Funny thing, against the Chargers the Raiders did what the Niners tried to do against Arizona. Here's what I mean. The 49ers want to be a run first team and they wanted to incorporate passing into that.
They didn't do it so well in Arizona and that makes you wonder if they ever can do it. But the Raiders did that Monday night -- ran the ball and set up some nice passes by J. Russell. It's like the Raiders were a better version of the Niners.
Except the Niners won and the Raiders lost. I have to keep reminding myself of that because it feels like the Niners lost and Raiders won, and I know that's crazy.
Note: One Zohn reader called me an "opinionist." I love that word. Is an opinionist the same as a columnist?
Hi Lowell
If the offense doen't make a lot of turnovers, defense wins games in the NFL.
Four or five games into the season will be the test for team character. One thing for sure: the Niners have the better QB...
Even though the run was ineffective, it still contributed to the win. AZ stacked the box leaving opportunities in the pass game. They probably should have utilized them sooner, but that mentality is what gave Hill the room to opperate in the 4th.
Expect Pashos to replace Snyder soon. Also expect a quicker response to run blitzes. There's being stubborn and being stupid and Singletary and Raye aren't stupid.
Also, expect Russell to keep missing his receivers by ten yards. As long as the Raiders run they'll probably do okay, but after this season it's time to reopen the quarterback question.