Hmmmm

A few observations from watching the Ravens/49ers game tnite. Ravens set a franchise record in sacks with 9 tnite playing the brothers little rivalry game. This was the first time all year out of 11 games the 49ers failed to score a td be it from off., sp. teams, or def. Taking away one cleanup catch in the final 2 minutes, one of the better te's in the game the 49ers vernon davis caught, ZERO passes. With the ravens weak point being their secondary excluding reed of course, the number of attempts to stretch the field to crabtree, ginn, davis, or ex brownie was countable on one hand. Hmmm

The 49ers are a lock to win their division, few would argue that i believe. Having the second best record in in the league not to mention a fairly favorable schedule to end the year, the niners will have a nice comfortable spot awaiting them in the playoffs. The ravens however if they would have lost tnite could have found themselves in a fairly familiar spot of maybe having to visit steeltown for their playoff game. I mean besides the niners I think the rest of our schedule looks fairly winnable and after tnite one might even think sweepable with the way the niners played. I would bet when we play them however they play like it is their superbowl for some reason. Now I'm not sayin................just sayin ya know?

 

While agree that the Niners had little to play for other than clinching the division or the Brother Bowl bragging rights I think they could have rested or protected their key players more if they weren't going to give it everything they had. Too risky to keep Gore or Davis in there let alone your starting QB with the well documented cheap shots of the Ravens. I didn't get to see the game but what you describe sounds very vanilla on the offensive side of the ball to me. A bit of poker playing perhaps?

 

I have watched the majority of 49ers games this year, along with many other teams as well and I can honestly say the other 10 games they have played compared with their performance tnite made it seem like two totally different teams playing. I don't know maybe it's my pure hatred for both Harbaugh brothers who I see as arrogant, assanine, punks, that is playing a role in my beliefs.

 

Certainly makes you think... quite a pathetic showing for a 9-1 team that's for sure.

 

The way SF played against the cards, it looked like they were on the verge of losing. Tonight, they lost to a half descent team. Be interesting to see how they play against us , then again it'll be the 2nd last game of the season if SF is still in a comfy spot they could rest some of their starters to prevent any injuries for the playoffs, since Pitts plays a very physical game.

 

I think the 49ers schedule has been pretty easy as well. (Other than the Giants, who else besides Washington have they beaten? Have they beaten a good team?) I only mention the Redskins because it kept being brought up that they made three trips to the East Coast as a West Coast team and won and living in the Washington, DC area, I don't think that is saying much.

 

I don`t believe the Niners were "laying down", or "playing vanilla", to hide their better plays for later in the year...
from what I saw, they just simply could NOT protect their qb...
NINE sacks?!?! The Cravens were on a tear on defense, even without Ray-Ray, and I hated hearing the announcer give props to the Cravens Defensive co-ordinator, for doing such an awesome job of using the "zone blitz"... Like he was the one who created it!!!
On a side note, the Niners had a 75 yd touchdown to Ginn negated by a "Chop-Block" call against them, that even the announcer said was ticky tacky...
And it WAS! their runningback hit a linebacker`s legs, while going to the ground,(intentionally, as a perfectly legal block), but, another offensive player just barely touched the Craven, while falling down himself, and they interpreted that as "hitting a player who was engaged with another blocker"....
They got hosed on a couple other plays by the ref`s, as well, but that one really sticks out in my mind, because it took away a touchdown, and they were having a very hard time scoring to begin with...
To be honest though, the Ratbirds got screwed on a few calls, too...
I believe they were the ones that got called for a "block in the back", on a kick/punt return, when their player clearly hit the other guy from the front... just hit him so hard, that the ref musta thought the Craven blindsided him.
That one didn`t negate a score, or huge return, either, though.
As usual, there were calls that were bad both ways...
Personally, I am not looking at the Niners as an easy win, whatsoever.
The Cravens came out and played some tough, inspired defense tonight. And they do seem to play better at home.
I still have faith we can beat them even at their house, but we are gonna have to play our best, to do it...

 

Just feels funny that there were no adjustments to a quick hit to negate that instant pressure. Almost like they were totally unprepared for the 4-3. (intentionally or not)

 

I have a whole thread on this - and hate to say "I told you so..." BUT - I told you so. I had a bad feeling about this game all week and I really think the Niners mailed it in. Happy Thanksgiving - Christmas - whatever, to the Ratbirds. A brother who NEEDED a win getting a gift from a brother who didn't. Either that, or the Niners have been playing above their heads all year - and I do not believe that.

 

They played vanilla - they never made an adjustment with blocking schemes. They didn't take advantage of the Ratbirds weaknesses. They looked very mediocre. Now either they have been playing above their heads all season or they just plain bailed. I go for the latter. Opinions are opinions and I did not see the 49er team that I've been watching all season. They looked pathetic and it was a nice present for the wrong Harbaugh.

 

The 49ers beat Detroit and the Giants. Other than that, nobody. This year there are 2 levels of teams in the NFL. The contenders and those that suck. Most teams have had half of the games on their schedule be cake. Steelers and Ravens are no different. 49ers also beat Arizona, Cleveland, Cincinatti, Seattle, Washington, Philly, and Tampa Bay. With the exception of Cincinatti, none of those teams are bound for the playoffs. They will turn their easy schedule into many regular season wins and will lose at home in their first playoff game.

However, they are 3-2 against playoff contenders. With 1 game against a playoff contender to go (Steelers). The Steelers are 2-3 against playoff contenders with 2 games (Cincy, San Fran) to go. The ravens are 6-0 against playoff contenders (Steelers, Jets, Texans, Steelers, Cincy, San Fran). This was the first week that they won following one of those games* Against the teams that suck they are 2-3, with all 3 losses coming on the road after a big win. Hairball got another gatorade shower last night. They play in cleveland next week. Recipie for a letdown. I hate to be so pessimistic, but the ravens are primed to take the number 1 seed and have faired well against playoff teams. The Steelers best hope is to win out and have the Rats stub their toe in the next few weeks. Otherwise they will be traveling to Baltimore for either the division or conference round.


*Had a bye-week after Jets

 

Not a chance in hell they mailed that game in. No way they would allow to let their QB get beat up all game like that. Vernon Davis also caught more than one pass, he caught 4 I believe, and if you have followed his stats all year, you'd see he hasn't been targeted much this year.

The 49'ers were outplayed at the line of scrimmage and no matter what they did, the Ravens kept getting penetration. They simply got beat by a better team.

Not to mention that they had to travel across country on a short rest week. That also plays a factor.

 

Opinions are opinions. That's what's so great about them. The performance by the Niners was pathetic - and, I think, a good example of what happens when a team that NEEDS a win is fired up and a team that doesn't plays like it. I'm not saying they wanted their quarterback to get banged around, but when you don't make adjustments, and continue to play the same basic, vanilla schemes - you get beat like that. It was a very predictable loss.

 

It wasn't any more vanilla than the stuff they do every other week. It's like saying Tomlim threw games in the past when Ben got sacked in the first half and continued to get sacked in the second half, resulting in little offense. We all know that has happened numerous times. Adjustments only go so far, and some coaches are better at adjustments than others.

Their QB had no time to do anything, and that's what it boiled down to. We all know what that's like, when the QB has no time, nothing works. Plus SF was traveling across country on a short rest week. Look at what happened when the NYJ traveled to Denver on short rest.

 

The 49ers got beat up pretty bad, punched right in the mouth.
That's Steeler/Raven football, and they couldn't handle it.
No one in the NFC plays like that.

What worries me is that I think Steelers have lost that "punch you in the mouth" swagger, especially on Offense.

 

Didn't mean to cause an all out uproar, just stirring the cauldron with a few hmmmm's if u will

 

I can picture Harrison and Woodley having a field day against that O-Line

 

Vernon Davis was 4 for 38 including a catch on their very first play of the game
3 first round draft picks on that o-line ( 1 in 2009 2 in 2010)
I'm sure glad we haven't spent 3 first round picks on linemen lately if thats what it gets you

 

No, most teams actually prepare when they play us

 

Agree, instead of swagger the steelers appear to have indifference . Once thing I noticed in that game was how easy Smith went down when the pocket broke down. Ben would never go down that easy.

 

I disagree....san fran had alot to lose.They had not beaten a bonefide team of this caliber and now they lose major points in being a top tier team.Let alone that is a young locker room that will start to question themselves.

 

Exactly. All of these consipracy theories kill me. No coach / team in their right mind would intentionally lose a game to help another team even if the head coaches are brothers. These guys are professionals and are paid to do one thing - win games.