Week 4 Matchups to Watch: Seahawks at 49ers

By Scooter_McG

Week 4 sees 4th placed (in the NFC West) Seattle come to Levi's Stadium off the back of consecutive losses, facing a 3rd place 49ers team looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season against the Packers. This rivalry always brings a lot of emotion and with both teams looking to keep in touch with the currently undefeated Rams and Cardinals this game will likely have some extra spice.  

In some ways these two teams have been polar opposites through three weeks. The Seahawks have been fast starters in games but failed to close out the past two games in the second half. The 49ers on the other hand have gotten off to slow starts and in the past two games have failed to score in the first half until the dying minutes, but have been better in the second stanza. 

In this one, I suspect if the 49ers get off to another slow start it could be a tough ask for them to bring it back for a win. At worst I feel like they need to keep it close through the first half, if not go into half time with the lead. 

Here are the matchups I see as being key in this one.

49ers secondary vs Seahawks receivers. This is probably the biggest mismatch in the contest. The Seahawks receivers, led by Lockett and Metcalf, look far too good on paper not to dominate a 49ers secondary missing Verrett and likely Norman. And given Russell Wilson's penchant for making the 49ers pass rush look foolish and keeping plays alive the 49ers secondary will likely be in for a torrid afternoon. But if the 49ers secondary can play above expectations, and make some key stops in critical moments, it could go a long way to giving the 49ers a chance to win this one. 

49ers pass rush vs Russell Wilson. Against the Packers the 49ers pass rush really failed to make much of an impact. A large part of that was how quickly Rodgers got the ball out, but also some a nice game plan by LaFleur that involved chipping Bosa and Ford at every opportunity to derail the pass rush plan and give Rodgers some extra breathing space. Wilson poses a different kind of threat, in that he is often at his best when holding the ball and extending plays. The 49ers need to do a better job than last week in beating offensive scheme designed to slow down the pass rush, but also make sure they don't fall into the trap of attacking inside and allowing Wilson easy opportunities to break contain and extend plays. This will be a big challenge for the pass rush this week, and a matchup they really need to win to give themselves a good chance of victory. 

49ers 1st down offense vs Seahawks 1st down defense. A big reason the 49ers have had slow starts the past two weeks has been an ineffective ground game that has led to a lot of 3rd and longs in the early going. The 49ers absolutely must find a way to reverse this trend in the first half against the Seahawks, whether it be through the running game or passing game, to keep the offense ahead of schedule and not allow the Seahawks to tee of against Jimmy G on 3rd and long situations. 

Potentially helping matters, the Seahawks defense has so far struggled to contain opposing offenses, giving up the most yards in the NFL through three games, including the third most yards on the ground, while struggling to get to the QB. The damage RBs have been doing against the Seahawks goes beyond the running game - the Seahawks have also given up the most yards to RBs in the passing game as well through three weeks, including many screens. This could be a great opportunity to get the 49ers offense rolling through a diverse assortment of running and short passing game, using the plethora of dynamic athletes the 49ers boast on offense.  

Of course, the same was said about the Packers defense last week. 

DeMeco Ryans

 What went wrong on the Packers 37 second scoring drive? Ryans' defensive formation looked normal, with the LB's in run coverage. Why? Dunno. Nobody is running the ball and if they do, shame on them. Those LB's should have been back in a soft zone coverage in front of the DB's. Who cares if they throw short to the flat or in the middle? I guess Ryans did because there's no excuse for that formation in that situation. What do you suppose he was thinking?

Shanny too made his share of mistakes as well confessing to his regretful 4th down punt near midfield. Who would have thought coach Hightower would have out coached both the head coach and the defensive coordinator? Not me.

Week 3 Post Match Review: Packers at 49ers

 
By Scooter_McG

The 49ers went down to the Packers 30-28 in what was a nail biter, with Mason Crosby kicking the game winning field goal as time expired. This was a game that threatened to get away from the 49ers early as they went down 17-0 late in the second quarter. But a long kick return by Trenton Cannon set up Trey Lance's second touchdown as a 49er to bring the team back to 17-7 at the half. They carried that momentum into the second half and fought back to 17-14, then 24-21, and finally took the lead 28-27 with just 0:37 seconds left on the game clock. It was a courageous display that ultimately was undone by a couple of clutch plays by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, helped by some poor defense, that let the Packers get Crosby in range for his 51-yard match sealer. 

In my Week 3 matchups to watch post I outlined three areas I thought would be key to deciding the game:

• The 49ers edge rushers against the Packers backup OTs.
• The battle between LaFleur and Ryans, and how LaFleur would overcome the absences along the OL.
• How the 49ers backup RBs would fare against the Packers DL that had been poor through the first two weeks.

Unfortunately for the 49ers they lost all three of those key matchups. 

Here's what stood out to me. 

Rodgers wasn't made uncomfortable. On paper this looked like a very one-sided affair. Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford were going to terrorise the Packers backup OTs all day and Aaron Rodgers was going to be running for his life. But somewhere the script got lost and the 49ers pass rush failed to generate much pressure on Rodgers throughout the game. Sure, there were some moments, but overall the Packers did an excellent job of keeping the 49ers pass rush at bay. The strange thing though is it wasn't all due to poor play of the 49ers DL - a lot of the credit goes to Rodgers who just did an excellent job of giving himself extra space. He took some deeper drops, he moved well in the pocket, and (most importantly) he got the ball out quickly most of the time while trusting his receivers to make plays.

LaFleur called a good game. I thought the LaFleur vs Ryans matchup would be a key one in deciding this, and in the end it was in my opinion. LaFleur is a big reason why the 49ers pass rush and defense in general struggled to keep the Packers in check. How do you stop a great pass rush? Step one is to keep a balanced offense to make the defense respect run and pass, sure, but it would have been easy for LaFleur to rely too heavily on runs and short passes without making the 49ers defense respect the deep ball. And it was also critical to take an early lead so the 49ers couldn't disregard the threat of the run and short passing game. LaFleur came out aggressive and stayed aggressive throughout, consistently giving Rodgers routes he could throw guys open to downfield 1-on-1, yet get the ball out quickly to negate the pass rush and get DBs backs turned so they couldn't make plays on the ball. Rodgers ball placement and understanding with his receivers did the rest. 

It is easy to blame Ryans for his role in the loss, and he certainly deserves some blame. But also credit to LaFleur for letting his Hall of Fame QB use his arm talent to win the game.  

49ers pass defense was poor. This is where the 49ers really struggled for mine. Yes, the pass rush didn't get the job done, but really it was the inability to cover for more than a couple of seconds that let the Packers and Aaron Rodgers get an early lead and then win it at the end. Too often the defenders let the Packers receivers win 1-on-1. Part of that was being too aggressive - by playing for the short game the 49ers defenders allowed the Packers receivers to get open behind them. There were also some very costly penalties that gave cheap yards and first downs. But really the 49ers just had no answer for Davante Adams, who was too good for any CB the 49ers put across from him. 

It wasn't all bad, and there were some important defensive stops along the way, but the Packers receivers won the battles when they mattered.

The 49ers offense struggled early. The other part of the equation to getting an early lead for the Packers was smacking the 49ers in the mouth on defense. They did this to great effect, getting after Jimmy G in the early going, and more importantly putting the 49ers behind the sticks consistently by stuffing the 49ers running game. The 49ers struggled to get anything going on the ground all game.   

Jimmy G and the passing game got going in the second half, and in the end the offense did enough to win the 49ers the game. But against a much-maligned Packers defense heading into the contest this was a disappointing offensive outing for the 49ers keyed by numerous lapses from the OL and some inopportune turnovers. While the turnovers didn't lead to many points, the INT ensured momentum continued for the Packers in the first half while the fumble halted the 49ers momentum in the second half. 

Final Verdict

Going through the above it may sound all doom and gloom, but it shouldn't be overlooked that the 49ers overcame a rough first half that saw them in a 17-0 hole just before halftime to put themselves within 37 seconds of winning the game. There are definitely some areas for concern moving forward, but there was also reason for optimism with the way the offense played in the second half and even the defense played well for much of the second half. But letting the game slip at the end after doing so well to fight back can only be considered very disappointing.  

Game Night Live

 This is a bit of a reversal from the last meeting when the 49ers were decimated by injuries, and subsequently taken to the woodshed. While the Packers haven't experienced that kind of decimation they will be missing LT #1 and #2. That could prove to be the difference in this game if Bosa and friends can take advantage and make Mr. Rodgers life miserable. Let's get to the inactives:

49ers

RB Elijah Mitchell G Aaron Banks CB Ambry Thomas CB Dre Kirkpatrick

Packers

CB Kevin King
OL Elgton Jenkins
S Vernon Scott
LB La’Darius Hamilton

Week 3 Matchups to Watch: Packers at 49ers

By Scooter_McG 

Following two road victories to start the season, the 49ers get their home opener in week 3 as they host future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers had Rodgers and the Packers number in 2019, cruising to victory during both the regular season and post season, but last year the Pack got revenge with a comprehensive win of their own against a depleted 49ers roster.  

The Packers started 2021 very poorly, with Aaron Rodgers looking like the offseason distractions had taken their toll while their defense couldn't stop the Saints scoring on the way to a 38-3 loss. But last week the Packers turned things around and beat the Lions 35-17 and looked comfortable throughout. 

So which Packers team will turn up this week?

Here's the matchups I think will decide this one.

Nick Bosa/ Dee Ford/ Arik Armstead vs the Packers backup OTs. With both starting LT David Bakhtiari and his backup Elgton Jenkins ruled out for this one, the Packers are expected to move starting RT Billy Turner over to LT, meaning the Packers will be playing backups at both OT spots. This should be a significant advantage for the 49ers and their vaunted DL. If the Packers don't find a way to slow down the 49ers pass rush this could be one very tough afternoon for Aaron Rodgers.

LaFleur vs Ryans. This is probably more important than the matchup against the OTs itself. Realistically, the Packers can't expect their backup OTs to hold up consistently against the likes of Bosa, Ford and Armstead. So it can be expected the Packers will look to run the ball and get the ball out of Rodgers hands quickly. There will almost certainly be a lot of chipping of Bosa going on throughout the game. A key to success for the 49ers will be to keep the running game in check and rally to the ball quickly, to get the Packers into obvious passing situations. But... does LaFleur have something else up his sleeve? This feels like a game the Packers may need to do the unexpected to keep the 49ers defense off balance.

49ers backup RBs vs Packers DL. The 49ers OL has been good in pass protection this season, but has struggled a bit in the running game. Losing Mostert for the year, and now Hasty on IR as well as Mitchell banged up, the 49ers running game is looking vulnerable. Can Sermon, Johnson and company keep the 49ers offense on schedule in this one? The good news is the Packers defensive line has struggled so far this year. Kenny Clark is very good in the middle, but Za'Darius Smith is out injured and the rest of the DL has played poorly. Tyler Lancaster in particular has looked like a weak link and I would expect the 49ers to make targeting him a focus. 

Bobby Turner's Perfect RB?

 

Tom Pelissero

@TomPelissero

· 9m

The #49ers are signing RB Jacques Patrick off the #Bengals practice squad, source said. Big opportunity for the onetime XFL star with injuries depleting the SF backfield.

This dude was behind Dalvin Cook and was Cam Akers counterpart. He's 6'2 235 and runs like a battering ram. I remember Mr. Turner's first word when asked what he looks for in a back, and it was the word "toughness". Next up was coachability, quickness and patience. This isn't your typical Kyle Shanahan running back. Going to be interesting to see how he fits in this system....

Week 2 Post Match Review: 49ers at Eagles

By Scooter_McG

With two games down the 49ers remain undefeated on the season, completing their East Coast opening fortnight with a gritty 17-11 win over a game Eagles team. This one was a hard fought match that really stretched the mental and physical fortitude of the 49ers team. 

At the beginning of the season most people would have thought this should be a fairly easy victory for the 49ers, but credit where credit is due - while keeping things simple, Nick Sirianni has these Eagles playing good, hard, aggressive football. At the end of the season it wouldn't surprise me if we look back and see the 49ers beat a team today that is a real contender to make the playoffs.  

Here's what stood out to me.

The 49ers OL was overmatched by the Eagles front 4. While the 49ers managed to avoid giving up sacks, it wasn't a result of any dominance up front. The Eagles routinely got pressure on Jimmy G on any play taking more than a couple of seconds to develop and for the most part shut down the 49ers running game. The early going was particularly tough sledding, as Elijah Mitchell was finding no room to run from handoffs as the interior DL routinely got into the backfield, Jimmy G was being harassed into errant passes, and receivers struggled to haul in a couple of balls. 

But Shanahan adjusted. A key to the 49ers victory was how Shanahan adjusted his game plan to account for the Eagles dominance up front. Instead of handing the ball off to the RBs, Shanahan moved to using pitches to help get the RB past the interior penetration. While it didn't result in the running game becoming particularly dangerous, it turned the tide in terms of allowing the 49ers to stay on schedule. 

More importantly, Shanahan turned to primarily a short catch and run type passing game, employing lots of screens and dump offs. Jimmy G would end the day with 22 completions on 30 attempts, going for just 189 yards. But he led two crucial long drives for TDs - one at the end of the first half and one that went nearly 9 minutes across the 3rd and 4th quarters. Those drives helped the 49ers win the time of possession battle quite handily. 

The 49ers defense came up big in key moments. In tight games like this one, turning scoring opportunities into 7 points can be crucial. The 49ers did it, but the Eagles did not. In the first half the Eagles came away with just 3 points despite being within scoring range three times. Javon Kinlaw came up with a block on the Eagles second FG attempt of the first quarter, and then an impressive goal line stand led by a tackle for a loss by Fred Warner resulted in a turnover on downs late in the second quarter. That sequence would prove pivotal, with the 49ers subsequently marching the length of the field to score and take a 7-3 lead into the half.

Demo Lenoir could be a steal. Two weeks into his NFL career and he now has two starts under his belt, and has impressed in back-to-back weeks. Yes, he gave up a 91 yard reception today, where he failed to get hands on the receiver at the LOS. But aside from that blemish he was excellent, showing good skills to stick with receivers and great awareness in using the sideline to his advantage. 

The 49ers still struggle to contain mobile QBs. While the defense played a good game overall, and much improved against the run up the middle, one area they still struggled with was preventing Hurts from using his legs to effectively extend plays and pick up yards. Fortunately the Eagles often failed to take advantage of it, but against more potent offenses the inability to contain the mobile QB will come back to bite them if they don't clean it up. I thought Dee Ford in particular was guilty of allowing Hurts to escape too easily, but all the DL struggled with it to some degree. 

Final Verdict

This was a gutsy road win led by the defense that could be a galvanising victory for the team moving forward. Coming out of their two week East Coast trip with two wins makes for a great start to the season and a nice platform to build from. However, injuries continue to be an issue for the team, this time losing their top 3 RBs to injury at various points in the game (though Elijah Mitchell would eventually return). Hopefully none of the injuries are serious.