Ask Niners Nation: Round 2
by David Fucillo (Fooch) on Dec 10, 2009 10:26 AM MST
41 comments
Well, things have certainly changed quite a bit since the 49ers upset your Arizona Cardinals week 1 of this season. The 49ers now sit 3 games out with 4 games to go. Not what I would call an "ideal" situation. Although there is always the chance of a comeback, most 49ers fans are ready to look to the offseason. I'm in the group, although I've retained a slight bit of hope for the last month of this season.
Feel free to ask any questions you have about the 49ers. I'll answer them to the best of my ability, and I'll also get some of the NN readers over here to answer them as well.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.
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Frank Gore
Is your best offensive player, why limit his touches so much?
offensive players
The 49ers have struggled to figure out what their offense is really all about. Part of this is due to the immense struggles of their offensive line. At this point it’s hard to tell given his relative lack of touches, but Vernon Davis has become the best offensive threat on the 49ers. Frank Gore is still Frank Gore, but I think it’s going to take this offseason to figure out how to best work him into the offense. Part of that will get help in the form of a first round offensive tackle, but part will also be a full offseason for HC Mike Singletary and OC Jimmy Raye to brainstorm what worked, what didn’t work, and what they need to do going forward.
by David Fucillo (Fooch) on Dec 10, 2009 12:33 PM MST up reply actions
It might actually be fair to say that Frank Gore is no longer our best offensive player.
Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Alex Smith can all make legitimate claims to the title (though Crabtree and Smith still both have “something to prove”).
So I don’t think the question is really: “Why limit his touches?” It makes sense that with a more dynamic ability to pass the ball with those three players emerging, that we SHOULD be passing more. What doesn’t make sense is swinging the offense so very far in the other direction and also not utilizing Gore as a receiver. Why limit his touches? Because we can actually throw the ball now. Why take Gore almost completely out of the game? I, uh… I have no idea. Bad gameplanning?
I don't know about that, to the groin.
by howtheyscored on Dec 10, 2009 1:04 PM MST up reply actions
Karlos Dansby?
We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!
Patrick Willis-Lewis?
Willis still has some work to do in pass coverage, but he’s definitely one of the best linebackers in the league. In response to the Karlos Dansby comment, he is certainly a solid enough linebacker, but I’m afraid he can only aspire to the awesomeness that is Patrick Willis.
by David Fucillo (Fooch) on Dec 10, 2009 12:38 PM MST up reply actions
Pat'Ray Lewillis
Sounds like the name of a classic jazz musician.
by ajotanelsona on Dec 10, 2009 3:52 PM MST up reply actions
What are the odds that the Cards and Niners will...
…open the ’10 season against each other AND have a MNF game against each other? 100% 90%?
Has Crabtree been worth the wait? Why does Vernon Davis decide to start playing ball only after I gave up on him in my fantasy league? ::wink::
We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!
Cards-Niners
Hmmm. If Warner sticks around (I’m assuming he will?) I wouldn’t be surprised to see both those things happen. It’s turned into a fun little rivalry, so why not?
Crabtree has definitely been worth the wait. While the 49ers other receivers can make plays, Crabtree just has the constant look of being a wide receiver. He makes things look easy. He simply looks like he’s going to be a great wide receiver, even before actually making plays. I like having a real receiver like that.
I’m in several fantasy leagues, but one of them is a keeper league, but you can only keep 1 player that you drafted in the 6th round or later. You keep the player in the round you drafted him, and have the option of keeping him a round higher the next year. I had Michael Turner as my keeper this year and am looking for a 2010 keeper. I drafted Vernon Davis in the 12th round. I think we’ll be keeping him next year. A 12th rounder next year in what is looking to be his free agent year? Oh yea, definitely.
by David Fucillo (Fooch) on Dec 10, 2009 12:43 PM MST up reply actions
Depends on how this season plays out
If the 9ers win Monday and Arizona goes deep in the playoffs then I think the odds are good. The 9ers are not technically eliminated from the playoffs, but it’s highly unlikely at this point.
If the wheels fall off for the 9ers and we finish 3rd behind Seattle then it’s a lot less likely.
100%
These teams play extraordinary against each other
I gotta add
I love watching our teams play each other. We have a real good competition going on that makes for great viewing and the possibility of a real rivalry that we haven’t had since the old days VS the cowboys in the playoffs.
Vernon
I have to admit that I haven’t seen him much since he started playing like a first rounder should. What kind of TE is he? Obviously he is a great pass catching TE, but how is he as a run blocker? Does the offense suffer on running downs when he is on the field?
Might be the best blocker on the team
If VD put on some more size he potentially could be the best LT in the game. His blocking is still superior to his catching ability. He’s big and fast, but those hands need some stickum.
Alex in the shotgun seems to have given him time to find a receiver with our crap line. Last year he was kept in to block under Martz because the line couldn’t hold against a rush long enough in his system.
Thanks Dave.
That is good to know. Why has it taken so long for him to fulfill his promise? Is it just a case of previous immaturity and he has grown up this year?
Maturity is absolutly a part
No question he’s grown up a lot since Coach Sing sent him to the lockers. Apparently the week after that VD has described as total hell but it made him grow up quick.
He’s been hot headed and misused since he was drafted. Last year he was stuck blocking most of the time in the Martz failure.
Under Raye, it seems the offense finally has things figured out. There is some push to call the O Raye-Gun (I like it, coined by Matt Barrows http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/). Our base set is generally called 12 for 1 back, 2 TE set with 2 wr’s.
If you cover it with a base defense that means you have a linebacker on VD or Walker, easy setup for a passing situation. If you go nickle, then you have Walker and VD blocking db’s (typically easy for a te to block a usually smaller db) and it’s time to run.
Seattle stayed in their Base package fearing Gore after the first meeting, leaving the passing game well open. We lost that game far more than anything else with the drops.
Vernon Davis has improved a lot this year, but one thing I've noticed
Is that he catches the same touchdown over the middle, every single time(except last week). How have opposing defenses not figured this out? If the Cardinals allow this on Monday I think I’ll lose my mind because you can see it coming a mile away.
What? I didn't break it, I was just testing its durability, and then I placed it in the woods becuase it's made out of wood and I just thought he should be with his family.
Revenge of the Birds
It's pretty obvious, I agree...
But opposing safeties, keep believing they can outrun Vernon and catch up. They truly underestimate the speed of this freak of nature. I really wished he wasn’t the fastest on our team but he might be.
Seeing and stopping are different
VD beats most any LB (maybe even Willis and there isn’t much faster) down the middle. He’s freakishly big making it hard to cover over the top with a safety. Drop the ball over the lb’s head and it’s more a matter of VD’s brick hands not pulling it in than anything a defender can do. Only time I’ve seen it stopped was when the safety put his helmet on the ball trying to tackle VD causing it to squirt out incomplete.
Pretty sure Wilson did that to Davis week 1. Helmet to helmet though. But at least the ball popped out.
What? I didn't break it, I was just testing its durability, and then I placed it in the woods becuase it's made out of wood and I just thought he should be with his family.
Revenge of the Birds
Yup, it's a bread and butter play
It’s tough to cover. VD is fast enough he can outrun a LB, and he’s big enough that a safety will have a tough time covering him. He tends to drop passes, so that’s very frustrating as a fan.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
Hey guys.
Tough way to lose to Seattle last week.
Why have the 49ers gone to more of a Spread [Raye Gun?] Offense now that Smith has taken over? Has it contributed to the lack of carries that Frank Gore has gotten?
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan.
No band-wagoner fans allowed, pick a team and stick with em, throughout the good and the bad.
Do the Niner's coaching staff
Believe that Shaun Hill is the long term answer at the QB position? How does the coaching staff feel about Crabtree and his performance? Does it differ from the fan base?
Shaun Hill..... Never
According to everything I have read, Hill has never been seen more than a good Back Up quarterback. If he were to have a better arm with more accuracy and strength to throw down field, then absolutely. Crabtree, I believe, everyone has been suprised about how good he has been since coming in with no camp. He still hasn’t had the break out 100 + game but he’s hasn’t had a bad game yet….
Sorry for insulting 49er Nation
I meant to ask about Alex Smith. Does the coaching staff belive that Alex Smith is the long term answer ? Will Shaun Hill even be on the team next?I haven’t even seen him camera shots.
No Problem
Alex Smith, I think the way he has been playing the past 2 games are leading towards a strong yes. However, there are 4 games left, and if he does as well as he’s been doing, then absolutely he’ll be our long term answer. Our GM has been high on him since we drafted and is still very high on him. Smith has gone through a lot, dislocated shoulder, 2 shoulder surgeries, called out by former headcoach (Nolan), a different OC every-year, and his best friend committing suicide. Now i’m not making excuses, but for him to go through all that, and still push forward shows he can push through tough times.
As for Shaun Hill, everyone has been high on our draft pick Nate Davis, I believe if he keeps progressing and can out play Shaun Hill in the preseason, he might not be a 49er next year, or at least not be the back up…
Nate Davis
I saw Davis in the Pre-season against the Cowboys and came away very impressed with his physical ability. He can make all the throws and has the size required to stand in the pocket when facing the pass-rush. Does he possess the cerebral skills to handle every thing that comes with being a QB in the NFL as a back-up?
That's the question....
Nate has, and don’t quote me on this, deslyexia, so he mixes up words and numbers, which makes it harder to learn the offense. In the preseason he was working with only a portion of the playbook. He is in no way not smart enough, but in order for him to succeed, we or definitely he will need an OC for more than 1 year, because for him to learn a new playbook every year will trap him…
I've always thought that if the Niners could have kept Norv Turner for a couple more years
That Smith would already be an established NFL QB.
Be careful....to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Agreed Bezekira
Turner is the kind of QB coach that maximizes a QB abilities while hiding his limitations.
we signed him when everyone (literally everyone) thought crabtree wouldn’t be there at pick 11. Now that we know crabtree would fall to us it doesn’t seem like a great pickup. he was also injured for most of the beginning of the season, when crabtree was holding out, and wasn’t healthy until the team wanted to play crabtree, and ended up 4th or 5th in the depth chart behind bruce and maybe even jason hill.
It was a good call at the time maybe, but given what we know now…
by hellaninersfan on Dec 11, 2009 9:50 AM MST up reply actions
Bad Timing
LIke the post before, we weren’t expecting Crabtree at the 10 pick, but he was so we picked him. In OTA’s he was playing really well and catching mostly deep bombs from A. Smith, as Jones is probably our fastest WR, but on a play in Training camp he dove for a ball and dislocated his shoulder…. and then the post before sums it up pretty well. We signed him for a 5 year deal, and with bruce not coming back next year, he might be a very good 3 WR or 4 WR since were going more to passing….
He'll be a 9er for a while
He’s been paid and Jason Hill hasn’t shown much either, 1 is going to go in a couple years. I wonder if they will have him as the slot guy next year when we use 3 wr’s (which isn’t too often now).
I hope so
He was about the only WR I was interested in watching in Tennessee, and thought he would make a great addition to a “thin” corps. with you guys. Hah! Talk about disappearing act. The injury explains it, though.
Didn’t realize it was a 5-year deal either, boy everyone has to be happy about that right now. Think he was an underutilized #4 with the Titans, so I could see him pushing for #3 by next year… maybe… lol. Anyway, hope it works itself out!
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