The San Francisco 49ers are a great team that just fell short by a few yards of achieving their goal of winning a Super Bowl. As good as they were in 2012, they will not even get back to the Super Bowl in 2013. Here's why:
1. No losing team in the big game has gotten back to the Super Bowl since the Buffalo Bills of the early 1990's (last appearance 1994). Forget the fact that the Pats are the last Super Bowl winners to return the next season. History is not on San Francisco's side.
2. Frank Gore will be 30 years old next season. While the team will likely be moving towards an offensive system that will be more beneficial for Colin Kaepernick, they will still be reliant on a running game and their star back isn't getting any younger. More carries might be given to Kendall Hunter and/or LaMichael James which means instability in the backfield.
3. Front line was very fortunate this season. There might've had minor hits and bruises but nothing serious affected the offensive front line which was very fortunate for the 49ers in 2012. Their luck up front, however, might run out next year.
4. Can Colin Kaepernick manage to stay healthy an entire season? He doesn't seem to run it as much as Robert Griffin III or Michael Vick but the verdict so far on running quarterbacks is that they cannot last an entire season without being out for some time. Making sure that Colin is healthy for the 2nd half of the year and possibly the postseason is another reason why a solid running game (reason #2) is important along with trying to create a more friendly quarterback playbook for Colin.
5. A tough NFC West to fight through now. Seattle proved to be a very tough team in 2012, so much so that they were labeled as a Super Bowl contender. Mix this in with the fact that the Rams looked solid with Jeff Fisher as their coach and the Cardinals are looking to reboot somehow with their new coach Bruce Arians makes it no guarantee that the 49ers even make the postseason in 2013.
As pessimistic as I do seem to be about the 49ers chances next season, they can still be considered contenders. The team overall is still solid, they are now strong at the quarterback position, and they have Alex Smith as a marketable commodity.
If there is one thing that San Francisco needs to improve the most during the off season it's their secondary. Pass defense is something that needs attention which seems weird to say considering they were fourth in the league in pass defense. However, their defensive line was a big reason for that coupled with the fact they made team's one dimensional with their run defense. Getting some better (and less homophobic) defensive backs will make that team a true nightmare to move the ball on.
Despite how good the team looks now and the moves they will make during the off season, there is no way I am picking them to win the Super Bowl next year. I don't have a guess for 2013 yet, it's way too soon to do that. But I can say it won't be my beloved 49ers.
Showing posts with label Robert Griffin III. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Griffin III. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Ravens Win at Home and Seahawks Beat Redskins and Injured RG3
The wild card round of the postseason finished earlier today in the NFL with some great games.
First, the Colts went back to Baltimore to face the Ravens in Ray Lewis' last game at home. Lewis gave the crowd some great dancing throughout and managed to go the distance with his injured arm. The defense played a solid game despite the fact that they were on the field most of the time. They held the Colts and Andrew Luck to just 3 field goals. The Ravens, meanwhile, managed a few touchdowns themselves and won it 24-9. Lewis was in on the last play of the game as Flacco and the offense kneeled it down for the victory.
The 2nd game had the Seahawks going on the road to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins. Seattle got off to a slow start while Robert Griffin III and the 'Skins offense managed to score two touchdowns on their first two possessions. After that, RG3 re-injured his leg again and that offense couldn't do a thing after that. The Seahawks then scored 24 unanswered points throughout the rest of the game. RG3 came out in the 4th quarter after a bad snap fumble lead to his leg buckling. Seahawks win 24-14 and are the only visiting team to win this weekend.
Sunday ends with Russell Wilson being the only rookie QB of the three rookie QB's in the playoffs. You know, the one least talked about during the draft, the season, and the wild card round.
First, the Colts went back to Baltimore to face the Ravens in Ray Lewis' last game at home. Lewis gave the crowd some great dancing throughout and managed to go the distance with his injured arm. The defense played a solid game despite the fact that they were on the field most of the time. They held the Colts and Andrew Luck to just 3 field goals. The Ravens, meanwhile, managed a few touchdowns themselves and won it 24-9. Lewis was in on the last play of the game as Flacco and the offense kneeled it down for the victory.
The 2nd game had the Seahawks going on the road to Washington D.C. to face the Redskins. Seattle got off to a slow start while Robert Griffin III and the 'Skins offense managed to score two touchdowns on their first two possessions. After that, RG3 re-injured his leg again and that offense couldn't do a thing after that. The Seahawks then scored 24 unanswered points throughout the rest of the game. RG3 came out in the 4th quarter after a bad snap fumble lead to his leg buckling. Seahawks win 24-14 and are the only visiting team to win this weekend.
Sunday ends with Russell Wilson being the only rookie QB of the three rookie QB's in the playoffs. You know, the one least talked about during the draft, the season, and the wild card round.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thanksgiving Football: Blowouts and an OT
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving day. If not, three football games hopefully took your mind off that fact.
The first one ended up being a close finish. The Texans and the Lions played a back and forth game and then some. Every time that the Lions got in front, the Texans came back. Houston didn't grab the lead until the overtime winning field goal that gave them the win 34-31. Both teams had over 1000 yards of combined offense in this game but it's the Texans that get the win and possibly end the postseason chase for the Lions.
The next game featured the traditional Cowboys and Indians match up but this time with Robert Griffin III. The Redskins came to Dallas to play the Cowboys in their traditional home Thanksgiving game and from the start RG3 owned this game. RG3 threw for 311 passing yards for 4 TDs and one INT. The Redskins went up 28-3 by halftime. The Cowboys didn't go away and tried to come back but they ended up losing to the Redskins 38-31 anyway. Tony Romo threw the ball 62 times in this one for 441 yards and 3 TDs but he also threw 2 INTs. This was also Romo's first loss as Cowboys QB on Thanksgiving.
The last "game" of the day was the Patriots coming into New Jersey and putting the Jets to bed and not with Turkey. A crazy 2nd quarter which involved 3 Tom Brady TD throws and a couple of fumbles returned for TDs gave the Pats 35 points in the quarter alone. The Jets ended up turning the ball over 5 times with 4 of those by fumbles. The Pats destroy the Jets 49-19 and dash any remaining chance for a postseason for NYJ.
I am thankful that yesterday featured a great day of football for us all to enjoy. Hope it wasn't all you did though. Now I got to go. I got leftover Pumpkin Pie for breakfast.
P.S. Can the Jets open their Christmas present early this year?
The first one ended up being a close finish. The Texans and the Lions played a back and forth game and then some. Every time that the Lions got in front, the Texans came back. Houston didn't grab the lead until the overtime winning field goal that gave them the win 34-31. Both teams had over 1000 yards of combined offense in this game but it's the Texans that get the win and possibly end the postseason chase for the Lions.
The next game featured the traditional Cowboys and Indians match up but this time with Robert Griffin III. The Redskins came to Dallas to play the Cowboys in their traditional home Thanksgiving game and from the start RG3 owned this game. RG3 threw for 311 passing yards for 4 TDs and one INT. The Redskins went up 28-3 by halftime. The Cowboys didn't go away and tried to come back but they ended up losing to the Redskins 38-31 anyway. Tony Romo threw the ball 62 times in this one for 441 yards and 3 TDs but he also threw 2 INTs. This was also Romo's first loss as Cowboys QB on Thanksgiving.
The last "game" of the day was the Patriots coming into New Jersey and putting the Jets to bed and not with Turkey. A crazy 2nd quarter which involved 3 Tom Brady TD throws and a couple of fumbles returned for TDs gave the Pats 35 points in the quarter alone. The Jets ended up turning the ball over 5 times with 4 of those by fumbles. The Pats destroy the Jets 49-19 and dash any remaining chance for a postseason for NYJ.
I am thankful that yesterday featured a great day of football for us all to enjoy. Hope it wasn't all you did though. Now I got to go. I got leftover Pumpkin Pie for breakfast.
P.S. Can the Jets open their Christmas present early this year?
Monday, September 10, 2012
Manning's Fine Broncos Debut, RG3 King of the Rookies, Jets Score a Lot and More
The first NFL Sunday of the year passed by with a lot of stories to talk about. One of which was Peyton Manning.
Manning made his Broncos debut and at Mile High where they faced the visiting Steelers. Manning got off to a slow start not using the offense that he is use to. When they did switch to the no huddle style of Manning's, it was fantastic. Manning threw two TDs on the day which got him over the 400 mark for a career, the first of which was a 71 yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas. The Broncos did win the game thanks to a late pick six by Tracy Porter to seal the deal. Final was 31-19.
There were a lot of rookie QB's on showcase yesterday and they stunk for the most part with the notable exception being Robert Griffin III. The Redskins and RG3 went into the Superdome to take on the angered Saints and they surprisingly came out on top. RG3 threw for 2 TDs on the day including the one in the first quarter to Pierre Garcon for 88 yards. RG3 went 19/26 with 320 passing yards and also ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards. Meanwhile, Drew Brees looked sub par going 24/52 with 339 passing yards, 3 TD passes, and 2 INTs. The debuting RG3 and the Redskins upset the Saints 40-32.
While that was a surprising outcome, the Jets shocked me more. Despite a lack of preseason TDs, there was no shortage going against Buffalo. They managed 4 offensive TDs with the first three of them being 3 TD passes from Mark Sanchez (not Tebow). One of his finest performaces ever as Sanchez goes 19/27 with 266 passing yards, 3 TD passes, and 1 INT. Jets pick apart the Bills 48-28.
As for some other games, the Patriots beat the Titans 31-13 as Brady threw for 236 yards and 2 TDs. They actually had a running game here with 162 yards on the ground with 125 of that coming from Steven Ridley. Both the Lions and the Eagles escape upsets. Detroit beat St. Louis 27-23 and Philly beats Cleveland 17-16. Matthew Stafford threw 1 TD and 3 INTs while Vick threw 2 TDs and 4 INTs. Then Russell Wilson and the Seahawks almost beat the Cardinals with less than a half minute remaining in part because of the officiating crew forgot how many TO's Seattle had. Luckily for Arizona, Braylon Edwards drops what so should've been the winning score and the Cardinals win 20-16.
An eventful first Sunday across the NFL as there were plenty of surprises. I'm sure if you're a Jets fan you do like that. Week 1 wraps up tonight with two Monday Night games with the first being Bengals vs. Ravens and the second being Chargers vs. Raiders.
P.S. To see my full scoop on the 49ers beating the Packers, click here. Be sure to visit the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the 49ers each week before and after the games.
Manning made his Broncos debut and at Mile High where they faced the visiting Steelers. Manning got off to a slow start not using the offense that he is use to. When they did switch to the no huddle style of Manning's, it was fantastic. Manning threw two TDs on the day which got him over the 400 mark for a career, the first of which was a 71 yard TD pass to Demaryius Thomas. The Broncos did win the game thanks to a late pick six by Tracy Porter to seal the deal. Final was 31-19.
There were a lot of rookie QB's on showcase yesterday and they stunk for the most part with the notable exception being Robert Griffin III. The Redskins and RG3 went into the Superdome to take on the angered Saints and they surprisingly came out on top. RG3 threw for 2 TDs on the day including the one in the first quarter to Pierre Garcon for 88 yards. RG3 went 19/26 with 320 passing yards and also ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards. Meanwhile, Drew Brees looked sub par going 24/52 with 339 passing yards, 3 TD passes, and 2 INTs. The debuting RG3 and the Redskins upset the Saints 40-32.
While that was a surprising outcome, the Jets shocked me more. Despite a lack of preseason TDs, there was no shortage going against Buffalo. They managed 4 offensive TDs with the first three of them being 3 TD passes from Mark Sanchez (not Tebow). One of his finest performaces ever as Sanchez goes 19/27 with 266 passing yards, 3 TD passes, and 1 INT. Jets pick apart the Bills 48-28.
As for some other games, the Patriots beat the Titans 31-13 as Brady threw for 236 yards and 2 TDs. They actually had a running game here with 162 yards on the ground with 125 of that coming from Steven Ridley. Both the Lions and the Eagles escape upsets. Detroit beat St. Louis 27-23 and Philly beats Cleveland 17-16. Matthew Stafford threw 1 TD and 3 INTs while Vick threw 2 TDs and 4 INTs. Then Russell Wilson and the Seahawks almost beat the Cardinals with less than a half minute remaining in part because of the officiating crew forgot how many TO's Seattle had. Luckily for Arizona, Braylon Edwards drops what so should've been the winning score and the Cardinals win 20-16.
An eventful first Sunday across the NFL as there were plenty of surprises. I'm sure if you're a Jets fan you do like that. Week 1 wraps up tonight with two Monday Night games with the first being Bengals vs. Ravens and the second being Chargers vs. Raiders.
P.S. To see my full scoop on the 49ers beating the Packers, click here. Be sure to visit the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for my take on the 49ers each week before and after the games.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Russell Wilson Named Seahawks Starter
Right now Matt Flynn is saying WTF somewhere and drinking himself into a stupor.
The Third Preseason game for the Seahawks had Russell Wilson starting as they wanted to see what this kid could do. After going 13/19 throwing for 189 yards and 2 TDs, the Seahawks have now named him the starter for the regular season. This after the fact that they traded for Matt Flynn who had a couple great outings as a backup QB for the Packers. This news from the Seahawks makes Wilson the 5th starting rookie QB named across the league joining Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Brandon Wheedon, and Ryan Tannehill.
What is going on the NFL? A few teams see how well Cam Newton and Andy Dalton do their first year and they now just want to throw their own rookie QB's into the fire? Maybe it's the way the league is going. Or perhaps its just one year of teams looking for a bunch of new QB's. Or it's an very impressive rookie class.
Whatever it is, I hope that Wilson can see over the line he will be working with. Hasn't affected him so far.
The Third Preseason game for the Seahawks had Russell Wilson starting as they wanted to see what this kid could do. After going 13/19 throwing for 189 yards and 2 TDs, the Seahawks have now named him the starter for the regular season. This after the fact that they traded for Matt Flynn who had a couple great outings as a backup QB for the Packers. This news from the Seahawks makes Wilson the 5th starting rookie QB named across the league joining Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Brandon Wheedon, and Ryan Tannehill.
What is going on the NFL? A few teams see how well Cam Newton and Andy Dalton do their first year and they now just want to throw their own rookie QB's into the fire? Maybe it's the way the league is going. Or perhaps its just one year of teams looking for a bunch of new QB's. Or it's an very impressive rookie class.
Whatever it is, I hope that Wilson can see over the line he will be working with. Hasn't affected him so far.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)