what 49er fans are saying

[Marguide]

When I read a lot of these 49'er fan posts, it comes off less as them trying to convince us they are the better team than them trying to convince themselves. They consistently over-emphasize their strengths and rationalize away their weaknesses.

 

San Fran is a really good team, no doubt. The Panthers have also been playing well. Either team seems capable of walking away with the win.

 

We're just going to have to watch this one play itself out.

[That49Guy]

Yes they do on PFF. But my point is that a Mike LB has a completely different gap assignments than a single ILB. Since in a 3-4 there is 2 ILBs. There is not doubt that Wilis is a great LB no matter if its ILB or Mike, he plays great. But he's been in the league what 5 -6 years now. Luke just started his second season.

 

Luke's numbers have dropped this year and some people are starting to talk about it. But if anyone knows anything about football and the defensive side of the ball, when you have a solid Dline like the panther have now, Your MLB's will have less tackles in a game. Very few teams have tried to run it straight up the gut against Star and the rest of our DT's this year. this means more outside or off tackle runs and more plays for our OLB's.

 

I agree.

 

If you have a solid DLine, your LB's are bound to see less action because the DL is doing their job.

 

I don't think Luke's play has dimished, just his opportunities. That's a good thing.

[Kelp]

Wow in all my days I've never seen such cocky, arrogant fans.

Not even the saints, not even the cowboys.

They all sound like QCB.

[Marvin49]

I agree.

 

If you have a solid DLine, your LB's are bound to see less action because the DL is doing their job.

 

I don't think Luke's play has dimished, just his opportunities. That's a good thing.

 

Really hard to compare.

 

A 4-3 funnels all of the tackles to the MLB. The D-Line absorbs the Offensive line blocks. If you have a great D-Line, they can get more tackles and limit the number of tackles a MLB gets, but the MLB should still be your leading tackler by far.

 

In a 3-4 you have 2 ILB who in effect share those tackles and they end up having to face alot more blocks by offensive linemen because there are fewer D-Linemen to absorb those blockers.

 

Personally, I think its harder to play in a 3-4 than in a 4-3 if you are a MLB/ILB. Ray Lewis hated the 3-4 he played under Nolan.

[pantherclaw]

San Fran is a good team that is hurting.

They are finding out just how difficult it is to get back to the playoffs every year.

I'm not here to argue who has the better linebacker. People who know football already know.

This should be a low scoring game unless we get our running game going strong.

Keep the mistakes to a minimum, and we should win this game, dispite what their homer fans feel.

[Hawk]

 dispite what their homer fans feel.

 

 

favorite part of the post....me thinks you are going to get that everywhere my friend!

 

 

from an outsider looking in....this will be a close and great game I think.  Two tough teams going head to head.

 

I obviously want the Niners to lose, but this one will come right down to the wire in my opinion and will probably be decided by the turnover ratio.

 

too close to call

[CRA]

Hey all.

 

Wasn't planning on posting till I read some things here that made me shake my head.

 

First off, I don't take the Panthers lightly. Not at all. These teams are very similar in the way they are built and the way they try to suffocate the opposing team. Personally I think it'll be a dogfight.

 

Having said that, something of a scouting report...

 

1) Someone made mention that the 49ers the 1st ranked run O and 32nd ranked pass O. If you just look at a stat sheet you look at that and determine that the niners pass O sucks. Not really. They have had issues with WRs getting separation so have leaned more heavily on the run game, but they are capable of passing the ball when they want to. While ranked 32nd in yards, they are also ranked 32nd in ATTEMPTS. They don't have alot of yards because they simply aren't TRYING to throw the ball. When they DO throw tho they are averaging 8 yards per attempt....top 10 in the NFL. IE, they run the ball ALOT and pass very efficiently. They have also been up by double digits ALOT during this 5 week win streak in which they've won by an average of 22 points. Again, they didn't NEED to throw. Essentially....no, they aren't the Brocos pass O, but don't make the mistake thinking that they can't hurt you through the air. Manningham is back this week which is HUGE and Crabtree will be back in a few weeks. Getting those 2 guys back should make a HUGE difference down the stretch. Boldin is still a very good but not great player and Vernon is on pace for over 1000 yards and 14 TDs.

 

 

2) Also mentioned was that the Colts ran all over them so the Panthers should have no trouble. Also deceiving. The 49ers have given up more rush yards this season than in the past primarily because they have refused to put an 8th man in the box no matter how well the other team is running the ball. This has allowed some teams to move the ball decently on the ground, but has improved their pass defense. The Niners also have had Justin Smith playing with a bad shoulder, Ray McDonald playing with a bad bicep, and Patrick Willis missed 2 games and has been playing on a bad Groin. All of this is why the bye came at a perfect time. In addition to all that, they finally activated their second round pick, DE Tank Carradine. That gives them a bit more depth. Navorro Bowman is playing like a monster right now though. Their points per game and yardage totals are also a bit deceiving. As I said before...they've had huge leads and gave up garbage yards and points late. For example they were up 24-0 vs the Titans and the game ended at 31-17. Against the Rams they gave up late yards and a score. They gave up late yards and a score to the freakin Jags. This isn't an excuse really as its actually something that annoys me. Sometimes they don't put those teams away and I worry that at some point someone is going to come all the way back while they are messing around. It almost happened in NE last year.

 

 

3) Patrick Willis not being a first ballot HOF or not being as good as Luke Kuechley: I'm having some trouble with this one. LOL. Pat has been in the league for 6 years. He's made 6 Pro Bowls. He's been All-Pro 6 times, 5 times first team. Come on now. If he retired today, he may not be on the first ballot, but that is CERTAINLY his career trajectory. NFL players have placed him as the 10th best player in the entire league in each of the past 2 years. You can quote all the stats you want, but in reality Pats stats have changed because he now plays a different role in SF than he did in the past. He drops into coverage much more than he used to. Navorro Bowman is a monster beside him and he's the one who eats up alot of the tackles. Those guys also run in tandem so they end up sharing tackle statistics. Luke is a VERY good player, so don't take this as a knock, but let let him play a few years before peeps start saying he's better than a 6 time all-pro.

 

 

4) I am NOT taking the Panthers lightly. Not at all. To be honest the Saints make me more nervous, but that has more to do with having to play the game in the Superdome than the quality of the opponent. These teams are mirror images. I think the Niners have a big edge on the O-Line and on the coaching staff (thats not an insult BTW, I just really like Harbaugh/Roman/Fangio), but other than that there isn't a huge amount of stuff that separates them.

 

 

5) I'm not a prediction guy so I won't predict a score. I am confident that the Niners will win based on the coaching staff, the extra week of rest, and all the guys coming back...but losing to the Panthers wouldn't shock me. Not at all. One thing to be sure of tho...while some of the uneducated fanbase might overlook the Panthers (there are some in every fanbase), the 49ers will not. They can't afford to. It may require winning out to catch Seattle in the division based on the opponents left for them to play. The 49ers can't afford to overlook ANYONE...especially a 5-3 team who is peaking.

They NEEDED to throw in the two butt kickings they had this year.  It is a safe assumption you likely will NEED to throw this week against a stingy Carolina D.....which will be the toughest you have faced all year.

 

I agree, the 49ers have an edge on the OL.    

 

Both teams have the same gameplan....put it on the QB. Significantly more has been asked of Cam as a NFL QB than Kapernick.....we are starting to see the payoff this year.   

[mbarbour21]

Wow, some over there are already looking past us and are more worried about the Saints game. They are turning into Cowboys fans.

I will say I have rooted for the Cowboys more than id like to admit recently. Lol!

[Montsta]

SF fans are funny as hell. They all say that they don't know how out offense will move on their defense, while being completely oblivious to the fact that our defense is better than theirs.

[CLTPanther]

Yea, I told them we are 1st in total points, 2nd in total D, 2nd in rushing, 10th in pass D and they still think it's going to be 40-10

[Marvin49]

They NEEDED to throw in the two butt kickings they had this year.  It is a safe assumption you likely will NEED to throw this week against a stingy Carolina D.....which will be the toughest you have faced all year.

 

I agree, the 49ers have an edge on the OL.    

 

Both teams have the same gameplan....put it on the QB. Significantly more has been asked of Cam as a NFL QB than Kapernick.....we are starting to see the payoff this year.   

 

Actually, the needed to keep running the ball vs Indy as Frank was averaging 7.5 yards per carry doing so. Then they inexplicable got away from the run. They haven't repeated that mistake since and are averaging 183 yards per game over the last 5.

 

The problem they have had in the passing game has been receivers who were unable to get any kind of separation...Boldin included. If a team can man up Boldin and remove him from the equasion (Richard Sherman, Vontae Davis) then it creates problems for the 49ers.

 

They had no answer for that vs Indy because Vernon was out with a bad hamstring. Seattle could do that because they have the best and most physical secondary in the NFL. Arizona tried that too and was able to remove Boldin with Peterson....but they had no answer for a now much healtheir Vernon. He had 180 yards and 2 scores.

 

This is precisely why the return of Manningham and the eventual return of Crabtree loom so incredibly large.

 

When Green Bay sold out to stop the run and they needed to pass Kap threw for over 400 yards. The Panthers are very good on D, no question. It will be a tall order. All I'm saying is that the niners are much better moving the ball in the air than that 32nd rating would suggest. They are not a wide open 5 receiver offense. That's just not how they are built. In fact their third best receiver right now is probably their Fullback.

 

They have had some trouble passing the ball this year. That much is true. Most of that is due to a lack of personel. They have learned to adapt tho and are getting some guys back.

 

Should be fun to watch on Sunday.  :)

[Marvin49]

Yea, I told them we are 1st in total points, 2nd in total D, 2nd in rushing, 10th in pass D and they still think it's going to be 40-10

 

LOL. Don't trip on it. "They" is only a subset of the fanbase. Anyone who knows football knows this is a tough matchup. The Panthers are far more setup to beat the Niners than the Packers or Saints.

[CRA]

Actually, the needed to keep running the ball vs Indy as Frank was averaging 7.5 yards per carry doing so. Then they inexplicable got away from the run. They haven't repeated that mistake since and are averaging 183 yards per game over the last 5.

 

The problem they have had in the passing game has been receivers who were unable to get any kind of separation...Boldin included. If a team can man up Boldin and remove him from the equasion (Richard Sherman, Vontae Davis) then it creates problems for the 49ers.

 

They had no answer for that vs Indy because Vernon was out with a bad hamstring. Seattle could do that because they have the best and most physical secondary in the NFL. Arizona tried that too and was able to remove Boldin with Peterson....but they had no answer for a now much healtheir Vernon. He had 180 yards and 2 scores.

 

This is precisely why the return of Manningham and the eventual return of Crabtree loom so incredibly large.

 

When Green Bay sold out to stop the run and they needed to pass Kap threw for over 400 yards. The Panthers are very good on D, no question. It will be a tall order. All I'm saying is that the niners are much better moving the ball in the air than that 32nd rating would suggest. They are not a wide open 5 receiver offense. That's just not how they are built. In fact their third best receiver right now is probably their Fullback.

 

They have had some trouble passing the ball this year. That much is true. Most of that is due to a lack of personel. They have learned to adapt tho and are getting some guys back.

 

Should be fun to watch on Sunday.  :)

 

Sometimes you have no choice but to pass.....

 

and I don't put an emphasis on the 32nd pass rating....there is a reason why it is 32nd (attempts).  BUT....we are still built to force Kapernick to have to pass.  Just like you are built to force that of Cam.  I think Cam has the edge if both teams do that.

 

as for GB, I don't put much in a week 1 game.....week 1 is flukey.   Plus, GB was silly.  Kapernick had an wildly uncharacteristic day....and GB foolishly tried to live up to there preseason talk about overplaying something.  Heck, an exaggerated version of it was The Golden Calf of Bristol vs the Steelers in the playoffs.

[Marvin49]

Sometimes you have no choice but to pass.....

 

and I don't put an emphasis on the 32nd pass rating....there is a reason why it is 32nd (attempts).  BUT....we are still built to force Kapernick to have to pass.  Just like you are built to force that of Cam.  I think Cam has the edge if both teams do that.

 

as for GB, I don't put much in a week 1 game.....week 1 is flukey.   Plus, GB was silly.  Kapernick had an wildly uncharacteristic day....and GB foolishly tried to live up to there preseason talk about overplaying something.  Heck, an exaggerated version of it was The Golden Calf of Bristol vs the Steelers in the playoffs.

 

I understand your point there, but that really isn't the case in SF.

 

There is no lead too large to overcome that would force them to stop running the ball. Down huge in Philly in 2011, they never stopped running and came back to win. Down big in the NFC Championship game last year they just kept running and came all the way back. LaMichael James scored once and Gore scored twice. In the Super Bowl they got back int the game by both passing AND running (people don't realize that Kap actually threw for over 300 yards that day and Frank ran for over 100).

 

The 49ers have also shown the ability to run on teams that are good against the run. Not saying they'll be able to vs the Panthers...just saying they've been able to do that in the past.

 

SF has had an issue with receivers getting any separation...that much is true. However, only 2 teams have been able to completely shut them down. The Seahawks IN Seattle (best secondary in the NFL) and the Colts (Vontae removed Boldin and Vernon didn't play). If you look at the niners receiving numbers its almost comical. Both Boldin and Davis are on pace for over 1000 yards, but nobody else even has 200. Kaps Qb rating passing to their "#2 WR" Kyle Williams is around 20. He sucks. Bad.

 

This is why getting Manningham back is SOOOOO huge. He doesn't need to be Julio Jones. Just being servicable would be enormous.

 

Still tho....had they not been playing the past 5 weeks with HUGE leads (up 28-3 on the Rams, 34-3 on Houston, 24-0 on Tenn, and 28-3 on Jacksonville) they'd have much more call to put the ball in the air.

 

All of those teams BTW suck pretty bad. Not trying to say Niners will win because they have been dominant...just making the case that they have dominated bad teams so severely that their statistics are misleading. I mentioned the Packers because they had to throw...and they did. The game was close vs Arizona so they had to throw and Kap had 252 yards and 2 TDs.

 

What those two games had in common tho was 1 guy just  going nuts receiving...Boldin for over 200 vs GB and Vernon with 180 vs Arizona.

 

Again...this is why getting Manningham and Crabtree back is so huge.

 

Crabtree BTW was just cleared to practice today, but you won't see him on Sunday.