The good and not so good from the 49ers’ win over the Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks’ DK Metcalf, left, is wrapped up by San Francisco 49ers’ Ahkello Witherspoon as he comes down with a touchdown reception in the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Here are the under-the-radar heroes from Sunday’s win over the Seahawks:

  1. CB Emmanuel Moseley. Replaced starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for the final defensive series and made a clutch pass-breakup in the end zone to preserve the victory. Moseley is a tough-minded player who deserves to start the rest of the season. He’s playing with confidence, as opposed to Witherspoon, who’s playing with none.
  2. SS Marcell Harris. Made his fourth consecutive start in place of Jaquiski Tartt, who has broken ribs, and recorded a career-high nine tackles. Harris has improved every week and seems to be a quality starting safety. The 49ers can survive without Tartt if necessary.
  3. DE Nick Bosa. Recorded zero sacks for the seventh time during the past nine games, but still played extremely hard. Hit Russell Wilson three times and tackled Marshawn Lynch for no gain on fourth and 1. Bosa is a much better player than I expected he would be, and he has been a durable team player. Respect.

And here are the players’ whose stock dropped:

  1. CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Gave up two touchdown catches and 14 of the Seahawks’ 21 points. He’s a terrific athlete, but he seems to lack self confidence, although he played with tremendous confidence and strength before he injured his foot Week 3. He still has a future with the 49ers. For now, he should go to the bench.
  2. WR Dante Pettis. He was active, but he didn’t play. Pettis hasn’t played a snap since Week 12, and yet the 49ers keep suiting him up for games. Why? He serves no purpose. The 49ers should suit up bruising running back Jeff Wilson Jr. instead. He could help the 49ers on short-yardage plays. Pettis doesn’t help at all.
  3. RB Tevin Coleman. The 49ers gave him five carries he didn’t deserve, and he gained just 11 yards. The 49ers need to stop playing him. He’s a liability, and he hurts the offense when he’s on the field.

This article has 221 Comments

  1. 13-3 … And nobody’s mentioning the great job Lynch has done … Turns out to have been a quality hire … Just give the guy 5th round draft choices and let him pick gems … Three years ago this franchise was dangerously close to turning into the Browns West … Just sayin’

    1. The smartest thing Lynch did was assemble a veteran team of front office people under him. Some guys with GM and assistant GM experience. It says a lot about how confident a guy like Lynch is in his abilities because he hired more experienced and fairly well regarded guys to work under him.

    2. Hard to say, I feel like Shanahan’s playbook makes the offense so good. Lynch whiffed bad with the #3 pick and Foster. Let’s not forget who drafted Armstead , Buckner, and that other DE…what’s his name #98? The super underrated guy? Baalke also drafted Tartt and Ward.

      1. John Lynch certainly whiffed on Solomon Thomas, I’ll give you that. And Dante Pettis. But I’m not blaming him for Foster’s indiscretions. Reuben Foster had no history of domestic violence coming out of Bama, and, in fact, never got himself into any kind of trouble in college.

        Every GM misses on draft picks, it’s the nature of the beast. Sure, you never want to miss on a top 5 pick, and it’s never a good look to trade up for a 2nd round bust. However, a GM’s draft record should always be judged in it’s totality. In order to build a championship caliber roster from scratch, you have to find a high number of quality players in the mid-to-late rounds, supplemented with talented UFDA’s, and experienced free agents whom fit your schemes and fill in the gaps. This is where John Lynch has shined …. more than making up for the occasional misses in the early rounds of the draft.

        And the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

        John Lynch took over a dumpster-fire of a roster, top to bottom, from the QB on down. And it took all of 3 offseason’s worth of wheeling and dealing, through free agency and the draft, in order for him to build a potential championship caliber roster. He’s not only been able to field a talented starting roster, but also a roster with quality depth, as well as outstanding character, both on and off the football field. It’s a remarkable achievement for a first time General Manager. Add to that his professionalism, charisma, and the way in which he carries himself, and represents this football team at the executive level, and he’s already proven to be the right guy at the right time, helping to bring one of the league’s most storied franchises back to the forefront of the NFL, and exactly where they belong! GO Niners!

        1. I’ll add one caveat to Lynch’s praise – it takes more than a General Manager in order to build a potential championship caliber team. A successful GM also need to to have the right guys directly around him. Guys like Adam Peters, Martin Mayhew, Keena Turner, and the entire scouting department as a whole. I’d also be remiss to leave out the important work of Paraag Marathe and Al Guido, along with the rest of the front office. Most importantly, a successful GM needs a great HC! Kyle Shanahan is not only one of the league’s best Head Coaches from an X’s and O’s standpoint, he’s also an incredible motivator of men. Kyle has assembled a very talented coaching staff along side him as well, on both sides of the ball. It’s been an outstanding group effort, but ShanaLynch is the glue that holds the whole thing together.

        2. “Reuben Foster had no history of domestic violence coming out of Bama, and, in fact, never got himself into any kind of trouble in college.”

          The Tuscaloosa PD gets the credit for this.

        3. “But I’m not blaming him for Foster’s indiscretions.”
          I mean no disrespect, 49Reasaons. Usually, I agree with all your comments. But, I do blame Lynch for not looking closer at Reuban Foster, especially in the wake of his hot-headed behavior in the NFL Combine, where he was so disruptive and threatening that the officials there sent him home. A closer look and analysis of the information would have shown a number of red flags. His urine or blood samples showed traces of steroid use. He was also cutting in line, perhaps thinking his star power entitled him to do so. Most importantly, he got into a heated one-sided screaming outburst against a female employee, which is what sent him. Arguing with a staff worker is one thing, but screaming with violent threats is another matter entirely. He has little to no respect for women.
          I happened to be a big Crimson Tide fan. I was even hoping we could trade up in the draft to get the #1 overall pick, which I would have used to draft Foster. But, then Combine incident happened. After that, I began hoping the 49ers would not draft Foster, nor sign him as an undrafted free agent. His problems are too many and worse than simple steroid rage. He is a hostile, willfully ignorant young man who is not likely ever to mature into a responsible adult. By the way, regarding Tent Baalke’s draft picks, I also did not want to draft Thomas at #2. I have long been preaching that the 49ers should never draft Offensive and Defensive tackles from the PAC 12; it’s a buttercup league, n which the best skilled players are QBs, WRs and Cornerbacks. Yes, during Trent Baalke’s drafts, I did not want us to draft Erik Armstead, nor even Buckner; much to my shocking chagrin, Buckner is everything the experts said he would be. And, after 7 or more injury plagued seasons, Erik Armstead is only now starting to look good. Still, I continue to maintain the following: never ever draft big linemen from the PAC 12, for more often than not, they will turn out to resemble the lowly underwhelming likes of Jonathon Martin (OL, Stanford) and Solomon Thomas (DL, Stanford). Heck, I didn’t even want us to draft LaMichael James out of Oregon; though quite fast, dodgy, and elusive, he is too small and soft to keep a good grasp of the football while running with it. Over and again, I see bust after bust coming out of the PAC12. I remain shocked at what a gritty player Buckner turn out to be, but he is the only shocking example I can recall.

      2. Yeah but they fix there mistakes, and the team clearly has more guys of the lynch/Shan era at this point. Let’s not act like the team is full of balke hold overs. Every organization misses on players it’s the ones who know how to fix the mistakes that come out on top.

    3. Jimmy Garoppolo ended the regular season with a better record, a better completion %, more touchdown passes, and more yards per attempt …. than Patrick Mahomes.

      I’m just saying.

    4. The Kittle pick was pure luck, if that’s what you are talking about. If they knew he was going to be that good they would have drafted him in the first round. Lynch’s record is mixed – some picks panned out, some didn’t.

      1. There is a certain amount of luck that goes into every team’s draft, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lynch, a first-time GM, helped build a juggernaut of a roster, born from the ashes of horrors past, in only 3 years time! What more could a fan ask for?

          1. Seems to me that having a GM and HC who work hand in glove, is a great way to build an NFL roster.

            More power to them! That’s why I call them ShanaLynch.

            1. One more great thing about last night’s game. The 49ers finished the regular season with 5 wins in prime time, ultimately going 5-1 on the regular season, with their only loss coming in overtime, on a last-second FG.

              That’s exactly what the NFL wants to see, so that’s how you earn prime time scheduling. We’re back, baby! Expect to see the NFL reward the 49ers by scheduling them with an extra prime time game or two, going into next season.

      2. Then I guess the rest of the league are worse since NONE of them chose him before the 5th.

        This is a stupid take, gtfo

        1. Thank you. Walsh was an idiot for taking Montana in the third round by the same logic. Geez. What about Brady?

      3. They wanted to grab him with 3round pick but thought his own QB WOULD GET PICKED ahead of us,so we drafted Beathard w/3rd Round then Kittle in 5th Round they were shocked & thrilled Kittle was still on the board ..who they pick w/4th Rounder that Draft?? Bout to check..but can’t believe we could of had
        All types of Players but TV tax
        Mahomes (Chiefs moved heaven & earth almost to get up to all the way to #8th Overall Pick for Mahomes,& then could of also got Watson when he started SLIDING DOWN..ofc EVERYBODY KNEW TRIBUSKI WOULD GET PICKED AHEAD OF THOSE 2 but not only that but Chicago moved up w/49ers #2 Spot to Draft Tribuski..we made a HUGE MISTAKE FALLING IN LOVE W/Tweener Body Solomon Thomas from Stanford at #3 Overall Pick when he’s really a 3rd Round Talent since that’s what types of things these players do/play is rotational stop the run/fill in on some pass rush,but he’s much better stopping the run then sacking QB..other then that 2011/2012 Stanford Draft Class I didn’t want others,like if u gonna pick that high then move up & Draft David Decastro THAT WAS MY DRAFT CRUSH & we needed O-Line Draft..& DeCastro has been EVERYTGING WE WISHED THAT ORHER Guard Would maul ppl & be a Perennial All-Pro/Pro-Bowl like 8 straight YEAES..he’s my fav Guard in NFL along w/ Colts new Guard Quentin Nelson & Marshal Yanda on my team..our line SURVIVED WHAT 98% of any other teams record would de down the toilet by now but it was both next men up & couldn’t have a better meaning then this year..but STEALING Kittle in 5th Round made it all up!!! Think of a Fastee,more Elysuve Gronk Cuz that’s who Kittle reminds me off..OUTSTANDING BLOCKER,Over All Kittle is as great of a Run blocker,as well as Route Runner for a Big Man like that is RARE AF TO FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK ..I mean the guy says I’d rather get to pancake somebody for the team to be put in advantage then score TD,!! Now that’s 1 HELL OF A MENTALITITY TO HAVE!!! Reminds me of Gronk but in his PRIME YEARS!! & 3rd year in Row he got 1,000 Yards!! & KING OF YAC YET ANOTHER GREATNESS AS USUALLY ITS A SPEED DEMON WR THAT PUTS UP 20 Yards/Per Catch,not a 260lb 6”4 TE THATS WHITE LOL!!! Example if the Year-4th & 2 vs Saints at their House (which is coin flip between their home & Seattles Home Field!! Now we might still have to play Seattle again in Playoffs but at our HOUSE!!! & Seattle is 2-6 on the Road in Playoffs while 6-0 undefeated at Home!!!

        1. Other than something about a 6’4” TE that’s WHITE!!! I couldn’t make heads or tails out of this post. ???

  2. Coleman must have compromising photos of Shanahan. I can’t understand why he gets the carries he does over Mostert or Brieda. Maybe Coleman is the better pass blocker and/or receiver….but he seemed to get chances to run the ball more than anything.

    Brieda may go down easily. But Coleman has absolutely no vision for running the ball. The guy always makes the wrong cut.

    I was starting to think Witherspoon was in on the same blackmail scheme that Coleman had going on Shanahan. I don’t think Mosely is that much better. I have a feeling Metcalf would have gotten open on many of the same plays that he did against Witherpoon (he’s just that good of an athlete). But Grant is right, there’s something about Mosely playing with more confidence….trusting and reacting to the routes he sees the receivers run….which makes him a hair quicker to react to contest a pass than Witherspoon.

    1. Coleman is the supposed to be the pass pro RB of the bunch and also one of the better pass catchers. He does better running outside.
      E-man did play better today in Spoon but he’s not tall enough to routinely cover the big receivers. IIRC, he had no chance against Julio Jones subbing for Sherm.
      On a related note. Brieda really needs to hold on to the ball.

    2. Lets not forget Celik he seems to have something on everyone who ever coached for the Niners. Colman does not run harder than Breida. Coleman is the weakest and slowest RB on the team. I think Shanahan seems to remember what players did in the past as opposed to what they are doing now.

    3. I can’t make any sense of it either….the only thing i can think of is maybe he’s saving Breida for the playoffs, while also teaching him a lesson about protecting the ball.

      1. The 49ers have played some really physical defenses over the past 5-6 weeks. Coleman can stand up to the punishment that Breida is unable to, unfortunately. That’s all I see it boiling down to. Breida will get the workload as needed in the playoffs, but he can’t handle multiple carries and getting blown up repeatedly.

    4. No, Moseley deserves to be out there – not that worthless Witherspoon! Both Witherspoon and Williams played horribly last night! Lynch/Shanahan need to cut ties with Witherspoon and on the offensive side, Pettis asap! Both of these scrubs are nothing but glorified Pac-12 divas. Get rid of these bums as soon as the season is over!

  3. Tevin Coleman is a liability? 6 Rushing TD’s, 1 receiving TD, averaging 4 yards a carry, as maybe a 3rd or 4th RB on this original roster if all healthy is a liability?

    3 Rushing TD’s, over 100 yards rushing, and 9 yard average against Carolina when we needed him is a liability? Ok, he wasn’t the best RB on the field tonight, he isn’t the best RB on the team, but liability?

    Oh right… and you said nick bosa was a bad pick.

    1. Coleman was better in the beginning of the season. Older players tend to decline as the season wears on. Colemant also got every carry at the coal line at the start of the season and that is why he has those TD’s. Some of you guys rely entirely too much on stats and seem to ignore the eye test as to how those stats were acquired.

    2. Those stats are meaningless. For weeks, Coleman has been a guaranteed ~2 ypc back. He doesn’t have Mostert’s vision, and he doesn’t break tackles. Breida is a better second option with Coleman coming in as a third option, and even then, only if needed.

      It’s not about what you did earlier in the season; it’s the playoffs and it’s now about what have you done for me lately. Coleman hasn’t been getting it done.

  4. The Great:

    The 49ers Organization. Just a tremendous win for our guys. From Jed to JL and Shanny down to the meager fans. A phenomenal transformational step for a proud franchise to reassert themselves as power players in the NFL hierarchy. We’re winners again, we got a young and solid roster. Free Agents will be flocking to the Bay, and the franchise turns a corner with a big win IN SEATTLE. We might be on the cusp of a new Golden Age., and any playoff success from here on forward is just icing on the cake. Go Niners!

    1. Jimmy getting hurt actually helped a lot. We also looking decent in cap space in terms of ability to manage. Dee Ford is over paid and is replaceable as a speed edge rusher who benefits from a good d line. Hard to imagine we gave him such a lucrative contract.

      We need to get better at CB over the draft the next couple of years. Find ourselves a Trae Waynes, Denzel Ward, Marcus Lattimore.

    2. “Might…” Hell yeah, we are on our way BACK to dominance – and more Super Bowls! This marriage between Lynch and Shanahan and the core of our team is going to dominate this league for the foreseeable future. As long as we don’t have another Baalke/Harbaugh situation, then we’ll be the new, more recent “Patriots dynasty.” We’re back, for the foreseeable future!!!! GO NINERS!!!!

    1. Mood, I remember the player and the play like it was yesterday. But I didn’t make the connection to the uni number and the final score. Good job!

      Grant, ask your dad what we are talking about.

  5. All I gotta say is thank god Saleh brought some blitzes inside the red zone that really saved us and forced Wilson to make some hurried throws.

    Also is just me or do we run the worst stunts/twists in the league? Seems like we knock each other down and give Wilson open lanes?

  6. I don’t understand the stubbornness of Shanny sometimes. I don’t know that I would go as far as to say Coleman is a liability (he doesn’t fumble) but I think it’s clear that Mostert is far and away the better runner. Breida too for that matter. And I don’t buy the argument that Coleman is a better backfield blocker or even pass catcher. If so, he would (or should) be relegated to a 3rd down back role only. Mostert should be the clear starter.

    I still think Tartt is better at recognizing plays than Harris, but Harris is improving. Harris is definitely more of a “thumper”.

    Mosley > Whitherspoon. since the d-line has faced so many injuries and have been running on empty lately, it’s become clear that the secondary (especially Whitherspoon) is the weakest link. Playoff teams will expose and exploit it until it’s fixed.

    Getting this bye is HUGE.

  7. The pass breakup in the end zone was a nice play for sure, and certainly a critical one, but Moseley also got beat pretty handily a few times on that final drive. But I guess that speaks for how poorly Spoon is playing atm that Moseley comes away looking good by comparison.

    Harris has been a lot better than I expected. But man, the dude couldn’t catch a cold. He’s had a few opportunities to close out games in recent weeks with picks now and has dropped them. This one you could argue he wouldn’t have kept his feet in anyway but someone with any kind of all ball skills could have. Luckily this one didn’t cost them in the end.

  8. who should the 49ers sign for the playoffs? there are a few free agents out there for 2020. DE for the jags, rams, dal? CB from Denver? Safety from chi? I think we need some help. that game was too close. If Ford doesnt come back and secondary keeps getting beat… maybe lb. from rams? max is 4 and only 2 max per week. Grant thoughts? Fowler? Ha Dixs? https://nfltraderumors.co/top-25-2020-nfl-free-agents-list/

  9. I like rotating running backs for different situations and to keep them fresh. It’s not that Mostert needs to carry the ball 20 times a game. It’s more so that Coleman has really not been doing much. I would rather advocate for getting Jeff Wilson suited up and rotating him in with Breida and mostert.

    1. Amazing how amateurs can give “tips” to the coach that has one of the best running games in the NFL with mostly undrafted guys.

    1. Yeah … a terrible TERRIBLE pick! What a stinking REACH!!!

      Can’t play the run, just can’t make that tackle when you need him to …

      So much for all the nonsense of evaluating draft picks as they happen.

    2. No surprise, same guy who loves to criticize Shanahan yet can’t recognize/criticize Saleh’s limitations….

          1. He is too busy trying to be a sooth sayer, but he has nothing to back it up. Why should we trust his player evaluations? What are his credentials? He has basically been trashing the Niners until they win….now he finally says the Bosa pick was a good one lolol. Whatever happened to reporting? Maiocco got big because he actually reports stuff, rather than trying to act like he knows more than the coaches and GM…it is a weird “reporting” job…at least he draws traffic right?

    3. Hollister fought the ‘Law at the goal-line and the ‘Law won — what more can we say about this draft pick whose final play puts Niners on the inside track to Miami?

  10. What a great season. Kudos to Shanahan and Lynch on excellent coaching and for being able to recognize and secure talent that’s contributing to these wins…. Jimmy has become that franchise QB they hoped for while Shanahan’s the best offensive mind we’ve had since BW. Saleh remains a concern but fortunately the offense has proved they can carry the load. Bye week well deserved — especially for us fans who can breath again.

  11. During the bye week, perhaps Grant could breakdown two or three 9er games from the glory years–full games, not five minute highlight clips from NFL Films. Not Super Bowls, but regular season games. There are plenty of video sources–those on YouTube, those available to media insiders, etc. Grant should apply the same scrutiny and devil-may-care bluntness he has this season–call out poorly performing players, coaches, lousy play calls, etc. Would be fun to have Grant ‘humanize’ stars like Montana, Young, Rice, Craig, Dean, Cross, Taylor, etc., etc.

    1. Ooooh, I’ll try my best Grant impersonation. Not a regular season game, guess which one.

      The Good:
      Joe Montana. Made the play when he had to. Respect.

      The Not So Good:
      Joe Montana. 3 interceptions, one in the end zone killing a promising drive. A starting quarterback in this league cannot do that. Took 3 sacks – should have thrown the ball away more, but he must be looking to keep his completion percentage up. Also fumbled away the ball once. His play really should have cost the team the game, it took 10th round pick Clark to bail him out. Mediocre 81.4 rating – have we seen Montana’s ceiling? Similar play in the upcoming Super Bowl could see Guy Benjamin (who had an excellent preseason and is more familiar with Coach Walsh’s playbook) relieving him.

      1. Good one!! Nice Mullens/Benjamin reference.What grade would Grant give to Roger Craig after The Fumble?

  12. The Niners go on the road to win in Seattle so they can have home field throughout the playoffs – the Niners are a better road team then a home team.

  13. Is anyone else happy that not only did they break the curse up there, and fought threw some bad calls, but they left this game with no big injury losses?
    To me that is very big.

  14. Grant was spot on in his stock report with the exception of his last entry:

    “RB Tevin Coleman. The 49ers gave him five carries he didn’t deserve, and he gained just 11 yards. The 49ers need to stop playing him. He’s a liability, and he hurts the offense when he’s on the field.”

    Other posters have talked about Coleman’s production. I have two points, first Shanahan trusts him and he is excellent in the passing game, secondly, and most important, Shanahan understands that Mosley and Brieda are not everydown backs. If you give them the rock 20 times a game they will break down. Shanahan has done a great job of keeping our stable of running backs fresh and ready for the postseason.

    What a great game!!! Go Niners!!!!

  15. 13-3 baby! What a great feeling! Even better is I hit on a 5 game parlay and the payout is going to fund a trip to Costa Rica. I may invite Dre Greenlaw since he’s the man who got me the win. My thoughts on the game.

    It felt like the 49ers were the better team from top to bottom but we just couldn’t get that knockout punch. A dynamic #1 WR would flip this team from very good to absolutely unstoppable. Terry Mclaurin would look great in this offense.

    I don’t fault Garland for his penalty. It was a penalty but he was executing a block downfield with his back to the play. He didn’t hear the whistle and made a mistake. NBD.

    Can someone PLEASE put Marcell Harris on a jugs machine and force him to catch 20k passes before the first playoff game. Thats 2 game clinching Ints he just flat out dropped.

    Defense isn’t getting many sacks but they are pressuring QBs at a very high rate. I’d love for one of you stats nerds to look up the 49er QB pressures this year and see how they compare to the rest of the league. I heard the 49ers pressured Wilson 23 times last night and Bosa had 11 of those pressures. That truly impacts an offenses ability to function.

    Never been a Witherspoon fan. Still not. Don’t really want to dunk on the guy but he just doesn’t have the mentality required to play in the NFL. He let Mark Andrews go into the endzone without touching him which IMO was unforgivabe. The very next week he made perhaps the most important play in the game when he hit Jared Cook and knocked him out of the game with a concussion. He’s very inconsistent and it usually has to do with confidence and fear of contact. Only one word to describe a CB like that – unreliable. Time to move on and make Moseley the full time starter.

    Lastly, on a personal note. My daughter has a black and white cat. She found some pet friendly paint online and painted the white parts orange for Halloween. If the 49ers make the Superbowl she is going to let me paint the cat Red & Gold. Not sure I can make it work but I also want to paint #85 in white. Please pray for me in my time of need. This cat needs to be red & gold.

    1. The cat needs to be red & gold with #85…. dude….ROFL!

      Houston – How does the 5-play parley work? Do you bet on the outcome of 5 separate games? How much money did you make? Costa Rica sounds expensive….enjoy the trip, heard it is beautiful!

      1. So many different options on a parlay. For me I bet the spread on Cowboys, Chiefs, and 49ers. I bet the moneyline (only matters who wins) on Green Bay and the Saints. I really don’t want to say how much I bet. I’ll just say Costa Rica is very nice and you can do a great vacation without spending a huge amount of money. I really only play with house money. I put $100 in an account about 5 years ago. My balance fluctuates up and down. I’ve been lucky enough to make a few fairly large withdrawals without every needing to put more money in the account. I’m a very very very cautious bettor so I don’t place bets every weekend. Just when I feel like there’s an edge. I especially like playing week 17 when some teams have a lot to play for and their opponents know their season is done. I also hit on a moneyline parlay with LSU and Clemson this weekend. Payout wasn’t huge but it certainly made the Clemson late TD more meaningful for me.

        1. You did much better than me; had a 6 team teaser parlay that lost only because I thought the Redskins would lose by less than 17. Hit every other part, including the Niners +3.5 (6 point tease). Would have won low 4 figures. Congrats on figuring out which Cowboys team would show up for that game. Still ahead for the season though; have fun in Costa Rica.

          1. I just felt like the Cowboys would be super motivated in this game since they had a shot at the playoffs if the Eagles lost. The Eagles were playing at the same time as the Cowboys. If the Eagles played early and the Cowboys played late I probably wouldn’t have bet the Cowboys. Plus I think Bill Callahan is an absolutely awful football coach.

            I also really like doing the Teasers. Payouts are typically small but it’s a much safer bet. The other thing I like doing is in college football I bet Moneyline on the big favorites. You have to bet a lot to make it meaningful and huge upsets can be crushing but it’s usually a safe way to make a few bucks. A friend of mine does this thing where he builds a parlay on prop bets for number of TDs scored. He bets very low amounts, like $1 or $5, and he picks 4 players he thinks will score 2 TDs in that weeks games. Sounds relatively easy but it’s not. He’s never won this bet but if he ever does the payouts can be like $100k. I don’t do it because it’s like throwing money away to me.

            1. I thought the Cowboys would be motivated, but that they are an awful team that couldn’t win by more than 17. I usually stick to parlays, money lines, and teasers in both pro and college football, with occasional baseball and basketball thrown in. Your friend’s prop bets sound intriguing, especially given how much I look at players for fantasy football purposes.

              Again, have fun in Costa Rica. My law school roommate used to go for surfing, and I had other friends who would go for 3-4 months at a time to live part of the year. Never been, but heard amazing things. If the playoffs work out right for me, will probably take the wife to Finland in April to some resort with glass igloos to watch the Northern Lights over head.

              1. Yeah 17 is a huge number in the NFL regardless of the teams. If you gave me 17 on any game I’d take it without thinking twice. Some weeks just don’t make sense. I felt like Green Bay was going to blow out the Lions but by the time I got in my bet the spread was at -13 or maybe -13.5. I felt like that was just too much so I took the Moneyline and man am I glad I did.

                Many people go to Costa Rica to surf. An acquaintance of mine actually bought a house with his brother in Costa Rica because they were going down so often to surf. I like to fish so I’m near the ocean but the jungle in the interior is amazing as well. Northern Lights is on my bucket list. That trip sounds awesome. Enjoy.

              2. My wife and I were just talking about the glass igloos resort in Finland to watch the Northern Lights. It was on our bucket list too, along with Iceland.

                Hope the playoffs work out for you!

                Btw, If you time it right, there are awesome round trip flight deals for under $300 for Finland/Iceland.

      1. Thanks. Cabo is great too but man they’ve had some issues with violence over the past few years. I know people that still go there but my friend in the FBI tells me some stories about popular vacation spots in Mexico that scares the living $hit out of me.

  16. Jeff Deeney
    @PFF_Jeff

    Richard Sherman is going to finish with the lowest receiving yards allowed per coverage snap among CBs in 2019.

    1. I guess our writer buddy got that wrong also. Did Grant get any of his pre-season picks right?

  17. there is plenty of good and bad with this game….hope by playoff time Tartt and Ford are back should help just a little more

    1. Dude, they won! In freaking Seattle. If you need to continue to get your jollies in wallowing around in the bad, how about reflecting on my Grant impersonation upthread.

      1. Dude no thanks…I said there was good as well…..team lucked out on this one this should have been a loss but sometimes lucky is good also….I am happy for the team and look forward to more football….like I said hopefully Ford and Tartt can come back

        1. Luck? Then they (bad) lucked out in losing those 3 games, a little less luck and they should undefeated.

          Luck works both ways.

          1. Yes Luck…did you not see Warner mug the reciever then not get called for PI??????…..lady luck came calling last nite and a good thing or another loss bro…

            1. Did you not read the league studied the replays real time and decided there was nothing to call?

  18. Here is how I see the difference between the 49ers vs. rest of NFC West going forward:

    1) The 49ers are young and built for the long-haul.
    2) The Seahawks have had less than stellar drafts, which has forced them to make significant additions via FA. That offers short-term benefits. Their D and O-lines are a patch-work of cast-offs. Eventually, Russell will falter and their (lack of) talent will be exposed. See third of fourth place in West next year for them.
    3) Rams have devastated themselves by giving away draft picks and signing stars to big contracts. Goff whithers under pressure. Did at Cal, does here. Rolling out against us will not work again.
    4) Cardinals. Our biggest competition going forward. Great QB, good D and building via draft. They will compete for NFC crown with us next year.

    1. Good stuff Dan.

      Eventually, Russell will falter and their (lack of) talent will be exposed.

      I think we’ve seen that this season. As I told (Renas, I believe) Seattle’s season long luck in pulling out these one score games was eventually going to come to screeching halt. Last night it was a bone crunching halt, courtesy of Dre #57.

        1. Agree.

          Short week for Seattle.

          Running game down.

          The injury to Ertz might be the only bad thing for Philly if he can’t go.

      1. You do have a point in that I believe they’re the first team ever to win 10 games by one score or less in a season. Or at the very least one of very few to have done it, they mentioned it yesterday. However they do have the ability to stick around in games they don’t belong in and down one score late it’s very hard to deny them. I don’t think they can win the superbowl but I don’t want to face them again either. That said, I think Philly has a good chance.

        1. I think Philly wins but another chance to beat Seattle would be just fine.
          We all need to remember reinforcements are on the way back. Ford, Tartt, and maybe Alexander make this defense better than it already is.

  19. 1. Great season. We easily could have gone undefeated. A much deserved week off has been earned. I know I need a week off. The last month has been an emotional roller coaster.
    2. We know what Greenlaw did. Let’s not overlook that he and Warner contained Russell all game -8 rushes /29 yards. His scrambling ability has always been a back breaker for the Niners.
    3. E Sanders is a an “afterthought ” ???? Ummm, didn’t he play a big role last week vs Rams.
    4. I disagree with the conventional wisdom with respect to Coleman. I think his overall body of work has shown him to be a durable RB and pass catcher. Plus I think Shanahan likes the RB rotation and it keeps everyone fresh. He seems do do the same with WR. I would like to see Jeff Wilson incorporated into the rotation.
    5. Niners reworked Richburg’s contract. Good. There are several other contracts which need to adjusted . Hopefully we can find the money to keep Armstead.

    1. I’ll disagree a bit on the RW comment. It’s not the yards that RW rushes, it’s the passing yards he gets when he threatens to rush. Maybe someone has a stat, but it sure seemed like a lot just like in almost every game he plays.

      1. I guess I somewhat agree. The play in which RW scrambled and almost crossed scrimage and ultimately threw a a TD is a perfect example. But there were several plays which looked liked he was prepared to run up the middle for 20 yards but Warner moved for containment. Anyway, this is good practice for Kyler and Cards who will be our nemesis for the next decade.

      1. Of course! One of the game’s biggest plays (Seattle TD called back) was one he was directly involved in and responsible for saving our bacon.

  20. Hats off to Staley….he made dude look like a clown out there….

    I feel we can do better than Spoon and Moseley …….either we get lucky with a CB mid round draft pick or a top FA CB for cheap…..

    Trying to find a position to upgrade is like drinking water with a fork…

    1. I’d still like to see what Tim Harris can do – although we probably won’t know until his year 3 assuming he stays healthy.

  21. Next Gen Stats

    @NextGenStats

    The 49ers typically rely on a 4-man pass rush to generate pressure but broke tendency tonight vs Russell Wilson (46% blitz rate). Wilson struggled against the blitz…

    vs Blitz: 9/18, 86 yards (63.7 passer rating)
    vs No Blitz: 16/21, 147 yards, TD (126.5 passer rating)#SFvsSEA

    1. Saleh must have planned to increase blitzing as his D line underwent increasing attrition and the snap count of the starters went up. However, he may have delayed this change for the Seahawks game to take advantage of the surprise element. This level of blitzing would probably have won the Falcons game.

  22. Carroll screwed the pooch at the end of the 1st half by going for it instead of kicking the FG.

      1. The Sebastotroll is nowhere to be found after predicting a blowout yesterday. Of course he will post 16x if the Niners handed the ball off to Jeff Wilson II even once in a game all year, suggesting Lynch and Shanny are finally listening to his keen advice.

        1. You are easily fooled by my catfish. I predicted that it would be a dogfight, with the Niners winning 24-23.
          .
          Yes, with Coleman running 5 times for 11 yards, and a 2.2 yard average, Wilson is a superior alternative.
          .
          Too bad they did not deactivate Pettis, since he did not play on offense, and activated Wilson.
          .
          The Seahawks went bold and did not settle for field goals, and came within one inch from winning the game. Fortunately, Greenlaw did his Dan Bunz imitation.

  23. Stinky Pete’s delay of game penalty ended up not being so amusing, and his attempt to explain it away at his presser reminded me of his SB decision to throw instead of handing it off to Lynch. I have it on good authority that Carroll has reached out to Lynch’s providers for a pair of “unfinished business” sneakers….

  24. That unnecessary roughness penalty was one of the worst calls I have ever seen. What an obvious play to TV ratings. If the Niners had lost, that penalty would have been scrutinized. Thanks goodness that chewin’ Pete did not have his team ready in the final seconds–that 5 yard penalty basically lost the game. Another Pete Carroll loss (the SB loss was worse of course)….both involving….wait for it….Marshawn Lynch!!!!! wow!

  25. Great outcome, and important for any playoff run.
    The Seahags still loom out there. How close were the two games they played against each other? Bigly close.

    Switching topics, the knives are out and HCs are getting fired; assassination season. I can’t help feeling bad for the organizations and players.
    Really Browns, another staff change? Another offensive and defensive system for the players to learn and mesh? smh
    Washington? Snyder remains the problem. It took how long to figure out Bruce Allen?
    (and Florio opines Bruce May land with Rams? Good!) Another change, smh.
    Giants? Just what exactly is your plan? Hmmm? This franchise has been adrift since they fired Coughlin but retained his staff. Apparently, no clue what to do. smh.
    Cowboys? A Yes Man for Jerrah? Or what?
    Well, I hope SF doesn’t lose Saleh, but that’s for later. Orale Niners!

  26. I’ve recorded every FN game this season. Have my DVR set to season record, go to rewatch the game this morning and it’s not there!!
    (Yes I know first world problems) but I’m pissed now. I’ll have to wait for a replay on the NFL network.
    And to think I took the day off for this. ??

    1. You took a day off to watch a replay? Wtf yeah that’s pretty lame considering you can watch a recording off hours.

    2. NFL gamepass for the US is an option but will set you back $49.99, which isn’t that bad for all full-length games, condensed 45 minute versions of all games and the all 22 film. Plus I’m pretty sure you can watch games going back at least five years.

      They also have a free 7-day trial which you could sign up for to rewatch last night’s game.

      1. I’ve got the ticket, but didn’t know about game pass.
        They replayed it last night on NFLN.
        They cut out some timeouts and huddle time too, and condense it to two hours which is cool.
        I’ll check that out for next season though.

  27. Clowney had one tackle against Staley. That’s it! I guess Clowney will be the one that needs help next time they face each other. Am I right, Grant?

    1. To be fair Clowney was double teamed most of the night according to a few news sources I’ve read. I didn’t watch closely enough to be able to make that assessment.

      1. I saw a film edit where they showed around ten or so plays of Clowney versus Staley. My vague recollection is that maybe 2 or 3 of those plays showed double teams.

    1. I remember this like it was yesterday. 49ers first Superbowl. It was in Detroit and the city was one big block of ice. That goal line stand ended up being the difference in the game.

  28. Anyone catch that terrible kick-off attempt by Wishnowsky?

    Jesus I was happy they picked him in the draft unlike most everyone. But now I think you all were absolutely right.

    What a waste… I can’t imagine what will happen when this guy is called upon to punt or kick off in pressure situations in the playoffs.

    Also, what’s happened to all those 5 second hang times we kept hearing about all preseason? Seems like he has at least one punt returned for a big gain or fair-catch’d way up the field every single game.

    1. We should remember that Wish was not drafted as a kicker but rather a punter. The reason he is ask to kick is because of our kicker’s lack of being able to kick for distance. It would be like criticizing a WR for their inability to play running back. They figured that our kickers consistency on field goals compensates for his lack of distance. Well this season he was not that consistent.

      Also, I remember thinking after the goalline hit by Ward against the Falcons, that if he hits him high he might have stopped him from breaking the plane. In fact hitting him low flipped his upper body over the goal line. Wards hit actually helped him to score. Of course, Ward is a lot smaller than Greenwell and he probably figures he does not have the body mass to stop a player in their tracks by hitting them high.

      1. Greenlaw is technically very sound as a tackler, but I expect him to be even better next year after a year in the NFL strength and conditioning programs….

      2. I’m mostly upset at his punts. He botched this kick-off under pressure, but he’s been average in his punting all year. We bought average in the 4th round when he was projected as a 5th rounder at best. Right now an undrafted punter could probably do his job just as well. Uggh.

        On a positive note it’s fun to see him lay the wood on hapless returners every once in a while.

        1. I had exactly the same thoughts about “Wish we picked someone else”….he is an average punter at best…and that kickoff set up the Seahawks…

  29. Rob Lowder
    ‏Verified account
    @Rob_Lowder
    12h12 hours ago

    Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t throw a single incomplete pass in the second half against the Seahawks, finishing 7 of 7 for 129 yards and a 118.8 quarterback rating. His stat line for the game:
    18 of 22 (81.8%)
    285 yards
    13 yards/attempt
    118.8 QB rating
    0 touchdowns
    0 turnovers

    1. He definitely was on target in this game. His passes were generally crisp and between the numbers. I hope we have seen the last of the other guy ( bad Jimmy ) for the duration of the playoffs. He generally plays better when he is focused and the playoff should keep him focused.

  30. Brownies request permission to interview Saleh! Please do. DeMeco Ryans is our DC in waiting!

    1. Glad you are in agreement. But what makes you think Ryans is the guy? What about Kocurek (too intense maybe)?

      We need a guy who is not afraid to make in-game adjustments. As Mood noted above, had Saleh blitzed Atlanta like he blitzed Seattle, the 49ers might have won that game and won the division before last night’s game (although KS deserves blame as well for taking the game too lightly – in his defense at least he admitted it and hopefully learned from that).

      1. DB Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Joe Woods is the likely internal candidate. He even has a year of DC experience.

        1. Woods is the logical choice, but I feel Ryans has earned his opportunity here. In addition, Woods would be someone with experience to buoy him. You’re probably right about Woods, and maybe that was in the back of their minds when they hired him. Maybe too, Woods was enticed by a promise for first consideration should the DC position become available….

      2. Kyle Posey over at NN brings up something I really hadn’t considered:

        “Speaking of the staff, that’s what I’d be worried about if Saleh were to be hired as a coach for another team. He could poach guys like Kris Kocurek, Joe Woods, or DeMeco Ryans. All these of those guys are excellent teachers and coaches. If I’m Kyle Shanahan, I offer Woods the job and Kocurek and Ryans a raise, though it would be tough for anyone to turn down a coordinator position.”

        1. From what I can gather, Kocurek doesn’t have any aspirations for DC and is happy being a DL coach.

      3. I think Ryans has the personality and acumen, plus he’s a big reason why we’re #2 in total defense .

    1. Psalm 3 Verse 16 (Jimmy Jesus)

      “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. … For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

    2. Jimmy, as told in Revelation 10…

      I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven (Foxboro), clothed in a #10 jersey. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

  31. It’s crazy if you think about it.
    The 49ers won a game by an inch that shouldn’t have mattered because of a game they lost by an inch 2 weeks prior.
    57 look alike on that stand too.
    First thought was Dan Bunz amd the stand!
    If this isn’t destiny I don’t know what is.

  32. Where is the Sebastotroll at the ready to accept accolades for his blowout prediction for last night?

  33. “The 49ers won the NFC West by the slimmest of margins. The NFC playoff field didn’t finalize until late Sunday night, when the Seattle-San Francisco ending descended into madness. The game ended with a tackle at the goal line, after the Seahawks toggled between brilliance and fiasco.

    Russell Wilson orchestrated an effortless two-minute drill with the Seahawks trailing, 26-21, moving the Seahawks to the 1-yard line. With no timeouts left, Wilson spiked the ball with 26 seconds left. Seattle sent Marshawn Lynch, re-signed out of retirement this week, to the huddle. You would think if there is one scenario Seattle’s coaching staff should not need more than 25 seconds to figure out, it would be a goal line play with Lynch in the backfield”…

    via Wash. Post

  34. There were a lot of folks jumping on the bench Witherspoon bandwagon last night. He did not have a good game, but I think we should keep faith in this guy. He has had a stretch like this before coming off injury, then turned into a solid/top shelf defender. Stick with him, he will prove our faith in him is not misguided.

    That said, when we have Ward, Sherman, Williams, Witherspoon, Mosely and sometimes Tartt playing in our secondary… holy crap that’s an awesome bunch!

    1. Witherspoon is the Dante Pettis of the defense… Moseley was playing better earlier this year than Witherspoon ever has. It’s unfortunate Saleh couldn’t see this.

      1. agree and agree Spoon and Pettis high round picks that do nada…hey Jack yer boy Givens got in the fray

        1. Witherspoon was doing well when our line was healthy and dominant. Now he is being exposed. He sucks right now. No gamesmanship. Just raw speed and size.

      1. Does this sound reasonable to you, Jack. Shanahan seems to put a lot of emphasis on how a player practices. But practices (especially at this point in the season) don’t involve nearly as much physical contact. AW probably practices very well, but once he’s in a game where there’s a lot of contact…..

        Of course, he does make the occassional physical play, but he might not be cut out for that over an entire 60 minutes.

        1. To me, Witherspoon loses confidence once he gets beat a few times. He was fine the 1st half but after that they picked on him and he could not stop Metcalfe. He needs to mature!

      2. Every single team including the Patriots would be more than happy to take him off our hands. You all have a severe case of nearsightedness. He is going to be pretty good.

        Eric Davis anyone? Same problem, getting beat like a rag doll in big games over and over again. Turned into a multiple Pro Bowl cornerback later.

        1. The thing that has frustrated me about AW since day 1 is that when he gets beat (and every CB does), it never looks like he says to himself “Oh, sh*t” and runs as hard as possible to try to catch up to the receiver that blew by him. At least, that’s the way it looks to me.

        2. What year is this for Spoon? Yes he is still learning his craft but the maturity aspect of his game is troubling.
          The pouting when he gets beat has been better but his ability to forget and move on after getting beat is what’s frustrating.
          If things go well for him he is great. But once he gives up a few catches in a row you can tell he quits or loses his confidence immediately.
          I like the kid but maybe he’s just not a starter, not yet anyway.

      3. Spoon is incredibly high variance, but when he sucks he really sucks. I doubt they try and extend him. Let him play out his 4th year and let him go after that.

        CB still looks like a position the team should target this offseason to me.

  35. Alexander, Ford, Jones, Tartt, Blair, Taylor and on the other side of the ball McGlinchey, Staley, Richburg, Person, Kittle, Taylor and Hurd. 13-3 with all of those injuries, it is nothing short of a miracle. Regardless of how they do in the playoffs this has been an incredible year and if they can keep the roster, for the most part, together, have a little luck with health sign one major FA and draft well this could last for awhile.

  36. Is it likely we lose Emmanuel Sanders in free agency? While he didn’t do a whole lot last night his play under pressure situations is much needed here. He also has had an enormous impact on the rest of the receiving crew.

    I don’t see how we can extend Buckner, possibly Armstead, and pay Sanders as well given our limited cap space. Maybe they can rework a couple deals. Sherman will get his bonus according to Lynch. We could dump one or two RBs but there will probably be some dead money there.

    1. McKinnon will likely be cut and probably Coleman. That should free up some space. As well as Goodwin’s contract.
      Paraag might have to work his magic, but it’s doable.

  37. I’m thinking we play Philadelphia in 2 weeks. I don’t think Seattle is healthy enough to go across country and beat a red hot Philly team.
    Or, does anyone think Minny can beat NO?

    1. Have you seen the number of offensive skill players that the Eagles have lost? The entire starting WR corp (Jeffrey, Agholar, Desean Jackson, etc) as well as Ertz to name a few. It’s a wonder Wentz is playing well at all.

      What I want to see in that game is how Schwartz tries to shutdown Wilson. If he is able to, maybe Saleh can learn something. The Eagles held the Seahawks to 17 points at the end of November with Wilson completing 13 of 25 attempts for 200 yards – 1 TD and 1 interception.

    2. No faith in Cousins there and Cook, if he plays, may be relegated to limited touches if they need to match Brees. May be a big game for Rudolph. That said, I seem to recall effective blitz packages from the Vikes this year, and this may be the best way to stop Brees.

      I agree, Eagles are the better team on that field next week; Seahawks clock just struck midnight….

    3. I still have Seattle winning.
      The Eagles are starting practice squad players everywhere and Seattle has more talent. They may struggle some due to an emotional letdown and a cross country trip… but if it is close, my money is on Wilson closing it out. To that end, I don’t see any way that offense can distance itself from Seattle early.

  38. After beating the Sqawks, I love to read the posts over at Field Gulls. Today’s anquish is fire or more likely force Pete Carroll to retire.

    1. A post over at FG points out that Wilson does a lot of good things but setting receivers up for YAC isn’t one of them. I would agree with that.

      The Niners, OTOH, do get a lot of YAC with Jimmy’s precise throws (most of the time). I’m wondering if the high degree of YAC is more attributable to KS’ system or Jimmy’s accuracy, or 50/50.

      1. It’s accuracy and timing. Not Wilson’s strong suit. Not saying he couldn’t thrive in that offense, but it’s always been an offense built around his strength. Run the football, and let Wilson buy time with with dodgeball like athleticism, and throw deep with accuracy to the wr that uncovers….

      2. Both. Shanny does a great job of scheming separation and Jimmy G. is pretty darn accurate. He’s looking pretty confident as of late and should only get better with experience. You don’t get much better experience than the way this year has gone.

    2. Ha! The changing of the guard is underway. We must sustain, fortify and protect our title for the next decade. Lock up Shanny for another 6 years!

      1. How about Lynch? Should we fire him in February right after the Super Bowl and then make a play for Ballard or Dorsey or any other “real GMs”?

  39. I think Dee Ford better be hella great in the playoffs or I’m going to start thinking the Chiefs fleeced the 49ers.

    1. No doubt in my mind he will be, if his body is fully recovered, and he’s able to keep it healthy for three more games.

      1. For two of the three games he would need to play, he has an extra bye week. I’m not sure that really helps since he’s more broken than Hillary on election night 2016, but every bit helps.

  40. It’s looking like the 49ers 2018 and 2019 drafts were home runs. The 2017 draft looks pretty bad with Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster, and Joe Williams. But the 49ers got Kittle in that draft and DJ Jones looks like he might be a 6th round steal if he can stay healthy. Not having a 2, 3, or 4 in next years draft really stinks but Lynch has proven he can find late round gold.

    1. Not to mention we’ll be in that sweet spot where we might get an offer we can’t refuse to trade down.

      1. I’m banging the drum for Creed Humphrey who could potentially be available when the 49ers pick at #32. Dude is a decade long all pro level center and we need him. If Humphrey is not available I’m all for trading back.

        1. I still like the TCU receiver, Jalen Reagor at 32. Born in Waxahachie, he comes from NFL bloodlines, and he’s got legit track speed. He’d be the perfect fit for what Shanny likes to do, and compliment to Kittle and Samuel….

          1. Not a huge Reagor fan. A kid I’ve known since he was 6 years old plays for TCU so I catch as many games as possible. Reagor has legit blazing speed. He’s not too big and I’m not sure he’s a complete WR.
            I am not a Gary Patterson fan at all so it may just be the way TCU uses Reagor. To me, you’ve already got Marquise Goodwin and he’s a better version of Reagor. I would never use a 1 or 2 on Reagor but I’m sure some other team will so I highly doubt he’ll end up a 49er.

    2. That first round of 2017 is hard to swallow. Especially when you consider Adams and CMC went just after Solly. And TJ Watt went one pick before Foster.
      Ah well! Maybe solly gets 7 sacks in the post season!?! It could happen!

  41. The good thing is they took care of business. Sure, they were lucky, and only one inch from losing, but sometimes, Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Greenlaw pulled a Dan Bunz.

  42. Hey Grant I been following you for over a year now and I respect your takes as we both usually agree on the same stuff. I couldn’t agree with you more that Coleman is wasting valuable snaps away from Mostert and Brieda. BUT…………….Why are you trying to be nice about Witherspoon? He has NO future with the 49ers! He was responsible for ALL 3 of Seattle touchdowns don’t forget he gave up a pass to the 1 yard line. And if not for the holding call he would of gave up 4 touchdowns!! On any other team he would of been cut by now. He should never see the starting lineup EVER again. Emanuel Mosley should of never lost his job in the first place! He played better than Spoon played in the first 3 week. And we know he can’t tackle so he is a liability vs the run. This team is so much better defensively with Moseley at right corner and if he would of started vs Seattle we would of won easily. Witherspoon has to go. Period

  43. 2 players with not so good play were Witherspoon and McGlinchey.
    .
    Witherspoon still does not turn his head to track the ball. He seems to let the receiver catch the ball, and he is ready to tackle him. Too bad, twice he allowed TD catches, so he could not tackle him, because the play was over once the receiver made his catch. The Niners should let Witherspoon’s ankle heal more, and start Moseley, who does turn his head, and bats down the ball.
    .
    McGlinchey whiffed on a couple easy blocks. If he had blocked better, the ball carrier could have gained a lot more yards, instead of gaining only a couple yards.
    .
    2 unsung defenders who I thought did well, were Solomon Thomas and Marcell Harris. Thomas did not get a sack, but he did his job. Harris was asked to stop the run, instead of being a pass defender, and did well.

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