Know Thine Enemy: Week 14 - Niners

[RugbyMuffin]

San Fransisco 49'ers: (5-7)

Depth Chart: http://www.49ers.com/team/depth-chart.html

Team Stats: http://www.nfl.com/teams/sanfrancisco49ers/profile?team=SF

Injuries (coming later today): http://www.nfl.com/injuries

Quick Breakdown:

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The Niners are in dissarray, in my opinion. I think, as an organization, they have panicked. The Niners are looking a lot like the Cardinals in 2007, when the Cardinals finished 8-8. The difference is that when the Cardinals were under .500 they kept with the program, and stuck to their guns.

Lately, the Niners are feeling the pressure. They are letting outside influences start to rattle thier team indentity. At the beginning of the year, the Niners were a smash mouth, run the ball, and play great defense team. 14 weeks later I don't know what the Niners are trying to accomplish. They benched Shaun Hill, and brought in Alex Smith. They started spreading the field, and throwing the ball around. By doing this, they are not keeping their defense off the field by running the ball and controlling the clock. Thus the Niners are a team without and indentity. Leaving Singletary looking like a man without a plan, and without a plan all that "intensity" starts to sounds more like a person who can't keep his emotions in check, rather than a motivator.

The blood is in the water, the Cardinals need to finish the Niners off, and toss the Niners their golf bags as they leave AZ.


Offense:

The Niners have transformed from a team that "could give the Cardinals problems" to a team that plays right into our strengths. If you are a Cardinals fan, then all I have to say is "FRANK GORE". Stop him, and you stop the Niners. Well, if the Niners are going to run him more sparingly then it will be easier on the Cardinals. If the Niners are going to think Alex Smith is going to pass all over the Cardinals ? I say go ahead and try.

The Cardinals defense: Just do what you do. I do not think that the Niners offense will be successfull running the ball early, and when the Niners go to pass it will be devastating for them.


Defense:

The Niners defense, well, they are still quite healthy and ready to go. Whiz made the assumption in the first game that our front 5 can take the Niner's front 5 one on one. BZZZZZZZZ. Wrong, thanks for playing. Hopefully we will not make this mistake twice. Giving our OT's a little him resulted in two +20 yard TD receptions. I would hope the Caridnals will use this philosophy agianst the Niners this time around. And, please, lets not forget that our new running game may not be realized by the Niners, and could sneak up on them. Finally, as I finish cutting the Niners to shreds, their secondary is a mess. There is no continuity, and it seems a new set of 4 guys is starting every week for the Niners. Not a good week to be confused about your coverages.


My Thoughts through 11 weeks:

The Cardinals potential is greater than last year. Meaning the 2008 team, at their best, is not as good as our 2009 team at its best. When motivated this team showed what it can do against the Vikings. Since Carolina, the Cardinals have won or been competitiive in every game they have played.

I stated last week that this 2009 team needed to take a step back at the beginning of the season in order to move forward. Our step back would consist of all the games up to the Carolina game, we got back to even when we lost to the Titans, and took a step forward against the Vikings last week.

IMO, the Niners are not going to know what hit them. The Cardinals, IMO, are not only at another level from when we played them week 1, but have gone to another level beyond that. Yes, the Niners are a divisional opponent, and yes, the Cardinals can still have "one of those games". But I highly doubt it. The Niners are going to have to deal with the Cardinals new and improved defense, they going to have to deal with Beanie Wells, and they are going to have to some how not get blown away on special teams.

Good luck Niners, you will need it. Get ready to rock, pull your pants down, put your big crosses on, make sure you guys have winners, do what ever you have to do. Because the Cardinals are coming to San Fransisco, they smell the blood, they see the wounded & beat up 49'ers, and they are going to put your 2009 season in a coffin and bury it.

 

[Perfectionist]

Somehow the Niners seem to play up to our level, or should I say we seem to play down to their level when we meet. But I do think our guys want some revenge since the loss in week one, and will come out ready for this one! Go Cards!!

 

[TruColor]

I'm having a BIM moment here, but this bugs me - especially since it happens on this board all the time:

There is no apostrophe in 49ers.

Carry on.

 

[TJ]

Its time to end this streak of the other team sweeping the season series in alternate years!

GO SPLIT!!

 

[JeffGollin]

I posted the matchup stuff yesterday on azcardinal.com. You can get to the page by clicking the Meet the Niners linky on the highlights page. (Note - I ran into a software glitch which prevented me from posting a bunch of charts and tables - but the narrative analysis is there).

Some things that caught my eye -

- Statistically, we're better on offense and special teams; they're better on defense (especially vs. the run).

- Patrick Willis is on fire - he has 123 tackles so far this season (Next highest are a couple of DB's with 78 and 61). Find a way to neutralize Willis and you've made the rest of your job on offense a lot easier.

- Top receivers on the Niners are the TE (Vern Davis) and RB (Frank Gore). Davis has 63 catches. Gore has 41. (Among the wideouts, Morgan has 36. Crabtree has 32. Bruce has 21).

- We rank 30th defending the other team's top wideout, but we're 3rd best in the league in stopping #2 wideouts, 8th vs. RB's and 14th vs. other wide receivers. Where we struggle is defending against TE's (that would be Davis) where we rank 22nd.

- This suggests that A-Dub, Antrel and our LB's will have their hands full covering Davis and Gore. I'd almost consider doubling Davis (since he is their best receiver as well as a receiving TE).

- Last time they didn't have Crabtree - this time they do. Will this be a DRC matchup or will Bill Davis simply let either DRC, McFadden and our nickel guys cover any receiver depending on down, distance, offensive look and scheme?

- On the ground, the Niners love to pound it between the guards (They do so 73% of the time vs. the league average of 51%). Strange thing about the Niners is that - despite having Frank Gore - PFO ranks them #32 running the ball overall.

- Niners rank 5th in the NFL running over LE, but simply don't do this very often and they rank from #25 to #32 everywhere else they run the ball.

- Cards rank #9 in the NFL defending runs up the gut (where the Niners run nearly 3 of every 4 times).

- Niners are tough against the run - everywhere; ranking #7 overall with their worst ranking being 11th or 12th against runs from the middle to the right.

- Tactically, the Niners seem to work at cross purposes - i.e. Singletary seems to take a conservative ball-control, field-position, grind 'em down approach; yet he's not against running at least one gadget play a game (using the TE on end-arounds or in one case, the QB as a receiver).

- Crabtree adds a new dimension, but if we can find ways to neutralize Gore, Davis and Willis (and play mistake-free football) we should have a very good chance of winning this one.

- Interesting strategic choice for the Cards - Do we (a) target their top players like Davis, Gore and Willis? or do we instead (b) adopt a balanced, mistake-free approach, cover the gaps, maintain good position and angles - and simply play overall sounder football than they do?

 

[Catfish]

Muffin-----I have a feeling that our running game is going to surprise the '9ers. I hope to see us run behind Deuce and Levi a bit this week, because when we have done that before, it seems to have energised those two. (I think they tire of pass-blocking constantly, and really look forward to getting to deliver some hate occasionally). I think it revitalizes them to be better prepared for the hard work of pass-blocking and mirroring.

I don't believe that we will put up huge numbers on them with our ground game, but I do think that the '9ers will be shocked to the point of distraction about calling for run/pass defenses, and that should translate to that little extra time that Kurt needs to read the defense, (Bingo). I really think that burning them a couple of times with the run will upset Singletary, because he will have been counting on their 'toughness' to stop the run cold, so that he can concentrate on placement of pass-protect.

 

[CardLogic]

The Cardinals are a better team than the 49ers, so choice b.

adopt a balanced, mistake-free approach, cover the gaps, maintain good position and angles - and simply play overall sounder football than they do?

 

[RugbyMuffin]

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[PrescottLooie]

The niners lately seem to play us tough. Remember a couple years ago when they only won TWO games ! I remember a couple years ago when we played the niners and Smith lit us up in the 4th qtr and we lost.

This will be a tough game.

GO CARDS

 

[Doug]

The niners lately seem to play us tough. Remember a couple years ago when they only won TWO games ! I remember a couple years ago when we played the niners and Smith lit us up in the 4th qtr and we lost.

This will be a tough game.

GO CARDS

I would agree with you Louie that the 9ers do play the CARDINALS better than they play others.They should,we are who they have to look up too and try to be like if they are ever to win this division ever again.

I don't think Singletary can wave a magic wand and they can play better than they are capable of.We saw how poorly they played last week in allowing a game to be lost that they should NEVER have lost.You CAN'T do that near the PLAYOFFS when everything counts.

How did the CARDINALS play when they were'nt expected to beat the 10-1 vikes at that time?Did they think we'll just wait and take care of our business next week with the lower 9ers?

NO!!! The CARDINALS played their A+ game they can play on offense,defense and special teams and everybody played and contributed as one unit.

I expect nothing less from the ROAD WARRIOR CARDINALS playing in frisco on a MONDAY NIGHT.Kurt Warner is undefeated this year starting on the road games and in his total past history he is UNDEFEATED when starting against the 9ers in san fran .5-0...is his record when starting.

I know Kurt Warner gets HIGHLY motivated to play the 9ers as they were the rams biggest rival that won like 16 straight games over the rams before Kurt Warner in his 1999 season won both games over the 9ers and broke the long winning streak they had over the rams and Warner became another 9er hater as most of us are.Although hate may be too strong of a word.

The rival with the 9ers will never end with Kurt.Thats why I found it so silly he could even fly on thier private jet to go talk with them.Yet he did'nt even stay for the dinner they planned for Him & Brenda.He felt the bad vibes and told Brenda almost as soon as they landed that he wanted out of there.

The CARDINALS have an offensive Captain in Warner & Fitzgerald and both know how much winning this game now and in frisco means to the whole team not to have a letdown after such a big game with the vikes.Did we let down after the giants game?I'm also glad Kurt is feeling much,much better than I ever thought he would at this point after getting the hip pointer on his last pass of the game when Jared Allen slammed him on his hip.Warner is one VERY TOUGH COOKIE.

 

[SuperSpck]

I like the Mortal Kombat picture.

 

[CardLogic]

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Now that's a picture of the Week!

 

[RugbyMuffin]

The niners lately seem to play us tough. Remember a couple years ago when they only won TWO games ! I remember a couple years ago when we played the niners and Smith lit us up in the 4th qtr and we lost.

This will be a tough game.

GO CARDS

Both wins were against us.

Brandon Lloyd KILLED us in one of those games, it would be the same game that the Niners only won because of a B.S. roughing the passer call on Dockett.

 

[PrescottLooie]

You got it Rugby, I know we are a better team and we can beat the niners but this is no cake walk..........we gotta bring the same attitude we brought to the Vikes game. No let ups !

 

[Buckybird]

You got it Rugby, I know we are a better team and we can beat the niners but this is no cake walk..........we gotta bring the same attitude we brought to the Vikes game. No let ups !

Yep & their offense has been playing better since Smith was given the QB job back. I expect a low scoring game that could go either way, probably coming down to the turnover battle.