Posted By: Bob (11/12/2006 4:19:56 PM)
Comment: Brain Daddy, You should know by now that its not Pass Interference if it happens to the 9ers. The picture explains why he didn't have two hands on the ball.

Posted By: Johnny Grames (11/12/2006 3:56:39 PM)
Comment: Don't forget Nolan Jr finally used a 4th down, without automatically kicking, and made it. Progress.

Posted By: d1494 (11/12/2006 1:29:43 PM)
Comment: Matt, you are right again. I really appreciate the way you articulate some of the contextual stuff many don't see and should, I might add. ;-] I agree that there is enough blame to spread like peanut butter over this stale 49er bread, but, I think it's fair to point out the seemingly obvious and unchanging flaws in Alex's game; he doesn't 'see' the whole field, stares down his receiver to bring on coverage and potential int's, seems blind to open receivers and doesn't 'feel' the pressure like many others we could both mention and thus eats the ground more than he should. Instincts mean more than book smarts and Alex thinks too much. I just don't have confidence that he can take over this team, I can no onger accept the conventional wisdom of how he is just young and needs time, etc.,etc. I'm not pushing the panic button...yet. I'd like your feedback on that and the upcoming draft, which beckons the faithful like the New Jerusalem. ;-] Thanks and keep up the good work!

Posted By: six_parnassus (11/12/2006 12:45:38 PM)
Comment: Ex post, it's more than fair to say Pack offensive coaches "outgameplanned" Niner defensive staff just as Pack players outplayed Niner defenders. But SF's defense was already one of the smallest margin-for-error units in the league, talentwise, to begin with. So losing Smith & Spencer certainly had a trickle-down effect. Moreover, losing Smith required -- arguably "required", since we've suggested elsewhere that any option more athletic than Ulbrich to replace Smith would be preferred so Moore could remain where he was assignment-wise than Ulbrich re-starting where "he" was -- Ulbrich's return to mike & shifting Moore, e.g., disaster. Ulbrich, in our opinion, is beyond "playable" due to accumulated injuries (even on special teams, check Ulbrich on GB's longest return). Otherwise, it was deja vu all over gain with offensive turnovers putting the defense into deep holes; defensive mistakes making said holes deeper. You can almost predict Niner losses by a) counting offensive turnovers matched to defensive field position (opponents *starting* drives in Niner territory); b) opponent time of possession; c) Ulbrich starting in the middle; c) injuries to the secondary. But let's be clear. Sunday's loss was *not* by any means on Ulbrich or any one player alone. Team losses obviously = team failure(s). Defensively, starting with nil-to-poor penetration by the DL, zero-to-little playmaking by LBs, forseen and unforseen -- including Harris/Lewis -- lapses in the secondary.

Posted By: Joey Jo Jo (11/12/2006 12:19:10 PM)
Comment: Gotta disagree Matt, I don't think this was a crushing loss at all. Maybe because I'm jaded by a decade+ worth of Favre/GB owning us all over the place, so I didn't expect much coming into the game. All things considered, I think there were some important positives in this game, especially Vernon Davis getting involved finally, D-Love getting some play, and Brandon Williams showing some skills as a return man (esp on kick returns, anyone else tired of Hicks running full speed straight ahead into a pile of bodies and not bothering to make a cut here and there?).

Posted By: Mel (11/12/2006 11:58:50 AM)
Comment: Well heres goes!!Please get rid of Sammy Davis hes a bust!! And maybe think about these last few games seeing what Trent has left in the gas tank. Smith is killin me. You cant just rely on Gore!! We also need a new def. Cor. im not feelin Billy!!

Posted By: six_parnassus (11/12/2006 11:50:41 AM)
Comment: That's why masochists make the best journalists: painful independence; annoying accuracy; oft-chilling clarity. Ibid. today's post-mortem. On the matter of Smith & his development, here are some thoughts: we don't dispute Smith's perception (how do you dispute individual perception?) that he feels more comfortable seeing the field, adjusting to the speed of the (NFL) game. What we continue to "see" (our perception), however, is a shotgun QB still learning the nuances of pocket passing, still adapting to the new-for-him process of reading coverage and DBs dropping back, still acclimating to timings/progressions/routes unlike those Smith excelled at as a spread QB in college firing high-percentage completions to WRs mostly running short-intermediate routes -- in other words, what we continue to see is a QB drafted for certain, demonstrable strengths and skills now being asked to deliver new strengths and skills which he has yet to develop or which he may/may not have. It's like acquiring a racecar that excelled in Formula One, putting it on a NASCAR oval, and expecting it to win. This is also known as the un-Chow approach. One of Chow's key formulas for "maximizing" production from QBs of different talent levels/skills has always been his insistence on "fitting" the system to the QB. Chow doesn't waste time re-tooling (entrenched QB mechanics) or re-inventing the wheel. His mission: find more uses for a player's best tools, make the wheels go even faster by optimizing matchups (player strength v. opponent weakness). The 49er approach is completely the opposite. The Pack had Favre in shotgun for about half his PAs. Smith, the shotgun QB, took all of 5 snaps from shotgun in 29 PAs. We're not saying "shotgun" is some sort of panacea for Smith's current woes. However, some (perhaps many) of Smith's struggles are surely attributable to ongoing development as a dropback passer, i.e., yesterday, where Smith often displayed poor pocket awareness; failing to step up, forward & into this throws; thereby pinching himself and several throws when the pocket "pincered" in the backfield (collapsing as it should). Smith came into the league "wired" (synapses, reflexes, instincts) for a spread offense taking snaps and making reads from shotgun -- so why not give Smith and the offense its "best" chance to succeed (on passplays)? Why not more shotgun, short-intermediate routes, more spread-ish formations progressions, reads on passing downs since that's exactly what Smith "excelled" at to attract the Niners in the first place? Why are the Niners wasting precious time and games "hoping" for Smith to become what he *wasn't* when first drafted?

Posted By: Matt (11/12/2006 10:23:30 AM)
Comment: I would suggest you are being a little rash in thinking Gore won't make the pro-bowl. He is hardly the first young back to struggle holding on to the ball...LaDanian T and Tiki come to mind. But to ignore the fact that he is leading the NFC in rushing, averaging 5.6 yards a pop, carrying the team on his back, and facing 8-9 men in the box, would be plain foolish. He will make it and it won't even be close. Gore, Tiki, Jackson.

Posted By: Vin (11/12/2006 9:55:12 AM)
Comment: Matt, great coverage as always. While I agree with the majority that Alex Smith hasn't look remotely good the last few weeks, I still believe that many people are jumping the gun when they call him a bust (or say he's slowly becoming one). I was excited the picked Smith over Rodgers, and I still think he was the right choice that that time. While I may know little about the inner-workings of the team, or how a QB develops, I think Alex Smith is a LOT better this year than he was last year. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but he seems to be taking more chances this season. He is "manning up" and trying to chuck the ball when he thinks he has an opening. This, to me, shows that he's developing confidence in himself and his receivers... a farcry from anything he had last season. The mistakes he's making this year are the result of risks. The mistakes I remember from last year were because he didn't know what he was doing. Am I the only one who believes this?

Posted By: Brain Daddy (11/12/2006 9:51:46 AM)
Comment: Matt, my initial reaction to Davis's drop in the end zone was the same as yours, but NFL.com has a picture where it sure looks like AJ Hawk is interfering: http://images.nfl.com/u/photos/pl_811589.jpg Thoughts?

Posted By: wsmith (11/12/2006 9:06:46 AM)
Comment: I for one am not exactly sold on the Nolan era. One things for sure, he better spend some $$ in the offseason and pickup some top-tier free agents like Nate Clements or Adalius Thomas. Hopefully he has realized now that he can't just "outcoach" other teams, he needs more talent to make up for his shortcomings as a coach. Alex Smith has regressed so badly it worries me as well. It also would be nice for once for Nolan to say he was outcoached, instead of always laying 100% of the blame on the player - I would personally have a problem with that as a player if I heard that week in and week out.

Posted By: Shtanks (11/12/2006 8:17:05 AM)
Comment: You know the defense has holes when they are plugging saefties in the CB spot.

Posted By: Shtanks (11/12/2006 8:17:05 AM)
Comment: You know the defense has holes when they are plugging saefties in the CB spot.

Posted By: TheInch (11/12/2006 7:29:37 AM)
Comment: Freakin' embarassing. Our D has so many holes its ridiculous. In the draft and FA it's going to be all about the D next year, especially now that VD and Delanie are showing they can be weapons. We could use some oline help too. I'm so scared Alex is going to be a bust, they better let him air it out the next couple games to see exactly what he has to offer. More intermediate routes!