49er's view of the NFC West after last night...

[SeattleCard]

Reality setting in for niner fans?

http://forums.49ers.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=83482

 

[MadCardDisease]

The 49ers are not done yet.

The Cards had better come to play next week and on or they will leave the door open for the 49ers to sneak back into the race.

This race will come down to the wire IMO.

 

[LVG]

Fact is we're going into week 8.

Fact is there's another 10 weeks to go.

Fact is, anything can happen in those 10 weeks. Anything. To count your team in, or another team out, is just premature.

The 9er fans are looking at our schedule vs. theirs, and they don't like what they see. In addition, they had to yank their starter yesterday and put in the 2nd string QB - who knows how long that will be successful. As more game tape is developed, defenses will adapt to his play, and things will change.

 

[Fitz Rulz]

We are in a better situation now than 3 weeks ago.
I predicted 49ers losing 3 in a row to Falcons, Texans & Colts
Huge win yesterday gave us 1 game lead.
Next week should shape things more in the divison. Btw I still consider Seahawks in the race.
I used to look and analyse the schedule coz we were trying to catch them but from today it's one game at a time, we need to maintain the lead.

 

[DutchmanAZ]

The 49ers are not done yet.

The Cards had better come to play next week and on or they will leave the door open for the 49ers to sneak back into the race.

This race will come down to the wire IMO.

+1

MNF will be a tought battle.

 

[Doug]

I want to regain HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE and also keep being THE ROAD WARRIORS that will probably win on the road in the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME in nawlins or minny.Don't matter to me.

We continue to get better week by week and try to never look ahead even on the rams or lions.

If you want to get all pumped up and maybe pizz your pants you should go to the N.Y. giants message board and realize they are giving us MAJOR PROPS and many stoopid things are being said like they should have kept Warner and traded eli.I mean nothing is off topic for the 2 game in a row losers.WE SHUT DOWN THE OLD MEADOWLANDS WITH A WIN....Ain't that a beouctch!!!3-19 record there was'nt pretty but we got the one that counted most.The LAST one.

Now the eagles play tonight and the giants next week and throw dallas back into the mix and who knows who comes out of that after seeing the raidahs beat the eagles.Who knows?

I just know the vikes and saints are for real this season.I see us having an 8 game winning streak heading into DA' NEST with the vikes.That could be the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME preview.I'm not looking ahead either.

I'm thinking about Steve Smith,DeAngelo and Peppers for now and so on and so on and so on.Plus we get better each week in practice and keep adding new things to our team.I think all 53 men can contribute this year.Lets use them all.

 

[az1965]

This one is better

http://forums.49ers.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=83419

Several are giving up on the season and believe we are now playing at last year's playoff's level and it will be tough to get the lead back unless Cards have a gigantic meltdown. A select few attributed last night's win as a "lucky" win for us with Giants shooting themselves in the foot rather us winning which is expected from divisional rival who will be in denial.

 

[Rivercard]

Btw I still consider Seahawks in the race.

Unless there is some magic dust in that rainwater up north, the Hawks are done. They were practically done before the season started. I never understood why so many "experts" were on their bandwagon pre-season. They we're a crappy team last year and they didn't add enough to the roster to make much of a dent. Add in the injuries and it's a mess in the soggy northwest.

IMO it's a two team race, and the 49ers are gonna have to win some big games as underdogs before beating the Cards in SF in order to stay in it.

 

[Russ Smith]

It's certainly not over, remember they just got Gore back too, so in short order they've added Gore, Crabtree and now Alex Smith to their offense. It's still not great mind you, but it's better than it was.

It'll be interesting, if they go to Smith, they will probably open it up more, which can lead to more turnovers, so it's not a given it will be good for them.

Long season, anything can happen, but like I said a few weeks ago when 82 was saying it was unlikely we can win enough on the road to catch them, this isn't the old Arizona Cards.

 

[Doug]

Biggest thing the 9ers have going is Davis is finally starting to play up to his all world pre-draft status at Tight End but one tightend and a rookie WR and an old VET WR just won't get it done with a good LB and DE & CB.

Plus I don't see Singletary trying to get away from his old style toooooo much.He wants to run first and play hard defense.If he starts passing more I'll be shocked.Although who does'nt love to see all those tightend passes right on target for 6 over and over? Davis is a beast.Just took him as much time as Branch before his light came on.

I still think the 9ers lack the qb to take them anywhere yet.#1 pick or not.He played the stretch offense from Utah.Urban Myer is not gonna be known for his qb's he sends to the NFL.

 

[Unsterblich856]

This year is going to be decided by who can beat out of division teams. The 49ers don't have the talent to do it and we do. They are 0-3 (soon to be 0-4, like hell are they going to beat the Colts) against out out of the division teams and we are 3-1.

It's all down hill for us now. The only remaining team that isn't run oriented and out of the division are the Packers. Have you seen the way the Packers pass protect? Rodgers will be lucky to be alive by the time we play him. Compare that to the 49ers who are unwinding and their lack of talent is catching up with them. They are now relying on Alex Smith. Congratulations, he had a good game against a lackluster defense on auto-pilot. Let's see how he fairs against Freeney and Mathis.

Let's be real here. The 49ers are out of the division race. Statistically? Not yet, but until they get the talent to beat legit out-of-division teams, they don't stand a chance. Getting Crabtree and starting Smith is not enough.

 

[moklerman]

It was just a half of football but that was not the Alex Smith I've ever seen play in the NFL. He had confidence, accuracy and looked like a downright decent QB. Now, maybe it was a one game wonder a la T.J. Rubley but if he continues to play at that level the Cardinals are going to continue to have a very tough time with the 49ers.

Crabtree looked pretty good too. GREAT hands.

 

[slanidrac16]

It was just a half of football but that was not the Alex Smith I've ever seen play in the NFL. He had confidence, accuracy and looked like a downright decent QB. Now, maybe it was a one game wonder a la T.J. Rubley but if he continues to play at that level the Cardinals are going to continue to have a very tough time with the 49ers.

Crabtree looked pretty good too. GREAT hands.

Smith had the benefit of going into a game against a defense that clearly did not ever plan to see him. The 49er's went to a 4 wr setfor the first time this year.
The Texans were thrown for a loop. Let's see how Smith does when he faces a team that game plans for him.

And what about the vaunted 49er's defense? They had 2 weeks to prepare for the Texans. The had given up 67 points in 6 quarters by halftime.

We can make hay over the next 5 weeks, all winnable games, the toughest being in Chicago. But then, did you see what the Bengals did to them?

All I know is we, once again, control our own destiny. If we take care of business, there is NOTHING the 49er's can do about it.

 

[moklerman]

Bruce, Crabtree, Davis and Gore with a Coffee, Morgan kicker is plenty enough talent to open things up if Smith somehow finds his game. The element of surprise is a very good point though and the Texans game can't be taken on it's own as a measure of what the 49ers offense will do.

I can't see Smith as a stud QB at this level but he's never been in an offense suited to his skills, with good talent, while healthy so I think he's still an unknown. I'm assuming next week's game vs. the Colts won't really help evaluate where he is either. We'll wait and see how he does vs. Tennessee and Chicago.

The Cardinals struggle vs. Hill so I'm not enthusiastic about the 49ers improving at that position.

 

[SeattleCard]

This one is better

http://forums.49ers.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=83419

Several are giving up on the season and believe we are now playing at last year's playoff's level and it will be tough to get the lead back unless Cards have a gigantic meltdown. A select few attributed last night's win as a "lucky" win for us with Giants shooting themselves in the foot rather us winning which is expected from divisional rival who will be in denial.

You are right, that is a pretty good thread, this one is hilarious:

dude this sucks! screw the 49ers i'm to be a cardinals fan now. i want to be a winner for once

 

[Nash2Amare]

I think we have to go into that MNF game @ SF up 2 games. SF has such an easy finish..if we're only up 1 game and lose it, they have the tiebreaker.

 

[perivolaki]

Smith had the benefit of going into a game against a defense that clearly did not ever plan to see him. The 49er's went to a 4 wr setfor the first time this year.

This is so true.

Not only that but Smith has had a tendency to fold under pressure. There was no pressure on him in the game against the Texans. The 9er's were down 21 points and there were no expectations that they would come back and win the game. Smith could throw it around the yard without any regaurd for consequences.

Now as the starter he has pressure to perform.

What if he throws an early pick or can't put together any decent drives? How will he react? These are distinct possibilities against the Colts on the road.

The point is that now the pressure is really on and how will Smith respond?

I don't think we can really take anything away from a game in which the opponent didn't game plan for him, they were clearly in the game is already won mode, there was no pressure, and he was encouraged to throw the ball around no matter what.

I want to see him do it when it really matters. He's shown a complete inability to do it over several years.

 

[az1965]

I noticed the only two time Texans put good pressure on Smith, he threw the ball away to avoid a sack and he threw the end of game pick on the second one. Otherwise, he was pretty comfortable with all the time in the world.

 

[Tyler]

dude this sucks! screw the 49ers i'm to be a cardinals fan now. i want to be a winner for once - 49er#1Fan



that was just priceless!!!!!! I wish I could buy that guy a beer.