* * *
Inactives don't have to be announced for a while, but the early word is that Jonas Jennings and Dominique Zeigler will be in uniform, but Ahmad Brooks will not. Jennings is not expected to start, as Adam Snyder will likely get the call at right tackle.
* * *
INACTIVES
49ers: Jamie Martin (third QB), CB Reggie Smith, S Dashon Goldson, LB Ahmad Brooks, C Cody Wallace, T Barry Sims, TE Sean Ryan and WR Arnaz Battle.
Cardinals: Brian St. Pierre (third QB), CB Eric Green, T Elliot Vallejo, T Brandon Keith, DT Alan Branch, WR Early Doucet, TE Jerame Tuman and TE Ben Patrick.
* * *
The lovely and talented Jordin Sparks, a resident of Glendale, Ariz., just belted out the national anthem.
* * *
There's a rumor going around that Chilo Rachal is going to see some action in tonight's game. It should be interesting to watch how No. 62 fares if he gets into the action.
* * *
Sorry to say that I will not be blogging with quite the fervor that I have in previous games. While this game is in progress, I'll have to write my stuff for tomorrow's paper.
* * *
Suggested drinking game for tonight: Take a sip of chocolate milk every time you hear the word "pants."
* * *
For the coin toss, Michael Robinson calls heads. It is heads. The 49ers want the football.
* * *
FIRST QUARTER
--How 'bout that? Allen Rossum with a 104-yard return for a touchdown. It's 49ERS 7, CARDINALS 0 with 14:48 remaining. Michael Robinson picked off two guys on the play. That's a nice way for the 49ers to open.
--That's "Execute" and "Create Good Field Position" -- Nos. 2 and 4 on the "49ers Formula for Success."
--The Cardinals take over at the 25. Looks like Clements is matching up against Fitzgerald, and Harris is on Boldin. But Michael Lewis was on Steve Breaston, who caught a 22-yard pass on first down.
--On the Cards' first drive, they're moving the ball. The 49ers are going to have to score some points tonight.
--The 49ers' defense will make the Cards settle for a 28-yard FG attempt. It's good. 49ERS 7, CARDINALS 3 with 9:46 remaining in the quarter.
--So much for Josh Morgan starting. It's Bryant Johnson who lines up as split end when the 49ers take the field with the first unit. Gore gains 8. On second down, Morgan replaces Johnson.
--Michael Robinson makes a beautiful move on Adrian Wilson on a third-and-1 to gain 5 yards and a first down. He looked like a running back on that play.
--Shaun Hill comes up short on a third-and-6 completion to Johnson. Andy Lee is on to punt.
--After Lee's punt Breaston returns it to the Arizona 30 with 5:02 left in the quarter.
--Three-and-out for the 49ers' defense.
--Rossum is back to return the punt. Dirk Johnson with a horrible punt for 23 yards. The Niners will take over at their own 40.
--Singletary loses a challenge on a third-down pass to Jason Hill. Personally, I thought it was a catch, but ref Tony Corrente said Hill lost control of the ball out of bounds before he hit the ground. Hmmmm.
--Cardinals take over at the 20 after Lee's punt lands in the end zone.
--Another three-and-out, and you can sense the growing frustration -- anxiety -- in the crowd here.
--Clements takes the handoff from Rossum on the punt return. They have ball at their own 45.
--Chilo Rachal is on the field for the first time. He takes over for Tony Wragge at right guard.
--Rachal pays immediate dividends with a great block on Karlos Dansby that allows Gore to gain 25 yards on the final play of the first quarter. The 49ers have the ball at the Arizona 35.
SECOND QUARTER
--What a beautiful throw from Shaun Hill and what a beautiful juggling catch from Josh Morgan to beat Hood for for a 31-yard scoring play. Now, it's 49ERS 14, CARDINALS 3 with 14:13 remaining.
--Who said the 49ers might lack quickstrike capabilities with Hill at QB? )Oh, yeah, that was me.) Let's see if they can keep up this kind of play.
--That didn't take long. The Cardinals come right back down on score on Kurt Warner's arm. Anquan Boldin with the 13-yard TD reception. It's 49ERS 14, CARDINALS 10 with 11:48 remaining in the half. Boldin has a TD in six consecutive games.
--Wragge is back in the game, replacing Rachal. First two plays get not much.
--It's third and 9 from the 21. Completion to Gore is short of the first down. Niners will punt it away.
--Cardinals with the ball near midfield. They'll have a third-and-3 after the timeout. Breaston has six catches for 106 yards for Arizona.
--Nate Clements strips the ball from Hightower and the 49ers recover. However, it looks as if Hightower was down. Ken Whisenhunt challenges the call
--Yep, the play was overturned. Arizona holds onto the ball.
--Rackers with a 33-yard FG. That makes it 49ERS 14, CARDINALS 13 with 4:41 left in the half.
--You absolutely have to love Shaun Hill. On a third-and-11, he took off on a QB draw. His helmet got knocked off when he lowered his head to take on Dansby, but he continued to fight through Gerald Hayes for 12 yards and a first down.
That is a play for which Shaun Hill will always be remembered. That clip will live on for a long, long, long time.
--It's third and 10 from the Cardinals' 18. Big play here.
--That's one heckuva Hill-to-Davis touchdown. Davis made a nice play to take it away from Adrian Wilson.
--Uh-oh, Davis is called for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet. All eyes are on Singletary on the sideline. He and Singletary embrace on the sideline. It's 49ERS 21, CARDINALS 13 with :29 left in the half.
--The 49ers kick off from the 15. The Cardinals botch it, and it goes out of bounds. Arizona takes over at the 8-yard line, and Vernon Davis is completely off the hook now.
--That's the end of the half. And what a half it was for the 49ers. The Cardinals and serenaded by boos as they leave the field.
--I'm reminded of Mike Singletary's No. 5 on the 49ers' formula for success: Finish.
Can they finish?
Please keep the dialogue going. I'm going to have to break away from the blogging to write some articles about what's going on out there.
THIRD QUARTER
--Fitzgerald caught two passes for 9 yards in the first half, but he had four catches on the first drive of the second half. His 5-yard TD grab on a fourth-down play pulls the Cardinals to within one point. It's 49ERS 21, CARDINALS 20 with 11:37 remaining in the quarter.
--Game on.
--Niners are driving. They're at the 33. Delanie Walker just went off the field with a right arm injury.
--Deep ball to Davis. It was only slightly overthrown, but Davis didn't even try for it. He should've left his feet to go get it. It could've easily been a TD. That was inexcusable. He might have misjudged it. I have no idea.
--It's third and 1 from the 24. Gore is stopped short.
--Nedney on for a 41-yard FG attempt. It's good. It's 49ERS 24, CARDINALS 20 with 7:02 left in the quarter.
--By the way, it should be noted that Martz is calling a great game. He might have disagreed with Singletary's decision to kick the field goal, but it looked as if they quickly discussed their differences and are moving on. Martz gave Singletary a pat on the back.
--Cardinals take over at the 18 after the kickoff.
--Shaun Hill with a J.T. moment, throwing an interception that's returned for an apparent TD by Antrel Rolle. However, it's coming back. Adrian Wilson was lined up offside on the play. The 49ers remain in possession. Take the points off the board.
--Wilson makes amends by getting penetration up the middle to cause a fumble of Shaun Hill, who bumps into guard David Baas. The Cardinals recover and take over at the 49ers' 10. And that's where we'll resume this game in the fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
--The 49ers' defense did an outstanding job to hold the Cardinals to a field goal. It's 49ERS 24, CARDINALS 23 with 14:33 remaining.
--This is when Hill and Gore have to team up to put together a long, time-consuming drive to keep the Cardinals' offense off the field.
--Gore drops a third-down pass.
--Andy Lee booms a 52-yard punt. Breaston calls for a fair catch. The Cardinals take over at their own 9, down by one point
--From my angle in the corner of the end zone, I'm getting a great look at some of Warner's throws. He is incredible. He just hit Boldin for a pass to midfield. That guy is darn good.
--Great play by Clements to break up third-down pass to Fitzgerald. Nice pressure by Smith on the play. Niners will take over at the 14 with 7:30 remaining in the game.
--Hill gets picked off by Dansby and returned to the 49ers' 5. The pressure is back on the 49ers' defense.
--Two plays later, Boldin catches a WR screen and gets into the end zone from 4-yard out. That makes it CARDINALS 29, 49ERS 24 with 4:16 remaining. And the Cardinals will go for two points. But the 49ers first call a timeout to get regrouped on defense.
--After false start penalty, the Cardinals will try from the 7-yard line . . . Mark Roman breaks up the pass for Fitzgerald in the end zone.
--And now the 49ers, down by five points, have to get it in the end zone to win this game. They'll have a little over four minutes to do it.
--Rossum with 35-yard return to the 38. There;s 4:08 left.
--Off Morgan's hands down the middle.
--On second down, pass interference on Rodgers-Cromartie vs. Johnson. Now, they're saying the pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage. That brings up third and 10. But before the snap, Singletary throws the flag, saying that the pass was not tipped.
--Corrente said they were going to pick up the flag for pass interference, so the 49ers are not allowed to challenge that play.
--It's back to third and 10 . . . Morgan is a yard short on the pass. But Dansby is callled for unnecessary roughness. That's 15 yards and a first down. Wow.
--Pass to Bruce for 2 yards to the Cardinals' 36.
--Hill is using the hard count very effectively to get the Cardinals to jump. That was against Travis LaBoy. It's second and 3.
--Umpire Steve Wilson got in the way of a pass to Gore. It's incomplete. Now it's third-and-3. This is four-down territory.
--What a catch by Jason Hill on the sideline for a first down with a finger-tip catch.
--David Baas with holding. It's first and 20 from the 35. Hill did not throw quickly enough for Jason Hill. It's incomplete.
--Now, it's second and 20 with 3:15 remaining . . . Dominique Zeigler is on the field. False start on Wragge. Now it's second and 25.
--Ziggy with a huge reception for 23 yards.
--Hill, trying to make something happen, tries a shovel pass to Gore. But it's intercepted by Wilson. That's a heart-breaker. The Cardinals take over at the 11 with 2:24 left. The 49ers have one timeout and the two-minute warning to stop the clock.
--The Cardinals have a third-and-2 play awaiting them after the two-minute warning. Niners need a stop here to have any chance.
--Great penetration to stop Hightower for a 2-yard loss. The 49ers will get the ball back around midfield with a little more than one minute remaining and no timeouts.
--Rossum returns it to the Cardinals' 42 with 1:06. Plenty of time left for the 49ers.
--Zeigler, Bruce, Hill, Johnson and Gore are on the field. Jason Hill comes all the way across the field to get out of bounds after an 11-yard gain.
--Gore is injured on the play. Robinson is on the field. Hill to Hill for 14 yards to the 15.
--Jason Hill again. He's down to the 1-yard line.
--There's a lot of confusion. Hill spikes the ball with :20 remaining. It's second down.
--Rachal is on the field as an eligible receiver. The 49ers line up in the I-formation. Gore is behind Robinson. The Cardinals call a timeout before the play.
--Man, this is exciting.
--Gore is down at the 1. The 49ers scramble to get to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball. Hill spikes the ball with :02 remaining. The 49ers will have one more chance.
--Now, the previous play is under review. Was Gore touched down? The replay shows that Okeafor touched Gore in the back. Gore wasn't quite able to stay on his feet. Corrente is watching the play.
--Michael Robinson is stopped up the middle on the final play of the game.
--It's over.
CARDINALS 29, 49ERS 24
That call will be second-guessed, as Robinson got the call from the 2 1/2-yard line.
What a great effort by the 49ers, but they were unable to finish the job.
I'm wincing already. I wonder how close the Niners keep it through three quarters before they give up 35 points in the fourth quarter. The Niners and Browns should fight to the death!
MATT -- Let us all keep hoping Jennings is not placed in the line. He is not effective and has not been for a long time. Besides the constant injuries, he does not block. But he IS really good at waving at defensive linemen as they go by him. Another expensive bust, better kept off the field.
Matt, why is Brooks inactive? I thought they worked in the bye week to try and find a way to get him on the field?
Raffaele - We must have been watching different games this year because Jonnas was playing well before he got hurt. Which has always been his problem. He get’s hurt to much and that's what makes him a "bust". When he plays, he is one of our top O-lineman (not sure that’s saying much – but it’s a fact.) Our line began to suffer more as soon as Simms was playing right tackle. When healthy (a rare "when") I would take Jennings over Sims and Adam Synder all day long.
i am disappointed to see that brooks is not going to get a shot tonight....i thought that the niners should've spent a pick on him in the supplemental draft a couple of years ago.......i guess, as non-existent as the niners pass rush is, if he had anything to offer at this point, he'd be in there.......when i heard they were looking at him as a rush end i had visions of rickey jackson
OMG!!! I JUST PLACED IT!! SINGLETARY SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE MARCELLUS FROM PULP FICTION. HE NEEDS TO DO 2 THINGS: 1) PUT A BANDAID ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK. 2) SEND IN THE WOLF TO SAVE THE SEASON!!!
Raffaele,
Despite the hatred most Niner fans have for him due to injuries, Jennings is probably our best offensive lineman when healthy.
awesome rossum!!!
nice pocket for Shaun Hill to throw from...about time O-line!!
Granted it was a three-man rush, but typically that rush would have gotten to JTO and flushed him from the pocket.
Nice Hill to Morgan TD.
Shaun Hill= Steve Young? What a run that was! 3rd and 11, stopped 3 yards short, loses his helmet, and PLUNGES for the first. Wow.
I loved Shaun Hill in that play and how he is doing so far in this last series.
AND, no sacks yet!!!!! In part because he gets rid of the ball fast...
Good game so far for the Niners!!!!
WOW! Is that the best the Niners have shown in the year or what?!?!?!?!
I'll forgive Davis that one because it didn't negate the TD. But damn he's gotta start thinking.
very interesting first half...lets have a good second half....Shaun Hill is controling the game, he's incharge on the field.....go defense..go offence..go special teams...very close to a complete team effort from the 3 departments.
what about the OL?? no sacks (barely, admitted) and 83 rushing yards total... NOT BAD AT ALL!
About the only thing I can complain about so far is Hill's completion percentage is sub-50%. But he's doing a very good job of avoiding the sack. Though he's come close to having a couple of quick passes tipped for INTs.
I don’t know how many of you listen to the game on the radio. I have to tonight and if it were not for Gary Plummer I would be pulling my hair out.
Can somebody tell me why Joe Starkey is the 49er broadcaster? This guy is a moron. I have know idea what is happening in the game. I didn’t even know Nedney kicked the extra point after the last TD. This is what I heard “And he fumbles out of Bounds!! What a break for the 49ers!!!” What the hell happen…. Fumbled out of bounds on an extra point?
Then “Oh my, he could have let it rolled out of bounds…” I still didn’t know what happened and was able to put 2 and 2 together with the help of Plummer to figure that Nedney made the extra point and kicked it off. MAN I JUST PUNCH THAT IDIOT STARKEY,. Question, does Starkey have pictures of somebody who signs his checks with 2 young boyz and a goat.?
This guy is a disaster!! What the hell 49ers. Hey Jed this should be the first firing of the off season.
Very few comments today. Great sign as we're all loving WATCHING THE GAME!!! Way to bring pressure on warner, manusky. Here's to half number two!
This is agony...please no more Joe Starkey 49ers I beg you....I am ready to hurl profanities in front of my small children!!!
I love the new play calling in offense... any comments??
am i nuts or are the niners kicking ass in the trenches? even aubrayo franklin is playing his butt off, and we're starting to see how many of those league-leading sacks were on the seven step drops, not the o line. i might just buy that staley jersey after all.
Great block by the ref to get in the way of Gore so he can't get the 1st down. I'm not one to complain about the refs but this does seem a little one-sided.
Off the top of my head:
(1) The missed pass interference on Bruce in the end zone
(2) The ridiculous personal foul call on Clements
(3) The challenge on the catch on the sidelines by Hill
(4) The personal foul call on Ulbrich on the kick off.
And boy they jumped on that VD helmet off penalty right away. The cameras never even got a shot of it.
Its also very apparent how completely clueless the national media is when it comes to the 49ers. All they know are a couple sound bytes and that the team is 2 - 6. This was not a bad team, this team showed flashes of this the entire year but they shot themselves in the foot at inopportune times.
I hat Jaworski.... "I thought it was a contact sport.."
What about the Personal Foul to Lewis... that was also contact, only illegal like Boldin's....
YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
OFFSIDE!!!!!!!!
too soon, beast.
my heart has been in my mouth for the last two hours.
and that's what happens when I get excited...
We need to get an interception and/or fumble ourselves....
I still remember a game vs Dallas.... they were on the 7 yard line and Merton Hanks intercepted inside the endzone.... lovely!
Hill/Offense needs to change the snap count or do some hard counts. AZ's been jumping the snap count right on time.
I couldn't see Hightower close to that ball.... anyways, we stopped them from a TD again...
Nice job D!! Team looks good, poised & physical like the HC. Let's see if we can finish....NINERS!!
They are a different team under Singletary. No matter win or lose, they are playing real football for the first time in a long time.
Agreed!!!!!
Marcos no doubt....the players finally have a REAL HC they respect & can look up to. Singletary holding the players accountable makes a solid statement & sets the tone.
AZ's still jumping the A-gap. Besides changing the snap count or going to some hard counts they could use more shotgun once & a while.
They could also try moving the pocket sometimes to give more looks.
Boldin's schooling Harris..an adjustment has to be made. It's a total mismatch.
Is anyone out there missing the Hugo Boss With a Tie????
When was the last time Hill completed a pass? Sheesh...
Should have ran on 1st down to eat clock. Why go for the home run over the top?? That was a mistake IMO.
Been a good game. Guys played hard.
Let's see if we can pull it out Niners..........
How come I watch the iggles blitz whenever somebody gets close the the goal line and it's effective and nobody else does it. Send the kitchen sink why don't ya!! No pressure on Warner and he is just picking us apart 75% of his passes have been completed. It's as bad as listening to Joe Starkey!!
WHERE IS THE DEFLECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why is Kurt Warner allowed to take off his helmet running to the sidelines and no penalty. Whats the deal?
Same old, Same old. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
that had to be the worst ever!!!!!!!!!! Not ready for a 2 point conversion so we burn a time out! Why not spike the ball and get set for 4th down. Horrible
heart breaking... when was the last time you could say that about a niner loss? Can't believe the last play... or the fact that they called Gore 'down by contact'... but damn, what a game. Living in CO, this is the first niner game I've been able to watch start to finish in a LONG time. Props to Sing for getting the team ready and martz for a well called game. This is what I've been waiting to see all year long.
A couple of bad plays by Hill, but he'll get a reprieve on this one. Excellent game by Jason Hill, damn shame he wasn't on the field earlier in the year. BRILLIANT catch my Davis in the end zone, I don't care if he did take his helmet off for that one.
Poor strategy at the goal line. They could have thrown the ball 3 times, instead they run two plays. The last play is terrible. You have to give it to Gore if you're going to run.
Stunned! Run the ball with no time left? No timeouts. What gives?
No moral victories. That loss was ridiculous. We need a QB and the cries for Martz's head should start now based on the final two play calls. That was HORRIFIC. Michael F'n Robinson on a dive play to win the game?!! Fire them all and start over.
M Fu****** Robinson What the F***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm done with the stupid piece of s*** niners!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a giants fan from now on!!!! I will never support this team ever again!!!!!! F**k the niners!!!
Man I want to yell out every expletive in the book right now. I don't want to hear what a 'valiant effort' the Niners gave tonight. We still lost because of a bad coaching decision at the end. And for all you Shaun Hill lovers- 4 INTs, 2 returned for TDs, one other almost returned for a TD but resulted in a TD anyway. I hate this game management bull. You can't stretch any defenses nor open any holes for your running game if you can't throw a damn football on a string 15 yards downfield or to the sideline. Disgusting. I'm not a JTO lover but I hope he develops that QB 6th sense and learn when the pass rush is coming. As for our offensive and defensive lines, another subpar performance. We did pretty well against the run but we couldn't pass rush worth crap. And what is up with our ridiculously inept linebacker blitzes? Every time a safety or linebacker blitzed, they came off the snap a second late or just gave up halfway to the QB. Some people saw an inspiring performance, and maybe we made *some* strides.. but this isn't necessarily the type of football that's going to either a) win games, or b) at least look exciting. How pathetic are we that we don't have a 1) QB, 2) Offensive line, 3) Defensive Line, 4) Outside Linebacker, 5) NFL quality WR, 6) Free Safety. I mean realistically we're talking about at least 9-11 guys, or 50% of your starting roster. Alright enough rambling on.. this is just frustrating as hell.
Dear York Junior: Four things... you need to get a proper quarterback. Period. If you do anything this off season, get a quarterback who knows what he is doing and get a proper back-up quarterback while you are at it. This is too painful to watch week after week. Way too many stupid interceptions and fumbles. Secondly, so much for knowing how to "finish a game", Mr. Singletary. Who in their right mind called two running plays at the end of the game inside the five yard line?! You weren't been able to run the ball all game long, in case you did not notice. Third, get yourself a new defensive coordinator (giving up an average 29 points a game is beyond pathetic... someone needs to be held responsible for it). And fourthly, get rid of the defensive line coach... the team NEVER has any pressure on the quarterback. Team after team pick apart the secondary. Keep this lousy play up and I am going to throw my 35 years of following the once great 49ers out the window and transfer my support behind another team. You need to make serious changes. Period. This is unacceptable, Mr. York.
my heart is broken. i never thought a football game would reduce me to tears, but i was wrong. my heart is broken.
Mike Martz deserves the blame for this one. Changing personel before spiking the ball, cmon... Sing needs to put him in his place and tell him he cost the 9ers the game. That was ridiculous. Changing personnel at the goal line??? What a joke! I'm disgusted.
Talk about dumb clock management right at the end! How long has Martz been coaching! Then calling a run up the middle when anybody who's been watching the niners for the last several years knows they can't get a yard or two up the middle when they have to! He must have been getting even with Singletary for benching JTO. Also, we still need a free safety who can make some plays. It was pretty obvious tonight he doesn't like contact and he's not a playmaker. It's like playing with 10 players on defense.
Sloppy football by both sides at the end and Hill isn't our long term QB solution. HOWEVER we played so much better and Singletary has my vote as a Head Coach. It is so great to watch him post game and not have to heard Nolan's excuses.
Hey Matt, I dont expect you to answer me, but do you like the 49ers, or not?
All of our comments are too pleasant given the pathetic loss by the coaches and players on this team tonight. Coaches/players need to be fired over what happened tonight. All that matters is winning in the NFL.
Mike Martz stabbed Sing in the back for benching his lover J.T.O. Mike Martz is pure Satan!!!!!!!!!
Yep you're not the only one. I am almost literally reduced to tears as well. At the very least I'm not getting any sleep tonight.
Screw this. LETS GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought Martz was more creative but I was wrong. That dive up the middle with over two yards to go was bullshyte! Hill could've spiked the ball and regroup to run a real play. Why not a bootleg or a quick slant?
As for Roman, I totally agree. Walt Harris will be benched for the Rams game next week. He was even more out of place than Roman.
I'm so friggin depressed!
Way to go stupid York!!!!!! Must feel good to run something in to the ground!!!! But hey, at least your a billionaire, right? F**K you!!!!!!! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS MONEY! i REFUSE TO LINE YOUR POCKETS ANY MORE YOU SICK F***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah.. I almost forgot.. 4 INTs AND A FUMBLE. That's 5 Turnovers; lucky for you 2 were called back. Great job Shaun Hill. I hope we go back to JTO if for nothing else than at least we have a chance to open things up a little bit. If Shaun Hill keeps playing, expect 8-9 guys in the box on defense against Gore every game here on out. I suspect that if JTO gets another chance he won't screw up so badly this time. Either way we're better off with him than Shaun Hill.
Martz was trying to lose the game from the get go! He is pissed about Stupid being benched! He is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!
The raiders at least have a football guy running s***! The niners have a doctor running S***! I don't know any good doctors who also know football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A couple of observations...first, someone needs to teach the D how to tackle. I am all for trying to strip the ball, but the missed tackle epidemic is KILLING me. They just do go to the ball and wrap up the ball carrier. Two, too many mental mistakes, We looked ridiculously lolst out there with guys running around. Third, our defensive backfield needs to step it up. Lewis was burned a couple of times and don't get me started on how Clements was playing 10 yards off and outside technique on the 4 and 2 TD. Fourth, review our offensive scheme in the red zone. Martz is creative, but when his offensive gets squeezed in the red zone he seems a bit lost.
I can think of nothing else than this is Karma for being so good for an entire decade. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I remember the 80s and early 90s thinking how this team will never be bad. Then Eddie D. had to go. If someone told me I could help overhaul the current ownership by donating 5k of my own money, sure as hell I would do it.
OMG Matt. Please help me. I'm having a terrible time trying to swallow this.
I have to believe that the last play wasn't fully Martz call. In my mind, there is no doubt that that call was the antithesis of a Martz type of play call. I am seriously lost now.
My question's i'm dying to have answered:
1) Who was ultimately responsible for that particular play call?
2) Did Martz make that call to show Singletary what happens when he is over-ridden or over-influenced?
I strongly believe the reason the last series of plays was so poorly managed was due to us never being there. It's obvious we don't know how to handle that situation. Once we were down inside the 5, we were like deer in headlights. Damn it, we need to act like we've been there. I feel like banging my head on the wall for the rest of the night. Please help. Please advise.
Thanks Matt!
Post-game comments by Singletary make clear that it was Martz's call on the last play, as it should have been. Also that Singletary had no better explanation for it than any of us. Conclusion: if Singletary stays on at end of season, Martz is history.
We burn a time out on the 2 point conversion attempt that we could really have used at the end. Then when Jason Hill lands at the one yard line, the whole coaching staff goes brain dead. That said, some of the young players looked good, like Jason Hill! It was an exciting game!!
PS--Did anyone else notice that Steve Young, in the post-game wrap-up, did not quite state that the 4th quarter play calling was idiotic--but clearly implied it?
Hey Chip in Fresno - Good Riddance. Please don't let the door hit you on the way out. The fan base of the last few years has been a direct reflection of the play on the field. That includes you!!
what a great time for a naked-bootleg by hill. anyway, the loss could be blamed on many factors, but none more evident then the lack (once again) of a pass rush. warner was feasting on our d.b.'s because he had time to lock-on any receiver he wanted. the middle push by sop' and abry' has been absent all season. why not try k-balmer in the middle over abry' at least his height could change the q.b.'s trajectory on passes over the middle. also, did m-lawson play? he needs to be put in a position where he could utilize his speed on the edge rush on passing downs.
Remember Nolan teams coming out of a bye week? Two weeks of his coaching always seemed to make them regress... This team looked like it took a step forward. This is the first game in a *long* time that I enjoyed - despite the finish...
Hey guys,
I don't know about you, but I like the effort and I think that if Singletary wins 1/2 of the remaining games, you have to give him some consideration for the permanent HC job.
I definitely think that Martz's call for that rush up the middle with Robinson was a bad call. Naked bootleg or a TE/HB circle in the flats would have been right call.
I predict a decisive win against the Rams next week.
Traj
I was actually into the game at the end and in spite of all the bone headed sloppy play we should have finished with a W. The new Niner identity looks more promising than Nolan's clusterF***. Nice to see us have some extended drives and keep the D off the field for a while. We still have some definite weaknesses but we actually looked like a team with a plan tonight. What if we were playing with this philosophy all year...more Gore, more physical, more Hills and less JTO's (you guys who count the freebe play TO's get real we were managing the game well until the end and a couple of bad plays which I'm sure SH will learn from unlike JTO) ? I can see more W's. Our O line with Chilo and Baas is more suited to run over people. Martz just needs to be reeled in and Sing is the man to do it.
Amen flip3. I am with you.
Other McCloughan drafting players, which I am not quite sure about and Martz's crazy philosophy, I feel the tide is turning even with this loss.
Traj
Mike in sf #2 nice one. you suck
Mike in sf #2, the niners are just like you. "who cares that we lost".
Why don't you STFU and leave Chip alone? that was not a game, that was WWE in the NFL moron! DON't you be telling who stays and who goes! If you like the 49ers rolling in manure like that, be that type of fan you moron!
I urge 49ers fans: LOCAL BLACKOUT! DOn't go to the games! Local blackout! Local Blackout!
Damn... best game they've played all year and people are still crying? Apparently some people assumed that one week would cure all woes. A step in the right direction isn't good enough?
Also... for those who thought there was no pass rush... did you watch the game? They had PLENTY of pressure on Warner. A lack of sacks does not equate to a lack of pressure. Bare in mind, this is a QB who is having an MVP season. The niners CRUSHED their run game and had numerous three and outs. Now, imagine what we might have if Sing had control throughout TC and preseason.
All of the analysts on NFL Network said the same thing. The niners simply weren't prepared to be in that situation at the end of a game. They hadn't practiced it and didn't know what plays to call. Again, these are things that could have been worked on if the team hadn't been doing a mini-TC during the bye week. Hell, who on this board actually thought they'd be in a position to win in the final seconds?
Umm--maybe you guys should cool it b4 Matt gives us all a time-out again. I happen to agree that some comments are idiotic, and suspect that the IQ of the authors is probably in the mild-to-moderate range of retardation, but ignoring them is really not that difficult.
Look, Mark, I will admit I did not see the game, but I saw enough highlights to see the same old thing from the 49ers. They either got blown out or officiating ripped them off. Which was it tonight for the 49ers in losing: Bad officiating or a blown out loss?
I'm still debating if I should see the game I taped or just burn the tape altogether? I don't care we lost by 5 points, we won by 2 points, that's all I now. Frank Gore scored that TD by the end, but the officiating ripped us off.
Matt, next time you suggest drinking, suggest imported beer. liquor is smooth when you drink enough of it and forgetting the game altogether. And buy DirecTV NFL's package, don't torture yourselves with bad Bay Area football.
Next year, I'm seeing what I can get on my cable.
I really don't know what to do about many comments here.
Granted, I am sore from shouting and slept horribly. I actually had nightmares from the game. But the last time it happened was when we lost the conference championship against Atlanta in 98.
I wish we would have won yesterday, and we didn't (I also lost on my fantasy)... and yes, it's all about the Ws.
But seriously, think about one thing. It is rare, when a ship turns around instantly to a new direction. I mean, Manning's first season was what 3-13?? And yet people saw the Colts were finally heading in the right direction. Then they went out and drafted Edgerrin. Then they brought in Dungy.
In Niners scenario, we come out from a horrible time with Nolan, and Singletary is in. We still have the same players though, and that will be the case until the end of the season. Period. And yes, there is some news for all out there, we don't even have a mediocre QB. Period. And this will be the case until the end of the season. There's nothing we can do about it.
Now, from having 44 sacks acumulated to zero yesterday... that's a step... Pass rush, we did not have any sacks but Justin Smith was all over Warner allnight long, resulting in several important stops throughout the game...
I think this is a different team already. We still do not have the players we need, and I hope Sing or whoever stays as HC has the ability to draft good players.
But this was not the same games from before. Period. This was much better.
hey matt, who is responsible to review all comments before their posting? 'chip in fresno' was realy pushing the envelope last night. i can appreciate his indirect apology (outburst due to drinking), but the responsibility of keeping your blog respectable falls on your staff. if bloggers want to vent without accountability go over to lowell cohn's blog.
I disagree with your view, AES. Don't like it, don't read it.