49er Defense

[jimmyz]

We got our wish.  The big nasty Saints have been dispatched.


Then I saw a fan in the stands holding a sign claiming "We're Back!!!".  I was annoyed.  I'd forgotten what it was like to hate the 49ers.  At the same time I cannot deny their defense is championship calibre.  Frankly, I never understood the logic that if a team knocks off a powerhouse like the Saints, it's flukish and that we would just step into 'candlestick' (whatever they're calling it these days), thank them for knocking off the Saints and simply brush them aside.   That defense crushed the league's record setting offense for the majority of the game.  Perhaps they're good???  They made Brees look almost incompetent; not immortal.

I get flashbacks of post seasons where there is a dominant defensive force and that defensive force is not wearing blue.  I'm not saying they're the 85 Bears or the 00 Ravens but they're the closest thing in the 2012 playoffs.

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[vette]

Jimmy man, like the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it".

Yeah, the Saints gave a lot of that game away, but just like the Giants did, you can't make that many mistakes against a team like that and expect to pull a win out in the end. This is a tough hungry team. They played the saints the way the Giants could have/should have. I was actually hoping for the Saints to win because I actually believed the way the Giants have been playing, that the Giants could have put the same and even more pressure on them. I doubt however that the Giants secondary would have covered the receivers like a shadow as the Niner's did. The coverage was simply outstanding.

Right now the Giants will have all that they can handle in GB today.

[jimmyz]

Jimmy man, like the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it".

Yeah, the Saints gave a lot of that game away, but just like the Giants did, you can't make that many mistakes against a team like that and expect to pull a win out in the end. This is a tough hungry team. They played the saints the way the Giants could have/should have. I was actually hoping for the Saints to win because I actually believed the way the Giants have been playing, that the Giants could have put the same and even more pressure on them. I doubt however that the Giants secondary would have covered the receivers like a shadow as the Niner's did. The coverage was simply outstanding.

Right now the Giants will have all that they can handle in GB today.

I agree on all fronts.   They may not have a great pass rush though it was pretty good; but they covered in the back 7.  It certainly wasnt the jailbreak the Saints are accustomed to seeing. 

And +1000000 on the mistakes thing.  Beginning in GB, we'd better be VERY mindful of turnovers.  It has already been pointed out that GB flourishes on turnovers and if we manage to get by them, it will be no different in SF.  The Saints had there fair share of gaffes but I've seen every such instance of those types of mistakes from our team this season and we've been very fortunate the opposing team did not manage to capitalize on them.  That's the hallmark of a well coached defense.  They're alert and seize opportunities. They dont give anything up easy and they dont pass anything up either.

[Rambo89]

Turnovers are even more deadly against a team like the Packers who will bury you.  If that had been Green Bay against New Orleans yesterday they would have ended that game in the 1st half.

[vette]

Turnovers are even more deadly against a team like the Packers who will bury you.  If that had been Green Bay against New Orleans yesterday they would have ended that game in the 1st half.

Damn right.

[joeynygiants]

niners are in their nfc title game, for the 1st time since 1998, when the pack defeated them.

what a run their team had from 1981-1998.

81, 83, 84,, 88, 89,90,92,93,94,97, all nfc title games.

[Rambo89]

Think also about how many times they were the #1 seed in the NFC 81, 84, 87, 89, 90, 92, 94 and 97.  Its been a long time since the 49'ers were good so people forget how dominant that franchise was over a 15 year period. 

[Painter]

I wasn't nearly so impressed by the Niners defense as I was by their offense; in particular by its Alex Smith to Vernon Davis component (7/180/2).  I suppose we can credit the Niner defense for the four take-aways which set their offense up for it's early lead, but it gave up 472 yards and 32 points including a a potential game losing 66 yard TD pass from Brees to Graham followed by a 2 point conversion with 1:40 left in the game.

I am not suggesting that the Niners don't have a really solid defense; they did finish 4th in total yards, 2nd in points allowed which is impressive. But they are not as dominating in pass defense- middle of the pack 16th. And yesterday, had Alex Smith not made those two great throws to Vernon Davis in the last 40 seconds, the Niners pass defense would have been skewered by media and fans. Is that not so?

Whether the Niners play the Pack or the GMen next, they will be facing another Top 5 team passing team neither of which was noted for it's defense during the regular season.  The question then might be whether the Pack or Our Heroes can protect the ball better than did the Saints against a defense which depends heavily on TOs for its success. Of course, for the Giants to be able to answer that question, they first have to get past the team with the 2nd best (+24) TO net in the NFL.

Cheers!   

[bigblueinclearbluenc]

IMO the 49ers defense played awesome but if the Saints only TO the ball maybe once, they win this game big time. If we play like we did the last time we were in SF but the level we are playing now, with a healthy Boley, a Williams a little more refined, etc, we can win.
But, we have to win today and we have a good shot at the SB. IMO we match up better with the 49ers then the Saints, so we just have to win today.

[Painter]

If they do play the Giants, bigblueinclearblue, I hope the Niners D plays as "awesome" as they did yesterday sans the TOs,  If the Giants can hang 32 on them, I'll take my chances that they can keep the Niners' O below that given that they would have beaten the mighty Pack.  .

Seriously, it was the Niners offense which won that game. If they don't make that last minute TD drive, no one is talking about an awesome Niners D. Quite the opposite.

Cheers!

[NYSPORTS]

I thought both defenses stunk in the 4th qtr 

[Painter]

Speaking of defenses, Green Bay's gave up more yards than any other this season, a 411.6 Yds/G. average. What's equally amazing is the number of big plays they gave up: 80 plays of 20-plus yards, third-most in the league this season, and 26 more big plays than they gave up last season.

Yeah!, forcing TOs can save your bacon, but it's not something you can count on. TO differential has been a big asset for the Pack much as it has for the Niners. But it has been offense which has gotten the Pack to where they are just as it was offense which bailed the Niners out yesterday after their D had blown the lead in the last minute and a half.

Cheers!

[vette]

I wasn't nearly so impressed by the Niners defense as I was by their offense; in particular by its Alex Smith to Vernon Davis component (7/180/2).  I suppose we can credit the Niner defense for the four take-aways which set their offense up for it's early lead, but it gave up 472 yards and 32 points including a a potential game losing 66 yard TD pass from Brees to Graham followed by a 2 point conversion with 1:40 left in the game.

I am not suggesting that the Niners don't have a really solid defense; they did finish 4th in total yards, 2nd in points allowed which is impressive. But they are not as dominating in pass defense- middle of the pack 16th. And yesterday, had Alex Smith not made those two great throws to Vernon Davis in the last 40 seconds, the Niners pass defense would have been skewered by media and fans. Is that not so?

Whether the Niners play the Pack or the GMen next, they will be facing another Top 5 team passing team neither of which was noted for it's defense during the regular season.  The question then might be whether the Pack or Our Heroes can protect the ball better than did the Saints against a defense which depends heavily on TOs for its success. Of course, for the Giants to be able to answer that question, they first have to get past the team with the 2nd best (+24) TO net in the NFL.

Cheers!   

That Smith Davis connection was impressive. I was saying last night that if the Saints even tried to establish a running game, it would have opened up the air attack for Brees.

[katkavage]

Folks, I think some of us are getting way ahead of ourselves here.

[Painter]

In what regard, Kat?

Cheers!