49ers 20, Stillers 3 ��. Dec. 19, 2011 ����Game #14
Stillers-49ers Postgame Analysis and Grades
The start of this game was delayed about 20 minutes due to a transformer outage outside Cadlestick. Then, at 12:18 2Q (about 9:43 PM EST), the lights again went out, delaying the game another 16 minutes.
It would have been better had the power stayed out for good. Ironically enough, the Stillers was powerless all nite long, scoring only a FG on offense and getting savagely ravaged by a weakling 49er offense.
Due to the late-nite nature of this game, this summary will be much shorter and more terse than usual.
Grades:
QB: With the high ankle sprain, Ben started and gamely tried his best. Started off well on the first drive, but then threw a pick in the EZ on a slant to Wally. In the 2nd series, he over-threw an open Wally on a fly pattern on a poor pass. He threw a 2nd INT on the 2nd drive, although this pass deflected off Miller�s 2 hands. This pass was a wee bit high, though, and this was on a play where Ben had all-day during a 3MR. Near INT by LB Larry Grant on the 3rd drive, on a crosser.
Nice pump and lob down sideline to Miller for 39 yards in the 3Q.
In the 4Q, on a 2d & 9, Ben held the ball FOREVER, pumping and standing, and then took the sack like a dumfuk. Worse, he fumbled the ball on the way down, giving SF the ball at the PIT 18. SF parlayed this into a chippie FG, going up 16-3 with 9:15 remaining. (The Timmons penalty took the 3 points away and gave the 49ers 7 points just a short while later, for a 20-3 lead.) On the next drive, he double pumped and took another sack, In garbage time, Ben lobbed a hopeless deep ball to Wally that was easily picked off with 3 minutes left in a 17-pint game.
Overall, it was a gritty effort, but a shitty one as well. C
RB: Mendy - near fumble, 1st drive�..knee was luckily down. Nice run on SG misdirection, 2nd series, gained 8. Nice RAC on dumpoff after 2nd delay for 12 yards, although he was again carrying the ball like a loaf of bread. Good pinball run on SG draw in the 3Q, good for 11 yards. He finished with 15 for 65 yards, which wasn�t bad against a very stout run defense.
Redman - good 6-yard run mid 2Q, but it was negated by a hold by Essex. He was flagged for a totally bullshit chop-block penalty in the 4Q on a UN-engaged rusher who -- along with most 49er rushers -- had tooled Starks.
Moore: Good draw run, 20 yards, late 2Q. He was injured midway thru the 4Q. B
FB: Johnson - good block on opening play of the 3Q, with Mendy gaining 10 yards. Inc
WR:
Wally - great RAC after curl, 1st series, big gain, 36 yards. Wally clumsily whiffed on a fairly easy tackle after the 2nd INT, which allowed the DB to return the ball 21 yards. In the 2Q, was flagged for an illegal formation, nullifying a 10-yard grab by Brown. Nice grab on 3d & 2 on crosser, mid 2Q. He had 5 grabs for 66.
Brown - juggled a slant on a 2nd series pass, and dropped the ball. Could have been a huge RAC. Good snag on 3d & 3 late in the 1H, got the 1D and got OOB. Superb effort and catch on a 3d & 3 sideline pass in the 3Q, which was ruled incomplete. The Stillers challenged the ruling, but the catch was ruled incomplete due to his hand landing OOB just before the 2nd foot. Committed a false start on 3d & 5 from the PIT 13. He had 5 for 59.
Cotch - nice grab on out pass, mid 2Q, but negated by Wally�s illegal formation penalty. . Nice catch and run, busting a tackle, late in the 3Q, good for 36 yards. Clutch grab on 3d & 10 from PIT 8, good for 20 yards. Very clutch. He had 5 for 93, both season highs.
Ward - In a bizarre occurrence, Ward was not even targeted a single time, and as such obviously caught no passes. B
TE:
Miller - good grab, early 3d & 2, got 3. But allowed a pass to deflect off his hands late in the 1Q for an INT. Good grab on 3d & long 1, mid 2Q. Had 39-yard catch and run in the 3Q, and then 2 plays later made superb pluck on out pass for 11 yards
Saunders was never targeted for a pass. Apparently, Arians didn�t think he would be a useful big target for a hobbling QB. B-
Johnson loafed after the first INT like a complete asshump.
OL: The line faced a very good SF defense, and fared so-so. Most of the sacks were due to Ben refusing to throw the ball and having zero mobility to elude a rusher.
Starks: good tackle on INT return. Got totally overpowered -- getting shoved back and off his feet as though he were a slight TE -- by DE Aldon Smith on sack of BenRoth, mid 2Q, but a flag on SF gave PIT a 1D. Good downfield block on Moore run, late 2Q. Had a false start in the 3Q. Allowed Smith to harass Ben on a key 3d & 10 late in the 3Q, which forced a 47-yard FG that was wide left. Got severely abused again by Smith on a 3D pass midway thru the 4Q, which caused a high pass and another hit on Ben. Overall, Starks -- who always struggles against speed rushers -- got eaten alive and had his worst game of the season.
Gilbert- played solidly.
Leggo - started a center. Got swimmed and allowed a hit on Ben late in the 3Q.
Foster - did okay.
Essex - good lead on Mendy�s 11-yard run, 3Q. Flagged for a hold on a running play in the 1Q, negating a 6-yard run by Redman.
Pouncey - DNP, due to ankle injury.
Aside from Starks, the line did okay. Starks: D+ All others: B-
DL: Keisel - good coverage in the flat on 3d & 7, 2Q. Gore dropped the pass, but Keisel was there for the stop. There were some problem in stuffing the counter, but overall he played solidly.
Hampton - didn�t do much,.
Hood - Decent game. Good stop on plunge, 1st drive. Appears to have packed on 15 pounds and looks slow when moving laterally.
Overall, they got gashed too often by the SF running game. C+
LB:
Farrior - blew up ground play at 11:30 3Q. Then, in a 6-3 game in the 4Q, �The Winged God of LB Coverage� got totally abused by Vernon Davis from the SF 21-yard line, good for 31 yards. Taunto was easily sealed off on Gore�s TD run in the 4Q.
Foote - blown out on Gore plunge for 6 yards just before 2MW in 1H. Totally untouched, whiffed in backfield on Gore late in the 2Q, turning a 3-yard loss into a 4-yard gain. Cobmined with Timmons to stop Gore on 3d & 3 to start the 4Q.
Timmons - The riddle inside an enigma. Had 6 solos and made some stops. Good stop of running play, 5:00 2Q. But he over-ran the screen pass in the 3Q, which gained 27 yards. A few plays later, he was slow in picking up Davis on a crosser, which resulted in a throwback lob that gained 21 yards to the 1-yard line.
Worilds - started at ROLB in place of Harrison. Stopped Gore on run in 3Q. Strung out a widish run by Gore for a 5-yard loss, late 3Q. Had some struggles, but had 5 solos and 1 assist
Woodley - Yancey Woodley finally returned to the lineup after missing eons of time with his hamstring. He was totally unblocked, and then did a weak kneel and shoulder-tap on Gore, 1st series (8:23 1Q) on a plunge. Gore bounced off and chugged for 2 more yards on a 5-yard gain. A really pussyfied play by a complete pussy. On the Davis 1-yard TD reception, Woodley did absolutely nothing, as he failed to jam Davis and failed to read the PAP. A shit play by a shit player. He bowed out soon thereafter with his faggot hamstring injury,
Harrison - DNP due to suspension.
Overall, the LB crew -- which is supposed to be the playmakers in this 3-4 defense -- did far too little. C-
DB:
Pola - blitzed on 3 & G, 1st drive, forced hasty throw that sailed wide of Gore. Flashed up like a bolt on shallow cross to Davis at 11:00 3Q, and dropped the big TD for a mere 5-yard gain. Had a stellar game.
Ike - too hesitant and tentative on Crabtree after short dumpoff, last play of 1Q. On 2nd series, beaten on PAP bomb by Crabtree, but Smith overthrew the WR. Beatn on deep post by Williams late in the 3Q, but the pass was overthrown (and SF was called for a hold).
Gay - made a good chop-tackle on a 3D running play to force a punt in the 4Q.
Clark - late, as usual, on a crosser to Avis, but he did break the play up by driving into Davis just as the ball arrived. Beaten deep by Walker down the sideline just after the 2MW, but again the ball was overthrown. He made a rare, good play on a dumpoff, flashing up to drop the RB for a 3-yard loss.
Allen -- pussyfied tackle attempt on TE Vernon Davis on 3d & 6 early in the 2Q, allowing Davis to go from a 4-yard reception to 7 yards and a key 1D.
Lewis - got a paw on a 3d & 3 slant in the 3Q, forcing a punt.
Overall, against a weakling WR corps and a scattershot QB, this crew didn�t do enough. C-
Spec teams:
A. Brown, good KO return, opening KO, 36 yards. Big stick by Sylvester on Ginn on the 2H kickoff, and sent Ginn to the locker room with an injured leg. That was about it for the positive.
Dick finally forced a punt deep in SF territory after the opening drive of the 3Q, with SF punting from its 12. What should have been absolutely golden FP deteriorated when the return team committed not 1, but 2 dumbshit blocking penalties. �#53� (obviously, it wasn�t Pouncey) was flagged for blocking in the back, and Warren was flagged for a hold. Only 1 penalty was assessed, but the Stillers took over on their own 25, which essentially was another field-flip.
Lewis appeared to force a fumble on a SF punt-catch at 11:40 3Q, which the Stillers recovered around the SF 30. But he was penalized for interference of the punt-catch, even though a blocker made contact with him before Lewis hit the punt returner. A typically bullshit call.
Timmons was flagged for �unsportsmanlike leaping� on a made SF FG on a 4th & 3 at 9:15 4Q, on a questionable flag. He leapt from the GROUND, which is perfectly legal. Hard to tell if he was further than 1 yard off the LOS. This sketchy penalty call gave San Fran a freebie 4 points.
Kapinos - decent pooch in 2Q, FC at the SF 12. His long out of 4 punts was only 42. The contrast between the 2 punters tonite was enormous
Suisham - in the 3Q, booted a 51-yard FG, with about 2 inches to spare on distance and just inside the right upright. But he hooked a 47-yarder wide-left late in the 3Q.
Overall, the STs did nothing to win the game and did too much to help lose it. C-
OC: With 10 (TEN) days to prepare, Arians went into this game with a hobbled QB who couldn�t move a lick. So, what adjustments did Arians make�.? NONE !! None whatsoever�.!! He steadfastly insisted on running the same ad-lib, playground offense that they always run !! Reverses? None? Screen passes? ONE, the entire game. And DE Aldon Smith was terrorizing Starks. What did Arians do? NOTHING ! Chip blocks? NONE. Influence plays that took advantage of Smith�s greenness and overzealous rushing? NONE. The Niners ran Smith on an inside stunt about 17 times, and Arians, the supreme dumbfuck that he is, failed to adjust to this AT ALL the entire game.
Dumbshit patterns, on early INT. Johnson ran a seamer right near where Wally was running a slant, and the DB, Rogers, was able to cover both men and snare the INT. Brilliant!
Typical clock mis-management late in the 1H. After a short completion to Moore to the SF 36 at 0:30, the offense should have spiked the ball. Time was everything; the waster down from a spike meant nothing. Not Arians. He wasted time inserting new personnel; they didn�t spike; and the offense took an outright eternity to get the next play off, the snap of which didn�t occur until about 11 seconds remaining. A dumpoff to Moore lost 2 yards, and the clock stopped with only 4 tics remaining. With the Stillers at a 55-yard FG spot, it was too long for Suisham. Instead, Ben hit Brown on the final play of the half on a meaningless reception for 24 yards. D+
DC: Dick had his weekly luxury of facing a putrid offense, The Niners had the worst RZ offense in the entire NF and had scored the 7th fewest TDs in the NFL. RB Frank Gore had been hobbled by injuries, WR Braylon Edwards did not dress, and WR Ted Ginn was injured on the opening KO of the 2H and never returned.
As usual, on the opening drive, Dick�s defense was no more prepared than a French army for a major war. SF took over at its own 27, and then went on a lonnnng, 17-play march. Easy conversions on 3d & 5 and 3d & 10 lengthened the march. Only the gross ineptitude of Alex Smith enabled Dick to escape with a FG given-up rather than a TD. On 2 & goal, Smith had an eternity in the pocket, and then missed a WIDE open Williams on what should have been a simple, cake-easy TD. On 3d & G, Pola applied blitz pressure, but Smith had Gore wide open but sailed the ball wide.
On the 2d drive - 3d & 7 at the PIT 30, Dick pulls Timmons from the game. The 49ers hit the TE, Davis, on a lil� pass and Davis wards off a diminutive DB to get just enough for a 1D. Brilliant ! Then Taylor was beaten downtown for an EASY touchdown, but Alex Smith, one of the most bumbling QBs in the game today, badly overthrew Crabtree. What should have been 14-0 was only 6-0.
3d drive -- the Niners faced a 3d & 8 from SF 14 at 4:31 2Q. A stop here gives the Stillers good FP after a punt. What does Dick do ?? No harassment, and the CBs playing soft, a good 12 yards off the LOS. Alex Smith, who was spraying the ball all over the place, calmly completes an easy out for 10 yards. Instead of forcing a punt from the SF end zone with the Stillers down 6-0, Dick allows a softie, cake-easy 1st down, and allowed the Niners to chew more clock and move the ball. The Niners ended up downing a punt at the PIT 5 with only 1:36 remaining in the half. This bears repeating. Instead of the Stillers taking over around their own 45 with around 3:45 remaining in the half, the Stillers took over on their own 5 with 1:36 left. This is a prime example when a defense fails to support the offense and play winning football.
Alas, on the opening drive of the 3Q, Dick finally forced a punt deep in SF territory! Stop the presses !
In the 3Q, the Stillers booted a 51-yard FG to cut the deficit to 6-3, and after the KO return was stopped at the PIT 21, it seemed the Stillers had plenty of momentum toseize control. Nope, not Dick. On 1st down, he immediately gave up a 31-yard pass to Vernon Davis. Soon thereafter, he allowed an easy 27-yard gainer on screen, and then a 21-yard throwback pass to Davis. A short TD pass to Davis culminated the drive, as Smith went 5 of 6 in an easy cakewalk. Within less than 2 minutes, the Stillers went from a 3-point deficit and plenty of momentum, to a 7-point deficit and San Fran owning the ol� mo.
By the way, anyone notice the pass rush on Alex Smith tonite....? Oh wait...there was NO pass rush. This was a 49er offense that had been ravaged the past 3 games, giving up 18 (eighteen) sacks the past 3 games. What does LeBeau do ?? NOTHING !!! Absolutely NOTHING ! He goes with The Milk Toast Defense, and with it, Dick generated such little pressure, Smith never got popped ! Zero sacks. Very little pressure. Zero turnovers. And zero brains.
In all, a shit defensive plan against a totally bag o� barf offense. F
HC: Tomlin fuked the dog by insisting on starting Ben -- and then KEEPING him in the game -- even though Ben could not move. Tomlin constantly preaches �the standard for the backup is still the standard�, but then he insists on going with a QB who cannot move in the pocket and cannot drive into his downfield passes.
The defense was far too soft and mamby pampby. Isn�t defense supposed to be Tomlin�s specialty ?? Knowing your QB is hobbled and the offense would have a tough time scorting against a good SF defense, why on earth would your defense come into this game with such a soft, timid game plan, especially against a barf-bag QB like Alex Smith ??
Then, late in the game, it�s 20-3, with 2:01 remaining in the game, and Ben was still in the game, slinging passes�..?!! Why ?? You have to be a complete fuking retard as a coach to KEEP Ben -- bad ankle and all -- in this game, this late amidst a 17-point asswhipping.
Lest we forget to mention, yet another weak, meek road showing against a team with a winning record. Very soft, and very poor. D-
Synopsis: The Chargers had routed the PoeBirds last nite, giving the Stillers a nice, early Xmas gift. The Stillers were in the catbird seat for home-field, and then took a shit from the catbird seat and pissed it all away tonite with an all-around inept performance. Their chance of advancing to the big show probably went the way of the Candlestick lighting sytem�.dim and dark. It�s become very apparent that this team gets soft and flaccid on the road, and thus they really have no chance to advance to the big show as a wild card team this season. Assuming the Ravens don�t lay any more eggs, it�ll be a long --and ultimately bumpy, and ugly -- road for this Stillers team.
(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the