AP photo: New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees (9) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick converse concluding last Sunday’s game at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara. Kaepernick and the 49ers prepare for Sunday’s game with the Arizona Cardinals at Glendale AZ
On the 49ers podcast with Joe Lami:
The 49ers (1-7) will continue their quest for win number two as the 49ers will continue their efforts against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix this Sunday. The 49ers will see quarterback Colin Kaepernick starting under center whose been throwing with a lot of velocity as the offense continues to sputter. Kaepernick while having some moments of throw a good ball the 49ers have had a tough time getting into the end zone for example like against New Orleans last week. The 49ers-Cardinals game coverage will be with Daniel Dullum as Joe Lami podcasts for the 49ers for this week’s upcoming game.
AP photo: San Francisco 49ers Keith Reaser (27) tries to slow down New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) last Sunday in the first half at Levis Stadium, the 49ers defense whose had trouble all season will need to stop the Arizona Cardinals run at the University of Phoenix at Glendale this coming Sunday
By: Joe Lami
SANTA CLARA–The San Francisco 49ers continue their nightmare season this Sunday, traveling to Arizona to take on NFC West division foe. Things aren’t looking bright either, as the experts give the Niners just a 10% chance of coming away with a win.
Once again, the defense has to be in question for San Francisco, after they are on the wrong side of history after last week’s loss to the Saints. In the last three games, San Francisco has surrendered 810 yards on the ground, the most in a three-game span during the Super Bowl era.
Mark Ingram also reached the 100-yard plateau, making him the seventh straight running back to rush over the century mark. This stat is also a new NFL record.
The 32nd ranked defense will have a challenge in front of them with running back David Johnson, who has 705 yards on the ground this season. They will also face the aerial bombardment from Carson Palmer, who’s thrown for over 2,000 yards on the season. His main target is Larry Fitzgerald, who’s caught for 554 of those yards and five touchdowns.
AP file photo: Arizona Cardinal running back David Johnson (31) takes a leap of faith over Carolina Panthers defender Robert McClain (27) last Sunday. Johnson and the Cardinals will face the 49ers this Sunday.
The 49ers are giving up record numbers of yards on the ground up around 150 yards or more every game to be honest your going to loose games if your giving up that much yardage controlling the clock, controlling the field position it’s impossible. You can survive a game like that maybe once or twice but given the consistency of it. The Arizona Cardinals who already played the 49ers will host them again at the University of Phoenix at Glendale this Sunday.
The Cardinals know they can take advantage of the awful 49ers run defense the Cards are going to give the ball to David Johnson and he’s going to run it down their throats. The 49ers haven’t shown any ability to stop the run. As of Wednesday were not sure of the full status of Eric Armstead as he got hurt in the last game.
San Francisco 49ers running back Mike Davis fumbles the ball near the goal line as New Orleans Saints inside linebacker Nate Stupar (54) and free safety Jairus Byrd, bottom, look on during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
By Morris Phillips
On Sunday, Colin Kaepernick provided hope with an eye-opening first half that had the 49ers within reach of the Saints, and in position to rally and end their six-game losing streak.
But in a second half littered with miscues and poor throws, Kaepernick and the 49ers wilted in a 41-23 loss that again placed the microscope squarely on the team’s controversial quarterback, and their historically-poor defense.
Kaepernick finished 24 of 39 for 398 yards in his best performance of the season. But he set up the Saints with a first half interception that was a big piece of the visitors’ start that saw them lead 21-3 in the second quarter. And with the 49ers driving in the third quarter with a shot to chop into the Saints’ 31-20 lead, Kaepernick missed on seven straight passes, most of which were simply errant throws, as the game slipped away early in the fourth quarter.
“I thought there were some throws in the pocket that if we could’ve completed them then we’d have stayed on the field and kept some drives alive,” Coach Chip Kelly said of Kap’s afternoon. “But I also thought he did some really, good things, fit some balls in there. A couple of balls to Vance McDonald were big plays to us. Tried to take advantage of some of the things he did, but again, I think the story for us offensively, we fumbled on the 1, we fumbled on the 10, and then we didn’t convert on a fourth-and-1.”
Kelly’s rapid-fire postgame recap was not only comprehensive, succinct, it did the math as well. The 49ers lost by 18 points in a game where they were driving—and failed—to score at least 21 other points. But that merely reveals the other issue. The 49ers’ struggling defense may have had its worst day yet.
The 41 points scored by the Saints and the timeless Drew Brees were the most by an opponent in the 21-game history of Levi’s Stadium. For the seventh straight week, the 49ers allowed a 100-yard rusher in the Saints’ Mark Ingram. And Brees did his thing, persistently testing the vulnerable San Francisco back seven downfield, and coming up with 323 yards passing and three touchdowns for his efforts.
Ingram’s had big days in his career, but probably few like this where he needed just 15 carries to reach 158 yards rushing. On his 75-yard touchdown run in the first half that put the Saints comfortably ahead 28-10, 49ers’ safety Antoine Bethea was left flailing along the sideline for a back who’s not known for his afterburners.
“It was a mishap on defense and, at the end of the day, we need to get him down,” Bethea admitted.
“We just need to correct things.”
Those corrections will be in tight focus in the next two weeks in which the 49ers will see Carson Palmer, David Johnson in Arizona, then return home to face Tom Brady and the Patriots. Unfortunately for the 49ers, the record for points allowed in a season set by the Baltimore Colts in 1981 (520 points) looms for a defense that allowed more points than their league-worst 31.3 average on Sunday.
GAME BEHIND THE GAME: The Mike Davis fumble (pictured above) that short-circuited the 49ers’ opening drive of the second half, and kept them from opening the half with momentum, and potentially climb within 31-27, when they trailed 28-10 in the second quarter, highlights all that ails a football team that hasn’t won since opening day, and will undoubtedly experience challenging days going forward.
Davis, the second year back from South Carolina, was forced into the game earlier in that drive when DuJuan Harris was temporarily knocked from the game after a hard tackle courtesy of safety Kenny Vaccaro. Harris ran the ball well in the first half, and went for a game-best 19 yards on the play he was hurt.
Harris was replacing Carlos Hyde, the team’s starter, and the prototypical Chip Kelly back in that Hyde has size, physicality and he can execute all the protection packages when he doesn’t get the ball. Harris is smaller, a capable runner, and less of protector. Davis, also a smaller back, maybe quicker, but not a physical guy, and clearly not the team’s first option in short yardage situations, or protection packages.
But Davis came on for Harris, and played well. First, the young back ran for four yards on second and 10, then on third and 6 from the Saints 34-yard line, Davis picked up a blitz up the middle, allowing Kaepernick to complete a pass to Jeremy Kerley for a 17-yard gain.
On the next play, Kaepernick spotted Davis circling out of the backfield and the smaller back made the catch and stuck his helmet in the fray for a nine-yard gain.
But on the next play, second and one from the Saints’ 8-yard line, Davis found a crease and ran to the one-yard line. There he was leg tackled by safety Jairus Byrd, then a split second later, impacted around his chest by linebacker Nate Stupar. Typical of NFL defenders as the second-engaged tackler, Stupar reached around Davis and executed a picture-perfect strip, allowing the Saints to recover a fumble at the most critical point on the field.
The point? The 49ers would have preferred Hyde or Harris at that juncture of the game, and that place on the field. Neither was available. Davis was off the bench cold, then suddenly involved heavily in a fourth consecutive play. Under Kelly, the 49ers no longer employ a fullback, key for short yardage and goal line situations.
And Kaepernick, while having a good game, has never been a good, red zone-passing quarterback. Reference the Super Bowl, and his throwing style which lacks a lofting, lower mileage option, and his overall lack of success in scoring opportunities near the goal line.
AP file photo: New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees takes a dive into the end zone for a touchdown last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks at the Super Dome
The 49ers after suffering six straight loses had a bye last week Joe looks at how crucial it is for the 49ers getting a bye last week and getting some rest. The New Orleans Saints who head to Levis Stadium are one of the top passing teams in the NFL as quarterback Drew Brees has been averaging 327 yards per game. The 49ers are one of the worst pass rushing teams in the NFL and their chances of sacking Brees is relatively small.
AP file photo: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks from their Sun Oct 30th game as Brees and the Saints prepare for their meeting with the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at Levis Stadium
The San Francisco 49ers look to turn their 1-6 season around this Sunday, as they host the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are coming off a big victory over the Seattle Seahawks 25-20, in a game that bled down to the very end.
Coming off their bye, San Francisco got healthier on the defensive side of the ball, but will still most likely be without their star running back Carlos Hyde, who is listed as questionable.
San Francisco’s struggling defensive faces a huge challenge on Sunday against the top passing attack in the league. Led by Drew Brees, the Saints are averaging nearly 327 yards per game through the air. The 49ers pass defense hasn’t been their downfall, as they are doing okay, giving up 222 yards per game, good enough for seventh in the NFL.
It has been the rushing defence that has been atrocious for the 49ers, which ranks dead last. The Saints could go with backup Tim Hightower as their running back for the second straight week after Mark Ingram was benched after fumbling too much this season.
Either way, New Orleans’ running backs should be salivating at their matchup against a 49ers defense that has given up a 100-yard rusher in every game since week two.
A win would be a huge pick-me-up for the tanking 49ers and could be the thing that turns around the 49ers season. Unfortunately, that will not be the case, as San Francisco should expect another loss added to their column. The talent level of the 49ers is no match for one of the best quarterbacks in the league, who is lined up for one of his best games of the season.
sanjosemerucrynews.com file photo: Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor seen speaking at an undated city council meeting is leading an audit on the San Francisco 49ers who provided some documents but not all regarding if they used general funds on Levis Stadium operations on Wednesday
As of yet it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers front office has not turned over any documents demonstrating they haven’t used any Santa Clara County general fund money to pay for stadium upkeep to paying for personnel. The Niners were supposed to have the itemized documentation ready last Monday as a result of not having those documents ready the City of Santa Clara hired an auditor to look at the 49ers records.
The 49ers were supposed to show in the audit that they weren’t using tax payer funds to fund the stadium operations and that was supposed to be the 49ers job. The city auditors found that city funds were being used for security measures and other stadium operations which was contractually forbidden when the city and the 49ers went on the stadium venture. The city says that they either get reimbursed and if the 49ers don’t reimburse them at cost then the city says they’ll take over stadium operations.
SANTA CLARA–Not only are the San Francisco 49ers struggling with their on field product who haven’t won a ball game since opening night back in early September but now the team is facing a city audit by the City of Santa Clara who are threatening to take over stadium operations if the 49ers can’t demonstrate they did not use city funds to pay for Levis stadium.
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor told the media that the 49ers are not cooperating when city auditors met with team officials who requested documents, reports, receipts or any accounting that the team wasn’t spending money on Levis Stadium from the city general fund. Gillmor said that if there is documentation proving that the 49ers are spending city money on Levis Stadium the city would take over the operations of the stadium.
The 49ers countered by saying that the team was not using stadium money saying, “the mayor’s accusation that the money is going from the city’s general fund into the stadium is false and irresponsible.” According to a San Francisco Chronicle report the 49ers are expected to hand over financial documents to the city auditor itemizing what the city funds were spent on to city auditors on Monday.
ninernoise.com photo: When it comes to the problems of the San Francisco 49ers in handling personnel and staffing critics point to 49ers general manager Trent Baalke for being responsible
SANTA CLARA–It’s week eight in the NFL season, and good news for 49ers’ fans, the team won’t adding another loss to their record due to their bye week. 2016 has been a nightmare season for the team in Santa Clara and just when you think the team has hit rock bottom, they find another way to sink even lower.
Week eight has the potential of being a big turnaround week for San Francisco. It will allow banged up players to get their health back and a mental rest from a six-game losing streak. Week nine will be the most important game of the Niners season. It can allow the team to regain confidence and get back to winning or it can tank them the rest of the season with a loss. If San Francisco can’t defeat the Saints on home turf, I don’t expect them to win another game this season.
The biggest problem is San Francisco hasn’t been theplayers or coaching, it has been the talent of players, and the blame needs to be pointed at GM Trent Baalke, who will be seeing his final half season of his 49ers’ tenure and possibly his football career. What owner or GM would want to give him another chance after his implosion of a once great team.
The personnel problem for San Francisco is an absolute joke. There are only five players that should return to the 53-man next year and the rest could be let go. NaVorro Bowman, Carlos Hyde, Josh Garnett, Joe Staley, and Eric Reid are the types of players that the team needs to be built around. When there are only five players that should be kept, you know it’s time for a complete rebuild.
49ers.pressdemocrat.com file photo: San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke could be on the hot seat according our talk show host Joe Lami who hosts the podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
On the 49ers podcast with Joe Lami, the 49ers haven’t won a game since opening night and with a 1-6 record and New Orleans coming to Santa Clara on Sun Nov 6th the 49ers will have had some rest by then after taking a bye week for Sun Oct 30. Joe takes a look at how desperate this team has to be to get back on track and back into the win column again.
The last time the 49ers lost six straight was in 2008 that was when former head coach Mike Nolan was fired after losing four straight and Michael Singletary lost the next two games at head coach with all the problems this team is having this year Joe takes a look who should take most of the blame, 49ers CEO Jed York, general manager Trent Baalke, or head coach Chip Kelly.
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