Biggest Hope, Greatest Fear?

[Fritz]

Okay - excluding injuries, what is your greatest fear for Sunday's game?

Mine is that the Packers' offensive line looks a shambles and the defense still looks bewildered.

I could live with a narrow defeat if there were signs of hope - say, a fairly low-scoring game in which the D holds its own and the O shows signs of promise.

If Crosby misses a game-tying or winning kick I'll be mightily pissed, but I figure he'd be out of a job soon after. So in the long run, I think the team would be okay.

I'd rather see a low-scoring game than a high-scoring game. I think this offense might be sluggish out the gate. Outside of 2011, the whole team is pretty sluggish out the gate.

My greatest hope is that the Packers have some success running the ball - enough to force SF to come out of the 2deep she'll at least at times - and that the defense plays tough and executes well, so that the Packers win.

[Zool]

I have no fear for it is football and I'm on a crusade to stop the massive overuse of "fear" and "scary" in sporting metaphors.

Yup, I'm a jerk and I'm ok with it.

[RashanGary]

I'm gonna go with two fears and two hopes.


Fear 1. I fear our run game will not work. Either Lacy is not what we hope or the OL is as bad as some people say and it doesn't matter who the runner is.

Hope 1. I hope Lacy proves to be better than the backs we've had. I hope the running game is better primarily because of the running back.



Fear 2. I fear our defense is no better than last year. I fear we will not be able to slow down Gore/Kaepernick unless it means sacrificing coverage. Either they run us to a slow death or pass us to a quick one, but either way, I fear the overall quality of our defense is just no better.

Hope 2. I hope the stoutness of our DL and the experience of the rest of the defense brings us to a slightly higher level compared to last year. I hope we're good enough to make those key 3rd down plays we didn't make last year.



All in all, about the only thing I'm sure of is that we have a good punter and a great QB. Outside of that, everything is a question mark. I don't want to get caught up in miserable fear, nor do I want to have unreasonable expectations. At the end of the day, I think I just have a lot of anticipation because it's a huge game against a team that's almost a sure thing to be great. There is bad blood. It's just an emotionally charged game. I'm ready for anything. I'd call it anticipation, excitement and a realization there's a lot of unknown, but if we have to frame it as fears and hopes, that's the two major ones i have.

[Fritz]

I fear you misunderstand.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I thought the game was on Monday night. So my greatest fear would be that I continue to think that way and miss it.

I fear the offensive line will be overwhelmed, again. That's a no-brainer.
I hope it is a competitive game.

I don't think the first game means that much, most teams are not ready after 8 weeks of touch football.

[Maxie the Taxi]

I fear my heart will stop in the middle of the 3rd quarter. My hope is that they can get it started again by the end of the game.

[Pugger]

My fear is Bak will be a spinning top over there at LT.

I hope Lacy gives us a legit running threat to slow down the rush.

I'm not as worried about our D this time around. I like our front line and Perry will be a HUGE upgrade over Walden (of course that can't be too hard). Our D has to be disciplined and not over pursue. If they stay where they are supposed to Kaep and Gore won't run as wild as they did last January.

[bobblehead]

Ok, I fear that the defense isn't as good as I suspect they will be. I think they are much improved from the end of last year (at least until 5 starters get hurt). I believe every position group is upgraded (a lot depends on Neil and Perry).

My hope is that even though I am down on the OL it is actually still better than the end of last year. All that would mean is that Bak is an upgrade to Newhouse which isn't actually asking that much.

[pittstang5]

My biggest fear: I destroy my TV because I am watching a repeat performance from last January.

My hope: I hope I don't destroy my TV.

[hoosier]

Greatest fear is that Bakhtiari is the second coming of Allen Barbre. Biggest hope is to see someone do the 49ers what Wayne Simmons did to Brent Jones in the '95 divisional round.

[pbmax]

Fear: Offensive line makes all the planning get thrown overboard.

Hope: Defense comes up big and makes it a surprising defensive struggle (i.e.. under 25 a piece)

[Jimx29]

Fear? MM coaching in close games.
Hope: Crosby returns to his rookie season level

[mraynrand]

Greatest fear is that Bakhtiari is the second coming of Allen Barbre. Biggest hope is to see someone do the 49ers what Wayne Simmons did to Brent Jones in the '95 divisional round.

Or to the Vikings!

http://s453.photobucket.com/user/mraynrand/media/WayneSimmmonsbadass.mp4.html

[George Cumby]

Or to the Vikings!

http://s453.photobucket.com/user/mra...adass.mp4.html

One of my all-time faves.

[Fritz]

Or to the Vikings!

http://s453.photobucket.com/user/mra...adass.mp4.html

Damn I like Wayne Simmons. Green Bay could use a guy with that talent and nastiness. But the way the NFL is refereed these days, Simmons would be fined more than the amount of money he'd make.

He was just one plain mean human being.