HHHHMMMM…..yeah, that sucked!! Before I start my analysis on why the San Francisco 49ers are not going to the Super Bowl, I’m going to go off on a little tangent; just something I need to get off my chest.
To the New York Giants football players, coaches, and fans, you get no congratulations from me. You did not deserve to win that game. You do not deserve to play in the Super Bowl. I was not impressed by your play, nor do I think you will win the Super Bowl. I do not believe you were the better team on that field. That game was gifted wrapped to you and if anything, we as part of the 49er family deserve a thank you for giving you the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. While you may have played hard, I give you no credit. You did not win that game, the 49ers lost it. I hope you guys get smoked by Tom Brady, the hoody, and the rest of the Patriot nation.
Ok, I’m done. That felt good.
In retrospect, it truly was a great season for the 49ers. You can say that all along the 49ers were playing with house money, but it’s hard to see it from that prospective when you get that close, you played that hard, you know you were the better team, and you know that you played well enough to win. Settling for just having a great season isn’t good enough anymore at that point. You want it all! So while I will acknowledge that no one expected the 49ers to be in the position they were in, it’s hard knowing that they deserve to be in the Super Bowl.
Now on to how the 49ers lost this game. Going into the game, the 49ers needed to do three things in order to win the game, and they didn’t accomplish any of them. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Need for another contributor – One of my key’s to the game was that someone else not named Gore, Crabtree, and definitely Davis, needed to step up and be a contributor. The player I was referring to and hoped would shine in this moment, Kyle Williams. He came on late in the season for injured receiver Josh Morgan and surpassed Ted Ginn and Braylon Edwards on the WR depth chart. He played so well, Edwards was cut from the team by week 14 and the coaching staff felt it wasn’t a priority to rush Ginn back from injury for this playoff game. This was Kyle William’s moment. The result: zero catches, two muffed punts, and a fumble on a botched reverse.
2. 3rd down conversions – Going into the playoffs, the 49ers were one of the worst teams in the NFL at 3rd down conversions at 29%. In the playoffs, they were even worst at 18%. On Sunday, the 49ers were 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions. That won’t win you a lot of football games. The only 3rd down conversion for the 49ers came on the last play of regulation when Alex Smith just threw the ball down the field to an open Delanie Walker in a desperate attempt to win the game on a Hail Mary. When you look at that stat, it’s amazing that they were even able to be in the game late, move the ball down field, and even score 17 points in the game.
3. Alex Smith can’t be ordinary – For the entire season, Alex Smith has been an average quarterback. But in his defense, that is what he was asked to do. He was asked to be a game-manager quarterback; someone who doesn’t turn the ball over and does just enough to win you the game. What was so great about Smith’s performance in the win over the New Orleans Saints was that he finally broke out of that shell and became a difference maker. The 49ers don’t win that game if Alex Smith doesn’t play the way he does or make the throws that he does. For the 49ers to beat the NYG, they needed a similar performance. Unfortunately, they didn’t get that from Smith. Smith reverted back to his old self, completing 12-26 passes for 196 yards, and worrying too much about turning over the ball and doing just enough to win the game.
All season I have been proclaiming the 49ers defense as being “Super Bowl Caliber”, and I still believe that. Their front seven (or eight in this case) of Ray McDonald, Isaac Sopoaga, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Parys Haralson, Ahmad Brooks, NaVarro Bowman, and of course, the GREAT Patrick Willis, are the best front line defense in the league, maybe even since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The 1986 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, the 2012 49ers; they were all built in the same mold: average QB play, great RB, little WR help, major TE contributions, great coaching, and most importantly, Super Bowl Caliber defense. The 1986 Bears got the chance to prove how great their defense was, and so did the 2000 Ravens. The 2012 49ers, they won’t get that chance. And it’s a shame.
Really quick, I wanted to touch on the passing of Joe Paterno. I understand that people are still disgusted with JoePa and will never forget the passing of the buck and/or lack of follow-up he gave to the Jerry Sandusky incident; and that is their right. Some people will always choose to remember first that character about JoePa’s life and will always think of that when his name is brought up. I’m not saying that we should erase it from his life book or that he gets a free pass because of his passing. But for one day, especially the day of his death, I choose to remember JoePa as a great coach and an even better man, and I hope others will do the same. He was someone who stood for high moral, for what he believed in, and importantly, he acted on it. He had an impeccable graduation rate and ran a near clean program. He was a major positive influence on so many people’s lives not just related to his football teams, and for one day, he should be remembered for that.
He will undoubtedly go down as the greatest head coach in college football history. There will never be another Joe Paterno in college football. No one will ever come close to having the type of stature or longevity in the game like he did. College football won’t be the same without JoePa, but it will go on.
After the game, at the end of his press conference, coach Jim Harbaugh said, “A man can be destroyed but he can't be defeated as long as his team knows that there's hope.” I think that holds true for both the 49ers and JoePa.
Mr. Armchair Speaking
Oh you diffused your own rant in your blog. All three of your points talk about how different parts of the 49ers game plan (offense) was largely ineffective. New York still had to execute and make enough plays on its own to win. They still had to score 20 points and hold San Francisco to 17. Despite the first fumble they had to score a touchdown on 3rd and 15. The Giants defense got off the field every time on 3rd down. I think from reading the play by play (since i didnt watch until the 4th) both teams played well enough to win, New York just played better in the clutch, and got a little more luck, which is often how close games are decided. But a team can't be involved in a close game unless they played well enough to get close in the first place. It's a simple fact that the Giants still had to execute when they got the turnovers and did. That 3rd and 15 was killer, just excellent offense by the Giants.
ReplyDeleteAlso don't go overboard comparing the 49ers defense to the Bears or Ravens top 2 of the top 3 defenses ever (Some 70s Steelers defense was amazing, they gave up like no points in the 2nd half of the season). The 49ers were the best defense in the league, but their stats (e.g. 14 ppg) only compare favorably to other best defenses in the league in their respective years (08 Steelers, 09 Jets, 10 Steelers etc...). But i don't think anyone will recall this defense as a best of all time. The Ravens only gave up 23 points total in all 4 playoff games in 2000, the 49ers gave up more than twice that much in half the games.
All in all though, the 49ers did have a good year. But being a Rangers fan that shit is meaningless when you lose like this. But it was probably nice being relevant for the first time in a decade. Should be interesting to see what the tight fisted York family does to put some outside weapons on that offense.
Also, I think it's a pipe dream to believe that Alex Smith would've been enough to take down Drew Brees, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady in consecutive weeks. He just not that good. Its like rolling with Mark Sanchez for the Jets the previous two years. The defense can get you really far, but the quarterback has to be more than ordinary as you put it. Or you have an actually historically good defense, like Trent Dilfer and the 2000 Ravens, where Trent only needed to score 10 points to win.
I went back and looked at the roster of that 2000 Baltimore Ravens team/defense. Have you really looked at you was starting? Duane Starks??? Rod Burnett??? Michael McCrary?? Kim Herring?? Some of those guys would end up flaming out after that season. Talent wise, I think the 49ers defense matchup. I'm not saying they were better, but they matchup. Also, NFL offenses have vastly evolved since the 2000 season. It's weird to say because it wasn't that long ago, but the NFL was a differnt offensive league in 2000. The RB was much more of an intrigle part of the offense in 2000, where today's offenses feature multiple WR sets and RB by committees. Take a look at the RB's playing in the playoffs this year. BenGarvis Green Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, Kevin Smith, James Starks, Ryan Grant.
ReplyDeleteAnd that 3 and 15 was a killer. In watching that game, I saw that play coming and called it, as Manningham was matched up against Tramine Brock, who was subbing in for the injured Tarrell Brown. Brown was hurt a few plays before when he got creamed by his own safety, Dashon Goldston.
Obviously the Giants played well and Eli Manning has proven his worth in the NFL. Remember, I am actually an Eli apologist. I recall a certain conversation we all had in a Sac State parking lot where everyone thought I was crazy calling Eli Manning a top 10 QB in the NFL.