These San Francisco 49ers...
So for contract reasons, The Texans game hasn't yet become available for re-watch. Sadly, I have to admit that after 4 solid months, I let a day go by without a blog post. I am ashamed. Nevertheless, I hope to make it up to my loyal fans by bringing my A-game for the rest of the week. Likewise, I will post a re-watch article when I get a chance to sit down with the game film. First things first though, how 'bout them 9ers?
Offensively, The 49ers are a bit of a loose cannon, especially since Harbaugh inserted Colin Kaepernick at QB. The feeling here is that Alex Smith is actually a better QB, but his potential is maxed out. Jim Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick while he was stuck with an underperforming Alex Smith. Smith had his best year in 2011, but he was still (in my opinion) a game-manager with the benefit of a kick-ass defense. Colin Kaepernick is still on the learning curve, but he has added a new dimension to the offense as a running QB, and he is 3-1 as the starter.
The Patriots, of all franchises, should be able to understand why a QB doesn't just get his job back after recovering from injury. Tom Brady was once a 2nd year player who was thrust into the spotlight by an injury. Kaepernick may not lead his team to a Lombardi trophy this year, but he has earned the starting job by making the most of his opportunity.
Still, Kaepernick is prone to many of the classic running QB pitfalls. In his 4 games as a starter, we have seen highs and lows. Kaepernick has made some poor decisions, including a mind-numbingly-bad fumble on an option pitch. However, Kaepernick has completed 67% of his passes, and rushed for 351 yards. He is largely unproven, but that's what makes him dangerous.
Kaepernick might be the big story, but the most essential part of The 49er offense is Frank Gore. Frank Gore is wildly under-appreciated outside of the Bay Area, but for my money, he is second to Adrian Peterson as the best back in the league. His numbers may not reflect that, but I am consistently impressed by the way that Gore makes his yards. He runs over people, and never says he's sorry. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season, and of all the 1,000 yard rushers, he has the least attempts. Did I mention that he can catch pretty well too?
Defensively, The 49ers are ranked #1 in terms of yards. Likewise, the unit features the NFL's leading sack artist, OLB Aldon Smith. He's about to hit 20 sacks, and he's on pace to exceed the NFL record set by Strahan a few years back. Let's hope Brady doesn't lay down for him like Favre did for Strahan.
In addition to Smith, The Niners have some standout LBs on the inside, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. Both players are big time tackling machines, but they are versatile and fast enough to make plays rushing the passer. Harbaugh's defense really doesn't have too many weaknesses, but the strength is definitely in the LBs.
On the back end, Whitner and Goldson play inside while no names Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers on the corners. The tackle numbers reflect the concept that The Niners play strong up the middle. The top 4 leading tacklers are ILB Bowman (116), ILB Willis (99), SS Whitner (66), and FS Goldson (60). If The Patriots are going to gain yards after the catch, they are going to have to do it outside the numbers because the interior players don't give up too much YAC.
The Patriots are going to need to figure out two things if they hope to beat these 49ers: 1.) How to slow down Aldon Smith and Justin Smith off the edge. And 2.) How to get outside the numbers with space. The Patriots will certainly try to get Bowman and Willis matched up against Hernandez in order to get the big LBs out of the middle, but they'll need more firepower than that to confuse Harbaugh's unit. Brandon Lloyd will need to beat man coverage when he gets it. Also, Danny Woodhead will need to make some big plays off screen passes. Obviously, Welker just needs to be himself. Overall, we've just got to play this one on our terms, not theirs.
On Special Teams we've got to watch out for the explosiveness of Ted Ginn Jr. on punt returns, and Kyle Williams on kick returns. Although neither has a TD this season, they make their bones are Special Teamers. Each guy requires schematic attention to contain, and their speed and acceleration can't be overlooked.
Overall, The 49ers are a team that will keep it close with a steady dose of Frank Gore and a consistently great defense. Their offense is somewhat suspect, but it is led by a young player with a high ceiling for growth. This is the kind of team that preys on mistakes, and wins close games. This is the kind of team that makes you earn every yard. I am very much looking forward to Sunday night, just to see how The Patriots will respond.
Offensively, The 49ers are a bit of a loose cannon, especially since Harbaugh inserted Colin Kaepernick at QB. The feeling here is that Alex Smith is actually a better QB, but his potential is maxed out. Jim Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick while he was stuck with an underperforming Alex Smith. Smith had his best year in 2011, but he was still (in my opinion) a game-manager with the benefit of a kick-ass defense. Colin Kaepernick is still on the learning curve, but he has added a new dimension to the offense as a running QB, and he is 3-1 as the starter.The Patriots, of all franchises, should be able to understand why a QB doesn't just get his job back after recovering from injury. Tom Brady was once a 2nd year player who was thrust into the spotlight by an injury. Kaepernick may not lead his team to a Lombardi trophy this year, but he has earned the starting job by making the most of his opportunity.
Still, Kaepernick is prone to many of the classic running QB pitfalls. In his 4 games as a starter, we have seen highs and lows. Kaepernick has made some poor decisions, including a mind-numbingly-bad fumble on an option pitch. However, Kaepernick has completed 67% of his passes, and rushed for 351 yards. He is largely unproven, but that's what makes him dangerous.
Kaepernick might be the big story, but the most essential part of The 49er offense is Frank Gore. Frank Gore is wildly under-appreciated outside of the Bay Area, but for my money, he is second to Adrian Peterson as the best back in the league. His numbers may not reflect that, but I am consistently impressed by the way that Gore makes his yards. He runs over people, and never says he's sorry. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season, and of all the 1,000 yard rushers, he has the least attempts. Did I mention that he can catch pretty well too?
Defensively, The 49ers are ranked #1 in terms of yards. Likewise, the unit features the NFL's leading sack artist, OLB Aldon Smith. He's about to hit 20 sacks, and he's on pace to exceed the NFL record set by Strahan a few years back. Let's hope Brady doesn't lay down for him like Favre did for Strahan.
In addition to Smith, The Niners have some standout LBs on the inside, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. Both players are big time tackling machines, but they are versatile and fast enough to make plays rushing the passer. Harbaugh's defense really doesn't have too many weaknesses, but the strength is definitely in the LBs.On the back end, Whitner and Goldson play inside while no names Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers on the corners. The tackle numbers reflect the concept that The Niners play strong up the middle. The top 4 leading tacklers are ILB Bowman (116), ILB Willis (99), SS Whitner (66), and FS Goldson (60). If The Patriots are going to gain yards after the catch, they are going to have to do it outside the numbers because the interior players don't give up too much YAC.
The Patriots are going to need to figure out two things if they hope to beat these 49ers: 1.) How to slow down Aldon Smith and Justin Smith off the edge. And 2.) How to get outside the numbers with space. The Patriots will certainly try to get Bowman and Willis matched up against Hernandez in order to get the big LBs out of the middle, but they'll need more firepower than that to confuse Harbaugh's unit. Brandon Lloyd will need to beat man coverage when he gets it. Also, Danny Woodhead will need to make some big plays off screen passes. Obviously, Welker just needs to be himself. Overall, we've just got to play this one on our terms, not theirs.
On Special Teams we've got to watch out for the explosiveness of Ted Ginn Jr. on punt returns, and Kyle Williams on kick returns. Although neither has a TD this season, they make their bones are Special Teamers. Each guy requires schematic attention to contain, and their speed and acceleration can't be overlooked.
Overall, The 49ers are a team that will keep it close with a steady dose of Frank Gore and a consistently great defense. Their offense is somewhat suspect, but it is led by a young player with a high ceiling for growth. This is the kind of team that preys on mistakes, and wins close games. This is the kind of team that makes you earn every yard. I am very much looking forward to Sunday night, just to see how The Patriots will respond.
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