Mark Purdy wrote a column on Tuesday arguing Sunday’s game against the Seahawks is the biggest game of the season for the 49ers. Mark is a good friend of the Cohn Zohn, but I have to disagree with my elder in this case.
Beating the Patriots in New England was the biggest game of the season for the 49ers, for a lot of reasons.
First of all, that game very well could have been a Super Bowl preview.
Next, so many things were going against the 49ers – the weather, the travel, the fact that New England killed Houston on national television the week before.
And then, the way it unfolded. The 49ers beat up the Patriots in one half, the first half, worse than any team has beaten up Tom Brady’s Patriots in an entire game in Foxboro in December ever. And then the 49ers gave it all up, a 28-point lead, in fewer than 12 minutes. And then, just when it looked like they were going to lose, the 49ers landed the knockout punch – Kaepernick to Crabtree for the touchdown – and the 49ers won by 7.
It was a three act play: Part comedy, part tragedy, and finally a tragicomedy.
The game against Seattle is important for the 49ers – if they win they probably get a first-round Bye in the playoffs.
But the New England game was the biggest and best football game in years.
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The biggest game of the year is always the next game untill you clinch the Div.\home field etc. Now the best game of the year will be decided next Sunday. Grant any word on when you will come out with your weekly prediction?
First thing Friday morning.
Have to agree with old coach…biggest game is this week against Seattle. Then after that it’ll be the next game. I know, it sounds cheesy but I agree with Harbaugh’s philosophy on this.
Very Cheesy indeed. If they win this weekend, the only thing big about the following week will be how many people can we rest and making sure we get the victory to secure a first round bye without any injuries.
In my opinion we already lost the biggest game of the year when we got spanked 24-3 by the Giants. That was our “revenge” game and it was at home. We had every reason in the world to win that game and win big and we came out and laid an egg.
What makes the Seattle game possibly more important then New England is that it will show that we can actually win 3 games in a row and consistently play well against good teams. Plus it will help us maintain momentum going into the tournament. A loss to Seattle especially a lopsided one could put the team in a funk.
oops 26-3
Coffee
True. Hard for the defense to remain stout when, errr, offense can only throw up 3 points. That will not happen again. Not for a looooooooonnnggg time.
The Patriots game was the biggest game of the year but thats old news. The Hawks game is now the biggest game of the year. When we beat the Hawks the Cards game will become the biggest game of the year. The Niners win out then they get that bye which at this time of year is important to do some healing.
Grant, did Cosell speak this week yet on KNBR? I’m curious to hear his analysis of that Pats game.
I think Cosell is on thursdays.
Yeah, you’re right. Thanks
Good article Grant. And I agree with you. The other reason the NE victory was so important is because it takes the pressure off the niners just a bit. They are in the playoffs now and win the division outright with one victory. Certainly still important to show their dominance over Seattle and winning 3 in a row, and then most likely 4. And 4 in a row coming in the playoffs would send a very big message.
@ Grant, not to nitpick, but the 49ers won by 7pts not 10pts (41-34).
That being said, I think both arguments have merit! The Patriots game was huge! Yes, adversity left & right, and we came out with the win in what very well maybe a super bowl preview. However, the Seahawks are play GREAT football, and we’re going to their house with a game that can decide both the division and our playoff seeding! We want that first round-bye and the game at home; therefore we NEED to win the division. I if we lose to the Seahawks, I’m not sure how that works out with us tying the Rams. Does that give us the better record because we didn’t “lose” that game. Either way it’s going to be brutal on Sunday! I’m looking forward to it!
under the theory that when two reasonably well-matched teams meet, the most desperate team tends to win, i think this week vs Seattle could be a big letdown game for the Niners. Niners have clinched a playoff win in a huge game in NE, Kaep has proven he can lead the team to victory against a good/great team, on the road, late in the season, and in bad weather. Seattle is playing for postseason life. So given the great discrepancy in desperation, i dont think this game is the “big” game either. Now we measure “big” games in terms of playoff wins.
I see what you’re saying. However, the 49ers are playing 1) for seeding, and 2) for pride. They want to be the team that snuffed Seattle’s fire out! They’re hot, but so is our defense…and quite honestly our defense is playing MUCH better than we were in the first meeting. I think better than the Seahawks’ offense. They haven’t really faced the best defense in the league yet. They will on Sunday….and there will be blood!
i’m with you in spirit, NinersRoc! i think we can definitely beat them, but even before the Pats game i was figuring a victory there would set up Sunday as a letdown game, but we shall see. somehow i think any Harbaugh-coached team wants to beat any Carroll-coached team every time. I am a bit worried about the creeping injury bug, but i guess that’s life in the NFL – we were very fortunate last year, a bit less this year.
Home field is important but a bye in the first rd is huge especially if Justin Smith is banged up. the extra week to get healthy is big.
This Sunday night is the biggest game of the year, actually both this week and next week would qualify. Win on Sunday and clinch the division and home playoff game. Win next Sunday and they also get the bye week, which they seem to need to get healthy.
The Patriot game was great, and deserves all of the superlatives that you can attach to it, but the biggest games of the year are coming up.
Each of the remaining two games are “the most important games of the season” since Niners must win both to get the first-round bye. When two good teams as similar as the Niners and Hawks go against each other, the difference is often the play of the O and D lines. I think the Niners O line have acquired the play-off mindset and will come through. Niners 24 Seahawks 21.
The Niners just need to beat the Cardinals, to win the division, although we know their is bad blood between Harbaugh and bottom dweller phony Pete cheatin Carroll. I hope the Niners spank them.
The next game is important to both clinching the division & the 2nd seed, but don’t believe the hype. The Niners outclass Seattle, they’ll get up on then earlier by completing the deep passes that they missed in the other game. Defense will handle the rest.
Stomped vs Green Bay
Stomped vs Detroit
Flopped vs Minnesota
Stomped vs NY Jets
Stomped vs Buffalo
Flopped vs NY Giants
Stomped vs Seattle
Stomped vs Arizona
Flopped vs St. Louis
Stomped vs Chicago
Stomped vs New Orleans
Flopped vs St. Louis
Stomped vs Miami
Stomped vs New England
Flop vs Seattle???
Seriously, the 49ers lead melted because of a problem going back to last August… injuries at OLB. Being a backup for Aldon Smith is alot like being the drummer for Spinal Tap.
Haralson and the two OLB draft picks were injured in preseason. Dobbs (4-3 edge rusher) is out for the year. Haggans was also injured. Aldon was gassed by the mid third qtr.
If the 49ers don’t make it to the Super Bowl, lack of depth at the pass rusher spot will be the likely culprit.
He also had the flu
Good article on the comcast web site on Aaron Rogers opinion of Alex Smith
Who cares what that blowhard thinks? I read that 2 days ago. I use to think Rogers was a good guy, but from what I’ve heard from GB fans is he’s a jackas$. Plus he’s a packer. Off with his head. Wheeew!
I read it too, I completely agree with Rodgers.
Smith, for the first 6 years was dealt the worst o-line in football, worst coaching situation in football, and when those two issues are addressed, he goes 20-6. But we can’t have a rational discussion about that, because those hard facts are characterized as “excuses”.
He deserves better, and I’ll be cheering him for whoever he plays for in the future (except if he has to face the mighty Red-n-Gold of course).
+1 Angus
Anyone in his position would have wilted under pressure, but him sticking through that shows the type of character he has. He had the option of leaving even before 2011, but felt like he had to make amends for those first years of failure by the entire organization.
IMO I think it’s the biggest game because the packers aren’t losing against the Titans. The second seed and bye week are crucial this season. There isn’t a harder place to play. That crowd has tons of reasons to be loud. And next week might be even bigger if we win or lose. GB could lose in Minnesota.
Another point. This two wins and a loss routine must stop Sunday. They haven’t win 3 straight all season. Need the momentum rolling into the playoffs.
Biggest games this season in order.
1 this weeks and next weeks
2 New England
3 opening day in GB.
>Although cliche, I do subscribe to the Next is Most Important theme.
>A team goal since preseason has been to win the Division. The Seahawks challenge that, so meeting the challenge is crucial. If the Niners had won one or both games against Rams, this wouldn’t be quite so important, but it is. If the Niners drop this one, then Seahawks and Cards smell blood and the Niners leave themselves vulnerable. The Cards hate SF, they will not lay down.
> Both A.Dixon and F. Gore used the phrase “We’ll be ready.” I like that.
Its an important game.
Pats game was a statement. These Niners, as a team, showed they can more than hang with the big dogs. The type of dogs they are likely to meet in or on the way to the Super Bowl. The season opening win in Green Bay was a similar type of game.
This Sunday is a game where they take care of division/conference business, deal with the yapping dogs nipping at their heels.
In playoff terms, I’d consider the former Conference Championship/Superbowl types of games. The latter, first round type games. In any case, you need to win them all.
Did DS get banned yesterday?
@ Crabs,
I have no idea but she, he or it , lost it the other day, complete meltdown, she, he or it needs to be locked up at a facility for a few days so she , he or it, can defrost. lol
Neal – DS was dropping profanities over and over. Maybe Grant had enough.
I sincerely hope nobody’s children are ever exposed to anything that bad on a football blog.
Crab,
DS has gone way over the boundaries, with his hate of other bloggers, along with his dislike of the Jim ” Who got it better than us” Harbaugh and CK. Her true colors have shown, I used to get all wired up on this as well, but just a waste of time and brain cells.
Neal – You’re right, waste of time. Back to football.
Grant’s right, if Niners win they get a bye week in playoffs (unless we lay an egg @home vs Cards).
It’s going to be louder than it was in Foxborough Sunday night.
Look for Gore to have a good game, he’s done well in the past vs Seahawks.
Neal, Crabs,MD,
You know BS had lost it when she freely started using the sexual references. Strange coming from a female. That’s when I knew she had lost it.
God I hope so. I think ds is or was purposely tryin to get banned. After the smith benching it cussed more called out grant more and whined more. If its true. Bet it will be back with a new name to follow suit of onelame/randy/…………. You know it’s bad when Hoff and Claude calls you out when they were in your corner.
DS was fun to troll. Probably got tired of it now with Alex on the way out and no leg to stand on. Banishment is a distinct possiblity though, the last posts I saw were in full fledged freakout territory.
Grant, I think your headline for another blog nails the answer to this discussion:
“Kaepernick on beating the Patriots: “It really isn’t going to mean too much if we don’t come out and win this week.””
You can define “biggest game of the year” in a number of ways, but Sunday night will be a donnybrook!!!
We’ve had a lot of ‘big’ games this year. Divisional opponents are almost always big games… not so much this year with Cards and Rams… but with a strong opponent like SEA, its always a big game. There was the GB game… then the DET game…. then later the Giants game… then the Bears & saints, for different reasons… then the Pats game, and now the last big game of the regular season is this weekend against SEA (I say hopefully, because if we lose to SEA, the AZ game becomes big).
First round bye makes Sunday the biggest game of the year. No question. Need Justin back and some time to prepare for the Broncos in the Super Bowl.