The 49ers play the Falcons Sunday at the Georgia Dome. In the meantime, I’ll break down the key matchups.
The Falcons’ secondary v. Michael Crabtree
The Falcons play good team defense. They ranked fourth in points allowed (19.2 per game), and they gave up only 14 passing touchdowns in the regular season – the fewest allowed in the NFL. The 49ers’ defense gave up 19 passing touchdowns – tied for seventh fewest.
Crabtree has scored six of the 49ers’ last 12 touchdowns. Clearly, the Falcons will make it their top priority to stop him. But Crabtree lines up all over the formation, and none of the Falcons’ cornerbacks can cover him one-on-one. Not left CB Asante Samuel. Not right CB Dunta Robinson. Not slot CB Robert McClain.
The Falcons most likely will double-cover Crabtree, so the other 49er receivers will get the one-on-one matchups.
Advantage: 49ers
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If they double Crabtree I fully expect VD and Moss to have a big game. Or maybe it will be the AJ jenkins show… (sigh) but I’m not holding my breath on that one!
Actually thats what I was thinking was AJ gets 80 yards and a td. And VD gets 2 tds with 50 and Moss gets 50 with 0 tds. Crabtree will have a big game but no tds.
The Falcons gave up more rushing TDs than passing TDs.
Grant
Do you see the Falcons as a fully permeable defense? They look SO soft in the Seahawks game. Pete literally gave that game away, and his team looked like poop the whole time.
Since he was drafted I’ve been waiting for AJ to turn into Leroy…
PS if you don’t get that, pat yourself on the back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVZ50qAQrpc
But I think they are going to try to stop the run 1st and it will open the passing game. Plus I think they will rush for at least 2.
Seriously, Dangle? Please keep the RPGs off the web site! Thanks!!!
lol sorry man, couldn’t help it
They cant double Crab and commit 1+ defenders to stop CK, so pretty soon u run out of defenders to help. If VD gets single coverage vs their suspect LBs it will be seam and wheel routes all night, Kaep put one on a rope that Twilliams broke up but that was a big play waiting to happen. Moss has the 12 yrd comeback any time he wants and if AJJ gets on a crossing route (easy catch to make +ur on the run) we could finaly see why we drafted him.
I see the Falcons playing a ton of zone with a spy on Kap on obvious passing downs. Then it becomes chess on 1st and 2nd down and being balanced on Romans part. If Nolan starts loading the box Kap will need to exploit those one on one matchups with whomever it is. That could mean leaving Delanie, Jenkins, Moss or Ginn with single coverage. Those guys might be the difference more than VD and Crabs.
From what I remember, the falcons handled the read-option pretty well last week against the seahags, so I don’t expect a ton of rushing yards from CK out of that play. I expect the falcons to rarely rush more than 4 defenders. They will mostly play their zone coverage with a linebacker spying CK. Therefore, I think running up the middle will be successful, and the WRs will need to find creases in the zone so that CK can hit them on intermediate and deep routes.
Dangle
Pistol’s not the read option. That’s why this offense, run by Kaep, who ran it historically in college, can be so ridiculously productive for the Niners. Look around for some breakdowns of it on the web. There’ve been a few the last couple of days.
Mr. E
“Pistol’s not the read option” Duh and I never said it was.
I feel like I’ve told you this already, but:
The pistol is a formation that you run plays out of.
The read option is a play, that you run out of a formation. See how that works?
I don’t know what formation the seawonks run it out of, but they run a read option and so do the 49ers. What I was referencing in the earlier post was how the falcons had successfully taken the ‘option’ out of the “read option” play that the seahags were running.
What they did was have their DE/OLB maintain the outside position and not bite on the inside handoff. This forced Russel Wilson to make the handoff rather than keep it for the ‘option,’ because the ‘read’ part of the play is for the qb to see (read) what the DE/OLB is doing and make the appropriate decision. If you take away the QB keep ‘option’ it just turns the play into a handoff up the middle.
I think it was Cosell who said something about the 49ers bringing a lead blocker when they run the read/option (I’m assuming out of the pistol). Is that what you’ve seen, too? Could that be the difference/wrinkle which allows the team to continue to run it successfully?
Watching “Inside the NFL” right now. Kevin Greene, the blonde idiot from the Rams back in the day who is now a Packers coach, says, “He ain’t a pocket passer.” Smug punk.
So anyone who does not agree with your own opinion needs to be called a name? Who is young and didn’t have proper parenting again?
I believe he was a Steeler, then a niner and then a Panther. Don’t recall him being a Ram, but I could be wrong
He started with the Rams
What exactly makes him “smug” and what exactly makes him a “punk”?
And you do realize he was a 49er?
Because certain folks in here turn mental when they hear things they don’t agree with. It’s the school of hate.
So… this is not good.
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/49ers-Crabtree-sex-assault-investigation-4207109.php
This creates a shotty bump in the road! It’s got me wondering/worried about this having a negative impact on his focus and preparation for this game. How have other players in the last preformed after situations like this.
Come on Crabs! should of made her sign a letter of consent!