SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers massacred the Packers 45-31 on Saturday night. Here is the grade for the 49ers’ coaches. Coaching: A. Both the offensive and the defensive game plans were terrific. On defense, the 49ers struggled to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers with four rushers, so Fangio blitzed more than usual. He blitzed Patrick Willis in particular, who sacked Rodgers once and forced him to throw it away twice….
The 49ers play the Packers Saturday at the Stick. In the meantime, I’ll break down the key matchups. Mike McCarthy vs. Vic Fangio Fangio wants Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner to play deep zone coverage to take away the deep passes. Fangio called for a two-deep shell frequently in the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Packers, and it worked. The Packers stubbornly and fruitlessly kept throwing deep, even on…
Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy spoke on a conference call with Bay Area reporters on Tuesday. Here’s what he said. Q: How different are both of these teams from the teams that faced each other in Week 1? McCARTHY: I think every team in the National Football League is different from Week 1 to when they get in the playoffs. I think that holds true for both the 49ers and…
SANTA CLARA – Vic Fangio spoke in the media tent Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Justin Smith and the rest of the 49ers defense, courtesy of the 49ers. Is DT Justin Smith closer to full strength and how’s he looking out there? “He’s doing fine. I don’t think we’ll know for sure until Sunday comes.” Saturday? “Saturday. Sorry.” But, what has he shown you in…
SANTA CLARA – Vic Fangio spoke in the media tent Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers offense, courtesy of the 49ers. You were in dime for so much of that Week 1 game. Have they been doing less with four wide receivers and just running in recent weeks? “Them?” Yeah, them. “They’ve mixed it in there. They probably played…
SANTA CLARA – At his Monday press conference, Jim Harbaugh addressed the possibility of one of his coordinators getting hired as a head coach elsewhere. Here’s what Harbaugh said about that. Q: Have you factored in the possibility that some of your coaches might not be able to work all seven days this week, that they might get an interview with all the head coaching vacancies out there right now?…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers stomped the Cardinals 27-13. Here is the grade for the 49ers coaches. Coaching: B-. The 49ers stomped a team they should have stomped, but they got beaten in the first quarter. The Cardinals scored six points and the Niners scored none. The Cardinals had two first downs and the Niners had none. The Cardinals had 42 yards rushing and the Niners had 10. The 49ers…
SANTA CLARA – Vic Fangio spoke in the media tent Thursday morning. Here’s what he said, courtesy of the 49ers. So the obvious thing is looking at how the defense has played in six quarters without DT Justin Smith. How big is he to just the overall defense? “Well, he’s a great player, one of the best defensive players in the NFL. And anytime you lose one of those…
Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: On a 1-to-10 scale, how much of an alarm meter would you ring on Sunday night? BRENT JONES: I think it’s a 10. The thing that scares me the most is the defense. There have been four games this year – the Vikings game, the Giants game, the Patriots game and this game where we just flat-out got…
Carlos Rogers is having a bad season. He used to be a premier slot corner in the NFL, but he’s 31 years old, he’s lost a step and he can’t keep up with the quick slot receivers anymore. The 49ers signed Rogers to a four-year, $29.3 million contact in the offseason. On Sunday night, Rogers dropped an easy interception and gave up a touchdown to Doug Baldwin. Rogers has not…
SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Vic Fangio’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. We ask you this from time to time, but after a game like Sunday’s where the Patriots had something like 92, 93 plays, how is your defense in terms of freshness and needing rest and things like that? “Well, there’s no doubt they ended that game a little more tired than a…
FOXBORO, Ma. – The 49ers beat the Patriots 41-34 and clinched a playoff berth. Here is the grade for the 49ers’ coaches. Coaching: C-. The offensive and defensive game plans were aggressive and terrific. Greg Roman called passes on four of the first five plays, and the 49ers easily marched down the field for a touchdown. On defense, Fangio was calling plays that resulted in unblocked pass rushers. He was…
As good as the 49ers are on defense, just remember the Patriots’ first three offensive series Monday night against the Texans. The Patriots emasculated Houston, sliced them and diced them, put them through the Veg-O-Matic. Their defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, stood there in awe. It was a masterful production. Tom Brady was brilliant. Can New England do that to the Niners? The Niners have a better secondary than the Texas…
SANTA CLARA – This is what Vic Fangio said about the 49ers’ upcoming matchup with the Patriots in the media tent on Thursday. Q: What jumps out at you about the Patriots offense? FANGIO: They’re not only the top rated offense in the league – they’re way ahead of who’s in second in all the important stats. It’s not like they’re just a little bit ahead of team 2 in…
Greg Cosell spoke on KNBR Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about the 49ers. Q: What stood out to you in the 49ers win over the Dolphins? COSELL: The 49ers ran 17 snaps in the pistol formation. 31 percent of their offensive plays were in the pistol. I think that’s indicative of the fact that the transition has likely been made, because when you go that heavy with pistol –…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers beat the Dolphins 27-13. Here is the grade for the 49ers coaches. Coaching: C-. Both the offensive and defensive game plans were weak. On offense, Greg Roman tried to come out passing. Unfortunately, the offensive line – Anthony Davis in particular – was horrendous in pass protection. So the 49ers accomplished next to nothing on offense in the first half. On defense, the 49ers struggled…
SANTA CLARA — Vic Fangio spoke in the 49ers media tent Thursday afternoon. Here is what he said, courtesy of the 49ers. What kind of problems do the Dolphins present? “Well, they’ve got a talented young quarterback who’s a good athlete, runs well. He’s a scrambler, got a strong arm. I think he’s gaining more and more confidence with every game that he’s played. I think they’re a much…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers lost to the Rams 16-13. Here are the grades for the 49ers coaches. Coaching: F. This loss falls directly on the 49ers offensive coaches for a variety of reasons. First of all, what a horrible play to call on your 17 yard line where Colin Kaepernick is in the shotgun and running that option to his LEFT. The pitched sailed out of reach of Ted Ginn…
SANTA CLARA – Here is what Vic Fangio said about the 49ers defense at his Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How much is it a luxury for you to have all four linebackers locked up for at least three more seasons after this one? “I think it speaks well for the organization that they’ve been able to in this age of salary cap. And it’s not always…
SANTA CLARA – Here is what Vic Fangio said about the Rams at his Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. How much have the Rams changed in three weeks? “They haven’t. They’re playing good football. They came into our game and played very well against us. They had a game against the Jets where the turnovers kind of set them back. And then last week they played very…
