49ers vs. Lions: Niners Nation Q&A

I ran into that problem way back we weren’t even playing them. I was talking about Walter Payton how great he was. All positive stuff apperently I didn’t follow protocal lol.

We generally try to avoid hiding comments, but the two main site rules that’ll get comments hidden and you warned: 1) swearing outside of game threads and 2) personal attacks. It’s pretty straight forward. Things might get a little testy at times, but not too awful.

Welcome 49er fans! Congrats on the start to a successful season. Operating out of the NFC West, without question, you guys should have the division wrapped up, by the time the North is facing some seperation from co-leadership in our division. A loss in Detroit Sunday isn’t going to change that either.

There is no question that Lions fans think we have a pretty good team; BEST I’ve seen in my over 5 decades of being one, and after all the stinkers, the first one I believe in. Detroit is the best sports town in the country, and we love our Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons too, who have brought the fans many championships. All that aside, Detroit is a football town. If we had to choose a SuperBowl over a Worlld Series, Stanley Cup final, or NBA Championship, must of us would pick a SuperBowl; regardless of the majority of us never experiencing the feeling of the Lions reigning as Kings of football.

I’m not sure where Jim Schwartz grew up, but not only is he the best Lions’ coach I’ve seen, but he understands what professional football means to us; he observes, he feels, he is caught up in it… he gives credit where credit is due. Not only are the Lions’ brass building a playoff team, they are intent on building a dynasty; our prayers are being answered. As Schwartz says, “a lot of work still needs to be done.” At his post-game press conference, the first thing that he attributed to the victory over the Bears, was THE FANS ; he has the wisdom to know that we are all a part of it, and that there will be days when the 12th man will be needed to lift the spirits of the team… we are all there this season, and it’s only beginning. I’m sure whenever this era of Lion history ends, there will most likely be an annual NFL trophy awarded for excellence, and it will be called “THE SCHWARTZ!”

Jim Harbaugh is doing a wonderful job with the 49ers, and we love him too! It is because of his days are a hero in this town in the past, that most of us don’t wish to see a spanking laid on San Francisco, but if that ends up being the case, so be it; we’ll get over it, and still love Harbaugh. I know that Ford Field is going to be more jacked that it was last Monday, and as tough as the factors of Calvin being unstoppable, and Suh being the heat of the pressurer cooker, the 49ers will have less of an answer for THE 12TH MAN… the straw that stirs this toxic concoction, which our Defense is going to pour down your throats. It matters little who you are, or what you’ve done… the pieces are coming together with this team, we’re still adding more, and we got their backs; NOBODY is going to get a “W” in our crib this season!

This should be a closely fought game… The Lions are going to put a lickin’ on San Francisco, and they will limp outta town. After their rushing game is managed, AleX is gonna be running for his life and caught; the 49ers will know what it’s like to be dominated. A 10th DL has been added to the roster this week, and we have nothing to worry about as far as throwing deep on the Lions; that’s not Smith’s thing; neither is his attempts, passing TDs, and passing yardage, nor your defense against a real passing game. Welcome to a superior passing game vs. a sub-standard pass defense. BTW… we’re not worried about a dinky-doo passing game vs. an equally superior pass defense, which will be ready for those midget stats. Turn-over mistakes haven’t been the 49ers thing either, but a nasty Suh, Fairley Nasty & Co. will force them this week. Meanwhile, Stafford isn’t going to fool around the 1st quarter this week. You know about Calvin, and you will experience Titus Young and Brandon Pettigrew. I see more emphasis on the running game into the scheme this week, to set up a few bombs, to give our Defense the liberty to go into Destroy Mode. Popularity with a new Vegas line will grow… Over & Under False Starts at Ford Field; bet on the Over.

I’m not going to predict a blow-out, but it could happen…

DET 27 ~ SF 13

1. I personally, always supported Alex Smith, through the thick and thin. The large majority of the fan base wanted to trade for Kolb during the offseason (yuck) and some realized keeping Smith would be good considering the lockout. Currently, I’d say 85% of the fans support him, I mean who wouldnt? We’re winning, thats what fans care about

2. The playcalling, game management, qb changing every week got on everyone’s nerve, even our little Jed. But he was fired the minute we were out of playoff contention. We were happy to get rid of him because we eventually got Jim Harbaugh.

3. Product of the system. My gosh, best hands on the team. He gets a lot of flack on Ninersnation from a few fans, but the kid is really talented. My 2nd favorite Niner. Like I said before, great hands and nice vertical as well. Hopefully you guys see how for real he really is this sunday when he goes off! haha

1. Alex Smith is gone. This year we’re starting a guy named AleX Smith. Seriously. AleX Smith is much more decisive with the ball and is improving each game as the play book opens more and more. Don’t forget the 49ers have a new HC, OC and DC.

2. Mike Singletary’s act wore thin pretty quickly. He came on inspiring and motivating, but that’s all he did. He had no idea how to run a team because he was never a coordinator. He was stuck with an 80’s mindset of smash mouth football and refused to adjust, or really just didn’t know how. His game plan was literally, run, run, incomplete pass, punt. He can coach your line backers, but if he’s your HC, or any form of coaching where play calling is involved, be very very afraid. After all, he did say that the QB position was not important.

3. Too early to call Crabs a bust, but also nowhere close to calling him a success. He’s missed every single pre season so far, and his first HC and OC was Singletary and Jimmy Raye. We know he’s talented, we’re just upset that it doesn’t seem like he’s put in the time to get on the same page as AleX. Again we have no proof to verify that he hasn’t put in the time, but the media portrayal of Crabs around here is not flattering. He’s got a believer in me though, hopefully things will come together as he and AleX play along side each other more. AleX and the other receivers and TE’s are usually on the same page, knowing where to adjust routes etc. With Crabs, it’s usually a wrong route. The chemistry isn’t there yet.

we don’t have any…yeah, blows!

Covering the TE’s and RB’s are definitely on the LBs. Depending on the play call, the defense usually rushers 1 OLB, usually Ahmad Brooks, or if they rush 2 it would be Aldon Smith and Brooks. Haralson would probably be our best OLB in coverage, but he splits time with Smith because he isn’t the greatest pass rusher. Our ILB are Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman, Patrick Willis ran a 4.37 40 and I don’t know Bowman’s specific time but he apparently beat Willis in a sprint. So this is an extremely fast LB crew. The defense has a bend but don’t break mold, they usually stiffen up the shorter the field is because there are less holes. The secondary is definitely the weakest link on the defense, we’re still figuring it out there, but they’ve been solid the past few games, notching turnovers. Our weakest link in the secondary has to either be Goldson or our second corner, Brown. Goldson is the FS but he’s a hitter, not a ball hawk, which is why he racks up so many tackles. Brown is still fairly young and is in the line up because of injuries.

and/or possibly the safety. We tend to concede the underneath and run/tackle. Red zone defense has been stellar. We’ll let a team march down the field and then hold them to 3 or get a turnover/stone them on 4th down.

Secondary is getting it together. Rogers has shown ability to see things on tape and/or remember from past matchups with teams and make breaks on balls. Our safeties are hitters and pretty quick to the ball. Whitner and Goldson are a great tandem back there. Culliver (rookie 3rd round pick) has speed and can cover. He’s been worked into Nickel with Spencer hurt and Brock hurt as well. I expect improvement from Cully to the point where he’s starting Nickel and possibly even outside on base downs by season’s end.

In summation: the secondary seems to be catching up with the run-defense and we’re hoping to have a top-5 overall defense by season’s end.

I didn’t even think that the Lions will make the playoffs in the beginning of the year. Eating my own words now but I still think GB wins it.

In our division I have to give it to the Hawks or the Cards. The Cards are 3 games behind and the Hawks are 2. Our magic number I believe is 9 so we need this win so that we can be the first team to clinch a playoff berth

Lions are still very much in the race. Everyone else is basically out.

Pretty cut and dry, imo.

I said at the beginning of the year that the Lions would make it to the playoffs as a wild card as long as Stafford stayed healthy. Not a lot of people believed me. It’s looking pretty promising.

I think it’s possible the Lions can take the division. GB is strong but not infallible if your def can break through and really pressure Rodgers, they might be able to split the series. I wouldn’t put it past the Bears to also split with Green bay, and that might be all it takes if you guys and they are still close towards the end of the season. I really HOPE you guys take the divison -i live in chicago and am SO tired of hearing bears this, packers that blah blah blah.

Maybe the seahawks…Highly doubt the cardinals could…I think the rams and 9ers will give the cards too many problems for them to even think about coming back and taking the division.

a lot of the pressure is going to be coming from the LBs. The only time I can think of where they only send the D Line (3) and drop everyone else back is in a super 3rd and long situation or to protect against a hail mary. It’s much tougher to rack up the gaudy D Line numbers in a 3-4. We have a very good 3-4 lineman in Justin Smith, who is coming off his second straight Pro Bowl appearance and is still a consensus super under rated guy, not just by us, but by the media and broadcasters in general.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d822c9593/GameDay-49ers-vs-Eagles-highlights

If you go ahead and skip to the 3:07 mark you can see a 275 lb defensive lineman chase down Jeremy Maclin, who ran a reported 4.31 40 time, and strip the ball, sealing the game. But generally like I said, the pressure comes from the LB’s. A 3-4 lineman should be able to occupy blockers and stop the run, if you get pressure like Justin Smith or Ray McDonald, you’re going above and beyond your duties, and they’ve done that so far.

but we’re still getting 3 sacks a game or so and the secondary is playing well. The thing is, Justin Smith demands a double on every play so there are times when a delayed blitz goes unblocked. We have great pass rushers but our base DL has mostly bull-rushers, so the pocket get’s pushed but not penetrated on passing downs.

Not that SF has a top-notch pass rush or anything, but it should be noted.

They’re coming off the ball now, even against TB’s all-star DL (Clayborn, McCoy, Price, Bowers). The scheme is good and the OL is starting to get the protections and line-calls down, work together to block the right guys. Bruce Miller, our rookie DE-turned-FB has been a big upgrade over now-injured Moran Norris, who would routinely miss a block entirely or only execute it for 1 second…sometimes even ending up on the ground, alone.

The benching of Chilo Rachal
Moran Norris’ “injury”

and I think, to use my own scale of “how scary compared to the best NFL teams”, they’re a 7 or 8. The only weakness I see is that you guys don’t get going early, something that has been our M.O. as well until this season. I feel that we’ll stop the run, why not…we’ve done it 27 straight times (holding a RB to under 100 yards) including the likes of Adrian Peterson, Blount, LeSean McCoy, Steven Jackson, etc. We’re built to stop the run and give-up short passes, then clamp down in the red-zone.

The biggest fear I have is your DL, and Megatron. While our OL has greatly improved the last few weeks, Suh, Fairley, KVB, etc. are crazy hectic guys. Megatron is making jump-ball catches in triple-coverage, so how do we stop that? I think hitting Stafford early, within 3 seconds of the snap, and often is key. Make him throw passes so bad that Megatron can’t even make plays on them. Also, I expect our safeties to hit CJ hard and often too, hoping to make him even slightly tentative to go up for balls (though he doesn’t seem to ever hesitate there)

Might be the toughest game of the year (or close second to Harbaughbowl)

That’s the truth, ask around.

which is like syaing thank you to ****** for Megatron IMHO

Signletary didn’t even want to draft Patrik Willis at first.

49er fans may hate to admit it, but this defense was put together by Scott McCloughan (otherwise known as McBooFoo) and Greg Manusky.

DL coach Jim Tomsula has played a major role in shaping our front 7 too.

activated.

But, whatever puts you to sleep at night.

We still won.

I’m not sure what the purpose of your post is though? Scold us for our treatment of Alex Smith?

I hate it when games sell out; get all hoity-toity and uppity, forget where they came from just to make a quick buck.

Your record doesn’t give you an extra 5 yards per pass play or anything does it?

It will go both ways; whoever loses this game will come off as a paper tiger. Which is far from the truth on both ends.

I belive both of these teams are fairley level. Suh no matter who wins our Young team has alot to be LoJacked about. We are still climbling to the top of the Hill just as you are. The only real diffrence is the NFC north is a much stronger division Averall.

The hardest team on your schedule to beat, the Dallas Cowboys, you guys lost to at home. We beat them in Dallas. We are undefeated, you’re not. You played 3 outta the 5 games at home and lost 1, we played 3 outta the 5 games on the road and didn’t lose. We have Suh, Megatron, and Matthew Stafford with a coaching staff that’s headed into its 3rd year, you guys have a college coach in your first year with Alex Smith.

I don’t see any where how the 49ers have an advantage over us. I am biased, but I’m also a realist and you guys played a very easy schedule with the majority of them at home. Seattle, Cincy, Philly aren’t playoff teams and we beat the Bucs and Dallas too. I can’t see a team like the 9ers, though they are pretty good right now, beating one of the only two undefeated teams on their own field. Sorry, no disrespect, if this was New Orleans or Green Bay then I’d probably be a little more skeptical of winning, but the 49ers aren’t that caliber of team…yet.

at how intense the “debate” is on both blogs. I mean, for two teams that have sucked for almost the past decade you’d think there would be more happiness and excitement as opposed to almost endless arguing and marginalizing of the other team.

Apparently WAS/PHI is more important.

and then the one in LA is phili vs washington

We simply see matchups that favor our team; as you do yours. A bit of confidence, a home field advantage, and that’s all you need to feel good about this game if you’re a Lions fan.

I’m nervous about playing you guys. You have the ability to beat us, you’re likely our toughest opponent yet. Dallas may have something to say about that according to DVOA, but I consider you guys stronger. That said, if the Detroit Lions show up for a full four quarters as opposed to one, two, or three (we didn’t even show up for four quarters in our 48-3 blowout of KC), this is the best team in the league. Why wouldn’t I be confident?