9:35 a.m. (ET): Good morning from
I'll check in with a status report on running back Frank Gore as soon as I hear something.
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I'll try to answer some questions before kickoff. So if you have something for me, leave it in the comments section. Thank you.
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10:48 a.m. (ET): Although the 49ers do not have to name inactives for another 45 minutes, running back Frank Gore will not play. But . . . linebacker Ahmad Brooks will make his debut. Roderick Green was ill last night. Green was feeling better this morning, but with the humidity here and the risk of dehydration, the club decided he will be among the inactives for today's game.
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INACTIVES
49ers: PR Allen Rossum, RB Frank Gore, CB Reggie Smith, S Dashon Goldson, LB Roderick Green, T Jacob Bender, and third QB Jamie Martin.
Dominique Zeigler will return punts for the first time since, maybe, his high-school days. So that should be interesting.
Dolphins: WR Chris Hannon, FB Casey Cramer, G Shawn Murphy, DE Lionel Dotson, LB Quentin Moses, T Nate Garner, DE Rodrique Wright and third QB John Beck.
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The Vernon Davis-Joey Porter matchup got an early start. Forty-five minutes before game time, those two were already jawing at each other and causing a disturbance here during warmups.
Here's the quote of the week from Davis: "I've gone up against the best. I'm pretty sure I've gone up against a lot of linebackers-slash-D ends who were better than him and I've pretty much won every battle."
* * *
Niners win the toss and elect to receive.
FIRST QUARTER
--Touchback. Niners take over at the 20.
--Unbalanced line to the right, and that's where the play goes to Foster for 2 yards on first down.
--Third-down completion to Isaac Bruce for a first down at the 35.
--Roth with the sack, coming unblocked off the right side.
--That makes it third and 12 . . . call goes to Robinson for a 4-yard gain. Andy Lee will punt.
--Dolphins will go on offense at the 27-yard line with 11:14 remaining in the quarter.
--Dolphins go with no-huddle. Two quick completions to the tight ends put a first down for the Dolphins.
--Tight end David Martin takes the ball away from Mark Roman, keeps his feet and takes it all the way - 61 yards - for a touchdown. And the Roman Fan Club is mobilizing. Just like that, it's 49ERS 7, DOLPHINS 0 with 9:46 remaining in the quarter.
--Another touchback. Niners take over at the 20 again. In watching the replay of that long touchdown, Roman had good coverage on the tight end, but he just didn't make the play. Martin wins the tale of the tape. He's 6-4, 255, while Roman is 5-11, 205.
--Hill dumps it off to Foster for a 17-yard gain on first down.
--Vernon Davis with a 17-yard catch and run, he tried to hurdle Will Allen, but was upended.
--Foster with the direct snap, gets 3 yards up the middle. That's a quasi-Wildcat.
--Hill to Johnson, quickly, for a gain of 7 and a first down.
--Right tackle Adam Snyder is injured on a run play, so Barry Sims comes in at right tackle with 6:50 remaining in the quarter.
--Delanie Walker gains 10 with a powerful run after a catch. Niners with the ball at the 25.
--The 49ers have a third-and-6 situation from the 21 . . . pass to Robinson is short of the first down. Here comes the field-goal unit.
--Joe Nedney with a 38-yard attempt. It's good. That makes it DOLPHINS 7, 49ERS 3 with 3:57 remaining in the quarter. It was a 10-play, 60-yard drive that lasted 5:49.
INJURY UPDATE: Snyder has a left ankle sprain. His return is questionable.
--Dolphins with a third-and-1 from the 44 . . . Lousaka Polite with the carry up the middle for a first down around midfield.
--Pennington hits his first six pass attempts of the game. That was an 8-yard gain to Devone Bess. Pennington has completed 17 straight, dating back to last game.
--
SECOND QUARTER
--Pennington's string if broken at 17 straight completions because of a Ronnie Brown drop.
--Third and 21 for the Dolphins . . . good coverage downfield. Pennington with nowhere to go, so he scrambles for a few yards.
--Zeigler back to return to punt. He's stationed at the 10-yard line. He takes a step forward to catch the put at the 11. That's where the 49ers will take over with 14:12 remaining in the half.
--Third and 8 . . . Hill's throw to Bruce comes up short. He was throwing into the wind. Now, Lee will punt into the wind.
--Lee's punt is 51 yards, and Bess with a 14-yard return. The Dolphins take over around midfield.
--The Dolphins try to go deep. Clements and Roman both could have intercepted it, but they crash into each other and the ball drops. Clements is going to have a tough time catching anything with a cast on his thumb.
--Pennington has misfired on three straight. It's third and 15 after a false-start penalty. The 49ers have not been penalized, yet. Might the Dolphins run the ball? Nope. Pennington dumps it off to Williams for an 11-yard gain. Dan Carpenter will punt.
--Zeigler makes the fair catch . . . at the 4-yard line. Yikes. The rule is, you stand at the 10-yard line. If the ball is over your head, you let it go. If you have to move up, you catch it. Zeigler's inexperience showed there.
--
--
--On third down, Hill doesn't find anyone open and has to dive forward toward the line of scrimmage. Lee will punt again.
--A whole bunch of missed tackles on the 49ers punt-coverage unit. Michael Robinson, Brian Jennings and Keith Lewis missed tackles on the 27-yard return.
--Dolphins at the 49ers' 34 . . . Brown with a gain of 1.
--Brown goes in motion and gets the handoff for a first down to the 22.
--Blown coverage for the 49ers, and Pennington finds tight end Joe Haynos for his first career reception and his first career TD reception. It goes for 19 yards. That might have been Tully Banta-Cain's man. He and Walt Harris were talking it over. Patrick Willis was the closest man, but I'm not sure it was his guy. That makes it DOLPHINS 14, 49ERS 3 with 8:27 left in the half.
--The Dolphins got good field position because of Zeigler, Davis and poor punt coverage.
--Foster with three straight carries, gaining 6 yards a pop. The 49ers need to put a drive together or this thing could get out of control.
--Hill with a keeper for 3 yards on a third-and-1. That's a new one.
--On second and 11, Hill attempts his first pass on this drive after six straight run plays. It goes to Bruce for 11 yards. Niners at their own 44.
--Incomplete to
--Hill picks up a nice block from umpire Scott Dawson, who picked off two Dolphins players. Hill runs for the first down. And
--Foster with a nice catch out of the backfield for a 5-yard gain to the Dolphins' 34.
--It's third and 8 after another pass to Foster loses 3 yards. That play will happen after the two-minute warning.
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--Hill with a lot of time to throw, but nobody's open and Hill is sacked for a 1-yard loss. Hill held onto the ball for six seconds.
--Hill flicks it out to Bryant Johnson for a first down at the 16. However, there's a flag. It's illegal formation on Bruce, covering up the tight end. That's a bad mistake.
--It's second and 16 from the 34 . . . blitz from the slot. Nathan Jones gets to Hill untouched. Robinson was the only back and he looked to the left for protection help.
--Incomplete deep left to Josh Morgan is incomplete. It's a seven-minute drive, but the 49ers will get no points. Andy Lee punts. Tarell Brown had a chance to catch it at the 1-yard line, but he dropped it and it went into the end zone.
--Dolphins have the ball at the 20 with :36 remaining in the half.
And that's how the half will end.
THIRD QUARTER
--By the way, halftime stats: Foster 12 rushes for 45 yards; Hill is 10 of 15 for 81 yards (rating 80.1); Ronnie Brown is three for 16, while Pennington is 8 of 11 for 131 yards and two TDs (rating of 151.9).
Niners held the ball 20 minutes in the first half, and they're losing by 11 points. That shouldn't happen.
By the way, neither Thomas Clayton nor Ahmad Brooks played in the first half.
--Niners kick off . . . it's through the end zone for a touchback.
--Ricky Williams gets around the left side for 7 yards and a first down to the 33-yard line.
--Bess makes an 11-yard catch on Clements.
--The Dolphins are moving down the field, and threatening to really take control of this game. They have a third-and-1 at the SF 45.
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--Zeigler with the fair catch at the 13-yard line. That's where the 49ers take over with 10:15 left in the quarter.
--Hill hits Johnson with an 18-yard reception.
--Bruce gets the handoff on a reverse, then he tries to throw it. It's incomplete to Johnson on a crossing route. There's a reason he catches passes and does not throw them.
--Third and 10 . . . Hill tires to get it to Jason Hill. It's going to be interference on defensive back Tyrone Culver. On the backside,
--Robinson with a 9-yard catch and a first down at the
--The 49ers are on the move. Aydele with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
--On the 12th play of the drive, Foster is close to the sticks on the right sideline.
--Vernon Davis is out of the game with something in his eye.
--
--It's third and 3 from the 5-yard line . . . Hill's pass to Foster is broken up. The 49ers will call on the field-goal unit after a 15-play drive.
--Nedney on for a 23-yard FG attempt. It's good. That makes it DOLPHINS 14, 49ERS 6. They are one TD and a two-point conversion from tying it. That was a 16-play, 82-yard drive that lasted 7:29. But they can't be settling for field goals after that much effort.
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--Toss to the left side to Ronnie Brown. Clements does a very good job of turning the play back inside. Still, the play goes for 8 yards.
--It's third and 2 . . . Strickland with a great job to stop Ginn short of the first down. The Niners will get the ball back. Let's see if Zeigler will return a punt.
--He returns it, but does not take it far, as he's tackled rudely by linebacker Charlie Anderson. Plus, there's a penalty on Jeff Ulbrich for holding. The 49ers will start this series at their own 21.
--Hill to Hill on a quick slant for 11 yards to the 32-yard line.
--Hill incomplete to
--Foster with a draw play on second down. He gets good yardage, and is close to a first down. It is a first down on a 10-yard run to the SF 42. And that's the end of the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
--How 'bout that? A handoff to Vernon Davis for 11 yards and a first down. Who knew
--Hill to Bruce down the field to the 26-yard line.
--Play set up nicely for
--Hill to Bruce to the 15-yard line for another first down. Hill had a lot of time to throw on that one - great pass protection.
--Empty backfield. Hill is sacked by Nathan Jones back to the 20-yard line. It's second and 15.
--Incomplete to Bruce. Here's another big third-down play.
--It's third and 15 . . . shovel pass to Robinson picks up 10 yards to the 10. They'll send on Nedney for a 28-yard field-goal attempt.
--It's good. That makes it DOLPHINS 14, 49ERS 9 with 9:21 remaining. That was another long, long drive. It went 13 plays, 69 yards in 6:44.
--Ginn nowhere to go on the return. He gets only 13 yards to the 17. That's where the Dolphins will take over with 9:16 remaining.
--Offensive pass interference on Brandon London vs. Walt Harris. The crowd here is non-too pleased. That'll move it back to the 9-yard line. It's first and 18.
--Incomplete. It's second and 18.
--Brown stopped after a 5-yard gain.
--Big play. It's third and long . . . Williams drops it. The 49ers will get the ball back, as long as Zeigler can handle the punt.
--Keith Lewis almost gets the blocked punt, but a flag is down. Is it running into the kicker or roughing? It's running into the kicker on Lewis. It's a 5-yard penalty, and the Dolphins will re-punt.
--Zeigler handles the punt and is tackled quickly. That penalty on the 49ers cost them 15 to 20 yards from where they would've had it before Lewis' penalty. Niners have the ball at their own 34.
INJURY UPDATE: Delanie Walker has a cramp and his return is probable.
--Incomplete, short completion to Foster. It's third and 8. Why have the 49ers abandoned the run?
--Hill to Bruce for a first down. Like clockwork.
--The 49ers have attempted 13 straight passes, including on a third-down incompletion to Davis, who didn't turn around for a hot-read pass.
--Lee punts into the end zone. Dolphins take over at the 20 with 5:29 left.
--Dolphins finally show their "Wildcat," and Brown gains 16 yards around the right side.
--Another first down on a 7-yard pass to tight end Anthony Fasono.
--Roman does not hold is outside containment on the right side. Brown gets to the edge for 18 yards to the SF 35.
--Niners have all three timeouts remaining. They might want to start using them. And they use No. 1 after Brown's 5-yard gain with 2:50 remaining.
--Lawson with a stop on third down for a 2-yard loss.
--And that tackle was HUGE. Fields' FG attempt from 49 yards was off the cross bar. It's no good - no good!
--Niners take over at the 39 with 2:36 remaining.
--Quick out to Johnson for 5 yards. Niners have now run the ball on 14 straight plays.
--Make it 14. Hill to Hill for 3 yards.
--It's third and 2 . . . Hill to Bruce. What did I say about clockwork?
--And that's the two-minute warning. The 49ers have the ball at the Dolphins' 42.
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--Johnson with an 8-yard catch.
--Michael Robinson, nice catch and holds onto it after a major hit.
--Hill spikes it. I don't like that play. It's more about downs than it is about time at this point.
--Some idiot ran onto the field just as the 49ers were snapping the ball.
--It's second and 10 at the 21 with 1:18 remaining. . . Hill incomplete after escaping the pass rush.
--Now, it's third and 10 . . . incomplete.
--And, now it's fourth and 10 . . . here's the game . . . empty backfield . . . Sims beaten for the sack on Hill by Porter. That's the ballgame.
--Why the 49ers spiked that ball is beyond me. There's 1:02 remaining in this game. They did not need to stop the clock when they did. Bad clock management.
Matt- A lot of talk this week about Vernon Davis blocking Porter, but Davis might be out as a receiver more today. How do you think the Niners will handle Porter? How do Foster and Robinson stack up as blockers against the pass rush?
You have any good hangover cures? If not, what's your favorite movie?
Matt - With Jason Hill's emergence the last few weeks, and Josh Morgan's potential, do you think Arnaz Battle is in trouble to make the roster next year? Or do you think it all depends on Bruce and Johnson's possible returns?
Matt,
Great having the opportunity to say Hello and thanks for helping me with my 49ers "fix" on a daily basis here in lonely and boring Las Vegas......lol
Looking back over your experience with the history of the 49ers and any other teams you may have covered previously; who does Mike Singletary remind you of in regards to his coaching style and leadership presence?
Thanks you again for your efforts and "Feliz Navidad"...from my family to yours,
Too bad about Green. He's one of our 3 pass rushers. (Haralson, Green, JSmith. Maybe someday Manny. TBC...yeah right.) Could have used him today for some rotating fresh legs. Hopefully Brooks can surprise us. Looking forward to checking out the new guys....Clayton & Brooks. Should be a good game. Let's GET IT ON! NINERS!!
I'm lookimg for another step forward today, win or lose. I feel bad for Gore. You know he had this game circled on the schedule.
I'm excited to see Brooks finally get his chance, although Green does a decent job for us on 3rd down...
27-17 Niners!
hello Matt
Have a Good Game
what are the chances of us doing another east coast robbery
and heading to the west with a W in the column
can the RBs step up or not
mikeeeeeeeeeee
Q: You have any good hangover cures? If not, what's your favorite movie?
My response: I have the best hangover cure in the world. I didn't leave my hotel room last night. And, yes, I watched a movie in my room: "Man on Wire." It's about the dude, and his associates, who string a wire atop the World Trade Center towers and spent 45 minutes up there walking back and forth and lying down. Great documentary. --Matt M.
I feel a little bit "ill" this morning myself. A little dehydrated. Anyway.. they may as well see what players like Brooks and Clayton have to offer, while live bullets are still flying. Here's to the Singletary Unstoppable Give No Quarter Drive to Breakeven!(tm)
Q: Matt - With Jason Hill's emergence the last few weeks, and Josh Morgan's potential, do you think Arnaz Battle is in trouble to make the roster next year? Or do you think it all depends on Bruce and Johnson's possible returns?
My response: I don't think so. Battle is valuable in a number of different areas. He's a very good slot receiver and he's also a standout on special teams. I see no reason why the club would not want him on the squad next season. --Matt M.
Q: Matt- A lot of talk this week about Vernon Davis blocking Porter, but Davis might be out as a receiver more today. How do you think the Niners will handle Porter? How do Foster and Robinson stack up as blockers against the pass rush?
My response: They'll definitely mix it up. When Porter is on Snyder's side, they'll undoubtedly have a back chip on him. Robinson is very good in blitz pickup. I'm not sure about Foster. If Staley can show he can handle him, they'll give less help on that side. Watch how many times Vernon Davis motions to that side to block Porter. That'll be one of the games inside the game. --Matt M.
Why is goldson inactive today? Thought he practiced all week...
Q: Why is goldson inactive today? Thought he practiced all week...
My response: He did practice all week, but the coaches obviously feel more comfortable with the other defensive backs, namely Keith Lewis, Donald Strickland, Tarell Brown and Marcus Hudson. --Matt M.
Matt,
I've heard that since Singletary has taken over he has the players holding player-only meetings... Do you know what these meetings consist of?
Matt,
Do players get a chance to go out during road trips? If so, I assume they have a curfew. I'm not saying Green went out and got drunk but I'm always curious when teams say a player was ill the day before the game if that simply means he got drunk and missed curfew so he's inactive.
Q: Why is goldson inactive today? Thought he practiced all week...
My response: I have more to add on the Goldson topic. He did practice, and he was medically cleared after his knee injury, but there is still concern that he's not ready to change direction and do the things needed. It's a lot like the Arnaz Battle situation. He was cleared, but there was a very real danger of re-injurying himself. --Matt M.
Q: Matt, Do players get a chance to go out during road trips? If so, I assume they have a curfew. I'm not saying Green went out and got drunk but I'm always curious when teams say a player was ill the day before the game if that simply means he got drunk and missed curfew so he's inactive.
My response: In 14 years of covering the 49ers, I have never, ever seen a player out on the town in a road city. It just does not happen. Players do not have much free time. They can go out for lunch, but that's about it. The team has meetings in the evening. This isn't like baseball, where players go out after games and can sleep until the early afternoon. Again, it just does not happen with football players. --Matt M.
Q: Matt, I've heard that since Singletary has taken over he has the players holding player-only meetings... Do you know what these meetings consist of?
My response: I don't have any specifics, but the general idea that Singletary has is that the players take "ownership" of the team. He wants this to become the "players' team." --Matt M.
That's interesting. And now we know you're a party animal.
In my younger days, I used to see pro basketball players and baseball players out on the town after games. I met Luis Gonzalez several times when he was with the Astros. He's a great guy. During that great home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, Mcgwire had a private party at a local club after a baseball game. I met Michael Jordan, Ahmad Rashad and Charles Barkley who were at the party. I never actually saw McGwire though.
Anyway, Go 9ers!
I've really only heard one story. In 2004, I learned -- long after the fact -- that a few players had a raging party at the team hotel in Tampa. The party featured entertainment and everything. Sort of shows what the team was like at that point. --Matt M.
I hate Mark Roman!!!!
the QB had so much time in the pocket..Roman thought the play in over
OMG!!!!! Barry Sims SUCKS!!!! That guy is stealing money. Surely theres a retired player or high schooler the 9ers could sign to take that guys roster spot.
Oh man they replayed that roman play again so ugly...
Hey, Roman... You break up passes that THE OTHER TEAM is about to make.
And does ANYONE on the planet actually enjoy watching the Fox Football Robot (FFR) doing crane kicks? Who came up with that crap? Someone gets paid for that?
catch the ball mr Davis..
Davis cannot catch anything. Suppose we move him to Tackle.
Vernon is what he is. I can't even get mad at him anymore. He's a good blocker, he's fast, and his hands are AWFUL. We know what we're gonna get at this point. IF anyone thinks the Niners need to lose to move up in the draft, he was a #6 pick, so who cares WHEN you pick? It's WHO'S doing to picking.
Is Davis officially a bust or what?
Mark Roman again! That's 14 points!!!
Whoooh .... Davis caught one!!!!!!!
Only 3 more gamed of having to watch Roman make zero positive impact. Next year either Goldson at Safety or a nice FA or draft pick. I guess Clements is even a possibility if the young corners develop. A stud R. tackle would be a nice idea also!!!
KNBR ruined their online broadcast :( :(
I don't understand why we didn't defer receiving the kick. Someone's gonna have to explain that one. My thinking is you always defer if you win the toss.
Hmm this is going to be a lot tougher to win if the dolphins are giving up those big plays. likewise, the offense needs to switch up their plan a bit, missing gore is really starting to show, especially when they are in that horrible field position.
I wasn't really convinced about getting rid of roman, because although he wasn't really performing up to his position by making picks and such, he wasn't giving up that many plays from what I saw. But this game is just bad. worse than clements in dallas, although in hindsight, maybe with roman's help, clements wouldn't have gotten beat to hell by TO. niners need to figure something out about free safety, roman has just been playing pathetic football.
That dropped pass by VD was a missed opportunity & chance for us to get in a rhythm.
We're still in this. Time of possession is on our side. Accountability: I would have to go away from Davis for a while or only give him the short stuff, screens.
Doing a good job vs the run. Those 2 big plays by THE LIABILITY Roman is what killed us.
Time to reset & make adjustments. Does Roman need the SS to help him over the top? Let's go boys, this is anyone's game. The physicality of the lines & getting to Pennington is still the key. Very good work by JSmith as usual.
Did we instruct PR Zeigler to fair catch everything no matter what?
To echo other comments here:
If Singletary has the cojones he claims to have, he cuts Roman and Sims immediately following the game.
Where can I watch this game online?
zeigler has not been in a position to be able to do anything with the punts. also he's only been punt returning in practice this week, I'd rather not have him do anything fancy, trying to force a play and coughing up the ball in a really bad spot. In the jets game, battle was getting criticized for trying to make a play with the punts when he should have just been fair catching. zeigler is doing fine with what the dolphins ahve been giving him.
one poss game, can't complain on the road against 8-5 team...field possition is very important in the 4th quarter, we had a terrible field possition all game long...come on def.
I listen on NFL.com field pass to these games, and the 49er broadcast always stops. This week I listened straight to KNBR and heard commercials during a complete drive. Now I switched to the Miami broadcast and it works better, not perfect but better. Is it KNBR or realplayer. KNBR probly uses Dell servers....
Hi, Does anybody know where I can WATCH this game online? Thanks.
Hi, Does anybody know where I can WATCH this game online? Thanks.
VD should spend some time with Coach Sullivan. He's has problems when using his hands to catch the ball. Feed him the short stuff, screens & he'll be alright. Less chance of success on the long balls. Just saw the block vs Porter. VD NO DOUBT is a STUD BLOCKER. Gotta give him his props here.
Missed the Bruce penalty before the half. We're doing great vs a GOOD TEAM. Miami has some solid players. Got to put more points on the board. Nice & steady Niners, let's go baby.
Watching online: streamtvnow.tv
It's not free.
A TD will win it. LET'S GO D!!!!
Our "most experienced" secondary does not mean most-playmaking secondary. Experienced usually either means "savvy veterans" or "old and in need of replacement". In Roman's case he may be the latter and playing himself out of a job.
haha Walt harris has really been stepping up these last few games, nice offenseive pass interference draw. wel still ahve a chance to win this, just need to get a stop and punch it in now!
come on defffffffffff
Bruce is so clutch these last few games. I'm really impressed with this savvy vet =)
can we ask the Def for one more stop???
Brown goes by Roman so easily and turn the corner..i dnt think Roman will be starting if Goldson was healthy
Brown goes by Roman so easily and turn the corner..i dnt think Roman will be starting if Goldson was healthy
Reaplcing Mark Roman might be our top priority. He has been horrific this year.
Brown goes by Roman so easily and turn the corner..i dn't think Roman will be starting if Goldson was healthy to start.
Brown goes by Roman so easily and turn the corner..i dn't think Roman will be starting if Goldson was healthy to start.
OMG a buffalo missed FG!!!!!!!!!!!
O man a buffalo style missed FG!!!!!!!
Barry Sims plays for you...then you dn't deserve to win
ok, sims gets beat badly on that last play, but martz must be the worst red-zone coordinator in the nfl
overall, the niners went back on the road and played well enough to beat a solid playoff contender....although a gut-wrenching loss, another solid game for singletary's resume IMO
We don't go for it on fourth and 2, we don't go for it on fourth and 5, but we go for it on fourth and ten. Nice coaching Mike Singletary! Superb job again!
I can't wait to see what excuse and who is to blame this week, since it is never coach singletary's conservative play calling that is the culprit of a niner's loss...
It is time to invest in a real football mind to run this organization. Are the niner fans ready for another 3 years of rebuilding?
A big thank you to the Yorks for destroying a legacy.
I'm actually ok with this game. I hate to lose but the 9ers are on the edge of being good.
BOTH safeties had bad games for the 9ers. Roman just isn't very good. Lewis had a bad game.
I will start pulling for Singletary if he cuts Barry Sims tomorrow. The guy is TERRIBLE!!!! He missed several blocks including the one that ended the game. What's worse is that he looks like he isn't even trying. Can Wragge play that spot if Snyder is out?
Reaplcing Mark Roman might be our top priority. He has been horrific this year.
Tough loss. Gotta give the Niners credit though. No Gore, Rossum, Snyder, etc. They played tough down to the end in their house.
We have good reason to look forward to next year. Good job Coach!
The play calling is ultimately singletary's responsibility. You blame Martz for bad redzone offense, how about blaming singletary for tying the hands of the offensive coordinator ? How about giving credit to players who drop the ball in the wide open flat, thank you vernon davis, another draft bust.
How about giving credit to the Yorks for destroying a legacy and leaving whomever they can get to fill such a voided team to take the heat for no vertical threats, no defensive threats, no pass protection, and overall, a semipro team wearing an nfl jersey.
Great effort guys. It's our missing pieces that cost us this game.
1) Free Safety - 1st coverage was obvious. The 2nd TD pass Roman helped on the outside receiver, WHY? All these years of experience & you still don't know HOW to play your position. You let the play develop......the free deep receiver which just so happened to be running directly at you is the one you TAKE. Unbelievable. This happens repeatedly with Roman. How this guy has a job is BEYOND ME. He sucks.
2) RT - Barry Sims. Mr Help Yourself To My QB. Every game, enough said.
3) LEGIT PASS RUSHER
4) LEGIT FAST EXPLOSIVE #1 WR
5) 1 other havoc explosive DT
And the rest. Future franchise QB to develop, CB, another playmaking explosive stud ILB next to Willis in a 3-4. Takeo could stop gap for another year. A change of pace home run capable FAST #2 RB would be great. We need more SPEED, EXPLOSIVENESS, & PLAYMAKERS on both sides of the ball.
Still solid game & kudos to Singletary & the players. We really missed Allan Rossum today. Foster played hard today in place of Gore & did a real good job.
The wasted play spike killed us. Nice brainfart, Martz. Once again. Good t osee some things never change. Plenty of time left and we completely waste a down. That was, once again, HORRIBLE game management. Just completely waste a down when we need them all so bad and we still have OVER a minute left!!! Are you kidding me??!! The more I know about Martz, the more I see that he is a terrible game manager when it counts. Also, way to not play Clayton, possibly one of our best unproven young guys and a guy who can be a threat with his speed and quickness. Good thing we get to witness all those dominating breakout runs by Foster, otherwise we might have to try a guy who actually has untapped talent!!! Sheesh. Gimme a break.
Coach is the Man for our future! They are a different team under "Samurai Mike."
Clearly we need another Offensive Tackle.
On the bad side, our loss today makes it six straight losing seasons. In the history of the 49ers we have never had such long term incompetence. While we should support Coach Singletary let's not forget to keep the fire lit under the Yorks. Nothing is guaranteed!
Barry Sims sucks, period...
we need a offensive tackle on the right side, badly, can not win without someone who can block...
Blame Singletary for what??
If anything he has improved our offense by controlling the wild Martz and letting the younger players get their chance to shine. Can't blame Singletary for Barry Sims whiffing on Porter on the last play.
If you can't see the big improvement in our team, you must be blind.
Hi Matt, Good game. The Dolphins play Parcells football, something we are familar with. Niners had the ball for 38:11 and couldn't close it out. Why didn't they go downfield more? They appear to be on the right track and a few pieces could put them over the top next year. The team is reflecting the high character of their coach. Was Martz a bit conservative?
The wind was a big factor. Passes were sailing quite a bit. I think that's why they didn't try down field much...
MattMerrit - Coach Sing made all the right calls on when to go for it on 4th down. This is not Madden dude. I have no problem with the 4th down calls. His team was in position to win the game and we came up short.
9er1 - Clayton is our best unproven 49er? He is so good that 31 other NFL teams don't think he is worth a spot on there 53 man roster. So of these teams are down to their 3 and 4th running backs. Say what you want about the 49ers front office, but when every team in the NFL doesn't think he belongs on a 53 mans roster - enough said. You are chasing ghosts!!!
I want to see clayton play, he was amaising in the preseason! I say it is time to let gore go, to definately let foster go, robinson has never been good. We need a real blocking full back.
How do you not blame Singletary? Did you watch the same game we all did? Even the commentators as bad as they were, pointed out how badly singletary is micromanaging the team. They put the stats up and showed where he has taken game management away from martz. We all knew coming into the seaon that Mike Martz airs it out, has high turn over percentages, but the days of smashing it down their throats ended in the early 90s.
Mike singletary has taken the deep game out of SF and teams are catching on. They put 8 and 9 in the box because there is no deep threat and there will be no deep threat pass calling while singletary has a head set on.
Don't get me wrong, I think Singletary is just the mouth the Niner's defense needed. Take his head coaching title away and name him the defensive coordinator. Otherwise, he is going to run off our only offensive talents in Hill and Davis
Looks like Darren is back...
Keep Coach Sing. Top two priorities this off-season are a right tackle and free safety. Its that simple to get this team over the hump. Barry Sims is depressing to watch. I also think Martz should have given him help on that last play.
Darren - Hiding behind a new name that was created today: Matt Merritt. Beat it loser.
Mike in SF,
Apparently, you have no concept of field position or talent. Field position first:
It is fourth and two on the 11 yard line, the score is 14 to 3. If you fail on fourth down, you have pinned the offense back, your defense has play superb run stop and been pressuring the QB.
Then, you have fourth and 5 on the 24. Your kick coverage has been terrible. You make the field goal, it is 9 to 14, and you can expect that your special teams will give the ball to the offense on about the 28 to 24 yard line. the diffence between 14 to 6 and 14 to 9 is nothing. With all of the that, you essentially have a free play on fourth down. There is no score in the win loss collumns. You have to play to win.
As for Clayton, he is a superb runner. He doesn't quit on plays like frank gore does. He does fall after the first hit because unlike gore, the kid still have heart. If you doubt that, check out the sports illustrated interview on gore where he himself admits to quitting on plays.
30 teams pass on tom brady who was drafted int eh 6th round, including the niners who picked up drunkenmiller instead. I trust their eye for talent. That is one thing that the NFL has nailed...how many first round busts do the niners have?
Ten teams passed on patric willis in the nfl draft. That was another superb decision.
Nice point you make. Watch some nfl games next time before you comment.
All in all, this was what matt Maicoco calls a 'GPS' game. A game that tells us where we are.
The goodnews is, we are playing better than under Nolan. The bad news is, we have talent deficits on our roster.
We indeed are what we thought we were.
Sims is not much better than Kwame at tackle. Snyder is probably a little more reliable but only incrementally. If we have a chance to upgrade there this off-season, we need to grab it.
Roman has obviously needed to be replaced for a year and a half. But Goldson and Keith lewis are more suited to playing strong safety behind Michael lewis, and Reggie Smith and Hudson are still very much unknown quantities. Again, if we have a chance to get Taylor Mays or otherwise address this weakness in the off-season (or get a CB and move Clements), we need to do it.
And we still need more pass rush oomph. We need a real stud fullback to help open the holes. We could still use a big body on the defensive line to hold the point and allow Franklin and Soap to play to their strengths and penetrate.
VD is also what he is. He brings some good things, and he makes some glaring errors. On a good team, you can work around it, but until we get stronger all around, it will cost us.
The good news again is, we did play much better than we would have thought possible a month ago. We didn't cough up the ball (Unfortunately, Miami is making a living by NEVER coughing it up).
In any event, I'm not happy with the outcome, but it doesn't take away my enthusiasm for next year and what we can achieve with some more talent.
I have no idea who daren is, but I would be willing to bet that I am the only season ticket holder of the three. Support your team next season, buy tickets
MattMerrit - You are taking Clayton over Gore? Good day sir. I'm done with you. I refuse to talk football with an idiot.
I have a whole bunch of thoughts. First about Mike in MD's comments about team needs. I think your analysis is spot on. If we could have a safety over the top we can count on, who also has enough speed to blitz every once in a while and get a sack, I think maybe we might be able to increase our sack and take-aways.
Moreover, we definately need more team speed, especially on offense. I think getting a scat-back RB in the 2nd/3rd round should be something we seriously consider.
About Hill, having had the chance to actually watch an entire game this week, I am not as impressed as I thought I would be. He is good and won't kill the 49ers, but I just don't feel comfortable with him when we have to rely on him to throw the ball (especially inside the 20). I think he is our best bet for 2009, but I don't think we should annoint him just yet.
I also think it is time to the VD experiment to end. He reminds me of JTO, for every good play he makes, he also has a drive killing drop or other penalty!
And MM, I couldn't agree more, what happened to the run game in the 4th qtr??? I thought for sure when we got the ball back with 7 minutes and change to go we would have started pounding the ball. The Miami HAD to have been tired, and we were able to get 4-6 yards fairly consistently before that. Can you ask the coaching staff what gives there??
You have no idea who Darren is yet you know he always asks for blackouts and for fans to not buy season tix next year? Darren - you just gave yourself away.
I would like to try VD at left tackle for a new formation and move Staley back to right tackle to replace the incompetence we have at right tackle position. What the heck, let see what the best blocking TE in football can do? He is good at blocking. although he would need to add on weight to actually play left tackle.. But he could the start of a new hybrid at left tackle, blocker and receiver when uncovered. Start Delanie Walker at tight end. I know no one wants to hear this but the Niners go strong left too often to protect Hill's backside and the right tackle is left uncovered. Sims sacks happen when he is left uncovered. Walker has real potential at TE. It becoming clear that despite VD incredible ability he is not a natural receiver whereas Walker is. the best solution is to draft a good left tackle and move Staley back to right tackle, That would improve the O Line.
Mark Roman single-handedly lost this game today. The first TD pass he gives up on... The second one looked like he covered the wrong guy, leaving the TE WIDE OPEN. He then breaks up a Nate Clements' INT... And lastly he whiffs on the RB in the backfield on their last drive giving them a 1st down.... Amazing!
I'm laughing at all the negativity. The team is playing much better under Singletary and much better overall in some key areas like turnovers. Yes, VD need some stick'um on his hands. Yes, the O-line needs more work. But when you look at how competitive we are now in every game you know that we're very close to reeling off a string of wins. I don't think there is any team now that actually looks forward to playing us (though there probably aren't any that fear us either).
If McNolan were still around we would have thrown in the towel at the half and/or been blown out in the 3rd quarter with no hope of making defensive stops and a comeback. I'd say that situation has been reversed.
The last impression I have is I think that the team has finally figured out how to use Aubrayo Franklin correctly. Asking him to be a man-mountain in the middle is clearly not his strength. Ever since Singletary was promoted, Franklin has been utilized differently and playing much better. It's sad that McNolan never could figure out how to use his players properly, but that is why we need need to keep Singletary. He clearly is figuring out how to use personnel properly and that is why we need to keep him around.
I'd love to see what Coach Singletary can do when he has a draft and a full training camp under his belt.
Barry Sims sucks, period...
we need a offensive tackle on the right side, badly, can not win without someone who can block...