This is the live blog for the Niners week 4 game in Philadelphia. I will be updating this frequently from my living room throughout the game.
9:42 Kendall Hunter will start ahead of Frank Gore at tailback, and Adam Snyder will start in place of Chilo Rachal at right guard.
10:03 David Akers kicks the opening kickoff out of the back of the end zone. The Eagles will start the game from their own 20.
10:04 First play of the game, Vick fakes the run, rolls out left, throws deep down the middle of the field to Desean Jackson, who drops the pass. It was a little under thrown. Jackson was open, and Carlos Rogers was covering him.
10:05 On 3rd & 2, Vick passes to McCoy in the left flat, and Bowman absolutely flattens him. Great pursuit and a great tackle for Bowman. It’s not a good strategy to check down against these 49er linebackers. They’re too fast.
10:07 On First and ten from their 19, Kendall Hunter runs off the left tackle for seven yards.
10:08 Alex Smith throws a quick screen to Delanie Walker, who just drops it, lets the ball bounce of his chest. The officials rule the pass a backwards pass, and the Eagles recover the “fumble.” Harbaugh will challenge this call. From one replay angle, the pass does look slightly forward. The Niners should get the ball back. Regardless, a bad play from Delanie Walker.
Challenge timeout: Reflecting on Bowman’s tackle – he’s been a significant upgrade over Takeo Spikes. The Niners now have two inside linebackers that can cover the field from sideline to sideline.
10:13 After reviewing the play, the officials reverse the call and the 49ers get the ball back. 2nd and 13 for the Niners at their 16 after a ten yard Anthony Davis tripping penalty.
10:14 The Eagles bring pressure, and the Niners throw a quick screen to Kendall Hunter, who picks up 18 yards. Gore couldn’t do that, could he?
10:15 Next play, Frank Gore runs up the middle for 40 yards. He will not be outdone!
10:16 After two unsuccessful pass plays on first and second down, on 3rd & 10 Smith lines up in the shotgun, throws a quick pass to Michael Crabtree who’s three yards past the line of scrimmage. The throw is low, and Crabtree can’t hang out. David Akers comes out and misses a 44-yard field goal wide left. A terrible end to that drive. Seemed like the Niners needed to keep running the football after Gore’s big run.
10:20 Michael Vick throws deep to Desean Jackson, but this one is underthrown again, and this time Carlos Rogers picks him off. Rogers is having a terrific season for the 49ers. I thought Fangio might line up Tarell Brown with Jackson because Brown is faster, but it’s clear Fangio will put Rogers on the offense’s best receiving threat.
10:24 On first and ten from their 41, Kendall Hunter runs up the middle for two yards.
10:24 Next play, Hunter loses three yards on a stretch run to the left. Now the Eagles are stacking the line of scrimmage.
10:25 On 3rd and 12, Joe Staley false starts. And Colin Kaepernick comes in to the game on 3rd & 17, but he can’t call the play in time so he calls a timeout. Brilliant sequence for the 49ers.
10:27 Question: Why is Harbaugh bringing Kaepernick in on 3rd and long? Is he afraid Alex Smith will take a hit in this situation?
10:28 Kaepernick lines up in the shotgun and hands the ball off to Frank Gore, who picks up five yards. Andy Lee punts shanks a punt out of bounds. First and ten for Philly on their 24.
10:32 The Eagles beat the Niners’ blitz on first down with a quick screen for 11 yards. Next play, Vick hits Jeremy Maclin over the middle for a gain of 19 yards.
10:33 Next play, Vick takes a seven-step drop, has forever to throw, finds a man over the middle of the field and completes the pass for 12. yards. Vick’s first three passes on this drive have been first down passes.
10:35 The Niners bring pressure, Vick squeaks away from Ahmad Brooks and Ray McDonald, scrambles to his right, and fires a touchdown pass to an open Clay Harbour in the back right corner of the end zone. 7-0 Philly. Philly’s offense looked unstoppable on that series.
10:38 On first and 10, Alex Smith drops back and hits Michael Crabtree for an 11 yard gain. Crabtree beat Cromartie on the play.
10:39 On 2nd and five the Niners bring out Isaac Sopoaga as an extra fullback. Then they run Frank Gore up the middle for two yards. That didn’t work. The Niners don’t seem to have much confidence in Bruce Miller as a blocker right now.
10:41 As fox cuts away to commercials, Joe Staley is down on the field on his hands his knees. When they come back from commercials, Staley looks alright on the sideline.
10:42 On third and three, the Eagles rush four, Alex Smith throws high to Crabtree on a quick screen. Crabtree makes the catch and picks up 14 yards.
10:43 Next play, Smith fakes a run, has all the time in the world to throw, then completes a pass to Vernon Davis for a gain of 26 yards. The spread formations seem to be working for the Niners on this drive.
10:44 On 2nd and 8, Cullen Jenkins hits Smith as he throws, and Smith’s pass to Crabtree in the end zone falls incomplete.
10:47 On 3rd and 8, Alex Smith holds on to the ball too long in the pocket and he takes the sack from Jason Babin.
10:48 David Akers makes a 37-yard field goal. 7-3 Eagles.
10:51 First play on the Eagles drive, play action pass, Vick takes a seven step drop, then hits Desean Jackson deep for a gain of 45 Yards. Next play, Vick rolls left and picks up 14 yards. The Eagles don’t mess around on offense.
10:54 On 3rd and 3, Bowman blitzes up the middle and hits Vick as he throws. Incomplete. Great play by Bowman. Great play call by Fangio. Eagles kicker Alex Henery makes a 32-yard field goal. 10-3 Eagles.
10:57 Looking at replays, Vick hit his middle two fingers of his throwing hand against Justin Smith’s arm on a pass during the last series. It looks like he’ll stay in the game, but now he’s nicked up on both hands.
11:00 First and ten for the Niners at their 13, Smith throws a bubble screen to Kyle Williams for a four yard gain. Good play.
11:00 Next play, Frank Gore runs up the middle for no gain. Bad play.
11:01 On third and six, Alex Smith throws behind Vernon Davis who was running across the middle. Incomplete. Alex Smith had heavy pressure on the play, as Anthony Davis got beaten badly. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was covering Vernon Davis on the play. That’s an interesting way to account for the Niners’ best player on offense.
11:04 First and ten on their 49, Vick throws deep to Maclin, who has Spencer beat, but the pass is too long.
11:06 On third and nine, Vick uses a hard count and gets his own lineman, Jason Peters, to false start. Third and 14.
11:07 Vick scrambles left and beats Bowman and Willis to the first down maker. Gain of 24. He’s pretty fast.
11:07 Next play, Vick hits the weak spot of the defense – between the linebackers and safeties. He completes a pass to Clay Harbour over the middle, just over Bowman, for a gain of 27. First and goal at the four.
11:09 Eagles give the ball to McCoy on a quick inside handoff, and he carries the ball to the one inch line. The Niners are better defending traditional power runs up the middle.
11:09 Next play, the Eagles run Ronnie Brown power up the middle (why?), he gets hit behind the line of scrimmage, he fumbles and the Niners recover. It actually looks like he threw the ball on the ground – that it wasn’t forced. The Eagles are challenging play, but it looks like the Niners are going to keep the ball. Huge break for San Francisco. Haralson hit Brown in the backfield, and then Brown made the most bone-headed play of this NFL season.
11:14 On 2nd and 6, the Eagles bring 8 in the box, and Alex Smith throws low and inaccurately to Vernon Davis. Incomplete. Smith needs to make the Eagles’s D pay for stacking the line of scrimmage.
11:15 Next play, Smith throws a strike to Kendall Hunter on a screen, but Hunter drops the pass. If he had caught it, he would have had the first down. The Niners have gone three-and-out on back to back drives. Let’s see if the Niners can stop the Eagles from driving into the red zone in three plays.
11:16 First and ten, Vick scrambles for 11 yards. Unstoppable.
11:18 Vick passes to Maclin in the flat who runs 10 yards for the first down.
11:19 Vick makes Aldon Smith miss, then scrambles for five yards. Patrick Willis hits him late out of bounds but there is no penalty.
11:20 Next play, Vick hits Desean Jackson for a 29-yard gain. No one was covering Jackson on the play. LeSean McCoy is shaken up on the field after trying to block Ray McDonald.
11:22 Aldon Smith beat Kyle Devan, and sacks Vick. Smith has been in the backfield a couple times on this drive.
11:23 3rd and nine from the SF 13, Vick has a ton of time he but checks down to McCoy anyway. Bowman immediately hits him and the Eagles lose a yard. Two minute warning.
11:26 Colin Kaepernick is throwing passes on the sideline.
11:27 Alex Henery kicks a 32 yard field goal. 13-3 Eagles.
11:28 Smith is still in at QB. 1:46 left in the half with two timeouts. First play, the Eagles run two rushers at Anthony Davis, Babin goes unblocked around the edge, hits Smith and forces a fumble. Jenkins recovers at the SF 23. Philly ball.
11:33 The Eagles learn from their red zone bungle last drive. This time they pitch an inside handoff to McCoy, who squirts through the line for a five yard TD. That’s how you run against the Niners. 20-3 Eagles, and you’ve got to wonder if Harbaugh will bench Smith in the second half.
11:36 Smith is back on the field. On first down he checks down to Gore for a gain of two. They don’t call a timeout between plays for some reason. Mora says he’s sure there’s a method to the Niners’ madness. Really?
11:37 Now the Niners use a timeout – with one second left in the half. Mora is absolutely perplexed. Niners basically ran out the clock but tried to look like they weren’t running out the clock. Mora calls that strategy another opportunity to get players hurt. Not a good first half for Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith, and the 49ers.
HALFTIME
QB Stats:
Alex Smith: 6/18, 90 yards, 67.2 QB rating.
Michael Vick: 16/25, 214 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 101.2 QB rating, plus a game-high 62 yards rushing.
Third Quarter
11:53 Alex Smith still in the game. First play, play action, Smith actually has time, and he completes a long pass to Joshua Morgan on the left sideline for a gain of 26. Babin gets called for a roughing the passer penalty at the end of the play. First and ten at the Eagles 33 yard line.
11:55 On 2nd and 7, Greg Roman tries a bubble screen to Delanie Walker, which does not work at all. Also, Anthony Davis trips Jason Babin on the play for a ten yard penalty.
11:59 Third and six and the Philly 29. Shotgun Smith. Checks down to Crabtree at the line of scrimmage. Gain of 1. Jim Mora says he’s OK with that play. The Eagles’s King Dunlap blocks David Akers field goal attempt on the next play. First down Philly at the SF 40.
12:01 And the Eagles keep attacking. First play, Vick fires a 19-yard completion to Desean Jackson.
12:02 Next Play, Aldon Smith hits Vick in the legs and forces him to throw the ball away. Smith is having a good game.
12:03 On third and six, the Niners blitz and they force Vick to checkdown to Celek. Good play call by Fangio.
12:04 Henery makes a 33 yard field goal. 23-3 Philly. The Eagles have punted once today.
12:10 On 2nd and 6, the Eagles rush four and Alex Smith rolls out of the pocket to the right. Instead of throwing the ball out of bounds, he throws across his body to a wide open Kendall Hunter, who runs for 32 yards after the catch. 44 yard gain. Great play by Smith and Hunter.
12:11 Two plays later, Joshua Morgan runs a slant and Smith hits him perfectly in stride. Morgan runs untouched into the end zone for a 30 yard touchdown. Best offensive sequence for the Niners in 2011. 23-10 Philly.
12:15 Vick scrambles for seven yards for first down, and Ahmad Brooks cleans his clock at the end of the run. Vick’s alright, though.
12:17 On third and three, Vick scrambles to his right and it looks like he’s going to pick up the first down, but Bowman wrapped him up behind the line of scrimmage. Is it too early to call Bowman a heck of a player? A stud, if you will?
12:20 On first down Alex Smith gets time to pump fake and throw to Crabtree, who beats Asomugha, catches the pass and picks up 38.
12:21 Next play, Hunter runs off right tackle for a gain of 12. The Eagles fans are starting to boo. Greg Roman is calling brilliant play after brilliant play. It seems like he only calls the creative big-plays when the Niners are losing. He should call them more often.
12:23 Another good play call. Smith throws to Bruce Miller in the flat, who turns upfield and gains 15 yards. He’s a very good receiver.
12:24 And Roman follows that up with a double fullback power run up the middle for two yards. Why?
12:25 Back to the good playcalling. Smith completes a short pass to Vernon Davis who busts his way into the end zone. 23-17 Philly. If the Niners hadn’t missed those two field goals earlier, this could have been a tie game.
12:28 First play of the Eagles drive, Aldon Smith sacks Vick as he tries to step up in the pocket.
12:29 Next play, McDonald hits Vick as he hands the ball off to McCoy, and McCoy gets hit immediately by Brooks for a loss of 6.
12:29 Next play, Vick throws deep to Desean Jackson over the middle for a 61 yard gain. Jackson burned Brown, and Brown is the Niners’ fastest cornerback. Still, it’s strange Fangio doesn’t have Carlos Rogers covering Jackson as much any more. Rogers picked off a deep pass intended for Jackson earlier in the game.
12:31 McDonald gets pressure on Vick and DeVan has to hold him. 2nd and 17 for the Eagles at the SF 32.
FOURTH QUARTER
12:34 The Niners bring a corner blitz, Vick checks down to Maclin and Reggie Smith blasts him. Maclin limps off the field.
12:35 Niners get another break. Henery misses a 39 yard field goal. SF is down six points with 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
12:38 On first down, Alex Smith fakes the handoff and throws deep to Crabtree, who gets held up a tad by the CB but drops the pass. No flags on the play. Smith under threw the pass.
12:39 Smith feels pressure, rolls right and hits Morgan on the right sideline for a gain of 9 and a half yards.
12:40 On third and very short Alex Smith hands the ball off to Frank Gore, who runs up the middle and picks up the first down barely.
12:41 On first down the Niners try another play action roll out, but the Eagles chase Smith to the sideline and he throws the ball away. The Niners need to get back to their hurry up offense.
12:42 Bad shotgun snap by Goodwin, Smith picks it up and throws it out of bounds.
12:43 On third and ten Jason Babin beats Anthony Davis and sack Alex Smith. Davis looked awful on that play. Trent Cole was injured on this play, but his return is probable.
12:48 On second and ten Vick completes a 19 yard pass to Jason Avant over the middle. Carlos Rogers got beat in coverage.
12:49 Vick completes another pass, this time to Maclin. Harbaugh is challenging the play because he thinks the ball hit the ground.
12:53 The refs rule the play incomplete after they reviewed the tape. 2nd and 10 for the Eagles. The Niners have one more challenge since their first two were upheld.
12:54 Brooks hits Vick hard as he throws, but he completes a short pass to McCoy and McCoy runs for 14 yards and a first down. The Niners defense is good, but it doesn’t look like they can stop a good offense in the fourth quarter.
12:56 Fangio calls another corner blitz, and Rogers chases Vick all the way to the left side line. Vick throws the ball away and limps back to the huddle.
12:57 On third and nine, Vick throws a dart to Jason Avant for a gain of 20.
12:58 On a McCoy run, Philly O lineman Kevin Mathis gets called for the hold. 2nd and 17 for the Eagles.
12:59 Next play, Reggie Smith reads Vick’s eyes and jumps in front of the wide receiver to intercept the pass, but the ball bounces off his chest.
1:00 Alex Henery pushes another field goal wide right, this time a 33 yarder. The Niners can take the lead with a touchdown and an extra point on this drive.
1:03 First play of the most important drive of Alex Smith’s life, three yard completion to Michael Crabtree.
1:03 Next play, Frank Gore runs for 25 yards.
1:04 Next play, Smith completes a pass to Vernon Davis crossing over the middle for a gain of 7. Good first down play. Trent Cole is not in the game for Philly. He has an injured calf. That’s a good break for the Niners. Babin is rushing against Staley now.
1:05 Hunter gets stopped behind the line of scrimmage, but the Eagles get called for a facemask penalty.
1:06 3rd and 7 from the Philly 24. The Niners line up four wide with Hunter the lone back. Smith pitches the ball to Hunter, who runs for 14 yards. The Eagles were clearly expecting the Niners to pass.
1:08 Next play, Frank Gore runs up the middle for a 12 yard touchdown. 23-23 Niners. On the most important drive of Alex Smith’s career, his running game helps him out big time. This is a huge comeback for the Niners and their coaching staff. They’ve made brilliant play calls in the second half.
1:11 Akers makes the extra point. Niners lead by 1. 24-23. The Niners have scored 21 unanswered points.
1:14 The Eagles have two and a half minutes to score, and they’ve already picked up one first down. First and ten at the Niners 33.
1:15 After an SF offside penalty, Vick completes a short pass to Avant for another first down. 2:24 left.
1:17 Aldon Smith sacks Vick, but Ahmad Brooks jumps offside again. 2nd and five.
1:18 Vick completes a short pass to Maclin who runs for a first down, but Justin Smith makes the play of the day, running down Maclin from behind and stripping the ball. Goldson recovers. What an unbelievable second half.
1:20 On first down Frank Gore runs up the middle for four yards. Timeout Philly with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter.
1:21 Jeremy Maclin hanging his head on the sideline. He didn’t look ready to play this week.
1:21 Frank Gore bounces a run out to the right and picks up eight yards and a first down.
TWO MINUTE WARNING
1:24 Frank Gore runs up the middle for four yards. Now the Eagles can’t stop the Niners.
1:25 Next play, Gore gains five yards up the middle.
1:26 Next play, third and five, Gore runs up the middle for five yards. That’s going to be it. The Niners win 24-23.
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