San Francisco 49ers: End of the road

By: Ryan Rodriguez

It is now a full day and a half after the Niners had their season come to an end, and I feel like I have flushed out all my thoughts on the game. As a football fan, the game was everything I could ask for: hard hits, big plays, stars all around, gamesmanship, and a last minute drive to decide the NFC Super Bowl participant from arguably the two most talented teams in the league. As a Niner fan, the game almost felt like a bell curve, a continual rise of good play up until the Anquan Boldin touchdown catch on a Derek Jeter like throw from Colin Kaepernick in the third, followed by a gradual decline of good play, culminating in the interception that ended the season.

I’m from the camp that there is no blame to truly go around after a game like this. As much as Niner fans might want to blame Kaep for the three successive turnovers or delay of game, turning 3rd & 1 into 3rd & 6, you also can’t deny that he was basically the entire offense and they could have gotten blown out if he didn’t produce some standard electrifying plays. Maybe you want to argue that there was a missed call on a Vernon Davis catch in the fourth that would have made it 2nd & 2 instead of 3rd & 10. There were other blunders and miscues, including a missed roughing the kicker penalty that cost the team a greater chance of victory.

However, I saw a game where two evenly matched teams gained the exact same amount of yards on offense (308) that was decided and, most importantly, won by the team that made more big plays. These were two titans going at it, and to diminish the work of the other by making excuses for why the Niners lost seems petty and low to me. In the end, the Niners could have made more plays, they had their chances and took advantage of some, but the Seahawks made more.

Jumping to the last meaningful play of the game, the Richard Sherman interception, I question the context of Kaep challenging Sherman on a fade, not his mindset in a vacuum. Grantland’s Bill Barnwell noted that the Niners had put Quinton Patton on Sherman’s side most of the game, essentially playing 10 0n 10 and avoiding the Sherm’s side all together, and I’m not sure why this stopped on this play. They had trips to the opposite side with Patton as the far split out guy, why not switch him and Crab, and run dig with Crab, seam with Boldin who was the number 2 receiver, and Vernon on a flat route. Theoretically, against the Hawks cover three, the dig should be open and Crab’s best ability is catch and run (5th in the league in 2012 in yards after catch), giving the team a good chance at a touchdown or ball inside the five. I will never agree the fade being the choice Kaep made (the team from the QB and WR positions aren’t particularly strong at this route), and I won’t understand the sudden change in putting Crab on Sherman’s side. Regardless though, Sherman made a great play to tip the ball back in the field of play where only his teammates could catch it.

(I want to touch on Sherman’s comments after the game. Overall I have no problem with them, the personal attacks on Crabtree were a little too much, but in his article on mmqb.si.com yesterday he clearly showed that he doesn’t like him and that’s where all the woofing came from. He had a mike shoved right in his face right after an intense rivalry game, was excited, and, maybe, got a little carried away. My only problem was when he patted Crab on the ass in the most sarcastic good game of all time and then made a choke sign to Kaep. I get swag and confidence, but go celebrate with your team, and definitely don’t play the victim when you get shoved in the face. But like I said, I don’t really care, Sherm is super smart and probably had that whole interview planned out, knowing that he could greatly raise his profile by making some comments that would create a media whirlwind. If you don’t want him to talk, beat him. Here’s the link to Sherman’s article , read it and others he has written on the site before you judge him on the aftermath of this game and his dislike of Crabtree.)

With all of this said, knowing that the Niners have a great team coming back is very comforting. Mike Iupati “only” broke his fibula, I say only because it involves no ligaments and should heal with minimal complications, meaning he should be healthy in eight weeks. The rough injury, no doubt, was watching NaVorro Bowman destroying his ACL and MCL and knowing that he probably won’t be ready to start the season; but I have no doubt that he will be back and ready to contribute at his usual All-Pro level. There is also the case of Boldin and Donte Whitner being free agents, and I see the Niners only pursuing one of those guys. Boldin proved to be so valuable for Kaep, while Whitner mixes in highlight plays with blown coverages and tackling angles. I am OK with letting him go, even if it will hurt some. The Niners will get back nose tackle Ian Williams and full back Bruce Miller, and should count red-shirted rookies Tank Carradine (defensive end) and Marcus Lattimore (running back) as reinforcements as well. They also hold 13 picks in the draft, something that should give the team the ability to really go after players they like, a la Eric Reid in last years draft. Add this to more internal development of Reid, Kaep, Patton, and Vance McDonald, and there is only optimism in my mind about next year. I fully expect this team to once again be challenging for a Super Bowl, and after 10 years of horribleness, I can’t really ask for much more.