49ers vs. Cardinals Recap: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
by Dylan DeSimone on Dec 12, 2011 6:00 AM PST
in 49ers Season-In-Review
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The San Francisco 49ers (10-3) were served their third loss of the 2011 season in arguably their worst overall performance this year. Against the Cardinals in Arizona, the 49ers did not play like the playoff team they
are. Between the peculiar play calling, inability to execute and the luck just not being there for SF, the Niners lost a close one.
Even though it was a heinous display, there was some good to take from it. In this piece, I'd like to separate the good, the bad and the ugly from the match-up by bringing to light some things I took from the game.
The Good
1. It's hard to argue that rookie first round choice Aldon Smith hasn't made an impact for this team already. Yesterday he became not only the first double-digit sack artist in San Francisco since 2002 (Andre Carter), but he's the team's youngest player and in his first year learning a new position. His solo achievement was a bright spot on an otherwise dark day for 49ers fans.
2. Even though the 49er offense couldn't move the ball, special teams was very much in the field position game. Ted Ginn Jr. had a big punt return that went for 52-yards and put San Francisco inside the Cardinals 5-yard line - however, the offense couldn't punch the ball in. Andy Lee, Blake Castanzo and C.J. Spillman also continued to be elite special teamers.
3. What the 49ers have been able to do all season is win the turnover battle and it has been responsible for tight wins in close games. 49ers players continue to step up and make plays and this past week it was Dashon Goldson and Tarrel Brown who made some noise. Aldon Smith was also able to force a fumble on a scrambling John Skelton that was recovered by the 49ers.
4. Congratulations to Frank Gore for once again being a 1,000-yard rusher. The tailback has been an essential piece to this offense and continues to be a marquee player for San Francisco. He's been thriving in this new offense for the majority of the season and the team usually wins when he gets his touches.
The Bad
1. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; I am not okay with Alex Smith throwing 37 times and Frank Gore running 10 times. That's not exactly the play-calling formula that has been winning games for the 49ers. I understand that they are trying to rest Gore for the post-season and that Smith was able to beat the Giants with #21 sidelined but I foresaw him being a bigger part of the offensive gameplan against a division rival. Gore finished the day averaging 7.2 yards per carry that included a 37-yard rip for a touchdown; San Francisco's only one of the day.
2. The 49ers did not execute, and this applies to both the offense and the defense. The defense still had its regular agenda but it didn't seem to have the same ferocity without Patrick Willis in there controlling the tempo. The Cardinals made some plays that might not have been if Willis was healthy and starting. 21 points were let up by a defense that just got exploited by a single dominant receiver. The execution on both sides of the ball seemed clumsy and half-hearted at times. It wasn't pretty.
3. Early on in the game, the 49ers seemed to want to come out and be aggressive and take the reins of the game quick. I believed they were on track to do that before the fake field goal-Whisenhunt challenge situation hinted at a lopsided day for the 49ers. The morale and energy of a team during the game is very important, and that potential TD could've been a game changer - seeing as how the 49ers offense struggled mightily.
The Ugly
1. It starts with protection, plain and simple. Alex Smith rarely looked safe but I can see how that can happen when your offense plays as one-dimensional as the Niners did Sunday. Smith was sacked 5 times and the pressure was coming from all over. And on the plays where the offensive line really needed to buy their quarterback some time, they didn't. But the 49ers might've been able to overcome the offensive line woes if they could've fixed the next two things.
2. I think what really lost the game for the 49ers was the inability to score in the red zone. Whether or not special teams provided them with good field position, if the Niners were in the red zone, they weren't going to score a touchdown. They settled for 3 David Akers field goals instead of 3 possible touchdowns. Early on, it should have been 24-7 instead of 12-7, with the game out of reach enough for the 49ers to play a field position-ball control game after that. This is also linked to the issues with execution and protection.
3. Larry Fitzgerald broke the back of the 49ers with 7 catches for 149 yards and a score - a pretty monstrous day for a wide receiver. The Niners couldn't control Fitzgerald and that hurt the defense big time because they were vulnerable and Arizona knew it. The defense proved it was still able to stop the run but didn't produce sacks and allowed Fitzgerald to make remarkable plays.
San Francisco has to look at this game film and then move on. There is a brighter overall outlook, and I would much rather be a 49er fan than a Cardinal fan this season.
Follow me on Twitter: @DeSimone80
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The corners looked a little slower yesterday
It might have something to do with playing through nagging injuries. I remember one catch Fitz had that Rogers was about a split second from intercepting it, thinking if his knee wasn’t recently banged up, he might have.
That said, the D still managed *three* turnovers
To think we had +3 in turnovers and still could not get it done? That is simple unacceptable by any measure.
by ColoradoNiner on Dec 12, 2011 7:08 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Alex
When given the time looks like an Elite quarterback but when pressured in the box looks like a scared school girl. There needs to be beter blocking and plays called to punish teams who blitz up the middle. We need to get better in the redzone otherwise were just another team in a weak division who earned a spot in the playoffs without going forward. New Orleans and Greenbay will kill us if we dont find a way to make these adjustments. Alex has inproved greatly…with all the presure never threw an interception! barvo…peace out Niner Nation…..
by 49ersfan4life on Dec 12, 2011 6:43 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Interestingly, we haven't been able to execute a decent screen in years...
by ColoradoNiner on Dec 12, 2011 9:00 AM PST up reply actions
Saw one to Kendall Hunter
yesterday early on and it went for positive yardage. Years past with Sing/Raye I understand the screen situation. Now, WCO, we need to get those screens out there…
Looking to put San Fran*six-o* here some time soon!
I can understand trying to move the ball more via the air -
…especially in preparation for th playoffs, but not imply trying to punch it in from the 5 yard line was insane. Our O-line has been very good at run blocking and mediocre at pass blocking and this trend continued (at least for the latter).
I found some of the playcalling to be questionable, but the camera angles make it hard to tell what routes were run on most plays and whether the issue was the play itself, the route-running, or Alex’s decision making. I almost prefer the wider camera shots that used to be more common. There’s too much emphasis on tight shots, which is fine most of the time but it would be nice to get more wide shots to get a better sense of what happened…
The Niners have tried to run the ball into the endzone all year without much success.
Over
by cybermaldonado on Dec 12, 2011 7:27 AM PST up reply actions
That's because they run right into the middle of the line...
when the defense knows what is coming. Nothing creative on running plays in the red zone.
by 9thevolution on Dec 12, 2011 7:54 AM PST up reply actions
Missed some ugly....
Ginn doing what he does best and not catching the ball down field. He couldn’t even find that long pass for a sure touchdown and Alex’s arm got hit as he was releasing it; still was in a perfect spot. Edwards not catching another TD pass that hit his hands. The Walker drop on 3rd down that would have moved the chains had he caught it and taken one step backward. Not running twice on 3rd and 1 on the final drive….. we can just say the whole performance was ugly.
You didn't mention the playcalling
I think that should go on the bad list. AZ was using the Ravens formula and we playing right into it. Our O-line isn’t going to stop 8 guys. It just isn’t going to happen. Where were the trick run plays, maybe a rollout, HB toss, quick release pass to receivers, and the list goes on. Plays that make teams pay for blitzing. There are plenty of them. Why make Alex drop back when he is pressured constantly.
There is more I would like to add, but don’t have time. This was a frustrating game.
Edwards and Morgan
provided clean and quick slants when healthy. I think this is the area of our game where injuries have really made an impact. Would like them to run more quick out routes with Williams and Walker, but Walker has to catch cause Williams can’t always be open
Actually that wasn’t Akers was it? Who threw the pass?
Over
by cybermaldonado on Dec 12, 2011 7:33 AM PST up reply actions
Lee threw the pass
would have been perfect if not for the bogus challenge. It was clearly a catch
by 9thevolution on Dec 12, 2011 7:53 AM PST up reply actions
Did anyone verify
whether Arizona threw the challenge flag before the ball was snapped, and it just took the refs awhile to notice?
Ted Robinson said this morning on KNBR
that from his vantage point the flag did indeed come out before the snap. Harabugh sorta said it didn’t after the game. I think you’d have to see the aerial camera to know for sure.
by AptosNinerFan on Dec 12, 2011 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
And a bad to Goodwin on one of Alex’s sacks stood there watching while his guy got right past him off a chip block
Founder of team Omté Caspeen
The Very Ugly....4 consecutive games now with NO T/D
in the 1st-2nd or 4th quarters of past four (Giants-Cards-Rams-Cards) games and…..
Still have not solved their Red Zone woes !
Must Come Up with Counter Plays
LIke I wrote after the Ravens game, the Ravens pass rush was great, but it was the gamble that Jim Harbuagh’s own brother took of constant full-out blitzes, that in effect showed Jim how the Ravens, and other teams thereafter, could attack the Niners offense.
The Ravens were gambling with blitz packages on almost every play. The reason we didn’t win that game — and this Arizona game where Wizenhut took the same gamble — is because we don’t have an answer for 8, 9, and 10 in the box. Until Harbaugh (ours) comes up with a solution our offense is going to look very very bad.
The Steelers are going to use the same game plan on Monday.
Granted, our O-Line is not the very best in the NFL. And Alex is not Drew Bress, Brady, or Aaron Rogers. But that being said, those others do have counter plays to full blitz packages. Being great QBs, they can also burn a blitz by finding the open man deep and delivering the football into his hands. Eli Manning beat the Dallas blitzes that way last night a number of times. But Manning also had outlets and screen passes in his arsenal. And that broke down Dallas’s D too. Especially in the 4th quarter.
I don’t know why Harbaugh isn’t installing screens and outlets to counter 8 or 9 in the box, and all-out blitzes. I thought he would have to know after the Ravens game that that some team soon would try the same formula. Of course! This is the NFL. Imitation is the higherst form of flattery. But Harbaugh is not adjusting tot he flaw his brother exposed. And I can’t figure out why.
The result is this: the defenses can now stop the run effectively with 8 or more in the box. This forces Smith to pass DOWNFIELD because we don’t have screen packages and outlet passes (see Tom Rathman / Walsh) that we can audible to. The blitz cannot be stopped for long because the 49ers O-Line is not elite. But to be fair, even an elite O-Line will be overwhelmed if they come with an all-out blitz and the QB had no three-step answer. And once teams figure out the only answer we have is a slant pass to Kevin Williams that can be stopped too. Then the noose gets tighter. But that also means the answers after that become more obvious: quick timing plays that get the ball sideways to someone close by beyond the blitzing parameter. Smith can do this. He may not be able to find the free WR going deep in less than 1.5 seconds. But he can find pre-designed outlets close by. and audible those plays as many times as he has to. And he has great weapons in close — Gore, Hunter, Walker, Miller, even Ginn or Williams if its designed that way. And what about Vernon Davis? Lost in the blocking scheme in so many plays. Blitzing serves many puproses, including forcing Davis to stay in to block, unless he becomes the outlet. And what happened to declaring an extra O-Lineman? That works too. We have lots of options. We’re just not using them.
Until Harbaugh gives Smith the tools that don’t force him to play to his weakness (i.e., quickly finding the free receiver going deep and getting rid of the ball in less than 2 seconds, we are not going to beat teams with a decent defense whose coordinator has half a brain. They know the formula, and they will use it until we learn to beat it.
Very good analysis ... and absolutely right on!!
John Harbaugh broke the code for beating the Niners … bring the house because the Niners can’t counter it effectively. Both Baltimore and Arizona won that way, and you KNOW that LeBeau will do the same thing next Monday. The ONLY way to stop it is by making the opposition pay dearly for the “bring the house” strategy … we MUST be able to counter it with slants, screens (yes, the offense MUST learn to at least execute a reasonable screen pass) and draws, with an occasional go pattern.
What I find frustrating (in addition to the poor execution) is that this cerebral coaching staff has not been able to fix this problem which has been going on for at least six weeks! What the hell is Roman thinking about if not this?
by 49erFanSince1950 on Dec 12, 2011 10:37 AM PST up reply actions
Bubble screens
I don’t know why these aren’t a bigger part of the arsenal. With Vernon, Walker, and Crabs we have three players who are A) very good in the open field, and B) very efficient blockers. Two or even three of them in a bunch on a flank would be deadly. Not to mention Kyle Williams.
by InTimmyWeTrust on Dec 12, 2011 11:05 AM PST up reply actions
anyone remember that article
where Harbaugh “fixed” Alex Smith by taking out the “sight adjustments” from the offense….
found it:
When I read this, I thought – “hey that’s clever, I sure hope no defensive coordinators figure out how to use that against us… you know now that it’s PUBLISHED”.
For example, if you know there are no sight adjustments, and the hot routes are built into the play… then the defense just has to blitz while guessing the hot route and jamming it or obscuring it with rushers.
That puts the Niners in an interesting position with 3 games left in the season. They can probably counter-adjust (if indeed that is what is going on)… but the stakes are “only” a 1st round bye… and maybe they want to save the last card for the playoffs… or at least the Steelers. I could see the coaching staff thinking that they might be able to squeak one out against the Cards (and they almost did).
The other weird thing about Sunday’s game was that in 2nd half I thought they did a reasonably better job of pass protection – that is, at least they were picking up most of the blitzes… but couldn’t complete squat even with 3-4 seconds to throw. I didn’t time it or anything though – just fewer sacks.
[Poorly Wrought THING] is what Brian Sabean would have made if he were a [THING-maker] instead of a MLB GM
WCO
Anyone remember those little swing passes to our backs in the flat? Bill Walsh won a few super bowls by using those short passes. I understand the game has changed a little…..but why can’t 4-5 yard passes be there? Is our line that bad that Harbs feels he has to keep a back in to block every play? Second and 6 is a hell of a lot better than second and 9. (Or third and 10)
by Youve been Gored on Dec 12, 2011 11:30 AM PST up reply actions
And now WR Edwards of all players is crying.....
when asked by a reporter about the Red Zone woes Edwards says " Talk to them. They played. I didn’t, Edwards nodding towards fellow WR Williams & Crabtree".
Hey Edwards…..WTF have you proven in 9ers land so far?
THANK GOD
this guy is only here for 1 year. must let him go after this year & resign Morgan!!
Niners,Nets,Reds & USC!!!
The Most Interesting Man In The World---->Mikhail Prokhorov!!!
by Kidd2Petrovic on Dec 12, 2011 8:49 AM PST up reply actions
We always get big yards on end around plays...
Why don’t we ever try one in the redzone? Or an outside handoff to hunter? Or, hell, quick slants?
Seems like all we ever do in the red zone is a fade and then runs up the gut.
Actually, I’d love to see us run the naked bootleg run/pass option play we used early in the season.
niners hardly do the quick slants anymore ...
it’s sign that they don’t have confidence in the QB
by Aazoba Yuzuki on Dec 12, 2011 8:48 AM PST up reply actions
Bad throw on a quick slant = pick six
by Krauser II on Dec 12, 2011 9:50 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
bad throw on any route is a problem yes?
1 route or “out” is the bad throw= pick six. Slant route is a problem if you do not trust your receivers. The receiver has to beat his cover to the inside and shield him away and outrun him. If the throw is poor the receiver is still in front of the ball and can knock it away or stop and just make the catch for a 1 yard gain. If the receiver is poor and his cover beats him, the defender now gets to the inside and can make the interception which is usually catch and fall because they are in the middle of the field where everyone else is as opposed to the out route where they are all alone. The lack of any of these routes is based on the design of the plays in the playbook. Did Harbaugh ever incorporate lots of slants?
and Alex Smith got overconfident and started throwing deep passes
which none of it seems to find a target = Loss
Can't put that one Alex
Yeah, a few have sailed, or have been overthrown, but there have been some good throws that haven’t been caught when they should’ve been. Even just two of those gets caught, we’re not having this conversation.
Aldon Smith was out there a lot
Were we just in nickel most of the day, or are they playing more him in other situations?
More good, more bad, more ugly
The good – still haven’t allowed a rushing TD
Crabtree is playing with passion
The bad – won the turnover battle, special teams battle, and still lost
Where’s Vernon Davis?
The ugly – if John Skelton can deliver with that much time in the pocket
you gotta start wondering about Roethlisberger who is a lot
harder to bring down
What has happened to the use of BOTH TE's?
Davis and Walker have been silent it seems over the last month, especially Walker. I thought the TE play was one of the real strengths of this offense at the beginning of the year.
This game shows me what scares me in the playoffs...
… Lots of blitzes when the 49ers are on Offense, and the air attack when they are on Defense. Torched for 149 yards by Fitz-Skelton… wait till we play Brees or Rodgers…. ugh. Still happy with a 10-3 record after all these years, but this better change in the next month. Brutal to watch 3 series at 1st and goal from less than 10 yards out and only 9 points.
love this article
here is my good,bad
good points,1:we have overall if not the the best def top 3 special teams in football. 2.we have top 3 defense units in football who play better than anyone else against the run.
3. we have when healthy a top 5 running back in frank gore,BUT he is injury prone.
now whats bad?. our o line ? or are they just young and still jelling and learning? i really dont know but it def a low point and has many issues. 2. our recievers are inconsistant as a group on the recieving side ,but are all fantasitc blockers. 3. bad we dont still have have a real starter at qb who is strong enough to take this team to the next level. winning the west is good but wont prepare us for what we face in the post season and being average just can be very scary losing a super bowl to me is worse than not going. 5-0 we gotta repuatation in the big one and relying on the kinda qb we have to uphold that rep. is frightening.
SB?
may be a couple years before they are ready for the SB……they are a decent overall team…..but lots of work to get to the elite level.
by Youve been Gored on Dec 12, 2011 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
the playoffs
once you enter anything can happen. each play has real signifiganceto going to the dance. gotta think super bowl now that were entering the tournament.
This is the feeling I got watching the game yesterday
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
by REDANDGOLD8 on Dec 12, 2011 10:21 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
ok, maybe that was overreacting, but it did suck.
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
by REDANDGOLD8 on Dec 12, 2011 12:34 PM PST up reply actions
Exposed
Hard to be confident right now……….looks like Mr. Soft may have found his way into the locker room……I wish there was one reason they lost that game…..but there were so many……good teams will continue to play into our weaknesses……Pittsburgh will blitz almost every play until we prove we can stop it……….out-coached and out-played by a mediocre Arizona team right now is not acceptable. I understand it is Harb’s first year, no offseason, blah-blah……but he got out smarted by Arizona. Arizona? In game adjustments\play calling (esp in red zone) and preparation all seem to lack. Hopefully they can get healthy and re-focus before the playoffs.
by Youve been Gored on Dec 12, 2011 10:26 AM PST reply actions
We Weren't Outcoached
As much as we did not execute and kindof got screwed by the officials. AZ coach threw two challenges after plays had started and the refs let that slide. That is some pretty cheap shit out of that coach. Especially since we had that fake and Akers got drilled on a play that they called back. Not to mention that was probably a helmet to helmet hit on him and then he missed the kick after that. If we have that kick we win the game. Throughout the stretch Harbaugh made some bad calls especially on that final drive. I don’t know why we didn’t run on 3rd and 1 at the end we had a 2 minute warning coming up and we had plenty of time to do it. We had guys open on the deep ball Crabtree lost the ball once, and Ginn lost the ball once. 2 big plays that should have resulted in points. Problem is we don’t have Green Bay receivers. As great as Vernon is he just isn’t a red zone threat I don’t think. He is not going to be able to go up like Jimmy Graham, Ginn missed that catch that Alex put right on the money in the red zone. I just dont think Ginn should be on the field receiving. He drops way too many passes. AZ coach didn’t do much Larry Fitzgerald made some great plays and Larry Grant is not Patrick Willis.
Who was the bonehead receiver who wasn't looking for the ball on that one play?
Was that Edwards or Ginn?
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
Ginn
[Poorly Wrought THING] is what Brian Sabean would have made if he were a [THING-maker] instead of a MLB GM
you can tell
because he was open. Which Edwards never is.
[Poorly Wrought THING] is what Brian Sabean would have made if he were a [THING-maker] instead of a MLB GM
by zenbitz on Dec 12, 2011 11:07 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Think he was referring to the deep ball....
But I did forget about the pass to Edwards. And that’s why he isn’t getting snaps. Probably the same reason Williams saw decreased playing time after he tried to make the bonehead one handed catch a few weeks ago.
by 9thevolution on Dec 12, 2011 12:27 PM PST up reply actions
The one where the receiver was going deep and didn't know where the ball was
Ball just dropped.
"I for one welcome our new computer overlords." - Ken Jennings, after losing to a computer on Jeopardy, 2/16/11
by REDANDGOLD8 on Dec 12, 2011 12:32 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, Ginn....
The guy who should only be in the game as a receiver in emergency. Williams is better.
by 9thevolution on Dec 12, 2011 1:06 PM PST up reply actions
Aldon Smith DROY.....Von Miller close second.
Aldon has done so much as a part time player. He is only 1 sack behind Miller and has half Miller’s tackles, but Miller has played twice as many snaps as a full time player. Aldon having almost the same amout of sacks in half the snaps is amazing. Most the other stats are tied, but Aldon does have a game saving safety to his credit. Having stats tied sounds great, but again, Aldon has played half the snaps a s Miller……
Aldon Smith has been a terror to QB’s this season in half the playing time as others, he deserves to be DROY. Not to mention, his contributions have help the 49ers to a 10-3 record so far.
BTW, 49ers have lost games by, 3, 10, 2…..Keeping it close.
But Miller is on the Broncos, so that will give him an advantage.
"If the 49ers success offends you, so be it." - Jim Harbaugh
If you order a "Cowboys kicker" at the bar, you get a shot of iced Bailey's.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it; I am not okay with Alex Smith throwing 37 times
once again: what happened with the comparisons to rodgers/brady and how everyone is confident in alex smith keeping up with rodgers/brady/brees in a shootout in the playoffs?
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Dec 12, 2011 1:13 PM PST reply actions
They all have better o-lines
And better skills too. I don’t remember any shoot-out comparisons to these guys. I think the discussion went, we can play with a high scoring team because we will not let them score much (our defensive strength) and offense/ST can do the rest so Alex/9ers will be competitive.
Looking to put San Fran*six-o* here some time soon!
My Good, Bad, and Ugly
Great commentary in here. I am in Australia, and mostly rely on NN to get me the skinny on what is really happening…
Good: We’re Division Champs, Run Defense, Special Teams
Bad: Red-zone Offense, Play calling, Pass Defense
Ugly: We need the #2 seed to get to the NFC Championship game (and have to win out to get it). The Packers are just playing lights out.
Looking to put San Fran*six-o* here some time soon!
Looks like the book on us...
now is if you have a fast, physical defense bring the house on every play and we can’t stop it. Smith was running for his life on every play the second he touch the ball… never looked comfortable in the pocket. And on the other side of the ball we have to do the same thing to other QB’s that other teams are now doing to ours. We got a sack or two but are getting no real pressure on the quarterback at all. No QB we play against looks uncomfortable in his pocket, even having to side step a rush. We’re making back-up QB’s look like all pro’s.
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