By Scooter_McG
We got a show in Vegas as the 49ers won their ninth straight game this time beating a surprisingly effective Raiders in overtime 37-34. This won't go down as one of the 49ers greatest ever performances, especially on defense, but good teams find ways to win even when they aren't at their best and that is what we saw today.
Heading into the game it looked like this should be one the 49ers won and won easily as the Raiders made the somewhat surprising move to bench Carr and give Stidham his first career start. But the 49ers defense came out flat and looked somewhat uncertain on how to defend the unscouted QB throughout the first half. This resulted in numerous blown coverages to give up big plays and points. Making life more difficult the defense also struggled to contain the Raiders running game, with both the RBs and Stidham finding yards with their legs too easily throughout the half. They gave up 17 points in the first half, and if it wasn't for a couple of big plays by Arik Armstead it would have been more.
It was more of the same to open the second half as first a facemask by Warner nullified what should have been a 3 and out and then Stidham kept a play alive and the 49ers once again lost Davante Adams in coverage, this time letting him take it 60 yards for the TD as he got behind the defense on the scramble drill. The score gave the Raiders a 10 point lead early in the third quarter.
It would be easy to just blame the coverage for all the mishaps but really it was a defense wide failure. The DL was poor against the run and struggled to get much pressure on Stidham throughout the first 35 minutes of the game.
The defense started playing with a little more fire and focus after the second TD to Adams, making a few stops and getting a turnover to give the 49ers offense some opportunities. The run defense in particular picked up and started limiting the rushing yards, forcing the Raiders to pass the ball more often. And as the game wore on the pass rush started to make their presence felt, in particular Bosa who came up with a number of QB hits and pressures in the second half. Aside from the Raiders final TD drive (which was significantly aided by a Davante Adams catch that looked like he used the ground to secure the ball) the defense did a good job of stopping the Raiders in the back end of the game, including two important takeaways.
As the game progressed and the 49ers found themselves chasing the game a little they started to rely a little more on Purdy's arm. He missed a few plays down the field, including a bad and underthrown pass to Kittle that was picked off. There were a few other times where he was lucky not to be picked. But he also came up big down the stretch with some smart reads for chunk plays and important first downs that kept drives alive and allowed the 49ers to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
While the passing game became more of a factor in the second half, the running game continued to be effective when leaned on. McCaffrey had himself a big day as he ended up just shy of 200 total scrimmage yards, including 121 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards, as well as a rushing TD. Aiyuk also had himself a big second half, finishing the day with 101 yards on 9 catches and a TD, as well as a 16 yard run.
It looked like Purdy and the offense had done enough in regulation to end the game as they marched down the field with just over a minute left to the Raiders 23 yard line, with Purdy hooking up with Aiyuk four times on the drive, including a tipped ball on the final connection that luckily fell into Aiyuk's arms. But the ever reliable Robbie Gould got the yips and was unable to seal the game as time ran out.
The Raiders got the ball in OT but MVP Bosa turned up to close out the game as he walked the LT back into Stidham to force another errant throw, this time leading to an INT by Gipson which he took back to the Raiders 7 yard line to set up the game winning FG by Gould.
Overall this felt like the let down game many had been expecting since the 49ers secured the division. It is hard to maintain the same level of competitive fire and focus over a nine game stretch, especially after the elation of meeting a key goal such as winning the division. To come away with the win despite not playing well is a big bonus, and now the onus will be on the team to see this game for what it was and not get caught thinking everything is ok just because they won. Play like this again next week and they could easily end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard despite playing a lesser opponent.
In terms of seeding the win was an important one. With the victory the 49ers moved into the second seed in the NFC with one game to go and remain a chance at the first seed if they are able to win next week and the Eagles fall to the Giants.
It will be interesting to see a breakdown of the 22 to identify what happened on the back end....... Raiders OL and team played well, a credit to them......... 49ers Safeties appear to be the weak link and the mistake by Warner (facemask) changed the game- thankfully, the 49ers have CMC. I like Purdy, but I am hoping Lance can develop on reading D/making progressions as the team would benefit from his legs and arm in the long run. A win is a win ....
ReplyDeleteMcGlinchey with perhaps his best performance of the year, and just might have exorcised his mental demons; confidence being his achilles heel.
ReplyDeleteRazor
DeleteWith McGlinchey one of 25 9er free agents in 2023, it will be
interesting to see if the 9ers try resigning him with a market value of $10.7 Mil.?
Hahaha, no way in hell Geep. Scooter, can chime in here with his thoughts but I'm thinking there's a team out there that will pay him $15 million a year to be their RT. Don't think it'll be us though.
DeleteI don't know, Razor. I didn't hear McGlinchey's name be called out, but I recall seeing him several times backpedaling furiously to keep Crosby off Purdy's lap. Luckily, Purdy was backpedaling faster away from his right!
DeleteMcGlinchey's calling card has been his inconsistency. Right after he has a good game or two when he is not called out, he comes right back with a brain fart or two in the following game. His inconsistency is also seen from season to season - he went from a very good run blocker and below-average pass pro to improved pass pro and average run blocking after losing weight.
After one of McGlinchey's poorer games earlier this season, Joe Staley was mildly critical of his old karaoke buddy in his weekly interview with Tom Tolbert on KNBR. Staley made the interesting point that O linemen get better by repeatedly exposing their weaknesses to their team's D linemen in practice. My take is that he implied that McGlinchey had not sufficiently worked on his weaknesses in practice during the time Staley was with the Niners. I can totally buy that because McGlinchey seems to me to have been short on confidence.
15M would slot him in around 6th/7th highest paid RT. That to me is pretty fitting. Going to 10M doesn't really change where he'd be slotted to as the the guy at 7 is making 11.5, and crazy the 10th highest paid RT is getting just 6.5 a year. Don't think anyone is handing him a 15M deal so could easily see him back in SF for 4 years 45M with 18 guaranteed.
DeleteMood, McGlinchey should have a lot of confidence moving forward from this game and that's always been his weakness.
DeleteMcGlinchey is better than most 49er fans give him credit for. He's solid - generally good in the run game but his lack of elite athleticism can be a problem in pass pro and he has a few bad snaps a game. There aren't that many top quality RTs in the game, and being solid makes him valuable.
DeleteI agree with razor and can see a team being willing to give him around $15M a year. That's the market.
But yeah, doubt it will be the 49ers.
Scooter / Razor
DeleteI'm Curious where you're getting McGlinhey's 2023 Market Value at ~$15 Mil?
Spotrac lists it at ~$10.7 Mil and consistent with how other top RT's are paid.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/mike-mcglinchey-25104/market-value/#:~:text=Mike%20McGlinchey%20signed%20a%204,average%20annual%20salary%20of%20%244%2C585%2C430.
GEEP, just look at the contracts that other RTs signed in the past year or so. Ramczyk, O'Neill, Conklin, Smith, Moton - all were $15M pa and above. Havenstein was $11.5M pa despite being the wrong side of 30 - you could argue that's a better barometer but McGlinchey will be a FA which will pump up his value.
DeleteMatt Maiocco
Delete@MaioccoNBCS
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2m
Coach Kyle Shanahan said he felt like Mike McGlinchey had his best game of the season. "To keep (Maxx Crosby) off the stat sheet is a hell of an accomplishment."
My guess is that if it was Jimmy G and not Purdy, there would have been a couple of knockdowns or even a sack.
DeleteIMO, McGlinchey's a replaceable level starter.
I’m with Mood on this. Mike isn’t terrible but he’s not exactly solid either. He was a great run blocker and slightly below average in pass pro. But that injury really hurt his run blocking.
DeleteI think you could find similar value at a lesser price. That is why I wouldn’t sign him at 15 as I think similar value could be had at around 10 Mil.
Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Too many penalties, too many dropped passes, too many Raider receivers wide open, and a missed FG. The Raiders are a much better team than their record indicates. Like the Saints and Panthers, they are a QB away from being a playoff team. That Josh Jacobs, he is a heck of a runner.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of heck of a runner the Niners have their own, CMC is one hell of a football player, the word quit is not in his vocabulary, one of the great all-time acquisitions for the Niners.
Purdy, some of his best plays are throwing the ball away. He is very elusive and keeps his head during breakdowns. His loan interception should have been broken up by Kittle. I continue to like this young man.
Defense had a rough day to say the least. Huff and Lenoir had a bad game as did Warner with his two facemask penalties. Bosa didn't get a sack but his pressure on the last Niner interception in OT reminded me of the play Cowboy made against the Saints years ago.
Number two seed is now ours to lose with a reasonable chance of getting the number one seed. Who would have thought that it was possible when the Niners were 3 and 4 and looking like crap.
I want that #1 seed!
DeleteI would say it's quite possible, the Eagles playing the upstart Giants and the Niners playing the Cards. Eagles without Hurts is in a hurt. The Niners with the hurdy gurdy Purdy man should be able to beat the lowly Cards and finally even up the wins and losses at Levi with a record of 35 - 35.
Deleteuc
Delete* Eagles News: Jalen Hurts reportedly available for Week 18
https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2023/1/1/23534246/eagles-news-jalen-hurts-injury-reportedly-available-nfl-week-18-giants-quarterback-news-game
Is the number one seed important enough to risk the player that is most important to the team?
DeleteI bet he doesn't run as much, and when he does; it ends with him sliding.
DeleteIf the Eagles lose they are at risk of dropping from #1 seed to #5 as the Cowboys can overtake them in the division. They'll be going all out to win.
DeleteI feel as though the #1 seed is more valuable than ever before now that they're playing a 17 game season, with the ultimate goal being 18 games a year.
DeleteI've often thought the first round bye was a bit of a double edged sword - mostly a good thing but at the same time it can impact on momentum and come finals I think momentum is as important as anything.
DeleteBut yeah, as they keep expanding the number of games, getting that one less game you need to play (and win) increases in importance.
I didn't get to watch the game live, was in an unavoidable New Years Party with Vikings fans (On the flipside, was nice seeing them get blown out :)).
ReplyDeleteRe-watching the game, it's a good down to earth game for Purdy and the Defense and this is the best thing that could have happened. The Hype was becoming unreal!
When you don't play well, but still find a way to win, that is when coaches can coach the hardest. So best outcome possible.
I think we will remain the 2nd seed. I personally think getting Green Bay at Home is much better than seeing the Seahawks for the 3rd time. They always play us close and beating a team 3 times is just not that feasible.
Armstead returned to the 49ers' defense in Week 13, where he played 21 snaps. He's played starter snaps each week since then. During the last month, Armstead is tied for second in the NFL among all defensive tackles for total pressures.
ReplyDeleteHe had some crucial plays in yesterday's game. For mine he has gone to new level since moving to DT full time last year - from a good player to a step below elite level.
DeleteThe important thing for the team was that he was able and willing to play DE in base downs. Some players would complain because it does delay their development at their primary position, and thus their overall earnings I'd suppose.
DeleteHow did Kinlaw fare yesterday? Relieved that he's been able to manage his knee swelling so far.
There wasn't a spot for him at 3T with Buckner around so it made sense. But weirdly, based on what we've seen from him as a full time DT, I think they moved the wrong player to DE.
DeleteGood thoughts go out to Damar Hamlin and his family.
ReplyDeleteMan, just saw this. Very scary. Hopefully he will be ok.
DeleteHamlin has been intubated and in a critical condition. Glad NFL postponed the game.
ReplyDeleteI second UC's "Good thoughts go out to Damar Hamlin and his family."
ReplyDeleteLATEST 9ER INJURY UPDATE:
* Shanahan believes 49ers got good Banks, Greenlaw injury news. Hoping both should be available for first post season playoff game.
* 9ers consider running back Christian McCaffrey day-to-day with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Elijah Mitchell could return this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
* If the 49ers gain the No. 1 seed, they would have a first-round bye in the playoffs. Otherwise, the team will open the playoffs Jan. 14, 15 or 16. The 49ers are hoping the roster will be about as healthy as it has been all season for the start of the postseason…..
https://sports.yahoo.com/kyle-shanahan-offers-dre-greenlaw-233500269.html
To me this game is perfectly suited to rest CMC and let Mason and TDP tote the rock, and sprinkle in a little Deebo and Danny Gray. This would get them ready for the next game, while protecting the key for the playoffs.
DeleteNot if they have a legit shot at the #1, as well as keeping #2 seed.
DeleteNow if 10am games are finished and we know who's won/lost, then of course sit them if theres no chance to move up or down in the playoff seeding, but if Phili's lost and Niners have a spot at the #1 seed...you go for it cause that added week can get a lot of dudes bruising a lot closer to 100%.
They'll be playing against David Blough. Probably could win this game with all backups.
DeleteMost would've said the same thing about Stidham.
DeleteYea, I don't expect a repeat performance.
Delete** Forgot to sign in **
ReplyDeleteGood Purdy analysis
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBurQlaPiFQ
"Purdy was blitzed on 12 of his 35 dropbacks (34.3 percent) and completed seven of his 12 attempts for 99 yards when blitzed. Shanahan only called two screen passes, but Purdy completed both attempts for 80 yards — one to Ray-Ray McCloud and Christian McCaffrey." - Chan
ReplyDeletePhilly plays the same time we do which makes score board watching a must. It would be nice to rest some of the guys but winning is still a must, for:
ReplyDeletePurdy's confidence
winning streak
makes it 35 - 35 at levi
seeking number one spot
losing just sucks, I have had enough of it myself.
If Vikings lose and Philly is blowing out Giants and the Niners are having their way with the Cards than at some point you can rest players. I am with you Razor, sitting CMC would be a good idea.
If the Vikings win than it's important to beat the Cards to keep number 2 seed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kDU_y7GEfw
ReplyDeleteSeven minutes of Purdy practicing in the rain today.
I think the addition of CMC clarifies the reason behind Shanny going so hard for McKinnon
ReplyDeleteMcKinnon has flourished in Reid's offense. I was surprised that he was not more effective with the Niners after he got healthy. Maybe he never got fully healthy ...
DeleteAgreed razor. And why they made a strong push to get Bell (though dodged a bullet there). A RB that can threaten outside and inside in the running game plus be a legit receiver is gold in this offense.
DeleteLooks like the Giants will be resting players after all. That will make getting the one seed almost impossible.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to get the one seed but this team is going to the super bowl regardless of their placement.
DeleteResting healthy starters for the full game could come back to bite them in the wildcard game.
DeleteI hope Huff gets his act together before the play-offs. He is being asked to play out of his comfort zone in tracking receivers and routes in coverage, rather than keep eyes on QB for ball-hawking which got him a Pro Bowl berth. Fans and pundits complained about the lack of interceptions by the Ward-Tartt combo but they did a good job preventing big plays (Tartt, of course, had inexcusably bad hands). Coaches would rather have DBs play disciplined ball rather than ball-hawk.
ReplyDeleteLast season Trevon Diggs had 11 INTs and had the league gushing while overlooking the big plays he gave up. This year he has been more disciplined and the Cowboys' pass D is better while his INTs have come down just 3 (same as 2020)
Seems to me there are more big plays against the Niner defense than the number of interceptions they have.
DeleteNo risk it, no biscuit!
Delete