A Very Falcoholic Discussion: Planning For The 49ers

the running backs will be able churn out some tough yards like they did last year and set up some big play action passes to Roddy. This offense has been pretty quiet so far.

By the way, I think the SB Nation servers are running a little low on Falcohol today…very slow

Defense – smash their running game and make Hill throw the ball. Our pass defense has had some issues this season but they should be able to handle SF’s QB. Get a pass rush going and blitz a few times.

Offense – complete a few deep passes, work Gonzo in the 8 to 12 yd range, a few RB screens to Norwood and run Turner. Control the ball, wear out SF’s defense and protect Ryan. Try something really daring and play Norwood in the three slot a few times. A LB cannot cover him in the open field.

Defensively, I am concerned. If Turner hasn’t had a breakout game yet because of the O-line, then we should be able to postulate that much of the 49’er’s success running the ball is also due to THEIR line…not necessarily Frank Gore’s talent. He’s comparable to Turner in that he’s a finisher. Once up to speed, he’s no fun to try to tackle. Gap control, then, is key, and without personnel, BVG’s got to do some scheming to disrupt the middle of the line. If SF’s O-line placement isn’t predictable, then ATL’s secondary gets a whole ton better immediately.

Offensively, we gotta stay on the field. Please refer back to the Defensive Concerns. Without rhythm, our offense looks pretty mediocre so far. Please refer back to the Defensive Concerns. What builds rhythm is lots of plays. Taking away the short to intermediate passing game is easy if the run doesn’t work. We’re back to gap control.

I’ll be there either way.

That’s what the AJC is reporting. Can this really be true? Hard to imagine that he only needs 3 days to get game ready. The Swami sees a drug test in Mr. Ledbetter’s immediate future.

Norwood: Easiest, coaches need to follow through on their pledges to utilize him more in the main ofense. I know he’s been injured but, he wasnt getting a lot of plays when he wasn’t.

MATT RYAN: I swear, he is being babied. They give him all the praise in the world, why not give him the reigns, total control. Use the no huddle more and more importantly, TAKE SHOTS DOWNFIELD. This team might be the one that uses the long ball the least, i know Douglas is gone but im pretty sure Roddy can burn a little (and Jerius is back).

We need to utilize Norwood in the screen game, when he is in open space and out from behind the line of scrimmage(cuz he cant break tackles very well) that is when he is most dangerous, I love the slot receiver idea as well.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, NORWOOD WOULD TORCH WILLIS IN A FOOTRACE TO THE ENDZONE!
Let Ryan loose, he is throwing the ball very quickly to slants or TE across the middle, he needs to trust his line more and let the longer routes develop and throw them- take a shot!!
I beleive they will look much better this week, I predict a 24-10 Falcons win cuz the Crab thing is gonna keep the 49ers too busy the rest of this week!!! HE WONT PLAY AGAINST US ANYWAYS!!
lets go falcons
l-dawg

First and foremost. Look back to week 1, when Ryan took several shots downfield. He overthrew almost all of them. I’m not hating, many of you here on the Falcoholic know that I certainly don’t hate or even dislike any of the Birds players, but Mularkey may have looked at those passes and said, “He’s not ready for those yet.” or something along those lines. We don’t know. We’re fans (well, most of us) and we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes like that when it comes to the pros. This season is still young, our whole offense sans Tony G. is incredibly young, just be patient. This team is built for the long haul.

About Norwood. 40 yard dash times are a bit misleading. All a 40 yard dash time tells me is how fast I can run 40 yards in a straight line. Not to sound like a big headed person here, but it wasn’t that long ago that I could run in the mid 4.6s in the 40. Granted, I’m not toting 225 pounds around at that speed, but how often does that kind of speed matter, when just about every skill position runs that fast? Only in the extreme cases (4.3 and faster) does it really suggest that an athlete can be a super freak. What coaches REALLY desire is the 10 and 20 yard times. The 10 yard time is measured for explosion off the line and low-end acceleration. This time is especially important for DBs and Linemen, as the 10 is used for changing directions and closing burst, and the 20 is used mainly for explosion and safety coverage distance. For linemen, the 10 suggests what kind of burst they have off the ball, and we all know most linemen don’t run too terribly quick in the long distance, and I would imagine most coaches don’t care how fast their OL runs the 40. The 10 and 20 would be useful for screens/pulls and whatnot, but again, no OL will run 40 yards downfield unless there’s a touchdown.

The only time a 40 would really be relevant is in a deep-threat receiver or in a kick returner. Otherwise, they don’t carry quite as much weight. Very rarely do athletes get to stretch the field like that.

Obviously, there are many more things that come into play when it comes to speed. Running fast in one direction is fine (see Usain Bolt) but more often than not, the opposing team doesn’t just let you run in a straight line. That’s why 40 times are a bit misleading. It’s about so much more than just running 40 yards. It’s about how fast you can close in 10 yards, or if you’re at top speed by 20 yards. It’s also about how well you can change directions.

Also, Norwood probably would beat Willis in a footrace, hands down, but professional sprinters can actually train for different short distances, including the 40 and the 100. The only way to really know would be to watch it happen.

But Norwood is not just straight line fast, he is very shifty at the line of scrimmage, and has a change of direction skill that is unbelievable. Not to mention, just watch when he catches a screen pass how long it takes a defender to track him and start moving towards him, by then Jerious is usually already at the first down marker.

Post-game write-up? Too-many hy-phens?

Don’t let the game get ugly. What’s that saying about fighting a pig? You both get dirty and the pig likes it. The 49ers game plan is to not turn the ball over on offense and let their defense win games. If both teams bring their A-game this game should come down to field position and mistakes: penalties and turnovers. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins the game. I think the 49er defense will take away the running game and let Atlanta dink and dunk but keep the ball carriers in front of them, drives will stall on dropped passes, bad throws, penalties, sacks or turnovers. If however Atlanta plays mistake free football for a whole drive, they have too many weapons for any defense in the league to cover them all. The 49er offense will have a lot of three and outs, Sean Hill will get sacked 4 times, but they probrably won’t turn the ball over more than once. Hill is the master of getting sacked and not fumbling, he’s got good mits. Yeah, so if I’m an Atlanta coach this week I’m preaching ball security and no penalties.

I’m a 49er fan, so I know who brooks is. I don’t think the Falcons will beat the 49ers, but neither result would suprise me they’re very evenly matched. The Falcons have a little more talent but I think the 49ers are playing a more disciplined mistake free game right now and it’s a home game that the falcons have to fly across the country for. The game last week vs the Rams was nearly flawless and the game against the Vikings was at a level where if it was an NFC championship game it would have been a good, well played game. I think it’s a game that either team could lose very easily if they come out flat because I think a 14 point lead ices this game at any point, just don’t see either team comming back from more than that.