Don’t just watch Alex Smith on Sunday

Pay close attention to those big guys in front of him………………..The Colts have a quick and active defense featuring sack master Dwight Freeney that will really want to rain on the little success parade that Alex Smith started against the Texans. The Niners offensive line has been anything but the perceived strength that most of us thought it would be coming into 2009. Right tackle has been a revolving door of Snyder, Pathos and Sims. Chilo Rachal has regressed at right guard and seems to be just trying to maul his opponent, instead of using technique and smarts. The result has been too many bad plays by #62. Eric Heitmann seems to be having a solid season at center so far. On the left side, guard David Baas seems slow coming off the ball to me? Maybe that very nasty pectoral injury from last year is still nagging him? The Niners best offensive lineman, Joe Staley, continues to grow at his position and has been pretty effective all year long, especially in pass protection.  The aforementioned line’s lack of execution against Houston really exposed Shaun Hill’s deficiencies when he gets pressured to make plays. He just isn’t a quick or mobile guy and that fact, plus being down 21 points at half time,  led to the grand re-entrance of Mr. Smith.  The aforementioned Mr. Smith fared much better because he’s just quicker on this feet and much better able to throw on the run than Mr. Hill. After that beautiful Smith pass to V. Davis for the first Niner TD, the line kinda perked up and played a much better game in the second half. Let’s sure hope that carries over to the battle in Indy where line play on both sides of the ball will determine if the Niners are competitive in this game, or fall abruptly to 3 and 4.

MN

Now that wasn’t pretty was it?

The formerly anointed way new and improved Niners looked anything but against the Falcons. That game was ugly with a capital UGH! What is really surprising me about this team is the play of, or more correctly lack of such, from the offensive line. This was gonna be a real strength for the Niners coming into 2009 wasn’t it, even with some questions at RT? Joe Staley poised for the Pro Bowl. Two young, big and tough offensive guards in Baas and Rachal. A very solid and under recognized center in Eric Heitmann, now fully recovered from his major 2007 injury.

The O-Line in general has not played well with the exception of some nice run blocking for Frank Gore in the Seattle game.  What in the heck has happened? Staley continues to perform well at left tackle, seldom allowing his man to have an intimate visit with Shaun Hill. Heitmann also seems to be handling the middle of the field well. The other three or four………….seem to be the issue? David Baas looks slow coming off the line, one who gets consistently clogged up in line traffic to this amateur observer. Chilo Rachal came on very strong in ‘08 when Coach “hit them in the mouth” made him a starter. This year he has gotten out quicked and beaten on the line of scrimmage a number of times, including against Atlanta on the interception that Shaun Hill threw in the opening stages of the game. Right tackle is a revolving door. Adam Snyder is on and off the field due to bad play, or getting banged up again.  Tony Pashos is showing why Jacksonville wasn’t interested in meeting his contract demands. Running to the right just doesn’t seem to be much of an option.

Every great team has a very effective offensive line. The Niners thought they had finally build one, or at least 4/5th’s of one. So far, that’s certainly not what has been seen on Sunday.  Hopefully the bye week will allow the Niners to get their offensive line back in some semblance of order. With the next fives games against Houston, Indy, Tennessee, Chicago and Green Bay, they had better.

MN

Bay Area Sports Announcers

The new voice of the Niners, Ted Robinson, was a recent a guest on our Hooked on the Niners  television show (check it out in the video section of www.hookedontheniners.com if you want to see the “Ted” show). This guy is sooooooooooo smooth, and soooooooooooooooo professional. Incredibly articulate, and down right charming. Ted continues the extraordinary lineage of  Bay Area sports announcing talent.  Think of it, the Bay Area had, or has, such individuals behind the glass as Lon Simmons, Russ Hodges, Bill King, Jon Miller, Hank Greenwald, Greg Pappa, Bob Murphy and Joe Starkey. Then’s there’s the “newer” talent like Mike Krukow, Duane Kiper, Dave Fleming, Tim Roy, Bob Fitzgerald and Dan Rusanowsky, all really good…………..The Bay Area has certainly been blessed with truly amazing sports announcers, and Mr.Robinson will take his place amongst the very best of them when he hangs up his microphone.

MN

See, I told you Crabtree would sign!

Yep, missed that one, sure did. I thought that “knucklehead” would actually sit out the whole year. Hmmmm, think that Braylon Edwards to the Jets thing  might have doused a deal with the guys in green and white, and made Crabtree’s agent look quickly for that signing pen?  It will be interesting to see how the “Jets thing” all plays out. Back to the ‘tree. OK, he’s a roster player now, so he can be relieved of his former knucklehead moniker. Who knows, we all may be calling him “the man” in a couple of weeks.

A couple of things came to my small mind after the announced signing.  One,  it’s very fortuitous that Crabtree will be able to be around, and learn from, Isaac Bruce, who is almost certainly in his last year as an active player. Bruce is one of the very, very best who’s ever lined up at the WR position, and hopefully can make a big impact on Crabtree’s techical skills and mental approach to the NFL game.

Secondly, we should not expect too much of the young man this year. Aside from showing up after four real games, rarely does a wide receiver come into the NFL have a huge season in year one. Look at the year one stats of players like Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, and Calvin Johnson for example, and you’ll see what I mean. NFL DB’s tend to welcome new WR’s to the league in a very rude manner.

Hopefully Crabtree will get a solid footing in the NFL this year and grow into a true force for the Niners at the WR position.  The Niners have really not had a real, true, number one receiver, since the that Owens guy left town. Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree just might turn out to be a very formidable duo in the years to come.  As the Church Lady used to say on Saturday Night Live…………………..”isn’t that special.”  Yeah……………it sure would be!

MN

What a difference a draft makes……..

The Niners have had some real bumps with their drafts in the last two years, after the spectacular Willis-Staley draft of 2007. Only one starter, Chilo Rachal, has emerged from the last two classes. As for number one picks, we all know about M. Crabtree, who will never be a Niner IMO, and last year’s number one, Kentwan Balmer, who I prognosticated would be a bust, generating some very direct comments like “how could I make such a comment for a guy who is just in his first year?” Well, how’s that pick looking now? Balmer is barely in the Niner defensive rotation, and when ever I watch him play, he seems to get handled easily. He plays straight up and just doesn’t appear to be able to get any leverage on the offensive player he’s across from.

This coming week’s opponent, the Falcons from Atlanta, had really hit rock bottom as a franchise after the Mike Vick thing.  Then in 2008, they had a draft that has made them an entirely different team, along with signing free agent RB Michael Turner. Four Falcon starters were drafted in 2008, Quarterback Matt Ryan from Boston College, Left Tackle Sam Baker from USC, Middle Linebacker Curtis Lofton from Oklahoma, and Free Safety Thomas DeCoud from Cal. The Falcons also picked Corner Chevis Jackson from LSU and Defensive End Kroy Biermann from Montana in their 2008 draft, both of whom are in the team’s defensive rotation. What was incredible to me about the Falcons’ 2008 draft was the “positions” that they filled. A QB, a Left Tackle, a Middle Linebacker and a Free Safety. Pretty nice to possibly be set for 10 years at those positions eh?

The Niners have really come together as a team in 2009 with very little help from their last two drafts with the aforementioned exception of  Chilo Rachal  in 2008, and Glenn Coffee in 2009. With two first rounders next year and hopefully an excellent return for Crabtree’s rights if he indeed passes on this season, the Niners are positioned to really help their ball club in 2010.

MN

So far, so good

The Niners beat the Rams as expected, continuing to show a very quick and diverse defense. Lots more blitz’s and  very solid tackling. Not that I feel sorry for the Rams, but gosh, they are just terrible. And just how was Kyle Boller a number one draft choice? Oh wait, so was Alex Smith………. but that’s another story. A couple of other armchair observations. Wouldn’t Stephen Jackson be just plain incredible if he played for a good team? Can you imagine him in New England, in Phily, or with the New York Giants? It would be scary. And why exactly was Shaun “King of the” Hill in the game when it was 35-0? Can you imagine if something happened and the aforementioned number one pick had to strap on his helmet and report to the huddle?

The next six games for the Niners will really tell the story of their impressive emergence as a very solid football team, or maybe show what additonal work will need to be done. The Falcons come calling next weekend with Matt Ryan, Michael Tuner, and Roddy White. This is a very good football team and will certainly be a formidable test for the good guys in red.  A win next week would be huge going into the bye week, with two really tough road games on tap after the rest period, at Houston, and at Indy. Then, the Titans and ‘Da Bears visit the ‘Stick back to back before the Niners head to Green Bay, to face Aaron Rodgers and Co. That’s pretty tough going, but with Shaun the Calm at the helm and that defense flying around, if the O-Line can shore it up a bit, V. Davis continue to be a go-to guy, and Frank Gore back on the field, well who knows, this might get really fun again. After 6 years of un-fun, wouldn’t that be entirely nice!

MN

Only one regret watching Niners/’Nals

It wasn’t easy for me to watch #93 for the Cardinals, one Calais Campbell. He is now a starter at DE, coming off what was described during the game as a “great pre-season.”  Campbell @ 6′8″, 290 lbs, and that incredible wingspan looks like he is going to develop into an excellent NFL player, and stalwart on the Cardinals defense for years. He had a solid game against the Niners,  batting down one pass, disrupting a number of plays, and making 6 solo tackles.

How would he have looked on the other side of the ball in the red and gold?

Well, that certainly  could have happened. In our  2008 Hooked on the Niners mock draft we thoroughly encouraged the team to select Campbell, from “The U”, with their number one pick (#29).  Campbell’s length and athleticism looked very attractive to us amateur pundits. And boy, did the Niners need a D-line presence! Well, as they say, “the rest is history.”  The Niners pulled the trigger on Kentwan Balmer from North Carolina. Campbell lasted to round two (pick #50). I dare say that the Niners and other teams might have had some serious draft remorse looking at that dude in yesterday’s ball game.

Onward and upward though…………while Balmer scarcely saw the playing field of University of Phoenix Stadium against the Cardinals, Ray McDonald had a very nice game at DT for the Niners with that quick bunch unit they were using (he and Justin Smith inside and Parys Haralson and  Manny  Lawson on the outside). Ray and boys did a very nice job chasing old Kurt around all afternoon.

MN

Confessions of a Niner Neurotic

I am sitting in my remote undisclosed location deep in the California desert (when the revolution starts who will be laughing?) It is Sunday morning, just a few hours before the Niners kickoff the season. I am filled with a sense of great uneasiness. I dreamed last night the Niners got blown away 44-0. I woke up from this nightmare not with a feeling of  thank goodness it was only a dream but with an abiding frustration that the powers that be have made no real changes to this team. In the Walsh era, even the great teams, always managed to find a couple of new players, targeted at key positions. We are left simply hoping that Mike Singletary, through the sheer force of his personality will inspire virtually the same guys to reach new heights. Don’t get me wrong, I love Singletary but the powers that be seemed determined to doom him to failure.

More to come after the game…..

In the words of the great Emily Latella–”Never Mind”—And Jackie Gleason “How sweet it is”

Don’t I feel a little silly. The Niners showed a new level of physical and mental toughness. The defense was spectacular and the offense which sputtered much of the game found a way to make it happen in the 4th quarter. In the end the key moment in the game with the momentum clearly shifting big time towards Arizona, Mike Singletary called a timeout and gathered the defense around him, from that point on things changed. It is clear, this team believes in their Coach and taking on his personality is not a bad way to start the season. The tougher team went on the road and won a division game. What does it all mean? As Singletary said after the game, “one win paves the way for another”. Bring on the Seahawks.

BM (I really hate these initials)

Crabtree working out with……..

Ex-Niner Quarterback, and current ESPN talking head, Trent Dilfer. This is apparently occurring at San Jose’s Valley Christian High School.  I wonder how these two got together? No matter though, Crabtree is staying in shape, and it’s a good sign I guess that he is in the Bay Area, instead of being in Texas, or some other foreign geography. It was reported on ESPN radio that Dilfer said Crabtree just looks great, with a capital “G.”  Dilfer threw a whole bunch of passes to Crabtree and told his colleagues at ESPN that ”he didn’t have a ball hit his chest once.” Also, no mention what-so-ever of any issues Crabtree’s foot.  He ran fast, made every cut, and jumped well. Dilfer might not have been the greatest passer in the history of the NFL but he is a very smart football guy. He knows his X’s and O’s big time. Thus, Dilfer saying that Crabtree looks big time in these workouts should count. But it isn’t going to count one little bit if Crabtree doesn’t sign a contract and get in the game. 

MN

So what’s the biggest challenge for the ‘09 Niners?

>Lack of DL pass rush?

>Right Tackle (Snyder and Sims)?

>Vernon Davis in the receiving game?

>No real number one receiver?

>Big plays from the secondary?

>Tough Schedule?

>Shaun Hill continung to play well as starter?

>Manny Lawson making a impact on defense?

>Effectiveness of Jimmy Raye’s offense?

Maybe it’s “all of the above.”  I am of the opinion that the Niners really need to improve overall in the area of turnover ratio. That’s “NFL speak” for the difference between the times you get the ball from your opponents, versus the number of times that you give the ball to the bad guys.  In 2008, the Niners turnover ratio was minus 17. That of course means 17 more give-aways, than take-aways. Too many int’s, too many fumbles, and too few int’s by the Niner DB’s (Lewis and Roman have not had one collectively in the last three seasons). J.T. O’Sullivan made a lot of contributions to the Niner turnover ratio in 2008 and thank goodness he’s gone. But, still too many balls on the ground and very few big plays from the secondary. Oh, by the way the leader in turnover ratio in 2008  was the Miami Dolphins at plus twelve. Think that had something to do with them going from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 and a playoff berth in 2008?

MN