Week 1 Reactions

[3irty1]

I watched the game in Madison and on the way home listened to Pack attack and these were among questions homer was asking callers:

1) What aspect of the Packers' play were you most disappointed in?

2) Were the officials to blame for the loss?

3) If the Packers play the 49ers in the same circumstances 10 times, how many times would the Packers win?

- As for #1 popular answers included the offensive line, lack of running game, and defensive efforts. Personally I thought that Rodgers was the difference. The offensive line played pretty decent against as good a font as there is in football. Rodgers played good enough to beat a lot of teams but had he even had an average game I think the future would lie before us in a much more favorable light.

- For #2 it was pretty much a resounding no from callers and I agree. Bad calls went both ways but not more than with the regular refs, and I felt like overall the bulk of the poor officiating benefited the Packers.

- Most callers agreed that the 49ers beat the Packers 7 or 8 times out of 10. As good as they looked I don't think anyone beats the Packers 7 or 8 times out of 10, that's an overreaction. To me this looked like the regular season Falcons game from 2010. We faced a very balanced offense who never beat themselves and shorten the game with long drives that eat a ton of clock. Their defense is a classic smothering one, forcing you to dink and dunk and take what's there and sustain a long and time consuming drive yourself. These teams are always tough to play but the Packers are a better team and my reason is a philosophical one.

As much as it appeals to have a team similar to the 49ers who are very balanced and play a very efficient brand of ball their team is built for upsets. Their strategy is an underdogs strategy--shorten the game on both offense and defense. The philosophy here is that if you can make the game shorter, the better team has its advantages minimized and thus its more likely that when the clock runs out the worse team will be on top. Of course this means that the 49ers will also let a lot of bad teams hang around and are prone to upsets themselves. The best you can hope for with a team like this in the playoffs is what we hope for Bo Ryan's Badgers every March--every game is a coin flip.

The Packers play it the opposite. They are blessed with the best weapon in football and look to maximize that advantage by passing as much as possible and pushing the ball down the field. This is much more desirable come playoff time providing Rodgers and McCarthy manage to oil the machine by the time the games matter most. Typical superbowl winners are teams that faced and overcame adversity during the season and the Packers have some things to fix. All I'm saying is that the pieces are still there and healthy and if we were to run into the 49ers again in the playoffs, I like our odds. This team has the biggest advantage in football and knows how to use it.

[RashanGary]

Smith has had a horrible situation to start his career. He's finally coming into his own. They have excellent ST's and ELITE defense. Now they have moeapons on offense, and a very good offensive minded coach. Gore is a beast. Their OL is very good. I don't think their offense is as pedestrian as it seems.

They outclassed us and were the better team. Now it's a matter of us improving enough on defense to pass them. It could happen. I'm certainly not giving up, but the 49ers made a statement on Sunday. It's on the Packers to prove they can get on that level.

[George Cumby]

Nice post, 31.

[Fritz]

That was a nice post. I don't agree with all of it - I think the Niners do have a better offense than 1 thinks, but I also appreciate the cool-headedness of the post.

All these other posters, clutching their wienies and shriveling up already. Let's see how the season plays out. Remember the sky-is-falling attitude we had after the Pack lost to the Lions in December 2010? How they lost to Atlanta?

I'm not saying this team is great, and I am concerned that they've been reading their press clippings, but it's a long season and a team can grow and learn and come together.

[Pugger]

I'm hoping MM and company figure out that they can't always spread it out and fling it against elite defenses. This seems to be a problem, we saw it against the Gmen and again against SF. There is nothing wrong with taking what a defense gives you. We always struggle against the bares too so I fear we could be 0-2 by the end of Thursday night. :-(

[denverYooper]

I'm hoping MM and company figure out that they can't always spread it out and fling it against elite defenses. This seems to be a problem, we saw it against the Gmen and again against SF. There is nothing wrong with taking what a defense gives you. We always struggle against the bares too so I fear we could be 0-2 by the end of Thursday night. :-(

They killed the Bears last year, 27-17 & 35-21.

[Pugger]

Last year was an anomaly and Cutler didn't play in that second game. Usually something screwy happens when we play those clowns and they pull games out of their fannies.

[denverYooper]

Last year was an anomaly and Cutler didn't play in that second game. Usually something screwy happens when we play those clowns and they pull games out of their fannies.

I got what you meant. I was just having some fun with the universal quantifier :).

[sharpe1027]

Being able to repeatedly mug our WRs was a big benefit to the 49ers D. That being said, the calls were so bad that we may still have got the better of them on the whole.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The officials were terrible, and they probably favored the 49ers a bit, but they weren't even remotely close to the reason we lost. As much as we were dominated, I'm surprised we even had a chance at the end.

[Little Whiskey]

I am sick of the all the time spent on instant replay. the system needs to go back to the way it was. 2 challenges from the coach. thats it. this other shit is just pissing me off!

[smuggler]

They absolutely controlled the LOS. Considering, I agree with Harvey.

[mraynrand]

The game played out pretty much as I expected. The offense works by precision, and since it's the first game, you're not getting that yet. The officials' biggest effect was allowing a physical game. While it wasn't uniformly applied, it wasn't the reason for the loss at all. The surprises were the lack of a running game - specifically the predictability of the run game. Few draws and screens. Too many plays with no running back or TE or WR in the backfield. The Cobb strategy was excellent, but it needed to be expanded to other players coming out of the back field, like Green. Would have like to see him out there. Not worried by lack of run game, especially against niners.

The defense was a mess, and should improve over the season. Even so, they pretty much neutralized Vernon Davis, which had to be a huge aspect of the game plan.

I look forward to seeing the Packers play the niners again. Without injuries, they should be better the next go around. Hopefully it will be dry in SF and the field in reasonable shape....

[RashanGary]

As long as MM has been here, offensively, we've had the most trouble against teams with tough front 7's and disciplined back 7's. Most notably, Da Bears. That's not todays Bears, that's yesterdays Bears.

On Sunday it was the 49ers.

Now, more than any other time, we have the players to beat it. The soft part of any 7 man front is the run game, and the dump off either outside depending on whether the defense is playing man or zone. It's not the quick slant type of throw over the middle, it's more of the short screen type where the RB puts a little chip on their best pass rusher and drifts toward the middle. It develops after the secondary commits to the route concept. It's dink and dunk football.

Any coach, anywhere, loves to shove the ball down the other teams throat. Coaches with elite passing games love to shove that down the other teams throat. Nobody likes dink and dunk football. It's neither spectacular nor tough. It's just boring.

With Cobb (and maybe Green if he's the guy he's shown flashes to be.) we can attack the soft part of those defenses. With grant and Starks, we really didn't have that. Now it's an option.

As tough as that cookie is to swallow, I have a feeling it will be a part of future game plans, especially if a great defense is stifling our offense with 7 man fronts. Of course, MM will try to run or pass first, but he'll swallow it if he has to.

[RashanGary]

Oh, and there's a rainbow for MM and AR. Once we get ahead, those spectacular plays they love to make. . . . well, the defense is going to have to take some chances once they get behind.

Mr. highlight reel MVP and his mentor will be able to rest easy knowing they made sportscenter.

[mraynrand]

I agree JH. I'd like to see Green in that mix. I think Stubby's gameplan for runs was the opposite - I think he thought Benson could get significant yards in a traditional run set against a seven man front. He mayhave to re-think that and go Holmgren with draws mixing in on obvious passing downs. But not against all teams; just teams built more like SF.

[rbaloha1]

My biggest takeaway was AR bad body language and confused look.

MM was clearly outcoached by reacting to slowly to new 49er fronts.

IMO MM should have gone to the no huddle early in the game to "jump start" the offense. According to the SI NFL preview issued AR has 3 plays ready for every down. Plus it locks the 49ers into its first down defense.

Sometimes MM fails to look like an offensive genius and overly panics.

[RashanGary]

I agree JH. I'd like to see Green in that mix. I think Stubby's gameplan for runs was the opposite - I think he thought Benson could get significant yards in a traditional run set against a seven man front. He mayhave to re-think that and go Holmgren with draws mixing in on obvious passing downs. But not against all teams; just teams built more like SF.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Most teams AR will light up like the 4th of July and they love it. That's why it's so hard to go away from. It's like a drug.

[Freak Out]

Let's just hope that the team gets better every week from here on out, and that M3 and the team learned from it's mistakes. It was ugly.....learn form it and move on to the Bears game.

[MadScientist]

Finesse got pounded by physical. This was the reverse of the 95 playoff game. This team needs a serious injection of BadAss. Pity Wayne Simmons isn't around to teach them a thing or two.

[Smidgeon]

The game played out pretty much as I expected. The offense works by precision, and since it's the first game, you're not getting that yet. The officials' biggest effect was allowing a physical game. While it wasn't uniformly applied, it wasn't the reason for the loss at all. The surprises were the lack of a running game - specifically the predictability of the run game. Few draws and screens. Too many plays with no running back or TE or WR in the backfield. The Cobb strategy was excellent, but it needed to be expanded to other players coming out of the back field, like Green. Would have like to see him out there. Not worried by lack of run game, especially against niners.

The defense was a mess, and should improve over the season. Even so, they pretty much neutralized Vernon Davis, which had to be a huge aspect of the game plan.

I look forward to seeing the Packers play the niners again. Without injuries, they should be better the next go around. Hopefully it will be dry in SF and the field in reasonable shape....

Good assessment/prognostication. Repped.

[sharpe1027]

Speaking of being badass and poor refereeing, the 49ers DBs had numerous instances of flying in full speed to hit WRs that were already on the ground . One time it happened even though another DB was already touching the player down. I think this is illegal under the defenseless receiver/runner rule, but it is borderline bush league regardless.

[pbmax]

The officials were terrible, and they probably favored the 49ers a bit, but they weren't even remotely close to the reason we lost. As much as we were dominated, I'm surprised we even had a chance at the end.

I agree the refs were terrible but not in who they favored. The Packers spent all of the first quarter and much of the 2nd qtr waiting for the refs to get the ball set and start the clock. It was not a well timed operation. That said, other games did not seem to have that kind of problem so perhaps it will get better. the no huddle looked more organized in the preseason (and I mean pre-snap, not vs. opponent).

[RashanGary]

At first glance, it looks like we're stronger on the DL than we are in the secondary (particularly in the middle.)

MM talked about playing more base. I have a hunch we might be doing that, and using nickle a little less often. Speaking of nickle, the reason I think we'll use it less is because we don't have the safeties to play it the way we like to play it (with Woodson as the slot CB)

I think we could end up seeing House as our starting CB in week 3 with Hayward eventually taking over as the slot CB in nickle defense. Woodson can make plenty of plays from the safety position. It's not ideal, but our personnel might dictate it. Hayward is said to be a natural, especially at understanding defense and how the offense is attacking. If he can be that guy in year 1, it would serve us well to keep Doc off the field. I'm still skeptical about McMillan. He has talent, especially as a tackler, but I don't know if he's the quick learner Hayward is. I just think Hayward will be ready sooner.

As far as Shields and Bush go. . . Bush can't play any type of coverage, and Shields struggles mightily in zone. If House can play zone alright, and Hayward proves to be up to the challenge inside, now we have a full group of guys who can handle both zone and man coverages. This isn't 2010. We don't have Nick Collins. We can't play 8 in the box like we did then. This year, if we're going to stop the run, we're goign to have to play zone. If we're going to play zone, we're going to have to use the guys who know how to play it.

Unfortunately, I don't think Shields can do it nor do I have confidence in any of our safeties.

[3irty1]

I actually think that by the end of the year we'll be seeing more dime than ever before. The inside linebackers are already thin with the loss of Bishop. Another big difference this year is the amount of versatility in the defensive backfield. With Woodson, Bush, and Hayward there are more options in the slot than ever before. By seasons end if House can come back and a few of these guys can contribute the way the coaches seem to think they can, Capers will have a lot of schematic freedom. I already saw Woodson playing up near the line almost exclusively on some of those series. He's already got 1.5 sacks. If Hayward can get on the field this team should maintain all of its ballhawking potency.

[RashanGary]

5'11" 192. . . .

What the hell, if Hayward is our smartest, most instinctive DB, he's no smaller than doc Jennings. Let's throw him in at SS in nickle.

[RashanGary]

This is the longest 4 day game week ever. . . .

[mmmdk]

They killed the Bears last year, 27-17 & 35-21.

So who do we play thursday then?

[mmmdk]

sorry, wrong thread.

[3irty1]

Nobody is bringing any attention to it yet from what I can see but the Vikings put a beating on the 49ers yesterday and they are certainly looking a lot more mortal.

After this game just 2 weeks later do people still feel like the 49ers are the the cream of the NFC? How many times do the packers beat them out of 10?

[denverYooper]

Tom Pelissero made an observation today that the Vikings D gave San Fran's O no respect deep. He mentioned that they brought the safeties down a lot and only occasionally backed them off at the snap. I didn't get to see any of the game, so I don't know, but I found that interesting. Maybe that's the sauce on bottling that group up...

[Smidgeon]

I still think if the Packers faced the 9ers later in the season the game would end differently.

[King Friday]

Better to look like a great team in January than in September. Packers found that out last season.

[mmmdk]

Better to look like a great team in January than in September. Packers found that out last season.

...and win that one game in february too!