Posted By: Oroniner (14/09/2007 8:03:37 PM)
Comment: Matt you are the best but to some of you who describe the niner friends from the 70's as old and senile I have this to say: I attended my 1st game in 1958 in Kezar--Bob Fouts was the radio announcer for the niners and could call a game as could Bill King for the SF Warriors--Bobs son played for Willow Glen High School which had a winning record similar to DeLa Salle altho not nearly as long. If I recall he was Dan Fouts. John Henry Johnson ,Joe the Jet Perry and Hurryin' Hugh were in the backfield--I remember YA and RC Owens but darn I am not yet senile. I love reading you young uns posts cuz you are as passionate as we were and still are. Oroniner

Posted By: Ray Wersching (14/09/2007 9:58:05 AM)
Comment: Question Matt about tackling statistics. Patrick Willis was credited with 11 tackles in the game but I later read that the 49ers thought he had 15 after watching the film. Do they go with what was logged during game time or can the 49ers send film and ask that number to be amended?

Posted By: J-Jack (14/09/2007 7:49:49 AM)
Comment: Mike below hit it right on the head... 1-0 in the division; 4-2 probably wins it and gets the 9ers in the playoffs! 1 down 3 to go...

Posted By: mike (12/09/2007 12:19:54 PM)
Comment: Mike in SF..good article. You have some great points. There's lots of factors for the ugly offense. 1)I agree, their new 3-4 we didn't know how they were going to blitz us so I understand the opening conservative play. 2)Our pass pro had trouble so Alex got the jitters & either checked down too quick, didn't see other receivers & sometimes threw off target. When you're taking big hits & getting pressure like that ANY QB wouldn't look downfield as long or finish their progressions. 3)I agree w/Matt..the Offense wouldn't have looked as bad if there weren't the dropped passes to keep drives alive. *Article: "Smith is a habitually slow starter..he gets antsy or the O-scheme is wrong early" 4)Here's where the OC has to know his QB & do his job to scheme to fix that. He should get creative early to get Alex going. Run plays w/short completions- "long handoffs" via rollouts w/misdirection, screens, short slants, crossing patterns w/WR's or TE's to get Smith into the game. By halftime we should know what their D is doing & make the ADJUSTMENTS. Keep in extra blockers vs the rush, scheme to get the TE's more involved, play action w/8 in the box, etc. 5)It's early, this is our FIRST GAME. The overall problem is this is a NEW OC-AGAIN..who is only LEARNING how to become one. These are growing pains we'll continue to have for at least a few more games to know where we're at & for Hostler to figure things out. This has been a huge problem for Smith all along because I GUARANTEE you if we've had a LEGIT OC who's stayed w/us since he was drafted Smith would be so much more NFL ready by now. Good news: DEFENSE, this team has HEART & never quits, we're greatly improved & continue to build. We BEAT AZ & we're 1-0!! Bad news: Repair the Offense.

Posted By: Papa (12/09/2007 11:47:00 AM)
Comment: Hi Matt: Lot's of pressure coming right up the middle. Eric Heitman is suspect. We need to take a closer look at what he's doing.

Posted By: 49ersNews.com (12/09/2007 11:35:11 AM)
Comment: Louie, I wouldn't go around bragging that you've been to games for the last 30 years and what not... unless you want rumors of senility creeping in. I only say this because I can recall numerous times seeing Alex PA to Gore, drop back and then have to check down to Frank in the flat because no one was open. There were playfakes my man, maybe you were in the bathroom for the 10th through 20th time and missed em. Seriously... it was the first game of the season and while I will admit the offense did not show as good as I wanted them to, we still won the game. Give it some time. Great once again Matt. Is there anyway to get a stat on how many times we ran the PA on Monday night?

Posted By: oneniner (12/09/2007 11:30:35 AM)
Comment: i just voted for willis... Craig95005..first of all its is arizona...second did you watch the san diego vs bears game....the only creative play norv called was LT throwing a td, which he did a lot last yr....

Posted By: Mike in SF (12/09/2007 10:39:34 AM)
Comment: P.S. Let's give the MONSTER of the game his due - Vote for P Willis for Rookie of the week (he is winning now, that's lock it up and make it official) - http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=rookies

Posted By: MC in UC (12/09/2007 10:18:22 AM)
Comment: Mike in SF: I think you're right about the Niners not being familiar with Arizon's blitz packages and defensive alignments. I was sitting in the endzone and the offensive line looked like they didn't have a clue where the linebackers were on passing plays. There were receivers open on many occasions, but Alex didn't have the time to throw. And he couldn't roll right because that freakin' #24 was on the line (Niners right side) on just about every play. Man, he's good. It starts with the O-line, and until Warhop gets his unit on the same page, Alex will be running for his life a lot more.

Posted By: Mike in SF (12/09/2007 10:03:04 AM)
Comment: This hits the nail on the head - I suggest you read it: http://www.mercurynews.com/49ers/ci_6869427

Posted By: Mike in SF (12/09/2007 9:52:19 AM)
Comment: Guys - I am well aware!! I'm also aware that the Cards are also allowed a halftime break (shocker I know) where people with MUCH better football knowledge than any of us also make halftime adjustments to try to counter act our halftime adjustments. Weird isn't it??? I also saw an O.C. that called one of the more memorable 86 yard - 2 minute offensive drives I have seen in the NFL in a long time, that was capped off by a brilliant play that totally confused the Cards D and coaches and led to an easy touchdown. BTW - that was an 86 yard drive that featured 3 GAME WINNING plays that led, or should have led, to the game winning touchdown (D-jacks drop, Battles catch and fumble, Battles end-a-round). That's UNHEARD of to get three chances and STILL capitalize and win the game. So this awful O.C. dialed up three game winning plays in one miraculous 86 yard game winning drive and you guys are ready to fire him on Tuesday morning. Nice. Oh-. And wouldn't you maybe think for a minute that an 86 yard drive in less than 3 minutes in the 4th quarter was based on "adjustments"? Nah - let's not give credit where credit is due.

Posted By: Craig95005 (12/09/2007 9:32:45 AM)
Comment: Mike, you seem to be saying that if the opponent throws a new defensive wrinkle at us, we are helpless. I wasn't always crazy about Norv Turner's play calling, but I can guarantee you he would have tried some different approaches. No question that the Phoenix defense played great; no one's disputing that. But there will be other great defensive performances against us and a good offensive coordinator will find ways to maximize our chances, or at least will try different stuff if the standard scheme isn't working. First experience calling a game for Hostler, and he may well develop into a good one, but the truth is that some people are supercreative and most aren't, and we don't know yet which category Hostler fits in.

Posted By: oneniner (12/09/2007 9:31:16 AM)
Comment: ok louie we get your point ...the OC sucks from your point of view.....but you have to respect this...the final play on offense ..99.9% of the teams in the league would have ran the ball right in the middle or ran a quaterback sneak....but he called the perfect play at that situation, especially having a fresh robinson in to block.....can you at least give him that.

Posted By: louie (12/09/2007 9:12:11 AM)
Comment: Hey Mike, Half time is when coaches make adjustments to the surprises thrown at them in the first half. I didn't see any by our new offensive coordinator. I also didn't see any plays intended to roll out our mobile QB to take advantage of the blitzes. I also didn't see any play-action fakes to Gore to take advantage of the other defense stacking the box and concentrating on stopping Gore. Hostler did not have a good game as offensive coordinator. If you didn't see that you're thinking with you 49er heart instead of your head. It was a great/fun win, but we better not count on any more with that offense.

Posted By: MikeC (12/09/2007 9:08:27 AM)
Comment: It sure would be nice if everyone just calmed down here. Yes it was a win and yes it was faily uninspiring save for the last 3 minutes of the game. As far as Hostler goes, I wish he would borrow a page from Gen Patton's playbook: "Audacity, Audacity, Audacity!" Hopefully we'll see a little more of that from the O this week. Go Niners!

Posted By: oneniner (12/09/2007 9:02:41 AM)
Comment: thanks Mike in SF.....at last some common sense.....how can you watch that many games and not even think the opponent has something to do with how your team plays.....

Posted By: Mike in SF (12/09/2007 7:52:36 AM)
Comment: This is bordering on the absurd-. Hey "Mike in Sac" - if you have been a 49ers fan since the 70's then maybe you would know a few things about the Cards this season: 1. All new coaching staff. 2. Entirely new defensive scheme 3. That scheme is based on the 3-4 "blitzville" from Pittsburg. Guess what? That is COMPLETELY different from the 4-3 they ran last year. Guess What? In the NFL its all about SCHEME on defense. This is why Nolan has been trying to install his preferred 3-4 and it has taken over two seasons to get anywhere. This was our first time seeing how the Cards new D was going to look. We had NO TAPE-. All the coaches could do was look at the vanilla schemes they ran in pre-season and watch Pittsburgh's D from last year to get a sense of what they "might" do. Guess what? Read Alex Smith comments after the game-. They caused the Niners fits with totally new stunts, blitzs, and coverages that we had NEVER seen before. Now we have tape and the next game we will have over half a season of tape. Then there can be no excuses. Oh yeah-. And if you didn't notice. Your 7 win team just WON their opener. Be happy. We could (and probably should) be going on the Road to the Rams and Pittsburg in back to back weeks across country with a 0-1 start. What's your excuse? You should know better if you have been an NFL fan since the 70's when I wasn't even born yet!! Now YOU are 0-1 on this blog. Congrats.

Posted By: oneniner (12/09/2007 7:16:15 AM)
Comment: if you really want to know what is going on instead of asking some of this silly questions...go to the source himself(official site of the SF 49ers)..read nolans notebooks......http://www.sf49ers.com/(look in the menu bar for notebooks)...that way we dont get repeated questions or questions already answered...

Posted By: oneniner (12/09/2007 6:50:59 AM)
Comment: You guys are ridiculous.....maybe louie should be our new OC since he his old and knows all the plays.....its the first game...again its the first game....am still waiting for one person to say.."You know those cards played a good game on defense" ....give credit where its due...stop being naive and dumb, what is the purpose for all the rants....this game means nothing if we dont beat the rams and the seagirls

Posted By: 49ers4ever (12/09/2007 1:10:30 AM)
Comment: Matt, first of all, thanks for answering my question earlier. Your opinion valued. Now, I'd just like to say, how much fun is it that we are all getting to nitpick a win? Can there be a surer sign that the Niners are on the rise than the fact that the fans are no longer grateful just to get a W but are once again expecting to do it with style? Just two years ago we'd have given our left foot for a win like this.

Posted By: Ian M (12/09/2007 12:39:29 AM)
Comment: Great job as usual Matt. You went above and beyond with your post game blog post. Well done. I like the fact that Brandon Williams can catch the ball, but I watch him sometimes and I wonder if he is told not to risk it with punt returns or is it just his style to make sure he catches the ball and not risk losing it on a big hit or something else? I guess I want to know if Brandon is told to fair catch balls or does he just do it on his own. I have seem some where a guy is not within 10 yards of him and he waives for the fair catch while some returners would go for broke and try to break off a big play on a return.

Posted By: Bob (11/09/2007 11:56:18 PM)
Comment: Matt - So Mike Nolan is less involved with the defense with Manusky as he was with Billy Davis, correct?

Posted By: Mike in Sac (11/09/2007 11:00:24 PM)
Comment: Louie...nice post. I too have sat through almost every game at the stick, from the late 70's until last year. I am very happy we won, and the defense played well (I hope the can keep it up), but I accept NO EXCUSES. The coaches and players get paid to get it done and they just had a fill off-season to prepare, so it is inexcusable to come out apparently totally lost on one side of the ball against a division opponent (these guys are not a mystery we play them twice a year). The play of the offense was terrible. You do not have to be a genius to realize a few of things; 1) we have a great runner in Gore. 2) just like last year every team is going to stack the box and dare the niners to beat them in the air. 3) until we can actually execute the passing game (hot reads, audibles and creative/strategic ways to get alleged playmakers the ball [VD]) we will be vomiting on ourselves with inconsistent drives and three-and-outs. Creating that uneasy feeling and never "knocking the opponent out early." As much as I wish the niners could continue to administer the long methodical defensively frustrating time consuming west coast offense drives that spoiled us for so many years, I would just settle for an efficient offense that could sustain a few drives and instill confidence in all of us. I know it is early in the season, but lets face it. The Cardinals are not world beaters. I know I am ranting a bit, but isn't that why we blog! Go Niners and lets hope they keep getting better.

Posted By: DEE (11/09/2007 10:49:14 PM)
Comment: Hey JohnP, that was a good post. What a perspective. I hope that what Alex did wasn't just a fluke. Matt, you're the man.

Posted By: Joe in Honolulu (11/09/2007 10:26:28 PM)
Comment: Is it just me or was Mike Nolan's attire crooked? During the game and press conference, I looked like his shirt and tie were slanted more to his left side.

Posted By: white 90! (11/09/2007 10:22:53 PM)
Comment: This article is the most comprehensive work on the 49ers. Keep up the fine job after every game.

Posted By: louie (11/09/2007 10:22:48 PM)
Comment: Matt, now you're using the wind as an excuse for the lack of downfield passing by either team! Please, I've been at more 49er games than you have ( I'm old!), and I can assure you it wasn't the wind. Both of these QB's have stronger arms than Joe Montana. It was poor play-calling on both coaching staffs. Too many new coaches, on both teams, in the same game, make for the lack of imagination (on both sides) that we saw Monday night. Hostler did not do a good job. Accept it, get over it, and hope for a better showing in St. louis.

Posted By: Derek (11/09/2007 9:51:34 PM)
Comment: I wouldn't underestimate the toughness of Alex Smith,I doub't it would have broken him if he had not won,sure it woulda hurt bad,but Alex is definately a tough kid.

Posted By: Dirk (11/09/2007 9:39:45 PM)
Comment: Ragarding timeout before TD: The Clock was stopped for a play ending in the end zone. Since the ball had to be brought back into the normal field of play the clock was to start again after placing the ball. Not at the snap. Just like the ball had been recovered where it was fumbled. With 26(?) seconds left and the clock effectively running a timeout is not a bad idea.

Posted By: johnP (11/09/2007 9:19:31 PM)
Comment: Perhaps the biggest outcome, in the long term, is that Smith beat Leinart. For years, Smith has heard that he was the #1 pick because Leinart didn't enter the draft. This had to affect his self-confidence. On Monday, with the game on the line, Leinart drove the Cards down the field and scored. What a personal humiliation for Smith, in front of a national audience. But what did Smith do? He pulled a Joe Montana. His very first Comeback Kid in front of a national audience. And he did what it took to win: scrambling in a 4th and 1; laying the winning score perfectly into the hands of Jackson, and watching it slip through his hands, and not missing a beat, but continuing to drive to victory. I think that on Monday, A. Smith cast off the demon of being the undeserving 1st pick; and showed the world that HE was the best QB available. This confidence will bring dividends and maybe even superbowls. I think that if he lost on Monday, he might have ended up a broken man. Probably, the results either way, would not be evident right away. But at the very core, I think they are real.

Posted By: Craig95005 (11/09/2007 9:15:19 PM)
Comment: I don't want to be unfair to Hostler and want to see him do well, but the play calling was a big part of the offensive problems. Everything was completely predictable. By contrast the offense by the Raiders on Sunday was imaginative and the misdirection cut down on the pass rush pressure, and that would have worked well for Alex, who's good at throwing on the run. Now maybe Nolan was the big reason the play calling went as it did, but it should be the duty of the press to find out. I want to hear Hostler and Nolan say that they were too conservative in their play calling and that they will make changes. Otherwise we'll have a boring and frustrating offense to go with an exciting defense. Imagination and daring are very important in sports. Look at Golden State this past year when Don Nelson almost invented a new way to play. It was not only tremendously exciting and fun for the fans, it gave the players tremendous energy and resulted in the playoffs.

Posted By: marc (11/09/2007 8:43:23 PM)
Comment: understandable.the winds there r always unpredictable and swirling. i feel nolan is a bit conservative when it comes to game management and maybe it reflects under the offensive play calling. it seemed to me that we were not running ot the left alot, i wonder y that is. that seems to be our strongest running side, at least from last year. i nderstand the "keeping the defense on their toes" and using variety but my feeling with a power running game like gores is that we should go to our strength until the opposition stops us. this game vs the rams is HUGE to say the least. a divional game on the road. if we can start 2-0 in the division and 1 being on the road that can really make for a promising playoff run. i still stand at my preseason predicition of 9-7. plus 2-0 is ALOT better than 1-1 to start.

Posted By: marc (11/09/2007 8:11:06 PM)
Comment: once again my mistake for seeing what i appeared to be was david baas on 1 series and not justin smiley. i couldnt see the number on the jersey. excuse my blunder. anyways my question, i kno hostler is calling the plays, but so u think that nolan is responsible for the "conservative" feel the offense had monday night? i guess what im asking is if nolan has his style being reflected on the offensive side of the ball? as for people that r already on hostlers case, RELAX!!! it was 1 game. there will be growing pains.

Response: Mike Nolan is very assertive. If he did not like the way the game was being called, he would've made sure it was changed. A reader brings up a point that I have failed to mention. The wind was kicking around pretty good last night. It's probably no coincidence that neither team completed a pass down the field until the end of the game. --Matt M.

Posted By: sean gaughan (11/09/2007 8:11:03 PM)
Comment: if the refs would've called the right "penalty" (should've been a 5 yard face mask, not a 15 yard face mask by bryant young late in the fourth quarter) more than likely the cardinals wouldn't have put together that drive to go up 17-13. i think the niners played excellent. the 9ers should be more prepared next week against the rams when it comes to how they want to utilize vernon davis. will open things up much better for the offense. go niners!

Posted By: mike (11/09/2007 7:58:45 PM)
Comment: A sidenote about the offense making their plays..w/3:40 left in the 2nd Qtr when Smith threw to DJax @ the goal line Jacobs was WIDE OPEN in the back of the end zone. (This is when the announcers said DJax might have short-armed that catch attempt.) I don't think anybody caught this, nobody mentioned it. I correct myself..it was BMoore (not Douglas) that caught Leinart from behind pulling his jersey down after blitzing for the sack, good to see him coming back to form & not missing any tackles lately. He looks great. I agree w/a lot of Rich from San Ramon said about Alex..he s/b able to audible more & run some no huddle. I think Alex missed seeing Wilson when he creeped up to the line & he tackled Gore in the backfield for a loss. The 2nd time Wilson sneaked on the right side of the OLine Smith called time out. He's got to be allowed to audible to a hot receiver or change the play.

Posted By: dasha (11/09/2007 7:56:50 PM)
Comment: Matt, I agree 100 with Louie. I'm very concerned that Hostler doesn't have the experience to make those adjustments in games. The announcers (Mike Golic) and the entire crowd could see that a designed QB draw would work. Fortunately for us, Smith had to run on the 4th and 1 because another pass probably would have been incomplete. No PA to Gore? Hostler better learn quickly.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (11/09/2007 7:42:11 PM)
Comment: ninerglory: I agree with you completely. I thought we'd see more of Gore with Norris in front. The Cardinals stacking the box may have something to do with the play-calling. It was nice to see Alex in the gun a bit, and it would have been nice to see draws and screens to slow down the jail break for Alex's head. Thanks for the head's up on the wind. that should be something that the announcers brought up, instead of us listening to the Mike, Mike and Mike show.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (11/09/2007 7:42:11 PM)
Comment: ninerglory: I agree with you completely. I thought we'd see more of Gore with Norris in front. The Cardinals stacking the box may have something to do with the play-calling. It was nice to see Alex in the gun a bit, and it would have been nice to see draws and screens to slow down the jail break for Alex's head. Thanks for the head's up on the wind. that should be something that the announcers brought up, instead of us listening to the Mike, Mike and Mike show.

Posted By: gyred (11/09/2007 7:41:59 PM)
Comment: Matt: Great game report. You're far and away the best source of news and analysis for the '9ers. (Note to self: Why are we still subscribing to the SFC?) The following "themes" come to mind for the Rams game and beyond: 1. Is Nolan trying to "Ravenize" the 49'ers, into a great defense, but very timid, no-mistake offense? 2. Is the wide receiver corps little more than a decoy for the running game? 3. Can offensive coordinator Hostler "unleash" Alex Smith to be an agile, improvisational genius, a la Joe? 4. Does Alex actually have the talents to be such an improvisational force? 5. Might this team go to the playoffs playing a style of football diametrically opposite that propounded by our beloved Bill Walsh? If we win, will we care?

Posted By: 49ers4ever (11/09/2007 7:21:50 PM)
Comment: Matt, I'd be grateful if you'd answer a question for me about your opinion on the Pats cheating scandal since you are about the only professioal I can even hope to get an answer from. The question is: will being proven a cheater ruin Belichek's chances to get into the HOF as a coach? I hate when people mention him in the same breath with Bill Walsh so I hope not.

Response: I doubt Belichick's legacy will be tarnished by this. I think some people will consider him a cheater, but others will say he was just trying to get a competitive edge. His backers will point to his competitiveness. There will be those who try to compare this kind of cheating to steroids or something of that nature, but those comparisons will ring hollow. I don't believe the historical repercussions will be bad because what he's alleged to have done might be against the rules of the sport, but no laws were broken. That's part of why those who take steroids are villified. It's against the rules of the game, but it's also against the law. --Matt M.

Posted By: jfresh (11/09/2007 6:56:37 PM)
Comment: I think the reason dumping on Hostler is...I'll give and example. When the defense is playing lights out and get the ball back on 4 consecative series and Hostler runs on 1st down on all four is frustrating. PA off that our a throw a swing pass or a reverse. Loosen up that D. Where was the shallow crosses with our Athletic TEs. Hostler needs to call plays that makes it easy for our players. Running on 1st down when they are stacking the box makes our O more predictable. I have confidence Host will fix it.........HE BETTER!

Response: The 49ers ran the ball on three straight first-down plays at one stage late in the third and early in the fourth. Here is is their run-pass selection in each quarter: 1st 3-2, 2nd 4-4, 3rd 4-2, 4th 2-6. For the game, they ran on 13 first-down plays and threw the ball on 14. --Matt M.

Posted By: louie (11/09/2007 6:51:21 PM)
Comment: Matt, nice of you to speak up for Hostler but, unfortunately, he's got a lot to learn---and my season tickets cost me a lot of money! No roll-outs for a struggling QB who can run well, and no play-fakes to a running back that was drawing a crowd on every play! Sorry, no excuses. Hostler was as bad as Smith and his protection. This looks like a very serious problem, and I'm not one of these no-nothing fans that wants " more creativity/trick plays". All I ask for is that the coaches do the smart, logical thing and let the players either execute or not.

Posted By: Mike in SF (11/09/2007 6:41:38 PM)
Comment: To put the performance of the 49ers secondary into perspective: Boldin and Fitzgerald are a fantastic receiving duo. In the entire 2006 season the two never combined for less than 78 yards in a game. They averaged 147 combined, and they maxed out with a 312 yard performance (172 & 140) against Minn. The 49ers secondary held them to 42 combined yards. Let me repeat that for effect. The 49ers secondary (26th against the pass in 2006 and 32nd in 2005) held Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin to 42 combined receiving yards. WOW! What a difference 100 million dollars makes.

Posted By: Derek, Memphis, TN (11/09/2007 6:41:36 PM)
Comment: Matt-- During the game, you could tell VD was getting frustrate because he was not getting the ball thrown to him. What was his attitude after the game? Thanks

Response: I was so rushed after the game with deadlines and all that I did not see him. --Matt M.

Posted By: Mike In SF (11/09/2007 6:19:37 PM)
Comment: Mike Robinson: I have also heard a lot of grumblings about Robinson as the backup RB. While the fans gripe about his lack of vision and talent as a RB they overlook the fact that the guy is a gifted athlete, a great locker room presence and will be a very valuable role player on the squad. He's absolutely worth a roster spot as a 3rd RB because he contribute in many ways even though he wont be relied upon to carry the ball. I look forward to watching his unselfish contributions for years to come. Now, with all that said I love him as a 3rd RB, but he needs to make some big improvements to his rushing skills if he's ever going to be a decent 2nd RB on an NFL team. He just doesnt look like a runningback when he's hitting holes and making cuts. Maybe his vision and running back moves will develop, maybe they wont, but either way the 49ers have a contributor in Robinson.

Posted By: John Frank (11/09/2007 6:09:07 PM)
Comment: Great point about Michael Robinson, but a correction. He actually stonewalled #24 safety Adrian Wilson, on Smith's long run on fourth and 1.(Just watched highlights on NFL.com) That's even more impressive, taking out an All-Pro. MRob is not an instinctive runner, but he's a much better blocker than Frank, so we may be seeing a lot more of him on passing situations.

Response: You're absolutely correct. Robinson picked up Adrian Wilson on that play. It was Arnaz Battle who had the big block on Eric Green. --Matt M.

Posted By: BHF (11/09/2007 5:32:04 PM)
Comment: Yea, Matt we're gonna have to see some pics of your suit. Must have been something for Nolan to notice. Can you confirm if Baas is rotating with Smiley?

Response: Thankfully, there are no known photos of me wearing a jacket and tie. As for Baas, he did not play Monday night. Everyone on the offensive line played every snap at the position in which they started (other than one play when Jennings shifted to tight end on the right side, and Vernon Davis lined up at left tackle. Gore was stopped for no gain on that third-quarter play). --Matt M.

Posted By: Cody Pickett (11/09/2007 5:07:52 PM)
Comment: Re Ashley Lelie: IMHO, when 49ers use 3 WRs, they should ROTATE WRs, with Lelie playing about 1/4 of plays, sometimes replacing Jacobs, sometimes replacing Battle, sometimes replacing DJax. Then each 3-WR formation would have a basic look, plus, when Lelie rotates in, a totally different look, since Lelie is our only true deep threat & speed burner. What a nightmare for the defensive coordinator, ie, when Battle is in, watch for the short & medium range passes & watch out for his downfield blocking, but when Lelie is in, watch out for the long bomb, meanwhile Smith is tossing a 15 yard out to DJax for the first down.

Posted By: mnm_49 (11/09/2007 4:51:31 PM)
Comment: Do you know the reason why the Niners called that timeout before they scored the winning TD? Although it didn't end up being a factor, it seems like they gave up the ability to try one shot with Gore to score the TD or stop the clock in case of a sack by calling the Timeout while the clock was already stopped anyways.

Posted By: Dan (11/09/2007 4:27:55 PM)
Comment: Ashley Lelie NEEDS to be out there. He's a proven big play threat, something we clearly didn't have in yesterday's game. Nolan is so stubborn. It's like he's holding Lelie's not participating in the OTAs against him. He seems to be holding a grudge against Lelie for no good reason. Get him in the game! Jacobs is not better than Lelie by any stretch of the imagination.

Posted By: Rich, San Ramon (11/09/2007 4:22:43 PM)
Comment: I think the real penalty in having 3 offensive coordinators in 3 years is that Alex has to build up the OC's trust anew each year. Each one begins by treating Alex as if he is a Leinart-like drop back passer. That is not Alex's game. He is at his best when improvising. He took over the Seattle game last year with his improvisation, and he did the same last night. He needs better protection than he got much of last night, but not too much better. He is disciplined enough to make plays on the run and not turn the ball over. I guess I'm suggesting a no-huddle or hurry-up offense be thrown into the mix early in the game, just to get Alex jump started.

Posted By: mike (11/09/2007 4:19:24 PM)
Comment: Let's give some other props too...this new ST coach Al Everest! The ST play was OUTSTANDING!! Excellent & well done Coach. I also saw the DLine coach active w/BYoung on the sideline, I forget his name but the DLine played alright...overall MUCH MUCH better vs the run. I have to say it again..PWillis is just an absolute STUD & a MONSTER out there. Just a fabulous job by our entire Defense.

Posted By: Pat (11/09/2007 4:18:51 PM)
Comment: Good point sddave, Does Alex have any ability to call audibles? Every time Adrian Wilson came up to the line, we seemed doomed.

Posted By: Sandeep (11/09/2007 4:18:03 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt, it was nice meeting yesterday before the game. A couple of questions for you: 1. Does Greg Manusky call the game from the booth or does he stay on the sidelines? 2. What kind of steps will the offense be taking to get Vernon Davis more involved?

Posted By: Pat (11/09/2007 4:15:30 PM)
Comment: Matt, I do agree with you about Brandon Williams in one regard, I do feel confident he will catch the ball. But, he doesn't show break away ability. In the nice long preseason punt return he made a suspect move after getting in the open field. Last night with the over the head camera angle, it seemed he made another bad decision as to what direction to cut. He seems to fair catch very early, and last night back stepped to fair catch inside the 10, not good. At some point he is going to have to justify his roster spot with improved receiving skills, or, prove to be a return specialist. He isn't even good enough to return kickoffs. It's also frustrating to see other 3rd round picks from this year immediately making impacts in the return game, Jacoby Jones in Houston, Johnny Lee Higgins in Oakland, both returning kicks for TD's in preseason. Although his sure hands are somewhat comforting, I'd like to at least know there is a chance he'll take one back all the way...

Posted By: Matt (11/09/2007 4:10:11 PM)
Comment: Is it just me or does Willis look like a better pass rusher than Manny Lawson? Maybe everyone who scouted Lawson was wrong about his pass rushing skills. He seems more like a coverage linebacker rather than a pass rusher the 49ers hoped he would be when they drafted him.

Posted By: mike (11/09/2007 4:00:46 PM)
Comment: Great info on Manusky Matt..good to know he did all the playcalling & his team of excellent scouting of AZ's offense putting up the game plan for them. HUGE PROPS to our man. Now Nolan can start to feel more comfortable/relaxed about that side & if it keeps up he can begin concentrating more on his main job of managing the game. Moreso once the offense starts putting it together. I loved the different looks Manusky gave them. Different blitzes, faking it & dropping back in coverage, moving players for confusion @ the DLine, & 1 play stuck out to me when we rushed only 3 & still got BY to get pressure on Leinart. Manusky manages from the booth right..Matt what are your thoughts on Hostler being down on the field? Do you think he should go through the growing pains of staying up in the booth? Playcalling is an absolute chess match & from above you see what the D is doing. Your right Matt the offense could have looked much better if the players made the plays they were supposed to...Jacobs dropping one right to him, Gore trying to run 1st before catching the adlib shovel pass, DJax drop on a left sideline pattern on 1 of our early drives (the deep ball in the 4th was a tough over-the-head catch w/t defender right on you), Alex throwing too far ahead of an open Bajema, etc. The RS OLine still has to develop chemistry & communication. That will come along & again working on picking up the blitzes. There was 1 play when Heitman stayed on a double-team w/Allen & let Dansby blitz & hit Smith not letting him step into his throw almost resulting in an INT. I still believe Lelie s/b at least the #3..I believe he s/b the #2 w/Battle 3, still respectable for Battle because Lelie is faster & more explosive. Yeah not as good a blocker or possession WR as Battle but Lelie @ #2 I think poses more of a threat out there. I also believe Goldson when he returns to the secondary will add a spark when relieving Roman.

Response: There are several offensive coordinators who are down on the field. Hostler is more comfortable there. The reason he wanted Frank Cignetti as QB coach is because Cignetti is good upstairs. --Matt M.

Posted By: ninerglory (11/09/2007 3:49:42 PM)
Comment: I was extremely impressed with our defense as well, Matt. Light years ahead of last year. The secondary was smothering and Willis and Manny were flying to the ball. On the negative side, our D-line is clearly still the weak spot. I think the problem on offense was more execution than play calling, but Hostler could have been a little more imaginitive and it seemed we werent running our bread and butter run plays from last year like counters and running it behind Allen and Jennings. And where was the play action? Lets not forget the special teams (other than the K. Lewis' play), the coverage was excellent. The bottom line is the team played hard and pulled out a gutsy win. Lets do it again in St. Louis.

Posted By: sddave (11/09/2007 3:46:07 PM)
Comment: Thanks Matt for the fine coverage. The natives are restless and wondering when Lelie is going to be on the field? As bright as Alex is, when is he going to be allowed to audibilize out of doomed plays?

Posted By: klaus49 (11/09/2007 3:33:21 PM)
Comment: Couple things that stood out to me other than the great (pass) defense: Great kick coverage! Way too many dropped balls.

Posted By: klaus49 (11/09/2007 3:31:26 PM)
Comment: Matt, I just watched the video from the press conference. What was the deal with your suit? It was the first thing that Mike Nolan mentioned.