49ers Vs. Giants, 2012 NFC Championship Game: Niners Nation Experiences Its First Real Kick In The Junk
by David Fucillo on Jan 23, 2012 8:00 AM PST
in San Francisco 49ers Game Recap, Review 2011
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PrintUntil yesterday, Niners Nation had never truly known great pain from the team. The team lost tough battles along the way, but for us as fans, yesterday stands as the worst experience of the last five years. I know the 49ers history dates to well before Niners Nation, but as this community has grown, it has become a bit of a history unto itself. During that time, we've experienced some bitter defeats that felt pretty awful at the time.
Now, we sit here a day later after the toughest loss since Niners Nation has been around, and one of the toughest losses in franchise history. I suppose it is fitting that arguably the two toughest losses in franchise history were both against the Giants ('91, '12), featured a key late turnover (Craig, Williams) and saw the Giants kick a game-winning field goal (Bahr, Tynes) to end the game.
That game was a roller-coaster of emotion and it ended with one final swing through. One minute I'm jumping up and down after a huge sack, the next minute I've been basically knocked on my butt by the Kyle Williams fumble. The Giants ran several plays after the fumble and there were some commercials mixed in, which led to a sort of half-dazed viewing of the final moments of the game. I was hoping we'd see a huge special teams play to save the day, but it was not to be.
In those moments after the game I was busy getting a post up at NN and a few other things done. However, once I finished that all up and was about to grab some dinner with a friend, the emotion came out. It's been a while since I felt like that after a game, and in fact, I don't know if I've ever felt quite like that following a 49ers game. But after what has been just over a calendar year of a wild ride with Jim Harbaugh and this 49ers team, I think I was just emotionally spent.
The 2011 season was a wild ride starting with the Jim Harbaugh signing and finishing up with yesterday's game. There were low expectations coming out of the lockout, but somehow this team found a way to overcome adversity and shock the world to a certain extent.
For Niners Nation, since the lockout ended, it has been go-go-go thanks to a truncated offseason. I have been able to enjoy the 49ers magical run this season, but I haven't had a ton of time to reflect on the wild ride that has been the last six months. As I was sending out a tweet about something or other, it all just sort of hit me like a ton of bricks.
In years past, the 49ers have been eliminated from postseason contention with at least a couple weeks worth of regular season action remaining. That has provided time to transition towards the offseason and get ready for reviewing the season that was and a look ahead to free agency and the NFL Draft.
This year, it has all come to a screeching halt without the usual transition period. We'll still have plenty of content for you here at Niners Nation, but my apologies if things are a little haphazard at times in the coming days. Last night, I found myself wondering thinking, "What now?" I know there is the offseason to discuss and there is plenty of recap material to dissect, but at times over the last twelve hours, I just haven't felt like any of that. I'm slowly starting to bounce back, but it's still a tough loss to get over.
At the same time, I got a great tweet last night that sort of sums it up. I'm not one to get overly emotional, but yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks, as I'm sure it did for many of you.
@NinersNation still proud to be a Niners fan...honestly weeping like a baby makes one feel alive
— Chris Wagner (@ChrisWagnerEsq) January 23, 2012
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They Gave Us An Amazing Season
I looke back at what’s transpired in the last 13 months, and i think I can safely that the 49ers gave us an great season, especially when you consider what was expected given the lockout an the usually timetables involved in a coaching change.
That being said, they have raised our expectations back to Eddie Jr. proportions. Given the last draft we had, I think we can expect to have another strong draft which will imporve he overal team further. I expect some new free agents to come aboard, but probably not quite like what we had this year. The lockout definitely created a unique situation for FA this past year.
Going forward my expectation of this team is to just keep getting better day by day, to compete for and win some Super Bowls, and to continue to make us ask the question, ’WHO’S GOT IT BETTER THAN US?"
by kailuakid9er on Jan 23, 2012 8:17 AM PST up reply actions
Three 9er Goats Of the Game....Crabtree-Rogers-Williams
Offense:
Mr.Crabtree, now in his 3rd season is proving he is no more than a number 2 WR.
He might as well of sat on the bench for all he did Sunday.
Denfense:
Mr.Rogers appeared to have his worst game of the season in our biggest game of our season. Cruz simply ate him up & spit him out.
Special Teams:
Kyle Williams. Not going to be that hard on Kyle, after all he tried to step up for injured Ted Ginn. Kyle was NOT a starter on punt returns All seasons, so Im giving him a break….but he clearly should have secured the ball more.
Other than that. Im very very proud of our team….We where the BETTER team, but lost.
Draft us a legit Number 1 WR / Another Pass Rusher to cause more havoc with Aldon / Another C.B. / look out 2012!
Only one goat...Williams
I don’t know what happened with Crabtree, but Rogers almost completely shut down Cruz in the 2nd half.
Don’t forget that VD had 2 bonehead penalties too.
I won’t be too hard on KW either, since he was the back up, but I’m not sure I’d trust him returning punts ever again. Maybe that’s just the pain talking, but that’s what I fell.
It’d be great to get a legit #1 receiver! Maybe Baalke can find a hidden gem in the draft. I think another pass rusher and CB is in the cards. I think some more OL would help with depth and competition, which would hopefully lead to more improvement (I want domination) in O-line play (i.e. better pass protection and more push on run plays).
by kailuakid9er on Jan 23, 2012 8:28 AM PST up reply actions
Actually niners knew that QB Manning will be throwing the ball most of the game, since the NYG knew that they can't run on niners defense. Why Niners did not adjust the Defensive line by inserting Aldon Smith more than Harralson.
by Anthony Mendez on Jan 23, 2012 9:02 AM PST up reply actions
From waht I say
The defense adjusted just fine in the 2nd half.
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 9:16 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
say= saw
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 9:17 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Baalke deserves lots of credit for a good offseason
But busting on Braylon Edwards really hurt.
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 9:18 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
crap reply fail
stupid mobile app
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 9:18 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I really hope we get Dwayne Bowe or Vincent Jackson in Free Agency
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
he would be a good option
but it always feels like he’s injured.
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
You know what i just thought about were the team free-agnets want
to come to were kind of team that free-agents will look n say this team is so close to winning it all,n thats on both sides offense n defense wow that feels good lol.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:44 AM PST up reply actions
They gave him a one year deal for peanuts
That’s not busting.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 9:28 AM PST up reply actions
Busting in that
He was supposed to come in and have an impact. Like Goldson or Rogers or Alex.
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 10:07 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
They did. Aldon played a bunch
And Haralson made some nice plays in setting the edge on the run when he was in the game.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Rogers was playing the game plan he was given on a wet field
Def plan changed 2nd half and Cruz got shut down
I don't see Rogers at all
He was put on an island against one of the best receivers in football and he delivered for the most part (granted after a slow start). Rogers was a huge part of several coverage sacks, (Eli’s first read all day was Cruz), had 11 tackles and a pass defensed and would’ve had a pick but for Goldson going for the same ball. Cruz’s 100 yards mattered little if Whitner/Bowman don’t blow a coverage in the red zone on the Giants 1st score and not at all after that.
Frankly I don’t see how you could put anyone from the defense as goat. They gave up 10 points outside of the gift-wrapped ones off fumbles. They did more than enough for this team to win. They almost won it for us.
My goats, in order of goatness:
Williams
Roman
Crabtree
(then big drop off)
Lee
Brock
Brock?
Brock did great, his coverage was pretty good on the TD too. Reggie Smith obviously didn’t help over the top I think it was.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Ya Brock was a bit outside when covering Manningham
So I’m assuming there was supposed to be safety help on the inside. Brock played fairly well
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
Any time you put Brock and Smith in the same area
Expect touchdowns to happen.
Rays in '08.... Desmond Jennings - the breakout continues.....
by youALREADYknow on Jan 23, 2012 9:46 AM PST up reply actions
Brock at least partly to blame for that TD
He didn’t read Eli and he didn’t read the route. He’s got the easiest responsibility in that situation that a db will ever have. No worries about a ball over your head, full knowledge ahead of time of a throw covering at least 30 yards, and seeing the play the whole way.
He should’ve been anticipating the cut and moving quickly enough to make a play, and probably would’ve been if he actually moved like a corner, but he moves like a strong safety. That doesn’t excuse Smith, and it’s possible Smith was more culpable, but that TD was on both of those guys (and to a much lesser extent, Fangio).
Yeah it was a great season and yesterday was very disappointing...but we were picked to finish 3rd or 4th in the NFCW...
we just hosted the NFC championship game, things are looking bright.
by Coretete on Jan 23, 2012 8:17 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
What a season
I thought I would be utterly devastated, and indeed was upset, but quickly thought about the season in general and came away feeling great about where the Niners are headed and exceeding every expectation. I truly think we felt J.Morgan’’s absense last night more then ever. He alone would have converted at least a hand full of those 3rd downs and we may not be having this conversation. All in all, what a ride, and Thank Niners fora helluva season #cantwaittillnextyear
We ask no quarter, we give no quarter
I was like oo and aaa
And then I took a ball in the knee..
I would have been very angry at you if that didn’t have a subject line to click on
go rowand
by lincypoo i wuv u on Jan 23, 2012 7:46 PM PST up reply actions
great season overall
Ted Ginn being injured had such an impact on our game the what if’s are staggering.
Who has it better than us?
by B1GB3N on Jan 23, 2012 8:23 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Don't want to be to hard on K williams
but your right. All I kept saying the whole game was, “man I wish Teddy Ginn was here”.
It's about the team, the team, and the TEAM!
Should've given Culliver a shot after Kyle's first mishap.
"I believe in you guys in the media. I believe that you will find a way to doubt this team. Just as long as what's written is written against us we'll be happy." - Jim Harbaugh
by SanFranciscoKnights on Jan 23, 2012 9:41 AM PST up reply actions
Couldn't risk another DB getting injured after Brown went out
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Swain or Hunter...
would have been better options, just my opinion.
Exactly
Every time he touched the ball after the first mistake all I could think of is “pleas don’t fumble”
by SharkKings49 on Jan 23, 2012 2:21 PM PST up reply actions
Emotionally Spent...
…describes it perfectly. Felt the same when the VCU Rams made it to the Final Four. Sometimes you just have to remember it’s just a game and to enjoy the ride.
Rome wasn’t built in a season. It feels damn good to be out of the basement and expecting great things from this team next year.
by DuckNeck Merton on Jan 23, 2012 8:23 AM PST reply actions
It feels like you just broke up with the love of your life n you found out she was messing with someone
else alreasy and he’s from new york.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 8:54 AM PST up reply actions
The Overtime Rule sucks...
I was under the assumption that if you kick a field goal in overtime the other team gets a chance to score. Apparantly this is voided after each team fails and punt after their first series? Not even necessary! Just go back to the old rules please.
If the 49ers success offends you, so be it." Jim Harbaugh quote... Love It!
Get rid of OT rules and sudden death.
I’d rather they just play the extra period, and if it’s still tied at the end of the period then go to sudden death.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 23, 2012 8:30 AM PST up reply actions
Me to if they going to do it this way in the playoffs they should keep it one way nobody wins the game
until they score a touchdown or give the other team a chance to tie aif they don’t game over i’m not going to lie i was confused for a minute.,
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 8:36 AM PST up reply actions
Me too.
Actually the old rules might have favored us.
Also, did we win the OT coin toss? if we did we in the world did we elect to punt first, should have received, and kicked the field goal and put to onus on the giants to answer.
I don’t know, now I’m descending into ifs and buts and should’a would’a could’a land. but ultimately we just didn’t’a gonna have to live with it for the rest of the season like the rest of the team.
It's about the team, the team, and the TEAM!
Only if that happens on the first series
Each team had two opportunities to possess the ball in this OT. That’s quite fair.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Whats crazy before i even read this thead i just told my girl " baby i feel like crying "no BS
wow thats crazy i didn’t cry (yet) but thats wild.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 8:30 AM PST reply actions
we went from +38 turn over ratio to...
-2 to lose the game….My stomach hurts
Who has it better than us?
by B1GB3N on Jan 23, 2012 8:30 AM PST via mobile reply actions
we went from +38 turn over ratio to...
-2 to lose the game….My stomach hurts
Who has it better than us?
by B1GB3N on Jan 23, 2012 8:30 AM PST via mobile reply actions
We didn't need to force one to win
Just didn’t need to commit the first one, then we don’t lose.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
or die by d-backs running into each other and breaking up their own interceptions...
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:45 AM PST up reply actions
Not sure but he was ruled to have suffered a concussion...
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
I don't think those turnovers
are the team’s fault; in fact, i’d lay it all on Kyle…who might not be w/us come next season, though probably not because of last night; except for Vernon, we had no passing game
by Doni S on Jan 23, 2012 10:30 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Great season with a bitter end.
This really sucks for all of us, from the top of the organization all the way down to the everyday fan. I’m so proud of this team that played they’re guts out and proved the 49ers are a force to be reckoned with. I truly believe that our team outplayed the Giants and deserved the win, every single player except one. Before you rip this apart and point out all the other areas on where this game was won and lost save yourself the effort. I read all the arguements already and understand and agree with valid points of why we lost. That being said, I truly believe that despite all those things our guys still win without those two tragic plays. You cannot mishandle punts in critical situations. I knew we were in deep trouble when he made the circus catch for no apparent reason. Im very bitter right now, but I still love this team. This one hurts so badly. What a ride…………
by Gerald Tarrant on Jan 23, 2012 8:36 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I Agree
2 plays lost us the game. I also wondered why Williams made that catch early on. It was telling of his mindstate. He doent need to make a play just secure the Damn Ball.
Who has it better than us?
by B1GB3N on Jan 23, 2012 8:41 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Greg roman play-calling sucked to he turned into mike singletery who knew.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:31 AM PST up reply actions
No slants no bubble screens
Running out of the shotgun, awful
by Gerald Tarrant on Jan 23, 2012 10:02 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Actually
The biggest critique of Roman would be going away from the run game. Gore and Hunter were getting yards and our OL was controlling the NY D-linemen. With no WRs making plays, we should’ve stuck with the run especially in our OT possession.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
running out of shotgun
that was Jimmy Raye-esque and I would never do that in the playoffs, ever; dunno what Roman was thinking
by Doni S on Jan 23, 2012 10:34 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Likely that they'd had some success with Alex running the option with it twice
He then likely hoped to cross NY up by running Gore from the gun though, like you, I’d rather he have lined up and run at NY. They were getting good yards and starting to wear down a DL that prefers to rush the QB.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Please don't use skip bayless tim tebow qoutes " a force to be reckoned with " they just hurt my
ears i know you didn’t do it on purpose but i don’t want to us compare with either of those 2.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:14 AM PST up reply actions
I don't maybe i could read with my ears idk or myabe its the " mikes hard lemonade or the !#$% i'm puffing"
on who knows who knows what you think?
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:38 AM PST up reply actions
Would never intentionally mix in our Red N Gold warriors with either of them.
Didnt know he says that, I change the channel when Bayless speaks. And the T word should never be uttered, not even in gamethreads. 10x worse than foul language, unless we were actually playing the Broncos. Feel so bad for our guys, they deserve better than this…
by Gerald Tarrant on Jan 23, 2012 9:55 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Hard to disagree when Giants got 10 on drives of 29 and 11 yards. Game shouldn't have been close.
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:47 AM PST up reply actions
We do have the " Senior bow "this weekend so we can look at that n see
what players we can look at 4 the draft but !%&# want my 49ers in indy getting ready to beat the patriots!!!!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 8:42 AM PST reply actions
Great Year
Most folks here (I included) would have been doing back flips if the 9ers went 9-7 and own the Division, then lost int he first round. So, I have nothing bad to say about going 14-4 and losing in a hard fought NFC championship. Sure we should have won. But with a full offseason to prepare and learn the offense I see us having a bright future for years to come. Plus, the team environment now makes it a place where top notch free agents will WANT to play.
by Corwithiowa on Jan 23, 2012 8:45 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
i am at work today....
….with the same sad, dazed look in my face since last night.
i shouldve taken the day off, im in no mood to do anything……
I think they will get receiver help in the Draft.
But don’t think thats an instant fix. Rookie receivers rarely come into the league and make an instant impact especially where we are drafting. I’d look for them to add a number #1 and a number #2/3 receiver in Free Agency. Bowe or Jackson would work as our primary and I’d like to take a flyer on Steve Smith with Philly.
Ugh
I just woke up and it feels like I got bashed in the head repeatedly with a baseball ball.
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
Good thing it wasn’t a bat right?
go rowand
by lincypoo i wuv u on Jan 23, 2012 7:47 PM PST up reply actions
Adding a big thanks
Most of us were expecting and 7-9 season or with luck a 8-8 season. What transpired was an unbelievable 14-4 season. It was exciting to watch the team form into a great contender with every game. For me, yesterdays game was just a small glitch in an otherwise fantastic season. I’ll focus on the great season they had and take pride in the close game they worked so hard for with the Giants. I have no regrets and wish to thank all of the 49ers staff and players for a job well done. This is the beginning of something and not the end so cheer up and if you find yourself complaining too much then just remember the past few seasons.
by lonerock on Jan 23, 2012 8:57 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
Agree
With the exception of the showboating, some of the play calling and Williams’ performance in the Championship game. Great, unexpected season which makes yesterday’s mistakes all the more painful.
by Sasquatch27 on Jan 23, 2012 10:50 AM PST up reply actions
Ironic Year
On one hand, this year was a great success and revelation. some of us were saying “Suck4luck” but we got to the NFC championship game instead! If that isn’t incredible I have nothing to say to you.
But the way the year ended is disappointing to say the least. They lost it more than the Giants won it. We don’t know if this team will get a chance to make noise in the postseason for awhile and you can’t take this for granted. Kyle Williams is a good guy, but he did a good job costing the team this go around – he’s still my goat without a doubt.
Hopefully we can be like John Harbaugh and keep being relevant for years to come. But for now this sucks
Terrible 3rd down conversion rate all season caught up with us....
Freak’ing Crabtree now in his 3rd season pretty clearly is no more than a complentmentary #2 possession type WR.
But even as a possession WR, Crabtree has issues as evidenced by his invisable act in yesterday game ….and the Saints game where he dropped 3 passes.
If Crabtree is even a legit possession WR….our poor 3rd down conversion rate suggest otherwise
Agree but we really set up bad down and distance by screwing up 1st down.
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:48 AM PST up reply actions
I can forgive kyle on the fumble that happens but letting the ball hit your knee
that was some !#%^ he can’t just explain that away thats something you learn all way they in high school!!!!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 8:59 AM PST reply actions
Yep
That was amateur hour right there.
The kid has speed, but he doesn’t have the smarts to be a returner in the NFL. We need a more competent backup for Ginn (who has a history of injuries).
I think with another draft and another offseason, our depth will improve and we’ll have better talent up and down the roster.
First off I have to say it was a great ride and a great year considering the expectations going into the season. Even with that last night still sucked :( I tossed and turned last night and the first thing came to my mind when I woke up was the damn fumble! This one is going to hurt for a while, especially since the niners showed they were the better team.
The further away from the emotion of this game that I get
The less optimistic I’m able to be about the regular season next year. There were too many things that fell into place for this team to be such a force this season that I doubt will be there next season.
When I look back at this season with a level head, here’s what I see staring me in the face.
1 – The Niners won about 75% of the one possession games that they played this year and 3 of those games were directly related to one key turnover late in the game.
2 – The NFC West was at it’s absolute worst and will probably be more challenging next season. The division record was a huge component of getting the 2 seed and bye week.
3 – The rest of the NFC contenders are just as talented, if not more, and some are just as young. The Eagles talent isn’t going anywhere and their collapse this season in close games isn’t likely to be duplicated. The Lions are almost as talented and even younger than the Niners. The Packers are still the Packers. The Giants are still the Giants. The Saints are still the Saints. The Falcons, talented and young. Let’s just face it, the road to success next season is going to be extremely difficult.
Having said all of that, this year’s team gave us one thing that can’t be taken away and that’s pride. I don’t know about the rest of you but walking around with no expectations for success for your favorite team is a feeling of shame. This team just raised the bar for expectations and gave us the Niners dynasty swagger back. It’s the first offseason in a decade that I can talk with any confidence about this team. We may not finish 13-3 next year but everyone knows now that this team can beat anybody in the league. Just get to the playoffs again and I’ll have faith in the chances of postseason success.
Rays in '08.... Desmond Jennings - the breakout continues.....
All true, and one other
The niners were VERY lucky with injuries this year, till this last game. Will you be so lucky next year? Not likely. The Giants, my team, hasn’t been for several years. You can never be deep enough.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
Lucky with injuries?
You don’t follow the team, so you can’t comment.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
You a giants fan why you hanging around in here no disrespect unless i'm
reading your comment wrong.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 10:32 AM PST up reply actions
No I'm a Giants fan, but I mean no disrespect.
But the Niners were much healthier than most teams. It is a pretty key factor in success and failure. Why not acknowledge it?
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:39 AM PST up reply actions
Says who?
Please get your facts right.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Lol
Morgan, Edwards, Delanie Walker, Dashon Goldson at the start of the season, Patrick Willis, Ginn, Spencer, Holcomb… need I go on? Get your facts right
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Check this out
You’re list is very short compared the the Giants.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
Most those players on IR are reserves,
Thomas and Beatty are notable. Austin is a rookie, who had injury concerns. That’s the problem with drafting lots of players with big names, but red flags – just like the Giants always do.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
You left out Goff
Sintim was also a likely starter. The secondary guys were a key loss. Herzlich’s loss led to bringing back a guy who was about to take a job teaching middle school math, and he played well. So keep it in perspective.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:55 AM PST up reply actions
Herzlich is an extremely below average player
Great story, and am extremely happy that he is in the NFL. But he isn’t a great player. So three starters? We lost Morgan and Edwards, definite starters. And Patrick Willis. So keep it in perspective.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
That's a dumb list
Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks are on that list of yours. I seem to remember them playing last night.
The fact is, it was the 49ers who had the key injuries last night. Ginn was key because his replacement muffed two punts that handed the game to the Giants. Morgan was key because, besides VD, Morgan had the best connection with Alex Smith and was a key contributor on 3rd downs.
Note that I’m not taking anything away from the Giants. They played great and deserve their spot (and I think they’ll destroy the Pats). The Niners had the more key injuries though, so your point is straight-up wrong.
Now what you might be able to say is that the 49ers didn’t have the talent level as far as roster depth was concerned in order to overcome their key injuries. If you said that, you’d be 100% correct.
In my original post, I said the niners were healthy till
last night. But it reinforces my point that injuries matter a lot. Ginn’s injury was key, as were injuries the Giants had earlier in the season. The Gmen were pretty health last night, if you ignore the IR list (13 men). Niners have just 5.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:58 AM PST up reply actions
Should I repeat.
10 of those players are reserves, or practice squad players.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
I don't get to ten
A lot of those guys made significant contributions. For example, I assume you included Tryon on your list. He was a key mid-season addition who then went down. The only replacement we had was Prince who missed all of preseason and was back one week and on the field. Got burned a lot, what could anyone expect? In the NFL, a team is much more than its starters.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 11:04 AM PST up reply actions
Yes exactly my point,
You look at the numbers of injuries, and count practice squad players, when we have had injuries to several players who may not be starters but have missed significant time regardless.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
And didnt we hear how healthy the giant
Were going into the game all week
by Moflush on Jan 23, 2012 12:02 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
compared to other teams
we were very healthy during the season
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
That is a lot to do with being able to play through injuries,
and drafting players without injury concerns. There is luck involved, but there is no luck in drafting a player like Aldon Smith who came back from a broken leg after 2 weeks. There is toughness and proness to injury to think about. It isn’t all luck.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
I don't think you can draft
players who are immune to a torn ACL. I’m more inclined toward luck.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
Actually, you are wrong.
A player with a previous tear is more likely for another tear. It’s basic medicine.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
True but all teams take that into account.
You immediately fall down the draft board with injuries like that.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
This is an example of fans & "experts" not knowing the Niners
The loss of Goldson early in the season helped cost us the Dallas game. Morgan’s injury not only hurt the passing game but is part of the reason we didn’t have as many long runs from our RBs. Walker’s injury doesn’t cost us in terms of “games lost by a starter” but he plays more than half the snaps. Willis didn’t play 3.5 games which includes a loss that nearly cost us the #2-seed. Ray McDonald missed a game or two. Gore missed parts of two games and played hurt down the stretch. We lost our blocking 3rd TE in pre-season (Byham) and our backup DT in week 2 (Tukuafu).
It would help if people knew a bit more about the Niners before forming declarative opinion about them.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Yep agreed entirely.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Josh morgan acounts for 2 players he would be a 1000 yard reciever
he was heading for a big year,we had our fair share injuries last year .But ya’ll had alot of injuries not this one.But gettting back to it why you are in here n i mean no disrespect because if we would of one this game there would probably be someone on one ya’ll websites although i doubt he would get treated the same way were treating you in hear i’m just asking why.I’m old school i feel you won the game is over move on,but you being in here i feel " To me "its like throwing !%#! in my face you could please answer my question n i mean i must remind you i mean no diarespect?
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 11:02 AM PST up reply actions
Eli got sacked 6 times
your o-line sucks…even w/out injuries so I wouldn’t talk
by Doni S on Jan 23, 2012 10:39 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
If we were lucky with injuries
Then Josh Morgan wouldn’t have gotten hurt and Kyle Williams wouldn’t have been returning punts last night.
Hate to say it, but without those 2 key injuries, Giants do not make it to the Super Bowl.
Moot point though. You play with the players you have. And, as it turned out, the 49ers did not have the depth to cover their key injuries.
I hated hearing all those giants fans in hear " great game ya'll nice season " WTF?l
know you should be respectfull in defeat but thats some bs,you can’t tell me those dudes wasn’t laughing while they were typing!!!!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:05 AM PST reply actions
You would rather they say nothing
I think the Giants fans were classy here when compared with fans of other teams throughout the regular season and postseason. I’d welcome them back if a rematch happens in the future.
Rays in '08.... Desmond Jennings - the breakout continues.....
by youALREADYknow on Jan 23, 2012 9:06 AM PST up reply actions
I'm not arguing whether they were classy or not n for the record they were
i just said i hated hearing them say great game,n whether i like them say nothing, i would like them not for them not to even be in here so soon.The 49ers have their locker room well this is ours n they shooked hands after the game now they have to (lmao) come in our locker room n congradulate us on having a great game n great year.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 10:42 AM PST up reply actions
don't see any problem with them doing this
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
Its not problem with him personally
to me n maybe i’m making it more than what it should be (i am) but if i want to talk about how n why we lost that game i want that conversation to be with a 9ner fan thats all i mean no personal attack on him only what on he represents n thats a giant fan period.Like i said no disrespect to you!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 11:18 AM PST up reply actions
With all due respect guy
That game could have gone either way, yes as a Giant fan I was happy for the outcome, but at the same time, the Niners earned all of our respect they died with their boots on. What’s wrong with coming over here and offering our respect for a great game?
Grow up dude.
by Late for Dinner on Jan 23, 2012 9:32 AM PST up reply actions
Yea they knew that i'm just saying " i "didn't like hearing them congradulate us on a
good game n they were very classy i’m just saying it was to soon for me let a !#%!#%&*$!^ grieve for a minute!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 10:48 AM PST up reply actions
They know they escaped againt a better team
I’m betting they’re quite grateful; they barely made the playoffs after many wanted their coach fired; they had a huge high of a win last week that had them thinking they were better than the team from the West; then they watched their QB get beat up and a team with no WR threat outplay them. It took a fluke punt muff to win. They’re not dumb fans. They know they were damn lucky to escape, and the honest ones would admit that SF was the better team.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Lucky? No. SF the better Team? No
Giants better? Can’t say that either, but don’t overlook your own luck. You play in a patsy division which assures you at least one home playoff game every time you make the playoffs. You had almost no injuries this year. You had a record low turnover rate (you won’t see either of those again). Think of your team next year missing several key starters. That is what the Giants dealt with (five cover guys gone!), and you still lost. This game is a reminder of how close the line is between heroes and goats, I know that. But don’t look at your team through rose colored glasses.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:35 AM PST up reply actions
Whoa! Patsy? "Better check yourself before you wreck yourself!"
Combined record of NFC West Teams 30 wins 34 loses
Combined record of NFC East Teams 30 wins 34 loses
by kailuakid9er on Jan 23, 2012 10:46 AM PST up reply actions
C'mon dude
It wasn’t just our division that led to our 13-3 record. We beat a ton of good teams (including yours) and won a lot of road games against tough teams.
Were the 49ers lucky this year? Sure. But they were certainly UNLUCKY in the biggest game of all, the NFC Championship game.
Having Ginn out so Williams had to start, having that stupid ref blow a play dead that wasn’t and would’ve led to a fumble by the Giants deep in their own territory, having our safety knock out one of our starting DBs and miss on a sure interception…. then having the replacement DB give up the Giants second TD…
The Giants got their luck at the right time and kudos to you guys. But don’t give me any BS about the 49ers not having earned their spot in the championship game.
Completely agree
You were 13-3 for a reason. Harbaugh deserves Coach of the Year with good reason. I’m just reacting to charges of luck.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 10:51 AM PST up reply actions
There is no doubt
The Giants were luckier in this particular game. I said before the game that it would come down to turnovers and it did.
In truth, these are evenly matched teams. We have the better defense, you have the better offense (the margin here being wider than our defense over your defense), we have the better special teams (with Ginn returning punts). This game could have easily gone either way.
Kudos to the Giants for making the plays when they had to. They deserve the win.
turnovers
didn’t have any turnovers this game… our offense cant score many points..we need the turnovers… we need a better offensive scheme… figure out a way to put more points up…without the 5 turnovers we were able to get against the saints we would have been blown out for example
seriously?
coach of the year for what?
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
hmmm
Great statement…9ers have a good defense… trouble is… super bowls are won by great quarterbacks…Alex smith is not a great quarterback… In fact he is very similar to Harbaugh when he played…just ok… in fact the 9ers team concept is very similar to the bears during Harbaughs tenure… they could never produce enough points to get them over the hump…great d but not enough O. This league recently has been designed to support offense and I’m afraid the Harbaughs brung an old school philosophy to the game.. Defense no longer decides championships….watch the super bowl and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about..If the 9ers hadn’t managed an uncommon amount of turnovers ex: vs saints..we wouldnt be having this conversation..
huh?
you said
coach of the year for what?
which I take to mean you don’t think he should be coach of the year. Nothing in what you said explains to me why you think he shouldn’t win coach of the year.
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
he's a rookie coach who took a 6-10 team to 13-3
\won the division for the first time since 2002, had #2 seed in the playoffs, home field throughout and barely lost to the Giants in the NFC Championship. If you have a better argument for someone else, I’m all ears.
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
that all sounds great
He did a good Job… so did Detroit…so did New Orleans,,,broke all kind of records…so did green bay…etc…Harbaugh is in the running… But there were a lot of great coaching jobs this year… unfortunately your only as good as your last game in this league…I think it is probably going to the giants… and I’m no giant fan… but I’m being realistic..Drew Brees for instance with all the records he broke this year want get MVP… its gonna be ELi or Tommy…why? they’re in the big game my friend
so you think Coughlin will win it because they made it to the Super Bowl?
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
no giant fan
Unfortunately true…look at the story… giants were 7 and 7… made it to the playoffs…won 3 games…betting good teams…I don’t like it either… but when you make it to the big game and you know this…you tend to get all the rewards
I'm interested in how true this actually is
but when you make it to the big game and you know this…you tend to get all the rewards
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
You know the awards have already been cast and are based on reg season, Yes?
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
hmm
that I honestly did not know… if so…why do they wait so long to announce it?
To extend the pro football season as much as possible
The NBA announced their MVP, Sixth Man of Year, Coach and Rookie of Year awards throughout the playoffs. I think that MLB announces theirs after the World Series. It’s meant to stay in the public eye as much as possible.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Not many injuries, but new Coaching Staff
Niners may not have had as many injuries as the Giants, but we had a HUGE disadvantage this year coming in with an entirely new coaching staff, and the lockout on top of that.
by kailuakid9er on Jan 23, 2012 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
Good thing we played the NFC East this year
3-1 helped the record
by mrg80 on Jan 23, 2012 12:48 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Lucky? Yes
And nothing to be ashamed of. Had we won last night because our OT punt accidentally hit a NY player in FG range, I’d take the win. It would be a lucky finish despite having outplayed NY for mostly the entire game.
Now, let’s deconstruct your boilerplate 2008 argument. How exactly is the NFCW patsy? Is this the division with two top 10 pass defenses? The one with two top 10 overall defenses? The division that played the best 2011 division in its interconference schedule (AFC North)? Went 3-1 vs the NFC South and 2-2 in road games against the NFC North? The one whose top three teams went 7-5 vs the NFC East? Seems that playing in the East should help one earn a higher seed, yet the division topped out at 9 wins.
I covered your incorrect injuries argument in a post above.
Turnovers are part of the strategy of the team. Next season may certainly see an increase in turnvoers committed but the overall plus/minus ratio will likely be similar. Certain teams build themselves this way and if they can keep the same foundation (coaches, scheme, players) they will remain similar year to year. The Steelers are a good example of this.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
One year does not a division make
Historically, it has never been much of a division. Usually one good team per year at best (or in the case of the 7-9 Seahawks, none). For a 15-year period (1980-95), you could sum up the NFL with six teams. The Niners (five super bowl wins), Cowboys (3), Skins (3), Giants (2), and the Bears (1). Think Oakland sneaked in one year. Notice anything about that list? If the East is down this year, hey, they deserve a rest. It is an anomaly.
On injuries, check injured reserve for both teams. My only point is, you can’t bank on coming back strong next year with just a tweak or two. Though I’ll admit, the Niners have done it a ways back. The Giants never have. It ain’t easy to be in the playoffs every year.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 2:02 PM PST up reply actions
Your history would be wrong
Rams were a top team from ‘82-’89; you may recall that they defeated NY in the ‘89 playoffs. Their one playoff-less season in that period of time (1987) was the same as New York’s. Actually, they made the playoffs more often during that span than either NY or Washington did. Their problem was that they couldn’t get past SF.
Coinciding with this period of time, New Orleans became a very good team (1987-1993). They too couldn’t overcome SF except for 1991, which happens to be another year where 2 NFCW teams made the playoffs. The West produced multiple playoff teams in 1982, ’83, ’84, ’85, ’86, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’96, ’98, ’00, ’01. Then realignment happened. Understand how impressive that this was during a time where, pre-1990, only two wild cards were granted in addition to three division winners.
The greatest NFL team of all time (1989 49ers) went 14-2 while playing in a division that had an 11-5 Rams and 9-7 Saints team, while also beating the 12-4 Giants, 11-5 Eagles, and division champ Bills. They then had to beat those Rams for the NFC Championship.
As for the division now, it is ascending after a few down years, as it should with good draft picks and new coaches.
Anything else you’d like corrected?
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
not
The greatest NFL team ever was the 1985 Chicago Bears…of course its been a rocky road for those Bears since then… But that team was the most dominate team in NFL history
Not even close
They were not better than the 49ers of 1984; a comparison that is makeable seeing as how the ‘84 championship game was Bears @ Niners. The ’85 Bears players and coaches played that ’84 team months before their great run and got shutout. The Niners’ lone loss in ‘84 was by a late FG. They didn’t seek or suck us as much oxygen as the ‘85 Bears but were better, and even they weren’t as good as the ’89 Niners, a team that had more depth than any team will likely ever have again.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Montana
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were one of the best combos ever… the 9ers were one of the best teams ever back in the day… I have never seen a more dominant football team than the 1985 Chicago Bears.. I remember what I saw…. There are no stats or arguments that your gonna come up with thats gonna erase that fact
See what you see
But facts, stats, rosters, eye-ball test, HOF players and coaches, and reality all show the ‘89 Niners to be better. It’s actually not even a debate.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
I always thought it was a coin flip.
85 Bears, 89 Niners. They just killed the competition. The best any team did against the Bears was the Giants. They lost 21-0. Settle for a tie.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 24, 2012 5:23 PM PST up reply actions
saints
saints win was differently the 9ers high point …9ers had a outer body experience for their last 2 drives in that game and pulled out a win somehow..but if you make a team turn the ball over 5 times yah shouldn’t have to pull off a last second touch down to win . 9ers should have won by at least 20 with that many turnovers.The question is..is the saints offense that good or is the 9ers offense that bad.. I’d say its a little bit of both. Looks like the 9ers left all that defensive aggression on the field vs saints. Didn’t bring it to the giants game that’s for sure…if they did they may have been able to squeak out another win
Each turnover is different, not part of a collection
The first turnover saved 3 points but also gave the Niners awful field position, thus no points scored. The second created seven points. The third created three. The fourth came on 3rd and long and was an INT deep downfield, thus no different in game terms from a punt. The fourth led to three points.
As for this:
Looks like the 9ers left all that defensive aggression on the field vs saints. Didn’t bring it to the giants game that’s for sure
I’m not sure what you were looking for but the Niners’ defense dominated NY the entire 2nd half. The Giants didn’t cross midfield the entire 2nd half. Eli got beat up. The NY receivers were going down to avoid contact. Without one accidental muffed punt, the Giants would’ve ended the game stuck on ten points, shutout in three of the four quarters. How is that not aggressive?
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
no tunovers
the 9ers offense didn’t exactly rock the world . Did not take advantage of the great play by the 9er defense. Play all the defense you want but if you don’t put points on the board you will lose. example saints game … D came up with 5 turnovers…and it took a outer body experience by Alex to pull out a win… 9ers need to find some offense than this game is a cake walk…
nd it took a outer body experience by Alex to pull out a win
the phrase you’re looking for is " out of body experience."
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
Good teams yes, but repeated SB contenders, no.
Simple fact. The NFC East has the most NFC champions (19) and the most SB winners (11). Your argument is strained at best. I lived in the bay area in the period you cite. Niner fans knew they had a patsy division, and laughed about it. It ensured that the Niners got to the playoffs no matter what injuries they had. They were called the Beasts of the East for a reason. They real problem for NFC East teams was that there were four real playoff quality teams in most years. You slip up a little and you were out. The Niners never had that concern.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 24, 2012 5:20 PM PST up reply actions
Niner fans knew they had a patsy division, and laughed about it.
Spoiled Niners fans then looked down on every team. Thought you knew?
NFC East teams was that there were four real playoff quality teams in most years.
Untrue. As St. Louis/Phoenix?Arizona was not during that time, that leaves four. Of the remaining four, Dallas was a joke from ‘86-’90. NY wasn’t playoff for seven of the nine years from ‘91 through ’99. Philadelphia was poor in the mid 80s, fell off after Buddy Ryan’s few years of success, then hit rock bottom before Reid & McNabb saved them. During their rise, Dallas fell hard and NY was up down. You’ll note that the Redskins, post 1992, aren’t even worth mentioning.
The East had no more playoff teams than the West, despite the West having one fewer team for many of those years.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
One other thing
Mostly outplayed the Giants the whole game? Really? Check most total yards in the game, Giants had more. 3rd down conversions? Do I need to go there? I know, I know, we can slice and dice stats endlessly and SF has its share of positives. SF defense played like monsters at the end, but I’d say the Giants won the first half and SF won the second. In the end, a fumble decided it. Most games are like that.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
We get it, we suck at 3rd downs
Did you get tired of celebrating on Big Blue View?
by SharkKings49 on Jan 23, 2012 2:34 PM PST up reply actions
Actually, yes
They are way too giddy over there. Euphoria scares me. I start to think we are doomed. I’m better with pessimism. Probably because I started rooting for the Giants in 1965.
by Maryland Fan on Jan 23, 2012 2:48 PM PST up reply actions
Yes, really
Niners were the better team in the 1st, 3rd & 4th quarters. The running game was beating NY up in the 2nd half but we foolishly went away from it. Did NY even cross midfield in the second half?
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
I figured 9-7.
I figured with Harbaugh that we could improve our record and had a good chance of winning the division. This season was so far beyond my expectations that even with this loss I can’t be disappointed.
I think the limitations of talent we had on our roster finally caught up. By the end of the year it was clear that the team didn’t have a sufficient wide receiver corps. Crabtree will never be a number one receiver. Ginn has improved more than I expected, but he’s still fragile. Edwards never panned out. Morgan’s broken leg eventually took its toll.
I’m guessing right now that the Niners are trying to figure out how to add a couple of very good wide receivers to the roster for next year.
but then I have a reading problem...
by Bob In Beaverton on Jan 23, 2012 9:06 AM PST reply actions
"Crabtree will never be a number one receiver."
Michael Crabtree is 24 years old. Let’s calm down with the “never will be” talk.
Did anyone think Victor Cruz would ever be a number one receiver? Guess what, he’s 25 years old.
I think we’ll learn more about Crabtree over the next 2 seasons than we have learned in his entire career so far.
Rays in '08.... Desmond Jennings - the breakout continues.....
by youALREADYknow on Jan 23, 2012 9:10 AM PST up reply actions
Especially after seeing a young Alex improve
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Everything I have to say has been said, but I have to unburden myself anyway
first, i scanned the wire last night after the game to get some quotes and stuff, and saw the media trying to give eli the credit for yesterday’s ‘comeback win’. really?! 17 points in regulation including 7 from a drive that started in the red zone on a throw against our 4th string corner who’s actually our 5th best corner but is active because of his utility to special teams, plus two pics that weren’t pics only because our guys ran into one another? grrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….
second, gore/hunter were averaging 5 yards a carry- why did they have 20 carries combined, a number that includes all those stupid draws out of shotgun formations that never ever work for us (roman’s answer to the 90’s sweep play)? the giants stuck with bradshaw on the kind of quick hitting inside runs that we were having a lot of success with early in the game and that helped them stay balanced and have shorter more managable 3rd downs to convert. why did we get away from that stuff again???
i sort of hope roman gets hired away this offseason. he’s made a few great calls, but in totality i don’t think he calls a good game.
third, granted alex did not have his best game and was not throwing receivers open or into tight spaces, but our outside guys were wearing dbs like sweet and sour sauce on deep fried pork every time the cameras bothered to look. crabtree especially, and he would just stop when he was covered after his first break, even if alex was scrambling. that guy completely messed the bed during the playoffs.
finally, we got comprehensively destroyed in special teams in that game, and I never ever saw that coming. this is not just because of williams fumbles, but also because of the fair caught punts where no one was within 15 yards of him. i can’t help but think some dingaling coach was telling him all week ‘when in doubt, fair catch’, and ‘if the ball’s on the ground, stay clear’ (given his dangerous decision to the contrary against the rams), only to tell him on the sidelines during the game ‘you have to return those’ and, ‘the net yards here are killing us’. In particular, you can see him freak out on the punt he muffed when he realizes the thing is going to roll another 15 yards.
utter speculation on the coaching exchanges, but the kid just looked like he had a head full of mixed messages. he would’ve been much better off just playing.
we also got killed when we were doing the punting. lee had a bad game by his standards and a bad playoffs, frankly. when’s the last time you saw us punt from the 50 and the other team start outside the 20? moreover the punt coverage was playing at half speed somehow compared to the rest of the year. every punt exchange we were losing bunches of yards, and a lot of that was on the punting team. killer.
Yeah, I'm sorry, Eli played a tough game, but 5.4 YPA is terrible
And he didn’t have to “lead” any sort of comeback. Kyle Williams handed him the ball on an extremely short field twice, and he got ten points out of it. Congrats. Eli was shut down in the 2nd half.
"My father's name is art, and my name's pride, and while my destiny reads a recipe for confusion I'm looking for whoever writes, so empty inside." -Slug
by the guy on Jan 23, 2012 9:18 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
exactly
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:33 AM PST up reply actions
Without the muffed punt, Eli was shutout
That was incredible defense by SF.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
if Williams didn’t muff that punt, we would have had an opportunity to put a drive together that would have clinched the game. not that we would have succeeded, but that muff gave the Giants new life in the 2nd half after they had done nothing all half. The defense then had to come onto the field again in a horrible position.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:54 AM PST up reply actions
Agree all the way except maybe on Lee...
I was going ballistic all night about the lack of rhythm to the run game. When Gore touched it—with few exceptions—great things happened. We just did too little to get him the ball enough and in space. Yes they were run blitzing first down, begging us to throw, but we’ve got to adjust with screens and quick stuff underneath. Didn’t do it. Our offensive coaches got worked last night. I mean, we have Akers over there, having the season of his life, and we got him only one freaking kick when we had solid field postion all night. Crazy. And combined with the Special Teams let down, we simply lost 2 of the 3 unit battles and thus, the game.
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:52 AM PST up reply actions
9ers ranked 31st in NFL in 3rd down conversions in reg season 29.4%, worst in post season 5 of 28 17.9%
that’s gotta be the biggest offseason improvement
That's because it's almost always 3rd and long
After a shotgun draw or some other predictable run middle
Yes
This is why we’ll be blowing people out next year instead of just squeaking by in games.
Seriously, this team is going to be a monster for years to come.
Yup. I hate the New York Giants again.
Everytime I forget about the rivalry it comes back, pisses me off, and makes me rabid like a dog once again.
For those of you that weren’t yet 49ers fans in the Montana era, this game was pure Deja Vu. As Fooch pointed out, this isn’t the first time the 49ers have hosted the Giants at Candlestick Park in the NFC Championship. And it also isn’t the first time we had a fumble that led to the Giants game winning field goal. January of 1991 and 2012 happened so similarly that I feel sick to my stomach. Both defensive struggles and with the same result (and if I’m not mistaken, the game winning FG by NYG was through the same uprights in the same endzone).
However, at least we didn’t lose Montana last night, right? I try not to remember that one (thank God for Steve Young, though).
I’m not going to review this season or this game anytime soon. With all the flaws otherwise, we still can’t deny Kyle Williams was the goat of the game. We had opportunity to win the game, and he coughed it up. Its a shame, because he’s a good kid, a good player, and this was a fantastic run by a young team and a golden opportunity.
I’m still licking my wounds, but I’m ready to move on to the off-season, stockpile this team with more talent (playmaking WRs please), and give Harbaugh a chance to work his magic throughout the off-season, especially on Alex Smith and the other QBs.
Alex Smith went from "We Want Carr!" to "The Run" and "The Catch 3."
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith are our future!
Giants Baseball: Torture. It hurts so good.
Ouch. At least out here we can come together and you know, spoon in bed and all that jazz. lmao. Do you have a bubble to hide in or something?
Although I have to say, we have to see a lot of Raiders fans, and they can be as annoying as anyone.
Alex Smith went from "We Want Carr!" to "The Run" and "The Catch 3."
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith are our future!
Giants Baseball: Torture. It hurts so good.
Giants fans aren't even the worst of it
it’s the media and how triumphalist/hyperbolic/east coast centric. They’re all about printing legends here.
So I’m in tv/tabloid lockdown. On the subway I’ve got my eyes glued to whatever I’m reading to avoid the tabloid backpage someone is invariably holding up.
Ahhhhhhhhhh…. I so wish Green Bay had beaten these jokers.
Heard on the radio this morning
Larry Krueger was in the booth space next to Buck & Aikman. He said when NY won, lots of the guys around them (grips, producers) were high-fiving eitehr because they are NYG fans or because the east coast teams won. Buck certainly sounded more thrilled at the NY TDs.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Nice and i was going through the same thought process of 1990 and Roger Craigs fumble ...
… Cant’ Wait , Can’t wait , Can’t Wait …!!
I'm your " Huckelberry "...it's just my game ..( .AleX ) was asked , what do you think about all the game manager talk ... AleX i guess i just managed myself a VIctory ... Extend the Man ...!!
Yea the quiker t we put a thread about free-agent prospects n draft picks the
better its not all a lost we got winter x games on thursday thru the weekend n senior bowl to in saying that going 2 the SB would tromp all that.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
Can anyone explain why Crabtree was invisable in the biggest game of the year?
whereas Victor Cruz tore us up in the biggest game of the year.
Take away Vernon….and imagine what the score could have been.
Al season long including this game Poor 3rd down conversion rate I tie completely to poor WR play (except for Morgan who was tearing it up before his injury)
Im going to stop now….by again saying VERY PROUD of what this team accomplished and look forward to a kick ass draft!
if we are playing "what ifs" and hypotheticals...
then what about taking away Kyle Williams instead of VD, then what happens? Fact is everything that happend, happend. The bad AND the good.
Crabtree is poor against the jam
especially on a slow field, The Giants jammed him seemed like every play. The guy couldn’t get a release and couldn’t get out of first gear. And then his quotes after the game were just classless. No doubt he’ll be ‘injured’ again during the 2012 preseason.
If it were up to me, I’d be looking for a way to offload that guy pronto.
whatd he say?
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:30 AM PST up reply actions
Said Smith should have gotten him the ball because he’s a playmaker. Said to throw it to him even if he’s covered.
by sportsguy950 on Jan 23, 2012 9:34 AM PST up reply actions
Well,
Crabs has very good hands, and he has impeccable timing when it comes to Balls he has to go up and get. I kinda wish alex woulda taken a few more chances honestly, because he was AWFUL on the shrt passing plays and slants
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:36 AM PST up reply actions
On every replay
He was perfectly fitted with a db right on top of him in the passing lane. He’s not Jimmy Graham. There has to be some separation.
by BKisforSF on Jan 23, 2012 9:39 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
I didn’t see the replays, and I have ehard differing opinions on whether or not he was blanketed that often… So i dunno
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:40 AM PST up reply actions
Michael Crabtree
For a player that doesn’t have great speed, needs to be a good route runner and have great hands. He has soft hands, but is awful at catching constistently. Constantly drops the ball, and accounts for many picks due to his drops. He just isn’t good enough as a number one.. forget about people talking about Alex being a bust… Crabtree is the real bust.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Yea he's starting to look like a 6th round draft pick with a 1st round mouth!
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 9:51 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
ya I saw some replays where he did get open
but I the problem was that Smith already checked down or he was scrambling because of the pressure. He was
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
Well,
EVERY WR will get open after 6 or 7 seconds. That is football. He was playing corner for the first five seconds. Was in the DB’s pocket all the time.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
But there were times
When Cruz was blanketed and Manning was able to “throw him open”. At some point, you have to take chances and let your receivers make a play. They can’t do that if you never put the ball up there.
Alex was able to do that when we were behind this year, but he doesn’t yet do it when we’re tied or looking for a “put the game away” score. He needs to be more aggressive with his throws.
dunno about that
Agreed that Alex should’ve taken more chances in certain of those situations, but on none of those replays did I see anything resembling an opportunity. Crabtree is not Megatron or even close in terms of height, leaping ability or hands. Even if he were so good on jump balls, it would take a perfect pass on a wet day in the wind plus a great catch to execute against that kind of blanket coverage, to say nothing of the high risk of interception.
Crabtree simply didn’t give his qb a chance to make a play, to use his parlance. And that’s on him.
As to Manning, he tried to go to Cruz a bunch in that second half only to pull the ball back when he saw Rogers blanketing him. Hence more than one of those sacks. He does try to fit the ball into tight spaces, perhaps more so than most qbs, but he can’t make water into wine. And neither can Alex.
Alex should have taken more chances
in my opinion. At some point, you have to lob it up there and hope your guys make a play, especially at the end of each half. At that point, the “safety first” mentality has to be thrown out the window. You have to go and win the game. He threw away way too many balls. You can do that in the 1st quarter or the 3rd, but not when the game is on the line.
Hopefully he’ll take more chances next year. I think he will, because the team will be better and we won’t be in constant nail-biter games. We’ll be blowin’ people out.
If it was up to me i would get OC who knows how to take advantage
of teams with our tight-ends we have 2 of the most dynamic tight-ends in the NFL yet we don’t consistently take advantage on mis-matches wtf????
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 12:00 PM PST up reply actions
Games like this show separate the good from the great.
I had high hopes for Crabtree after his late season surge, but he was abysmal in the playoffs. Really disappointed. Vernon Davis and Victor Cruz showed just how great they are. Pretty simple.
Alex Smith went from "We Want Carr!" to "The Run" and "The Catch 3."
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith are our future!
Giants Baseball: Torture. It hurts so good.
-show. lol
Alex Smith went from "We Want Carr!" to "The Run" and "The Catch 3."
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith are our future!
Giants Baseball: Torture. It hurts so good.
and he gives Kyle the look
as if he had the right to be laying the blame; but of course, compared to Kyle’s night struggling to get open is like drinking milk a day past the exp. date
by Doni S on Jan 23, 2012 10:47 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Can anyone explain why Crabtree was invisable in the biggest game of the year?
The Giants defense played coverage rushing 4 and dropping 7 the entire game. The Giants LBs also dropped into a deep zone coverage. It was the Giants game plan to make the 49ers throw into tight coverage. I’ve been waiting for a team to try this, cause we all know Alex doesn’t like throwing into tight windows which was all that was available.
The 49ers passing offense had been living on teams blitzing them all season. Yes, they would get their share of bad plays against the blitz but would also break a few plays in single coverage to give them an extra 7-10 points per game. Giants figured this out. Smith wasn’t throwing into coverage and the coaching staff lost patience running the ball for no good reason.
I was impressed...
…how much pressure they consistently got rushing only 4. Bodes well for them against the Pats.
It really sucks
Because I don’t feel like the Niners got beat by a better team. They just gave the game away.
"My father's name is art, and my name's pride, and while my destiny reads a recipe for confusion I'm looking for whoever writes, so empty inside." -Slug
again
please, none of this. I actually agree to a point, but remember how some of the Saints fans were? Lets not be that fanbase. We are just as good as any team in the league. Hopefully Justin can continue at this pace, and guys for the most part improve, and we come back next year with HFA throughout despite our insane schedule and blow the doors off these big blue fools.
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:28 AM PST up reply actions
home & away "games" are published
schedule with dates is not
we are on the road vs Pats, Jets, Packers and Saints
I see no problem with this
We’ve already proven we can beat good teams on their field. Patriots especially I have no fear of. That pathetic D will get roasted by Eli and Co. in the SB.
Jets are a mess and will be no match for our boys.
Pack and Saints will be tough, but they both have vulnerable D’s that we should be able to score on.
Everyone has to realize that we have an ELITE defense. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, we had an elite offense, but now it’s the D that has that title. When you have an elite unit, then you ALWAYS have a chance to win games (like the Saints and Pack have elite offenses).
Our defense is only going to get better as we increase the talent level at the DB position (especially our backups). This defense will be elite for YEARS and will ensure that we’re contending for the Super Bowl every season from now on.
maybe
But we’ll be playing Lions, Bears, Pats, Giants, Saints, Packers, Vikes, Miami and Buffalo. We’ll have to go 4-2 in division and 6-3 outside of the division just to get to 10-6. Doable, but not easy.
7-1 at home, 5-3 on road means 12-4
I see the Niners, way in advance here, going 5-1 in the division again. 3-1 vs AFC East. 3-1 vs NFC North. Then split the road other two games (@Saints, vs NY). Injuries could drop another game or two off that, or an improved receiving core and more comfortable offense (with an offseason) could see this team go 8-0 at home and still have a winning road record (13 or 14 wins).
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
I disagree
The game was there for the taking on numerous occasions and they couldn’t/didn’t take it. It shouldn’t have even gone to OT. The defense stopped them so many times in the second half and the offense could just not move the ball.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 9:35 AM PST up reply actions
or a special teams guy handed them the only 7 points they scored in the second half.
"It's impossible to hide the fire inside" - Bob Seger
Again, it shouldn't have come down to that
My hope is that what this game showed Harbaugh (both brothers really since they are in similar situations) is that your offense has to alleviate some of the pressure from your defense and ST.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 9:51 AM PST up reply actions
totally agree
yeah, the offense had its usual issues, but the offense didn’t turn the ball over either. These close games usually get decided on a turnover. It’d be one thing if the Giants had a better game plan and executed better and just made a few more plays and won. But we didn’t need to assist in their victory! It’s not as if the two fumbles were jarring hits. Williams got close to a punt that he let bounce (A HUGE MENTAL LAPSE) and the return fumble was caused by a guy getting his fingertips on the ball. He wasn’t even hit. He was reckless with the ball and it cost us the game.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:40 AM PST up reply actions
Totally agree but if you keep giving a team the ball back timte after time a good
team is to going to find a way to bea to beat you eventually but i do agree with you
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 10:06 AM PST up reply actions
If our offense had managed to be just "OK"
We could have won this, no problem.
However, due to a combination of poor execution and questionable play calling (when you find something that works – GO BACK TO IT until they can stop it), I really cannot say we were the better team.
Our offense has been our weak link all year, but it had been good enough. Not last night…
by ColoradoNiner on Jan 23, 2012 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
Did I just stumble into McCovey Chronicles?
If our offense had managed to be just “OK”
We could have won this, no problem.
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
On the plus side...
…building a great offense is easier than building a great defense, and Baalke seems to know what he’s doing.
All of this is fair.
My point is, were the Giants really the better team last night? It doesn’t feel like it to me, which is why this loss hurts.
"My father's name is art, and my name's pride, and while my destiny reads a recipe for confusion I'm looking for whoever writes, so empty inside." -Slug
by the guy on Jan 23, 2012 11:19 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Kyle gave the game away
there’s a difference
by Doni S on Jan 23, 2012 10:48 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
hmm
the 9ers squeaked out a win against a better team the week before…than got beat by a lesser team the week after…its poetic justice… the luck ran out… that’s the reality of the situation…the giants luck will run out in the big show…Alex lost to a better QB that’s all…should have lost to a even better QB the week before…
What is crazy is...
We had the best 49er win in a decade last week and the worst loss in two decades this week. The emotional rollercoaster is just crazy.
It was a great season, but this offseason will feel too long. Normally baseball got me through the offseason but I don’t think it will this year.
by renke81 on Jan 23, 2012 9:29 AM PST via Android app reply actions
Mets fan
:(
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:31 AM PST up reply actions
A's fan here
Yeah I don’t think it will help at all
Hockey. At least there's some freakin hitting!
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:54 AM PST up reply actions
I became a Cubs fan after moving to Chicago from Nor Cal.
It sucks real bad. Not looking good for this year.
It takes time to learn the offense.
I really hope Alex Smith brings in his WRs over the break and practice like crazy, knowing Smith’s insane work ethic.
There's just a lack of talent at WR
mostly due to injury
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
Mostly due to the bust Michael Crabtree
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
~70
catces and ~900 yards in this offense… and hes a bust? Crabs had a damn good year and he missed a few games also.
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 9:41 AM PST up reply actions
Don't care if he had one decent season.
He’s been a distraction and a problem every season – starting with his rookie hold-out. Also, never been supportive of Alex. Vernon saw through his diva BS and called him out at the start of the season.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
by teekay on Jan 23, 2012 9:49 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Crabtree is a solid #2, great #3 WR
I’m confident that’s where he will be next year. They need a huge influx of talent at the WR position across the board and I think they’ll get it.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 9:54 AM PST up reply actions
Crabtree is the guy next to the guy
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
Well,
I wouldn’t call accounting for a third of our Passing yards on the season as a decent year. he was very good, and Vernon has been a “diva” in the past. He is a very very good #2.
Proud die-hard of the NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers!
Whose got it better than us??? NOBODY!
by MetsKnicksRutgers on Jan 23, 2012 10:20 AM PST up reply actions
if anyone
Vernon is the diva. Spike the ball go to the sideline. Not stand on the podium.
by mcwagner on Jan 23, 2012 10:22 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I'd take the 15 yard penalty for excessive celebration every time for a TD.
Much better than a WR playing DB :). The Giants were already in nickel thanks to Crabtree.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
meh I agree with Harbaugh
that him hopping on the podium for 2.5 seconds is really no different from a Packer player doing the Lambeau Leap which usually takes a good 10-15 seconds. It’s lame that he got flagged for that IMO
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
by 49erLou on Jan 23, 2012 11:56 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Wow....
…that is a very good point! I was very down on VD, but really, what’s the difference between that and the Lambeau Leap?
they mentioned it in the game that Harbaugh was arguing that is was no different then the Lambeau Leap
but Buck said that the officials said the Lambeau Leap was different because it was “grandfathered into the league.” A bunch of hypocritical bullshit if you ask me, I personally don’t blame VD for that penalty at all
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
A distraction and a problem?
No.
The hold-out? Do you REALLY think that the hold-out was a 22-year old’s fault and not his agent’s?!
"It might be time to give Alex some credit, huh?" - Harbaugh
Toughest losses
The ‘91 Championship game would be #1 but #2 would be the 1972 NFC Divisional vs Dallas, blowing a 21-3 lead and losing after Preston Riley fumbled the onsides kick. That Niners team would’ve hosted Washington in the NFC title game.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
1983 and 1992 were also tough ones, but this one has to be up there.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:42 AM PST up reply actions
The ’83 season loss was to a better team in the Redskins, at their place. Great comeback by Montana but Washington had been the better team all season and game. What I enjoy is how that team used such a tight loss to fuel them the next season in a dominant 15-1 run and SB champs with arguably the greatest secondary the NFL has seen.
Yesterday, and ‘91 (and ’72), the Niners were the better team and lost. It’s always better to see a team win a game, as NY and SF did one week ago.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
1983
the Redskins were a great team, but the way that game turned on total BS PI calls made it much worse, especially after the comeback. I was 8 years old at the time and it was my first heartbreaking loss as a 49er fan. To me it was the worst ever! But yesterday and 1991 were probably more heartbreaking because he gave the games away.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 10:02 AM PST up reply actions
Oh yeah, those were horrible calls on the final drive
But my thinking was more that without them, it’s still a tie game, and Washington missed three or four FGs that would’ve put the game away. Still, one of Montana’s greatest comebacks is forgotten since we didn’t win, but it was a historical effort on his part (and the game of Mike Wilson’s career).
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Wow, you'd rank that ahead of 2 Championship games and a blown 18 point lead against Dallas?
The ‘88 Vikings loss sucked but it had been a strike year so it wasn’t clear that the disparity between the Niners and Vikings was as large as their reg season records (13 wins v 8 wins)
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
It's the agony of defeat and the desire to be champions
that make this game great. Amazing season, it sucks to have had it end, but I am so pumped for next season!
let me take a break from blaming Kyle Williams and blame the officials instead
the Bradshaw fumble was total BS. The whistle blew after the ball came out. No one stopped their movements and the 49ers recovered it immediately in a natural way. We were screwed.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:50 AM PST reply actions
break time is over
Williams Williams Williams
Unless he morphs into Steve Smith(Panthers) next season, Kyle is on pariah status.
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
I see Williams as one of the few keepers
on O. Couldn’t see how often he was wide open, but last Davis TD he’s sitting in the end zone uncovered. Almost complete do-over at receiver and start mixing CK into the mix to see what we have.
as a 4th reciever, maybe
mentally flawed
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
Agree it seemed BS but Fox's Poster By Ref (what's-his-name) claied it was the right call.
I’m smarting over the INTs that we should have got if guys didn’t collide. And there was one late, that didn’t get much of a replay, that looked as though Eli threw a duck over in the flat and it seemed Brock could have made a break on it for an easy pick six. It was like he didn’t see it come his way for a moment and the chance was gone….URGH.
"We want to win with numbing repetition." -- Jim Harbaugh
by four-nine heavy on Jan 23, 2012 9:56 AM PST up reply actions
Quick whistle
Shouldn’t have been blown but it was. Same thing happened near the goal line in the first game vs NY which prevented a Whitner forced fumble. It’s unfortunate but the rule was correctly applied.
The refs didn’t lose this game and, to their credit, they did not interject themselves into mattering (with the exception of the verbose replay explanation that Vernon’s TD counted). The one officiating mistake I’d like to have gone differently was in the 2Q, when VD was called for a foul after our lineman had his helmet ripped off. If the ref calls the first PF, VD likely does nothing. That’s a 30 year wins in field position, or minimum 15 if it was off-setting. Our drive stalled at the 42yd line so it cost us 3 points.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
sure, after the whistle the call was correct. The whistle was incorrectly blown too soon.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 10:04 AM PST up reply actions
totally agree about that. VD f’d up.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 10:11 AM PST up reply actions
But the OP is correct
The ball came out BEFORE the whistle was blown. So while it may have been a quick whistle, the mistake was that the ball was out before the whistle was blown and it should’ve been a fumble for the 49ers. That would’ve been the clincher and had a huge effect on the game.
I didn't see it as out before the whistle
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
When they showed the replay
You could see the ball get poked out and then the whistle blew.
I think we can all agree that was a relatively quick whistle regardless, especially since most/all other plays weren’t whistled dead as quickly.
Would’ve sealed it for us, but for some reason the Giants get lucky in these championship games against us like no others.
I'll have to watch again
Apparently, Wilbon on PTI agrees with you.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
What also will be interesting
is how Harbaugh drafts and picks up FA after playing a season and know knowing what he really has.
by renke81 on Jan 23, 2012 9:54 AM PST via Android app reply actions
we seem to be quite good with our draft/personnel moves lately. hopefully, that’ll continue.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever
"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.
by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 23, 2012 9:56 AM PST up reply actions
very important offseason
We all saw how close this team is to a successful SB run.
The Dude: Oh boy. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus.
and he did it without really knowing everything about everyone
sure he watched film and Baalke and other coaches knew more. But now hopefully he and Greg and Vic will really know everyone on the team and that will impact draft/personnel moves so much more.
Our defense was so good!
It was really hard watching special teams blow the game.
Our offense needs to improve starting at WR. Offense wins game and defense wins championships. The defense gave the offense every opportunity to win the game and they just couldn’t get it done.
Great season! Hope we get this far next year.
Go 49ers!
Harbaugh -- "We're not into answering questions"
Championship Games
I’ve been watching these for 25 years and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the better team lose both games. Stunning how Baltimore dropped victory, and the Niners muffed it. An SF-Baltimore Super Bowl would’ve given us the better teams.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
The Patriot's D stepped up...
The team as a whole got more physical than they had been all year, for for that matter for the last few years
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:20 AM PST up reply actions
Not impressed
WIth Wolfork, yes, but they allowed Flacco in Cameron’s offense to go ver 300 yards and drive for the winning TD that was luckily dropped.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
I feel the same way
The better team lost in both games. Occasionally it happens in one championship game but first time I ever recall happening in both. Although I’d say the Giants were more deserving of the win than the Pats, at least the Giants played a clean game.
Full agreement
Though not so clean if our D isn’t so good that two men are in position to intercept a pass. The one where Goldson & Brown ran into each other, either one would’ve had a nice runback too.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
hmmm
Ive been watching for 30 years and your right… many times in these playoffs the better team did not win… Pittsburgh vs tebow….saints vs 9ers green bay vs giants… new england is the only team that has won as expected….unfortunately looks like Brady is gonna grab another Lombadi to put on his mantle.
I'd disagree somewhat
I think the two best teams in the NFC were SF and NO, they just happened to play each other in the prior round. I think both are better than GB and NY.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
At least we are not Raider fans
GO Niners
now i kinda know how the Buffalo Bills of the 1990’s feel like
Forget Tebow
Andy Lee is the second coming of Jesus
-ME
So strange
The repeated assumption was that Eli would win the game (the experts obviously didn’t know much about our defense) or that Alex would lose it, at least in comparison to Eli. Neither happened.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
At least now that we lost the homer-shades might lighten up a bit
and people can start being realistic about some of the talent on this team
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:19 AM PST reply actions
its very good
You dont get this far on accident. Room for improvement, but you don’t blow it up and start over
by mcwagner on Jan 23, 2012 10:26 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Obviously not lol
but people were getting way to carried away in the weeks leading up to this…anytime I dared to question anything about the team I got 30 lashings
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
When your #3 WR in the NFC Championship game is a guy plucked off some other team's PS
You have some issues.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
*Nods head solemnly*
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:35 AM PST up reply actions
The defense is elite
And so are the special teams with Ginn returning the ball.
But yes, the offensive talent level is average. Even Gore is not as good as people prop him up to be (I think Hunter should be transitioned in to take the larger part of the snaps next year).
All that said, there’s just a few missing pieces from making this a dominant team that will not have their season ended by a turnover or two. Next year, we will be blowing people out. Mark it.
All in all the best season of 49er football in the past decade
including the best post season game I have ever seen against the Saints. We got a lot out of this season, and we’ll keep improving next season. I have confidence that Baalke and Harbaugh will get the talent we need to do this.
Yes
The future looks bright. Next year will present different challenges but this team should be a contender for quite some time. That’s the most exciting thing about this year…it’s not the end, it’s the beginning.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
Alot of things went our way this year, and Harbaugh was obviously a great heaping gulp of fresh air
Even if we upgrade the roster for next season I don’t know if we’ll win as many games
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:32 AM PST up reply actions
By that I mean can he motivate the team to the same level he did this season?
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:33 AM PST up reply actions
I think he can
A lot of things didn’t go our way this year either. Starting with the lockout and very little training camp. I would not underestimate Harbaugh and his staff including Baalke at the top. There will be more talent on this roster next year, not less.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:38 AM PST up reply actions
Will we go 13-3 or better every year from here on out?
Maybe, maybe not. I’m just saying that I think we’ll be in contention and playing meaningful games late in the season for the foreseeable future.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:35 AM PST up reply actions
We'll definitely be contendors, but the defense played out of it's mind this season
Even if we re-sign Rodger’s, will he have as great a season next year? Can J. Smith continue playing out of his mind as he get’s older? Will the D force as many turn-overs, that tends to be a flukey statistic…there’s alot of questions, the Offense needs to take leap’s and bounds : /
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:38 AM PST up reply actions
yep
That’s the problem – turnovers are extremely flukey.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
Was that sarcasm lol
Turn-over’s are ridiculously flukey from year to year, even amongst great D’s
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:41 AM PST up reply actions
No you're right.
They are extremely flukey. You can’t tell how a fumble bounces, etc.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
It wasn't just that they casued TO's though
They didn’t commit them either. I think a lot of that has to be attributed to coaching.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:50 AM PST up reply actions
Without doubt
Also being able to force fumbles, with brilliant tackling. But to have a season like we did again, is unlikely – not impossible. The Saints, when they won their SB, were getting 2 fumbles every game their way. That was lucky. This season, they had the lowest turnovers in the whole league I think.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
I think the defense should not have to carry this team like they did this year
I think that ultimately there are limitations to that style of play. Yes, the offense needs to improve dramatically and I think they will.
You can say turnovers are flukey but I would say that the turnover margin has to be largely traced back to the job the coaching staff has done and will continue to do. Will they lead the league in TO margin next year? Perhaps not, but I think they will be right there again.
Bottom line for me…they will have more talent on the roster next year.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:45 AM PST up reply actions
One thing about the d
Aldon Smith. I garuntee if he played all 16 games he would have had that rookie sack record.
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 10:47 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Will Aldon be an every down player next year?
I would think so.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:48 AM PST up reply actions
His success may of partly been from being so fresh...I have my reservations lol
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:50 AM PST up reply actions
Makes sense for the rookie in a lockout year I suppose
But now he has a full offseason to condition and work out with thw traning staff.
extrabaggs
"Just your typical Giants scoring rally: A faceburger on the basepaths, two errors from the second baseman and a bases-loaded balk."
by Badly Browned on Jan 23, 2012 10:52 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
True
But he’s very young. He’s going to get bigger and stronger and better. That’s not Cool Aid, that’s just logic.
by AptosNinerFan on Jan 23, 2012 10:53 AM PST up reply actions
Been watching Niners for over 60 years
Best Niner Defense EVER! The O gave them no help. The bombs are nice but going ofer on third downs has been this team’s trademark during its ugly years & continued Sunday when they acted like the Giants were the ‘85 Bears.
Disappointed in the O coaching and execution. Sure the receiver dept was lacking, but take some chances. The gadget play was inept – poor spacing which isn’t that difficult to practice. Shoot, let Soap go out for a halfback pass!
Usually I don’t watch the reruns but I want to see the coach’s film. Was everbody covered? Were there holes for QB options or more of the called run?
Thanks to all the great writers & participants of this blog – it’s been a blast!
"It's been a blast" ? lol
Ninersnation isn’t going to die that sounded like a fairwell message
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:58 AM PST up reply actions
Although I suppose alot of the bandwagoner's will disappear for the next few months...
"Alex Smith has fought through the chaos of SEVEN different O.C.'s...I had trouble with one" -Terry Bradshaw
...and then Singletary opened His Book and it said "thou shalt NOT pass"
by jimisoursavior on Jan 23, 2012 10:58 AM PST up reply actions
Tarell Brown tweet a couple minutes ago:
All good on this end.thanks for all your support n prayers..ill be back even stronger next year.wish i could have kept fighting with my team
I'm sorry ya'll my spelling is off i'm " buzzed "its early in the morning n its only mikes hard lemonade
but i’m not a drinker justve drowning my sorrows n smoking mother-nature can you give me a break?
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 10:27 AM PST reply actions
season
great season, great game, we didnt get the consistancy we needed from our offense to take the next step. but that no surprise vernon davis HUGE UPS he is DEF. OUR BEST OFFFENSIVE WEAPON.
Great season that exceeded all expectations
Though it ended in disappointment it was still a good season and the future is bright.
Time for the offseason to begin. Remember everyone…….PATIENCE!!! :D
"We ask no quarter, we give no quarter" - Jim Harbaugh
Tough way to end the season..
but no one expected this type of success. 49ers faithful, congrats on a successful season. Let’s get it next year…
by SportsGamerShow on Jan 23, 2012 10:57 AM PST reply actions
The season
I am a life long 9ers fan and remember the glory years. When this season started i was just hoping for a slight improvement over last year, this tema blew those out of the water. While I am dissappointed that our season ended yesterday, I am proud that we are back in the running for the post season again in the near future. As for Williams, give the kid a break he was trying his best and it just didn’t work out. I think the whole team will be much improved next year and we can look forward to another playoff run. I am excited fro the future. So fellow 9er faithful keep those heads up and know that we are back and will be a force to recon with for a long while.
When your #3 WR in the NFC Championship game is a guy plucked off some other team’s PS You have some issues.
yeah, i’m sure glad we took the practice squad guy for week 17 who knew the system over giving the future hall of famer a chance, right? at least he knew the system enough to get one target in 2 playoff games, right?
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 23, 2012 11:16 AM PST reply actions
still proud of my 49ERS!
great plays by the guy that forced the 2 fumbles. for a min there it looked as if we was going to pull it of in OT, but it was not meant to be. i hope we come back stronger than ever. good luck to the giants.
Coach Harbaugh is the truth!!
How do you guys think we should play the draft?
I know we need a WR badly…..hopefully we have a shot at an RFA like Bowe in the offseason, but based on our draft position, we’ve got a shot an Kendall Wright or Mohamed Sanu. Your thoughts on these guys? Kendall’s a smaller WR (5’11 ish) but fast, and Sanu is bigger (6’2) but may not ever become a #1 based on scouting reports. He’s also a 4.5 guy, so not a burner.
What would you guys do???
by TotallyBodaciousDude on Jan 23, 2012 11:29 AM PST reply actions
I would want this to be an offensive draft. I like all the players that we have on D.
- thing is to get a good WR like bowe.
Doesn't mean we will keep all those good players on oour D unless their signed already
whats good 2 be in our position is we’re the new pretty girl on the block so people will want to come to the 49ers saying stuff like " i feel this team was a player away from making it 2 the SB"thats whats up n we in cali sunshine pretty women lol.
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 12:33 PM PST up reply actions
NINERS SHAFTED
BIGGEST BS CALL EVER IN THE NFL INTENTIONALY TAKING AWAY THE GAME BY NOT CALLING BRADSHAWS RUN A FUMBLE. i’M NOT SURE NINER FANS UNDERSTAND HOW BLATANT THIS MISSED CALL WAS . I WISH HARBOUGH AND A FEW PLAYERS WOULD MENTION THIS AND STOP ACCEPTING THE SNUB. IMAGINARY WHISTLE BLOWN WAS A COMPLETE FALLACY WE NEED TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT AND FILE A PROTEST OR DO SOMETHING.
If the game came down to two plays
then we didn’t do enough to win. We had our chances and we didn’t capitalize. The refs called an okay game, sure the no call on the fumble hurt but to blame that as a cause for our loss is too far a reach for me.
"We ask no quarter, we give no quarter" - Jim Harbaugh
I still feel sick from that game (kyle williams)
But im exited for how good we can be next year with healthy WR’s and hopefully a great offensive draft pick. Plus i think aldon smith will start next year
crab
No separation. Not due to excellent db play, unless the league is full of excellent db’s? (sarcasm)
TRADE
by TheCatch81 on Jan 23, 2012 12:20 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Trent dilfer just called eli performanece " Brilliant and masterful "coming a game
managing Bum w looking ho was really one of the QBs who won a SB ring because of his defense if i’m correct ray lewis won " mvp "in that SB n if i’m correct trent dilfer got " cut "the very next season (correct please if i’m wrong) he also used those words after tebow "ahem"beat(the ahem was that mike tomlin came in with a wack ass GP 2 stop the run) steelers in the playoffs.Sports media n sports analyst have the east-coast teams so far up their ass they can’t see the west-coast,i’m really wondering can i stop watching espn n the nfl-network 4 2 weeks it will be hard espcially with my-lakers like !#%! but i’m goint 2 try atleast when their talking about football or the SB.?
by Jayubb415rebirth on Jan 23, 2012 12:23 PM PST reply actions
uhh Giants...
"Cruelty, It’s not giving another person what they want. That’s our mindset on defense, to go out and play with everything we have and not give the other team anything." -Patrick Willis
That's how I felt
Still am in shock. Giants played a mean game though. I knew it would be close.
Still a Niner for life! Just wait till we’ve had a full off-season to get ready!
Who's got it better than Honey Badger? Honey Badger don't give a ....
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