49ers GDT

[Pugger]

Clay was really good, only in his 2nd year if I recall. Not better than Za’Darius was last year.


I think X facto Charles Woodson on the field, off the field, locker room, team leader >>>>>>>>> Anyone we have now by a mile.



Jaire is turning into a game altering player just getting the ability to erase a teams best player, but he also isn’t making the game changing plays the way someone like Nick Collins could do.

I tend to find these comparisons futile, ya have to compare opponents over the course of the season as well as ability of team mates, scheme tasks and responsibility's, just so many variables that play into this stuff, course I'am biased towards Mathews some, and Z has really only had one year, and now seems to be playing better so we'll see if he can change my mind.

I was so high on Mathews the year he was drafted, then for Ted to trade back up to get him just blew me away, my faith in Ted Thompson really spiked after that

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't one of the pluses of trading Favre to NY it gave us the ammo to enable us to move back into the first round to take Clay?

[RingoCStarrQB]

Wasn't that Dom's crush too? IMO this translates into: my guys are just not good enough, so I do what I can to at least prevent easy TD's. But Pettine had 2 drafts as DC, right? This just doesn't look too good, I just hope that at some point Pettine escapes thru aggressiveness (Blitzkrieg!) and not like Dom's wait-and-see approach that got us slaughtered in the late 2010's.

This is why I get so frustrated with the defense..........Capers' defense, Pettine's defense, Sanders' defense, Bates' defense, Donatell's defense, Slowik's defense, Thomas' defense, Rhodes' defense, Bullough's defense, Modzelewski's defense, Meyer's defense, Hanner's defense...... and you're s'posed to be a helluva defense!! GRAB GRAB GRAB!!!

The 1996 Packers defense under Fritz Shurmur gave up only 19 TDs in the regular season. Now that was a defense. White, Dotson, Brown, Jones, Koonce, Williams, Simmons, Evans, Newsome, Butler and Robinson.

2010 was good enough because we had some stars on defense -- Charles Woodson, AJ Hawk, BJ Raji, Ryan Pickett, Clay Matthews and Nick Collins.

The 1970s and 1980s defenses were nothing special .......... a few stars that I can recall and that's it: Willie Buchanon, John Anderson, Fred Carr, Mark Lee, Ken Ellis.

Why does this have to be this hard?

GO PACK GO !!

That defense we had in 1996 was one of the best in league history. In 2010 we had more playmakers than we have now. Would a new DC make a difference now? I suppose it can't hurt...

If you believed all of the hype that we heard about Clark, Alexander, Savage, Gary, and the Smith Bros........and Montrav Adams, you'd think we would be close to being right there with the 2010 defense (the other defensive starters were Jenkins, Bishop, Zombo, Tramon and Peprah). But no, instead we still have #37 on the field making goof ball plays on key down and distance downs. We sorely and surely need a Grady Jackson-like plug. And a new crop of inside linebackers.

[go pak go]

We sorely and surely need a Grady Jackson-like plug. And a new crop of inside linebackers.

No. We need Kenny Clark to be that. We need Zadarius Smith to be Z. We need Preston Smith to be the complimentary pass rusher to Z. We need Gary to continue his progression. We need Savage to continue to grow confidence in this defense.

I kept saying this about Rodgers last year. I was very hard on Rodgers last year because Rodgers deserved it. We literally added NO ONE on offense from what we had last year. The supporting talent is the same.

The change is more familiarity with the scheme and total buy in and significant better play from Rodgers. It is the duty and role of the star players to play to their star level. Star players are elevate the play of their teammates. Not the other way around. We as fans have an obsession of defending star players and look for help from outside to help the star players. It should always be the other way around.

If our stars play like stars, this defense is scary. But if Montravious Adams continues to be the biggest playmaker on the defensive line, then we will continue to be looking at a 15th to 20th ranked defense in the league.

[Yoop]

Clay was really good, only in his 2nd year if I recall. Not better than Za’Darius was last year.


I think X facto Charles Woodson on the field, off the field, locker room, team leader >>>>>>>>> Anyone we have now by a mile.



Jaire is turning into a game altering player just getting the ability to erase a teams best player, but he also isn’t making the game changing plays the way someone like Nick Collins could do.

I tend to find these comparisons futile, ya have to compare opponents over the course of the season as well as ability of team mates, scheme tasks and responsibility's, just so many variables that play into this stuff, course I'am biased towards Mathews some, and Z has really only had one year, and now seems to be playing better so we'll see if he can change my mind.

I was so high on Mathews the year he was drafted, then for Ted to trade back up to get him just blew me away, my faith in Ted Thompson really spiked after that

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't one of the pluses of trading Favre to NY it gave us the ammo to enable us to move back into the first round to take Clay?

I think so, but the comments from Ted after the draft makes me think he would have used another pick if he had to, he said he would have taken Mathews possibly in the teens if Raji and the receiver (name alludes me) where off the board, makes sense because Mathews play proved worthy of that slotting.

[Yoop]

We sorely and surely need a Grady Jackson-like plug. And a new crop of inside linebackers.

No. We need Kenny Clark to be that. We need Zadarius Smith to be Z. We need Preston Smith to be the complimentary pass rusher to Z. We need Gary to continue his progression. We need Savage to continue to grow confidence in this defense.

I kept saying this about Rodgers last year. I was very hard on Rodgers last year because Rodgers deserved it. We literally added NO ONE on offense from what we had last year. The supporting talent is the same.

The change is more familiarity with the scheme and total buy in and significant better play from Rodgers. It is the duty and role of the star players to play to their star level. Star players are elevate the play of their teammates. Not the other way around. We as fans have an obsession of defending star players and look for help from outside to help the star players. It should always be the other way around.

If our stars play like stars, this defense is scary. But if Montravious Adams continues to be the biggest playmaker on the defensive line, then we will continue to be looking at a 15th to 20th ranked defense in the league.

you keep saying this, why? when you know that players rarely play exactly the same from year to year and even a slight increase or decline makes such a huge difference, you rag on Rodgers then in the next sentence you admit that players have improved simply due to experience with Lafluers schemes, obviously that includes Rodgers, and we still see Scantling, Brown and other dropping very well thrown footballs.

I've read more pundents say things like " a minut route adjustment is all it takes for a receiver to be open or covered and the QB forced to look elsewhere, and we both know damn well that all QB's miss open receivers at times, you act like Rodgers is some how the only one, so tired of you and others here bitching about Rodgers, for basically your entire football fanship your team has had a HOF QB, wish I could say that, how many QB's did we have between Starr and Favre? you should get on your knees and beg forgiveness for your harsh words you heathen

who ya want today Minny or the Lions? I love watching football when I don't care who wins.

[Pugger]

We sorely and surely need a Grady Jackson-like plug. And a new crop of inside linebackers.

No. We need Kenny Clark to be that. We need Zadarius Smith to be Z. We need Preston Smith to be the complimentary pass rusher to Z. We need Gary to continue his progression. We need Savage to continue to grow confidence in this defense.

I kept saying this about Rodgers last year. I was very hard on Rodgers last year because Rodgers deserved it. We literally added NO ONE on offense from what we had last year. The supporting talent is the same.

The change is more familiarity with the scheme and total buy in and significant better play from Rodgers. It is the duty and role of the star players to play to their star level. Star players are elevate the play of their teammates. Not the other way around. We as fans have an obsession of defending star players and look for help from outside to help the star players. It should always be the other way around.

If our stars play like stars, this defense is scary. But if Montravious Adams continues to be the biggest playmaker on the defensive line, then we will continue to be looking at a 15th to 20th ranked defense in the league.

[Pckfn23]

Fennell on Thursday's game:

Aaron Rodgers led the offensive onslaught against the 49ers by being sound and sturdy in the pocket. He had only one scramble and rarely looked to extend the play into late progressions.

When the 49ers showed an advantageous single-high safety pre-snap, Rodgers had Davante Adams in single coverage. All Rodgers had to do was check the free safety with his eyes post-snap and let it loose. Adams hauled in a 34-yard reception and a 36-yard touchdown on similar single-high looks with Rodgers releasing the ball on both in under 2.5 seconds.

Rodgers averaged 2.38 seconds to throw against the 49ers, according to Pro Football Focus. In three of eight games this season, he is averaging under 2.5 seconds. Rodger only accomplished this stat in six of 140 games previously.

The Packers got solid play against the 49ers from many rotational role players on their defensive front, especially after getting pounded by the Vikings rushing attack last week.

I thought defensive tackles Montravius Adams, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry all played solid in their snaps. While none of the three are core or impact players, getting sufficient contributions from them is part of fielding a complete roster.

I don’t expect any to earn more playing time (without an injury), but it’s refreshing to see the ability in small doses when they are on the field.

Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine made some schematic changes after Dalvin Cook ran over and through his defense last week.

Pettine went to a heavier base defense to match up with the 49ers’ heavy offensive personnel. I noticed more bodies on the line of scrimmage, which often contained six players across the front. But the subtle change was implementing more under fronts by the defensive line. This front puts the 3-technique defensive tackle to the weak or open side of the defense. This gives those players on the backside more single blocks and fewer threats of double-teams.

You’ll notice the defensive tackles on the backside are Lancaster, Adams and Lowry, all of whom have struggled in double-teams.

Billy Turner has started at left tackle for the injured David Bakhtiari in three consecutive games, and it’s time to assess his 171 snaps.

Bakhtiari’s athleticism and quickness are difficult to replace, but Turner looked better in the run game against the 49ers after struggling the previous two games.

In pass protection, Turner has only allowed four combined QB pressures in the three games at left tackle, which is an improvement after allowing nine QB pressures in the previous three games at his traditional right-tackle spot.

It seemed every time Rodgers was looking downfield on Thursday night, Turner was there providing one-on-one pass protection:

Darnell Savage had one of his strongest games, only four days removed from arguably one of his worst performances in the green and gold.

Open-field tackling and being the last line of defense hasn’t served Savage’s skill set well. He needs to be in the middle of the defense to be a threat in the passing lanes, to blitz and to shoot gaps in the run game.

We saw Savage put in this role on Thursday. He was used as a Cover-1 Robber in the first half, which moves him to the middle of the field to read the quarterback’s eyes and take away in-breaking throws. Savage reacted flawlessly and now the next step is to cash in on interception opportunities.

Later in the game, Savage was in the box and penetrated the backfield. His quick foot speed and reaction allowed him to avoid the crack block by the wide receiver.

Red-zone defense
Coming into Week 9, the Packers defense was the only unit in the NFL allowing 100-percent scoring in the red zone this season: allowing 17 TDs and six FGs in 23 trips.

But the Packers finally got a red-zone stop! It happened in the fourth quarter as the 49ers tried to convert a fourth-down attempt from the Packers’ 5-yard line. Most of the Packers were late getting lined up, but Kenny Clark and Ty Summers were in place and ready for the QB sneak run by Nick Mullens. Summers played right over Clark in the A-gap and held up Mullens until his teammates arrive.

Third-year WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling showed us exactly why he’s one of the most frustrating and inconsistent performers in the Packers’ receiver room.

Valdes-Scantling has been routinely unreliable in underneath receptions, dropping a gift-wrapped pass on third and 4 that certainly would have moved the chains. It prompted a stare and clear frustration from Rodgers.

But he was able to redeem himself with his downfield play-making abilities, something he has been reliable at in his young career.

Valdes-Scantling hauled in a textbook post-corner-post route where he was able to spin around the half-field safety and finish the play for a 52-yard TD and the game’s biggest play. MVS now has 18 downfield (20-plus air yards) receptions in his career and only two downfield drops; he has nine drops everywhere else on the field.

The post-corner-post or PCP route was something often run by Jordy Nelson throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure.

[Pugger]

Those clips of Adams and Lowry are interesting but SF's OL this year isn't all that great so I don't know how much credence we can give it. We'll see down the line when we play more potent offenses.

[NCF]

Might be his best one.

I finally got around to looking for this. This guy has a serious gift. The Michael Scott/Toby analogy was so damn funny.

[Pckfn23]

[go pak go]

I want to see this defense play more of Montravious and Keke and less of Lowry and Lancasater. Though Lancaster still definitely has a large role vs physical running teams.

So might not be bad to keep him at nose consistently for the stretch.