ATLANTA – The 49ers beat the Falcons 28-24. The 49ers are going to the Super Bowl. Here are the grades for the 49ers’ defense and special teams.
Defensive line: B. Justin Smith and Ray McDonald didn’t get much pressure on Ryan, but in the second half they were able to push the pocket up the middle. It became difficult for Ryan to step into his throws. Also, the 49ers’ defensive line was stout against the run, holding the Falcons to 3.5 yards per carry.
Linebackers: B. NaVorro Bowman had just four tackles and he missed one. But he knocked away Matt Ryan’s fourth-and-four pass to Roddy White from the 49ers’ 10-yard line with one minute and thirteen seconds left on the clock.
Ahmad Brooks knocked away a pass on the previous play. He finished the game with two passes defensed, but no tackles or sacks.
Aldon Smith didn’t get a sack either, but he recovered a fumble deep in the Falcons’ territory.
Patrick Willis finished with a game-high 12 tackles, one for a loss. He gave up a touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez in the second quarter.
Secondary: B-. They got torched in the first half, especially Tarell Brown. He got beaten repeatedly by Julio Jones and Roddy White. Jones finished the first half with 135 yards and 2 touchdowns. White finished the first half with 90 yards.
The 49ers’ secondary redeemed themselves in the second half. They held White to only had 10 yards receiving. On one play Ryan threw him the ball but he slipped, and Chris Culliver picked it off. On another play, Ryan threw it deep for White in the end zone, and Carlos Rogers knocked the pass away.
Brown also knocked away a second-half deep pass intended for Jones.
Special teams: B. Ted Ginn Jr. had an important 20-yard punt return in the second half. Andy Lee only had to punt three times, and one of them was a 62-yarder. LaMichael James fumbled a kick return but the 49ers recovered. And David Akers missed the one field goal he attempted – a 38-yarder.
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Akers he’s becoming our Buckner of the Red Sox.
Grant is such a tool, the 49ers are in the super bowl and he can only focus on the negative. The defense played a great game in the 2nd half. To hold the Falcons, a very potent offense, to no points in the 2nd half was huge. The deserve at least a B+ if not better.
Or, Aaron, you’re the tool for wanting to ignore the first half. The Niners were dominated.
I said all week we just had to survive that 1st qtr frenzy. Nothing happened there that I didn’t expect. I knew we’d hang in there and beat em in the end!
A+…
I thought Grant was generous, our D got buttkicked in the first half, the game would not have been close otherwise
when you can adjust to what happened before and become successful that’s the mark of an exceptional team.
The D didn’t exactly man handle the Falcons in the second half either. The Falcons were moving until the Culliver interception and if not for the Ryan fumble, they score at least another field goal on that drive. And the last drive, the moved all the way down the field…it could have gone either way, but they made just enough plays to win.
agreed
Well, I called it in August: 49ers versus Ravens in the Harbaugh Bowl. Defense Does Matter.
Huah!!!
Grant
Good grades. I think part of the secondaries problem in the first half was the complete lack of pressure on Ryan. He had tons of time to throw.
Yes. They had an interesting idea of having Aldon jacking-up Gonzales, but that hurt the pass pressure. Then when he didn’t hit him, TG made plenty of plays.
I thought Ice played hard. Justin got delivery hits and they began to add up. Brooks’ slam did hurt and distract Ryan. But we HAD to get some pressure in the 2nd Half, and even when we did, Ryan made some plays.
It’s official: 2012 will be the year of the Super Harbowl! What a story!
Thing that Grant missed about Ahmad Brooks here: the body slam that hurt Ryan’s non-throwing shoulder in the last two minutes. Ryan was not right on those last few plays, and that might have been the difference.
+1 Brooks is always a after thought when it comes to the linebackers.
yes, that was key. i think that’s probably why the routes on 4th down were so short
I wonder what that injury ended up being! If they had won, would he be playing in SB? That would suck!
Ahh, just saw it go by on the screen. Seperated left shoulder!
Goldson’s hit on Hernandez probably saved the Pats game. Brooks’s hit on Ryan probably saved this one. Ronnie Lott should be proud of these guys. They come not to praise you, but to effing bury you.
It ended up being an AC joint sprain, requiring 2 weeks in a sling and 4 week recovery period. He would have missed the SB.
good point
I think his earlier deflection can’t be taken lightly either. It helped to stall their exit from the end zone and set up our go ahead score.
Ok so when Brady and Belichick retire after next season, how many seasons will it take New England to get 10 wins without them?
it might be time for them to bring back Steve Grogan and Randy Vataha!
Off topic again (who?me?) but watching the end of the NE/Balt game and Billichek hugs Harbaugh. HUGS? I’ve never seen BB express that much respect to an opposing coach. As someone who reads body language in people, I find that extraordinarily complimentary in this instance.
They totally dominated us last year,but that was in Baltimore. Also, didn’t we have somebody different playing quarterback. Can’t seem to remember his name
Plus only 4 days rest.
More importantly, the 49ers had Chilo “Ole” Rachal at right guard.
I still can’t forget that 75 yard pass from Smith to Ginn that was wiped out because of a ridiculously bogus call against Gore. The game was still well in-hand at that point too. I don’t think the ravens totally dominated the niners.
Wasn’t LMJ’s fumble down by contact? Ground can’t cause a fumble.
correct. it wasn’t a fumble
Defense – First half grade: F
– Second half grade: A
adjustments between the halves must have been important – doubling Jones, I presume, maybe chipping Gonzalez more, and amping up the blitzes.
the line between winning and losing in the NFL is a pretty fine one, isnt it. we will need to nail both halves in the Super Bowl.
A tell of two halves.
Ray Lewis is the corniest guy. I understand he’s passionate, but that dude hams it up for the camera like nobody else. It’s so over the top that it’s just plain cheesy.
And the camera shot almost showing his butt…good Lord.
Totally agree. It’s embarrassing to watch
I’m tired of his schtick.
His schtick is being a loud mouth has been who should be in Jail.
I always say nice things about Lewis. I like to avoid being stabbed to death.
You’re cool, Clem. RayRay and his posse don’t cruise Potter Valley, Ukiah, or Booneville. (Who knows about Redway?).
Lol Brotha – my company transferred me. I live in Modesto now. Prime stabbing territory.
Brotha Tuna says:
January 20, 2013 at 9:09 pm
You’re cool, Clem. RayRay and his posse don’t cruise Potter Valley, Ukiah, or Booneville. …
You must live or be from the area because nobody outside of there knows of Potter Valley.
Potter Valley – where the men are men and the sheep are scared.
MSC
I didn’t know Porter Valley was in the Appalachian Mountains :)
I’m glad it wasn’t just me. Maybe he’s angling for a spot on some corny TV soap series?
he’s already got a job at espn when he retires
Great win, but we still need to upgrade the corners next year. Would be nice to have a big shut-down CB, but I’m happy we made the Bowl. Hoping we can hold Boldin and Smith to fewer catches.
What I’d like to know is, how with nearly 7 billions people on this planet was Billy Cundiff the only competition that the 49ers could find at this point? How many 2011 college kickers could have made that 38 yard field goal today yet Billy freaking Cundiff is the only person we can scrounge up to try and push Akers and still isn’t good enough to knock the choke artist out of a job?
Baalke, WTF?
hahaha 7 billions
nice.
was wondering the same thing…
maybe Cundiff is just the “best of the rest” at this point, but in the old days they’d bring in a kettle of kickers
You don’t know what a complete unknown would do in a game of this magnitude!
After today I would welcome the unknown because at least there is a chance that they could be good, at this point Akers is a total loss and 100% unreliable. How is that better then the unknown?
Where’s that Italian dude? Heck, there’s probably a few soccer kids at Santa Rosa Junior College who can kick it through. I don’t hate Akers, but if he’s hurt………
Akers is gone, you can tell from JH impression that enough is enough. Can they still get Ryan Longwell, although he played for the Hawks in their last game? We just need someone that can kick FG under 40 yards. Let’s get the kid from the pre-season.
Get your cats out and have them hack up some HAIRBALLS, it the 49ers and Ravens!
Thats just sick! lol
2 weeks in a row we knocked a pro bowl qb out of the pro bowl!
and i wouldnt trade our guy for either one of them!
In the postgame press conference, Coach said, “Everyone should have a Justin Smith”. We have to thank Baalke or whoever it was who took Cowboy up in that helicopter ride over the City, which made him turn down all the other offers. I don’t think we’d be here if Justin hadn’t come back from the injury.
Nolan and McCloughan. Bad coach but good eye for talent.
While jordy has been trying in vain to rewrite history and shake his reputation as a know-nothing welcher, I came across the following data regarding the Falcons’ offense’s tale of two halves. I don’t know what the 49ers figured out or adjusted at half time, but it worked. Sorry if the formatting doesn’t hold.
1st 2nd
Points 24 0
Plays 33 33
Yards 297 180
Y/P 9.0 5.5
Pass yds 271 125
Y/A 11.3 6.9
Ray McDonald will be key in the SB if it’s close and Niners need to get pressure on the QB for a stop at the end. JSmith is playing hurt and someone on the DLine might need to make the Raven’s OLine scheme for someone other than ASmith. It seems to me McDonald is the only one capable of that.
McDonald will be facing Marshal Yanda, the best right guard in the NFL.