Carolina 31 - 49ers 14: HowTheyScored is right: Clearly a trap game

by Fooch on Dec 2, 2007 10:12 PM PST in News Comment 17 comments

I definitely think the 49ers were looking ahead to that huge Vikings matchup next week and the playoff implications they're dealing with. Or maybe they were sad to see Tony Boselli and Ron Pitts performing their magic in St. Louis. Of course, with Minnesota actually in the thick of the playoff race, we may get decent announcers next weekend.

So now that the pipe dream of a winning streak is done, there are a few administrative matters to discuss. My first final is Tuesday and I actually only caught bits and pieces of today's game. I was at the library all day and the game is currently sitting on my TiVo waiting to be watched or deleted. Unfortunately my four exams are staggered over the next two weeks (Tuesday/Friday/Tuesday/Saturday). So while I will be getting posts up it will not as much as one would normally expect.

With that in mind, over the last couple of weeks I've seen more diary activity, which I'd especially like to encourage over the next two weeks. I'm definitely more inclined to promote diaries because of my own lack of time for posting. I still want to get my own post up per day, but it's entirely possible I'll fall below that threshhold the next two weeks, until my winter break starts (counting the days, hours and minutes!).

Apologies for the slowdown as the season is reaching its climax (well maybe not so much a climax for the 49ers). Once I'm finished with exams, I'll definitely be stepping back up and trying to rock 2 or 3 posts a day.

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What happened to Michael Robinson?

Did he get the Wilborn treatment?

by Bob In Pacifica on Dec 2, 2007 10:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I remember...

... seeing him on a couple of occasions. From what I'm reading, the 49ers kept more blockers in again yesterday (because the line sucked so badly). If that's the case, Michael Robinson is the 49ers' best pass blocking back, so if he was ever in the game, he was probably blocking.

by sfgfan on Dec 3, 2007 1:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

good luck

with finals. I don't envy you that - there's one good thing about the working world, no finals.

and ya know, I think we'll be able to keep ourselves busy so don't stress about the site too much. You have enough to worry about.

as for the game... what can I say, we suck. a lot.

Bring back the classic Uni's!

by wjackalope on Dec 2, 2007 11:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Free Frank Gore!

That muffed punt slanted the game the other way rather quickly. There were tons of mistakes in the game, but it almost seems like the loss HAS to be traced back to that one mistake. The 49ers were surviving, even with the offense's multiple miscues. They were right back in contention until that punt set up a TD for Carolina. Carolina turned up the heat as the 49ers decided to hit the AC switch to close out the game.

You know what the frustrating thing about Hostler is? It's not the lack of "imagination," as he has some of that. It's not the poor timing of using his "imagination," as you can justify those decisions, usually. The most frustrating thing, for me, is how early they seem to give up the run. Their most effective weapon of the last two years is Frank Gore. Yet with over a quarter left to go, they decide to set him aside in favor of the VERY inconsistent passing game. That one thing is his most damning trait.

by sfgfan on Dec 3, 2007 1:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

disagree

I think the obvious way to call a defense vs. the 49ers is to just put 8 men in the box and stop Gore. It clearly works - he's had 1 good game all year.

Hostler has to go to the pass because they simply cannot run the ball. I think actually whole "play calling" issue is that the 9ers coach KNOW their passing game sucks, so they are trying to run into strong run defenses, with an underperforming OL.

by zenbitz on Dec 3, 2007 2:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

But....

Frank had 12 carries for 58 yards, which comes out to 4.8 yards per carry. Even with 8 men in the box, Gore was averaging over league average in yards per carry. If you factor in his 5 catches for 53 yards, 17 touches is NOT how you utilize your best player.

I'm not saying he would have continued to average almost five yards per carry if he had kept getting carries, but I'm pretty sure he'd fall in somewhere around league average. If you take away his longest run, 11 yards, he would still be averaging a VERY solid 4.3 yards per carry.

People have complained about not getting Vernon or Lelie into the mix. I still think the 49ers biggest issue is that they give up on the run game too early. Coming into the second half, they were down by 17. That's not enough to justify leaving the run game, not with 30 minutes left.

by sfgfan on Dec 3, 2007 3:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the bigger sin

had to be staying away from the run after making it a 3 point game in the third.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down. Over and over. / My Blog, For Writers

by howtheyscored on Dec 3, 2007 3:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

In all fairness...

... it wasn't a 3-point game for very long at all. The Panthers scored their TD before the 49ers offense even had the opportunity to step onto the field.

From what I remember, they actually did come back to the run at the beginning of the 4th. They were running the no-huddle, and Gore pulled off a couple of big gains. That drive, however, ended in Dilfer's third pick of the day, on first and 10, no less. Nothing is for sure, but that drive could have turned out differently if a running play was called there.

by sfgfan on Dec 3, 2007 4:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

ridiculous

It's crazy to think THIS 49er team would look past playing LSU let alone an actual NFL team. The team is just terrible from an execution standpoint, and no amount of blame on coaching / preparedness.

They got blown out by a bad team because they are a terrible team, that made costly mistakes.

But the mistakes and losing the turnover battle just made a bad game worse - again they were out gained 300:200 yards (roughly) against one of the worst teams in the league (30th offense, 22nd defense by DVOA).

Boy that Andy Lee is something else, though?

by zenbitz on Dec 3, 2007 2:37 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

continuation of first sentence

... accounts for that.

by zenbitz on Dec 3, 2007 2:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Farts..

double farts. That's really all I have to say...stole that from Caddyshack.

Hostler the Horrible

by jfainsf49 on Dec 3, 2007 2:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

If your team is losing games...

... and there's a specific reason such as an injury or a particular weak spot that ruins everything, well, you have something to fix.

... and there's no particular reason and the team seems to be struggling in all kinds of different ways, you fire the coach.

by jaytierney on Dec 3, 2007 4:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

... but it can really be interpreted as both.

The offense, in no easy way to describe, is the end of all that is the 49ers. This has to do with everything from the players (i.e. the OL sucking) to the coaching above them (Warhop and Hostler come to mind).

The problems with this team is pretty widespread, but the majority of them are within the offense. There are all kinds of possible reasons for this that have been discussed too many times here to be rehashed again. Bottom line, Hostler and a few offensive assistants need to be shown the door, opening up space for some new blood.

by sfgfan on Dec 3, 2007 4:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Defense not so bad, considering

When you look at yards per play, the Niners aren't that bad. I remember at one point in the third quarter the defense had been on the field ten minutes more than the offense. You keep doing that over the course of the season and most defenses, no matter how good, will crumble.

No matter who coaches next season, things on the left side of the line will be better because Larry Allen will be gone. I expect the line play to improve. If you can run the ball to both sides of the field, if you can make a few first downs and keep your defense off the field, things get easier for your defense.

But, Jay, I don't disagree with firing the coach. I think his ego is negatively affecting the team, and he's not making up for it with any coaching ability.

by Bob In Pacifica on Dec 4, 2007 8:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No huddle

it seems to me that the niners have the most offensive success when they get into the no huddle, why don't we run that more?

by affan1025 on Dec 3, 2007 10:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe they're not capable of doing it

When a team has to waste a timeout when a team is about to punt to you, and one of your guys roughs the kicker and your opponent keeps the ball anyway, you've got some problems just doing the basics on the field.

by Bob In Pacifica on Dec 4, 2007 8:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No huddle

I think the one of the reasons the 49ers don't go with the no-huddle more often is because they are riddled with inexperience everywhere. Even if Trent Dilfer is a veteran, his supporting cast isn't. The play has to be passed from the booth via headset to helmet. Then Trent has to relay the message somehow to the rest of the team. The 49ers would need to come up with a way to do that without going into a huddle. In bursts, you can call two or three plays in the huddle and hope everyone remembers them. It's more difficult to sustain a no-huddle throughout a drive.

Not only that, I don't think Hostler can call plays that well on the fly. He may be able to do it in small bursts, but can he do it for say, an entire drive? I don't think he could.

by sfgfan on Dec 4, 2007 9:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs