My Thoughts on the Game

[MHSL82]

Players of the Game:

1. Frank Gore - 119 yards rushing, 55 yards receiving (career high), TD.
2. Bathea - Seems like he was there on all the big plays, including the fumble.
3. Stevie Johnson - huge TD reception to give us the lead.
4. Cox - Fumble recovery huge and INT sealed it.
5. Defense in general - allowed zero points. Especially great goal-line stand.
6. Phil Dawson - Miss one and Eagles only need a FG to tie at end.
7. Kaepernick - Got those TDs and near 60 yards rushing, despite screwing up the time clock. Also, got big third down conversion that ran some clock, though same score.
8. Second half running, I think?

Worst:

1. Special Teams besides kickers.
2. Time management (delays and timeouts).
3. Pick six.
4. Blocked punt.
5. Challenges not working out.
6. First half running.

We scored in the second half!

Eagles offense wouldn't have deserved the win, really, had they scored. (Eagles, yes, not offense.) It'd belong to special teams and defense (pick 6.

[bmvanthiel]

As was said in the game day thread, its really frustrating how dumb of a team we are. Kap continues to make dumb mistakes on the field (clock management, running out of bounds instead of throwing it away).

Our coaches get extremely conservative with a small and we are horrible at challenges. Why is this so hard? I also do not understand our personnel we have out there some times. Why have Miller lined up wide instead of having Stevie Johnson out there? I saw this happen a couple of times.

Our defense luckily played pretty smart all game. A few heads up plays and we seemed to have done our homework. Many of the screens were sniffed out early and we seemed to know what they were trying to do on us. The run defense was very solid.

[bmvanthiel]

Kaepernick also makes everything appear difficult. (This is nothing new but just a general statement to bring up) Everything seems to be a struggle from the easiest of throws, to management, to check downs, etc. He's the opposite of Russel Wilson.

[Jikkle]

-Kaepernick was the very definition of mediocre in this game. Did some really good things and did some really bad things and all it does is leave you frustrated as a fan because if he could get those valleys from being so deep he could be a top tier QB.

-Offensive line pass protection was just horrid though it improved a bit in the second half. At times it looked like we were running failed screen passes with how bad some of the guys were getting beat. This is one reason I can't come down too hard on Kap because the protection was just bad and this game would've been far worse if we had a statue QB like a Manning or Brady out there.

-Defense played really well. Hard to pat them too much on the back because the Eagles offense was pretty bad but hey that's not the defense's fault and they did come up huge by keeping the score down and shutting the Eagles out of the RZ.

-Giving up two ST TDs in a game is just plain horrid and that potentially cost us the game.

Overall my biggest concern coming out of this game is the pass protection. It's been awful on too many plays and if we can get it shored up and block well on a consistent basis I feel that will lead to better play from Kap and better play from Kap will lead to more chances in the run game.

Ugly win but a win is a win and when you need a win you don't complain about how it comes.

[Hangman_52]

I think you have Cook and Cox confused.

[Nicky Nix Nook]

-Kaepernick was the very definition of mediocre in this game. Did some really good things and did some really bad things and all it does is leave you frustrated as a fan because if he could get those valleys from being so deep he could be a top tier QB.

-Offensive line pass protection was just horrid though it improved a bit in the second half. At times it looked like we were running failed screen passes with how bad some of the guys were getting beat. This is one reason I can't come down too hard on Kap because the protection was just bad and this game would've been far worse if we had a statue QB like a Manning or Brady out there.

-Defense played really well. Hard to pat them too much on the back because the Eagles offense was pretty bad but hey that's not the defense's fault and they did come up huge by keeping the score down and shutting the Eagles out of the RZ.

-Giving up two ST TDs in a game is just plain horrid and that potentially cost us the game.

Overall my biggest concern coming out of this game is the pass protection. It's been awful on too many plays and if we can get it shored up and block well on a consistent basis I feel that will lead to better play from Kap and better play from Kap will lead to more chances in the run game.

Ugly win but a win is a win and when you need a win you don't complain about how it comes.

Great post, my thoughts exactly.

[tallglassowater]

You guys remember the movie Varisity Blues? This game reminded me of that movie after they are out at the strip club all night and just couldn't get into the game the next day. That is what this game felt like. Nobody could get into the game and it was just sloppy. Glad they got it done in the end. Huge win.

[MHSL82]

I think you have Cook and Cox confused.

Thanks, yes, and fixed.

[Nicky Nix Nook]

Kaepernick also makes everything appear difficult. (This is nothing new but just a general statement to bring up) Everything seems to be a struggle from the easiest of throws, to management, to check downs, etc. He's the opposite of Russel Wilson.

Everything looks difficult because everything IS difficult for him right now. He can't get into any rhythm when he's running for his life most of the time.

Doesn't mean he can't play better and make better decisions, just saying.

[Yoshi]

Kaepernick also makes everything appear difficult. (This is nothing new but just a general statement to bring up) Everything seems to be a struggle from the easiest of throws, to management, to check downs, etc. He's the opposite of Russel Wilson.

Its funny because Ted Robinson, Niners Radio and just coming back from suspension, said the same thing on KGO 810 when i was driving home in the second half.

[arich35]

-Kaepernick was the very definition of mediocre in this game. Did some really good things and did some really bad things and all it does is leave you frustrated as a fan because if he could get those valleys from being so deep he could be a top tier QB.

-Offensive line pass protection was just horrid though it improved a bit in the second half. At times it looked like we were running failed screen passes with how bad some of the guys were getting beat. This is one reason I can't come down too hard on Kap because the protection was just bad and this game would've been far worse if we had a statue QB like a Manning or Brady out there.

-Defense played really well. Hard to pat them too much on the back because the Eagles offense was pretty bad but hey that's not the defense's fault and they did come up huge by keeping the score down and shutting the Eagles out of the RZ.

-Giving up two ST TDs in a game is just plain horrid and that potentially cost us the game.

Overall my biggest concern coming out of this game is the pass protection. It's been awful on too many plays and if we can get it shored up and block well on a consistent basis I feel that will lead to better play from Kap and better play from Kap will lead to more chances in the run game.

Ugly win but a win is a win and when you need a win you don't complain about how it comes.

The offensive line is it for me. I think it is causing Kap to panic quickly and make bad decisions or poor throws.

[Yoshi]

Kaepernick also makes everything appear difficult. (This is nothing new but just a general statement to bring up) Everything seems to be a struggle from the easiest of throws, to management, to check downs, etc. He's the opposite of Russel Wilson.

Everything looks difficult because everything IS difficult for him right now. He can't get into any rhythm when he's running for his life most of the time.

Doesn't mean he can't play better and make better decisions, just saying.

Thats partly true although his management of a game needs so much work, and we have been harping about this since Kaep's first year! He needs to have better judgement but sometimes some guys just dont get it.

It's not the Oline's fault that Kaep called that second timeout .

[Nicky Nix Nook]

Not to be a downer, but let's also remember that if Foles hits his guy downfield one of the few times we were beat, we're likely 1-3.

You could give a hundred hypotheticals a game that would change the outcome, so take that for whatever it's worth.

[Nicky Nix Nook]

Great win, and great performance by Vic Fangio's unit. I still wish we would've gotten a couple sacks. But those are coming hopefully. We pressure Foles when it mattered, just have to be more consistent. What is up with th OL? Looked horrible in pass blocking. I was happy to see the running game finnaly ignited. Hope the injuries to Anthony Davis and VD arent serious.

[tallglassowater]

My big thought after the game is that we should be 4-0 right now without VD most of the time, and 2 of our best players out on D and our best corner out.

[MHSL82]

Not to be a downer, but let's also remember that if Foles hits his guy downfield one of the few times we were beat, we're likely 1-3.

You could give a hundred hypotheticals a game that would change the outcome, so take that for whatever it's worth.

It evens out. There are some things this game we could have done that would overcome the hypothetical plays you talk about. Like get a clean punt from the endzone. Not throw the pick six. Make one stop on the kick return. A few plays, like one or two per game this season and we'd be 4-0. One play two years ago and we'd have won a ring. Two more and we'd have three straight Super Bowl appearances.

[imac_21]

Aaron Lynch had a great game, he made a big play on both the Eagles' last two possessions (4th down pressure and tackling Sproles in space). He had pressure throughout the game, and wasn't doing the typical rookie move of overpursuing trying to make a big play.

I thought the secondary as a whole played quite well. Cox has been a revelation, it will be interesting to see what happens when Brock comes back.

Kap is very up and down right now. Hopefully he can find some consistency going forward.

The OL was unimpressive, despite Gore's big game. The rushing yards all came on off tackle plays where Miller or one of the TEs was getting out in front and getting the edge sealed. Anytime we tried to run inside we struggled.

I think it's telling that we stopped running right when AD left the game.

I'd feel a lot better about our offense if we pushed the ball downfield more often. We had, I believe, two throws today that went 20+ yards downfield. The first was dropped by VD, the second was a 25 yard gain by Crab on 3rd down.

[imac_21]

Also, the officiating was still pretty horrible. Two OPI calls against us were absolute garbage.

[I_am_1z]

People still want to get rid of Vic Fangio?

I'm still for Harbs going to Michigan and Roman finding a new job after this season

[Hangman_52]

Anyone hear any updates on the Davis duo?