Sunday, September 22, 2024

Gameday Week 3: 49ers vs Rams






No CMC, no Samuel, no Kittle. No Kupp, no Nacua, no Noteboom, no Avila. This is a test for both team's depth and I feel the 49ers are better equipped at the roster margins than the Rams are. I'm anticipating a run centric offense by Shanahan with the idea of "shorting" the game with TOP and get out of there as healthy as possible with a win. McVay will also try and establish the running game and if the 49ers can shut it down, this game could end up being very one sided. I like the 49ers 31-6 over the Rams. Go Niners!

49ers inactives: QB Joshua Dobbs WR Deebo Samuel (calf) TE George Kittle (hamstring) CB Darrell Luter Jr. G/C Ben Bartch LB Tatum Bethune

81 comments:

  1. Maybe a career day for Jennings

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    Replies
    1. Could very well be. Just don't line him up in the backfield!

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  2. Time for Guerendo to get the 1st 49ers KO return TD, since 2018.

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  3. * For the 9ers, Charvarius Ward and Nick Bosa returned to practice on Friday, Sept. 20. Advantage 9ers Also, 9er WR Jacob Cowing will get his first start.

    * The Rams have 3 starting O-linemen on IR: C Steve Avila, G Jonah Jackson, and T Joe Noteboom. The secondary also has 3 on IR, S John Johnson, CBs Derion Kendrick and Tre Tomlinson have been ruled out for the season. In total, the Rams have 11 players on injured reserve. Advantage 9ers

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  4. * If the Lions take care of business against Arizona.
    * The 9ers beat the Rams and Miami beats Seattle, then the 9ers and Seattle will be tied for NFC West, first place.....

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  5. The NFL week 3 surprise at half time:
    Denver 20 VS Tampa Bay 7
    Denver gets the ball to start the 3rd Qtr.

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  6. Looks like TW has a pulled calf hopefully its not a tear. The 49ers have to start contract negotiations far earlier. I bet TWs pull is directly related to his hold out as is BAs slow start. This is not a very good 9er team. On D the LBs other than Warner are mediocre at best and our S are both slow. If our starting OTs for the next 3 to 6 weeks are McKivitz and Moore I believe we will lose better than half of those games.

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  7. As usual, the sky is falling over where oldcoach stands.

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  8. I guess i'm just old and cranky. Thank God TW is Okay. I may be a little negative but at least I identify myself.

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  9. OldCoach
    Look on the bright side.....
    * BP to Jennings and 3 TD's should get the 9ers a win over the Rams.
    * The 9er schedule: The Patriots and Arizona the next 2 weeks B4 a short 4 days to play Seattle.
    * Seattle should lose playing the Lions next week
    * Both Seattle and the 9ers will likely be 4W -1L when they play on
    10/10/24 at Seattle.

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  10. Geep,
    I tried looking on the bright side and then Moody missed a FG and Ward gave up a huge pass.

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  11. Purdy all he could. But the entire team except Jennings and Warner suck now.

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  12. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Pathetic.

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  13. Well sometimes I might be a little too negative but this time I was right. It may be a long year. Bad ST, bad D and too many key penalties on the O.

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  14. 111 yards of penalties mostly by the secondary domed the Niners.

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  15. For a little balance Purdy looked really good Jennings is a stud. Can we cut Ronnie Bell now.

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  16. I’d also immediately cut Bell. 2 dropped passes. He shouldn’t be on the field.

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  17. Yup, this loss put a blemish on JJs great game. But Moody and Bell did not come through when they had to. The Dline was not good today.

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  18. This game proved a couple of things for me.

    A) I have no problems paying Brock Purdy $60M next year. I don't know how good he can be, but one thing I know for a fact, he is a top 10 QB in this league...maybe even top 5. And this game reiterated that he is WAY better than Jimmy G ever was and we did make Jimmy the "Highest Paid QB" with a $137M deal.

    B) I was always struggling with who is the better coach...Shanahan or McVay? I mean we always throw out the head-head record where KS has the advantage. But this game proved to me that McVay is the better "Head Coach"....not better "Play caller", but better in utilizing personnel, adapting to injuries and elevating his players/coordinators.

    I'm not sure we can even win the division now. 'Hawks, Cardinals looking better than last season and just had the worst loss against the Rams....this is up there with NFC championship loss.

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    Replies
    1. I agree that Purdy is a top QB. His rating with 3 top weapons missing. As for the coach, they are both top but Shanahan has the better record. I’m not qualified to pick between them. Niners are still the best team in the West so should win the division.

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    2. Mug,
      Good write up. But it's a long season. Trent and Aiyuk are still showing signs of rust and on defense players Floyd and Campell have yet to show up. Lots of football left. No one wins a division after 3 games. I'm with you on Purdy's potential big payday.

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    3. AES,

      I think we might not win the division, not just due to frustration (although Lord Knows how I feel), but because of these reasons :)

      1) We play a 1st place schedule, while Seattle plays a 3rd place schedule. That is, they get to play teams like Broncos and Giants, while we play the Chiefs and Cowboys. :)

      2) We are 1-2, while 'Hawks are 3-0 and already 2 games up on us. Plus it always rains in Seattle, Brock is not very good with inclement weather. And as I watch the Seahawks games, I think both their offense and Defense seem very improved this year. So at the most we might split with them.

      3) We still have to play Chiefs, @Packers, @Bills and 10 AM start @Bucs. Splitting with Seattle, I would count 5 losses.
      Iffy on the Cowboys game (tide has got to turn there) and so if we go 10-7 or worse, we don't win the division. That is why it is so frustrating, this game was a lay-up and next time we meet the Rams, they will have most of the stars returning.

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    4. Hang in there Mug. Anything can and usually happens in football. I never forget the NYG beating the undefeated Patriots in the Superbowl. The important thing for me is to have a healthy 49ers team in the stretch run of the season.

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  19. Don’t like to say this about a player but Bell should be cut. I counted three drops. Worst was the last. Play Cowing instead.

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  20. Its the D and STs that worry me the most. The STs pooped the bed twice first they gave up a 1st down on the fake punt and 2nd their punt coverage on the last punt was horrible. As much as I disliked Wilkes I would take him over our current D coordinator. As well as cutting Bell they should release our ST coordinator. What is happening to L. Floyd on passing downs he has disappeared.

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  21. I agree the problem is the defense and special teams. I doubt the answer is to fire coordinators mid season. The players on defense clearly weren’t good enough today.

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  22. Everyone predicted an easy win and probably so did the players which likely lead to complacency. As Shanahan said, a desperate team is dangerous and it was proved correct today.

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  23. Kyle Shanahan needs to step up his game. His secondary looks SLOW, his WILL linebacker can't cover, and huis DE's are kind of underachieving so far this season. The 49ers cannot afford to have a sub-par Head Coach!

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    Replies
    1. Ronnie Bell has no business being on the field because he's not athletic enough to make up for his horrible ball skills! It's Kyle's obvious mistake with talents like Cowing and Marshall Jr on the roster. Bell was sub-par all summer long, especially in the preseason!

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  24. Losing the game in the manner they did absolutely stinks. Way too many breakdowns, reeks of a team that wasn't mentally on point for this one.

    But, before anyone gets really agitated and starts claiming the sky has fallen in, remember this is nothing new. 49ers have been like this more often than not to start the season under Shanahan. 2021 and 2022 the team started awfully and still made the NFCCG.

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    Replies
    1. Scooter,
      You are absolutely correct but for me this time feels different. Maybe its the SB hangover. Maybe I had more confidence in the D coordinator we had those seasons. Maybe I had more confidence in our depth, the whole next man up philosophy seemed real. I think part of the problem is the salary cap is finally catching up with us and will only get worse next year. Or maybe i'm just becoming a get off my lawn old man.

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    2. Yeah, I get that. But then, many people were saying the same thing those years too.

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  25. Do you think sub par head coaches have winning seasons year after year and make multiple trips to the Super Bowl?

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  26. Ronnie Bell has not shown the ability to be reliable WR. He has been given opportunities to prove his worth and has not taken advantage of them. His first chance came on a pass with him ready to cross toward the middle in which he took his eyes off the ball because of defender bearing down on him. Then the critical drop late in 4th QTR. No bueno.

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  27. Old Coach, if you think you're too critical, you should look inside my head and you'd sound like a saint.
    Why Isaac Yiadom plays is a mystery; especially, since we've been reading how good Renardo Green is. Ditto for De'Vondre Campbell who is not only slow but clumsy; meanwhile, Curtis Robinson was a preseason star. And Ronnie Bell, P. U. So that's what's bugging me -- these personnel decisions.
    I figure Trent Williams will play better. Now they just line up wide and bull rush with a running start and incredibly, half the time, Trent can't hold his ground, and if he does, they just do any quick move and he can't recover. Hopefully most of that is because he's so fat and rusty.
    I liked Isaac Guerendo playing and once even lining up at WR. And Brock and JJ and Mason were a joy.

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  28. Kyle Shanahan is still the liar he's always been, so don't believe anything he says on face value!

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  29. Its no longer next man up, It is next 9er down. Javon Hargrave triceps injury. Could be just a contusion or maybe a small tear. The difference is being day to day or a trip to IL.

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  30. Season over? Hargrave out for the year. BP back injury serious enough that he was getting an MRI. With the luck the 9ers have been experiencing he probably will miss multiple games. Oh well they could end up with a top 10 draft pick. Just trying to see a bright side.

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  31. That's very concerning. My limit for losses this season is 7 games. If the 49ers lose more than that it would be a wrap. If they happen to scratch their way into the playoffs it would be a revival of sorts. That hypothetical scenario would be fine with me. Just make the playoffs.

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  32. AES,
    I hope so but I wouldn't bet on it. What bothers me most is as bad as all the injuries have been the worst position group is the one that has no injuries, the O line. I believe that KS/JL philosophy of not spending on O linemen (with the exception of one position) has finally come back to haunt them. How much better would they be if they had drafted O linemen with their 1st and 2nd round draft picks. With Pearsall on IL and Green barely getting to play it certainly wouldn't have hurt.

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  33. Coach,
    There's no guarantee that another high pick olineman would be starting. Of all the high drafted Olinemen, I believe that only a handful are starters. Puni is one of them. My biggest concern is the defense. Bosa is not getting the help he needs from Floyd and Matos. Outside of the Warner there hasn't been steady play by Campbell. I believe that these players will improve as the season goes on. Plenty of games left to iron out these early issue and injuries. The 49ers will need to handle their business against Seattle and Rams during the season for sure.

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  34. My issue is likely w the coaching..... ST's coach should have a set alignment when punts are inside the 50 to counter possible fakes.... the gunner on that last punt CANNOT whiff- gotta contain...... but Sorensen allowing Campbell to be in iso coverage...... no bueno. I thought we would be seeing more pressure and Man coverage- Hufunga is slow- should be blitzing more. I suspect we will be seeing more Green at Nickel and Robinson until Winters/Greenlaw returns. Anyone have an assessment of Sorensen's defensive calls?

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    Replies
    1. dlp,
      His defensive calls are not as bad as the defensive preparation.

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    2. With the many lapses on Sunday. Three plays highlighted the loss. Missed FG from Moody. Dropped pass from Bell and the inexcusable STs breakdown in the 4thQ. If even one of these plays could have been made, there's a good chance the 49ers come away with the win. Three things are critical going forward, imho.
      Keeping Bell off the field. Correcting the STs issues. And getting a Pass Rusher to help Bosa. Moody is not going anywhere.

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    3. AES,
      I think all of the areas you mentioned certainly need improvement. I think you left out 2 huge areas of need, the O line is terrible especially McKitrick and Brendel but Banks and Puni have played pretty poorly. The D Vs. the run has been miserable. I'm concerned if you put your areas of need next to mine that there is just too many areas of need to tackle in one season.

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    4. No argument there Coach. There's definitely cause for concern. I was just highlighting a few plays on Sunday that could have changed the outcome of the game. I still believe the 49ers will find their stride going forward. But it has to begin this Sunday.

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    5. AES, that's why the loss was so bad. They should have won it. They all but had it won. But they made not one but many egregious mistakes to lose it.

      That's also why I don't think there's any need to panic just yet. Even with the injuries this is a very talented roster that so long as they clean up the bad lapses should win a lot more than they lose. And hopefully by the time playoffs come round they have most of their stars back.

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    6. Scooter,
      Sundays loss was painful for me. But, there's nothing that I've seen over the last 3 games that they can't correct. I expect to see better execution in all facets of the team this Sunday.

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  35. Matt Maiocco
    @MaioccoNBCS
    ·
    37s
    The #49ers released S Tracy Walker III from the team’s practice squad.

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  36. After the Rams game I felt sick to my stomach, as if I'd been kicked in the family jewels! After a couple of days to cool off, I reviewed the
    game film! IMO, the following coaches need to be held responsible for their groups poor performance! A) Brian Schneider is the ST coordinator. FAIL
    B) Nick Sorensen: Defensive coordinator. FAIL C) Chris Foerster: Run game coordinator / Offensive line coach. FAIL!
    * RT McKivitz allowed a team-high five quarterback pressures. He’s tied with the Tennessee Titans’ Nicholas Petit-Frere for most pressures allowed by an offensive tackle through three games, 13.
    * KS needs to answer the question WHY RB Mason had 11 carries on the 49ers’ first 3 drives but only 8 the rest of the game! With the lead the 9ers had, why didn't they control the clock and protect the lead with Mason...Especially in the 4th QTR?
    * IMO, KS and his coaches need to hold a press conference and explain to the fans WHY their groups played like $#(T.

    * Players that should be benched, or moved to the practice squad. A) LB Dee Winters ankle was injured. He was replaced by Campbell, who should have been benched, NOT left to play. IMO The 9ers should have given Curtis Robinson or Tatum Bethune a chance to show what they could do.
    B) WR Bell should have been benched and replaced with Jacob Cowing, who was limited to punt return duty and didn’t play on offense. KS says "he's still working things out." Maybe Kyle could
    explain WTF Bell was doing?
    C) CB Isaac Yiadom should have been replaced with Green.
    * I've seen enough through 3 games to warrant these changes to the lineup.

    * I also believe the following players need to see more playing time,
    to see if they can contribute until the starters are healthy enough to play.
    1) TE Eric Saubert: He isn’t the matchup nightmare that Kittle is, but he’s been efficient as a receiver. He caught both his targets Sunday for 41 yards.
    2) DE Sam Okuayinonu: Recorded the first full sack of his career
    when he tripped Matthew Stafford in the 4th quarter. He could be
    given some reps in relief of Floyd, to see if he can contribute when
    Floyd disappears.





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    1. Totally agree. Also monitor Hufanga who can't cover and continues to miss tackles.

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  37. Adam Schefter believes that CMC could possibly be unavailable longer than 1st believed. The 49ers FO has been low-key for the most part on CMCs progress. This Sunday concludes his IR time and the 49ers have not mentioned anything other than his visit to see a specialist in Germany. Has anyone here heard any updates that I may have missed?

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  38. My mistake, my time-frame was off on CMCs return. Per AP, "He was a late scratch for that game and then went on injured reserve on Sept. 14, two days after experiencing pain in the Achilles tendon following a practice. He is eligible to return for a Week 6 game at Seattle but there is no indication that he is close to being able to play."

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    Replies
    1. All I have heard is that the procedure in Germany is to stimulate blood flow to the area to speed up recovery.

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  39. That's pretty much what I've heard as well. I am thankful that Mason has somewhat softened the urgency to have CMC back. CMC is due back on game 6 against Seattle. I'd be interested to see if Shanahan let's him play in that game.

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  40. I saw a Dr. on Youtube who said the earliest he could see CMC returning is after the week 9 bye

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  41. Coach,
    That seems more realistic. Giving CMC ample time to rest his ankle is good. Mason's emergence has been a huge lift this season. Trent and Aiyuk will get better with each game. Puni will also improve with each game. Kittle is ready to play again and we know how much Jennings can help. Center is a work in progress. But with Feliciano coming back soon, perhaps he could out at Center if needed. I feeling good about the teams progress going forward.

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  42. The loss of DJ Jones has, imo, really impacted the ability of the defensive front. It’s been several years now but the brain trust still doesn’t seem to realize the importance of a run stopping nose tackle.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. Kinlaw was supposed to be that guy but wasn't. I had hoped Elliott would be that guy for them this year. Maybe he steps up with Hargrave out.

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  43. Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt on Nick Bosa:

    "Nightmare. Great player. Generational player.” Noted Bosa is the type of player that can ruin a game.

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  44. Absolutely agree. But it seems like the search for help on the opposite side is still a work in progress.

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  45. Per, Cam Inman.
    "49ers backup linebacker Curtis Robinson was carted off with apparent leg injury while on special teams drill."

    And the hits keep coming, ouch.

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    Replies
    1. No Greenlaw, no Winters and now no Robinson. The latter 2 were big parts of an all ready horrible ST group. I think they were giving serious thought to replacing Campbell but now the only healthy backup LB is Bethune. What a freaking mess.

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  46. Per, Eric Branch,
    "Dr. Fibel, a sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. “This may be something where you realize the pathology is a little bit more serious and reserve a way to allow him to return this season, even if it does take a month or two with him needing a longer recovery.”

    That's alarming. But I don't want to see CMC being rushed back either.

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    Replies
    1. Need to keep in mind this statement, while by someone with knowledge of the field, is still complete conjecture. He's not treating CMC.

      Also, I see a lot of people reading this and thinking it means a month or two from today. He doesn't say that. And my interpretation would be he means from the start of treatment.

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  47. Per, Eric Branch,
    "According to Dr.
    Fibel, McCaffrey could be out for another couple of months "if he had an orthobiologic procedure." It is a procedure that can expedite healing for McCaffrey and improve his condition so that he can return to the 49ers this season. That is why he went to Germany. The procedure is okay over there and not in the United States."

    That's pretty straightforward. CMC apparently went to Germany for a procedure not done in America.
    This sounds like a situation that could be a little more serious than originally reported.

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  48. Replies
    1. Razor,
      Do you think that would be a wise choice cap wise?

      Delete
    2. You can’t rule out that he might be entering the Elijah Mitchell stage. They need to focus on wrapping up Mason.

      Delete
  49. Burford's been practicing at tackle, his college position, so maybe a possible upgrade for McKivitz. And Feliciano could return from IR as an upgrade for Brendal.
    I don't think there's a closing Super Bowl window for our offense because we could have Purdy for ten more years and he's excellent, maybe going on great, so it's imperative to protect him which might mean they should draft high for the O-line. This mantra of Foerster about making do without high O-line draft picks like it's some kind of badge of honor is silly.

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    Replies
    1. Lee,
      They should have started drafting O linemen this past draft in all of the first 3 rounds. With the way the D is falling apart they may need a D heavy draft this coming draft. S, DT, DE, LB and CB.

      Delete
  50. Aiyuk and his antics.... Come on man!!

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    Replies
    1. He’s bordering on fool. If Ricky can play, maybe benching him would straighten him out.

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    2. I don't think Shanahan would have reacted that way (to the red shorts) if there weren't other signs of "look at me" that we don't know about.

      Delete
  51. Sheesh, I hate guaranteed contracts. They sometimes open the door for complacency.

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  52. The news that CMC went to Germany for a procedure that injects his own blood back into the injured area, reminded me that Kobe Bryant also went to Germany and had the same procedure to his knee.
    I found an article that explains the procedure called known as Regenokine. It is similar to PRP, which I explain in this article, but has some notable differences. (The differences make it illegal in the US).

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1798763-what-is-this-knee-treatment-kobe-bryant-goes-all-the-way-to-germany-for

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  53. Thanks GEEP,
    I hope that this procedure works to keep CMC healthy currently and post football. My question over the past couple of days surrounds CMCs possible return date. Some Doctors in this field have estimated anywhere between one month and even two months. I guess we won't know until he actually steps on the field. I hope he's ready by the end of November for the stretch run.

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  54. AES,
    I hope they are still close enough by late Nov. to make a strech run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coach,
      The offense will need to do much of the carrying until the defense can define itself. I believe that even if they gnaw, scratch, and limp into the playoffs they will play there best football. It's not over until it's over as someone once seen.

      Delete
  55. The 49ers activate Evan Anderson off of the PS for tomorrows game. I am anxious to see if he can help the run D.

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Gameday Week 10: Seahawks vs 49ers

  Sounds as if Kittle is out for this game and Williams will likely play. Can Eric Saubert step up and fill some of that void? I think he ca...