Warren Sapp spoke on KNBR Thursday afternoon. Here is his breakdown of the 49ers and Ravens defenses, as well as his scouting report of the 49ers’ offensive line and the Ravens’ defensive line.
Q: What do you think of the Ravens’ defense?
SAPP: We love the Baltimore defense because of Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, T-Sizzle – the names roll off the tongue. And everything they’ve gone through this year to this point – no doubt about it, they can still play some defense. When they played in Denver, Peyton Manning only threw for 204 yards and they were 31 percent on third down. That’s the money down. Peyton Manning knows what that is – you continue the drive. And [the Ravens defense] had five starters missing that day.
I love the way the Ravens’ defense can react to anything. Any kind of wild set you want to give them, they have a system that is unprecedented as far as defensive knowledge, to be able to cover and keep the ball in front of them.
Q: Take a look at the 49ers defense. They seem to be mirror images of the Ravens.
SAPP: No, they’re absolutely opposite. They go downhill. They attack you. They strike you. We talk about Ray passing the torch to Patrick Willis, but NaVorro Bowman might be the finest linebacker in this game. When I put on the tape the 49ers, I salivate watching this man play. And those two safeties – Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner – oh my goodness they play the way it’s supposed to be played. You’re talking about six Pro Bowlers and five of them are starters. That reminds me of the Bucs when it was ’02. It was me, Quarles, Brooks, Simeon Rice – we still didn’t have that many. These boys, they will strike you, and I love the way they play the game.
Q: What do you think of Haloti Ngata as a player?
SAPP: Him and [Terrence] Cody look like they’re on skates sometimes, and they don’t protect Ray in the middle. You see the New England game? You see that center get up on Ray? If they allow Goodwin to get up to Ray, Frank is coming downhill and these two guards are coming up, it’s going to be a long day. That’s just the way the game is played inside. It’s man-for-man, hat-for-hat, bone-on-bone, and Haloti Ngata doesn’t impress me a little bit.
If he comes out and plays a monster game – I thought about it today – he is the only answer to this read option. If you have a defensive tackle inside that can smash that dive, now that end plays the quarterback and you’re home. They’re going to need that type of game from Ngata. If there’s any kind of crack where the center gets to the next level, oh my goodness, it’s a crease. And once they crease you as a defense, it’s to the safeties.
Q: What do you think of Mike Iupati?
SAPP: I love the guy, but he’s top-heavy, wide-based and I can tell when he’s pulling. Trust me, if I’m going after him it would be a long day. But Goodwin and Staley and Boone, they come to smash you. I love this offensive line. They protect the quarterback, they get the run game going downhill, they do everything that you’re supposed to be. That’s the biggest weapon that they have. They lined up in a goal line set down 17 in Atlanta. I looked and I said, where’s the receiver at? They didn’t even think about it. They’re just going to run Frank Gore downhill at you. They’re going to put it on this offensive line and you can’t stop it. I love this team.
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Alot of people dont like Sapp but he knows football..I actually think Iupati is the most vulnerable to get beat sometimes..Im actually suprised how solid A Davis has become and I dont think anyone wants to see A Boone! Go Niners! Lets get six fellas!
+1
I read that the Ravens are the 20th ranked defense against the run, one better than the falcons. Anyone know the ranking on pass defense? I’m sure they are playing better with their starters in the game, how do you guys see this defense stacking up against our offense?
I THINK Kap shreds them.. with his arm and not his legs…Look for Vernon to have a repeat Saints game..The Broncos playcalling was very conservative and questionable at the least like they out thought themselves..I think Kap goes for 290 or so..Their lbs cannot cover Vernon..
Kap will throw 200 yards and so will Flacco. Low scoring game, 6 to 3.
I still hold a grudge against Sapp for his cheap shot on Jerry Rice, but he knows the DL/OL and I respect his opinion. I said before the year started that Anthony Davis would make the Pro Bowl, and although he did not make it, he has lived up to my expectations. As for Alex Boone, I expected him to solidify this offensive line. He was a first round draft pick who went to hell and back again. If this group can stay together, they could go down as the greatest offensive line in 49er history.
Greater men have already perished under the Kapzuke lasershow. Molten layered blades, blinding flashes shall dispatch the lesser foes this after Sabbath-day.
Razor
Boone was undrafted because of his boozing and weight issues. He’s come a looooong way and id say made the 9ers biggest weakness in 2011 (rachal and snyder) one of their strong points. As a recent article pointed out the 9ers ran a slight majority of run plays over his side
Moss gets a TD (or two)
(I keep hopin’)
I hope to god our team plays their best game of the season this Sunday! all the experts have picked the Ravens to pick the game and they are saying CK is going to have a tough game becasue of Reed and their defense! I personally believe Jim H and his coaching staff had the time to break down Ravens defense. GO NINERS
Yeah, these so called experts are based on the east coast for the most part.
This staff has not lost a game with two weeks to prepare.
Wow, Chicago, really? Then I guess the 3 beat writers of the SF Examiner really meant to say Ravens and not the 49ers, and I think 9 out of 12 ESPN beat writers said 49ers, but meant Ravens. Gee, you need glasses or a seeing eye dog. My pick: 6 to 3 somebody, who cares? Worse superbowl ever.
“Worse” is a dead giveaway that this autistic joker at one point favored himself a DS9 fan forever and ever. DS, you fool no man but the mirror.
san fran fans are yall dumb or just stupid??? must be all haters on gay people too…joe flacco is superior to mr.overated
Hi Darren.
Hi Arnie, how’s it going? It’s funny how when I”m not around, the forum misses me a lot.
Yeah, you’re like Bill O’Reilly of asinine football talk. We all like to yell at you for being terrible.
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
49ers will lose
I guess I hit a nerve.
Right on!
+1.
Damn Grant. You’ve got a virus on your blog.
Can we at least get an intelligent troll in here every once in while?
That would be a lot more entertaining.
Bray,
No, just idiots like Darren. Bottom feeder trolls that don’t have a life. No family, no girlfriend, no friends, no job. Absolutly no life. His attention comes from strangers on the Internet.
A sad commentary indeed.
Jordan- You forgot one…. no clue. This guy is so scattered and factless, it seems like it’s a spam post.
At least the few Falcon and Seahawk fans we had here for a few days could debate and talk smack correctly. I haven’t seen one Raven fan on here yet.
Where you guys at?
Dont feed the troll gentlan. Let this clown post and reply to himself.
49floyd
Why do you idiots show up now? Where have you misfits been?
Charles Robinson just tweeted that Frank Gore and michael Crabtree spotted at strip club. Focus fellas!!!!
Grant just retweeted and the strip club report says patrick willis joined gore and crabtree. Whatare these guys thinking?
I dunno, just going to the club isn’t that bad a thing, its how you act and not getting drawn into something that counts. Are they supposed to stay prisoners in their hotel rooms? I believe Gore and PW would be steadying influences. If Gore can see blitzes coming then he can probably see trouble coming too.
These guys are having fun. Big F’n deal. They are young, rich, single and enjoying New Orleans. There is only so much you can do to prepare for the game, and that preparation was completed last week before they even got on the plane. What is sad is that there are losers who follow these guys around trying to make them look bad. Sneaking around with a camera phone, trying to sneak pictures of young men attending a strip club is just creepy and pathetic, especially when they weren’t hiding the themselves.
Somehow the Ravens are managing to stay away from TMZ’s cameras. Who said anything about being a prisoner in a hotel room? Its the weekend of the biggest football game of your life. You should treat it as such.
They are. These guys are prepared.
It’s 70 hours before the game are they supposed to be prisoners of their hotel room? I routinely have to stay in hotels for 4-5 days and it gets damn boring. As long as they are in before curfew and aren’t breaking any laws, why should it be anyone’s business what they do? Does anyone really think that they aren’t doing this weekly around the bay area? If so, you are delusional.
Lol, exactly.
You are absolutely right Rico. As long as they are not partying and they are getting to bed on time, who cares.
No, Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute, who happened to be an undercover police officer. He was married, his wife was in Miami with him and this happened the night before the Super Bowl. Making it even more egregious was the fact that earlier that day, Robinson received the Bart Starr Award for “high moral character.”