The 49ers beat the Buccaneers 31-17 Sunday in Tampa. Here are the 49ers’ grades:
QUARTERBACK: B. Jimmy Garoppolo’s numbers weren’t good. He averaged just 6.2 yards per pass. His quarterback rating was 80.2. He threw one touchdown pass and one pick six, meaning he scored seven points for the 49ers and the Bucs. But, after he threw the pick six, he settled down. Protected the ball. Didn’t take sacks or unnecessary risks. Managed a difficult cross-country road game like a veteran quarterback and allowed the Bucs to beat themselves. This performance was one of Garoppolo’s most mature yet, because he muted himself for the betterment of the team. His career win-loss record now is 9-2. Remarkable.
RUNNING BACKS: C. Collectively, they averaged 3.3 yards per carry, which is not so good, but they had very little space to run. Matt Breida rushed 15 times for just 37 yards. Tevin Coleman, the 49ers big offensive free-agent signing this offseason, rushed six times for 23 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. The 49ers’ most successful running back was third-stringer Raheem Mostert, who rushed nine times for 40 yards. He ran harder and faster than Breida and Coleman.
WIDE RECEIVERS: C-minus. The 49ers’ leading wide receiver was Richie James Jr., who caught one pass for 39 yards. He didn’t even start. The starters were Marquise Goodwin, who caught one pass for seven yards, and rookie Deebo Samuel, who caught three passes for 17 yards and fumbled and committed a false start. Not the best debut. Dante Pettis, who started seven games last season and struggled big-time during training camp, hardly played. He was the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart. The 49ers still are searching for a wide receiver to complement Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle. Maybe James Jr. will become that wide receiver. He deserves more passes.
TIGHT ENDS: A. George Kittle made eight catches for 54 yards. Kittle led the NFL in yards after the catch last season, and the Buccaneers took those YAC yards away from Kittle, but he still managed to make crucial catches in traffic and move the chains. Levine Toilolo and Ross Dwelley, the backups, played in spurts and helped the running game with their blocking.
OFFENSIVE LINE: C-plus. They didn’t create many holes for the running backs, but they protected Garoppolo, who played his first real game since tearing his ACL last October. Garoppolo got sacked just once, and the sack wasn’t the offensive line’s fault – the design of the 49ers’ play left a Bucs defender totally unblocked. Center Weston Richburg played well after missing the entire offseason with a quad injury. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey struggled, though, as he committed two penalties.
DEFENSIVE LINE: A-plus. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford have transformed this defense. Last season, the 49ers gave up a 108.7 passer rating on the road. Sunday, they gave up just a 45.4 passer rating on the road, largely because of Bosa and Ford. Bosa recorded one sack and Ford forced a fumble. Adding them to a defensive line that already had DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead has improved the pass rush, and the pass rush has improved the entire pass defense. This position group clearly is the strength of the team.
LINEBACKERS: B-plus. Fred Warner forced a fumble and Mark Nzeocha recorded an interception. Both defended the pass well. Kwon Alexander, one of the 49ers’ big defensive free-agent additions this offseason, played well against the run and pass during the first quarter before he got ejected for committing a helmet-to-helmet hit. This group gets downgraded because the defense gave up a whopping 4.7 yards per carry. The 49ers’ “Wide 9” defensive alignment spreads out the defensive line and puts pressure on the linebackers to plug holes and stop runs. Alexander should help them plug holes in the future.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: A-plus. Richard Sherman had a pick-six. Ahkello Witherspoon had a pick six, too, and arguably was the 49ers’ best cornerback, even better than Sherman. Witherspoon broke up three passes. Sherman broke up two and committed three penalties (the Bucs decline one of them). Backup free safety Tarvarius Moore, who started in place of Jimmie Ward because Ward broke his finger last week, knocked down a potential touchdown pass in the end zone and nearly intercepted it. The 49ers may have a dominant defense for the first time since Vic Fangio was their defensive coordinator in 2014.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A. Mark Nzeocha blocked a punt deep in the Bucs’ territory and put the 49ers’ in field-goal range. Rookie punter Mitch Wishnowsky averaged a respectable 45.5 yards per punt. And Robbie Gould made three of four field-goal attempts. He missed a 57-yarder. No shame in that.
COACHES: A-minus. In certain ways, the 49ers had the same issues from the last two seasons: They were sloppy (11 penalties), they struggled on third down (5 for 13) and they never scored a touchdown in the red zone (0 for 3). And yet, Kyle Shanahan still found a way to win on the road – no small feat for a 49ers head coach during the Jed York era. The only 49ers head coach to have a winning record on the road since 2002 is Jim Harbaugh. Now, Shanahan is 1-0 on the road this season.
He did make one questionable decision, though: With 2:42 left in the third quarter and the 49ers leading 20-14, Shanahan chose to attempt a 57-yard field goal instead of punting the ball, pinning the Bucs deep in their territory and trusting his defense, which was playing well. Gould missed the field goal off the cross bar, which meant Shanahan gave the Buccaneers momentum and the ball with great field position.
Fortunately for Shanahan, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh bailed him out. The Bucs drove the ball to the 49ers’ two-yard line. And on fourth-and-goal from the two, Tarvarius Moore broke up the potential go-ahead touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Saleh was the coach of the game. Give Shanahan credit for sticking with Saleh even though the 49ers defense didn’t play well the past two seasons. Saleh clearly has improved and evolved, and the 49ers have what may be a dominant defense. Give Shanahan credit for all of that.
49ers-Bucs postgame show. https://t.co/dw85hQm7Uk
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) September 9, 2019
Its Monday already?
Grant
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To bad they cant play the bucs every sunday.
It’s a game we were supposed to win. Time to do some housekeeping at Camp Youngstown, and play a much cleaner game against the Bengals….
Is Solomon a bust yet? All that offseason talk about him breaking out this season is hilarious!!
As a number 3 overall pick, yes. Armstead is a bust too!
Armstead played well tonight and his sack was huge.
BW
Watch the game…Armstead is fierce…
Armstead was not a top 3 pick.
I’d actually give the coaches a b-minus.
The first reason is because of Saleh’s weird formation on 3rd and 17 where he had the whole lb and dB group lined up 20 yards deep where Tampa converted.
The second reason is before that 57 yard attempt, he could have thrown a screen or even a running play to make it closer instead of that doink by Gould. That’s extends the lead to two scores at 9 instead of 6.
Was it me or did JG’s arm look weaker? Maybe his knee is hindering him??
JG did look rusty, I guess for him it’s understandable. He wasn’t very accurate at times missing WR’s high, a few feet left, right, some passes too wobbly. It’s exciting to finally watch them. I don’t care for the play of the first regular season games b/c it’s like a hangover game from preseason. Hopefully they watch film and iron out things in Youngstown and play much better against the Bengals. The RB’s better be careful and not all get injured like a couple of them did, dinged up. Wilson Jr. may get called up soon.
Yeah that was the weirdest alignment and was thinking what the hell. I know you don’t want to give up a big play which they did anyway, but why make so easy to go unchallenged? That field goal attempt was a mistake, you drafted Mitch and he seems to be doing what you want, could have pinned the Bucs inside the 10 and maybe the D could have caused a big T.O., maybe even another TD by pick or punch.
Woohoo a win on the road…finally….I must say though the first half was quite dreadful…
Good grades, Grant. I give an extra minus on the RB group for that OPI on Juice nullifying a TD.
It was a trash call. Refs were awful and extremely inconsistent
The Good: We won on the road. Defense played well. We got a bunch of turnovers. Jimmy G got this game out of the way.
The Needs to improve: Jimmy G’s accuracy. He looked rusty. Left several plays on the field. Interior O-Line needs to play better. Defense’s tackling must improve – especially Tarvarius Moore.
49ers have a winning record. Whoop! Bengals looked alot better than I expected today. Next week won’t be easy.
Houston, we’re undefeated!
19-0!
Very excited by that win. I was worried about opening in Tampa Bay but it turned out that may have been the best thing for the 49ers. Jameis Winston was awful but I’ve got to think he will gradually get better with Arians coaching him as the season progresses. Good to catch them early. The confidence boost for the defense will be huge. 3 Int’s and 2 of those returned for TDs. Honestly, we should have had 5 Int’s and 3 returned for TDs. Kwon and Moore dropped easy interceptions.
Only negative I’ll say right now is I’m extremely disappointed in Shanahan giving Kwon Alexander a game ball. Alexander very clearly speared Jameis Winston with the top of his helmet and he should have been ejected. That’s been a rule in football forever. Kwon hurt the team with a selfish act. 49ers have a problem with committing too many penalties so rewarding a guy who hurt the team with a stupid penalty sends the wrong message to the team. Fred Warner caused a critical fumble near our goal line and played well. He should have received the game ball over a guy who was ejected. Awarding Kwon a game ball was absolutely idiotic.
Agree on Alexander. There was a saying back in the day: “One OH $HIT = ten attaboys. Alexander could have had two dozen attaboys and still been undeserving of a game ball IMO. It’s messages like this that lead to continual dumb mistakes which good teams avoid. You do the crime you do the time.
Would be interesting to learn what 9er players–each of them–thought about Kwon getting a ball. Were some disgusted? Some f-yeah happy?
I don’t think we’re dealing with a first grade teacher rewarding 6 year old Hank for pe-ing in the water fountain.
I wish to respectfully disagree. Kwon gave the team motivation. He also probably spilled his guts, giving the Niners valuable intel. Kwon’s ejection solidified the -Us Against the World , mantra.
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I do not think he was intentionally spearing. they both went low, and he did strike JW with his shoulder pad, too. JW also was not smart, and slide feet first, so he invited the contact.
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The penalty I did not like was Thomas lining up too close to the line. Kocurek should stand along the line of scrimmage, and make sure they do not cross the line. That penalty extended their drive.
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Yes, they need to clean up the penalties, but I liked how aggressive they were.
How did Kwon know anything about T.B’s scheme? They’ve got a new coach and system. Did Bruce Arians call him?
Sebbie is a devote of gut spilling. Any player picked up from another club is a very deep, very rich source of game-changing intel.
Intel does not only come out of the playbook, which changes every year.
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Kwon could give an honest thorough player assessment of each of his former team mates. He would know their strengths and weaknesses. He could also give insights into the locker room. He was one of 53 who lived in that locker room, playing, practicing, studying, and socially interacting, in 2018.
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Kwon could give intel on tendencies, play selection preferences,practice habits, and game preparations for that team..
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What is funny, is that it is SOP, to debrief former players. It is called due diligence, but my detractors downplay any thought of a piece of intel being important. Of course, the other team knows players like Kwon have intel, so they will plan accordingly. That in itself proves that intel is important, no matter where it is obtained from. Locker room intel is as valuable as gold, if it can exploit a weakness, and help their team win.
Obviously, Kwon knew that Winston could get rattled with pressure, so he applied some.
I agree with Seb….”I do not think he was intentionally spearing, they both went low, and he did strike JW with his shoulder pad, too. JW also was not smart, and slide feet first, so he invited the contact”…. I also think he played really hard and did great in the 1 st Q.
They both went low..not an intentional head butt..it’s football, it’s a fairly new rule. Kwon should of been penalized and if it happened again toss him. I also don’t like where the coach is now able to throw a flag in to review pass interference calls, it’s getting out of hand.
Hey Grant….
Say hi to Joe Shasky, the guy who coined the term ‘robot morons’. I hear there are billions of ’em…
Good to get a W.
It is critical to build on this win..The defense is the heart of this team.
Any update on Gould’s leg issue?
Jennifer Lee Chan
@jenniferleechan
Kyle Shanahan confirmed he is concerned bout Tevin Coleman’s ankle injury.
That’s why you keep a Jeff Wilson
Concerned enough to take a look at Melvin Gordon?
Matt Maiocco
@MaioccoNBCS
Kwon Alexander was presented a game ball after getting ejected from #49ers season-opening win over his former team. But, he said, “I really give it to my teammates. They worked for it. They played hard today.”
He didn’t deserve a game ball.
Little of what the Niners “brain” trust does makes sense. This was an other “huh” moment.
The D will face sterner tests than that, but playing that well on the road in that heat and humidity was a very positive sign moving forward.
Can’t wait for Deebo to settle in. He made some rookie mistakes, but he also showed some good things. I don’t think it will be long before he is the team’s best WR.
We should have beaten them by 30. They were fortunate it wasn’t much worse. We held them to 104 total yds in the first half. We were dominant today on defense, we just need to stop with all the damn penalties.
I have no problem with having Gould attempt a 57 yarder ,any other kicker maybe . He hits that there up two scores , and it’s not like he missed it , it hit the crossbar. Inch short
That’s called a miss. No biggie but it could have been had TB been able to punch it into the End-zone. Fortunately, they had penalties stymie them too!
“it’s not like he missed it , it hit the crossbar. Inch short”
This is tremendous!
That’s right , a 57 yard attempt hit the middle of the crossbar and bounced forward…
A+ to the defensive line ? What game were you watching. They rated a B minus. They ran up the middle like a knife thru soft butter. Linebackers were not plugging the holes. Why not bring back the 350 lb. run stoppers in the middle guard position.
The 49ers got stops when they needed it and forced Winston into bad decisions. Bosa and Ford were consistently collapsing the pocket. Also, their scheme isn’t built for a 350LB Nose Tackle run stopper like Fangio’s defense was. Saleh wants light, fast players that are quick to the ball and put pressure on the QB.
Yes.
Agree with the grades for the most part. Wide receivers should have been graded lower. Good job Grant.
The players have to address the penalty issue. They know the rules, they just need to stop making mistakes.
I think the defense is going to be pretty good this year. The pass rush really makes a difference.
Kittle is great, they need a WR to step up and compliment him.
Jimmy G looked a little hesitant. I don’t know how much was the injury and how much was rust.
And yet we got the win…,,,,STFU
The Niners aught to bring Givens up from the practice squad and get rid of Solomon Thomas. Somehow.
Givens is a disruptive force up the middle. Thomas is just ineffective at whatever role he is supposed to be playing.
How long are they going to keep letting this guy keep more deserving players off the roster, He’s terrible.
Admit your mistake. Move on.
Team learned how to win and hold a lead in the 4th quarter on the road. Flawed as the game was this was possibly there best performance on the road in the last 5 years.
Grant I though you would have been calling for Jimmy G ‘s benching after his flawed performance. Next week’s game in Cincy will be a hard one to call as none of us know how this team will respond to an early start, being away from home for 10 days and maybe an over confidence after a close game that could have easily ended up as a loss. Next Sunday could help determine if this team is going to be 6-10 or 11-5.
By next weekend that will be a 1pm, not 10am start for them. But you are right, it is a critical early season test.
They should beat the bangles. I thought they played pretty good for the most part although the D line seems pretty small compared to the OL of Tampa Bay. They need to get a little bit stiffer in the center. In other news, how come Pittsburgh looks like a bunch of wimps whenever they play the patriots? Absolutely pathetic…
I hope the Steelers are as bad as they look tonight.
Don’t count on it. They tend to start slow. But then, so do the Patriots!
Selah made a big mistake by lining up all his defensive backs 15 yards downfield on a 3rd and 18 which allowed the bucs to get 19 yards and a first down.
Shannahan got was too conservative with his quick screen, dinkin and dunkin play calls that went nowhere and allowed the bucs to stay in it far too long.
Who is the crack baby that moved 7 DB’s 15 yards off of the ball! Bring the heat! All gas, no brakes, remember? Worst defensive call I’ve seen in years!
I TOLD YOU SO
I TOLD YOU SO
I TOLD YOU SO
The interior OL is going to be the 49ers weakness this season. Running backs had no room, and the pass rush came straight up the middle.
Good thing they drafted Samuel and Hurd!
The 49ers OL was clearly a bit out of sinc during the first game of the season, no question about that. There is definitely room for improvement.
At the same time BW, I hope you do realize that this is the EXACT same OL who’s run blocking paved the way for the 49ers to rank 12th in Yards Per Carry last season, despite a multitude of injuries at the RB position?
It seemed clear to me that the Bucs were focused on stopping the run yesterday, hoping to force the Niners to beat them through the air. It was a sound strategy as Garoppolo was not very sharp, but ultimately, it didn’t matter in the end, as the defense scored 14 points on 2 pick-sixes, which ended up being the difference in the game.
Great game
Wilson will be fine if Coleman can’t go, they could have used him today
Go Niners!
Play-calling was not the best throughout much of the game but improved when the game was opened up. KS did not get receivers into space (other than Kittle who was able to find some space all day) and Jimmy G is just not confident enough to make things happen. The running game was going nowhere b/c the defense was stacking the box. Then, the TD pass to James opened things up and made the defense more honest. The next drive started with something like 3 or 4 long runs.
The other issue I (still) have is discipline. Solly and McGlinchey both made unacceptable mental errors, and no this is not just a player error. You don’t see teams with disciplined coaches make these mistakes.
Any win on the road, especially another team’s home opener, is a big plus.
Is actually give the coaches a b-minus.
The first reason is because of Saleh’s weird formation and 3rd and 17 where he had the whole lb and dB group lined up 20 yards deep where Tampa converted.
The second reason is before that 57 yard attempt, he could have throw a screen or even a running play to make it closer instead of that doink by Gould. That’s extends the lead to two scores at 9 instead of 6.
Was it me or did JG’s arm look weaker? Maybe his knee is hindering him??
Big niner,
His passes did look a bit weaker. Probably still not comfortable pushing into his left leg to generate velocity. It’ll take time to get over the mental aspect of the injury.
I don’t think his arm looks weaker I think he learned to put more touch on the ball that pass to Richie James was perfectly thrown.
That pick 6 though wasn’t thrown hard enough . Maybe him stepping left to throw is where the problem is.
Doesn’t matter how hard it was thrown because the cb jumped the route.
Wow…this may be one of the only times I can remember that I think your grades are too rosy and positive.
Garoppolo looked tentative when his first predetermined read wasn’t open. He still looks like after his initial read, he’s looking around to find someone open as opposed to knowing based on the play and the coverage ahead of time who is open.
Running backs…if there wasn’t a big hole or opening with space on one side to run away from tacklers…the undersized running backs were easily taken down with arm tackles.
WRs. Pretty much what Grant said…but then again they weren’t asked to do much in the game with all the screens and pre-determined play action plays called.
OL. They got mostly manhandled on the line. Sometimes the misdirection worked for the run game….but any success wasn’t do to stellar run blocking. They did a decent job of pass protection…but they weren’t asked to do much (again with the limited passing play calling).
DL. The Ends brought it and looked good providing pressure. But as I feared due to scheme, the interior run defense broke down. Buckner was mostly chewed up in the 2nd half. I think (and I could be wrong) that if the defensive line can just charge straight ahead, they can push back into the backfield and blow up run plays. But once the DL has to start thinking about if it should defend the pass or stretch wide…the DL loses their tactical advantage and those middle gaps are exposed.
LBs. Had some good plays but later had bad plays. Again, in the 2nd half more and more the linebackers were getting stuck on blocks and not able to fill their gaps. I saw this happen to Warner and Greenlaw . I saw Nzeocha make some good plays but he also was out of position and blocked a number of times…still he played well as a fill in back up.
DBs. Overall I felt they played pretty well. A few times there were some tackling issues. The biggest problem was obvious that there seemed to be a lot of sticky hands that led to some holding and PI penalties. Hopefully that can be cleaned up…but with that too sticky hand work came tighter coverage than what we’ve seen in the past…so I’m hopeful. I did not see enough from the safeties in the run game. They’re supposed to come down and fill those interior gaps or in the very least stop the ball carrier a yard or so after the line of scrimmage. But they were often nowhere to be seen and must have been blocked out of the picture. Again, DBs filling inside as primary and secondary defenders is a weakness in the scheme. Btw. that play that was reviewed with Sherman in front of the endzone that wasn’t called….that was totally pass interference. He wasn’t looking for the ball as he made contact with the receiver.
Coaching: I don’t know maybe Shanahan isn’t as confident with Jimmy as we hoped. His play calling was conservative to say the least. Yes, he went for it on 4th (when he shouldn’t) but most of the plays were his bread and butter stretch plays and some variation of a screen pass. Shanahan’s run game isn’t predicated on power…the ability to knock back the guy in front of you and move the ball forward…..fine…but sometimes when you only need a yard or two…..a team needs to do exactly that. All the silly movement and misdirection is a liability…especially when you’re deep in your own territory near your own end zone. Then again the 49ers don’t have a tackle breaking power back….just a bunch of speed backs….can they hand it off to Juz? The other thing is…are there audibles in the offensive scheme? Maybe Garappolo needs to pull an Aaron Rodgers. There were often times when you could see 8 or more defenders in the box ready to squash the run and and snuff out those screen passes. You could tell as soon as the ball was handed off or passed to screen receiver…that the defense was already there. Back to Shanahan and Garoppolo…..the Niners need a QB that can command the entire field (and not primarily predetermined play action and screen plays)…I don’t know if Kyle is just too much of a control freak to push more in play decision making onto his QB or if he’s simply holding back because of Jimmy. I dunno…but it seems like Kyle the OC likes to have the engine of his offense be his creative tactics and play calling (primarily how he gets his receivers open) or manipulating a formation to get his runners open on the edges or the cutback….it seems like he doesn’t want to rely on his players to simply play/beat their man.
Overall, I think the grades are good.
Team had a poor team as first test. Doesn’t matter because they won on the road and in the heat and made the plays when they needed to make them.
They will face better teams and the mistakes they made in this game May loom larger with teams that don’t have QBs that implode. Bosa and Ford had a bad OL to face, so let’s hope they can continue to bring the heat.
Refreshing to see a win like this. It’s been a long time.
….we’re on to Cincinnati
Great TEAM win!
It was a grind it out type victory where finally the 49ers didn’t beat themselves.
Onto Cincinnati.
Go Niners!
And this is important, they let the other team beat themselves.
Good teams win games and bad teams (TB must now be talking about all the mistakes and what ifs) make excuses.
Glad they are able to generate pressure up front.
Glad they were able to come out on top given challenging circumstances.
Glad several young players looked like they will be assets.
Glad they were able to win their opener.
Glad they did it on the road.
Now they need to fix:
1- Drive killing penalties.
2- JG needs to settle down
3- Sherman needs to step it up
4- Third down
5- RZ woes (and I agree Rib that penalties were the culprit here mostly but they do this more in RZ than anywhere else)
6- Tackling
7- Some play calling
Yes its still a bad team…. but they won and on the road..hats off
Someone said above about Jimmy G been hesitant but if you look at it those receivers aren’t getting open unless they’re wide open like Richie James Was. he needs a number one receiver we have a number one tight end big difference there is no Washington Pierre garçon there is no Houston Andre Johnson there is no Cleveland josh Gordon there is no Atlanta Julio Jones until he gets a true number one receiver Jimmy G will always look hesitate .
Steel, I didn’t see the Niners’ WR’s getting a ton of separation, but Garoppolo uncharacteristically failed to lead his receivers properly yesterday, on a large number of throws. That was my biggest takeaway in terms of the 49ers passing attack. The offensive line actually gave Jimmy decent protection yesterday, and while we didn’t see huge separation, for whatever reason Jimmy was consistently throwing behind his receivers, which is something I’m not used to seeing from him. He missed a lot of throws that NFL QB’s simply have to hit.
My biggest question in that regard is why?
~ Is it a mechanical issue? Is Jimmy still favoring the leg, and not properly transferring his weight, which will adversely affect his ability to “drive” the football?
~ Or is a timing issue? And if it was primarily a timing issue, was that caused by general rust, and a lack of game time chemistry with his WR’s, or is Jimmy hesitating for a fraction of a second longer than he typically has in the past, and not just letting it rip?
I tend to think it’s all-of-the-above, but only time will tell.
I’m giving Jimmy a B-/C+ for yesterday’s performance, as he did do enough to keep his team in the game, and give his defense a chance to win it. His TD pass to Richie James was a pearl, and Jimmy did show some grit, not allowing his early pick-six to snowball on him. But, he needs to be better moving forward.
And BTW, Jimmy wasn’t just failing to lead his receivers properly, he was also just …. off target in a general sense. A few of his passes, some of which were fairly easy throws, sailed on him as well.
Thankfully, Kittle continues to haul in every catch-able pass within his vicinity, regardless of proper ball placement. Without that, it could have been an even uglier day for Jimmy G, who, BTW, definitely needs his other safety valve, slot receiver – Trent Taylor – back on the field, ASAP. I think Taylor’s return will do wonders for Garoppolo, and the Niners’ passing attack.
Why do some of you try to slander every win, either it was a poor team or we lucky we got Winston or blah blah blah this team can’t win a game with out you guys dumping on something but if they lost you kick them while they’re down, which is it, man up or shut up??? Jesus.
Slander? While I am ecstatic the team won, that does not mean they were perfect. Still had those pre snap penalties, that should be eliminated. Several times, I saw a Niner defender too close to the line of scrimmage.
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While I am cheering for JG, for leading this team to victory, AFFP is correct. JG will probably be the first to say that he could improve. Considering this is the first time back from his injury, he played well, but he was off target several times, and stared down the receiver for that pick six. I am glad he looks like he can take a hit, but sure hope he improves his pocket play.
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I surmised before the game, wondering how well the DBs would play, and considered that factor may be the squad deciding whether they won or lost. Those 2 pick sixes were the margin of victory.
Deebo did well, but that fumble was bad, because his own player caused it.
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This team deserves praise, but they are not above reproach. The do have areas in which they can improve. I hope they clean up their game, and make winning look easier.
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Some expected a win, but the Bucs played them tough. The Niners could have lost, but Winston gave away the game with his gaffs.
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This team better not expect the Bengals game to be a pushover. The Bengals played the Seahawks pretty evenly, but turnovers doomed their game.
Doesn’t mean they were perfect but according to y’all they only win because tb was not good enough or the online was terrible or blah…. get over it, a win is a win. Just like a loss is a loss and y’all will talk hella stupid on how bad this team is
Because when they play real teams they will get destroyed. That’s why. Sounds like you need a reality check.
Does 9er success matter to you?
+1000 they cry when we lose and complain when we win. all this Jimmy criticism how would you like Winston as your qb?
Offense-
Jimmy G’s first real action of the year. He looked a little rusty at times and did throw a pick six. But he ran the offense well and did not take any bad hits and took only one sack. Ad to that Richburg ‘s first game after first week of practice, and the arrow is trending up. The Coleman injury needs to be monitored. I was all in on James, beautiful throw and nice catch and run. Kittle was Kittle. Lots of room for improvement, but a nice first game
Defense–
A lot of $ invested in the front 7 and it paid off. Three sacks, six qb hits, multiple qb pressures , and two pick-6. And Alexander got tossed for the helmet hit. There r some things to clean up, but a great opening day performance.
Special teams–
Other then one punt, an outstanding job including a punt block.
Coaching–
An understandable slightly conservative plan on offensive and an all out game plan on defense. Perfect read of the room.
Overall–
Keep improving week to week. STAY AWAY FROM INJURY. With the bye after the 3rd game, we should Hurd and Taylor back for fourth game. If we can go home 2-0, and that certainly looks doable, we set up nicely
The D saved the day though they had a hell of a time defending runs up the middle. The Niners basically are playing with 3 back up QBs. None of the receivers stood up except one play by Richie James. Kittle can’t be expected to do everything. Teams will be watching tape. Maybe they should’ve given Antonio Brown a big paycheck. I’d rather pay him and get results rather than pay a bunch of guys who are no account when you need them. Of course then you need a QB who could get your star player the ball. That person wasn’t on the field on Sunday. The weakness of having a group of smurfs as RBs showed up today too. You need someone who can break a few tackles sometimes. I doubt that person is anywhere on the team. All in all, I will enjoy the defense but we’ll need to wait next year for a few new players to make a run for the Super Bowl.
Superbowl..you talking Superbowl?
Very objective review. That said, this is an 8-8 team right now. It’s not a talent issue, it’s a discipline and execution issue. Same as last two years. Must get better.
No doubt that the team has a long way to go, but today, there was a bit of confidence that was merited by what was shown on the field.
They need to build on it in order to secure better opportunities. The NFC West will be brutal and should temper people’s expectations.
Superb analysis, the best (and really only) analysis I’ve seen Re. this game. Grant can be a pill, but this is good stuff.
This is not a bad team…and we don’t have long to go…..if you can’t put aside your self bitterness and see the improvements them F u….and leave us alone….
We are good to go….we are making the playoffs….
We don’t need you to believe….stfu….and die already
This is directed to the Enemies of progress…..
We should trade for Melvin Gordon.
Trade what?
Draft picks. Unless NFL teams are now accepting marbles and bubble gum as trade compensation.
Try not to be a dummy.
What draft picks?
Lol! What draft picks. Maybe the ones that will get Gordon in SF. The ones that upper management deems are worth parting for.
I’m not gonna speculate and pretend I know what those are. A lot of people thought the 3rd and 5th round picks for AB were not enough. Same with Jimmy G.
Some thought the picks KC gave up for Mahomes in trading up were way too much.
At the end of the day, if the team thinks they can get Gordon for picks they are willing to give up they should.
Holy smokes.
I was asking your opinion of what they should give up. Apparently you don’t have one.
I don’t pretend to know things outside my area of expertise.
You know like starting a blog, calling out coaches and GM’s during a rebuild and pretending I’m the expert in trades and acquisitions between NFL teams.
No, not me. I leave that up to other know it all Jack clowns.
Nice chatting with you my friend. See you at the Cleveland game hopefully.
Lol! Called you out and you don’t like it. Typical guy who talks out both sides of his mouth.
Go Niners!
“I don’t pretend to know things outside my area of expertise.”
Thanks for a good laugh Prime.
“We should trade for Melvin Gordon.”
“What draft picks. Maybe the ones that will get Gordon in SF.”
“At the end of the day, if the team thinks they can get Gordon for picks they are willing to give up they should.”
Nice waffling. So your statement has gone from they should trade for Gordon, to they should trade whatever gets him to SF, then backing off to saying they should only trade what they are willing to part with to get him. And then saying you don’t pretend to know what that should be.
The team that already has the most capital invested in the RB position should not be trading much of anything to bring in another guy that wants a shirt load of money at a position that has one of the lowest impacts on win percentage between top end players and street FAs.
Scooter,did I say “they should trade whatever gets him to SF”
No I didn’t.
“The team that already has the most capital invested in the RB position should not be trading much of anything to bring in another guy that wants a shirt load of money at a position that has one of the lowest impacts on win percentage between top end players and street FAs”
What did they invest so heavily in? Coleman? He’s on a team friendly deal. Now hurt.
McKinnon probably won’t play again and cost the Niners nothin.
The signing bonus they gave him, that’s peanuts for the team.
Breida and Wilson again cost them nothing.
This offense needs a game changer. They don’t have anyone besides Kittle and Jimmy G. Gordon for the right price like I mentioned would be a huge upgrade in the run and pass game.
“Gordon for the right price”
What’s the right price?
“What’s the right price?
Whatever people in NFL executive and personnel positions determine the right price is!
Don’t be a know it all cause unless you’ve worked in the NFL, you have no idea what that price is.
You are just good at crying after the fact.
Don’t be a know it all?
You said they should trade for Gordon for the right price and I asked for your opinion on what that would be.
For someone who calls others out for waffling or flip flopping you sure do a great job of not having an opinion.
How can anyone especially fans know what the compensation SD wants to what the SF are willing to part with for Melvin Gordon?
My opinion like yours means nothing when it comes to anything NFL related. I am a fan, not sure what you are. So asking me what the draft picks would be is mute.
Having an opinion of what it would be is irrelevant because in order to have an opinion on something like that, you probably should be educated or experienced in those matters.
Point is, too many know it alls on this site who have zero clue.
I don’t pretend to know like some on here.
You’re right. You pretty much just respond to comments of those that have opinions while not sharing yours.
It’s a good way to never be wrong.
There is opinions, and then there is people who pretend to know what the inner workings of are of a NFL franchise.
Whether this is about being right or wrong then you have bigger issues my friend.
I just like to read the comments and call out the BS if there is any.
You and Seb seem to be my best customers.
Prime: “Scooter,did I say “they should trade whatever gets him to SF”
No I didn’t.”
Also Prime: “What draft picks. Maybe the ones that will get Gordon in SF.”
:-P
What they have invested in the RB position is more than any other team in the NFL. More than even the Rams or Cowboys, two teams that have ridiculously bloated contracts for their star RBs. Adding another guy to the roster that wants to be paid like one of the top backs in the NFL, at a position that is largely replaceable, is a great way to make sure this team puts itself under salary cap pressure
Has zero to do with being right or wrong. Was trying to get your opinion. Nevermind.
“I just like to read the comments and call out the BS if there is any.”
Read:
I like to spend my days sniping at people from the safety of my keyboard.
Moi?
.
Prime. get a clue, and get a life. You are like something I scrape off my shoe.
Jack, my opinion means nothing just like yours and everyone else on here. So don’t worry about it.
If people wanna talk and pretend someone is listening to their football opinion, news flash, no one cares especially on this blog and beyond.
Scooter: “I like to spend my days sniping at people from the safety of my keyboard.
When people make bold, uneducated remarks,yeah I will snipe back. Secondly, I’m not hiding behind a key board and trust me, I’m not too afraid of anyone.
What have the Niners invested so heavily in at the RB position?
Gordon is 10 times better than any of those guys?
Seb: you are that guy. I wouldn’t be too proud of your reputation on here.
Umm, they need to forget about signing Gordon, IMO. Gordon wants a long term deal, and it will also take draft capital to make the trade. This team already has a ton of capital invested in their RB corp, and a trade-and-sign for Gordon would simply be too expensive right now. The good news is that Kyle favors a running back-by-committee approach, and the 49ers do still have some quality depth behind Coleman, so they should be OK if he only misses a little time. What I would do for now, if Coleman is going to miss time, is call up Jeff Wilson, and re-sign Austin Walter to the PS. Walter was far better in the preseason than his statistics would indicate, and he knows the system.
Who are you cutting to call Wilson up?
I’m likely to cut TE Levine Toilolo, as he could probably be brought back at some point, if needed. That still leaves them with 3 TE’s for now, which is what the carried for most of last season, I believe. They also have Celek on the PUP, so he qualifies to be brought back after week 6 as well, although I honestly don’t know what his injury status is at the moment.
What do you think, Jack?
Do you think if they release Toilolo, he would be gobbled up by a different team right away? I doubt it, but I could be wrong. Either way, they wouldn’t be a horrible shape with 3 TE’s, and Celek on PUP.
I don’t know about you Jack, but I was surprised they decided to carry 4 TE’s from the get. And they are only paying Toilolo $805,000 this year, so he seems to be a good candidate for possibly playing the yo-yo game with this season. I mean, that’s the benefit of having a veteran bubble player on your roster, especially considering he’s the Niner’s 4th TE, being that Smith is a recent draft pick who shows decent potential.
And, can they go into Cinci with only 2 healthy halfbacks? I’d rather have 3 healthy halfbacks, and 3 healthy TE’s going into next week, than 2 halfbacks and 4 TE’s, right? Seems like a no brainer.
They’re going to add a back to the roster. I’d let one of the 10 DL guys go.
OK, that might be my second choice, but then I pose the same question to you. Who are you cutting on the DL, and why do you think that makes more sense than Toilolo? And, don’t say Thomas, ‘cuase that aint happening, even though he may be their least valuable DL.
Remember now, the 49ers identity this season, and something they have been building towards, is having a relentless DL, with enough depth to keep guys fresh, and, like we saw yesterday, close out games.
Julian Taylor.
They kept Toilolo because Smith isn’t ready to play.
Okay, Taylor? Yah, that makes some sense, but he’s young and he’s shown a lot of potential. He will definitely get picked up, IMO.
Geesh, what a horrible draft pick Thomas is turning out to be. He looks pointless, and insignificant, on this current defense. But, can they really just cut bait with Thomas at this point? No, but now might be a good time to try and trade him or even Armstead, and hope Street can contribute midseason.
Their best 4 are Bosa, Ford, Buckner and Armstead.
Thomas isn’t living up to his draft slot but he’s a good role guy that should be kept.
Thomas played 12 snaps (out of a possible 70) yesterday while failing to register a tackle or pressure, even on a hot and humid afternoon where the Niners needed their depth to show up. And Thomas lined up a full TWO FEET, over the LOS on one of those 12 snaps.
SMH!
I know Thomas gives them some versatility Jack, but what good is 12 snaps on a hot, humid day, when he doesn’t even show up on the stat sheet?
What the frick? You can find that kind of production off the waiver wire. Heck, Damontre Moore is versatile enough, and can probably give them more than that!
“Thomas played 12 snaps”
Cool, and Taylor played 6. Say what you want about Thomas but he’s better than Taylor.
I’m not saying Taylor is better than Thomas, different kind of player though Jack. Taylor can anchor in the middle, Thomas not so much. Yah, Thomas can play on the edge, but he’s a liability no matter where you put him, IMO. And like I said, Damontre Moore can likely give them more than Thomas in the same kind of role.
I am not at all impressed with Solomon Thomas! He is a classic tweener who doesn’t excel at anything. Those kinds of guys are a dime a dozen, they really are, which is probably why they haven’t been able to trade Thomas.
It’s really flawed logic to say that the team has “a ton of capital invested in their RB corp.” The only big money they’ve spent on a pure running back was McKinnon. And he’s not an investment, he’s a loss. Forget about it. That was a dubious acquisition to begin with but it’s besides the point.
Hypothetical: If you sign two RBs for a buzillion dollars, subsequently discover that they’re no good and cut them, are you not going to sign another RB because ” you have a ton of capital invested in your RB corp”?
McKinnon is dead weight. He doesn’t count against the roster, even though technically he is still part of the team. The Niners would benefit from having an elite RB on the roster. No question.
Niners, though, are not a team that acts boldly. So I don’t expect that would want to go after Gordon. And that may be the best end result. But after someone else snaps him up, the Niners will say something like ” we really made a serious push to get him, we’re disappointed it didn’t work out”.
I’m not sure if Shanahan sees Gordon as a fit for his offense. If he does, then I’d give up a 3rd rounder for Gordon right now. He’s a quality NFL RB that could be an outstanding addition to the 49ers. Gordon averaged 5.1 yards per rush last year and he had 50 receptions. Gordon had 9 rushers over 20 yards which put him at #7 in the league for 20+ yard rushes. Interestingly, Matt Breida’s numbers were slightly better than Gordon’s last year. The big difference is Gordon is 20 pounds heavier than Breida so Gordon might be better on short yardage downs. Gordon rushed for 47 first downs last year and Breida rushed for 36 first downs. If Coleman is out for a while I think the 49ers should look at what it would take to add Melvin Gordon.
Third rounder is all that chump is worth.
Ugly game from the offense for the most part, but the defense kept them in it and was really good.
Cool to be 1-0.
Jimmy G won another. You gotta love that!
Well maybe not you but I sure do.
Dang you’re a schmuck.
I’ve projected their record at 11-5 and today’s win was part of my original projection. Added a score to that this morning.
Jack Hammer says:
September 8, 2019 at 9:41 am
Can’t wait to get this thing going.
49ers win 23-21
Oh but before today you were singing a whole different tune.
How are those draft picks like Warner, Kittle, Spoon, Moore, and acquisitions like Richburg, Tomlinson looking now?
You know the ones Lynch and Shanny put together who you said are doing a awful job?
Yeah who is the schmuck now?
I said they were going to beat Tampa months ago.
Who cares what your game predictions are.
You called out Lynch and Shanny and all the picks and moves they made all offseason, and now all those moves and picks are coming into their own.
And now predicting a win means something?
You reek of BS!
Jack Hammer says:
April 18, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Wk 1 @ #Bucs (W) 1:25 start time makes them think it’s not an East Coast game
Wk 2 @ #Bengals (W)
Wk 3 vs #Steelers (W)
Wk 4 bye
Wk 5 vs #Browns (MNF) (W)
Wk 6 @ #LARams (L)
Wk 7 @Wash (L)
Wk 8 vs #Panthers (W)
Wk 9 @ #AZ (W)
Wk 10 vs #Seahawks (W)
Wk 11 vs #AZ (W)
Wk 12 vs #Packers (W)
Wk 13 @ #Ravens (L)
Wk14 @ #Saints (L)
Wk15 vs #Falcons (W)
Wk16 vs Rams (W)
Wk17 @ Sea (L)
11-5
I made the prediction back in April.
I’ve stated numerous times that they have the talent to win 11 games. The team had talent to win more games last year. That hasn’t been their biggest issue.
They won the game. Onto the next one.
Onto to the next one but let’s just forget all the slandering about Lynch, Jimmy G and Shanny all offseason?
Guaranteed the first loss you bring up all that crap again.
I know your game Hammer and it stinks!
If they play good I say so.
If they play bad I say so.
That’s my game.
Today was a really uneven game, but they found a way to win. A big step forward.
Whoa Jack, 11-5? Well, 11-5 is obviously looking a lot better with this win, and spending this coming week across the country is going to be a lot easier with this first win under their belt.
I will say this: This was a critical win for the 49ers, considering their schedule. Had they lost big, or lost another heart-breaker, I had real concerns about how well this team would respond spending the entire week across the country. Another positive is, even though Cincinnati gave Seattle all they could handle yesterday, the Bengals did end up losing a game they probably should have won. The Bengals out gained the Seahawks by nearly 200 yards yesterday, with 22 first downs to the Hawks’ 12. The Bengals also dominated time of possession, so their defense was only on the field for just over 24:00 minutes on Sunday. That’s a tough pill for the Bengals to swallow though, and that kind of opening day loss can have a carry over effect. The good news for the Niners is that they won’t face AJ Green, and I think the formula for beating the Bengals is pretty much the same formula for beating the Bucs. If you can pressure Andy Dalton, he’ll make the same kinds of stupid mistakes we saw from Jameis yesterday, and if their is one area that looks very promising for the Niners, it’s their pass rush.
Niners – 27
Bengals – 17
Go NINERS!
Cincinnati will be a much stiffer test than TB. If the offense plays the same way they did yesterday I can’t find a way that they get to 17 points unless the defense sets them up again.
Little Nicky Bosa must be licking his chops at the proposition of working against Cordy Glenn.
Cool
It gets cooler. Seems Mr. Glenn is in concussion protocol, and probably will not play. Andre Smith played at LT against the Seahawks. He gave up a sack and penalty, and finished with a grade of 59.
Sweet
Good grade for Jimmy, Grant. JG is showing his ability to make key adjustments in real time – a skill many QBs are never able to acquire. Let’s hope he keeps it up!
Niners win.
1. Steelers look like Cr@p. Perhaps they are missing the best RB and WR in the league – crazy drama notwithstanding. See you guys in 2 weeks.
2 Niners D was solid in all phases. DLine got a little tired in the 4th but it was like 110 degrees.
3 Jimmy G looked good despite some bad plays. TD called back due to holding call. He was limited in the preseason . He will get into a good groove with Deebo, Marquise and Kittle.
3a. Deebo is a cross between Anquan Boldin and Edelman. Good hands and beast to tackle.
4 We still need to add a true #1 receiver.
5 RB situation is a concern. We need a 220 lb back who can carry the ball 20 times a game.
Breida and Mostert are good backs, but not built for a heavy workload.
6 Jamies looked horrible and he has 3 first round draft pick playmakers on offense – Mike Evans , Brashard Perriman, OG Howard. Jimmy G should be so lucky.
7. Actual Grant Tweet : “The momentum completely shifted to the Bucs after Gould missed that 57-yard field goal.” Needles to say I got a good chuckle out of it. COL.
8. Bring on Cincy.
Grant,
How did you feel about the play of Solomon Thomas and Arik Armistead, 2 perennial under-achievers on our DL?
Shemp
Armstead isn’t an under achiever. He might have been drafted a bit early, but he’s no bust. He was drafted as a developmental player. He had injuries derail two seasons, but played really well last year. He’s an extremely good run defender. He’s massive and moves bodies easily.
Yesterday he played well and got a crucial sack.
Thomas is a flat out bust. Stings the most because Jamal Adams, Christian McCaffrey and Pat Mahomes we’re all sitting there
Grant Cohen is a clown. Heard him on the radio talking about daddy Bosa running the show without ONE SOURCE! Just another FAKE NEWS LOSER! FACTS GRANT! NO I THINK SO’S. Heard you get called out on the RADIO for that comment and you quickly said you had no sources just your own Guessing game. Nice pick taking the BUCS! Chump!
16-0 49ers VS 16-0 Pats in the SUPERBOWL! Boooooyah!
Uh, yeah, that would have to be the 18-0 Niners vs the 18-0 Pats.
Been a long time since anyone said the 49ers won a game because of their defense! :-)
If only SF could quit with the dumb penalties, they will get enough penalities when their players get physically beat on a play. Can SF field a team that can stay healthier?
May need to go after chargers holdout rb. Also trade backup QB to jags and open up another spot on 53 man, to go after someone
May need to go after chargers holdout rob. Also trade backup QBs to jags and open up another spot on 53 man
Defense was very good, but that first half was atrocious.
A few uncharacteristic points from the game. Very weird to see a subpar Run D but very good pass D. Also pass pro looked very good, but run blocking was unusually poor. Weird to see from a Shanny offense. I’m hoping this is just more rust from Jimmy G that he will shake off. But if its not than I hope KS has the cahones to pull the plug on JG and try out Mullins. With the potential of this Defense, we dont need a hero at QB, just a strong complementary run game and game manager at QB.
Interesting week of football. How bout them Browns!
My takeaways –
1. Jimmy wasn’t bad as Grant stated, and he would have been a lot better without all the td nullifying penalties, but that is not why I believe he wasn’t bad. He wasn’t bad because it seemed like he knew the situation, settled down and played conservatively.
I also agree that it seemed like Kyle was doing a lot to manage Jimmy… this bears watching.
2. The D played very well today. I won’t say great because Winston played so poorly and they had a number of 3rd down issues.
3. This is a confidence builder and hopefully a sign of things to come. I don’t trust the defense to do this week in and week out, because not many qb’s will throw up the ball like Winston does, but it’s a good sign and shows what they can do. If they get a few more performances like this, look for some of the penalties to go away. I’m not blaming the ref’s or stating that they are biased but rather stating that generally speaking better teams get the benefit of the doubt on questionable calls (this is kind of human psychology ).
4. The offense left a lot of points on the board as usual… they got their standard allotment of red-zone penalties. I’m not certain how many of their drives are killed by penalties rather being stopped… but if feels like a lot of them are. I could be wrong, but it feels like its the biggest reason for their issues there… they need to get to the point if they are stopped there, its almost certainly because they were outplayed there… not becuase of mistakes they made.
This is how I see it as well. I feel like Jimmy G was rusty. Had a big miss to Bourne and Goodwin that could have led to TD’s. The one to Goodwin was just an inaccurate throw and the one to Bourne was just a bad read by either JG or Bourne. I feel like the offense will get much better. This will be a whole new look offense by game 4 – especially if Trent Taylor comes back and can stay healthy. Taylor is Garoppolo’s favorite target and I feel like their connection will open the entire offense. Win a couple of early – ugly games to build confidence. Confidence alone results in significantly better performances.
A win is a win, and if you can win on the road that’s always a good thing.
It was a horrible game. Both teams repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, but unlike the Bucs, the Niners overcame the errors and started to make plays. The defence especially – after missing three big plays to start the game they started making them and that was the difference. Hopefully this performance gives them the confidence so we see more of the latter than the former. The defence won this game today, and I suspect they’ll have to win a few more if the Niners are to reach the post season.
Good:
-Salah
-Dee Ford
-Sherman and Spoon
-Moore
-Mostert
The rest I’ve already covered, but Mostert ran really hard today. He needed to, because the offence wasn’t generating much outside of him. I will also give Kittle a mention here, as he played as well as he could. Salah looks so much better this year, I remember when he first joined there was talk about him being highly regarded as a possible HC in the future. Only now am I finally seeing why this is. Dee Ford was next level today, for all the doom Grant has made of him he played lights out. I think Sherman showed why he hasn’t been moved to safety too, lol. Spoon was, dare I say it, clutch? Lots of positive signs from the secondary.
Bad
-Jimmy
-Kwon Alexander
-the WRs
Jimmy was poor. Wasn’t just the pick 6, but throughout the whole game he missed throws he should have made. I’m not going to write him off, but this team can’t afford Jimmy to have more games like this. I liked what Grant pointed out regarding muting himself, as I never really considered that, but I think more praise for that goes to Shanahan. Offensive-focused coach dials it down and wins with defence is the kind of growth we hoped to see. Kwon was the worst player on the Niners today. Dropped an easy pick and then got himself ejected. I get he was amped up to face his previous team but this was just selfish. I included the WRs as a group because all of them were pretty bad, but Samuel was extra poor. That fumble just ripped points away. He needs to use that as a learning experience.
More relieved over that win than anything, as losing that game would have been hard to take. Wasn’t far off in my predictions either, said 27-14 and it was 31-17. Though I also said Niners would start fast and yeah, not so much. Onto the Bengals.
Not a bad write up. I’d suggest your keep your ridiculous live game comments, especially the takes mere minutes into the game, to yourself to avoid embarrassment.
Allie or Renas? I’m not paying close attention at the moment.
That’s easy. If it’s a comment that JG needs to be pulled for Mullens right now, that’s allie written all over it. Renas is more scattershot.
I wont apologise for being emotional in the moment. Especially when at that point the defence had multiple chances to make plays and let them all go begging. Frankly, if some posters reposting my in-game cries is the result after a Niner win, I’m fine with that. I don’t feel any embarrassment because I know in the moment my reactions are going to be back and forth. Unlike some others, I don’t claim to be a paragon of objectivity or rationality. As for keeping them to myself, eh I guess. I like having the outlet.
Renas, keep them coming. I like that distant perspective. Maybe us locals are too close to the team.
.
I really look forward to your posts. You are just keeping it real, and venting at this team is fine because they deserve some constructive criticism. Continued unforced errors and too many penalties that extended TB drives.
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Do not worry about Rib, he is a head case. Parroting what you write just makes him look desperate to deliver snark.
.
I was worried that the Bucs would score, and make the final score TB 24- 23 Niners. Thank goodness Winston imploded, for those 2 pick sixes.
Thanks, Sebbie.
“Jimmy was poor. Wasn’t just the pick 6, but throughout the whole game he missed throws he should have made. ”
I’m not arguing that he was good… but for as “poor” as he was he still completed 66.7% of his passes and had 2 td’s called back (granted one of them was more Kittle making a play) and completed a 3rd and long when we needed it… sadly Mcglinchey got caught with a hold.
At the end of the day… he wasn’t a net negative for SF and that’s really all he needed to do with the way the Defense played. I expect he could continue to struggle for the first few weeks then settle down. We will have a better Idea of who he is after about week 4.
“Poor” is relative. Some teams don’t need excellent QB play to reach the playoffs. Niners are, ultimately, going to live and die by Jimmy G. If he isn’t playing at a playoff-level, they won’t reach them. And given that, he missed throws that he needs to be hitting in his sleep. The margin for error isn’t large for the Niners. A team like the Cowboys, they can miss plays like that and still be fine. But you can’t leave points out there. Now, he did better after the pick 6, and became a competent game manager. But that’s not really his game.
Like I’ve said, I’m not writing him off. I’m not demanding he be benched. But he needs to play at a higher level – that pick 6 was the only points the Bucs scored all first half. You can’t rely on the defence shutting out an offence for an entire half in order to keep the game close. Now compred to Winston, yes he’s better. But Winston isn’t much of a bar, as he’s probably out of a job after this year. For the Niners to be in the post-season conversation he needs to be Goff/Dak/Kirk/Wentz/Matt Ryan level. Those are all NFC QB’s that will be vying for the post season. That’s not including Wilson/Rodgers/Brees who are clearly a level higher than the other QB’s (though you can argue Goff is on an elite trajectory, as is Wentz, and Matt Ryan had a few elite years recently). That’s 8 QB’s right there, only 6 teams get in. Jimmy needs to be better than the likes of Trubisky/Stafford/Cam* (*elite year notwithstanding) otherwise this team has no chance. It’s not an easy bar to reach, as some very good QB’s are going to be missing the playoffs with very talented, and experienced, teams.
Now it’s not playoffs or bust, but we can’t wait half a year for Jimmy to start playing at a high level. He needs to get better quickly, and I every faith he will, but it needs to actually happen.
Great write-up Grant. Seriously. I implore you to continue to cover the Niners this season in a more objective way. You really do have a good eye for the sport and when you temper the negativity, you are capable of great insight. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it should all be rainbows and sunshine with blind allegiance, but I applaud you for covering this game for what it was, a tough road game that was ugly at times. All that matters is getting that week 1 W to build momentum upon. You, like the 49ers, showed great maturity today.
An additional grade:
Beat Writer A: Grant Cohn was on top of his game this week, with great real time observations and a fair insightful recap of this tough road Win. Would love to see Grant Cohn continue in this groove. Shows great promise in 2019.
Now if only the mighty Press Democrat would allow Grant to attend a couple road games this year…
Shouldn’t have to wait for Garoppolo to show up.
He was paid elite money. He is not elite and will never be. His processing speed isn’t up to snuff. Serviceable? Yes. He’s just more evidence of the incompetence of the Niners brain trust when evaluating talent. McKinnon, Garoppolo, Thomas, CJ, Williams, Pettis, even. The team desperately needs a real GM/talent evaluator with some mojo.
Another guy with no MOJO is Grant. He totally folded in the face of criticism from blind fans. Grading Garoppolo a B!!!!
Grow a pair man. Grappolo was nowhere near a B. I was reading the rating of some 49er homer who writes for the Webzone, and even he had him at D+. That’s about right, and the guy was a 49er apologist. SMH
Defense of course won the game. But the score wasn’t nearly indicative of how close the game was. The team got lucky to be playing against Jameis. The Niners were getting gashed with runs up the middle. The team needs to move on from Thomas. Givens. Give the kid a shot.
Lighten up Frances. It was the first game of the season.
And JGs first game back after an injury that would probably leave these commenting clowns on crutches for the rest of their adult life.
Houston, What movie was that quote from?
How do you feel about robot morons? Are they real? Are there billions of ’em?
What’s the opposite of a robot moron?
A human intellectual? Few and far between in the noisy segment of this fanbase.
I would have given him a B- for the pick six, but I admired how JG responded to adversity.
Lowell Cohn
@LowellCohn
My last year covering 49ers I was in press box Grant to my left Phil Barber to his left. After one play Grant said to me, ‘Interesting what the free safety did on that play.’ Free safety? I was lucky to follow the ball. I realized Grant saw all 22 on every play. Who is this guy?
What I also like is Grant’s ability to focus on the salient issues.
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That said, I also disagree with Grant with some of his grades. They were too high.
> “Who is this guy?”
I see a future GM wasting his talents entertaining robot morons…..
Looking back at the live game blog… Haters don’t worry. Each weekend will bring another opportunity for a loss and celebration/gloating over your predictions that this player or coach or this team unit or that team unit (sucks/is overpaid/needs to be benched/has never done anything/too handsome/whatever). Your time will come. In the meantime, while the team is winning, go back and stay under your little rock of negativity.
But perhaps, if the team keeps winning brilliant commentators like The Great Prognosticator, 49ers suck, #cantdraft, etc will be gone for good. And the instant hot takers like montyderhak, allie, renas etc, will shut their yaps a little bit and let the entire game play out. Is that too much to ask?
It’s all a dream… In a few minutes we’ll awake and it’ll be a fall day in Fresno–hurrying to get dressed and off to school. Mom! Where’s my homework?
Fresno in ’72 that is…
Fall 1972? Don’t worry, in just a few months Preston Riley will bobble away a Niners trip to the Super Bowl.
Enjoy the season!
Ha!
Did you know the 49ers lost the very first game of the ’80/81 season? That’s the season the 49ers went 13-3 and won the Superbowl. First game of that season was in Detroit against the Lions and the 49ers lost 17-24. Look at the QB stats of that game vs this game against Tampa Bay:
Joe Montana: 18-28; 195 yards; 1 TD/1Int: 4 Sacks; QB Rating 81.7
Jimmy Garoppolo: 18-27; 166 yards; 1 TD/1 Int; 1 Sack; QB Rating 80.2
49ers started out the ’80/81 Superbowl season with 1 win and 2 losses. The 2 teams they lost to went a combined 15-17 on the year. Point is teams don’t really hit their groove until about week 4 or so. Calling for Jimmy G to be benched after his first game back from an ACL injury is utterly idiotic. Winning is better than losing so I’ll take this win with joy and hope the 49ers build on it.
Uh-oh Houston, now you’ve done it. Comparing Garoppolo to Montana? Retribution will be swift and painful.
Retribution….a classic NFL Films song…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T8uwpAfamE
Classic. The musical equivalent of John Facenda’s voice.
Well the great thing about being an arrogant pr**k is I don’t give a flying fffeather about criticism from people on this blog who would have benched Joe Montana for a slow start or wanted Ronnie Lott demoted for not wrapping up. Jimmy G and the offense need time to build chemistry and learn what’s working or not working which will result in better production. IMO, if you can’t see that fact then you’re an imbecile. So fire away boys…
Don’t you think it is as premature as calling for his benching? I certainly do.
++
Hey Rib,
Morose Morbid Mondays under Chipsula gave way to Overreaction Mondays in the Shanalynch’s first two seasons. With increasing talent and experience there is the fear that Niners will win more games this season. Mondays will become all sunshine! To mitigate such a disaster, I suggest we move on to Hate Redirection Mondays.
Today’s subject for Hate Redirection: a first round draft (and third pick to boot) who played only 12 snaps and registered zero tackles. Someone who Grant failed to call out!
Ribico.. my good man. Check back in with me at the halfway mark. Okay?
You seem to be in denial. I am happy we won. I am a Garoppolo supporter. And unlike others I don’t think Mullens is anything close to being an answer given his lack of arm strength (Shaun Hill comes to mind).
I am not focused on negativity.. just being a realist. If the team finds beating the hapless Bucs this challenging, I’m not sure there’s much to be ecstatic about.
Just don’t expect me to be a blind follower. Cheers, bud.
There’s blind followers and there’s relentless garbage throwers.
Yeah, we’ll check mid season. Obviously you are expecting the team to be in the tank by then so you can claim your little validation. What a pathetic excuse for a “fan”.
a road win is always a good thing…
away from that i will sincerely defer to fans who watched all the preseason games, etc…that and the fact the penalties and commercials combined to make this game about as unwatchable as any Niner game in some time…
still dont understand how we can have had so much cap space and still not have a #1 WR
Hoping Hurd can get back on the field….soon.
It’s a win and those have been hard to come by so I’ll gladly take it… But run D, penalties and Jimmy G’s accuracy are areas in need of improvement obviously. First game of the season though so plenty of time to get better with a very winnable game coming up. Mondays are always so much better after a win!!
If hitting an upright is a doink, what’s hitting the crossbar?
Boink?
If it’s the middle (fat) part of the ball, an oink. The end (tip), a toink.
Samuels will mature, Taylor and Hurd will get healthy along with Jimmy G knocking the rust off, It all bodes well for the passing game to improve. It is all arrows up for the 2019 49ers.
I think Woods did a good job last game. He really has coached up Witherspoon.
Grant…
Looks like Bay Area sports media personality is staying east with the 9ers…
Cam Inman
@CamInman
#49ers mailbag: Submit your questions as I fly to meet up with team in Youngstown (via DC)
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Wish you were headed to Youngstown–close proximity to the team you cover, AND close proximity to senior Yorks. What could possibly go wrong with that? Win/Win baby!
Sebbie…
This may interest you…
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/09/08/keelan-doss-rejected-raiders-in-favor-of-staying-on-jaguars-practice-squad/
Smart man.
Uh-huh. Doss has signed with Raiders.
Indeed…
https://nypost.com/2019/09/09/raiders-get-desperate-to-bring-back-keelan-doss-from-jaguars/
Smarter man. Negotiated from a position of strength, and got a better deal.
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I wish him well. Hope he does well, but am not rooting for any Raider success. Just his career production.
Watching you backtrack one long step at a time in reverse is quite amusing, Sebbie.
In fact it reminds me of the Kool-Aid Man in Family Guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-FKVnEnDg
It must have hurt to see Gruden praise him, then cut him. Doss had every right to flee that potential dumpster fire, where one cannot believes what is said.
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However, money talks, and Doss did well. He did grow up a Raider fan, so he is happy.
?
He’s not back tracking, he’s moonwalking ??
First the first time ever Grant’s grades are too generous. Or he has adjusted his scale.
Whatever- if we played a real NFL caliber team I think we get blown out as usual.
Naw, if the Niners manage to get past the Bengals, both the Steelers and Browns look vulnerable.
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If the Niners continue to improve, they could start out 4-0, on their way to 19-0!!!! ;p
I viewed the performance as a necessary stepping stone for a losing team. They let the Bucs beat themselves. That’s a small step in the right direction.
Fair point.
Grant in his wedded bliss is in unusually generous mood at this time. Not to worry, it will pass!
You’re probably one of the folks on here claiming their receivers were going to have monster games vs the secondary too.
This game ended up how I thought it would.
Offense would be sluggish, and the defense would have to win this game.
I think game two will be the same.
This team is right back to where it was last season. With a QB having question marks on his game. Nobody is going to know how good he will be until he gets a full season under his belt. If he’s going to be worth the franchise QB name he will make his adjustments as the season goes on.
But no way last years team in game one wins this game. Their defense would have tired out like they did yesterday but wouldn’t be able to rely on the talent they have this year to dash the other teams hopes.
I called it early that this defense will have to carry the majority of the load until after the bye week. So for those who are expecting a lot of points from the offense need to relax a little on those expectations. If this defense is as legit as it showed it can be yesterday all this offense needs to do for a little bit is continue to put up 20 -25 points a game. And that’s a recipe for wins early in the season with this schedule.
It’s only a matter of time until Jimmy gets clicking with this offense. If he stays healthy.
And IMO the LB squad is being overlooked.
I saw TB being more successful running the ball later as the game went on. Both of these defenses were gassed, and if you don’t think the humidity and heat really does take its tole you haven’t played or lived in it. Missing their best LB didn’t help. Sorry but if Alexander can play with that intensity throughout the year this defense is real dangerous. To me he was the best player on the field before that bull**it ejection.
This team could be shaping up to be better balanced than any of Harbaughs teams.
Not saying they are but I can see the potential on the defensive side of the ball.
Got a long way to go and some praise and some brag on “moral victories”
Well this is actually one of those moral victories that can carry a team, not into next season because it’s a late season win, but throughout the season because it was a hard fought win that they wouldn’t have won the year prior. That’s improvement.
And don’t underestimate the home team in season openers. That’s when you usually see the best of what the team is going to give in the season.
Hard fought win this Niners team needed and needed to finish and win.
Next challenge… another home opener on the road. Will they let their heads get big? Or will they continue to dominate LOS and opponents on the other side of the ball.
I hope they aren’t thinking a 1-1 split is good enough. I hope they have a killer instinct of nobody will score on us.
That’s what I’ll be looking for next Sunday in Cincy.
Go Niners
Ps sorry for the long winded Seb type rant. ??
Just keep it short and sweet. ;p
How is that ejection not legitimate? Imagine the same scenario but it is Garoppolo instead of Winston and the player is not ejected. Everyone on this board would be livid.
Early in the season refs clamp down hard on points of emphasis to set the tone, then try to be less intrusive of play later in season, but head shots will be called.
In the 4 games I watched, they seemed to allow minor contact on PI plays.
That’s such a tough spot for Alexander because Winston looks like he’s making a cut and then goes into a kinda funky slide. By the time Winston starts his slide Alexander is only a couple yards from him and already going in for the hit.
But yes, you are ?. If that had been Garoppolo and no foul was called the board would have exploded.
Looking at the play again, there was helmet to helmet contact. That caused the flag. Still think JW was not trying to slide. He went head first, which is why his helmet was hit. Both lowered their heads.
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Kwon may have collided helmets, but he was also trying to strike with his shoulder pad. He was not trying to spear. He was aggressive, and trying to hit as hard as possible, but helmet to helmet hits are too violent. It was the correct call, but the ejection was a bit over the top. They could have issued a warning.
“He went head first,”
You need better glasses if you think Winston went head first.
“…helmet to helmet hits are too violent. It was the correct call, but the ejection was a bit over the top.”
You cannot initiate contact with the helmet, and if you do that to a QB you’re out. The NFL is all about protecting that position.
The one that I found funny, was the flag on the Bucs on Mostert’s run. The DB gets called for initiating contact with the head when Mostert is using his like a battering ram. It’s really one sided.
I think he was trying to gain yardage. There was no obvious feet first slide.I think he struck with his shoulder pad, so the contact was simultaneous.
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I will agree that he deserved a flag, but the contact was incidental, not intentional. He was not leading with the crown of his helmet, and targeting to hit JW in the head. It is hard to see because JW’s body is covering up the shoulder pad, but I truly believe that Kwon was trying to deliver a legal hit against a QB who did not slide feet first.
“There was no obvious feet first slide.”
You need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist.
It was a knee first slide, The feet were pointing backwards. It does show a strike with the shoulder pad, but yes, there was helmet to helmet contact.
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If you look at the entire play, JW does not initiate a feet first slide, and Kwon initiates contact with his forearm.
What got me is that the replays show that Alexander initiated contact with the top of his helmet which is an excellent way to die. Not sure which rule is more important: the NFL rule to protect QB’s or the cardinal rule of tackle football, never hit another player with the top of your helmet. One is a penalty (and possible ejection) the other is a trip to the promised land. Sometimes I wonder if these super athletes are so talented that coaches give them the day off when the subject is fundamentals.
Yeah, exploded alright. It would have been like “Why didn’t that idiot Garoppolo go down sooner?!”
Sour… it was during a football play. Penalty yes, ejection after the first penalty? No way!
Good writeup MD. However:
Nope, a moral victory something that homers like me take from an actual loss. This was an outright win, nothing moral about it ;)
Rib… fair enough. I can see your POV
I’m stating this because of the multiple penalties that negated TD’s and other mistakes. With that many usually a team loses in the road. They grinded it out and got the win.
That’s got to be a moral boost for a losing team the last 2 years.
You are right, the teams from the last two years lose this game.
And if not for ineptitude of a certain QB yesterday and excellent play by the DL it could have been a similar result to the last two years.
Consider that the blocked punt set up 3 points and the two INTs. That’s 15 points, more than the margin of victory.
We could be sitting here making excuses, that Deebo shouldn’t have fumbled, That Bourne or Garoppolo read that play wrong, etc.
Instead, we are all celebrating a tough win.
Got to find the trash even in a win, don’t you? smdh.
There are no moral victories…only actual ones.
Kwon’s ejection was absolutely legitimate. He didn’t just hit Winston with the crown of his helmet. Kwon lowered his head and used the very top as a spear. That’s called spearing and it’s been illegal since I played a million years ago. That’s a penalty every single time. The only difference is now players get ejected for it if they do it to a QB. I highly doubt Kwon was trying to injure Winston but he was trying to make a big highlight reel hit in his return to Tampa. That play hurt the team and allowed the Bucs to rush pretty effectively after Kwon left the game. IMO it’s a failure in leadership to give a guy who hurt the team a game ball. You can’t preach play smart in one breath and then give a game ball to someone who played like an idiot.
+49
Boy it was good to get a win, lots of improvement needed especially on the offense. Very big win for a young team. They are going to have to play better to beat the Bengals.
19 – 0 baby 19 – 0
Let’s keep in mind this preseason has been even more disjointed than normal. Jimmy G was kept in bubble wrap for the first 3 weeks.. Deebo only got promoted to the first team 2 weeks ago and is starting to get into sync with JG. A large significant chunk of our D has been nursing or recovering from injuries throughout the preseason: Kwon, Verrett, Bosa, Dee Ford . It will take a few weeks to gel but getting an East coast road win was a very good start.
This just in. Jags pull the trigger…
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001052926/article/jaguars-placing-nick-foles-on-ir-trade-for-qb-dobbs
you mean we couldn’t get a 5th round pick for one of our backup qbs
I think CJB is better than Dobbs.
Bourne, Pettis and Goodwin combined for a total of 23 yards on 3 catches.
What’s even more impressive is how Pettis matched their production despite playing a total of 2 snaps.
Is that more on those guys or Garoppolo? Asking because I was unable to watch the game.
Bourne and Goodwin both would could’ve had better numbers if not for errant throws. The one to Goodwin was behind him, but I think it could’ve been a catch.
What did you see on the Bourne miscue? It looked to me like JG was the one who made the mistake.
You both make good points. JimmyG was throwing behind quite a few open receivers. I attribute this to first game back jitters. It was obvious Shanny dialed it down a bit after the initial pick six, as he saw what was plainly obvious- Jimmy needs to be worked in.
That said there were numerous throws that were too far in front, or more often the case, behind the receiver.
Still, Bourne should have made the catch considering he was completely wide open and had the space to pivot and come back for the ball without worry of getting drilled by a safety/LB.
Also, let’s not forget that several Jimmy strikes were called back due to penalty- especially TD passes. He did have a very nice intermediate/long route touch pass to Coleman, a thing of beauty really.
Where did I write otherwise?
Just wondering what your take was. The second part was me giving my two cents from initial viewing. Wanted to see how you saw it is all.
Niners need a #1 receiver. It has been the case since TO departed.
By the end of the year Deebo will be that guy.
Just to keep things in perspective, three Septembers ago, Niners started the season spanking the Rams 28-0. To paraphrase Marie Antoinette: “After that, the deluge”.
That said, the game lived up to my expectations, except for the ridiculous number of avoidable penalties on offense. My expectations always has been that Jimmy G will not get comfortable until after the bye and will hit stride only after mid season. Just like the CBs suddenly look better with improved pass rush, both Jimmy G and the receivers will look better. Till then, we’ll have to lean more on the running game and Kittle’s heroics, I suppose.
Good point on tempering expectations. Good win, no doubt about it. Better than any last 2 seasons (not as a game because it was pretty lousy – outcome, continuity and symbolism). However, this team still has a long way to go. This is step 1.
Is it just me or does Mostert remind anyone else of terry Kirby?
Runs very hard and is oddly illusive in his running style. Or can power through tackles.
I like this kid a lot.
A lot of potential. Just hold on to the damn ball. At least we don’t have to suffer with Alfred red-zone-butterfingers Morris this year.
True, now cut down these bonehead formation penalties in the red zone.
The binding calls are bad too, but they can go either way depending on the officials. I’m calling BS on two of the holding calls yesterday. Can’t argue with the illegal formations and lining up offside. That’s on Shanahan
MD
I’l buy into some of that…Terry Kirby was a favorite of mine who strangely resembled John David Crow….
Charlie Garner?
Seb
same…same… but Garner was smaller and as I remember…faster
Mostert- 5′ 11″, 183 lbs. Ran a 4.34 forty.
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Garner – 5′ 10″, 190 lbs. Ran a 4.33 forty.
Someone at the bar said that he reminded them of Charlie Garner a little bit in how he ran. I could see that.
Great win. But based on what I have read (because I could not watch the game due to the Giants/Cowboys game being aired), there were enough issues showing up that support my belief that the team will finish at either 7-9 or 8-8.
This may be the most tragic post I’ve ever read. No way should any 49er fan miss a game because the Cowboys were airing in their local market. If you start a Go Fund Me to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket or an NFL streaming service I’ll donate.
Sorry you missed it. It was beautiful to watch. The Niners were competing like road warriors. TB does have talent, and I thought they were well coached. They could have won the game, but they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. They were on the 2 yard line, poised to go in, and the Niner defense played Niner Football.
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They need to work on those runs up the middle, but Kwon was ejected early.
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JG showed his inconsistency, but I think he will settle down and deliver strikes.
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It was a well coached game, and gives me more hope for a 9 win season.
Mid… try tweak box app on your phone and get the Iplay tv app with it. You should be able to get the games.
Use reddit (nfl streams).
Sounds like Coleman is going to miss some time. If we were going to trade for Melvin Gordon what would you give up? I was thinking CJ Beathard might be an option but the Chargers already have Tyrod Taylor so no way would the Chargers want Beathard. How about trading Matt Breida + 6th round pick for Melvin Gordon. To make room on the roster you bring up Jeff Wilson and cut CJ Beathard.
Wait to trade CJB to Jax. Dobbs will probably struggle.
The again, he may not…
Why not advocate for CJB to become a Steeler? Oh the intel to be gained by Pittsburgh! Spilled guts everywhere….
They have Mason Rudolph.
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They have a rule in the NFL where a team cannot poach a player, pick his head, then cut him loose. Cannot be for a week before an upcoming opponent, and the player has to be put on the 53 for at least 3 weeks.
Having Gordon on Sunday would not have changed the OL failing to open up holes for the RBs to run through.
Houston
How about ‘King’ Solomon, Jimmy Ward, and a sixth round pick for Melvin Gordon, and grab Jordan Matthews
I would do the Solomon, Ward, + 6th round pick for Melvin Gordon but why grab Jordan Matthews? Seems like we would just call up Givens and Harris from the PS.
Houston
Matthews is longer, faster; a better blocker, and a better receiver overall
Ok. So you aren’t commenting about Matthews as it relates to a trade for Melvin Gordon. You are saying the 49ers waived the wrong WR during the cut down to the 53 man roster. Alright, who should have been cut instead of Matthews?
Bourne.
Houston
Sorry about the lack of clarity…yes…I was alludijng to the trade for Gordon…who would I have cut..?I would move Bourne to the PS to replace Malik Henry and pick up Matthews…’that better ?
Razor should be happy. Bosa got a sack. Actually, he should have gotten 3, but he slid past JW on a couple plays.
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Sure am glad he was healthy enough to play. Maybe keeping him fresh for third downs will help his ankle heal fully.
“Oh, what demise we plant, saying things are going South,
tho its a luxury to talk out of both sides of our mouth.”
“Bosa is here and looks like he can play,
truth be told, that F’s up Sebby’s day!!!!”
No, Saw, now that they drafted Bosa, I am rooting for him to get 11 sacks.
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Bosa got one last game, so he is well on his way to achieving that goal.
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If Bosa can help the Niners win, I will cheer every sack and tackle.
Just funnin ya, Sebs.
The 49ers won the game. Not being captain obvious here but that’s the right summation for it. They came away with the win. They beat a team that will likely have a top 3 pick next Spring but they did beat them which is truly what matters most. It’s important to remember that despite the score at the end of the game there were at least more than just a few moments where victory was far from certain. Given the overall quality of the team we were facing that’s something important to consider. Again though, they did win and a win is a win.
Player thoughts:
Bosa: Was able to put himself in position to make plays. Was also pushed to the ground, a lot. What will he be like when he doesn’t have Ford on the opposite side?
Deebo: Young pup made some mistakes. He still flashed a little of what makes me excited about his future with this team.
Wishnowsky: Still not worth a 4th rounder.
Garappolo: Makes me nervous. He looks the part. He even makes really great throws after making subtle movements in the pocket to buy himself an extra moment or two for his receiver to get open. He does the things that good NFL starters need to do. Then, just when you start to fall in love. He f*cks you over. Then he does something beautiful and you’re left wondering, who the hell is this guy? Will he always be the guy that brings this team to the edge of being really good or even great but then also always make that mistake especially in a crucial game that prevents us from taking the big step? Is Garappolo the next Tony Romo?
Offensive line: In my 5 not so burning questions I asked if the team would be able to run behind this line. Not going to make any decisions after a single game but It’s clear that it was the right question to ask. If teams stop worrying about the run it’s going to shut down a large part of Lil Shanny’s attack.
I agree. Bosa needs to keep his feet.
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Deebo- agree. He will make rookie mistakes, but he has good potential.
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JG- He is recovering from an ACL, so I will cut him some slack. Once he gets into a rhythm, and more familiar with his receivers, he will get more consistent.
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O line- I was pleased to see Richberg play well, and wonder if Jeff Wilson might help the running game, if Coleman is out.
Coffee’s for Closers says:
September 9, 2019 at 11:23 am
What will he (Bosa) be like when he doesn’t have Ford on the opposite side?
Bosa beat his blockers like a drum to the tune of babaloo, recording a pass rush “win” on 28.0% of his snaps. That’s the highest of any defensive player week 1, and yes that means better than Allen and Williams!
Dunno what CFC’s problem is, but I’ve got a feeling that this Bosa kid can handle his own business without Ford on the other side. We’ll need more cowbell, and I think Bosa will bang on the drums all day against the Bengals
CFC,
Agree on all points!
Bosa: played well but most his opportunities came from Ford.
Deebo: one of the few pick ups that I thought well done.
Wishnowsky: Rather have a Guard or Safety.
Garoppolo: yup, never thought of Romo but I can see that.
OL: and paper thin to boot!
Like the 4th pick!
My only major concern is the run defense….that bucs RB took us apart….
Jimmy will be fine….KS knows exactly how to bring him along….
You just have to give credit to lynch getting Ford and Boss has changed the DE for the best….
Kwon will be back.
Not judging one way or the other… What some of us thought of Winston back in ’15…
Scooter_McG says:
April 25, 2015 at 11:52 pm
If that’s the biggest question mark I’ve done a better job of the list than I expected!
With Winston, if you see my answers to cubus’ questions you’ll see when I’m considering value between positions I rate QBs a bit higher than other positions due to the importance of the QB to the team. I’ve also said previously and still believe this – Winston is the best QB prospect I’ve seen since Andrew Luck. I know the off field character issues are there, and I understand the concerns regarding the high rate of INTs, but he’s got plenty of talent.
He’s got obvious good physical traits for a QB, but what often goes overlooked with Winston is just how smart a player he his. He stepped in and ran a complex offense brilliantly as a freshman. He takes too many risks, but he reads defenses very well, and goes through his progressions nicely. Not many young QBs can do that. He’s a naturally gifted QB.
Reply
Coffee’s for Closers® says:
April 26, 2015 at 12:22 am
I see a QB that relies on taking chances. If you’re Brett Favre then you can get away with it for at least a little while but Winston isn’t Brett Favre. I think the int increase had a lot to do with him forcing the ball and simply not being as successful with it as he had the previous season. In the NFL it’ll only be exponentially harder to make those plays and I think he’ll be an INT machine. Maybe an NFL coach will be able to teach him to throw away some of those passes but until then he’ll be a turnover time bomb.
With that said is he still the best QB prospect in the draft, sadly yes. I just wouldn’t put him as the second best player in the draft.
I get the feeling they will trade Solomon Thomas…..
If they can find anyone dumb enough to trade for him.
The mighty Josh Allen from Jacksonville had a tackle in his game against the Chiefs.?
Raz
If that barb was aimed at me, remember, Allen didn’t have Buckner, Armstead, Blair, Ford A.J.Jones lined up beside him….STILL THE BEST
It’s a long season…and Razor forgets his whiffs too easily.
For Bosa, the talent is there. No one questioned that. What everyone questioned was his longevity and commitment.
Injuries yes, At one time I would of questioned his commitment but in today’s world he made decisions based on his future. That is hard to find fault with.
Loyalty is something that I grew up with, its future is cloudy in todays world. Same thing goes for Hurd, its hard to find fault with a young man making decisions based on what he felt was best for his future. These are life changing decisions. Loyalty that’s my world not so much in today’s world. I guess maybe that’s why I get defensive when Sour and Jack and others pick at my team. Its not that they are wrong its more of my loyalty to a team who I have followed longer then some of you been alive. Loyalty can be stupid if one is blind. So…Razor is not blind
I didn’t necessarily see it as a negative either. I know people have to look after their own interests (AB, cough, cough), yet some part of this trend is at least a bit alarming.
Oregon,
Keep making excuses why Allen didn’t do well Sunday. Allen plays along the D line with Campbell( All Pro ) ngakoue( All Pro). Stop discrediting what Bosa does. The only thing that can stop Bosa is injuries. If he avoids those he an Elite pass rusher.
The only whiff I’m getting is the stench wafting around from the BS squad.
RAW
I am not in any way discrediting what Bosa does ON THE FIELD…My main ‘Bone to pick’ is with the selection process….both of these guys (Allen and Bosa) should and I’m sure WILL become great in their careers…but that entails ON THE FIELD which at this point favors Allen…played every game in college, training camp, and now in first pro season….
Bosa had himself a very nice game, but one thing I did notice is that he struggled turning the corner/ beating the OT around the edge. He was far more dominant with his inside and power moves. This isn’t anything new – its exactly what people said about him in pre-draft. But I was a bit concerned with the number of times he got pushed well past the QB when he tried to go around the OT, and a number of times he ended up on the ground in these situations. Something for him to work on.
Good post Scooter
Yup, I think Bosa would be more effective if he kept his feet.
Not too early to get into the beat Cincinnati mindset…
Check this classic Bengals fight song…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upHWtPkuD5s
Robbie Gould leg cramps…
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/49ers-robbie-gould-dealing-with-cramps/
Real feel in the triple digits will do that.
Magnesium supplements Robbie……
Bananas!
Jeff Deeney
@PFF_Jeff
What upgrading a pass rush can do for you…
Jameis Winston when under pressure yesterday:
4-12, 37 yards, 2 INT, passer rating of 3.1
Bengals injuries coming into week 2…
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/CIN/cincinnati-bengals/injuries/
PLAYER POSITION UPDATED INJURY INJURY STATUS
Cordy Glenn T Mon, Sep 9 Concussion Questionable for Week 2 vs. San Francisco
Auden Tate WR Mon, Sep 9 Knee Questionable for Week 2 vs. San Francisco
Trayveon Williams RB Mon, Sep 9 Foot Questionable for Week 2 vs. San Francisco
A.J. Green WR Mon, Sep 9 Ankle Out for Week 2 vs. San Francisco
Joe Mixon RB Sun, Sep 8 Ankle Questionable for Week 2 vs. San Francisco
https://www.ninersnation.com/2019/9/9/20856964/dante-pettis-was-dealing-with-a-calf-issue-and-thats-why-he-was-limited-against-tampa-bay
Fair, accurate assessment by Coach, but get rid of the grades. Extremely juvenile. Does anybody really care about the grades? Maybe Coach liked to play school as a kid (didn’t everyone?) and always wanted to be the teacher, but never could. Maybe he always wanted to be an actual school teacher? That might explain the “what the team/players/coaches need to do” pieces, in their various forms. Frustrated teacher moments I guess. Whatever. You have a good analysis Coach, just leave it at that!
This week scares me a little. An 0-1 team at home for their opener. They’re staring 0-2 down. Desperation for Cincinnati. Didn’t run much against Seattle. Even though the Niner run D was a tad porous, I think Andy is going to pass pass pass. Niners can’t be content. Content vs desperation usually doesn’t prevail. Haven’t seen a point spread yet but I’m going to guess Cincinnati at -6 or 7. Thoughts?
Has nothing to do with the spread, but maybe Grant had a less-than-happy experience in Wood Shop–got a B- on his napkin holder project.
Juan, just about every blog / beat column has the letter grades. It’s not that annoying.
FRM,
Well, if the 49ers beat the Bengals no doubt the complainers will be out in full force chirping about how Cincinnati lost the game or gave it away to the 49ers.
We have people here who can’t enjoy a win because the team didn’t win according to their standards.
I mean, if the team walked on water (sign of perfection) they will complain they did so because there was too much alge in the water.
Once a complainer always a complainer.
A win is a win, that’s why you play the game (as Herm once said).
I’ll take a ugly win over a beautiful loss all day every day!
No argument here!
Yeah I don’t get it either AES. I wonder if these posters have this much negativity in other aspects of their lives? They must be an absolute joy to be around.
AES, guess we will have to agree to disagree.
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While I am jumping for joy over this win, I still want the Niners to improve. They still had way too many penalties, and I will call them out if they are not competent enough to line up onsides.
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This game was close, and they were 2 yards from gaining the lead in the 4th quarter. Just because I want the Niners to improve, does not mean I hate the team.
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You may take an ugly win. I want a beautiful win. Is that a bad thing to strive for?
Seb,
Beauty and perfection is hard to attain consistently in a contact sport, especially when 22 players are running around.
Even the Bill Walsh glory years put out some ugly wins. The 17-0 Dolphins had some ugly wins during their run to the SB as well.
I restate my claim – I’ll take winning ugly over losing beautiful all day every day.
It’s winning that counts for me.
I hope JL has built a winning culture.
Your on the right track FRM. I think maybe he thought he knew more about soccer and track than his coaches at DLSHS. Maybe they were Coach/teacher. Double whammy! Could explain the constant need to examine, grade, and often denigrate. Unfortunately, the negativeness will ultimately creep back into his viewpoint. THAT I would bet on! It’s commonly called the “Cohn Shtick”, right? So needless. The kid is sharp. Just like pops.
I can’t wait to read LC’s memoir. They talked about it on KNBR. They said he rips Kaep up one side and down the other. About what, I don’t know, meaning is his criticism just about his play, or about everything? As much as Seb adores Coach, will he cut pops some slack, or will he go full out crazy like he’s done to anybody else that has criticized CK? Should be fun. Definitely a read!
Naw. I admit Kaep has not performed flawlessly on and off the field. He did not have any support, with Baalke dismantling their SB team. He cannot win all by himself. He cannot throw the ball, and catch it, too. He cannot prevent the opposition from gaining 200 yards rushing with third string RBs. He also wanted to effect social change, but admitted he did not vote. Voting is the best way to bring about social justice, and effect lasting change for the better. His gf is not helping him, either, with her Django posting.
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Kaep accepts the fact that protesting will have negative consequences. Social justice warriors will accept the backlash, and most expect being jailed for their beliefs. Blackballing may not be fair, but he should accept his fate
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I have moved on. I am happy the Niners have JG and Mullens. I did not like it when KS thought Hoyer was better than Kaep, because Hoyer pulled a Gabbert, and benched himself. With JG and Mullens, I will wish Kaep well, where ever he lands.
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Now we have sparsely filled stadiums because they have drek QBs giving sub par performances. I find it highly ironic to have Kaep’s detractors say that Kaep has no skills, but are perfectly fine watching QBs who have accomplished little, try to play QB some what competently, but failing.
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Why do I like Kaep? I like mobile QBs who can avoid the pass rush, shrug off arm tackles and run like a deer. I like QBs who set playoff rushing records. Given a decent supporting cast, Kaep can shine, and showcase his talents while leading a team to the playoffs. Lamar Jackson is another example of a mobile QB, who can deliver the ball with touch and accuracy.
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I like and admire Kaep for his dedication to protest against police brutality. However, he should protest is such a way that does not anger and alienate a large portion of the fanbase. There are better ways to effect change, and his stance is counter productive, if his activism leads to his blackballing.
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Kaep should just declare that he has made a difference, and promise to stand. He has opened the dialogue, and police are now getting de-escalation training. Police are now being held accountable, with some guilty verdicts, and rogue cops are being weeded out of the force. Body cameras are now going to be standard issue, so the general public, and the police themselves, will be protected, with digital archiving of all encounters. Kaep should state he will stand, to continue his career, and keep his activism going towards more productive, and less offensive strategies. If he wants to get back on the field, his stubborn insistence on kneeling is fueling the backlash against him, so he should become more active after his playing days, and stand for the anthem.
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Right now, the Jags have not even given Kaep a tryout, so I think they are content to lose without Kaep, rather than trying to win with Kaep.
I used to gnash my teeth at Lowell, but now realize that his intent was to stir the pot.
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Dissing Kaep is just low hanging fruit. Who cares?
Seb, you purposely absolve Kap of his stupidity.
You also freely choose to NOT point out how he made no one better–no one.
You keep trying to “forget” or minimalize many of the other stupid comments he made, the juvenile clothing he wore talking about “pigs”…all cops are pigs, all of them…..
Talked about the greatness of Castro, Kruschev and Karl—while earning what most reasonable people would say is a pretty nice living in this republic….How noble and educated of him.
She messed up Smith and she messed up Kap–a very destructive woman.
“Win with Kap”…………..this is when you like to hear your own voice.
I’ll cut to the chase, Sebs–explain to me the logic of how when he does good, it’s because of Kap–but when he does bad, that’s somebody else’s fault?
You never slobbered like this for Steve Young. Most educated fans would say he did all the things you admire-but you never slobbered and idolized him-not like this.
Of course you can say and do what you want–but I’ll call you on your incredible bias and drama every time.
I will remind you that Kap had a bowel movement today, just like you and me…………………
Saw, your hatred of Kaep is amply demonstrated.
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He is not a villain. He is just a person, who wants to make this world better.
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He has not made anyone better? He started a dialogue, and now police are better trained and are killing less innocent unarmed civilians. A policeman was actually convicted in a court of law, so he has made a difference.
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Steve Young? He is not a social justice warrior. I just wanted Steve Young to recover from almost dying on the football field. He is a poster child for the dangers of concussions.
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No, Steve Young is not as controversial as Kaep. Kaep is far braver to face death threats and accept being blackballed, for something he believes in. Steve Young does not need me to idolize him. He is a HOF QB, and others praise him all the time. i have never heard SY decry police brutality, or the uncalled for shooting of unarmed civilians
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On this site, I feel like I am a lone voice in the wilderness. Kaep has enough of his detractors, I am just one fan who thinks he should be admired for advocating for social justice, and believes he should be given a chance to play again.
+1000 AES! Well said!
Wow! Niners installed at -1 1/2 vs Cincinnati. Bengals home dog. I’m surprised. Let’s see where the money goes now!