The 49ers' pass rush and secondary were the main reasons the 49ers left
The interesting thing is that the 49ers were able to get consistent pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner without blitzing. The team's four-man rush was more than enough - along with solid play from everybody in the secondary - to keep the Cardinals' expected-to-be-high-powered offense in check.
UPDATE: The 49ers blitzed DID NOT blitz 35 36 of the 45 times Warner dropped back to pass. (Warner twice stopped the clock with spikes. The 49ers used a 3-man rush once, a 4-man rush 35 times, a 5-man rush six times, and a 6-man rush three times.)
Meanwhile, the offense did not blow it. They committed one turnover in the game when unblocked safety Antrel Rolle forced a fumble of Shaun Hill as he was getting ready to throw. The 49ers caught a break on the play, which was originally ruled an incomplete pass.
If the play had been ruled correctly from the beginning, Bertrand Berry might have scored a touchdown on a fumble return. (
* * *
Here's the player-by-player review from the 49ers' season-opening 20-16 victory over the Cardinals:
Quarterbacks
7-Nate
11-Alex Smith: Did not play.
13-Shaun Hill: Some readers criticized me for giving Hill a "B" grade. (This year, because of a formatting issue I've been told there can be no pluses or minuses.) After re-watching the game, I think that's still about right. Hill was never really allowed to get in a rhythm because of the play-calling until the fourth-quarter drive that produced the game-winning TD. Oh, sure, he was not ultra-sharp, but Hill did enough to win this game. The only poor decision he made was a deep pass on that drive into triple coverage, but the pass was not picked off. No harm, no foul. His 50-yard pass to Isaac Bruce, along with his decision to rush the 49ers to the line of scrimmage for the next run play to Frank Gore, provided the 49ers with their first score of the game.
Running backs
21-Frank Gore: The guy did not have a lot of room to run, but he still managed to score a rushing TD and a receiving TD. Gore has to pay attention to ball security. On the TD drive, he coughed it up. The officials didn't seem to make a ruling whether it was a fumble or not, but replays showed he was not yet down. If that fumble had not been recovered by the 49ers, it might have meant a loss. Earlier on the that drive, he put a nice hit on blitzing safety Matt Ware to give Hill time for a 13-yard completion.
24-Michael Robinson: Played nine snaps as a fullback, but never touched the ball. Robinson gives the 49ers a lot of versatility, but all he did was perform as a lead-blocker. Credited with two tackles on special teams.
29-Glen Coffee: Saw three snaps on offense. He lost 3 yards on his one rushing attempt. But his next two plays were impressive, as he picked up blitzing Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson both times. He also made a special-teams tackle.
44-Moran Norris: Starting fullback played 24 snaps. He missed a block for a Gore 2-yard loss on the first series of the game. His best play was when he recovered Gore's fumble to preserve the final drive. He had one carry, in a back-up situation, and gained 2 yards.
Wide receivers
18-Micheal Spurlock: He was the first receiver off the sideline in a three-WR set. He played 10 snaps but did not have a pass thrown his way. He was a gunner on punt coverage. He was not credited with any tackles, but he did a nice job of boxing in return man Rolle on the final punt return of the game.
81-Brandon Jones: Inactive. He fractured right shoulder blade on Aug. 6.
83-Arnaz
84-Josh Morgan: He has replaced Bruce this season as the receiver who remains on the field even during run situations. He showed his blocking on a short pass to
88-Isaac Bruce: He played 40 snaps and made some big plays in the game. He turned around McFadden with a nice out-and-up move for a 50-yard reception to set up the 49ers' first touchdown. He also caught two third-down passes to keep the TD drive alive in the fourth quarter.
89-Jason Hill: Inactive, coaches' decision.
Tight ends
46-Delanie
85-Vernon
Offensive line
59-Cody Wallace: Inactive, coaches' decision.
62-Chilo Rachal: It was not a great game for the second-year player - or the interior of the offensive line, for that matter. DT Darnell Dockett worked him over on one play that resulted in Coffee's 3-yard loss. He later got the better of Dockett on Gore's TD run.
64-David Baas: He missed most of training cam with a foot injury, and it showed. He was partly responsible for one sack when Dockett got past him to create pressure, and he whiffed on DE Calais Campbell on a late-game run play that almost resulted in Gore being tackled in the end zone.
65-Barry Sims: Only action he saw was on special teams.
66-Eric Heitmann: He had an OK game, but certainly not at the level he would hope to achieve. NT Bryan Robinson beat him one-on-one on one play that resulted in Gore getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage early in the second half. His best play was the blocking call he made in anticipation of a blitz. The 49ers' line executed the call, and Hill hit a wide-open Gore for the winning points.
68-Adam Snyder: It was a extremely difficult game for Snyder, who was at least partially responsible for three of the sacks allowed. He also did not fare well in the run game. His performance opens the door for the 49ers to consider their options.
69-Tony Wragge: Only action he saw was on special teams.
74-Joe Staley: He had the best game of all the 49ers' offensive linemen. Obviously, he did not have a fantastic game, but there wasn't anything noticeably his fault on the plays that went awry.
77-Tony Pashos: Newly signed vet did not play, but coach Mike Singletary said he will be worked into the mix a little at right tackle this week.
Defensive line
90-Isaac Sopoaga: He got off to a strong start with a QB pressure on the first Kurt Warner incompletion of the game. Then, he batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on the next pass attempt. He was credited with one tackle in the game. He leaves the field when the 49ers went with their pass-rush package.
91-Ray McDonald: It was a very encouraging game for McDonald, who looked tentative in the exhibition season after coming off reconstructive surgery on his right knee in the offseason. He recorded one sack and was around the action quite a bit when he entered to rush the passer from a DT position.
92-Aubrayo
93-Demetric Evans: Saw limited action on defense and special teams.
94-Justin Smith: He was all over the place, getting tremendous pressure on Warner throughout the game. But he did not get his first sack until the last play of the game when he prevented a desperation pass by tossing Warner to the ground and forcing a fumble in the process.
95-Ricky Jean-Francois: Inactive, coaches' decision.
96-Kentwan Balmer: Saw limited action on defense, recording one tackle. He also played on special teams.
Linebacker
51-Takeo Spikes: It was a quiet game for Spikes, as he is among the first to leave the field when the opposition brings in extra receivers. He was not credited with a tackle.
52-Patrick Willis: He was credited with 13 tackles and made a great play in coverage when he made an interception of a pass intended for WR Jerheme Urban. Willis gave up some yards to RB Tim Hightower on underneath passes, but he tracked down Hightower to keep him inbounds late in the game to keep the clock running after a 9-yard completion.
53-Jeff Ulbrich: Saw action on special teams.
54-Marques Harris: Saw limited action on defense and special teams, with one tackle in both phases.
55-Ahmad Brooks: Inactive, underwent arthroscopic on left knee Aug. 31 to remove a bone fragment.
56-Scott McKillop: Saw action on special teams, and recorded a tackle.
98-Parys Haralson: He was fantastic. Haralson had one sack, but he helped change the game with his pass rush against Cardinals RT Levi Brown. He had a sack, four quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss. And if that wasn't enough, he also added a tackle on special teams.
99-Manny Lawson: This game had to be a huge relief for the 49ers, who saw few glimpses of Lawson's pass rush ability in the exhibition season. Lawson did a good job throughout, and administered a hit on Warner that led directly to the errant throw that Nate Clements intercepted in the first half. Broke through the line of a PAT and nearly blocked it.
Defensive backs
22-Nate Clements: He was outstanding in run support, coming up from his corner spot, but it was his work on Larry Fitzgerald that was among the keys to the game. It's funny, however, that when Clements was covering Urban, he allowed a 40-yard pass. Clements also surrendered a touchdown to Fitzgerald when Warner bought four seconds to find him in the end zone for a 5-yard scoring pass. But that was all Fitzgerald got when Clements was on him. Clements even had a first-half interception and broke up two passes.
23-Marcus
25-Tarell Brown: He saw some action as the 49ers' fourth cornerback, with two tackles and a pass defensed on a deep ball to Urban.
26-Mark Roman: He saw a decent amount of playing time in dime situations and came up with three tackles, including a hard hit on Urban to stop him for a 5-yard reception.
28-Curtis
30-Reggie Smith: Inactive, coaches' decision.
31-Dre' Bly: He played a lot as the team's No. 3 cornerback, and he came through with an exceptional game. He broke up three passes, including one play in which he jarred the ball loose from Fitzgerald. Bly also made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage in the run game.
32-Michael Lewis: He made four tackles and showed no hesitancy to throw his body into the mix. One time, he found himself chasing Fitzgerald across the field in coverage on a play that resulted in an 18-yard gain.
36-Shawntae Spencer: It was a strong showing for Spencer in his return to action, as he was solid in coverage. Other than a 13-yard pass to Urban in the fourth quarter, Spencer pitched a shutout.
38-Dashon Goldson: He had three tackles, including a play on the first series when he flew up to make a tackle of Hightower after just a 2-yard gain. Goldson was OK in coverage, too.
Special teams
4-Andy Lee: When the 49ers needed it most, Lee supplied a couple booming punts. Punting from the back of his end zone, Lee uncorked a 64-yarder with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the game. (However, the Cardinals returned it 27 yards). But inside a minute, Lee had a 54-yarder (net 49) that pretty much assured the 49ers of a victory.
6-Joe Nedney: He made both of his field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder. He also did a good job on kickoffs. Nedney made a blunder that went unnoticed when he walked at least 3 yards onto the field while a live fumble came rolling out of bounds along the 49ers' sideline on the final play of the game.
20-Allen Rossum: He averaged 7.5 yards on four punt returns, and had kick returns of 21 and 19 yards. He also made a tackle on special teams.
86-Brian
* * *
Practice squad
T Alex Boone: A project, the rookie from
LB Diyral Briggs: He initially made the 53-man roster with a strong final-exhibition-game showing against the Chargers, but was demoted to make room for Pashos.
WR Dobson Colins: The rookie from Gardner-Webb mimics the opponent's top receiver in practice.
TE Joe Jon Finley: Won the practice-squad job over draft pick Bear Pascoe.
FB Brit Miller: The converted linebacker showed enough promise to stick around.
OL Drew Radovich: Among the Vikings' final cuts, he was added to the 49ers' practice squad Sept. 9.
RB Kory Sheets: Explosive runner was among the final cuts.
WR Dominique Zeigler: Unable to practice due to an ankle sprain, but the 49ers like him so much they don't want him to go anywhere else.
* * *
Unsigned
WR Michael Crabtree: The No. 10 overall draft pick has yet to agree to contract terms with the 49ers.
Injured reserve
CB Walt Harris: Sustained torn ACL in right knee during organized team activities on May 19. Harris, 35, is not under contract to the 49ers next season, but he said he plans to rehab and play again.
RB Thomas Clayton: He sustained a torn ACL in right knee in the 49ers' exhibition opener Aug. 14 against the Broncos.
* * *
Wow, great work Matt. The fans appreciate the hard work you're putting in. I can't believe Nedney walked onto the field. If that would've cost us the game SF would've been calling for his head!
On second review, did the offensive line really look as bad a Singletary suggested? When I watched the game I didn't think it was the O-Line as much as it was the Cardinals run blitzing the holes.
...OMG...Are you serious.....(ok..take a deep breath)
"Hill was never really allowed to get in a rhythm because of the play-calling - WHAT?
This is the first time in my life i have read a PROFESSIONAL QB was not allowed to get into rhythm because of play calling...its one thing to blame the oppossing defense for lack of offensive rhythm....
...WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
- You are blaming the OC for those poorly thrown passes - you could even read Coach Sing lips on the tv screen "Why didn't you throw the ball higher"
even Sanchez(A rookie who only played one season in college passed the ball better than Hill)
..cmon dude - its the first game - lets stay objective here....
"The only poor decision he made was a deep pass on that drive into triple coverage," - WRONG, WRONG, WRONG
...there were multiple of passes he threw in double / triple converage
..None his long passes were on target expect the one to Bruce...
Okay you gave Hill's play a B......A QB with a B grade does not need a defense to play as well as it did on sunday......
A B grade means Hill took advantage of at least 80% of the opportunities available to the offense...
WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS NOT TRUE.
He had one good solid drive and you give him a B....this is laughable...
If Hill's grade is a B what would Drew Brees grade be AA++....cmon dude..
Hill is cool, he played well to win......but if he plays like that against seattle we WILL LOSE - that is a FACT.....
In week 1, there were 15 teams scored higher than 20 points, 3 teams scored 20 points, and the rest scored less. Out of the teams that scored 20 or higher, 6 teams lost, which meant they were in situations that required them to take more risks to score more.
So maybe the 49ers' offense wasn't too bad from the production standpoint, even though they did look pretty out of sync.
Gosh, I guess there are still some Alex Smith fans out there.
Oneniner, why not go over to blogger.com and start off an anti-49ers blog, cause I sure as heck don't need to read your ranting negativity on Hill. Hill didn't play great, but given the lackluster performance of the OL in the running game, Hill deserves a lot of credit for getting us a win. Winning in the NFL seems to be something Hill excells at, and I want the 49ers to win. I'm not after having a sexy offense that puts up a lot of points, but misses the playoffs. New Orelans can have that niche. I want to play smashmouth football, just like Coach Singeltary does. Shaun Hill has proven to be a winning QB in that style of football, and that's the style we're going to be playing so long as Singeltary is here, so I think you should do your best to enjoy Hill and the team's success, and lay off the bitching about one of our best players.
..."Goldson was OK in coverage, too."
What is goin on here?
OK?....we are talking about playing against K.Warner.....with two of the best WR's in the league...
How many times last year did our FS gave up long passes to any QB talk less of k.Warner...?
The longest pass by K.Warner was 40 yards...
Most receptions (12) by a RB....
...what that tells me is there was a FS up there preventing those long passes.....so OK is not the right word for my FS.....he played an EXECELLENT GAME.
...who said anything about Hill...
...I am only complaining about MM assesement of the game....
Hard to really judge because neither team played well on offense. But overall I agree with your analysis. Nice work!
SeaHawks will be a better judge of how we are really doing, but a win is a win and a win on the road is always tough! The thing about Coach is now I expect them to play hard. What an improvement over Nolan.
Wow...what game did you watch?
What would you give Hill then? I think Matt's dead on accurate. We're a running team that was unable to run, and he still managed to put up enough points to get the job done. It's like a pitcher winning without his best stuff: It's to be commended and appreciated. I agree he threw into coverage too much, but that may be a reflection of how open his receivers were (not very). Also, Hill could've been purposefully throwing to spots where only his guy could make a play on the ball. The key is that he did not throw picks. Like Matt said, "no harm no foul." I'd give Hill a B+. I don't think we would have won the game with Smith or Davis behind center.
I see that Kentwan Balmer "saw limited action." And Crabtree is too in love with himself to play at all. That is two years worth of first picks contributing zip. Methinks McLachlan's eval system needs work before next April.
Matt,
I've been a supporter of Adam Snyder as a viable NFL OT so I'm disappointed to read about his performance (only saw the end of the game down here in SoCal so I couldn't judge for myself). It also sounds like Rachel had a poor game, a recipe for disaster since comprise the whole right side of our OL.Both are good athletes so there is hope that this can be turned around. But there MUST be some help from the play-calling! Even Woody Hayes would call an occasional pass to keep the D honest.
"the 49ers were able to get consistent pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner without blitzing."
"The 49ers blitzed 35 of the 45 times Warner dropped back to pass"
?????????????
Great breakdown Mm, thanks for the hard work. On e the offense clicks, the Niners have some real potential
...oneniner...you're an idiot. Go be a Cowboys fan.
Matt,
I have a couple of Crabtree questions that I wonder if you could check with your sources on. Last evening I agreed that if Crabtree left the Bay Area it may very well be to celebrate his birthday with family. However, I note that Texas Tech plays at Texas this Saturday and obviously one of the bigger moments in college football last year was his game winning catch. Is Crabtree in Texas? Is he planning on being on the sideline or at the game on Saturday? If so, I think that is significant, particulary given the apparent belief that the 49ers are subtracting at least $218,000 (pro rata signing bonus and minimum salary) for each game he misses.
...not one of MM best work...
"The 49ers blitzed 35 of the 45 times Warner dropped back to pass"...
...yea i read that tooo...
35 blitzes ...???
I will give Hill a C - He did nothing but bored the hell out of my mind....
B will require the seagrlz to be scared of us next week....do you think the seagrlz are scared?.....NO
nflguy: I did not watch the game over again yet,but are you sure that you are defining the word Blitz properly? (maybe I am not ?)
I saw quite a few times that they got to Warner with a "line Stunt". That is NOT a blitz. When all the D linemen rush the QB ,that is NOT a blitz. In my definition,a Blitz is when a cornerback or safety or a LBer ,leave their area of responsibility and instead of doing their normal job,they join in with the D line and rush the QB.
I would be very happy if Manusky was bliting THAT much (35 out of 45) but just off the top of my head,without checking my video,I would doubt that they actually"Blitzed" THAT much.
I am not argueing with you,just asking.
Hey Mr. Know it all? I'd take Hill in a heart beat because of the way the OL is playing. The OL provided lousy pass protection! Hill stays to the last second and then does what he needs to do to get the ball off to a receiver! He's also calm in at crisis time! Like when he got the team up to the line of scrimage quickly when it was on a roll before the Cards could get to the line of scrimage like Matt stated!
It sure was a lot better than watching Alex run to the right side of the field toward out of bounds and throwing the ball out of bounds every other play!
Hate to get on my soapbox again but Clements is given total blame for Fitzgerald's TD when it looked to me like ol no.26 (Roman) was late in giving Nate some help. Fitzgerald definitely came into Roman's area or zone to make that catch. 26 is definitely the weak link in the defensive backfield. There's a reason he couldn't catch on with any other team.
I was quoting MM.
You know what I loved about the game and was pleasantly surprised about?
First: I expected to see our OL and running backs come out and continue the strong running and holes opened that I thought was our strength. But what I saw was a struggling line, incapable of opening holes and running backs (mostly Gore) going nowhere. But the OL and backs were able to get it done, especially from inside the 5 yard line when needed, even with a TD pass to a wide open Gore. Real surprise.
Second: I thought that Shaun Hill would be like a mouse running from a cat when going back to pass. What I saw was a calm Hill going back and even though his protection broke down often, he stayed focused and let many good passes go to the right receivers. Especially his long pass to Bruce which went about (50 yards) to the right guy who was wide open, realizing Hill has the arm to throw deep, unlike what many say! He also didn't constantly run to the right sideline like the Smith and throw the ball out of bounds.
Third: Instead of a DL with absolutely no pass rush at all I saw a DL that shut down the running game (admittedly weak), but surprise, put plenty of pressure on Warner. They pressured him so much that he looked like a beaten 60 year old man at games end. And everybody in the NFL knows the Cards passing is their strength.
Fourth: I expected to see wide open receivers. Instead I saw DB's blanket very good receivers, including Fitzgerald who is considered by many to be the best in the business. I saw tremendous LB play and hard hitting kind of DB's almost like the old 49er days!
Surprise! Surprise!
Thanks for the article Matt! Good read Mr. TV star. Saw you on the 49ers postgame show yesterday, way to go! With Hill's grade I would like to know if you would put a minus next to your B if you could(formatting issue?)? If so I can see that, maybe. I'm thinking a C+. Lots of inaccurate passes. Even on some short screens. There was at least one play where I screamed "who the -delete expletive- is he throwing to?" Also remember telling my wife that our quarterback sucks. He won the game so he gets some points for that, but overall he struggled.
The statement below was inaccurate, Matt M...
***The only poor decision he made was a deep pass on that drive into triple coverage, but the pass was not picked off. No harm, no foul.***
You forget or overlook Hill's 7th and 13th pass on that drive? Both very dangerous ones that Dansby could have intercepted, but if not, was in tight and nasty coverage by multiples. Hill was not ultra-sharp. you say? Wow, that's an enormous understatement if ever there was one.
Sorry,I see your point now that I see the quotation marks .
----------------------------------------
"The interesting thing is that the 49ers were able to get consistent pressure on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner without blitzing. The team's four-man rush was more than enough - along with solid play from everybody in the secondary - to keep the Cardinals' expected-to-be-high-powered offense in check. The 49ers blitzed 35 of the 45 times Warner dropped back to pass (he spiked the ball twice to kill the clock)."
-----------------------------------------
Care to elaborate Matt ? Sounds like you are contradicting yourself?
Having said that,I want to thank you for all the time and hard work that went into your report above !!! I always appreciate your blog and rely on it to be informed,but this is above and beyond,what detail !!!
Matt, I give your grading an A
What happened to Snyder? I could have sworn I read he was having a monster training camp.
Look, Hill ain't pretty, but he does enough to win, or not to lose. Whatever. Oneniner you need therapy. If Smith was the QB they would have lost. Smith sucks under pressure and the pressure on the qb was pretty intense. As for Davis, who the heck knows?
But you're right on one thing, oneniner. I doubt the seahawks are scared of us -- or at least our offense. Anyone who saw how poorly we handled the run blitzes will be amping up to serve us a healthy platter of same.
I hope Raye has a productive week.
Hill was obviously rattled and hurried by the pass rush in his face all day. It threw off his timing and he was unloading the ball a split second too soon on many plays because of the constant pressure.He had a very good day considering. He settled down and showed his great leadership. The whole offense is a work in progress,a new offensive system and an OC that is still learning what his players do best .Since they never played together in preseason for even 1 play,they were naturally rusty and out of synch.
The defense was great and the offense will continue to get better(it usually takes a while with a new system ,especially when their starting QB didn't get enough practice with his starters because of the coddling of a former #1 pick. And as I said,the starting offense NEVER even had one play together in the entire preseason,not even one ! It will get better. Good thing we have that winner Hill leading the way !
...Oh and let's remember that his QB rating was almost 90 again,his average (better than most starting QB's this weekend )!!! 8-3 now as a starter ! And I guess now that his broken finger on his throwing hand is finally healed,he now has no problem throwing those 50 yard bombs (if he gets the time) !!!
I am much more concerned if Jimmy Raye will hit his stride than I am if Hill will play great football. I just hope hill stays healthy ,at least until Davis is ready to take over. imho,IF Smith was playing,we would have been beaten by 21 points.
I have a question for all the Hill negative commenters? What QB on the 49ers right now could have stood back there to pass when 80% of the time there was no pocket?
Nate Davis? Not yet but maybe in the not to distant future!
Alex Smith? NO WAY! He would have run to the right sideline and threw the ball out of bounds 75-80% of the time! He does that everytime anybody even looks like their coming toward him from the defense! The one shot they showed of Smith on the sideline with his helment on, you could see he was praying Hill didn't get hurt!
I agree with MM giving Hill a B! The guys got guts! He did what he needed to do with zero running game! He did what was needed with NO PASS PROTECTION! He did what he needed to do to WIN THE GAME!
All this even with the poor play calling!
Question: Care to elaborate Matt ? Sounds like you are contradicting yourself.
My response: I corrected the typo with a little more information on the number of blitzes and non-blitzes. --Matt M.
I am much more concerned if Jimmy Raye will hit his stride than I am if Hill will play great football.
That sir, summarizes by sentiments quite accurately.
Hey Matt, later in the week it would be good to get an update on Pashos. Do you think he'll help?
Hi Matt,
You were among the reporters talking up Snyder throughout the pre-season. Supposedly Snyder was on track to have a monster season. We heard all sort of garbage about how all Snyder needed was to be left alone at one position and he would blossom into an All-pro. Then we saw him on the field in game one and he looked putrid. Absolutely horrid.
Seems to me that you and the other beat writers unwittingly became tools of the 49ers management. I believe all the praise heaped on Snyder was simply to deflect attention from the fact that no upgrade was done on an O-Line which led the league in giving up sacks last year.
The fact that Pashos fell in our lap at the last minute because of Jacksonville's financial problems may ultimately save the situation, but it still does not excuse McCloughan. If Jacksonville had not released Pashos we would be in the same position as last year having to choose between Sims and Snyder. hard to say who is worse.
Comeon Sing, bench Snyder now. Let's see what Pashos can do. The man started 16 games for jacksonville last year and Maurice Jones Drew / Fred Taylor had pretty good year running the ball.
Snyder had a rough game, but not to the extent that some are making it out to be.
come on Matt. you were the one who wrote that the niners will go 6-10, a few days before the cardinals game. a lot of the "faithful" actually felt the doom before we even played a down. that blog read like a obituary.
Come on guys, have a little more faith and self assurance in your own judgement, instead of listening to "experts".
Matt: care to revise your prediction?
I am still going with my 10-6. Fundamental football without the F! (fumbles).
you can't make that judgement on Snyder after one game. maybe after two or three different games. Cardinals are pretty good up front. might be a totally different story for the seahawks game.
the thing to worry for Coach Sing is for the team to feel too good about themselves and not take Seattle seriously.
As an FYI.....The Giants signed Bear Pascoe to their PS today.....
Couple of problems with Hill in this game:
1) He has a tendency *not* to look off the safety, and instead stare his primary receiver down the field. He's very lucky he didn't have at least a couple of picks during the game. The Niners' shiny new QB coach should kick Hill's butt on something that's typically an inexperienced rookie mistake.
2) Supposely Hill has the freedom to call audibles at the line. I was surprised he didn't call more short drop, play-action passes when the Cardinals were crowding the line with 8 or 9 players. Does he lack confidence in his arm or his receivers?
3) As noted elsewhere, he was inaccurate on too many of his passes, even on several where he had time.
I'd have graded him a C (giving him some credit for luck).
Matt, I have a question about Hill's fumble. You say it was ruled correctly following the review, but I didn't hear a whistle, so why weren't the Cards given a TD? Of course, I'm glad it worked out in the Niners' favor, but I'm just curious whether I'm missing something. It's a different game if they get 7 instead of 3.
Wasn't the fumble initially ruled an incomplete, stopping the play? I believe so, but my memory is a little hazy on that, I must confess.
If a whistle was blown because it was ruled incomplete, then I understand, but I didn't hear a whistle or see an official signaling incomplete. Of course the camera wasn't showing the whole field and crowd noise could cover the sound of a whistle on TV.
Two observations from Matt's article & posts,
1. Yes the O-line had alot of problems run blocking & some pass protection but it was the 1st game in a hostile stadium. The O-line WILL get better no question about that.
2. oneniner needs to get LAID!
Matt I think you graded well.
I heemed and hawed about the grade for hill.
The way I think I come to the conclusion that B is correct is this.
Was he at least an average (C) QB Sunday? Yes
If he appeared to be a C with all those blitzes thrown at him and with the lack of blocking the OL showed, then he deserves extra credit for not doing below a C rating with those odds staring him in the face. He held his composure and maintained the game.
In addition to that he deserves extra credit for mounting a comeback game winning drive purely accomplished from passes 13 of 15 plays.
An average QB would not have been able to mount that drive.
SO his extra credit gains him the B. Good Call.
Hey F49er, I agree with you but more with the 2nd part of your post.
2. oneniner needs to get LAID!
Yeah but by another Dood that really dislikes Oneniner!!
Make that 3 or 4 guys...
Matt,
Pleast stop posting all these pictures. It makes it way too obvious that I'm screwing around at work. Plain text pleast! =P Thanks!
-MISF1
Things are looking good this year. I see only 4 highly probable losses on the 49er schedule (@Indy, @Philly, @Green Bay, @Seattle). Let's say the Niners win one of those and lose one of the games that I don't see as highly probable to lose. We could be looking at 12-4 or 11-5.
Then, we have 2 first round draft picks next year (one being very high)... Things are good again in 9er land!
MM, how does A.Brooks work into the defensive scheme? Who comes out for him, or is he strictly a back up?
.....there are just some people that are complete tools.....
....i wont mention any names.......
but how can you rip Hill. the guy had a 89 passer rating, lead the game winning touchdown and threw zero interceptions all while being blitzed heavy all day!! what more do you want from the guy. please tell me what he did so wrong that he sucks. ALSO he shld have thrown TWO TDs but we forget to mention that there should have been interference on a pass morgan would have caught in the endzone. now we can only speculate but i agree we lose this game with smith. he gets too rattled and holds the ball way to long. The reason this team had trouble moving the ball was play calling straght and simple. Snyder had a very ruff game yes i agree and i was really rooting for the guy but lets give him one more chance. with that heavy of a rush i would love to seen a few more screens and a couple more draws. as well as more no huddle or pass heavy drives to give gore some room to run(like on the game winning drive). Hope thats a lesson learned for next week. I agree with MM Hill gets a B(+) and Raye gets a D- (cuz we did win the game)
Hill gets a B+ for channeling Joe Montana in the fourth quarter. He wasn't able to audible much because of the extreme crowd noise. He deserves criticism for throwing into triple coverage a couple of times. He really needs to work on being able to go to his second option in those situations. But the guy is a winner. 8-3 with this team? All-world! All we need is a West Coast offense with a lot of short passes, which would open up the run very nicely, and set up a few long completions.
As for oneniner getting laid, I suspect a financial transaction is his ony hope.
superbowl6, I think you made a good point. Production is points on the board and by that measure the Niner offense got pretty good production. Of course, it is a more than a little worrysome that the coaching staff tells us we are a running team and we have a terrible time running the ball. Sing says he can fix it as the season goes on, and us fans hope his is right. If we can score points and win games while he fixes it, I won't mind.
Let's give Snyder a break. He's coming back from injury. Hopefully the guys in the middle OL can get it together, tho it's the coach's responsibility to punish 8 in the box.
You guys shouldn't get on oneniner because his man crush on Alex is so strong. He just needs to get rid of the tear stained pillowcase with Smith's picture on it, move on and maybe get one with Hill's picture on it. Hope the new Mrs. Smith isn't the jealous type.
I don't think anybody would mind seeing Smith start IF, IF, IF he could prove he can play better consistantly in games than Hill. Both guys are classy enough people to root for, so in this particular case it is just about WINS.
Gents - We are going to find out real fast what Crabtree's plans are. Checkmate:
From MM's twitter:
"Jed York said he has offered to hold a face-to-face meeting w/ Michael Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker. He has not heard back from them."
Question: how does A.Brooks work into the defensive scheme? Who comes out for him, or is he strictly a back up?
My response: It might come down to Marques Harris and Ahmad Brooks, as far as suiting up on game days. Lawson and Haralson both played very well Sunday. I don't see Brooks having a role, other than to enter when somebody gets tired or is nicked. Neither Haralson nor Lawson is not going to come off the field. --Matt M.
Question: have a question about Hill's fumble. You say it was ruled correctly following the review, but I didn't hear a whistle, so why weren't the Cards given a TD?
My response: I did see the field judge nearest the 49ers' sideline motioning incomplete pass. That's the way it was ruled on the field. When it was overturned, they need video evidence to determine which team recovered. They got that. But that's as far as it can go. They can't go ahead and give the recovering team a touchdown because I'm sure there were 49ers players who did not pursue Berry because of the ruling on the field. It does not matters whether the whistle actually is blown or not, the ball goes back to the point at which it was recovered. --Matt M.
Question: come on Matt. you were the one who wrote that the niners will go 6-10. Matt: care to revise your prediction?
My response: It wasn't really a prediction as much as an observation. And, frankly, I think if the 49ers play every game like they did in the opener, they might have a difficult time breaking .500. It's going to put way too much strain on the defense. This team still has a long way to go. But just for the record, here is what I wrote: "My kneejerk reaction is that this is a 6-10 team. At least, that's how the first unit looked to me when I watched the first three exhibition games. This club does not have a lot of margin for error." http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers/2009/09/have-49ers-improved-enough-to-become-winners.html --Matt M.
Comment: You were among the reporters talking up Snyder throughout the pre-season. Supposedly Snyder was on track to have a monster season.Seems to me that you and the other beat writers unwittingly became tools of the 49ers management.
My response: The reason I wrote that Snyder was doing well during training camp is because he WAS doing well in training camp. He was outstanding in the opener against Denver. Then, he hurt his knee against the Raiders, and didn't play the following week. He played a fair amount against the Chargers in the exhibition finale. I'm certainly not making excuses for him or Baas, but both of those men missed time with injuries. I certainly never predicted Snyder would have a "monster" year. I only reported in the present tense, that he was doing very well. (And he was.) Just the same, I'm not predicting that he will or will not rebound and play well this season. But there is little doubt the door is open for Pashos to work his way into the frame. --Matt M.
Matt, great breakdown. I pretty much agree with your assessment. I'm even more excited to see the next game. There were bright spots but there was also poor play and inconsistency. To me, this is where coaches make their money. Let's see how much the 9ers improve from Game 1 to Game2.
What did you think about the coaching? I thought Manusky did a good job preparing his guys. Raye's play calling was poor in my opinion. I am willing to give him a few weeks to shake the rust off but he must get better if the 9ers play to win the division.
MM - Any idea when Jed asked Parker/Crabtree for the face to face? Was it recently?
I don't think Raye is rusty, but I do think he deserves a few more weeks to become comfortable with what he can expect from his players in game situations. And also, perhaps, to feel comfortable with how far he can go in departing from the run run run rhetoric that even Sing has begun to back away from.
Matt, re your 6-10 "observation," I love the 9ers but I think you are pretty much on the money. I look at the schedule and figure with a little luck, 7-9. We just aren't a real playoff team yet--unless we manage to sweep the division. The Seattle match-up is huge.
Matt? During halftime of the Packers and Bears game Bob Costas asked the NFL Commissioner about the blackout of games coming. Costas said that there could be as many as 9 games blacked out this weekend. The Commissioner said all games were shown the first week but this coming week the blackouts will start.
QUESTION: How do the 49ers look so far for blackouts of their games? And the game this weekend?
oneniner is a welcher-he lost the bet to me and is supposed to be absent for the year from this blog.
Great work Matt Maiocco, you know, i enjoy reading your work far more than all the other writers. Very articulate and to the point. No b.s and you write what we want to hear about. Thanks for putting in the work and earning your money sir! Im in a journalism class and i get a lot of good input from you. thanks again
Flores, Gabriel III
USMC
Isn't Diryal Briggs still on the team? Just missed out on the 8th practice squader?
Thanks for the analysis of the players, Matt! Is there one forthcoming about the play calling?
No complaints about the D, of course, but I agree with others that when there are 8 or 9 in the box, you gotta have something more than running between tackles in your repertoire - even with the best O line in the world.
Question: Any idea when Jed asked Parker/Crabtree for the face to face? Was it recently?
My response: Yes, I do believe it was recently. But I also believe York gave Parker/Crabtree enough time to get back to him in a timely fashion. When a period of time passed without hearing from the Crabtree camp, I think York then let it be known he made the offer of a face-to-face meeting. Tomorrow is when the 49ers start installing for Seattle. If he's not at the Wednesday practice, there is no way he's suiting up for Week 2, either. --Matt M.
Question: Isn't Diryal Briggs still on the team? Just missed out on the 8th practice squader?
My response: No, he's not on the team. But he is on the practice squad. Did I fail to include him? If I did, I'll make that correction right now. Thank you. --Matt M.
Yeah, you missed him in the the PS. No worries! Thanks for the breakdown and for consistently doing an awesome job keeping me up to date on my 49ers!
-Scott
Thanks, Matt. Very nice finish to what has been a very satisfying team victory.
Matt wrote..."My kneejerk reaction is that this is a 6-10 team. At least, that's how the first unit looked to me when I watched the first three exhibition games".
------------------------------------------
But Matt,the first team offense NEVER even played together for one play during the preseason,so how did you judge them,when you NEVER saw them play together ? The answer is that you could not have possibly judged them,at least not fairly.
We need to wait for at least the first month of the season to see how the new offense is coming together .
Wow...reading a lot of these blogs, you'd have thought we lost the game! Singletary said it was ugly...and it was. The OL didn't play well...in part due to the din inside that dome, also in part due to 'Zona's blitzes. They all know they'll need to step up against Seattle. Raye kept the offense pretty simple...had the OL made some adjustments his game plan would arguably have worked much better. As it was, we scored enough pts to win...and, at the end of the day, isn't that what matters most? The defense was terrific...and kept us in the game 'til the offense got its act together. That's what it takes to win. It was the first game...some high spots, some low ones. But, we're 1-0 and that's more than good enough for me.
I watched the game again and saw Sopoaga make three unassisted tackles as well as knock down a pass. He and Franklin were stellar against the run and held the Cards to only 40 rushing yards on one first down. How come the official stats give Soap one tackle?
How about using a little lower case p or m for plus or minus? That's a tough grading scale having only 5 choices...
There seems to be some different views on how Hill proformed on Sunday. Two factors seem to stand out in grading Hill:
What did Hill do with the opportunities given to him?
Secondly, when the team had to lean on him, how did he handle the pressure?
With the first question, Hill did ok. This is where most of the C/C- comments are coming from. With the second question, the long drive late in the game stands out. Hill did well enough to earn at least a B for that drive. I think a lot of the B grades are looking almost exclusively at this drive. Most of Hill's production (minus the 50-yard bomb to Bruce) happened on this drive. The reason some are only looking at this drive in grading Hill is that the team had to lean on Hill at this point in the game, and Hill responded. Some fans (including myself) are excited to see a 49er QB lead a drive the length of the field and score in a crucial part of the game.
Grades:
Hill's game: C
Hill's game winning drive: B
When called upon to to win the game, Hill responded very well.
Maybe next Sunday he won't wait until a drive late in the game to look good.
I would have to agree. I think Hill's grade is a 'B'
If we lost that game, which was very possible, I would still give him a B. Hill was asked to preform in a certain role. He did and that is what he is graded on. Remember the play calling is coming from the sidelines so if he is only asked to pass in passing situations than that is what we have to deal with.
Game winning drive or not, there were some fundamental things he needed to do better. But when push came to shove, and he was asked to put a drive together he did. I am a Hill fan and want to see him succeed. I think he did a good job managing the game but there were some passes he missed and some misreads. This was the first game and he should learn and improve every week.
With all of that said, if Hill hit those short passes and was actually allowed to pass on some third down situations he would have gotten an A.