By Scooter_McG
The 49ers started their two week road trip to the east coast with a comprehensive victory over the Panthers, with a final score of 37-15. The win puts the 49ers alone at the top of the NFC West at 3-2, after all other teams in the division lost this week, and also sees the 49ers now have an equal best points differential in the NFC despite sitting two games behind the conference leading Eagles.
Given the short week and emotion charged victory over the Rams in week 4, there was potential for something of a let down game this week. And just before half time, leading just 10-3 despite clearly dominating the game courtesy of some silly mistakes, those fears seemed well placed. But the defense, which had been gradually stepping up their pressure on Mayfield throughout the second quarter put the 49ers two scores in front at the half as Moseley took an overthrow by Mayfield to the house. It was smooth sailing from there as the 49ers piled on 20 points in the second half to walk away with the comfortable win.
This contest was a stark contrast to Jimmy G's first two starts this season, as the offense matched the level of play from the defense to put up nearly 400 yards. Jimmy G in particular played well, consistently converting on third downs throughout the game to keep the offense moving, making some impressive throws and throwing for two TDs. And he did this without relying heavily on any one target as the 49ers had four receivers over 40 yards in this one.
Jeff Wilson also had a big game as he rushed for 120 yards and a TD on 17 carries.
The defense played well as we have come to expect, though this game did represent the most yards given up by the team this season (albeit some of those yards were at the end during mop up duty for the Panthers backup QB as the 49ers had eased off). The best player on the field was Mooney Ward who, aside from one 32 yard catch allowed to Robbie Anderson, locked the Panthers receivers down and finished the game with 4 PBUs. Fred Warner was also excellent.
Aside from some first half sloppiness, there were really only two negatives for the 49ers in this game. First, the special teams had some issues with a blocked FG and two long kick-off returns the second of which resulted in a knee contusion for kicker Robbie Gould. Unfortunately, the injury bug didn't stop there. The 49ers also lost Jimmie Ward early on to a broken hand, Nick Bosa injured his groin and sat out the second half, while Emmanuel Moseley looks to be lost for the season suffering an apparent ACL injury on a pass breakup late in the game.
Hopefully the injuries to Ward, Bosa and Gould won't be long term, but the loss of Moseley hurts. He and Mooney Ward were forming one of the best CB tandems in the NFL. However, I will say that I feel far more confident in the 49ers ability to cover for an injury at CB this year with Verrett now returning from IR and Womack showing some nice coverage skills, while Lenoir also looks much improved from last season.
Top 5
ReplyDeleteAverage Release Times From Snap To Release:
Delete1. Tom Brady: 2.4
2. Aaron Rodgers: 2.44
3. Jimmy Garoppolo: 2.52
4. Cooper Rush: 2.55
5. Joe Burrow: 2.61
Yep, but it's kind of a deceiving stat for Jimmy.
DeleteThe difference is that the other 4 of those QB's aren't afraid to attack downfield, and it takes more time for downfield routes to develop. Jimmy does have a very quick release, but he's kind of a one-read QB, and he very rarely throws past 20 yards. I'd much rather have a QB who can push the ball downfield, like Trey Lance, and I am sure Kittle, Aiyuk, Jennings, Gray, and Ray Ray would!
Unfortunately developing, and properly game-planning for Trey Lance is clearly outside of Kyle Shanahan's skill-set.
Besides, Garoppolo is basically on loan now. He won't be here next year, after another heartbreaking postseason loss. And make no mistake, Jimmy is statistically the wort postseason QB in the Super Bowl era.
DeleteLet's hope Kyle does a much better job developing Brock Purdy, than Trey Lance, because if Purdy is not needed this season (although he likely will be with Garoppolo's fragile injury history) he's likely the future of the franchise moving forward, unless the 49ers get lucky in the 2023 draft. And considering that Kyle's the decision maker when it comes to QB's, and he has no clue on how to evaluate the position, the 49ers are in a tough spot at the most important position on the team.
And just for a little prospective ... the Niners just beat up on the worst team in the NFL. And the Cowboys scored more points on offense VS the Rams, on the road and with a backup QB, than Jimmy and the the 49ers offense did at home vs the Rams. The fact is, the 49ers are good enough to beat the poor teams, mostly because of their defense, but the injury are mounting defensively, and the offense is more or less broken VS the better defenses in the league.
DeleteI feel that Ward should just call up Willis and get his club guy and wrap that thing up. No reason to go on 4 week IR if you can just wrap and play.
ReplyDeleteNFL teams ranked by offensive + defensive ANY/A Value through Week 5 (SNF)
ReplyDeletehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ferl9wXaUAADxch?format=jpg&name=medium
Rhule fired!
ReplyDeleteBaker Mayfield will be playing for a sixth head coach in five seasons!
DeleteJimmy Garoppolo is now 35-15 and has a 98.8 passer rating in his career as a starter.
ReplyDeleteSince the 1970 merger, the only QB with 35+ wins and a higher passer rating over his first 50 starts was Garoppolo's Super Bowl LIV opponent Patrick Mahomes (40 wins, 109.5 passer rating).
Raz,
DeleteHa! I call it the Joe Montana syndrome. Many 49ers fans will continue to measure every QB past and present to the great Montana. Jimmy will never receive the respect of some fans until he wins a Super Bowl.
The above message is mine.
DeleteGood to hear from you, AES. I agree. Jimmy has to win a Super Bowl if he wants their love.
DeleteRazor,
DeleteI almost get a sense that JG feels that he's on an island right now. Given the fact that the 49ers tried to trade him as well as not allowing him to work out with the team during TC, could give Jimmy a great incentive and motivation to show the 49ers FO that he has what it takes to win a Super Bowl.
That would be a great comeback story for JG.
Well he did tell them they made a mistake trading for Lance. Could be he's playing with house money, and I imagine he's trying to convince Shanny to let him be more aggressive downfield.
DeleteDeebo, Aiyuk, Kittle and even Jennings were taylor-made for Jimmy. These receivers have one thing in common, they pickup yards after the catch. Jimmy doesn't need to throw the ball 40+ yards downfield, he just needs to get the ball to the above mentioned and let them do the rest.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how Shanahan uses Danny Gray when he is ready to return. Gray was drafted with Lance' strong arm in mind, imho.
49 shades of Gray was drafted to take advantage of Lance's arm, however he and Jimmy got a shot downfield last game. I expect that connection to heat up as the season continues.
Delete
ReplyDeleteAdam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
·
Follow
An MRI confirmed that 49ers’ CB Emmanuel Moseley tore his ACL on Sunday and he now will have season-ending knee surgery, per source.
12:21 PM · Oct 10, 2022
Talk about peak and valley...dude went from Pick 6 to done for the year.
DeleteInstead of getting paid he's gonna get a 1 year prove it deal. Wonder if it'll be here or somewhere else.
DeleteI feel bad for Mosely. He was in his contract year, and he was playing his best football of his career. He just ended up playing for the wrong HC - a HC who is clueless when it comes to preserving the health of his key players, and it ended up costing Mosely $ millions $ of dollars!
ReplyDeleteAnony,
DeleteIt would be nice if players could be bubble wrapped for games, right? Sheesh!
Maybe Elijah Mitchell should have been pulled out of the Bears game after his first carry - darn that Shanahan, lol
JIMMY WARD broke his hand playing SPECIAL TEAMS! Do I need to say anymore?
DeleteThe fact is, KYLE SHANAHAN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO KEEP HIS PLAYERS HEALTHY. Why in the world are you using one of your top defensive players on the first special teams play of his first game back from injury? What an IDIOT! Yes, injuries happen, it's a violent sport. But there has to be a common thread with injuries and Kyle Shanahan! HAS TO BE! And that common thread is a lack of judgement, and no common sense.
You have to find ways to preserve the health of your best players whenever possible, and Kyle doesn't get it, because he has poor judgement, mostly due to the fact that he has no common sense, and doesn't have the ability to see the forest past the tress. And that's a real shame, because he's costing the 49ers Super Bowls!
First, Ward has always played STs. Second, this is an issue I alluded to previously of having both Gipson and Ward suited up - you need people to play STs.
DeleteSucks Ward got hurt. But if he was suiting up he was good to go.
Our roster depth is insane. It's like we have a team within a team.
ReplyDeleteDepth will definitely be tested.
ReplyDeleteFake turf in Atlanta would lead one to believe the following players get held out:
DeleteArmstead
Kinlaw
Bosa
I was impressed with how the DL looked without those three in the second half.
DeleteJennings is a beast. He seems to have established himself as a reliable third down receiver in his second season as a member of the 53 squad.
ReplyDeleteHis violent running style with the ball fully complements Deebo and Kittle, and the DBs have to do some serious cost benefit analyses for making their business decisions. He has deceptive speed with the ball.
I also love his nasty attitude which travels well. On the road, a winning team can always use that controlled-bad-tempered style on the field.
He's an alpha dog, but I liked seeing 49 shades of Gray finally getting into the mix.
DeleteFeel bad for Mosely, but perhaps it allows the 49ers a better opportunity to retain him seeing as he was able to witness how Verrett's relationship wtih the team seems to have gone well. The pecking order w Mason getting leapfrogged begs if the same will happen to Ambry Thomas
ReplyDeleteScooter, do you see the 49ers targeting a player at the trade deadline?
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on injuries. At the moment I suspect they will be pretty happy with the roster despite a couple of season ending injuries. But if any other season enders were to happen then maybe.
Delete
ReplyDeleteField Yates
@FieldYates
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20m
The 49ers hosted a tryout of 6 players that included old friend DT Sheldon Day, DT Kevin Atkins, DT T.Y. McGill, OT Kendall Lamm, OT Rashod Hill and DE Austin Edwards.
Always a fan of Sheldon Day, just had a constant motor back to his ND days.
DeleteThey picked McGill. He might have made the Vikings 53 had it not been for him spraining his ankle.
DeleteWas watching some highlight video someone posted to youtube last night and he sure seems to have a motor too and while he wasn't getting home to make a sack/tackle, he was causing the QB to rush, moving the defender into his area, making rbs have to cut and almost always someone else was there to make the stop or the pass was off target and incomplete.
DeleteAn incomplete can be just as valuable as a sack.
Charvarius Ward has forced the highest tight window target rate (36.7%) since entering the NFL in 2018 (min. 200 targets), per
ReplyDelete@NextGenStats
.
NFL leaders in Stops:
ReplyDelete• Dre Greenlaw - 27
• Pete Werner - 23
• Foyesade Oluokun - 21
• Maxx Crosby - 20
Highest Graded Corners, Weeks 1-5, PFF:
ReplyDelete1. Charvarius Ward, 88.2
2. Patrick Surtain, 86.7
3. Jalen Ramsey, 83.0
Feel bad for Moseley. Wish he comes back next year on a 1 year deal and then gets PAID!
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to see the Raiders lose.
The chances he returns on a 1 year prove it deal are promising.
DeleteIf JG plays like that in the playoff, we have a very good chance to win the SB! This Def is scary good when healthy!
ReplyDeleteYea, at some point, hopefully by November, the team has all it's elite players healthy at the same time. Williams, Mitchell, Armstead, Kinlaw, Ward, Verrett.
DeleteI'd like to think Danny Gray gets into the mix a little more by then too, hopefully developing a downfield chemistry with Jimmy.
Does anyone know if this year for Trey Lance counts with regards to his rookie contract.
ReplyDeleteI think it does, Cubus.
DeleteCounts as in salary cap or as in a year on his deal? I didn't think there was any reason they wouldn't, would be nice if you could redshirt rookies like in college and have the year not count if they play less than 4 games (or some small number). NFLPA would have no part of it tho, as this would keep guys from getting that 2nd deal by another year, but if it did Banks and Trey would still be on rookie deals in 2025 & 2026 respectively, talk about helping out your cap.
DeleteMcGill had 7 QB pressures and a 91.3 pass rush grade against SF in a preseason game this year with the Vikings.
ReplyDeleteThe San Francisco 49ers are signing kicker Sam Sloman to their practice squad, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
ReplyDeleteNiners released Marlon Mack.
ReplyDeleteLynch mentioned in his Friday call-in on KNBR that Davis-Price is rehabbing nicely. With Coleman drinking from the fountain of youth and Davis-Price's return on the horizon, I guess Mack became expendable.
Not so fast. He's back on the practice squad. Lol!
DeleteThey got JG rated as the 12th best QB. I believe he is better than Murray 11th and Cousins 10th. Doesn't really matter as the point I am trying to make is, that's good enough to go a long way in the playoffs. Now mind you, that goes with the Niners continue to play stalwart defense and injuries don't continue to mount to key players. The Niners have incredible depth but there is a limit...
ReplyDeleteSpecial teams needs to live up to their adjective.
DeleteIt's a noun thing.
DeleteJIMMY GAROPPOLO = COOPER RUSH! It’s really that simple. “All Cooper Rush does is WIN!” What a perfect metaphor!
DeleteIn other words, even a backup caliber QB (and make no mistake, that’s what Cooper Rush is) can win a lot of games if he’s surrounded by elite offensive playmakers, a strong rushing attack, and an elite defense. What they generally can’t do is win the big games. Jimmy Garoppolo is a high level backup QB. The league knows this, which is why nobody was willing to pay him starter caliber money. Kyle knows it, which is why he’s been trying to replace Jimmy FOR YEARS!
The 49ers early season schedule this year is incredibly soft, you guys know that …. and yet they are only 1 game over .500 thru 5 games. Just as fortunately for them, the most of their tougher foes face in the middle of their schedule, have to travel to Santa Clara.
For those of us who were hoping this team might get over the hump this year, we are constantly reminded that, come playoff time, Jimmy Garoppolo is statistically the worst performing 4th QTR (when big games are generally won or lost) starting QB in the modern Super Bowl ERA, and has already cost the 49ers 2 Super Bowls. How many more potential Super Bowl caliber teams, and potential Super Bowl Runs, are you guys willing to stomach the heartbreak?
Personally, I’ve already seen enough of “postseason Garoppolo” to last me a lifetime ... and beyond!
And to be clear, Jimmy is surrounded by superior offensive talent, than Cooper Rush, who has never lost a start!
DeleteWhat is the point of this post? You are literally just rehashing crap you've said a million times before, just adding Rush as a comparison.
DeleteThere is no point at this juncture crying about how JG ain't it. JG was replaced. For a reason. They moved on, just like you asked for.
But if I had to rely on a backup QB to get the 49ers to the playoffs this year, he's their best shot.
If you want to pack the season in that's your choice, but kindly f off and come back next year if that is the case. Or don't come back. But constantly pissing in everyone else's parade over the 49ers BACKUP QB because you're a miserable whiner is something we all can do without.
Haha, bravo Scooter!
DeleteSo after five weeks, who is everyone's unheralded superstar for the 49ers? I mean someone that isn't being talked up but should be.
ReplyDeleteThere's actually a lot of good options imo.
I'll start - Charles Omenihu. All the talk is (rightly) about the starting front four, but I would argue that Omenihu has had the biggest impact along the DL outside of Bosa. Doing an excellent job both at DE and DT, consistently generating multiple pressures a game and disrupting the offense.
Omenihu is the one I was going to pick as well, Scooter. Greenlaw would be my next pick.
DeleteAaron Wilson
@AaronWilson_NFL
Curtis Robinson designated for return to injured reserve
I would say Kevin Givens on D. Dude has shown steady improvement since Game 1.
DeleteOn Offense, I would say Jauan Jennings. He was a major reason that the Offense was above average last game.
For me it's more of a group, entire O-line, they are way better than anyone thought they would be.
DeleteAll good picks. There has been a few guys/ position groups that have performed above expectations that aren't getting the recognition they probably deserve.
DeleteRazor, Omenihu is this year's Kerry Hyder/ Arden Key.
DeleteIt's the Gipper -- Tashaun Gipson
DeleteHaha, what about the Glincher?
DeleteDid not practice. All four starters on the D line, plus two defensive backs.
ReplyDeleteDL Arik Armstead (foot, ankle)
DL Nick Bosa (groin)
DL Samson Ebukam (Achilles)
K Robbie Gould (left knee)
DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)
CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee)
DB Jimmie Ward (hand)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)
The 49ers' defense has scored more touchdowns (2) than the Rams' offense (1) the last two weeks.
ReplyDeleteAkash Anavarathan
ReplyDelete@akashanav
Falcons' rushing defense ranks:
* Yards Per Carry: 19th
* DVOA: 27th
* Adjusted Line Yards: 28th
* EPA/Play: 30th
* Success Rate: 31st
Jeff Wilson Jr. and Tevin Coleman on deck for good performances on Sunday.
The offense is still sputtering but getting better.
ReplyDeleteInjury report
ReplyDeleteOut: DL Arik Armstead (foot, ankle), DT Javon Kinlaw (knee), CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee), DB Jimmie Ward (hand), T Trent Williams (ankle)
Questionable: OL Aaron Banks (knee), DL Nick Bosa (groin), TE Tyler Kroft (knee)
Ebukam's sore Achilles appears to have healed. So I'm hoping Banks, who had the same issue, can also suit up. Bosa should probably rest.
DeleteExpect a heavy dose of run with Wilson, Coleman and TDP.
To risk or not to risk - that is the question.
DeleteNo risk it, no biscuit.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWImXU_w6k
ReplyDelete2 high VicFangio cover 6.
He'll be back next year!
DeleteI have never been in his camp. I didn't like the bend but don't break philosophy but for the most part it worked. Last time he was here he didn't run anything like this. His scheme has evolved nicely, and I would welcome him back.
DeleteWould Fangio get the best out of this defense? I'm not so certain.
DeleteScooter I certainly understand the hesitation. I was basing my welcome solely on this particular base defense.
DeleteFor mine he's the safe choice. You know you'll get sound play out of the D with him in charge and the talent he'd have at his disposal.
DeleteBut... how would Kocurek's style for the DL fit with Fangio's system? How would a playmaker like Hufanga be maximised?
The team should explore other potentially better fits at DC imo.
Kinlaw to IR. Poor guy just can't stay healthy. Knee issues won't go away.
ReplyDelete