Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
Don't say I won't give you what you want.
I have watched the Niners play multiple times this year. Generally to root for losses to improve the Chiefs' second round pick in the upcoming draft. Whoops on that one.
This is a franchise - and especially this message board - that has seen every type of game manager possible. We may not be able to tell you exactly what a game manager is, but we know one when we see one. Garoppolo is one.
He's a good one - upper end. Similar to Jared Goff or Alex Smith during his days with Andy Reid (2017 Alex Smith is a good comparison with the dynamic run game and huge weapons at WR and TE). He's a top 10-15ish QB in the NFL.
But he doesn't scare people because we haven't seen him succeed at a high level when things are not lined up for him. Lots of QBs can look good with dynamic playcalling and weapons.
KC has also done really well - its best, actually - in its matchups with less mobile QBs, the category Garoppolo would fall into. Spagnuolo is creative at blitzing from anywhere/everywhere and disguising it very effectively.
This has worked against veteran QBs who are masters at diagnosing and shifting protection - guys like Tom Brady and Philip Rivers. That bodes well for making it worse against a more green QB like Garoppolo.
First, let me clarify something: There are no similarities between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, except for winning the MVP in their first full season as NFL starters. Jackson is a dynamic QB, but he's run first and needs to have specific circumstances to be effective as a passer.
That's not Mahomes. Russell Wilson is the best comparison, though Mahomes has more arm, if less perfect touch on his deep ball (Wilson does it best).
Imagine, for a second, that Russell Wilson, instead of Tyler Lockett and DK Metkalf and a bunch of dudes off the street, had played you this year with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, and Travis Kelce. And then upgrade his OL several notches. And then throw in a RB who is a really dangerous receiver out of the backfield (Damien Williams).
Oh, and instead of having a conservative, unimaginative offense, imagine that it was called by one of the most creative, innovative offensive minds in the NFL in the past 25 years.
How would those 49/Seahawks matchups have gone?
This is a good point. How disciplined the Chiefs remain in the face of all the motion and window dressing the 49ers use is a critical matchup.
Frank Clark and Suggs are very disciplined at E and will do their jobs. Guys like Mike Pennel and Derrick Nnadi have done the same at DT/NT. Chris Jones has really improved in this area up front and has done a better and better job as the year has gone on of being dynamic while also maintainig his gaps.
The key/question is going to be at LB. That's an area where Reggie Ragland has been really good and hit his keys/responsibilities. Hitchens and Wilson have not been as consistent.
Ragland's insertion into the starting lineup and heavy use replacing Darron Lee has been a real key for the Chiefs improved run defense. That, along with Pennel playing heavily on early downs, has been a big part of the Chiefs improved run D.
Final point I'll make here: KC has the personnel to run something similar to what the Patriots did to the Rams (6-1). And even in that set could still be creative in only sending 4-5 and being unpredictable with it.
Thanks. Honestly, the deficits that have come in the Chiefs two playoff games have been more about the Chiefs' mistakes than what the defenses around them have been doing.
The first two drives against Houston ended on third-down drops that would have been easy conversions (Third drive was a legit stop, but that was the only one Houston had all game until clock-killing time).
Same with Tennessee. The first two stalled drives were both due to drops on 3rd (one by Kelce, one by Hill).
The 49ers will be more effective in actually earning stops than either of those teams were, IMO.
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- Jimmy G and Game Management: Key games to counter this would be Steelers, coming back from a five turn over deficit and going toe-to-toe with Drew Brees and the Saints. Many point to his turn overs on the stat line but a lot of those were due to deflections from our WRs (drops seem to have gone down since benching Pettis and adding Sanders). I get why people think he is a game manager as that is what most games show, but that is all that is being asked of him, not what he is capable of. As the year went on the playbook opened up and Jimmy progressed significantly. After the Baltimore game (with the exception of the Saints) it seems like Shanahan had a focus on ball control in the latter quarter of the year. Why throw if you cant stop the run? Why open the playbook in the playoffs if the game doesn't dictate it? I think this game will require Jimmy to throw and prove one of our points (my guess is this is your defensive plan and they will be ready).
- PM, I stated he was most like Wilson. But was only pointing out we have experience in dual threat qb's which both PM and Lamar fall under that category.
- No sense in speculating on what match-ups would have been with the 'ifs'. Obviously different, but our divisional games against Seattle are always battles. Pete Caroll's head is being called for, no argument there. I actually now live outside of Seattle so I am surrounded by the noise (yes, another place with homeless people who sh*t on the floor but not at quite the volume as SF)
- Andy Reid is a solid coach, mainly because he came from a Niner pedigree
, but with 25 years he has a lot on tape that can be studied and game planned against.
- If you have a weakness at LB that is going to be trouble for you. Mossert went wild because of what he did in the second and third levels. The zone blocking that the Niners use will be studied for the next few years in the NFL as people try to figure out the best recipe to deny it regularly.