49ers Vs. Seahawks: Are They Always 'Playing For Touchdowns'?

is certainly conservative. Are they playing for touchdowns? At times I question that myself.
On another note, is anybody else getting sick and tired of Harbaugh dodging the answers to questions about players’ health when it comes to injuries? I mean come on, people want to know the status of their football team and their players.

But they’re conservative so that if they CAN’T get the TD they can at least get 3.,

With the defense playing lights out I understand being conservative once we get into field goal range. However I think JH has to let Alex at least take a shot on third down, at the very least Alex has shown he’s not going to turn the ball over very often, I think a little more faith needs to be shown on those third down plays down in the redzone.

Only knock on Harbaugh I have is that after the Morgan injury he completely lost his killer instinct to just run up the score and make sure they win. Happened in the Redskins/Browns games as well as others im sure. He could of ended those games early and didnt seem to want to go for it.

I hope it doesnt come back to haunt us. Its almost a given that if we were to make the SB it would be by beating NO and GB. And while we can win with the FG/defense game against them. It will be hard. That game wins maybe 4/10 times against those good teams. Maybe a few more. But getting those TD helps much more.

Get that killer instinct back Harbaugh. It can only help. Morgans injury was a fluke.

First, I understand that Harbaugh is going to play conservatively, and generally support that approach. How can’t you? 12-3 can’t be argued with. But…

The situation mentioned in the post bothered me, but I understand it. What is essentially 3rd and 13 is a low percentage play for any team, and trying a quick run there might have worked. I had a far larger issue with the other playcalls, which happened during the drive at the end of the game.

Crabtree had just caught the 40 yard pass and the 49ers had the ball at around the Hawks 25. A run to begin with there is fine – firmly establish the field goal. Once that is done though, you need to throw the ball. Situationally, running the ball twice more and kicking a field goal makes little sense. The 49ers have only 1 timeout left and are giving the Seahawks the ball with about 3 minutes on the clock. Any kind of a drive by them and the game is probably over because you only have 1 timeout left – thus, the Seahawks really control the clock. Addtionally, you have lost your kick returner, so if they do score the go ahead field goal, your chances of busting a substantial return are diminished.

2nd and 8 from the Seahawks 20 – even if you throw the ball on 2nd and 3rd downs and don’t make the 1st, you are leaving yourself more time if the Seahawks can drive for a field goal. If however you do make the 1st down, now the Hawks have to start buring timeouts to save the clock. And heck – maybe the 49ers actually score a touchdown and put the game away. Crazy!!!

Risk / reward. I am glad it worked out (skittles to Larry Grant), but in the playoffs, it will likely be Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers directing those two minute drives and you can’t give those guys any rope. Hopefully, Harbaugh knows that and adjusts accordingly…

That they don’t even play for first downs at the end of a game to run out the clock and secure a win. How many times have we seen 3 runs and out to punt and put it back on the defense? Forget going for touchdowns. How many first downs do they even get in a game? Thank god for short fields and long legs.

Gore could rip one right up the gut at any time, especially when they’re expecting pass. And anyways we can’t question too much as long as we always find a way to win. Which is what really matters, and keeps it exciting. However, I’d love to see Alex light it up with and open receiver (that catches it) in the end zone. Alex has done this, but our receivers have not caught it. Imagine a whole offseason with Harbaugh, he is going to tear it up next year even more. I mean bombing the sky with TD’s. Watch and see.

but I believe seeing somewhere that on 3rd and 10+ running gains first downs about 10% of the time and passing about 33% of the time. And a few of those run % points are due to screens thrown backwards to rbs and wrs. So it makes absolutely no sense when already in field goal range not to take a shot

Of course they play for touchdowns, there just not gonna use plays with high turnover rates. On another note Alex, in my opinion, is the reason for the approach. Ball comes out too late.

… we look around the league and see Breeze , Rodgers and Brady lighting it up with their high powered passing attack , all of these Qb’s have been in the same system for 6 plus years , if you don’t think that is huge , then you need to …

… Slow your Roll …!!

…On whether he was more inclined to play for field goals due to the nature of the game…!!

i think he ran it to waste clock and timeouts and also the outside chance that they get another first down… if they throw it and it’s incomplete that’s almost like getting a free 30 second timeout to the other team… also, i don’t think they had their full arsenal of players to be throwing (delanie, kyle and ted being out) in the first place… seattle has a very good defense and it would be too easy to key in on vernon or michael… also, they wouldn’t send an all out blitz where a screen would work… oh and the defense has to be constantly tested at all opportunities (we know they have so much experience in close games how many playoff teams can say that?)… yeah they can run up the score, but giving the team adversity (even some unwanted) can only prepare the team for a playoff run… all i know is that when the offense has needed to answer they have (look it up)…