Do you want to know why the 49ers lost today to the Vikings? They were abysmal on third downs. (And, yes, Brett Favre's game-winning TD fling came on a third down.)
Defensively, the 49ers allowed the Vikings to convert 50-percent of the time (10 of 20). And, offensively, the 49ers were a staggering 0-for-11 when faced with a third down. If they convert one of those third downs, they win the game.
After the 49ers took the lead, 24-20, with 8:12 remaining, the offense got the ball back twice and could not close the deal. Glen Coffee had five carries for minus-1 yard, and Shaun Hill had an 8-yard completion on a third-and-17, as the 49ers had two three-and-outs.
I spoke with 49ers center Eric Heitmann, an eight-year veteran, about that topic after the game:




Matt,
I understand why we ran on the first two plays of the Niners last drive (trying to run the clock out and make the Vikings take timeouts) But dont you think on 3rd and 6 with over a minute and a half left you at least try a high percentage pass or take a sack to keep the clock running? If you complete it and convert you win, if Hill cant find anyone, take a sack and punt... Or at least mix the running plays up.. maybe a sweep to the left or a screen to the right. But instead run it right at the vikings strength. the middle of their line... Senseless!
They lost because they were gutless on their last offensive series. Minn gave them the pass & they didn't take it, despite Hill's fine second half.
They lost thanks to a brain cramp. Play the prevent against a Hall of Famer QB, who showed all game that he still had the long ball.
They lost due to poor offensive & defensive calls.
They had this game & the coaches gave it away.
BTW, I called for them to activate Sheets bec they couldn't run up the middle. A few sweeps against those guys with the guts hanging out would have worked. A few flares would have opened the middle for the runs that never worked.
They lost because they kept running up the center even tho it never worked, yes, BUT they still had this game if they'd played smart.
Man! That Shaun Hill has thrown mud in all his doubters faces!! lol! GREAT JOB SHAUN!! When we need that score to get ahead you prove over and over again you're THEE MAN!!!
When th OL gets it together....PLAYOFF TIME!!
This QB is a joke. One good quarter a game is all he can do. I guess he's 1/4 of a quarterback, or a 1-16th back for those who can do the math...
Today is typical, six or seven passes on third down and not a single conversion. If it was 3rd and long, he threw short. If it was 3rd & short, he threw where the was no receiver. On and on and on.
He may fool gullible fans, but he doesn't fool NFL defenses. We beat the Cardinals on pure luck -- bad officiating and dropped INTs. We beat the Seahawks on Gore's great, record-setting game.
Today, we only had one miracle, and the Vikings matched it so we lost.
The coaching staff does not trust Shaun. Either he is our guy or he is not. He has shown he can get it done when it counts. 3rd and 6 you have to put the ball in his hands to make a play to win the game. We played not to lose on offense AND defense at the end. It cost us the game.
Oneniner and all other Hill bashers - if it makes you feel any better - With Alex in the game it's 31-6 Vikes. No question about it. Hill may not be the best QB in the league, or even the NFC, but he's the best QB on our roster who's NFL-ready. Davis is waiting in the wings, but Smith will be a 3rd string clipboard holder for us or someone else for the next 3 years until he is out of the league and forgotten.
GET OVER IT ALREADY.
This would have been a great win, but speaking as someone who, admittedly, never expected this much from this team, I'm finally excited about 49er football again. The fact that this team faced a top level opponent on their field, in their time zone, with refs who were truly terrible, and kicked them around and almost beat them without their best offensive player is a great tribute to how far they've come in a very short time. Mistakes were made (more than one or two), no question, but making mistakes this early in the season will make this team better. The Vikings will not want to see the 49ers again. Nor will many other teams who thought the Niners would be a soft game on their schedule.
I still think McCloughan has got to go.
Good thoughts Louie.
Matt, how many of those 3rd downs were 3rd and long? And how many of those third and longs were the direct result of two running plays against 8 in the box on 1st and 2nd downs? Rhetorical questions, of course.
Jimmy Raye or Singletary or whomever is calling the plays is trying to make this team one-dimensional. And they aren't even very good at that one dimension.
When the Niners pass the ball they move it and they score. There's just no arguing that.
There was no excuse for the gutlessness of this playcalling. Inexcuseable.
Mariuci-esque playcalling. Shades of the Niners/Bears game in 01 at Soldier where we were up 31-16 going into the 4th quarter and Mooch found a way to lose it for us by having Hearst run into a brick wall known as Ted Washington for about three 3-and-outs in a row in the 4th quarter while the bears are scoring TDs on the other end.
Let's hope Raye finds some balls real quick and gets his crap together or we could be looking at lots of closer-than-should-be heartbreakers.
Get it together Raye, find a pair of balls, or you will be joining Mooch at the NFL network.
This is a cruel reality check for Make Singletary and I hope he learns from it. Run Run Run and to hell with the consequences is going to kill this teams' chances of winning. With about two minutes left in the game, he had a chance to win the game with a FIRST DOWN. He ran up the gut three times for a three and out and gave the Vikings and Favre the ball back with way too much time on the clock. He counted on the D for a stop, which they damn near got had Favre not pulled that throw out of his ___. The Colts got dominated with 15 minutes time of possession against the Dolphins and won because of their QB. The 49ers played well enough to win this game but lost because Favre pulled his team out of a loss. The 49ers need to procure a quarterback to throw to Crabtree, Morgan and Davis. If that means they need to use their two first rounders next year to move up and grab Sam Bradford or somebody of that caliber then so be it. Though the Panthers' pick will probably be pretty high. I had visions of Dez Bryant and Taylor Mays dancing in my head, but this team needs a quarterback, and Singletary needs to take a long look in the mirror and rethink his philosophy.
Sure, Raye could have dialed up a pass to end the game, but it could have been a disaster as well behind our at-that-time makeshift OL. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
It came down to Mark Roman making a play and he failed. Heck, Bly had a chance to seal the game with an easy pick 6 on the previous series. Didn't happen. Oh well. End of story.
Looking forward to the next game. I almost feel sorry for the Lambs :-)
Louie, i am glad you are finally see the difference in this team. After watching everygame for the past 6 years, i have to tell you that this is a no nonesense team. Coach Mike S will hold everyone accountable including himself and the rest of the coaching team. Forget all the whinners and S.Hill haters, 49ers will go to the playoffs and with the next year draft we will become one of the best teams in the NFL.
Again Staley was out and Sims was matched up against Allen. I am sure that determined Raye's play calling. Staley was having a hard time with Allen, can you imagine Allen blowing by Sims to hit Hill? Raye did what he had to.
They came within two seconds of winning on the road against a talented team. Be happy Nolan wasn't coaching and the same old Niners of the last six years were not playing.
Now sign Crabtree. With him and two first round picks next year we can continue to improve and take the next step.
Matt , how many 3 and outs have the Niners had so far. Jimmy Raye doesn't seem to realize getting first downs helps with field position and oh, incidentally it gives your defense a breather once in awhile especially in the 4th quarter when he pulls the offense inside it's turtle shell. JIMMY RAYE, THE OFFENSE CAN CLOSE OUT THE GAME TOO JUST BY KEEPING POSSESSION OF THE BALL!!!!!!!
Tough loss, great effort, questionable play calling.
The offense needs to play to Win. Play action, bootleg, something.
Jason Hill needs to be playing, period. He is the only reciever who can help them on 3rd downs and stretch the field. Spurlock - hasn't shown anything. Battle sure can block but we don't need that from a slot receiver. Morgan, Bruce, Hill, Jones.
This loss can be a positive.
Between onewhiner's boy crush on Smith and similar whines re Jason Hill, it's getting harder to read this blog.
Responders are right, we can get excited about this team - just need to play to win.
One reason I rarely post on here here anymore... We could win a SB and they'd still find something to whine about. Pathetic.
Ancientniner and Randy, dont let the whinners who post here get under your skin! who cares, just igonre them and lets enjoy our 2009 team! This was a heart breaking lost but i am so excited, for the first time in a long time, I believe we can compete with any team, becuase the players are playing together as one. How about Mr. Vernon D. What a stud!!!
Randy, some of the whining is justified criticism after how many years of just plain lousy football. Some bad coaching decisions lost this game more so than poor play or the proverbial lack of talent. Just playing well is one of those moral victories Singletary and many fans don't care about anymore. The Niners could have left Minn. with a WIN against a good team if they had just tried to win the game and not lose it!
Did anyone hear DEION on NFL network. Irvin gave props to farve for an amazing last minute throw and Deion said yeah well lets not overlook the 49ers. Even with them going 0fer on 3rd downs in this game they showed they can hang with the toughest teams out there. He said if farve deserves props then we also need to give props to singletary, Davis, and the 49ers for how they played and have been playing because they are showing they are a team to be taken seriously.
Also they did the whole, "Hill to Crabtree....oh wait thats V Davis" twice again just like week one... LOL
Ummmm terry? We LOST thank you very much. So I would like to know what mud did Shaun throw in my face? The 3 and outs are KILLING us. I want Shaun to succeed as a fan. But as a pragmatist I want more than ONE succesful drive a game, before I'm in his camp. I said this before he was named QB1 and I will say it yet again. Shaun Hill is BACKUP not a Starter. He is the guy that you want to run your team when your Starter is down, because he does give you a chance to remain in the hunt. But if you want Winners, then you don't rely on the backup to carry the team. It's not now nor ever going to be successful. And please spare me the Tom Brady argument. Shaun isn't even in the same talent pool.
I think VD is great.It is hardly whining to want Jason Hill out there.Iwould like to see Sheets put a new wrinkle in our running game as well.The difference is that Hill is a proven commodity who was pivotal in our late-season wins.These guys are warriors and they played a great game.Go Niners.
Playin Devil's advocate here...
How many of you fans would be stark raving lunatic mad, if Smith were the QB and we lost?
Food for your proverbial thought.
We lost in the last few seconds a game that we should have won. It definitely shows we can play and I look forward to see where this team goes.
I can't believe some of these whiners. Enough of the negativity. What would you rather have Nowin in his suit looking good while we lose? Also, since when is asking why J. Hill is not playing whining?
Onewhiner, I have never seen anyone have such a crush on a player. S. Hill has shown that he can do what is asked of him. He is NOT the one calling the plays.
UCity, I agree with alot of what you said. But while Shaun is not calling the plays he has GOT to do a better job with the passing plays that he is given. He holds the ball too long, he throws into double coverage instead of to guys that have one man defending them. I'm glad that he's finally getting on the same page as Vernon, so maybe he'll get better. But I sincerely doubt it at this point.
Just imagine 1 more successful drive in the game and we are sitting in the cat birds seat at 3-0. I agree that play calling played a huge part in this game. But we're finished with 3 games and so far Hill hasn't shown more than that he's a custodial style of player. And that is what you and others completely misunderstand.
Great interview Matt.
I love Eric's response "...this is not a moral victory..."
The fact is we played them tough but didn't play to win. Played timmed, not to loose. Winners do not run 3 and out. Go for the 3rd and 6. Take the sack if you have to but Hill will protect the ball. He has proven that.
And UCity, this is not whinning this is pissed off fans for letting an important GPS game get away from us. WE HAD THEM... this loss hurts.
Next week, activate Sheets, move Spurlock or Rossum out and start lowering the Crabtree offer.
Good job V. Davis!
This team is moving in the right direction. In order to seal the deal and become a perennially dominant team I think we need to fill a few holes:
Need:
OLB- Manny Lawson is a great 1st/2nd down player, but we need an intimidating pass rusher on the outside.
RT- A dominant right tackle, at the very least some consistency from this position.
QB- Within the next 2 years we will need to draft/acquire a big-time QB. S. Hill is great for now while we instill a winning tradition as we need someone to hold down the fort until we find a special player out there.
Bonus:
Nose Tackle- A fat guy in the middle that can hold the line of scrimmage.
We're looking at filling 3 positions, all of which are high-pay positions in this league. If we can find at least one or two of these via the draft and the other from free-agency I think we can get to the next level.
Okay after this game I MUST EAT CROW.
I said on this board they would probably be 0-3 by now. By all rights, they SHOULD be 3-0. They lost today to a much more talented team WITHOUT their best offensive player-- and on the road no less.
I think there ARE reasons to be optimistic:
1. Singletary seems to be able to harness every bit of effort and potential out of the players on this roster. They beleive. No 49ers coach has done this since Bill Walsh and George Siefert.
2. I think Singletary will learn from the offensive strategy mistakes -- being too conservative in this game, and the defensive mistake of not defending the end zone on the last play.
3. The defense seems to be getting better each week, the last Favre pass notwithstanding. In fact 1one first down in the last few 49er possessions and this game is over.
4. Brandon Jones should return soon giving them a deep threat which they dont have now.
5. We are still unbeaten in the NFC West, and if they dont take the Rams lightly, they should be 3-0 after next Sunday.
6. I'm far from sold on Raye, but I beleive in coach Singletary. The man is a true leader. There is no quit in this team because of his leadership. He suffers no BS and he has major cred with the players.
Yes this loss stings like a kick in my balls, but at least they took Minnesota down to the last second, in their crib, and got beat by a Hall of Fame QB (that b@st@r# Favre)!
Now even if the 49ers dont make the playoffs, they are part of the conversation in the NFC West---they are NO LONGER IRRELEVANT.
Gentlemen, THAT'S PROGRESS!!!
Ceadderman, No QB on our team is in the Tom Brady caliber. Hate him or love him Shaun Hill is the best QB we have on our roster, period.
Nate may be great once he gets a chance but it is too soon for him.
Alex Smith is not the answer he holds the ball wayyyyyy longer than hill. He will stare at a reciever that is open and the gap will close and the ball is in his hands still. So he wont throw it. He is timid and afraid to let loose and lead a reciever to make the play. So he is nothing but a subpar QB maybe a #2 somewhere but not a #1 He lacks the mind to be a #1. Maybe if some great QB coach gets a hold of him he could change but he is not changed right now so right now he is less than hill is as far as a QB goes.
I am in no way "satisfied" with Hill as our QB but I am smart enough to realize he is the best we have for now so thus I support him, in spite of his weaknesses.
I am disappointed with this loss but it was not Hill that lost it. It was poor special teams kick coverage and a poor safety play and IMHO poor OC calls that cost us this game. If Alex had been in the game and it hypothetically played out exactly the way it did I would not be criticizing alex. I put the blame where it belongs. Unlike some on here I dont put blame where my biases lay.
So instead of saying I refuse to join the Hill camp why dont you open your eyes and see that Hill may not be a Brady or a montana, not even anywhere close to that caliber but he IS the best WE have for right now. So stop trying to put all the blame on Hill and join the camp.... Not the hill camp but the "49ers Camp".
Watching the final seconds of this game was as painful as getting kicked in the nads by a hot ex-girlfriend.
As much as I admire the coaching staff, I have to say the loss was their fault today. When something is working for you (i.e Vernon Davis) why forget about it? All that was needed was a 3rd down conversion to seal the deal. Why not take a quick shot over the middle to Davis on 3rd down? What about 3rd down conversion machine - Arnaz Battle - where was he? Then Farve had ages to throw the long ball at the end - why not blitz in this situation? This loss makes me sick because the 49ers absolutely should be 3-0 today!
The only positive of this game is that the players proved they will fight to the death - something I haven't seen from the 49ers in a long time. They better not consider this a "moral victory," however, because the Rams could be a trap game if they don't bring it 150% next week. You know the Rams will be hungry for a W and Spagnuolo will have his crew ready to go. The 49ers need to lick their wounds, remember and learn from the bitter taste, and then dismantle the Rams next week, or they will be in a heap of trouble.
If I see that X motion TB dive play again I think I'm going to puke. Jimmy Raye is apparently an intelligent man. His offense is simple minded to say the least. I've taken to calling him Slingblade Raye.
Heartbreaking loss. BUT>>> I'm starting to see what other's see in Singletary. The 9ers played their hearts out even though they were completely overmatched on offense. I'm still excited about this team.
COME ON!! SERIOUSLY?? SERIOUS?? Our team is for real guys...WTF do they got o prove to u crybaby B!€¥*es?? Don't get it twisted, I was just as pissed that we lost!! But IF we would have won...I'm sure some of you'd would still be complaining!! Give this team some credit man shit!! All week we heard on sports stations the game of the week...HOLYCRAP man..when was the last time u heard the Niners name involved in that title??? Coach said "keep your head up and shoulders out" I'm with you coach!!!
Sing says "I want winners."
But then, in the last two possessions, the play calling was that of a LOSER.
Coach Sing talks alot about the winning attitude, well, winners would go out and try and get that first down and end the game with the ball in their hands. Not run three routine runs right into the strongest run tackles in the game.
It's blatantly obvious the guy has zero confidence in Hill. If this team had a better OC I would feel very good about this season. Right now I think its going to be a squeak them out against the weak teams and not do so well against the better teams.
Oh yeah, eat your heart out Craptree. You're missing out on the expereince of a lifetime as the 49ers trasform back into a winning organization.
You might have made the difference on those 3rd downs but you're too much of a stupid, stubborn greedy biotch!
I wonder if they had math at your college, because you sure need to go back and take it if they did. You're going to lose out on BIG $$$ holding out this season!!!
DAMN RIGHT SINGLETARY! I was there today and I plan on being there again in late January because that was a possible NFC Championship Preview. You go on the road, shut down AP, knock Favre on his ass all day, Hill plays incredibly well inside the loudest stadium in the league outside of Kansas City, and oh by the way without your superstar Frank Gore. Sorry to disappoint oneniner, but these 49ers are one DAMN GOOD football team and even Viking fans were saying it leaving the stadium. Believe me, they DON'T want to see the 49ers again this year.
Percy Harvin SAVED the Vikings Ass today. The biggest thing we learned today is the 49ers have a BAD ASS Defense and a BAD ASS Head Coach. Singletary gets in the face of the offense after those first 3 series and they totally turn it around. Boy Wonder did a great job hiring this guy. I would like to thank Dr. John York for the on the field passes he gave us during the pregame. You can never accuse him of not being generous to the 49ers fans.
I was actually very impressed with the team today. They never let down a second and really should have won the game if not for a very lucky Farve pass. For those bashing Hill, I had the opposite impression of him today. They should trust him more to get the job done instead of fearing a mistake and running all the time. When the chips are down, he is actually surprisingly effective and doesn't typically make the big mistake. The only other thing I thought the offense was missing was screen plays. MATT CAN YOU ASK WHY THEY DON'T RUN MORE SCREENS? Seems like the perfect play for an over-aggressive defense that plays the run by stacking the line or blitzes every passing down. The niners need to get some screens going.
Hey Moses? Didn't you die before you got to the Promised Land!? Now I know why!! You didn't know the way because you didn't follow Shaun Hill!!
TOO BAD!!!
First wipe the mud off your face! Know! So who's the starter dude? Smith lolololol!!! Yea! Smith would have run to the right sidelines all game long and threw the ball out of bounds! No! It ain't Smith!
Davis?? Just not quite ready yet! But shows promise!
Hill's your man my boy! He's GREAT under pressure and makes the safe throws! And if you knew anything about the team and where it is, you'd KNOW that's exactly what this team needs right now! And so does MS!!
He brought the team down for what was the winning drive with no running back!! He can't control why Manusky went into the prevent defense that prevents you from winning!
So what do you want the 49ers to do! Kidnap one of the Mannings, or Brees? Be happy! We could have Brady Quinn!!
What about simply faking the run and have Hill bootleg to the wide side of the field??? If its open we have a 1st down. If not he falls down and the clock is still running. No harm no foul. Based on the fact every vike was in the box Hill probably would have ran for 20 yards. Simple call, but instead....right up the gut for nothin.
Hey, I've been listening for all those Vernon haters that said he was a bust and McCloughan was an idiot for drafting him. Don't seem to hear them much anymore, could be there are more young players on this team that will develop WHEN YOU USE THEM RIGHT. Anybody still doubt that Singletary knows football and players. Inspite of the mistakes and usual slow start for a 10:00 game, this is the best away game against a quality opponent in a long long time. Now please Niners, no let down against the Rams.
And why don't you go in the Raider's "camp!?" They have a lousy QB who people like you can feast on!
bet kurt warner wished he had listened to the fallen archangel and come to the niners
WOW SF 3-0
oh my bad, sure felt like 3-0
but the niners did have a little luck go their way with the block FG for TD at end of 1st half.....at the time i was thinking niners calling that timeout was was going to work against them.
niners are acting like a football TEAM. This attitude is coaching inspired....although i agree the play calling at the end was a bit muddy and again 3rd down conversions are horrendous.
Still all these kudos for hill are misleading.....
This is all about a total team effort and the run first play calling.
Gore out for a few weeks could be a GPS moment......hah
well back to germany i go
Didn't see the game as I'm not in the country right now. Shaun Hill is definately not the elite QB we need, but there is a lot to admire in the job he has done so far. As far as coaching goes, the team seems more competetive than it has in a long time. Now for the "but." BUT to win big (consistently and to be a contender) a team, must, must, MUST have a big and agressive passing game. Running games are stopped ALL the time in today's NFL. It's great to be able to run, but when you can't (and witness last year's Super Bowl and playoffs), the true contending teams PASS the ball to victory. If this point is not understood and addressed, the best we can hope for is a nice team and a significant improvement this year, but there will be NO movement towards being a possible contending team (which is what San Diego, New Orleans and maybe even the Jets!!! are now) and that's what I am looking for. Agree? I'm kinda now "worried" that some really bad teams will get first dibs on the elite QBs coming out next year. Look how well Sanchez is doing and even the Detroit rookie. They will only get better.
NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reported Gore out for at least two weeks with high ankle sprain. No offcial report from Niners.
The good news is we are in the NFL West. Bulger hurt, Hasselback hurt, and the Cards O line is worse than ours.
"Thought" games are for Raider fans and other losers! Sorry! But that's where you belong!
So go "think" and let the rest of us enjoy a good team! And a good starting QB, HILL!
I think the niners did a good job today also, however there are definitely things to look well upon and things to improve. good things, other than that 35 yd run by peterson (clements cheated too much to the line, gave up the edge), he was locked DOWN. the vikings really only had a couple breakout plays, chester taylor with the dump off that nearly broke willis' legs, but still got run down by willis, and the most glaringly on special teams. anyone notice who was streaking down and totally missing a tackle on harvin? If you guessed 18 spurlock, you'd be right. seriously if rossum wasn't dropping balls like crazy, I don't know that spurlock fits on this team, doesn't meet the execution criteria.
The injuries that are starting to pile up are a little worrisome, and when gore went down with the right ankle again I was reminded how shallow we are at RB, after coffee, our runners don't look too good on paper.
but to finish on a positive note... VERNON DAVIS OMGOMGOMG! Guy was HUNGRY! beyond the catches, he stuffed Allen on couple plays to boot. Putting that C on his jersey has really made him live up to his potential, and that's some pretty damn good coaching.
By the way! We're in the "cat birds seat" of the Western Division, dude of "thought!"
Well at least we're not the Redskins. They have the highest paid FA & they still couldn't beat Detroit! Seattle & St Louis both lost & Indy just bagged AZ. YES!!!
Great, excellent effort by our Defense. They played their heart & guts out. Much respect to our players. Great job on AP once again with what was it 85 yards?
Sing is still learning as a HC. The thing I've noticed is he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He will only get better. And with his run first philosophy I don't have a problem with it. We're just missing some horses on the OL namely at RT to be able to run "at will." We also need to mix up our plays better IMO. I thought the 1st play of the game calling for play action was a good call even though it failed this time. (I believe the play got blown up by some run blitzers who shot the inside gaps.) We have to be LESS PREDICTABLE. But I like Sing's thinking that we have to win the physical battle up front & be able to run the ball. It sets up our passing game. Like I said we just need to mix it up a little more.
I'm excited how Sing has the team playing. Hopefully we can sign Crabtree & he'll pan out to be a #1 WR & we get to cross off another need off the list & move on to the next holes to fill. Sing has everyone playing to their max..now imagine if we had more DOMINANT players/talent on this team at the key positions. This team doesn't have a lot of room for mistakes against the top teams. Like here vs Minnesota our guys all have to give maximum effort, 110%+ to have a chance to win. What a heartbreak loss with the W well in hand. It will be interesting to see how our guys bounce back after this. I like the report Matt gave on how Coach Sing handled the team in the locker room. Everyone especially the Coaches must learn from the mistakes in this loss. A “W” next week would be a great 1st step in burying & putting behind this loss for us & focusing on continually getting better & making steps towards establishing ourselves as officially a “good” team. NINERS!!!!
Just one final thought for all of you getting on people who are venting, frustrated or described as whining. The only thing that matters in the league is the final score, or wins and losses. Does not matter how you get there and you only get 16 shots per year. So when my team has a chance to go in and beat a good team on the road and get a win...guess what? It pisses me off to let it slip by. There are no moral victories!!! Who knows what could happen next week or tomorrow. When it comes to these guys we have all endured enough bad football for years, so you know what, we do have the right to expect more. The coach preaches how he wants commitment and perfection. He better have all the coaches look in the mirror. Lets hope these guys pummel the Rams next week. There are no easy wins in the NFL.
Within the next 2 years for a QB? That's too long if we have to DRAFT one. If we draft one vs a legit starter ready Free Agent it has to be next year. (I still like Chris Simms as a FA who I believe is just around the corner from making a real comeback as a starting QB..he's finally healthy & has LOW MILEAGE. Looked great as a starter before his serious spleen injury sidelined him for years.) A drafted QB is going to take until his 2nd year more than likely before he's ready to contribute.
It has to be one of, if not THE, top priority for us. If there's a top prospect out there that we feel strongly about then go get him. Having Nate on the backburner is added insurance that we'll be successful in finding our franchise QB. Heck throw Simms in the mix if we can deal for him. That would be our Rookie Draft pick, Davis, Simms, & Hill as the guy to beat. The more REAL TALENT here at the QB position to compete for the starting job the better IMO.
90 seconds to go in the game, touchdown needed to win, 80 yards to go, and they do it? Where was the defense on that last series? Did they change to the Prevent Defense? Why was it so easy to move down the field? Why doesn't an offense employ that series every down if they can score so easy? I just don't get it! Of course it wouldn't have been necessary if we had an offense. Sean can't scramble? I guess he's a place holder until a real quarterback comes along. At least we'll have some talent and an offensive line while the new qb is being coached up. The Rams are coming. Please, 49ers, don't pull a Cal Bears.................
Hi Matt, Here in India they've stopped broadcasting NFL games so your running commentary for 49er fans around the world is the next best thing. Niners went toe to toe and had the Vikes on their heels. Their winning touchdown reminded me of the "catch". Sheets will open up the offense. There's been lots of Raye bashing but watch as the season progresses and he becomes accustomed to the weapons he has, you'll see fireworks.
when asked about the play calling in the last offensive drive of the game..."I totally support everything he did," Singletary said. "I don't analyze it.
He better analyze it because if he doesn't learn from this game and let his quarterback play, we're going to be losing a lot more. Sing doesn't want to rely on Hill, he says it every time he has the chance. He better get over it and start trusting his guy.
So the more real talent at the quarterback position will be measured by the timing and execution of – 1) taking snap from center, 2) turning left (or to mix it up and keep the defense guessing, turning right) with ball in hand towards running back, 3) ensuring the ball is squarely into the arms of running back for a net gain of three yards and the inevitable punt.
I appreciate Hill's "aw shucks" bass fisherman positive attitude towards the game, but gents he's really just keeping the seat warm for Nate Davis, who showed glimpses of creativity and improvisation with the offense during the preseason.
I can't wait anymore.
Here's a KNBR Waddya Give me for: The San Francisco 49ers Defense and the San Francisco Giant Rotation. Pairing either an efficient/consistent offense would complete a dangerous team.
The key difference between the two is that I think the Niners can achieve a marked improvement in a fairly short time. With Gore on the shelf Jimmy Raye is going to need to rely a little less on the running game and get Hill into a rythym earlier in games. That should help when Gore returns.
I feel bad for the Rams . . . NOT!
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Bonus Waddya Give me for:
Niner three & outs and Giant FPOM's (First Pitch Outs Made). Both have been maddening and predictable.
> but these 49ers are one DAMN GOOD football team and even Viking fans were saying it leaving the stadium. Believe me, they DON'T want to see the 49ers again this year.
That's an interesting piece of information. I like it. :)
I guess we want to play with 3 HB and 1 FB. With Gore out that means activating Sheets. Whom will we cut to make room for Sheets?
SEA, ARI and STL lost as well. That's good. Hopefully CAR looses tonight as well.
For those that do not get the games because you are in an area they don't show them.... You can go download tvuplayer at http://www.tvunetworks.com/ and watch the Fox broadcast games on channel "77763 FOX"
I think the fox games are all the NFC vs NFC and NFC as the Visitor so you would miss the following games. TEN @ SF and JAC @ SF & CHI @ SF (on NFLN Thurs game) and ARI vs SF on ESPN monday night game 75% of the games aint bad!
The downside? The stream is delayed 15 seconds or so behind actual game play.
Since I live in Redskins territory I end up having to watch the games on there or go to a bar with the NFL package.
I have found other streams that are live but wont necessarily reveal them since some are of the "without express written consent" variety.
But they are definitely out there.
I may post a link to where to watch the JAX game on game day about 15 min before game. But I will be traveling to Orlando during the week of the TEN game
Raptor at 7:14pm:
Word.
He better analyze it because if he doesn't learn from this game and let his quarterback play, we're going to be losing a lot more. Sing doesn't want to rely on Hill, he says it every time he has the chance. He better get over it and start trusting his guy.
Yes I agree. This part bothers me. Good teams have to be able to pass in crucial situations.
dude tvu is also of the "without express written consent" variety. stop posting this crap.. some of us can finally watch the games out of market but if u put this shit up every week eventually the channel will be taken down. it happened a few years back with the same channel on the same p2p network. use yer head otherwise yer throwing the rest of us who already know about this under the bus.
Randy in Santa Rosa touched on it briefly, but not enough focus has been put on this: MARK ROMAN CANNOT MAKE A PLAY ON A BALL IN THE AIR. One has to wonder -- how long will it take for Manusky to understand Mark Roman has no clue what that spinning brown thing in the air is, and he reacts to a thrown ball like he's dizzy half the time.
Roman had two chances on the final play: 1) the get the cement out of his shoes and move to the ball the way the Vike's receiver (who was behind him) did; or 2) ride the receiver out of bounds so both feet couldn't touch down in the endzone. Roman did neither.
Earth to Manusky: Can we PLEASE just give up on the idea that Mark Roman is a center fielder who can make a play on anything airborn? For criminysakes, keep the man on the sidelines and play Smith, Hudson -- anyone but Roman.
Sorry I did not know TVU was not allowed. I wont post it again.
Cheers Brekkon! I can keep a secret.
I completely and utterly agree with ghearst49er! That was scared and pathetic play calling. They did the same in the game with AZ and got away with it. Except that when you have Favre on the other side the game is never over. I can not stand the talk about how we played them well and almost won the game. That is all BS! We had the game won and gave it away because of scared and super conservative play calling when it counted the most. PERIOD! I am furious today.
I'll add one more thing! Run blitz is not a new thing but AZ showed everyone that it could be very effective against this team. Seattle for some reason decided not to follow that path but Minnesota did and they were successful. Until we figure out how to counter the run blitz we will continue to have negative yards on 1st/2nd downs.
OK--here goes!
Louie: Except for your last statement, you posted an excellent reply. Why blame McCloughan? He has roped in a lot of good players for us since he came.
Mike in MD: You made several exceptional posts that really revealed a good analytical mind. Keep up the exquisite thinking.
Raptor: Also an A+ in positive thinking and rational analysis.
Brekkon: You have a good point in stating that S. Hill is not the best QB out there, but he's the best one that we've GOT right now--at least until NATE is ready. It's too early to throw him to the lions and ruin him (the way that Alex was trashed).
In general, I liked the overall quality and tone of the replies to this MM blog. There was a lot of dp;of THOUGHT put into the various comments. Keep it coming, folks! Throw in some good stuff along with the negative stuff!
I'm a football amateur--but I'm NOT an NFL infant--but what I feel after having watched the heartbreaking game prompts me to the following sound-bytes (EXCLUDING 0-11 third down conversions): (1) SUPERB defensive TEAM effort flocking to the ball and better tackling; (2) KUDOS execution (except one drop, I think) by Vernon Davis; (3) Great blocking of the Viking's kick by RAY and runback by ? Clements; (4) Good cool demeanor by QB Hill in a very tough game. I'm sure there were a lot more pluses, but off the top of my memory, I can't think of any more obvious ones right now.
What I found most disheartening was the LUDICROUS insistent running up the middle when there were 8 men in the box, esp. when Gore was out of the game and a poor rookie had to keep running into a WALL of musclemen. I cannot forgive that, and especially in the waning hours of the game when the outcome of the game was at stake. We had victory in our grasp--and we lost it by driving against a brick wall repeatedly!
With an unknown prognosis for Gore's condition in this week's practice vs the Rams, I think we HAVE TO activate Sheets from the PS and give him some reps along with Coffee while Gore rests his injured ankle--and let Spurlock GO! Then we need to get MORE reps to our receivers (Bruce, Morgan, Battle, and J.Hill, as well as working Brandon Jones back in)--Spurlock is not as good as Hill, and we don't need to keep him for the silly TASER nonsense that's not working.
When our running game is unhealthy or unproductive and the opponent repeatedly stacks up 8 men against our RB, we simply need more PASSING plays, traps, screens, or whatever--and not just keep doing the same thing over and over (that isn't working). How are we going to win games if we keep killing our RB's? Maybe a few bootlegs? But if we don't PRACTICE more passes BEFORE the game, we won't be in a rhythm with the receivers.
Also, why wasn't Delaney used more? He's a terrific athlete! I saw the tongue-thrashing that he got from Coach when he stopped running and the ball was PICKED. I think Delaney is a terrific player--and he can learn from his mistake. And why wasn't BATTLE not used in some of those THIRD-down conversions? That's his specialty!
Gee, I didn't know I had that much to say! Who says women don't know anything about football? Especially a 75-year old!!!
Niner Mom