Third and Fourth Columns: A Preview and Recap of the 49ers vs. Cardinals (718 hits)
Category: SportsRating: 1.14 on 18 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Thomas R. Sorrell - sorrelltr.at.hotmail.com (View user info) at 2006-09-12 13:28:26 EDT
But before that, I'd like to raise a big middle finger to all those people in Texas who said the Horns would beat Ohio State by two touchdowns. Eat my ass, Texas. Get crazy with the cheese-whiz.
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Patience Is Not a Luxury the 49ers Possess
People around the National Football League are an impatient lot. The pressure to win now in today's league is immense, and is felt by everyone from the owner to fans sitting on their couches six states away.
Three consecutive poor seasons is all it takes for a coach to shamefully limp out of town like a crippled animal. Occasionally, it's worse than that. There have been several instances in the past where coaches have been run out of town despite having put together several winning seasons and numerous appearances in the playoffs. Wave to the people at home, Steve Mariucci.
Mike Nolan's first season, the so-called "honeymoon" for a coach, is over. It ended badly eight months ago and left a foul taste in everyone's mouth. The preseason wasn't much better; but then, the preseason is worth only slightly more than a pair of broken reading glasses. The real test begins this Sunday and lasts until the end of December. At the very least, Nolan's Niners need to win six or seven games this season to prove to the fans and, more importantly, the owner, that progress is being made.
To accomplish this, the 49ers must open strong. Winning their first two contests would help the young team build its confidence. Starting the season off on a positive note is important for every team in the league, as the list of teams who have rebounded from an 0-2 start and still made the playoffs is much shorter than the list of teams who began 2-0 and did not.
Luckily for San Francisco, its schedule is somewhat conducive to this goal, as the 49ers open in Arizona against the Cardinals, then return home the following week to square off against the St. Louis Rams. If a few things go their way, the Niners could be sitting at 2-0 when Philadelphia comes to town in Week 3.
First, however, the 49ers have to focus on the Cardinals, the so-called "team to watch" in the NFL over the last several seasons. Each year they enter the season with the promise of glory being shouted from upon high. Comments such as "The Cardinals are playoff bound" and "This is Arizona's year" rain down from media outlets throughout the country. Yet each year, they are beaten like rabid dogs and their season ends with the putrid stench of defeat surrounding them. This year should be no different. The Cardinals' defense is still "a year or two away," and they still have Kurt Warner, whose contract with Satan expired after Super Bowl XXVI, taking snaps under center.
"But Warner has so many weapons. He'll have an amazing season with the talent around him."
Right. People said that before each of his final two seasons with the Rams. They said that when he went to New York and in his first year with the Cardinals. The thing is it hasn't happened yet and it's not happening now. For some irrational reason, people still act as if Warner is a potential MVP of the league. Yet this is a guy who has thrown 21 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in his last four seasons with three legitimate future Hall of Famers (Holt, Bruce, Faulk) and several other extremely talented players surrounding him. Those are Kyle Boller-like numbers, people. Face the facts: Warner is just not that good anymore, and no amount of offensive firepower is going to change that.
Yes, the Cardinals signed Edgerrin James to help ease the burden on the passing game, but their offensive line is not the Colts' front five...and Warner is not Manning. It will not be as easy for "Edge" to run the ball behind an average offensive line without any real threat of a passing attack.
When it's all said and done, containing Arizona's offense comes down to two things: stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback. If the 49ers can hold James to 2-3 yards per carry and force the Cardinals into third- and-long situations, they will be able to blitz Warner from every direction. If this happens, the Niners have an excellent chance of forcing several turnovers. If the Niners can capitalize on the turnovers, they can force Arizona to become one-dimensional and dominate the game.
However, without proper tackling, the 49ers will not be able to stop the run. Without the ability to stop the run, the 49ers can't rush the passer as often or as effectively. Without an effective pass rush, Warner will be able to stand in the pocket and pick the SF secondary apart. It all comes down to execution.
On offense for the Niners, Frank Gore must play well. San Francisco needs him to finish the game with at least 20 carries for 80-100 yards. The ground game must be effective for the 49ers so that the pressure is not placed on Alex Smith to carry the team. As far as Smith goes, all he has to do is manage the clock and not turn the ball over and the Niners will be able to win. It really is that simple.
The question is, will Nolan's troops be able to pull this off? The pressure is on Nolan to win now, as he gutted the franchise and hand-picked this team in the last two offseasons. With respect to the individual who coined the cliché, Nolan "has made his bed, now he has to lie in it." If the 49ers do not show a marked improvement from last season, his job security could take a big hit going into 2007.
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49ers Can't Overcome Mistakes in Loss to Cardinals
Frank Gore netted 170 total yards and two scores, Alex Smith had his best game as a professional, and the much-maligned San Francisco 49ers defense held Pro Bowl running back Edgerrin James to a mere 73 yards on 26 carries. Sounds like a recipe for an easy win right? Not exactly. Kurt Warner torched the 49ers secondary for 301 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Arizona Cardinals to a 34-27 victory over the visiting 49ers.
With the score tied at seven in the opening stages of the first quarter, the 49ers fumbled away two straight possessions inside their own territory, allowing the home team to take a 21-7 lead with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter. The Cardinals never relinquished the lead.
To their credit, the 49ers went down fighting. A Joe Nedney field goal with 8:52 remaining closed the gap to 31-24, yet the Niners' defense could not come up with the stop they so desperately needed on the Cardinals' next possession. Three times on their final drive of the game, the Cardinals converted huge third-down plays: a 10-yard gain by Edgerrin James on third-and-three from their own 27, a 28-yard completion to Larry Fitzgerald on third-and- 10 from their own 37, and an 18-yard pass to Anquan Boldin on third-and-five from the San Francisco 30. The drive ended with a 30-yard Neil Rackers field goal, giving the Cardinals a 34-24 lead with 1:52 left on the clock.
After their loss, the 49ers could be the poster boys for the word "If."
If they converted one or two of their nine third-down attempts (as opposed to zero), maybe the Niners could have put together another touchdown drive or two and won the game.
If San Francisco hadn't fumbled the ball away two times in its first three possessions, it's quite possible the Cardinals would not have taken a 21-7 lead in the first quarter.
If the 49ers had stopped one of the Cardinals' three third-down attempts on their final scoring drive, perhaps San Fran would have been able to tie the game rather than falling behind by 10 with 1:50 remaining and resorting to the field goal/onside kick/Hail Mary desperation plan.
If the defense would have pressured Kurt Warner all game long, maybe he would not have thrown for an eye-popping 301 yards and three touchdowns.
"If" is an interesting word. Fans love to use it to validate their teams in spite of a loss. "If" provides them with a bit of self respect, indicating something out of their control has caused their grief.
If this had not happened....
If we could have done this differently....
If we would have scored more points....
If, if, if, if, if. Right. And the Seattle Seahawks would be the defending Super Bowl champions...if not for those pesky men in the black helmets and gold pants.
But what was good for the Niners? What was bad? What was ugly?
The Good
Frank Gore
Gore showed enough flashes of talent for the coaching staff to trade away Kevan Barlow for 50 cents on the dollar. Many people around the league, both media and fans, questioned the move. But after the Arizona game, even Barlow understands why he was shipped off to New York in favor of an unproven second-year player out of "The U." Gore touched the ball 22 times against the Cardinals, 16 rushes and six receptions, and wound up with 170 total yards and two touchdowns...both of which were punishing runs up the middle when he should have been stopped for a loss. He showed a bit of everything Sunday night: speed, power, soft hands and excellent vision. Had Warner not suddenly awoken from his four-year coma, Gore easily would have been the player of the game.
Alex Smith
As previously mentioned, the 2005 No. 1 pick had his best game as a professional against Arizona. Smith completed 23-of-40 passed for 288 yards and a touchdown, but, more importantly, he neither fumbled nor threw an interception. Aside from a few lapses, Smith looked very sharp in the pocket all day. He is very different from the quarterback who threw 11 interceptions and a mere one touchdown last season. Smith also has an excellent rapport with Antonio Bryant and showed that he can throw the deep pass with some zip on it when needed.
The offensive play calling
The unit broke out a bit of everything in this game, from a direct snap to Gore to a reverse to Bryan Gilmore. Coordinator Norv Turner's use of screen passes highlighted Gore's ability to move around in space, and were usually called in excellent situations. The throwback touchdown pass to Vernon Davis was set up beautifully by Smith's roll out to the opposite side of the field.
The rush defense
The defense did exactly what it needed to do to stay in the game, holding "The Edge" to only 73 yards on 26 carries...a 2.8-yard average. Very few missed tackles; excellent pursuit to the ball. Fantastic job by everyone involved.
The Bad
Vernon Davis
It's understandable that the first-round pick from April is a rookie and is going to make mistakes, but his fumble killed the 49ers and his fourth-quarter drop cost them a key first down. The tight end's touchdown was nice, though. That keeps Davis off the "ugly" list.
The defensive play calling
Class, what is the key to beating a team quarterbacked by Kurt Warner? That's right, CONSTANT PRESSURE. Yes, the 49ers sacked Warner three times, but, for the most part, the former MVP was given too much time to throw the ball. Where were the blitz packages? Where was the pressure? On several plays only three or four players rushed the quarterback while the rest of the defense sat back in zone coverage. Warner picked the unit apart when this happened, yet struggled against the blitz...just as he always does. Two prime examples:
- Halfway through the third quarter Walt Harris blitzed off the corner; Warner turned back into his old self and fumbled inside Arizona's 10-yard line. Two plays later, Frank Gore burst into the end zone and brought the 49ers within three.
- Ahead by seven with 6:05 left in the fourth quarter on third-and-10 from the Arizona 37-yard line, Warner dropped back to pass. The 49ers only rushed four people; Warner was able to stand comfortably in the pocket for four seconds, and he completed a 28-yard post route to Larry Fitzgerald.
The offensive play calling
Other than a few aforementioned excellent calls, the play calling was suspect. On third-and-three from the 49ers' own 42 in the second quarter, they called a slow-developing stretch play to backup running back Michael Robinson. Robinson was stuffed for a two-yard loss. Down 10 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Turner called a pass play on third-and-two from the Arizona 16. Vernon Davis dropped the pass and Joe Nedney missed the ensuing field goal attempt. Down 10 with just over 10 minutes remaining, the 49ers called two straight pass plays from inside the Arizona five. Smith completed one for no gain and threw the second at Gore's feet in the end zone. Nedney kicked a field goal.
Hidden in the result of those three drives are points people often overlook. The 49ers managed only three points from those three situations, yet they should have scored at least six. Meanwhile, Arizona used the momentum provided by those stops to put six more points on the scoreboard. That's a nine point swing...the 49ers lost by seven points. Excuse me, I have to go stab myself in the eye with a steak knife and hope it penetrates my brain, killing me instantly.
Why not just give the ball to Gore and let him pound it up the middle in those situations? It worked on the two touchdowns, a four-yard run and two-yard scamper. Why get cute? Why change the gameplan when it's working?
The Ugly
Antonio Bryant
This has nothing to do with the wide receiver's performance, but you do not taunt a player when you're losing by 10 with less than a minute left in the game...especially when it results in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The secondary
Sammy Davis dropped a sure interception in the first quarter. The very next play Warner connected on a 38-yard pass to Bryant Johnson to the San Francisco five-yard line. The rest of the secondary wasn't much better, as Larry Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 133 yards and Boldin and Johnson added another six for 113.
Check back Wednesday morning for Tom Sorrell's preview of San Francisco's upcoming game with the St. Louis Rams.
User Reviews
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-13 18:18:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2006-09-13 17:09:36 (#)
Ranking: -2
OK, We get it, you write for another website.
Thanks
NOW STFU Noob
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Filename.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-09-13 17:24:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Cards and Rams?
I live in Denver, fire that guy! :-)
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2006-09-13 17:09:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
OK, We get it, you write for another website.
Thanks
NOW STFU Noob
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-13 08:21:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No.
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2006-09-13 01:25:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Also, they just hired me on as the full time writer for the Niners this evening. Five articles a week. Decent cash for doing so. Nowhere near enough to live on, but nice nonetheless. I can get cheese on my hamburgers now. ha ha ha
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Won't they fire you for posting this somewhere other than there site?
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2006-09-13 00:57:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
i'm glad you are doing something you enjoy.
live the dream brother, live the dream.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-12 23:27:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/08/cardinals-rams-writers250806.html
You can ask if this (or anything else) is still available. Send an e-mail to info.at.realfootball365.com asking about positions. Send a sample of your writing as well.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-09-12 22:30:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
They require, you know, actual writing/reporting history?
If not, hook a fat brotha up wit dat numbah. :-)
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-12 22:16:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Jay, read my article tomorrow. You'll like it. It's about the o-line.
www.realfootball365.com
Also, they just hired me on as the full time writer for the Niners this evening. Five articles a week. Decent cash for doing so. Nowhere near enough to live on, but nice nonetheless. I can get cheese on my hamburgers now. ha ha ha
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2006-09-12 19:24:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good wrap ups. No one would have expected that out of Gore.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-09-12 18:41:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Without us linemen, the game is so much easier.
Hike *wham*
QB fumbles and cries, D runs it in.
:-)
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-09-12 18:09:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Didn't read it.
My patience doesn't extend to watching sports.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-12 17:58:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
And I'll be more accurate than you, Jay, because I know more about the game than you do.
Fucking linemen...always thinking they know everything. You and Siragusa can both kiss my ass.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-09-12 17:43:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Niners will go 6-10 this year.
Raiders will be LUCKY to go 3-13.
He'll preview the 9ers on Wednesday, I'll preview the LEAGUE on Saturday night.
:-)
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-12 13:53:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The 49ers have a better coach. Art Shell is a bigger (literally and figuratively) idiot than he was 12 years ago.
Also, when I was watching the Oakland game last night, one sentence kept invading my mind: "THROW THE BALL DEEP TO MOSS!"
Not just because he's on my fantasy team, but because his forte is out-leaping and out-running smaller DBs for the ball...not catching a quick slant and manuevering in and out of the defense.
Oh, and Rivers is the REAL DEAL. Zounds, egad, yikes, and all that jazz.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-09-12 13:47:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The Forty-Niners are slightly better than the Oakland Raiders, and that's not saying much.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2006-09-12 13:45:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No. Johnson caught a few passes against the Cardinals, but he was absolutely DESTROYED by one of the Cards' safeties and left the game. As far as I can remember, his catches didn't go for much, as he seems to have fallen out of favor with Mike Nolan as well. Davis is the man in that offense, as far as tight ends go.
If you have a spot open, I'd pick up Antonio Bryant and Frank Gore, as most of the offense runs through them. Alex Smith LOVES Bryant.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-09-12 13:40:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Is Eric Johnson worth any consideration in fantasy leagues?