any other wr we have atm outside of boldin.

I totally agree with this, but he's also a much better TE than Brent Celek, and they need McDonald's blocking in 2 TE sets.

 

[threelittleturds]

You need to keep defenses honest by giving them multiple looks. If they abandoned 2 WR looks the offense would be terrible. I've tried to block out most of the Singletary memories, but didn't he try to do that?? A whole lot of double TE and a whole lot of defenses creeping closer and closer to the box 8-9-10 in the box each down.

 

[Flyingiguana]

You need to keep defenses honest by giving them multiple looks. If they abandoned 2 WR looks the offense would be terrible. I've tried to block out most of the Singletary memories, but didn't he try to do that?? A whole lot of double TE and a whole lot of defenses creeping closer and closer to the box 8-9-10 in the box each down.

think on the vernon td couple weeks ago they took advantage of this with the 2 TE set. if they bring guys into the box that will mean we could play action into a big play. that alone will keep them honest.

with all the injuries we have to use what we got. the pats showed how double TE sets can be used.

 

[whysies]

What's the alternative to the two WR set? Splitting Vernon or McDonald out wide and treating them like a WR while the other one plays the TE role? Splitting someone like James out wide? I'm genuinely curious as to what the alternative might be

 

[supreme_clientele81]

What's the alternative to the two WR set? Splitting Vernon or McDonald out wide and treating them like a WR while the other one plays the TE role? Splitting someone like James out wide? I'm genuinely curious as to what the alternative might be

Quite a few actually. Full house, Wing T, I formation, Of set I, a lot of those old Norte Dame 4 horsemen formations

 

[threelittleturds]

think on the vernon td couple weeks ago they took advantage of this with the 2 TE set. if they bring guys into the box that will mean we could play action into a big play. that alone will keep them honest.

with all the injuries we have to use what we got. the pats showed how double TE sets can be used.

Certainly a positive out of the double TE, I'd also prefer more 2TE sets than 2WR sets but I thought you were saying we should just ditch 2WR all together? Might have been a mistake on my part. I feel like the 49ers already run a lot of 2TE sets, Vance is out there pretty often.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

We run a lot of two-TE sets. But we generally pull the FB instead of the WR when we do so. I don't think two-TE and a FB is the way to go on a regular basis. Granted both our TEs are capable of stretching the field, but it allows the D to creep up too much.

That said, depending on Manningham's status, I wouldn't mind experimenting with two RBs in the backfield. I wouldn't mind seeing some of LMJ in the backfield, motioning out wide, etc. At least see what teams do. If they try to put a LB on him, that's a pretty big mismatch in the passing game. Don't think it will happen, but I wouldn't mind trying to get our RBs more involved in the passing game.

 

[CalamityX11]

McDonald has been on the field... blocking mostly but he is getting minutes out there as a target too... Kap locks on to Boldin from Presnap to throw most of the time unless Davis is open...

 

[purguy12]

because we have 2 good TEs and only 1 good WR. LOL its very easy.

 

[imac_21]

because we have 2 good TEs and only 1 good WR. LOL its very easy.

Do we have 2 good TEs? We have Vernon Davis and a second round pick.

That second round pick has 6 catches on 12 targets for 86 yards in 7 games.

In the game against Indy, that VD didn't even play, he caught 1 of 3 targets for 6 yards.

What has McDonald shown this season to establish himself as a good TE?

 

[Flyingiguana]

Do we have 2 good TEs? We have Vernon Davis and a second round pick.

That second round pick has 6 catches on 12 targets for 86 yards in 7 games.

In the game against Indy, that VD didn't even play, he caught 1 of 3 targets for 6 yards.

What has McDonald shown this season to establish himself as a good TE?

imo we need to utilize mcdonald more. same with hunter, did harbaugh forget he came back?

 

[imac_21]

imo we need to utilize mcdonald more. same with hunter, did harbaugh forget he came back?

Do we have two good TEs was the question. Not should we utilize McDonald more.

McDonald has done nothing at the NFL level to establish value. Talking about him as if he's already an established commodity is dishonest. Maybe he could be a quality asset, but the guys that see him practice everyday give the snaps and opportunities on game day they feel he's earned.

Are you wanting to see Hunter thrown to more? If that's the case, I just don't think our offense incorporates throwing to RBs. Gore, under Nolan, established himself as a very good receiving RB, but he has 7 catches this year. If we exclude Miller, as it's been mentioned in a few places he's currently filling the Walker role, we have targeted RBs with 18 passes in 7 games. If we include Miller, that number goes to 33.

 

[Flyingiguana]

Do we have two good TEs was the question. Not should we utilize McDonald more.

McDonald has done nothing at the NFL level to establish value. Talking about him as if he's already an established commodity is dishonest. Maybe he could be a quality asset, but the guys that see him practice everyday give the snaps and opportunities on game day they feel he's earned.

Are you wanting to see Hunter thrown to more? If that's the case, I just don't think our offense incorporates throwing to RBs. Gore, under Nolan, established himself as a very good receiving RB, but he has 7 catches this year. If we exclude Miller, as it's been mentioned in a few places he's currently filling the Walker role, we have targeted RBs with 18 passes in 7 games. If we include Miller, that number goes to 33.

in limited action he's looked better than the guys we have trying to play wr

 

[FourBeeDen]

in limited action he's looked better than the guys we have trying to play wr

Interesting statement but you have to temper this with who was covering him during those plays? He maybe a match up problem against LB or even Safeties but I have not seen him show that he has the speed to break away from CB's or that his route running is good enough to consistently get open against CB's..

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Interesting statement but you have to temper this with who was covering him during those plays? He maybe a match up problem against LB or even Safeties but I have not seen him show that he has the speed to break away from CB's or that his route running is good enough to consistently get open against CB's..

To be fair, not many TEs can lose CBs in coverage. Hell, Aqib Talib effectively shut down Jimmy Graham.

I think McDonald has looked promising thus far, I just wish we'd get him more involved. On that note, I think there's a real chicken vs. egg question with our receivers. Outside of Boldin and Davis, they haven't been good, but Kap also hasn't thrown to them very much. I think the talent at the other receiving spots is better than the stat line reflects, though it's still pretty bad.

 

[FourBeeDen]

To be fair, not many TEs can lose CBs in coverage. Hell, Aqib Talib effectively shut down Jimmy Graham.

I think McDonald has looked promising thus far, I just wish we'd get him more involved. On that note, I think there's a real chicken vs. egg question with our receivers. Outside of Boldin and Davis, they haven't been good, but Kap also hasn't thrown to them very much. I think the talent at the other receiving spots is better than the stat line reflects, though it's still pretty bad.

My point exactly... Replacing a WR with a TE without considering the fact that a CB will be defending instead of a Safety or LB is not a good reason to make a generalized statement that it would be better to have a TE take the place of a WR

 

[Crimsoncrew]

My point exactly... Replacing a WR with a TE without considering the fact that a CB will be defending instead of a Safety or LB is not a good reason to make a generalized statement that it would be better to have a TE take the place of a WR

It really depends how the defense defends it. I agree that generally speaking, going with two TEs and a FB is not a good idea. You take too much speed off the field. That said, if a team puts a CB on McDonald, we should run right at him. I'll take that matchup in the run game any day. We keep at least two WRs on the field in all but short yardage plays, though, so far as I've seen.

 

[FourBeeDen]

It really depends how the defense defends it. I agree that generally speaking, going with two TEs and a FB is not a good idea. You take too much speed off the field. That said, if a team puts a CB on McDonald, we should run right at him. I'll take that matchup in the run game any day. We keep at least two WRs on the field in all but short yardage plays, though, so far as I've seen.

Then that defeats the purpose of making him take the WR spot because that does not change the premise of improving the passing game

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Then that defeats the purpose of making him take the WR spot because that does not change the premise of improving the passing game

It does if they decide they can't stop the run with a CB and then use a SS or LB on him. The goal is improving the offense, not just the passing game. If the run game is working and a team adjusts its personnel to better defend the run, it will (or should) create mismatches in the passing game. If we go 2-WR and 2-TE, I don't think too many teams would use a third CB except on obvious passing downs, and if they did, they'd put that third CB on Davis before McDonald.