By Scooter_McG
Trey Lance's starting debut saw the 49ers put up a brave fight against the undefeated Cardinals, going down 17-10, but ultimately this was another game where the 49ers squandered an excellent defensive effort through offensive miscues.
The 49ers now find themselves three games behind division leaders Arizona, and two back from the second place Rams. Heading into the bye week the team finds themselves with a lot of work to do to get themselves into the playoffs.
Here's what stood out to me in this one.
Trey Lance has plenty to learn, but the talent is there. There were plenty of throws Lance would no doubt like back in this one as he again demonstrated there is considerable work to be done on improving his accuracy. He also found himself having many passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, which can partly be blamed on the OL, but when it happens at the rate it did in this one it is also a case of the QB taking too long to get the ball out and not properly using subtle movement to set up passing lanes.
But Lance also demonstrated his natural physical talents to move around and escape the pocket, numerous times getting himself out of trouble and creating plays in chaos. Lance led the team in rushing attempts and yards, and many of those runs were not designed runs. This is one of the key assets Lance brings and once it can be combined with improved accuracy and timing in the offense will allow Lance to be a true all purpose threat. His big arm also enabled him to thread some balls into very tight windows, in particular two balls to Aiyuk that had no right to be completed.
Lance showed excellent poise throughout the game. Gone was the frantic looking player that stepped in after half time against the Seahawks. This was a much calmer and in control version of Lance that didn't let bad plays faze him. That demeanour will be an asset as Lance adapts to the NFL game.
It was by no means perfect, but based on this performance by Lance there should be reason for optimism regarding Lance's future.
Lance didn't get much help on offense. Dropped passes. Penalties. Constant pressure. Blown blocking assignments. Yes, Lance made a few mistakes, but the rest of the 49ers offense did everything they could to stop themselves scoring in this one. On the drive which led to Lance being stopped on the Cardinals goal line on 4th and 1, Deebo dropped two passes, both of which should have been easy grabs. The second one took 7 points off the board, as he dropped a screen pass to the right sideline inside the red zone, with blockers and open space in front of him. That would have levelled the scores at the time. Deebo wasn't alone on the drops as a number of other drives were stymied by receivers unable to haul in catchable balls - the Sanu drop in particular rankled on what should have been a very impressive third down conversion.
Not to be outdone, the offensive line (led by McGlinchey and Williams), as well as some skill position players, decided to bring back numerous nice gains with holding calls, some of which were very unncessary. Add in some false starts and the offense was repeatedly putting itself behind the chains throughout the game.
The offensive line was also responsible for a number of missed blocks in the running game (which led to some of the woes on 4th down) and decided collectively that the best plan was to maximise Lance's athletic ability by forcing him to flee from pass rushers that all too easily got pressure.
Despite this, the offense was still reasonably able to move the ball, in large part due to Lance's ability to create with his legs as well as some nice runs from Mitchell. The inability to convert short yardage situations ultimately cost the team.
Shanahan went aggressive on 4th down... but would probably like some of those back. It can be nice to see a head coach be aggressive when it comes to 4th downs. However, there is still a time and place for punting the ball. In a tight game, with a rookie QB, and an offensive line that is getting overpowered, there were probably three ocassions I thought they should actually punt but instead went for it - a 4th and 2 on the 49ers second drive of the game, and two 4th and 4+, all around midfield. Ironically one of those was converted with a nice completion to Sanu, but the other two put the defense in a tough situation that seemed unncessary. The last one was particularly baffling at just 10-7 down given how well the 49ers defense was containing the Cardinals offense and directly led to the Cardinals last TD.
The 49ers defense was excellent. Sure, they gave up some plays on that last scoring drive, but for the most part during this game the 49ers defense was excellent and did a great job slowing down the Cardinals offense which through the first four weeks had been putting up Madden-like numbers. The pass rush in particular stood out to me - not only did they creat pressure on Murray consistently in this one, they did a very good job defending the running game while also not allowing Murray to use his legs to make plays too often. That is a very tough ask for any defense and was particularly encouraging for the 49ers defensive line which has had its struggles with mobile QBs in the past.
Final Verdict. Lance provided some exciting glimpses, but a loss is a loss, and this one sinks the 49ers into an early hole. Seeing the offense continuously shoot itself in the foot in this one rather than come together as a unit to help out its rookie QB making his first start was both frustrating and worrisome in terms of where this team is at mentally and emotionally right now.
Seeing the offense squander yet another excellent defensive performance, and again fail to score points when in positions to do so, is of even greater concern. Kyle Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL but the team is really struggling to score points right now and has botched numerous scoring opportunities. Both the coaching and the player performances on offense (as individuals and as a team) need to improve significantly after the bye week to turn this season around.
Good write up, Scooter. Lance has a good head on his shoulders. I thought Shanny veered away from continuing to feed Mitchell too early.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't really understand some of the decisions Shanny made in this one tbh. One thing I thought was really lacking in the game plan though was boot action/ designed roll outs. Shanahan put a lot of Lance's plate in this first start.
DeleteYea, I was thinking to myself, where are all the rollouts? Maybe he doesn't believe in cutting the field down in half and making it too easy for the defense, but at least incorporate a couple to see if you can get something deep. That's why you brought up Benjamin!
DeleteScooter
ReplyDeleteAs I've come to expect from you, another excellent synopsis of the 9er-Arizona game.
It will be interesting to see who KS start against the Colts on the 24th, but if he starts JG and they lose, IMO it's time to sit Jimmy, start Lance and begin preparing him for next season!
It's also time to put the o-line on notice that unless there is substantial improvement, there will be major changes made for the 2022 season. Especially at RG and RT.
Personally I think Lance should be the starter moving forward, but I fully expect JG will be given the nod so long as his calf is healed enough to allow it.
DeleteIf Lance starts against the Colts it will be a nice NDSU QB Bowl for some added spice.
The OL has definitely underwhelmed. And it has actually more been the running game than the passing game that it has struggled, particularly Brunskill. The team really needed Banks to be good as a rookie and it hasn't happened. McGlinchey has also once again been poor, in particular against the Cardinals which was easily his worst game of the season.
Scooter
DeleteSpot on Scooter, spot on, on all accounts.
Lance should sit (save for spot duty) the rest of the season.
ReplyDeleteThe offense isn't consistent with him in there, he's not reliable as a passer yet and he's actually handicapping Kyle because of his running ability...Kyle is getting too happy calling up read option plays that get 2 yards, with Jimmy those plays don't exist and for good reason and better results. Where did Mitchell go during that game? He was getting a lot better yardage than Trey on his runs. Not sure if he was hurt at some point but the guy got 43 yards on 9 carries, thats a 4.7 ypa, why would you go away from that??
Also, many of those 4ths were run because Kyle either didn't trust the kicker, or because he didn't have faith enough in Trey to bring them back if they got behind too much, so he was hoping they'd convert and keep drives alive, keep the defense rested. Its didn't work.
This team has a big stretch of winnable games coming up, and we know there is no reason to not think they can still beat Az and Sea in the rematches. Get Kittle healthy, get Wilson back, keep Jimmy at QB and they can be sitting at 11-6 or 12-5 at years end.
The offense isn't consistent with JG in there either. That's the problem - if it was clear the offense was better with JG then sure, no debate. But when the offense is failing to score regardless of the QB then there are much bigger issues at play than just the QB.
DeleteFunny thing is, the team probably moved the ball against the Cardinals at least as well as they have all season. They again just failed to score, and failed to convert short yardage situations.
In terms of not trusting the kicker on those 4th downs, I don't think it was a case of going for FGs. That was either punt or go for it on most occasions. Imo they should have punted on three of them - and I don't mean in hindsight, I thought that while watching the game. One of them they converted.
The offense is a lot better with JG.
DeleteLance put up 10 points. In the 4 games with Jimmy this year they averaged 29 points a game.
Trey isn't going to get the defensive support he got week in and week out. That game in all honesty should very well have been 31 to 10 and not 17-10.
The offense has scored 7 or less points in the first half in 3 of the 4 games JG played. Honestly, aside from the season opener, the offense has looked bad for the most part. Also worth noting that against the Seahawks (which is one of those four games you include), Trey Lance played the second half and scored two of the 49ers 3 TDs. Lance also scored TDs against the Lions and Packers.
DeleteSo saying the offense is a lot better with JG just doesn't ring true.
"The offense is a lot better with JG."
DeleteROFLMAO...IN WHAT UNIVERSE? What does JG bring to the
table? All of his limitations as a QB, another losing season and likely more time spent on IR! IMO that would be a good thing, as Lance would be the starter.
* If you plan on Lance being the starter in 2022, then it is time to start playing him and getting him ready.
BTW: If you still believe JG has any trade value, that is like beating a dead horse and expecting him to get up and run...
Third down efficiency has been better with Jimmy this season. The offense definitely would run better this year with Jimmy.
DeleteIt will be good if Lance's development can continue on the bench. Current weaknesses in his passing game would be mercilessly exploited if he were to continue to start and put enough game on tape. However, this experience will be valuable for him as he works on his game, IMO. I'd think that there is a lot he can continue to learn from the sidelines, film study, and in the limited practice time he gets.
OTOH, Kyle may finally be confident to embark on a full-blown 2-QB attack :)
It was hard to be efficient on 3rd downs in this one given how many were 3rd and very long, courtesy of penalties.
DeleteSome of those holding penalties won't happen with Jimmy.
DeleteGeep, pipe down, no one addressed you.
DeleteeMJay
DeleteThe mighty obtuse key board warrior doesn't get it....
WHEN YOU POST YOUR OPINION(S)CRETIN, YOU'RE ADDRESSING EVERYONE ON THE BLOG! And as such, they're subject to rebuttal by any one with an antithetical point of view.
BTW scared little rabbit, Remind me again when you're going to meet me for that beer I promised to buy you?
Lance's mechanics concern me. A lot of the throws are wobbly ducks. I always thought balls being blocked in the air at the line was a problem for smaller QBs not taller ones. But now I realize it's more a function of angle of release and speed of release. Smaller QBs realize it is a problem so learn to compensate early on (examples: Wilson and Murray).
ReplyDeleteI guess at this stage if you are a 49er fan, you have no choice but to assume that Lance's mechanics will improve. Razor pointed out to me some time ago that Josh Allen was able to do that. I'll counter with Jimmy G. has yet to do so and is probably to old to improve some of his mechanics.
Finally, I think KS made a mistake deviating so much from a typical game plan - primarily five 4th down attempts (of which only one was successful) and too many designed runs for Lance.
The more the game advanced the lesser ducks he threw imo.
DeleteBatted passes on the line of scrimmage are cuz of a inexperienced qb who didn't get much help from our
crappy o-line.
The mechanics are not Kaepesque definitely not a long wind-up.
I see a lot of things to build from here.
Shanny should have got more play action called cuz it was to much shotgun.
Lance needs to learn how to manipulate the pocket to give himself throwing lanes. All the best QBs do this, no matter how tall they are. As he gets a better understanding of the timing of plays he will likely get better at creating and throwing in passing lanes.
Delete49ers had one of the highest drop rates of any teams pass catchers this week at almost 17%!
ReplyDeleteLance had 2 of what PFF classifies as "Big Time Throws" in this weeks game. Two more than Jimmy G has had thus far this season.
Yeah Razor if Deebo and Sanu not dropped those passes the momentum would be ours.
DeleteThat's the problem with JG. The good is only decent. Which would be fine if it came with very little bad, but you also get quite a bit of bad from JG too. He's an efficient passer for the most part, but he also puts the ball in danger too often without much upside for big plays.
DeleteLance is far less efficient. But he provides big play potential.
Some of Lance's big play potential is in broken plays. He hasn't established enough rapport with the receivers on designed deep pass plays, let alone on scramble drills. Maybe another off-season of work with the receivers will be necessary?
DeleteMy biggest fear was realized with the Lance draft, a one man show. Thought maybe KS play calling would resume to the genius level but it might of even regressed even more. Sure there were dropped balls and key penalties but that is nothing new to the Niners, Mullin and CJ had to deal with it so does Jimmy G. All and all it is quite apparent that Lance is not ready for the big time however Lance does have the talent to play the game, time will tell whether he plays to his ability.
ReplyDeleteOn the webzone forum there are idiots who even say Trey Tebow or comparing with Kaep that's ridiculous IMO.
ReplyDeleteLance operated a prostyle offense. Neither Tebow or Kaepernick did. Ignorance would be my guess because the comparison ends at they all 3 can run the football.
ReplyDeleteYeah, not good comparisons. There are some similarities with Kaep (big arm but inconsistent accuracy and can run), but they are also still quite different in that Lance has a faster release, gets through his progressions pretty quickly and has much better short area quickness than Kaep which makes his escapability much greater.
DeleteYes you see on NDSU tape how much he under center was that's why i dont understand why he dont get more looks under center.
ReplyDeleteThey should start him against the Colts or at least give him more reps with the starters cuz clearly he isnt a ordinary rookie on the way he is composed and tries to use the pocket hé played better with the minute.
I feel the same way. Just let him start and learn by playing. Sure, he'll take his lumps, and it might mean another losing season, but the way the offense was playing with JG at QB I don't really trust the offense atm regardless of the QB.
DeleteAt least with Lance at QB if it is a losing season it isn't a lost season - it would be a learning season.
The only problem I have with both of your concepts is that you may be short changing the defense. It's playing at a very high level. Until the season is shot I don't think you can sell to the team its time to develop for next year.
DeleteAnother thought came to mind. If what we witnessed yesterday is indicative of the type of offense Shanny is able to run with Lance at quarterback, I'm not sure it's worth it. Too limited and it totally exposes him to unnecessary injury. Not a prudent way to protect the future. I think I'm inclined to stick with the original plan.
DeleteThe problem I have is that the offense with JG at QB wasn't good this season. It was already short changing the defense. If that is indicative of what you are going to get with JG then I feel you are better off letting the rookie learn with the hope that with reps he is improving and making the offense better.
DeleteBut you are also right about not wanting to let him take such a pounding on a weekly basis. What we saw against the Cardinals is not how you keep your franchise QB healthy. They would need to cut back on how many designed runs they call.
Welp, it's being reported Lance has a sprained knee. Probably the last we see of him until maybe Chicago if I had to guess.
DeleteRazor, are you saying Trey is incapable of handing the ball off to a RB? Because part on the reason people think he can open up this offense, is his ability to freeze the backside defender. The problem with Kyle's game plan yesterday was that he wasn't running those kinds of running plays, mesh concepts ... he was running Trey on a lot of inside power runs on draws and such.
DeleteTrey doesn't need to be exposed any more than Kyler Murray, Kyle's just needs to pull his head out of his arse and start doing what should be very easy to impalement. If he's not running Jimmy on a bunch of power runs up the gut of the defense, there's no reason he should be doing it with Trey. Get Trey outside the pocket and give him more options, don't just keep running him senselessly. That was unbelievable!
All I know is that Kyle Shanahan's 49ers are a hot mess!
DeleteRazor
Delete"Until the season is shot I don't think you can sell to the team its time to develop for next year."
* OK, fair point! But how many game do you need to lose this year, before you admit you're NOT making the play offs and it's another lost season for both the D and team?
NOTE: With JG as the QB, the D has kept the 9ers in the game and they're still a 2W -3L team. Looking at the rest of the schedule, with JG as the QB, I don't see the 9ers becoming a winning team, much less making the playoffs! DO YOU? IMO, the more important fact is you're missing the opportunity to develop Lance for the 2022 season by NOT giving him, his receivers, RB's and O-Line the time to develop the chemistry required to become a winning (playoff), team. Just my opinion. I'd be interested in knowing yours.
On a different note, Thuney plays with a broken hand but our quarterback can't play on a bruised calf. I know, low blow but I'm jesting!
ReplyDeleteBrian Baldinger not holding back on Shanahan and Lance's offensive teammates. Basically said it is not fair to make any judgement on Lance given how bad the offense around him was, both from a player performance and game plan perspective. In some respects I have to agree with Baldinger here.
ReplyDeleteJoe Staley explained that many of the holding penalties came from the linemen not knowing where Lance was at a given point in time, which messes with their footwork and balance.
DeleteOn a couple I can buy that. But not all of them were for that reason. And it doesn't excuse the blown blocks.
DeleteMood, that goes back to my point about Kyle needing to commit to Trey's offense. If they had been practicing this stuff every day since training camp, it would be second nature for the OL by now. But when you're wishy washy about which kind of QB you are building an offense around, and what kind of offense you want to be, this is the kind of stuff you end up with.
DeleteI'm sorry, but this was head coaching malpractice, IMO. And BTW, my guy Larry Kruger is calling Kyle out on KNBR for his ridiculous game plan for Sunday's Cardinals game. What a FARCE! He put nearly 85% of the 49ers offensive production square on the back of his rookie QB making his first NFL start, on the road in a very hostile environment!! I'm sorry but that unacceptable, and Kyle's lucky that I'm not the owner, because that was a fireable offense in my book! I have very few of those, but protecting a rookie franchise QB in his first NFL start, in this situation, that is definitely one of them!
ReplyDeleteKyle couldn't even be bothered to put in a game plan aimed at taking pressure off of his rookie QB! No, Kyle couldn't be bothered to tailor his game plan. well, he tailored it allright, only he tailored it trhe exact opposite of what someone should expect. Did he think he was going to catch the Cardinals off guard? IS that kind of primitive thinking the only way Kyle knows how?
Kyle called TEN handoffs to his RB's all game long, depsite having a healthy Mitchell. Are you guys kidding me?
Are you really telling me you guys were OK with Kyle's game plan yesterday? He's been telling us for two months that his QB2 (future QB1) isn't ready to play, but then he puts the weight of the entire team's production on the rookie's shoulders, and barely using his RB's, even though they were fairly healthy, at least compared to past weeks. Kyle barely even bothered to roll Trey out of the pocket, and seldomly used play action to go along with misdirection. Are we to belive Jimmy is better at this mobile stuff than Trey Lance? I mean, this was mind-blowingly stupid ... absolutely mind-blowingly STUPID!
IF I WERE A CONSPIRICY THEORIST, I"D SWEAR KYLE PURPOSELY MADE THING AS HARD AS POSSIBLE ON HIS ROOKIE QB!
That's how egregious it appeared to be to myself and others. My body, who is a Cowboys fan, told me he'd rather have Mike McCarthy as a Head Coach, than Kyle, only because of Kyle's last few years (his words). He told me that, before this stint, he thought Kyle was one of the best play callers in the business. And he told me that, in his mind, yesterday's game plan was one of the worst in recent memory, if not THE worst!
I am shocked that Kyle made absolutely zero attempt to take some weight off of Trey's plate. Instead, Kyle put everything on the rookie's plate, plus another spoon full for good measure, running his young QB right square into the teeth of that physical defensive front, time after time, until he got his helmet ripped off. And then he KEPT running him! OMG! Seriously?
All I know is that, if you guys are really excusing Kyle Shanahan for his team's lack of execution, and poor discipline, game in and game out .... and you're also excusing him for yesterdays debacle, and the fact that the 49ers have played 3 tuff opponents this season and have lost all three of those games in frustrating fashion ....
Delete.... well then you deserve to be rooting for a team that is in last place in their division for the 3rd time in Kyle's 4+ seasons as HC!
If this is your standard .... well then Congratulations!
49Reasons
DeleteEnough sugar coating it dude...Now tell us how you
really feel......
Sorry GEEP, I know it's a little over the top, even for me. I am taking Trey's development very personally right now. Maybe it's because there is so much riding on his development, in relation to the team's future success.
DeleteI felt like something was right about halfway through training camp. Trey was catching all of the team buzz, because it looked like Trey was goin to take Jimmy's job, despite Kyle saying that Trey's chances as a rookie of outplaying a veteran QB like Jimmy, and then all of the sudden it seemed like Kyle superficially put an end to whatever co petition that had developed by that point. And then all of the stuff Kyle's been saying, that to me, don't really add up. The team is losing because the offense is stuck in neutral, and then came SUNDAY! Holy cow, something was not right with Kyle's game plan, and now I am reading that TREY LANCE HAS A SPRAINED KNEE! This just adds to my frustration!
Deebo Samuel has come out and said he was terrified of Kyle as a rookie. Terrified! I'm not sure if that's such a great approach for a head coach. In fact, I'm kind of leaning towards thinking that's counter-productive.
DeleteBy the way, Trey Lance gave a stellar effort despite Kyle's Ludacris game plan.
DeletePFF Rookie QB Grades – Week 5:
New England Patriots: Mac Jones — 78.3
San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance — 66.3
New York Jets: Zach Wilson — 63.2
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence — 57.7
Chicago Bears: Justin Fields — 46.8
Unfortunately, Trey has a sprained knee now. I'm just thankful his injury isn't much worse. Kyle apparently thinks Trey Lance is Derrick Henry! SMH!
Pretty sure those grades are for the respective starting debuts of the five QBs.
Delete49Reasons
DeleteAs i've told You before, you don't need to apologize
for stating how you feel about the 9ers.
On the other hand, you can appear to be suffering from OCD as well as being overly verbose, turning off the others on the blog.
Is it possible that KS is part of the problem when it comes to injuries?? I’m wondering if he has an attitude where he simply does not consider potential injury when designing a gameplan or conducting practices. Obviously, I don’t know but given that he could have easily called many more runs for the RBs than for Lance, it kind of makes you wonder (and, of course, given the very high rate of injuries throughout most of KS’ term).
ReplyDelete100% cubus. Something is not right with all of these injuries. And something was clearly not right about Sunday's game plan. And now, sure enough, we find out that Trey Lance officially suffered a sprained knee.
DeleteSomething is going on with Kyle, and he's making the strangest decisions, starting with how strange the draft played out, drafting all of these players who they weren't expecting to contribute right away. And yah, this is an example of not doing the sensible thing when it comes to putting together a game plan for your prized rookie QB.
And I wonder if the way Kyle is quick to put guys into his doghouse, if this has an effect on the players health, in that they are pushing themselves through injuries in fear of ending up in Kyle's doghouse?
I mean Aiyuk, Sermon, Mostert, George brittle, etc, those are all head scratchers just in terms of this year's roster.
cubus,
DeleteDeebo Samuel has come out and said he was terrified of Kyle as a rookie. Terrified! I'm not sure if that's such a great approach for a head coach. In fact, I'm kind of leaning towards thinking that's counter-productive.
What do you think?
Jon Gruden to resign.
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy about Gruden. I'm kind of shocked.
DeleteI take it back, after finding out about the other emails. I'll just leave it at that.
DeleteKept an eye on Buck as the Ravens make a 22-point comeback to beat the Colts. Barely heard his name throughout the game. He was occasionally double-teamed but mostly he could not beat his blocker. Look forward to seeing him after the bye. He's not having a great season but will be very motivated at Levi's when he eyes Brunskill across him. Great player but this year $22M for a D tackle is too much if the team wants to pay an elite edge rusher too.
ReplyDeleteDeFo is having a very quiet year, although he does have 8 tackles. He has more tackles than Armstead, but it's Armstead's versatility, combined with his lower salary, that gave him the nod over Buckner, and that was a decision I personally agreed with.
DeleteNice write up Scooter.
ReplyDeleteThe things I'm taking away from this game are as follows.
We have all overrated this roster. SF is routinely getting beaten up at the LOS. At this point I think we have enough data to see that SF's Oline is the 3rd best in the division. As for the Dline... yes they played very well in this game but very surprisingly, it might also be the 3rd best in the division behind AZ and LAR. Throw in the fact that they appear to have the 4th best WR's in the division coupled with the loss of their top 2 Rb's its clear they don't have the playmakers.
All that said, while I am afraid it could ruin him, I think Trey needs to start going forward (if healthy). This team is a 1 and done playoff team at best. So they need to make this a developmental season for him, otherwise it's a lost season.
Shoup
ReplyDelete"Throw in the fact that they appear to have the 4th best WR's in the division coupled with the loss of their top 2 Rb's its clear they don't have the playmakers.
* 4th best WR's: IMO, the 9er QB is a contributing factor to that being the case....
* Loss of top 2 RB's: IMO, the solution to this problem, as well as the CB's on IR is, JL & JL need to STOP signing players that have a history of being injury prone.
Geep,
ReplyDeleteWe slightly disagree here.
I think SF's wr's are overrated regardless of the qb.
While Deebo has been amazing this season... where does he rate among this group? Metcalf, Lockett, Hopkins, Green, Woods, and Kupp? Because Brandon clearly is struggling right now and SF's 3rd receiver isn't up to the level of those fielded by their in division foes.
Shoup
ReplyDeleteI Don't disagree with their being the "4th best WR's in the division," but if the 9er QB were any one of the other three(Stafford, Wilson, or Murray), they would likely have better numbers and not "OVERRATED.
As far as the O-Line being overrated, IMO that problem is due to the inept performance of the RT and RG.
Ahh I get you now Geep.
DeleteAs to the oline don’t forget our new center. :/.
Which is especially hard to stomach given Humphrey and Meyers were available when they selected Banks.
If the 49ers finish in 3rd or 4th place again this season, and miss the postseason, are you guys going to continue to make excuses for Kyle Shanahan, because I have a feeling some of you guys will find ways to take the blame away from Kyle, even though his is the the top dog?
ReplyDeleteAnd BTW, I am all about striking while the iron is hot .... now would be a great time to trade Kyle Shanahan to the Raiders. It's a perfect fit you think about it, where better for Kyle's lackluster offense to operate than in the Nevada dessert?
ReplyDeleteHey Scooter, here is my response from Press Demopcrat:
ReplyDeleteScooter said: "The thing I find funniest about your whining over the game plan is that during preseason, when Shanahan had Lance practice playing from the pocket, you bit$hed and moaned about how Shanahan wasn’t setting him up for success by letting him use his running threat. In season, in his first start, Shanahan literally installed a game plan based around using Lance’s athletic ability… and you bit$h and moan about it. Now I agree the game plan was pretty ordinary and didn’t like various elements of it, but the irony in your complaints is pretty darn funny."
I am sure glad you brought this up Scooter, because this goes to the heart of why I am so angry at Kyle and especially frustrated with the game he called on Sunday:
USA Today, 2018: “As Shanahan notes, the notion that the Read-Option was a fad was always ridiculous because the concept is based on simple math. Playing against 11 guys is harder than playing against 10 it turns out! Defenses haven’t figured out how to stop it any more than they have figured out how to run a draw or counter.”
Scooter, here are Kyle Shanahan’s own words, back in 2018: “People talk about that 2012 year, but our running game was 70% outside zone. It was one third zone-read. But everybody was scared of it, so they played for it every play, which is why Alfred Morris led the league in rushing … it was because of the zone-read, which allows you to do a ton of other stuff. It’s not your base offense, but if you’re in Pistol or Shotgun [formations], you can run it at any time. And defenses have been playing 11 against 10 for so long and now they have to play 11-on-11, and if you’re not, it changes everything you have to do. What do you want to do off it when they 100% commit to stop it? Which you can, but that opens up everything else, so what do you do to scare them out of everything else? Is your quarterback good enough to run with the football to make them commit to stop it. And once they do, is he good enough to make the passes that he has to that they just opened up. And if he is, that’s a huge issue. It’s tough to find that guy. And if you don’t protect him right, if you don’t do the right stuff, it is tough to stay healthy.”
Scooter, I think this statement of Kyle's back in 2018 pretty much says it all. The whole principle that Kyle and others talk about behind getting the numbers advantage, 11-11 football, is related to the ZONE-READ. Kyle has talked in depth about this. It’s all about making the edge defenders make a choice, and commit themselves. And the beauty is, you don’t even have to run Trey Lance often in order to be effective. All you need to do to run these concepts effectively a couple times to establish the threat. Once Trey establishes that he’s a threat to hold the ball (at the mesh point) tuck it and run for a nice gain, he puts the defense into a pickle.
NEVER have I heard Kyle suggest repeatedly running his QB up the gut of the defense, on power runs out of empty sets, without even fullback as a lead blocker, was smart football. In fact, he’s kind of said the opposite over the years, and talked about the dangers of not protecting his QB. And to do it repeatedly, despite already having one injured QB, is absolutely Ludacris!
And where is the Play-Action, Scooter? Trey Lance ran Play-Action on over 30% of his snaps in 2019, and he’s absolutely fantastic at it. All of the advantages of using play action work in Trey’s favor. Why was Kyle having Trey throw out of empty sets? My gosh, Kyle had Trey Lance passing out of an empty set on the very first play from scrimmage? You know as well as I do that that is the toughest formation to pass out of!
And BTW, go back and read my posts where I was questioning why Kyle was running trey between the tackles during the preseason.
DeleteThis isn't rocket science, Scooter.