San Francisco's "defense"

[Renz]

I just realized that S.F. is giving up 33.6 PPG! Wow! I had no idea they were that bad. I thought Nolan was a defensive coach?

The next worse defense is Detroit who are surrendering 27.0 PPG. The Niners are giving up almost a TD more than the next worst team! If that holds up it has to be some kind of record.

 

[Russ Smith]

I just realized that S.F. is giving up 33.6 PPG! Wow! I had no idea they were that bad. I thought Nolan was a defensive coach?

The next worse defense is Detroit who are surrendering 27.0 PPG. The Niners are giving up almost a TD more than the next worst team! If that holds up it has to be some kind of record.

He made a conscious choice to build the offense first but he's now getting ripped locally for the defense. They let some guys go in FA and they vastly underestimated how bad their secondary was. Nolan's theory was it was easier to quickly build a defense than an offense so he started with the offense. That theory will really be tested next year to see if they can fix the defense before he gets fired.

It really does put into perspectiver our one win this year, against the worst defense in the NFL by far.

 

[kerouac9]

Mike Singletary for HC!

 

[Renz]

Mike Singletary for HC!

Damn, I can't stop laughing at that one.

 

[az jam]

Mike Singletary for HC!

I guess he won't be on the short list for HCs after this season.

 

[Russ Smith]

Billy Davis is the DC he's the one they were reportedly going to fire but Nolan said his job was safe.

Singletary I think was the same deal with Frank Bush, they made him an assistant head coach to keep him from becoming DC somewhere else.

 

[Renz]

Singletary is listed as "Assistant Head Coach/Defense". I assume he bears some responsibility for the defense's poor performance.

 

[MT9erFan]

defense?

I just realized that S.F. is giving up 33.6 PPG! Wow! I had no idea they were that bad. I thought Nolan was a defensive coach?

The next worse defense is Detroit who are surrendering 27.0 PPG. The Niners are giving up almost a TD more than the next worst team! If that holds up it has to be some kind of record.

I'll be be the first to say we are not at our best on defense, but the points per game stat is a bit missleading. Take for example the Bears game where we turned the ball over 4 times I believe, deep in Bear territory leaving them a very short field. When you see the bears had a 41 point lead at half time you would think they would have some 650 yards of tolal offense to earn those points, instead of 402; just slightly more yards than the Packer had this week to score 31.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'll be be the first to say we are not at our best on defense, but the points per game stat is a bit missleading. Take for example the Bears game where we turned the ball over 4 times I believe, deep in Bear territory leaving them a very short field. When you see the bears had a 41 point lead at half time you would think they would have some 650 yards of tolal offense to earn those points, instead of 402; just slightly more yards than the Packer had this week to score 31.

That's true the offense killed the defense sunday. But also realize the Bears completely took the foot off the accelerator after halftime, they could have easily gone over 50 in that game if they wanted to.

SF's secondary is just bad and without much pass rush it's a disaster.

 

[MT9erFan]

That's true the offense killed the defense sunday. But also realize the Bears completely took the foot off the accelerator after halftime, they could have easily gone over 50 in that game if they wanted to.

SF's secondary is just bad and without much pass rush it's a disaster.

The point is, that through out the season one can see that turn overs have killed the defense more than the defense has hurt its self. And as of yet we don't have the maturity on that side of the ball to over come this. I don't consider going for the TD on 4th and goal against a team that isn't real good on any down and short taking the foot off the accelerator.

Our starters are playing hurt in the secondary because there is such a drop off to our backups that should change next year and until that does change we will suck in that area.

I really believe that most knowledgable 49er fans really expected this sort of performance this year. We are seeing good progress on the O side and the D just was going to be lacking this year, what else can you expect when you loose your two best players to free agency.

Everyone wants to use the template from the Rams game, we held the Rams to 13 points. We only had success there because no one was injured.

 

[Card Trader]

I'll be be the first to say we are not at our best on defense, but the points per game stat is a bit missleading. Take for example the Bears game where we turned the ball over 4 times I believe, deep in Bear territory leaving them a very short field. When you see the bears had a 41 point lead at half time you would think they would have some 650 yards of tolal offense to earn those points, instead of 402; just slightly more yards than the Packer had this week to score 31.

The Niners are giving up the 2nd most yards per game, have by far the worst 3rd down defense and they give up a whopping 5.8 yards per play...worst in the NFL. There are only 3 teams that have created less turnovers.

I don't think there is an aspect of their defense that IS good, no need to try to put the blame on the offense, which has been surprisingly above average this year.

 

[Russ Smith]

The point is, that through out the season one can see that turn overs have killed the defense more than the defense has hurt its self. And as of yet we don't have the maturity on that side of the ball to over come this. I don't consider going for the TD on 4th and goal against a team that isn't real good on any down and short taking the foot off the accelerator.

Our starters are playing hurt in the secondary because there is such a drop off to our backups that should change next year and until that does change we will suck in that area.

I really believe that most knowledgable 49er fans really expected this sort of performance this year. We are seeing good progress on the O side and the D just was going to be lacking this year, what else can you expect when you loose your two best players to free agency.

Everyone wants to use the template from the Rams game, we held the Rams to 13 points. We only had success there because no one was injured.

If you mean the 4th and 2 run play yes that was taking the foot off the accelerator. Instead of kicking an easy FG, they ran a simple handoff to JOnes. Sure they TRIED to score, but kicking a FG up 41 points is piling on so they just ran the ball.

After that they pulled the QB, the RB, the FB etc.

I do think Nolan underestimated how bad the defense would be, remember he said he thought they could compete for a playoff spot this year, so did Bill Walsh. The offense is light years better than last year, but the defense just flat stinks although I do agree turnovers killed them against the Bears.

Between Smith and the Hicks fumble they just got buried.

 

[MT9erFan]

What is he going to say at the beginning of the year? “Ah… our defense is going to suck this year we might as well phone in the season.” You set goals and try to achieve them. One goal is to win the “West”; it’s probably an AZ goal as well. If you haven’t looked lately we are only 2 games out of first (it could happen I’m the eternal optometrist). AZ is only 3 games out of 1st.

And again some of the stats are skewed, when a player recovers a fumble and is obviously down by contact; then gets up and runs 99 yards for a TD and it’s counted those really can’t get pinned on the defense.

The AZ QB gets sacked in the end zone, the refs’ place the ball on the 1 yard line instead of calling a safety, and Denny says he can’t get a break. Gees if we could get half the breaks Arizona got this year we would be leading the in the NFCWest.

 

[Card Trader]

The AZ QB gets sacked in the end zone, the refs’ place the ball on the 1 yard line instead of calling a safety, and Denny says he can’t get a break. Gees if we could get half the breaks Arizona got this year we would be leading the in the NFCWest.

We've gotten breaks? Wow. Not sure I can even respond to that. You know we are the Arizona Cardinals football team, right? Not the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.....

 

[Russ Smith]

What is he going to say at the beginning of the year? “Ah… our defense is going to suck this year we might as well phone in the season.” You set goals and try to achieve them. One goal is to win the “West”; it’s probably an AZ goal as well. If you haven’t looked lately we are only 2 games out of first (it could happen I’m the eternal optometrist). AZ is only 3 games out of 1st.

And again some of the stats are skewed, when a player recovers a fumble and is obviously down by contact; then gets up and runs 99 yards for a TD and it’s counted those really can’t get pinned on the defense.

The AZ QB gets sacked in the end zone, the refs’ place the ball on the 1 yard line instead of calling a safety, and Denny says he can’t get a break. Gees if we could get half the breaks Arizona got this year we would be leading the in the NFCWest.

Well they did get a safety on the next play but yes I agree that looked like a safety.

I thought we were talking the Bears game, not the eagles game weeks ago? I think you need to watch the replay again the dispute there is was Gore down or not, Patterson was never touched. It was like the fumble Urlacher caused against us where you can clearly argue that James momentum was stopped and the play could have been stopped long before the fumble. Gore's knees weren't down but his momentum was stopped.

But even that game is a horrible game to use as an example that the 49ers defense is underrated. The shovel pass to Westbrook for a TD he's untouched, pass to the TE for a TD completely uncovered, long run by Westbrook where he stiff arms a 49er DB and tosses him aside on a long td run. 60 yard pass to an uncovered FB, Westbrook then scores on a run up the middle completely untouched. I've never seen so many completely uncovered players in a football game, that was the game that put Billy Davis' job in jeopardy because they were so bad in that game.

I think Nolan is a good coach trying to do too much by himself and i think he seriously overrated how much talent he was going to have on defense.