SANTA CLARA – Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick just spoke to Bay Area reporters on a conference call. Here’s what he said about the 49ers.
Q: When you watch the film of the 49ers, what leaps out at you?
BELICHICK: They’re a real physical team They’re good in the run game. They average almost two yards per carry more than they give up – that’s pretty impressive. A lot of explosive players – Smith on defense, Goldson, Willis, all those guys. They can cause a lot of negative plays on defense. They make big plays on offense. In the kicking game, Andy Lee can change field position like few other punters in the league can. Ted Ginn, any time he touches the ball – he’s very explosive. They can score from anywhere on the field on offense, defense and special teams.
Q: What have your impressions been of Colin Kaepernick?
BELICHICK: He’s done a good job. He’s an explosive player. He makes big plays. The offensive system that they run with him in their – an element of the option, the pistol offense, that type of thing – it’s just another thing to prepare for, but he’s a very good quarterback.
Q: When you’re preparing for a team that has changed quarterbacks, how much do you study the early season film?
BELICHICK: We have to prepare for everybody. One play and the second guy could be in there after the first play of the game – we all know that. Alex Smith is a great quarterback too. The 49ers have won a lot of games with whichever quarterback they’ve had in there. They’re a solid football team. We have to defend whoever’s in there.
Q: A lot of people have drawn a parallel from the change to Kaepernick to the change you made years ago from Drew Bledsoe to Tom Brady. Do you see any parallel there?
BELICHICK: I think Coach Harbaugh is an outstanding coach. I think he record and his performance speaks for itself. I’m sure whatever decision he makes is best for the football team. He’s certainly got the experience and the track record. He played the position. He knows as much about the position as anybody does, so I’m sure he’s doing what’s best for his team. That’s what any coach would do – do what’s best for the football team.
Q: What have you seen from Randy Moss on the 49ers?
BELICHICK: I think Randy looks like Randy. He’s the greatest deep ball receiver I think that’s ever played. Nobody runs better patterns, runs the deep part of the field like Randy Moss can. I still see him doing that. And because of his ability to do that, that certainly opens up a lot of other things for him as well. You have to respect his ability to stretch the field and go deep and get behind you. It’s hard to take that away and defend everything else that he can do. He’s an explosive, dynamic player. Probably the smartest receiver I ever coached. I know he absolutely knows what he’s doing and knows what the defense is doing.
Q: He’s distinguished himself here as a blocker, too. Did you see much of that when he was with the Patriots?
BELICHICK: Absolutely. He’s tall. He’s long. He’s got long arms, and he’s able to cover up those defenders. They have a hard time getting around him, getting off him and getting into the play. He was very effective doing that for us.
Q: Can you talk about the challenge that lies ahead for Nate Solder going up against Aldon Smith?
BELICHICK: Sure. Big challenge, but at that position, those guys see them every week. Smith has a good combination of skills. He’s strong. He can power rush. He can rush the edge. He’s quick. He’s got a good up-and-under move. He’s got an outside move. He’s got an inside move. And he can run over those guys. That’s three pretty good pitches right there. It’s hard to block them all. Nate’s a good player in his own right. He’s competed against a lot of good rushers this year and last year.
49ers RSS feed
Loading ...
I’m curious why Moss has’nt played more it seems like most of the time when he has been targeted he has gotten himself open and he has looked good after the catch. His strengths have seemed to be in the short routes which plays into the 9er O. Does anyone else think he has looked good in a limited role
I’m beginning to think that Moss could contribute more if he was a WR coach rather then a player at this point. It’s not that he can’t play he’s just a shadow of the player that he used to be.
We got Moss to take the top off of D’s to open up lots of space underneath for MC/FG/guys running underneath routes. He’s done that.
The difference is evident based on CK’s answer to why he’s throwing to Crabtree a lot: Because he’s open! I got to believe that is due to all the other weaponz taking attention.
I’m beginning to think Mr. Moss will score a TD during primetime in New England.
I don’t think Moss can stretch a field all by himself anymore. I think he can on isolated plays where he gets one on one match ups. And at times that Niners will try to get him the ball on specific match up “shot” plays like last game’s flee flicker. But overall simply sending Moss deep to challenge the over the top safety coverage is probably beyond his skills AND EVEN MORE SO AGAINST THE NINER’S CONSERVATIVE OFFENSIVE PHILOSOPHY. The Niners basically take what defenses give them, so they usually won’t challenge a two high cover 2 shell, they’ll either run or throw underneath.
Against Kaep, lately defenses have been keeping the Niner receivers in front of them as to not let Kaep beat them deep and forcing him to be patient and take the underneath stuff.
That kind of defense and the Niner’s conservative Offensive Philosophy has made Kaepernick look like Alex Smith (except with TD scoring scrambling ability).
It looks like Harbaugh wants to be the QB and sucks any kind of personality out of the players. Right now Kap is just a younger clone of AS. He’s not allowed to make the big plays, WR are not allowed to make the long run. Grind it out over the ground.
When are we going to use our weapons? Next year?
I would expect Bellicheck to see what the Rams did against Colin by using disguised Zone coverages. They’ll probably go out of their way to disguise their pressure (stunts and blitzes) to try to further confuse Kaepernick and the O-line.
Also, whatever the Rams saw that was tipping them off to the Niner’s run game, you can bet Bellicheck has seen it too. So we’d better hope that the Niner’s have done a better job of disguising their runs.
Moss is not being used enough… Both in how many targets he actually gets , and how there not using him to stretch field for VD
I am beginning to think I am the lone 49er fan that actually watches games. Greg Roman is perhaps one of the worst offensive coordinators in the game…period. Besides his “creative” formations, the 49ers offense is one of the most difficult to watch from a fans perspective. If not for Gore, we would be even worse than we are now. Think about the overall development from last season to this season. Thinking….thinking….thinking…. Ah yes!! Nothing! The offense is inept with Kap or Smith and it is simply a product of Fats Roman.
Funny thing then….
How did the coaching staff get this team who were 6-10 to 13-3 and now 8-3-1 if the OC sucks?
9-3-1
DS,
You should think about this every time you start to question Harbaugh’s decision to play Kaepernick.
Jack
Do you guys really read my posts?
1. I said the next 2 games will tell us a lot. Why can’t you wail till then to make such comments? Beating/playing 3 straight losing teams and not blowing out any of them isn’t exactly great.
2. I said JH screwed this whole thing up. How he handled it. Sending AS to pick up his HC award. Naming him the unquestioned starter before training camp. If everything CK and JH says is true it would implode on itself with a bunch of lies. JH is a liar. Either way, he is a liar. He didn’t have to be. He chose to be. “hot hand” my ass. Just flat out say CK’s the starter. JH is like a wuss boy who isn’t introducing the gal he’s going to mary as his fiance, but instead just a casual friend to his family. Be a man and state it. Don’t wuss out. He did. Major loss of respect for it.
3. I’ve stated the whole time Roman has been using CK well. His gameplans the past 3 weeks were for CK. So I am complimenting the OC while virtually everybody else is bashing him. Why don’t you recognize that?
DS, I mean BS. Jim Harbsugh doesnt care about your respect like nobody on this entire blog does. Youre a womsm trapled on a mans body that is not vrry football savvy. Youre a football idiot. Youre a clown up here. Of course we read your posts. They are the ultimate in comic relief. The only reason people respond to you is to correct you big dummy!
You gets no respect here, just ridicule. Youre a laughing stock. Without little brother prime, you’d probably be suicidal. What a twistef sister you are! Bwahahahaja!
wow jordan, you are mean when you’re tired
>>You should think about this every time you start to question Harbaugh’s decision to play Kaepernick.
JH should be celebrated for his decisions in successfully turning the Niners around, *quickly* with basically a team he inherited. So what happens if his ongoing decisions, especially involving hand-picked personal, have the opposite effect – the team regressing? Would we just give him and his green players time, and applaud his efforts to get the team back to where he had it before?
Jordan, you need a snickers bar.
The game plan is so predictable bill b. will have a huge advantange–roman must mix it up but says we will always play smart—problem is bill b. is smarter—–keep brady off the field and apply pressure on defense is our only hope.keep the score close and pray for a turnover—
Bill Speaking about Gronkowski…
“Hopefully today is better than yesterday,” Belichick said. “Hopefully tomorrow is better than today.”
Sounds just like someone we know!
Lol! Since when does Bill give up injury information! If Gronkowski was really playing, this article would not be out! The games have begun!
NE really has nothing at stake this game or the remainder of the season. Houston plays the Colts, the Vikings, then the Colts again. The patriots play SF, Jacksonville, then Miami. Even with a loss, they appear to be able to back into home field advantage.
Gronkowski probably won’t play again until the post season because there really isn’t a reason to start him.
I’m more worried about Rogers covering Hernandez and Welker than any other matchup on Sunday Night.
I fully expect the patriots to play this one soft to protect their already depleated receiving core. Maybe it’s time to add an arm to the Defensive trophy case where Reggie Bush’s leg is collecting dust.