Bleacher Report - Articles by George Duryea

The Drops: Why Cal's Defense Will Need to Show More This Weekend

George Duryea — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:36:24 -0500

At the end of last weekend's nail-biting finish against Arizona State, it was hard not to think back to the first few series of the game. The Sun Devils let key moments literally slip through their fingers early, and it probably made the difference in the game.

On the Sun Devils' first three possessions, they let three first-down passes go through their fingers, one on fourth down, and two more on third down, killing three drives. The fourth-down pass, high but catchable, slipped through the hands of leading receiver Chris McGaha as he sailed passed the California 20-yard line.

Cal's dirty secret is an eighth best defense against the pass. That's in the Pac-10, not in the FBS. The third-ranked rushing defense has mitigated the problems, along with some help from some slippery hands.

While Cal was able to benefit from the numerous drops from Arizona State, the defense is not likely to have such fortune going forward. Three of Cal's remaining four opponents have the top three passer ratings in the Pac-10 (Andrew Luck of Stanford, Nick Foles of Arizona, and Sean Canfield of Oregon State), as well as the top three QBs in passing yards (Luck, Canfield, and Jake Locker of Washington).

This week's test comes against Canfield, who was the first Pac-10 QB to break 2000 yards this season. He also has the help of the vaunted Rogers brothers.

The front seven will be responsible for containing the ever-dynamic Jacquizz, but the outcome of this game might hinge more on how the secondary can contain his dangerous brother James. James Rogers leads the conference in receiving yards and receptions, while sharing a tie with his five receiving touchdowns.

The other name that might surprise some is wideout Damola Adeniji. Adeniji, a senior, came into the season with one catch in his college career, a 39-yard touchdown last year in Oregon State's blowout of Washington State.

This year, the senior has shined opposite Rogers, currently sitting sixth in the conference in receiving yards with three touchdown catches.

Jacquizz Rogers will also be a threat catching the ball, as he leads all Pac-10 running backs in receiving yards. He also has more receiving yards than any Cal player, besting Marvin Jones by five yards.

These surer hands are more likely to hold on to the open first-down passes that come their way, so the Bears must tighten their coverage in the secondary. The good news for the defense is Canfield has been sacked more than any other quarterback in the conference, with the second highest sack percentage (sack per drop-back).

Tyson Alualu, Cameron Jordan and the rest of Cal's defensive front have the third-most sacks in the Pac 10 and will need to show up big this week if Cal wants to remain a ranked team.

Syd'Quan Thompson might be one of the best corners in college football, but it will take a team effort to stop the aerial assault from Corvallis. Otherwise, the strong finish and third place in the Pac-10 could easily slip from their grasp.

It Was My Fault: Why the 49ers Lost Against the Texans

George Duryea — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:13:22 -0400

Now, you might wonder why I would have a picture of Joe Montana for an article about the San Francisco 49ers game against the Houston Texans. You might also wonder why I blame myself for the loss when I was San Francisco at the time. Let me explain:

I have two 49ers jerseys that I wear on game days. I either wear Patrick Willis, or Joe Montana. Last year, I wore Willis most game days, and would wear Montana on the ensuing Monday if the 49ers had won, proudly proclaiming the "Victory Mondays" to anyone I had Monday class with.

This season, I've decided to play the hot hand, by which I mean I would wear a jersey until it lost, then switch for the next game. I wore Willis to start the preseason and, fueled by three straight wins, continued to wear it until the 49ers lost to the Chargers in the final preseason game.

As such, I went with Montana against the Cardinals. Needless to say, I was still sporting No. 16 as a certain No. 4, who shall not be named, ended the 49ers brief winning streak with a *%^$ing insane pass that had me chucking my jersey down in between swears and slaps against the wall.

While emotionally I could take solace in the near-win against the Vikings, I knew it meant that my Willis jersey would be making its debut of the 2009 regular season the following week against the Rams.

While the 49ers did not look nearly as good against the Rams as the 35-0 score would indicate, I was going to stick with Willis, even though the Rams game was the first time I felt uncomfortable about the 49ers' performance.

Well, when the Atlanta Falcons rolled into town, I got the message. As the Dirty Birds continued to punish the 49ers, I desperately tried to change the momentum of the game. I went for an in-game switch. Willis was out, Montana was in. It was my own desperate Hail Mary to attempt to stem the tide against Matt Ryan and company.

Of course, I knew this would not work. You cannot change mojo when it is that bad, and the Football Gods decided to punish me for it.

The bye week gave me plenty of time to make a choice, and I decided to break out the classic cherry red 16 with the Hall of Fame patch on the shoulder for the first game back from the break.

This is the part where I am of two schools of thought.

The first school is that my undershirt was stifling the Montana Magic. This was not a thought I had immediately, but, at halftime, with the sun beating down on me through the kitchen window, I decided to ditch the long-sleeved undershirt for comfort reasons.

That is when things changed.

As Alex Smith came in to the second half and marched the 49ers to their first points in four quarters, I looked at the black and blue shirt that had been on me less than half an hour before. While tight end Vernon Davis struggled to get off the field after his first touchdown catch, I threw my shirt down the hamper and vowed to leave it until at least February.

As the jersey breathed free, Smith breathed fresh life into the once stagnant 49ers offense. But, clearly, I left the undershirt on for too long, and the new found offense could not overcome the deficit.

The other working theory is that, simply put, I hexed the Montana jersey. Much like a scorned girlfriend, my No. 16 was not going to let me forget my mistake. I had attempted to fool the jersey by bringing it in like a relief pitcher against the Falcons, even while knowing it was a fool's errand.

The penalty equaled the crime: one-half of football. The jersey would not work until every minute from the Falcon's game was paid off, and the 49ers simply did not have enough time to recover. For that, I apologize.

Looking ahead, I'm currently of a mind to bring 16 back next week against the vaunted Colts, but part of me wonders if I would not be better off sticking with my play-til-you-lose system and tap No. 52 for next week. What do you think? After all, I do not want to have to be back here again next week to apologize.

No Slipping Allowed: Cal Cannot Fall For Washington State's Trap

George Duryea — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:26:29 -0400

As a football fan, there is one game that seems a bit scarier than any other: The game your team should dominate.

It is one thing if your team is a favorite. Favorites lose all of the time, as shown by the few number of undefeated teams in NFL history, or even NCAA history.

But when a team is expected to roll over another team, it is another matter. Those games cannot be won.

If your team dominates, it is no big deal because, well, they were supposed to kill the opponent. On the other hand, any struggle gets magnified and analyzed. A double digit victory is not enough, especially if that first digit is a one.

That is the problem the California Golden Bears face Saturday when they take on Washington State. Wazzu comes into the game as 35.5 point underdogs. They can cover the spread by losing by five touchdowns. Those are low expectations, and often the formula for a trap game.

I do not see this as a genuine trap game, primarily because Cal has already all-but killed it's chances at playing in January. The overall stakes are not what they need to be for a trap game in that Cal has nothing to look ahead to (not to be mistaken for "nothing to look forward to," which could still be a bowl game).

Cal's next game is against Arizona State, a team who's 2-1 conference record comes at the expense of the state of Washington.

So my fears are more based around Cal not playing up to expectations. This is the sort of game where the Bears should put them away early and coast to an easy win. But, if Wazzu, a team playing with no abandon that knows it is not supposed to have a chance, overachieves while the Bears sleepwalk, it could be quite an embarrassing affair, even if Cal walks away with the W.

Of course, things could even end up worse than that. There are somethings you just cannot even think about. Unfortunately, that is usually how you fall into a trap.

What Now? Where Does Cal Go From Here

George Duryea — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:33:13 -0400

Anyone who follows Cal Football knows it's been a while since Cal smelled the Roses. Much less, the team's struggles in the 80s and 90s are fresh in the minds of loyalists who suffered through them.

Jeff Tedford's tenure at Cal has led to a resurgence of Cal as a national name, or for more recent generations, an introduction. But Cal still has not returned to Pasadena for the postseason.

After a disappointing start to the season, Cal's hopes of a BCS game are all but dashed and another season seems to be spiraling out of control.

Fans already have to look around and take stock of what is next for the Bears. And at some point, the question has to be asked: Is Tedford the right man to lead the Bears to a New Year's Day Dance?

Now Tedford certainly changed the culture and brought about a team that seems like it might go places, which was a welcome change from the decade that preceded it, where the highlight was a win at the Alamo Bowl and a top 25 ranking in 1993.

But at what point do fans clamor for more? How much longer can anyone stomach a team that tends to flame out mid-season in spite of a promising start and national coverage?

In short: How long can Jeff Tedford keep this up?

Cal currently comes off as a team unable to make the transition to a top-flight program, which it will need to be as Pete Carroll looks to be content staying at USC for the foreseeable future.

Cal never step up in the big games, when everything is on the line. It seems as though when expectations peak, the Bears' performance hits rock bottom.

It is hard to want to change course, because, frankly, things could be worse. Far worse. But there are many thorns on the stem of a rose, and I wonder if it is time to stop playing it safe and risk getting pricked.

The Blowout: Moving Past The Wreckage Of Cal's Devastating Loss

George Duryea — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:54:53 -0400

There are two types of losses that I would argue are the most devastating, at least in the moment they happen: the blowout and the last second heart-breaker. As a fan of both the San Francisco 49ers and the California Golden Bears, I was able to experience both this past weekend.

However, the 49ers at least left me with many silver linings in a game they all-but won. The Bears were another story.

It was one of those games that makes you question everything you know, or think you know about a team. Cal had every opportunity to take hold early, but they never stepped up and Oregon took advantage.

I would have loved to look for unsung heroes for my regular column, but when the highly touted defense gives up 42 points, and the offense cannot find the end zone, it is difficult to believe anyone deserves a pat on the back. I would mention special teams, but they had few chances to shine and failed to when the chances occurred.

With nothing positive to mine out of last week's slaughter, the only thing left to do is figure out what can be salvaged from this season. A loss in the Pac-10 is all but a guarantee that Cal will not be appearing in the BCS Championship Game.

Granted, after last week's performance, it is too early to even think of a shot at the Emerald Bowl.

Cal has no time to wallow or dwell on its loss. The game everyone waited for in the off season is upon us, though it has lost most of luster it had a few weeks back.

With the Pac-10's perennial favorites struggling, Cal has arguably the best opportunity to snap it's five game skid against the vaunted Trojans.

They need to answer key questions if they have any hope of winning: Can Kevin Riley punish teams that sell out to stop the run? Can the offensive line recover some of it's lost dignity? Can the defense prove last week was a fluke?

Those questions will likely be answered Saturday. Most importantly, we will find out if last week was an aberration or a portent of things to come.

Unnoticed Bears Of The Week: California's Under-Credited Plays and Players

George Duryea — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:38:45 -0400

Football is one of the few sports where you can be one of the elite players at a given position and still go relatively unnoticed. It is easy to ignore the small minutiae when a running back breaks off a 47-yard run, a receiver makes a one-handed grab, a corner rips the ball from the receiver's hands, or a defensive end crushes the quarterback for a sack.

Those are the sorts of things that wind up on a stat sheet. This article is for the California Golden Bears' plays and players that do not "count." (Sadly, as I am limited to what can be seen by the television cameras, plays and players might be missed, though I will do what I can to avoid that.)

First, to the offensive line. Easily one of the least glamorous positions in sports, the "Bears" of the offense did a great job opening holes. A closer look at the touchdown runs usually demonstrated the o-line's ability to seal off blockers from getting in the hole and their talent for getting a push at the line.

One example comes from Best's third TD scamper. Left tackle Mike Tepper sealed his man while the left guard got a great push to get Best to the second level.

Mike Summers-Gavin was one of two Bears pushing a pile to enable Shane Vereen to convert on 3rd-and-3 at the Gophers' 27. Two plays later, Best was in the end zone.

The o-line as a whole did a great job getting the push for Riley to get the first down on the quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter. It was a key play in sealing the win for the Bears, allowing them to run off more of the clock and eventually score the game-clinching touchdown. They are a solid unit, and have played well this season.

Next, take a look at the wide-outs. Wide receivers might seem like an odd bunch to get credit in an article about the less glamorous positions, but in Cal's offense, it fits in quite nicely. This is a group that does their jobs exceptionally well, especially considering how the position is well known for diva-like tendencies.

On one play, they sold a screen fake to the trips side, spreading the defense and allowing the screen up top to be that much more effective.

The downfield blocking was, again, solid (I think that might be a running theme, especially if Cal is going to excel this season). Marvin Jones was key in more than one touchdown run by forcing defenders to take poor angles when he could not engage them.

On defense, Mychal Kendricks did a great job of reading plays, though he might not get much credit because other defenders (Michael Mohamed, Devin Bishop) made the play. (I'm not counting his forced fumble, since those show up in the stat sheet.)

Kendricks was about to hit quarterback Adam Weber when Bishop sacked him. Both came from the outside and were right on Weber, but Bishop made the play.

The other play came on the next series when, on 3rd-and-15, both Kendricks and Mohamed read the screen pass and avoided the blockers. The ball-carrier was closer to Mohamed, so the tackle and the play were his. But Kendricks showed a natural nose for the ball on those plays, and was in position if his teammates had not been there to make the play.

Now, for the Unnoticed Players of The Week:

Unnoticed Offensive Player of The Week: Brian Holley. Some fullbacks get regular opportunities to make plays with the ball, but Holley is not one of them. He was not able to add to his season-total four touches against Minnesota, but his presence was felt all over the field.

He seemed to go into every block with a full head of steam, stunning defenders left and right. He helped push the pile to get Vereen the first down on a 3rd-and-3 during the third touchdown drive. He aided the offensive linemen by providing nice chip blocks. On the final touchdown run of the game, he collapsed a blitzing linebacker, which allowed Best to get to the corner.

Unnoticed Defensive Player of The Week: Cameron Jordan. He had a somewhat slow first half, but his relentless motor showed up in the second half as he never quit on the game. As the opposing tackle wore down and received less and less help from the guard, Jordan's presence became more noticeable.

By the end of the game, he was routinely in Weber's face, stopping the Gophers' quarterback from engineering a game-tying drive and helping to force the final interceptions.

Unnoticed Special Teams Player of the Week: D.J. Campbell (with apologies to Quinn Tedford if he was in on special teams as well, since they are both No. 7). As a gunner on punts, he downed one punt on the 2 and forced a fair catch on the 13, the two worst starting positions Minnesota had all game.

He also was the one who finally tackled Hayo Carpenter at the 47 on Cal's first kickoff. Special teams is usually where players are only noticed when they mess up, which would explain why you did not hear D.J. Campbell's name very often.

The little things in football mean the difference between first down and fourth down, between the ball on the 20 or the ball on the two, between winning and losing. If California's unsung heroes continue to do these little things, there is no limit to what the Bears can do this season.

Michael Crabtree Never Wanted to Be a 49er: One Image Says It All

George Duryea — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:09:20 -0400

First, let me be clear, the image I am talking about is not the one on this column. To see the image, I recommend you go here and go 26 seconds into the clip.

After Michael Crabtree was informed he would play for Mike Singletary and the "Run at All Costs" offense, he has a look on his face that does not show the slightest bit of enthusiasm. In fact, he looks downright unhappy.

Scratch that. He looks as though he has been given a death sentence, yet cannot reveal it. He looks dazed, confused, and scared.

Maybe Crabtree will see it is not in his best interest to sit out a whole season (it isn't). Maybe his sit-down with Jed York will bring him together with the team.

But from the looks of things, he cares more about playing outside of San Francisco than he cares about the dollar amount.

It Is Not in the Statistics, but Cal's Receivers Are Contributing

George Duryea — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:45:11 -0400

A quick glance at the statistics from the blowout over Eastern Washington does not tell the whole story. Of Cal's 17 receptions, only four ended up in the arms of a receiver. The rest found tight ends, fullbacks, and the talented group of running backs.

Though Kevin Riley barely used his receiving corps, the same cannot be said about Jeff Tedford. Undoubtedly everyone saw when Marvin Jones came up and knocked the hat off a crashing linebacker on a goal-to-go run play in the second quarter, but this was not an isolated incident.

If you look back at Cal's first play from scrimmage, it was quickly evident how the receivers would play that day. Jahvid Best took the ball left to the outside, led by the pulling left tackle, who was freed of his responsibility by Jones' stunning block on the defensive end.

The tackle cleared out the corner and Best ended up with 11 yards and a first down.

From that play on, any shot of Jones on a running play would show him hitting a defender hard to free up the Golden Bears' elusive running backs.

Jones might be one of the best examples, but all of Cal's receivers have done the less glamorous aspect of their job with aplomb.

The best example of their utility thus far probably came on Cal's signature play of the season.

In the Maryland game, Jahvid Best had broken through to the secondary and, since both safeties had cheated up, he only had cornerback Nolan Carroll to beat. Best slowed himself down slightly in an attempt to outmaneuver Carroll, which allowed Verran Tucker to finally engage the corner back and escort Best to the end zone.

Tucker essentially ran a quick slant on the play in an attempt to take out a safety, but with the safeties already committed to the run, Tucker paused briefly before recognizing the one man left for Best to beat.

In spite of Carroll having two steps on him, Tucker never stopped hustling, and the result of his determination was another Best touchdown.

The next time you see Best scampering down the sidelines, look closely at the replay for the job the wideouts are doing to enable him. If he has any shot at the Heisman this year, it will be with some unsung help from the speedsters on the outside.

So ignore the stat sheet that says they have only two receiving touchdowns amongst their scarce touches. These receivers are doing their part to put the offense in the end zone and the team atop the rankings.

A Word of Caution To San Francisco 49ers: Do Not Reach for the Panic Button

George Duryea — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:00:32 -0400

Consider this a warning. A premature flare for a situation I hope never occurs. Right now, I'm going to let you in on my biggest fear for the San Francisco 49ers: They draft a quarterback in the first round next year.

How often will teams hit the panic button after a bad year and, with questions at quarterback, throw their first round pick at the biggest arm that comes their way?

As a 49ers fan, I have distinct memories of how that panned out. Not that I fault Alex Smith. He could not have come into a worse situation for a quarterback: Defensive head coach, thrown in to games too early, new OC every year, depleted talent on both sides of the ball, injuries.

As much fun as it is to rehash those same Alex Smith arguments, that is not what this article is about. This is an article about the future, by way of the past.

A while back, Bill Walsh drafted a guy out of Notre Dame in the third round to be his quarterback. The guy he had, Steve Deberg, was not actually that bad. He just was not the long-term solution. But Walsh did not try to speed up his future quarterback's development, but rather, he let him sit and develop.

Well, not completely. Walsh, to my understanding, played both QB's in 1979 and the first half of 1980, though it was primarily Deberg's job. Halfway through 1980, Walsh gave the job to the second year player for Notre Dame, and Joe Montana did not disappoint. In case you did not know, he won a few Super Bowls and is now considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time.

Joe's story is not all that unique to the 49ers. Steve Young spent his first few years in the city by the bay filling in for Joe when Joe was hurt. Jeff Garcia split time for the remainder of 1999 (his first year with the team) after Steve went down with his final concussion.

While this city has a strong history of quarterbacks, they are all products of the time and energy spent developing them. All three had big game experience where they led a team to victory in the final moments: Montana at Notre Dame, Young at BYU, and Garcia in the CFL's Grey Cup.

This preseason, die hard 49ers fans (aka, those of us eager enough to watch entire preseason football games) have been treated to a rare site that rekindles fond memories: a quarterback in Red and Gold who seems to be the complete package: Strong Arm, Mobility, Pocket Sense, and the Intangibles that define the position.

Unfortunately, he is nowhere near ready to start a regular season game. I am talking about Nate Davis.

Anyone who has read any of the numerous 49ers bloggers knows the quotes from Raye and Singletary stating, in essence, that Nate has played well, but with a limited playbook. He has looked great, but against second and third stringers.

And they are right.

However, those are hard facts to remember when watching a player shred the opposition like Thomas Clayton did the past two preseasons and Nate has done this preseason. He has something, and it is something I would like to see develop

So, Nate should not really be starting this year, unless both Hill and Smith are unable to, at which point the season might be sliding off the rails anyway. But that does not mean he should not be starting at some point, possibly/hopefully in the near future.

Which brings me (finally) back to my original fear. The scenario: This season goes horribly wrong, neither quarterback has what it takes to lead the team (I do have faith in Hill, but bear with me for the hypothetical) and the lack of pass rush continues to be the defense's Achilles' heel. The team wins maybe five or six games and is an afterthought, with everyone pointing to the quarterback situation as the main problem.

The team panics. With yet another top ten draft pick, everyone has the 49ers taking a quarterback, and the team follows like sheep to the slaughter. Suddenly, it is a new game of "How will this QB fare in relation to his draft stock?" Look at quarterbacks drafted highly in the past ten years. Look at the high number of busts and the effect they have had on the franchise they went to.

For now this is just a paranoid thought lingering in the back of my mind. A small little voice that keeps screaming about the pass rush or the lack of any passes beyond fifteen yards (from the starters, anyway). And that voice keeps repeating "Can't you see another busted top ten QB in your future?"

I just hope the 49ers will allow Nate to prove that voice wrong

A Closer Look at The San Francisco 49ers in the Red Zone

George Duryea — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:35:20 -0400

A week ago, I wrote about an extensive look at the 49ers-in-the-red-zone">San Francisco 49ers' success in the Red Zone. Aside from looking at the trend for the past three years, I also broke down how the offense improved with Shaun Hill under center in 2008.

However, I did not want to simply leave it at that. A common complaint from those who doubt Mike Singletary and Shaun Hill has been how the team was facing weak opponents in the second half of the season, failing to beat one playoff team while beating up on weak opponents.

So I decided to break down the opponents faced in the first half of the season compared to the second half. Since Arizona was in both halves, I omitted them, while including Seattle in the first half since there was one and a half games played without Hill and half a game played with Hill.

Since there was such an improvement when Hill took over, most critics of the time would assume that the red zone defenses the 49ers face must have been weaker overall. So I decided to test that theory.

In first breaking down the data, I grouped the two sets of teams and combined their defensive red zone numbers: Seattle, New England, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York (G), and New Orleans in one group, St. Louis, New York (J), Washington, Miami, Buffalo and Dallas in the second group.

The first group had an average ranking of 21st overall (19th in my adjusted rankings) while the second group was 16th overall (14th in my adjusted rankings). This translated into .2195 fewer points allowed per red zone trip (4.9068 to 4.6873).

My initial reaction was surprise: the offense performed far better against a much better average opponent. However, I quickly saw an error in my data.

While I was only counting one Seattle game, and Arizona faced the 49ers with and without Hill, Hill did play St. Louis twice. In order to fairly portray the defense they faced, I needed to double count the 29th ranked team (30th adjusted) in the second group.

After making the adjustment, the second group dropped over one and a half spots in each of the rankings (18th and 16th, respectively) and gave up 4.7724 points per trip instead of 4.6873.

In spite of this error, the original results still held, if slightly weaker than before. The teams faced in the second half of the season still gave up fewer points per trip to the red zone and were ranked three spots higher than the teams from the first half of the season.

All of this serves to bolster the argument that the team improved its efficiency with Shaun Hill under center.

(note: all rankings are rounded to the nearest whole number)

Red to Gold: A Look at the San Francisco 49ers in the Red Zone

George Duryea — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:21:53 -0400

Unlike baseball, football is not as heavy on the statistics (Google Sabermetrics if you're not sure what I'm talking about). There are few complex metrics that are widely used. However, efficiency has been one metric talked about frequently, from 3rd down conversion percentage to yards per run or catch. One statistic I find fascinating is Red Zone Efficiency.

The percentages used when talking about the Red Zone (The area from your opponent's 20 to the Goal-line) is usually touchdowns. Sometimes people use scoring percentage, counting the number of scores (Field Goals or Touchdowns) versus trips to the Red Zone.

I find these both to be inadequate. A field goal is better than nothing, yet it is not as good as a touchdown.

So, when I decided to look at the San Francisco 49ers Red Zone Efficiency since 2006, I decided to create a new statistic (which I wouldn't be surprised if someone had created it already, but I have not seen it) where you see how many points a team scored per Red Zone trip (PPT).

I then took a look at how the 49ers had done since 2006, when the team finally showed some signs of life.

The defensive numbers were far from shocking, as the Defense progressed nicely over the past three years. While their RZ ranking based on touchdowns went from 17th in 2006 to 6th in 2007 to 8th in 2008, their rank based on my metric has them progressing from 25th (4.77 PPT) to 14th (4.60 PPT) to 9th (4.35 PPT) in the past three years.

The cause for the disparity would be the scoring percentage other teams had in the Red Zone, converting 90 percent of the time in 2006 and '07 while dropping the number down to 80% in 2008.

The offense (my original and main focus) was a bit surprising. They went from 25th to 13th to 18th from 2006 to 2008. I decided to analyze this a bit further to see what caused such a shocking result.

The first thing I noticed was a surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) low amount of attempts in 2007, 29, compared to 48 and 52 in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Such a small sample tends to be indicative of a poor offense and can skew the results, as it also does with the 2008 Detroit Lions who had a top 10 Red Zone Offense, but only 31 attempts.

I still felt that there was something off about 2008, so I looked for a difference between J.T. O'Sullivan versus Shaun Hill. There was a difference and it was staggering (Note: I took in to account the switch mid game against Seattle when compiling the stats)

Under JTO the offense averaged 4.17 Points Per Trip, while Hill averaged five. To put that in context, JTO's offense would rank 29th, ahead of only Cleavland, Tampa Bay, and St. Louis. Hill's offense would rank 7th.

The difference between the two is not in the scoring percentage as one might think due to JTO's tendency for the Red Zone Turnover. Surprisingly, the Scoring Percentage difference is merely 2.4 percent (83.3 percent for JTO, 85.7 percent for Hill).

The Touchdown Percentage accounts for the majority of the difference: JTO's was 41.7 percent to Hill's 60.7 percent, which translates to almost one more touchdown per every five trips to the Red Zone.

Based on these statistics, the trends look good for 49ers production in the Red Zone in the upcoming year, assuming they continue to improve. It might also bolster the case for Hill as the starter.

I'll be away this weekend, but when I return, I'll look more in depth at the performances of Shaun Hill and Alex Smith in the Red Zone and attempt to upload the stats (in an excel doc) for everyone to view.

A Balanced Attack: How Jimmy Raye Shapes the 49ers' Offense

George Duryea — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:49:54 -0400

The common wisdom from most fans and commentators is that the 49ers are going to run the ball non stop next year. Mike Singletary has been associated with hard nose football all his life and he even said that his philosophy was "more run to pass...to run a little more than pass."

After the hiring of Jimmy Raye, after an extensive search and at least one publicly declined offer, everyone seemed to take away that the 49ers are going to run the ball on virtually every down. Hyperbole? Maybe, but also not far from the truth.

The draft only encouraged this perspective when the 49ers spent two draft picks on the run game: Glen Coffee to spell Frank Gore and Bear Pascoe to be a blocking specialist for the run game. But to me, and a small group of people, this run only approach does not pass the smell test (no pun intended).

I look at what Singletary said and see another possible interpretation: He wants to be able to run the ball when everyone knows they are going to run the ball. He does not want to need six attempts from within the three yard line to score one touchdown (see 2006 game vs. the Eagles).

He wants to run the ball successfully when up two scores on an opponent (see 2008 game vs. the Eagles). He wants to be able to get a first down or two to run out the clock at the end of the game, even when the opponent knows it's a run.

Singletary claimed he wanted to be like Bill Walsh's offense "but with a different mindset." I do not doubt he'll run the ball more, but Walsh loved to run, too. He just did it when he had built a lead.

Super Bowl XVI was won, in part, because the 49ers were able to kill seven of the final ten minutes by running the ball (with the help of an interception by Eric Wright).

Before the interception, while up only six points, they gained 28 yards on the ground over seven plays to move from their own 49 to Cincinatti's 23, placing Wersching in position to put the 49ers up by two scores (23-14) with 5 minutes to play.

It's called imposing your will on a Defense, something the 49ers have had a tough time doing in recent years. The 49ers rarely seem to get that push up front that tells you that, if they need a yard in a do or die situation , they will get that yard (see: Week 10 at Arizona). For Singletary, that is unacceptable.

In Jimmy Raye, Singletary found a guy known for using the personnel he has and playing to it's strengths. While Eric Dickerson gained nearly 4000 yards on the ground under Raye (3913), numerous quarterbacks have thrown for over 3000 yards under Raye, including Elvis Grbac. In those two seasons Tony Gonzales combined for over 2000 yards receiving.

I am not intimating that Vernon Davis will hit those sort of numbers, but I am suggesting that Raye seems to be quite good at utilizing a player's strengths. He will make sure Davis is in position to catch the ball as his frame would allow (not acrobatically as he's not known for his flexibility).

Gore is expected to be running straight ahead, which has always been his strength. He's not a speed demon and tosses to him almost always seem to get strung out nicely by opposing linebackers.

Gore is far better following his lead blocker and taking any amount of daylight he can and getting as many yards as he can out of it. He is great at chipping away three, four, five yards on those runs up the gut and has a high tendency to break one up the middle for long gains into the secondary as he did frequently in 2006.

While I do not doubt that the 49ers will happily use Gore and his new backfield compadres regularly, it would be criminally negligent to ignore the suddenly potent receiving corps the 49ers have assembled.

Josh Morgan, Jason Hill, and Michael Crabtree are all young talents whose presence in practice and prior performances on the field will demand playing time and touches.

Add to that the aging veteran Isaac Bruce who had a knack for being in the right place to make big plays and the money invested in Brandon Jones, to say nothing of well liked long-shots Arnaz Battle and Dominique Ziegler, and the 49ers will need to get the ball in the air to justify the money tied to the position.

Those seven guys seem to posses ample talent and skill. Then there is Vernon Davis, who is approaching the crossroads this year and must make the leap to the next level. I think he will surprise many and silence his critics this year as he seems to have thrived under Singletary.

I also have a gut feeling that, if they do throw him the ball, Bear Pascoe might surprise you with his hands.

Yes, the 49ers will run the ball this next year, and probably more than they did under Mike Martz. But, just because Singletary says he wants to be able to run against an eight-man front does not mean he wants to subjugate his running backs to that fate every down.

This will not be an offense that ignores the pass. More likely, it will utilize shorter routes to play to likely-starter Shaun Hill's strengths, and, in the end, it will be almost exactly the type of offense Singletary called for back at the season's end: One that will "have a balance, 50-50."

Four Possible Outcomes for the San Francisco 49ers 2009 Season

George Duryea — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:57:37 -0400

In my mind, there are three possibilities for how the 49ers will fare this season: Realistically well, Realistically poor, and my Fanatical Dream Scenario.

The reason the headline says four while I say three is because, as a rabid fan, I will not concede that the doomsday scenario is an option. But I know it is. I need only think back two years ago to remember that it is.

So I will start with the option I do not think will happen: The doomsday scenario. I want to stress that I do not think this has any chance of happening.

So it turns out Jimmy Raye cannot call his mother, much less a complex offense that confuses a defense. With Marvel Smith's injury, the right side is either vulnerable every play or an extra blocker is required to give whichever of the two QB's is attempting to pass. Neither one looks half as good a Hill did last year.

Gore is injured early and the new Backfield by committee (Coffee/Robinson/Sheets and/or Clayton) is a poor substitute. Oh, and Michael Crabtree cannot handle the physical corners in the NFL, looking quickly like one of the receivers drafted by the Lions not named Calvin Johnson and the rest of the receiving corps regress to look more like the one from the '04 or '05 campaign.

Parys Haralson's 8 sacks in '08 were a mirage and Manny Lawson never cashes in on that potential he was starting to find before his injury. This translates to every opposing QB having far too long to expose old CBs who cannot keep up, while Dashon Goldson could not get an interception off of J.T. O'Sullivan. The D-line lets far too many blockers to the second level, making life for Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes an absolute nightmare.

In short, Mike Singletary's season last year was the product of weak opponents and lucky breaks. This year they win games because they are not the 2008 Detroit Lions.

Win total in this scenario: 1-5.

Next, there is the Realistic/Bad season, that is the realist in me taking a negative look at the upcoming season.

Well, Jimmy Raye shows why he has never been a long term Offensive Coordinator and why he was a Running Backs coach last year. Hill is as mediocre as naysayers have claimed and Smith isn't the answer, so the 49ers have adequate game managers and not much else from the QB position.

Gore has another 1,000 yard season, barely, while fighting with injuries yet again. Coffee is not what a 3rd rounder should be but Sheets comes through as a welcome surprise, so there is some support when Gore is not in. Neither Coffee nor Sheets is the blocker Gore is.

The receivers are solid but hampered by the quarterback play and it is clear the young guys are not able to fully bloom. Vernon Davis remains a solid blocker but ends the season with a paltry 40 or so catches.

Line play is roughly the same as last year, with slight improvements in the new system, but the same weakness at RT as Smith doesn't make it through the whole season.

The commitment to the 3-4 helps the Defense as it did last year, but the team regrets not getting a Pass Rusher as the OLB's still do not generate enough of a consistent rush (while Everett Brown becomes a force for Carolina). The D-line plays adequately, not spectacularly, while the TKO and Willis pick up where they left off last season.

The secondary is solid, though they feel the loss of Strickland against four and five wide receiver sets. Bly is a fine substitution for Harris, so the loss there is minimal. Tarell Brown steps up nicely and shows promise, as do rookies Ricky Jean-Francois and Curtis Taylor.

While Scott McKillop is mainly relegated to Special Teams, he has a nose for the ball and has potential to start along side Willis eventually.

All in all, an unsatisfactory season for the team record wise, but plenty of flashes that they are headed in the right direction. Hill looks to be the solution at QB for a few years, though expect the 49ers to draft a QB or continue to develop Nate Davis for the Franchise's future.

Singletary is not happy with the results, but he looks to be the right guy.

Win total in this scenario: 6-8

The Realistic/Good Season:

While Jimmy Raye is not Norv Turner, he put the right system in place for the personnel in San Francisco. Gore has his best season since Norv left since he is now: Running between the tackles, has his lead blocker in Norris, avoids injury, and gets spelled by Coffee which keeps his legs fresh. The passing game is improved from last year as Vernon Davis starts to achieve like a 1st round pick.

The logjam at receiver leaves some on the outside looking in, but overall the corps looks solid. Marvel Smith turns out to be a solid acquisition solidifying the line, which only gets better with continuity. Quarterback play is solid but not spectacular as Hill vindicates his longtime advocates with a season many teams would covet.

On Defense, the commitment to the 3-4 shines through as the OLBs start to find their way to the passer. Haralson shows his gratitude for the extension he got by having the team's first 10+ sack season since Andre Carter in 2002. Lawson finally starts to come in to his own, as the front seven finally constitute a force other teams have to fear.

There are still holes at Nose Tackle and Corner Back, but Franklin and his platoon mates are adequate, as are Bly and Brown in the secondary. Goldson starts to come on late in the season as a ball hawk the team has needed so desperately in recent years, but his development takes time.

In sum, it is not an elite team, yet. But, they are a surprise to those that wrote them off (see: anyone who is currently ranking NFL teams not named Mike Sando) as Singletary leads them to their first winning season and playoff appearance since Steve Mariucci left in 2002. They are not likely to go deep in the playoffs with such little recent experience, but still a solid season to build off of and a promising glimpse at what may come.

Win total in this scenario: 9-11

The final possibility is my favorite: My Fanatical Dream Scenario.

Jimmy Raye turns out to be the right coordinator at the right time. His passing offense brings out the best in Vernon Davis, who has also gained some flexibility in the off season.

Michael Crabtree, eager to prove his critics (and 9 other franchises) wrong, comes on strong by mid season, eating into Isaac Bruce's playing time as Hill, Morgan and Crabtree show the potential to dominate for years, aided by Brandon Jones' ability to stretch the field. As an added bonus, blocking specialist Bear Pascoe turns out to have some of the best hands since Brent Jones.

Hill and Smith turn their QB competition from a battle of who will hurt the team less to who can help the team more.

Smith looks like the player from the end of 2006, making it difficult to choose Hill, but Hill's leadership skills give him the right to start. With teams forced to respect the pass, Frank Gore is in Pro Bowl form and returns to being an elite back in the NFL.

He does it behind a line that shines, with Marvel Smith looking like the Pro Bowler he once was, Chilo Rachal continuing his progress from last year, and Joe Staley becoming an elite left tackle.

On defense, the addition of Demetric Evans bolsters the front three with Kentwan Balmer stepping up and Ricky Jean-Francios proving to be the steal of the draft. They combine with Franklin, Sopoaga and Smith to free up Haralson, Lawson, and Ahmad Brooks (finally living up to his potential) as they become a menace for opposing Quarterbacks.

Patrick Willis somehow takes his game up to another level, at points taking games over on defense. The secondary is solid, aided by the new found pass rush generated by the front seven and what seems to be the second coming in Dashon Goldson.

Added bonus: Carolina collapses (Delhomme falters), giving the 49ers another top 10 pick in 2010.

This sort of team only loses games because they're not the 2007 New England Patriots. Mike Singletary would likely be Coach of the Year while Greg Manusky might jump up on some short lists for Head Coaching Jobs.

They might have some difficulty going deep in the playoffs due to lack of experience, but then again, how experienced was the '81 team?

Win total in this scenario: 12-15

This is all mere conjecture. There are too many unknowns, ranging from the things the 49ers control (quarterback play) to those they don't, like injuries. For instance, most people have the 49ers losing against the Colts, but if Manning goes down, that game suddenly becomes very winnable.

After the battle between my head and my heart, I expect the 49ers to get between 8-10 wins next year and to compete for the division. But then again, I thought we would compete in 2007, so you never really know.

Thank You, 1994 San Francisco 49ers

George Duryea — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:24:14 -0400

I love the San Francisco 49ers. I have for as long as I can remember. Of course, it was quite easy to love the 49ers in the 1980s and 1990s. There were so many glorious teams and wonderful memories. And I can think of no harder task than picking a favorite.

Aside from the Super Bowl teams, there are plenty that hold a special place in my heart, like the 1998 team that finally excised the demon of Brett Favre ruining my playoff experience from the 1995 season (I was AT the game). The 2002 team provided that electric fourth quarter comeback against the Giants that is still stunning to watch.

I also have fondness for recent years like 2006 when it looked like the team was actually turning a corner until Norv left (Thanks San Diego!). Or last year when the 49ers took my advice of turning Mike Singletary into the head coach, admittedly half a season later than I wanted.

But it is the Super Bowl teams that fill my memories.

I would love to say I vividly remember any of the championship teams of the 1980s from first hand experience, but I don't. All I had were videos that I watched as a kid, and still watch over and over again. And each one holds a place in my heart.

The 1989-1990 team was probably the greatest team in 49ers', and possibly the NFL's, History. The roster jumps out as an All-80s team in its own right, and I am more than happy to explain and then argue why it is probably the best team in history. Their postseason dominance was ridiculous, and their combined margin of loss was five points.

The '81 team was a godsend for the championship-starved city by the bay. It was the first reward for the 49er Faithful for their decades of loyalty. They gave us iconic moments in football history, like The Catch, and the goal line stand, with Dan Bunz' great tackle on the one.

This team was immortalized for me on a video that contained the NFL Films Production of Super Bowl XVI. It gave me an appreciation of the Xs and Os of the game, and the minute details that could change the outcome of a game. It's why I learned about "Sweep Pass Right Z Comeback," where Walsh had read the coverage on Mike Wilson and knew a curl route would give Wilson a huge cushion to catch the ball.

On the same tape was NFL's Masters of the Game, NFL Films' production of Super Bowl XIX. This was my favorite as a child. It also advanced my understanding of Xs and Os, For instance, showing how the linebackers followed the guards, leaving the middle of the field open for TE Russ Francis to fill the void.

However, this film was more notable for its narration, with great quotes like, "Dan Marino's year turned into Joe Montana's day" or, "The texture of San Francisco's dominance was clearly woven into the intricate mayhem of line play." I still get goosebumps at the end with the line, "They were not only champions of the world, but Masters of the Game." To this day this team is still underrated, in spite of an 18-1 record.

I also had the video yearbook for the 1988 season, narrated beautifully by the late great Harry Kalas and accompanied by the sweet radio calls of Lon Simmons, and one or two by Joe Starkey. This team is considered the weakest link of the Super Bowl Teams, though it is a team that suffered key injuries throughout the season, including Joe Montana and Jerry Rice (though Rice refused to miss a game).

The aspect that made it hard to watch at the time is what makes it so amazing to watch now. It was a season filled with ups and downs, close games and a few blowouts, miracle wins, and disheartening losses.

Two games into the season, they had an unforgettable finish. Down by four to the hated New York Giants, Joe threw a 77 yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice and, in the words of the color commentator, "It is stunned silence here in the Meadowlands."

The team was embarrassed at home against the Falcons and followed it up by embarrassing Seattle, in Seattle. Roger Craig had the game of his career against the rival Rams, and they followed it up by losing to the Bears by a point, 9-10. The next game was also nearly a loss if it was not for one of the greatest plays in team history, Steve Young's run against the Vikings.

The season was very back and forth, with highs and lows, including a record of 6-5 before turning it around, winning four of the last five games. They then steamrolled the Vikings and the Bears in the playoffs to compete in one of the most thrilling Super Bowl's ever. Montana's final drive is a thing of beauty, and there is nothing quite like hearing Lon Simmons cry out one last time "Touchdown 49ers!"

All of these highlights are ingrained in my memory and I cherish them all, but the 1994 season holds a unique place in my heart. Context is crucial in understanding why. My earliest distinct football memory is watching the 1992 NFC Championship game. I remember only one moment of it: Running to tell my mom that Rice had scored a touchdown mere moments into the game. I also remember going back to tell her it had been called back. That is all I remember of those first two NFC championships against the Cowboys.

Also, 1994 was a very difficult year for me personally. Hard to imagine an 8 year-old having a tough year, but shortly before the 49ers would lose their second consecutive Championship game to the Cowboys, my dad told me he had a Brain tumor. To be frank, I don't really remember what he said, or how he explained it, but the gist was, my father was going to die.

By September my father had passed the six-months-to-live estimate and I had no idea what was going on, so I took comfort in the arrival of football season. The season started on a glorious Monday night where all eyes were on my favorite player, and he did not disappoint, as Jerry Rice tied and broke the NFL touchdown record against the Raiders

I also remember getting myself stoked for the arrival of Deion Sanders. I can still picture his first pick-six clinching the game against the Saints, his fighting with Andre Rison, and his subsequent pick-six against the Falcons in Atlanta.

The season was off to an early rocky start with losses to KC and Philly, the latter was one I just had to stop watching. But the team turned it around in Detroit, the team that had dealt the Cowboys their first loss of the season. With our two losses to their one, I knew, as everyone did, that the week 11 match-up would be the key for Home field advantage and the inside track to the Super Bowl.

The game was huge. They had lost three straight to the Cowboys, and this game would indicate if the 49ers had done enough to get over the hump. In this game, they proved that this year could be different as they fought a tough game to win 21-14 to continue on to an eventual 10 game winning streak.

The 49ers faced the San Diego Chargers on the second Sunday in December. I barely remember anything about the game other than knowing the 49ers dominated the game. My dad died two days later. Football was my immediate comfort. The day after we laid my father to rest, the 49ers win, coupled with a Cowboys loss, meant the road to the Super Bowl ran through Candlestick.

The win streak was snapped in the final game of the season in which most of the starters rested with home field advantage already locked up, as the Niners ended their season 13-3. They were also undefeated when wearing their throwback jerseys adopted for the 75th anniversary of the NFL.

While technically there was two weeks of games before hand, everyone had the NFC Championship Game penciled in as 49ers v. Cowboys for the third straight year (a fact that would haunt me a year later at Candlestick). The Bears and Packers were mere formalities each team had to deal with, tune up games for the Game of the Year.

I watched the game in our basement, in the same room my father spent his last few months of his life. This year had to be different. Within minutes of the opening kick, it was obvious it was. Eric Davis, the weak-link in the secondary that the Cowboys would abuse while avoiding "Prime Time" read Aikman's eyes, sliding from the flat to pick off the pass and return it 44 yards for the touchdown.

First blood. The exact opposite feeling from two years before. In the ensuing series, Aikman completed a pass to Irvin, only to have the same weak-link, Eric Davis, strip him immediately, just like Eric Wright did to Cris Collinsworth in Super Bowl XIX. Both led to touchdowns, Joe Montana to Earl Cooper in XIX, and Steve Young to Ricky Waters against the Cowboys.

The feeling of joy I felt quickly jolted up to euphoria as the Cowboys fumbled away the kick-off, recovered ever so awkwardly by the kicker Doug Brian. Halfway through the first quarter, after William "Bar None" Floyd barrelled into the end-zone, the 49ers led 21-0.

The Cowboys fought back, but every 49er fan knew in their hearts this year was different. This year we led early, and we were not going to give it up. We had recaptured the magic of '81, finally beating the Cowboys after repeated post-season disappointment at their hands.

Then there was the Super Bowl, which was viewed by most people I knew as a coronation more than a game. We won the Super Bowl in San Francisco, to a sell out crowd that knew whoever would win would be the first to win one for the thumb.

That win gave me great joy at a time when I needed it most. It is why I will always be grateful for the 1994 49ers and what they accomplished. They gave me a reason to smile.

10 Questions For San Francisco 49ers' Manny Lawson

George Duryea — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:55:39 -0400

The 49ers have suffered on defense the past few years due to an anemic pass rush. They have not only toiled in the bottom half of the league in sacks in recent years, but they never seem to apply constant pressure.

Suffice it to say, there have been far too many third and forever conversions over the past few years as quarterbacks have forever to let the coverage break down. All this led everyone to think a pass rusher would be an area addressed this offseason. But, aside from some undrafted free agents, it wasn't.

The reason why appears to be they idea that they have faith in the players they have, and in a 3-4, that means the OLBs. Specifically Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson. Which is why I have a few questions for the first round pick from 2006:

1. You seemed to be settling in nicely in 2007 before the injury, and many people said it still lingered last year. Have you fully recovered and, if so, when did the healing process end?

2. How did any lingering effects affect your play last year?

3. Which is you're stronger area: coverage or pass rush?

4. How did you feel about all the pre-draft talk about the team going after an outside linebacker?

5. Despite the heavy speculation, the team did not draft an outside linebacker to rush the passer. How did you react to that?

6. Former 49er Charles Haley once said he spent a great deal of time looking at film of other pass rushers to pick up different techniques he could use. Do you tend to study the offensive linemen you will go against and find their weaknesses or other pass rushers to try and pick up different things you can do?

7. Last year, some players on the team sported mustaches to honor the team's past, and this year, the team has changed the jerseys to hearken back to the teams of the 1980's. How much do you feel you know about the team's history and is it important to you?

8. The team now has a different coach for inside and outside linebackers. How do you think that will help you and the rest of the linebackers?

9. How much are you working with new pass rush specialist coach Al Harris?

10. With all of the changes in the organization this past year, what is the biggest change from this offseason compared to last offseason?

Lon Simmons: San Francisco 49ers Broadcasting Legend

George Duryea — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:04:18 -0400

To the younger generation of Bay Area sports fans, Lon Simmons is probably best known for his tenure as a broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants or the Oakland Athletics, as he had long stints with both teams.

He is a highly regarded announcer and started calling 49ers games back in 1957, and joined Russ Hodges when the Giants moved out west the next year. For me, he will always be the guy who made some of the best calls in 49ers history.

This might come as blasphemy to most 49ers fans, especially the younger ones who mainly know Joe Starkey as the voice of the 49ers. Starkey has some legendary calls to go along with his trademark phrase, “What a Bonanza!”

He had the wonderful, if somewhat simplistic call of Terrell Owens’ greatest Football play, screaming “Owens! Owens! Owens! Owens! Owens! Owens! He caught it! He caught it! He caught it!” and his call of Roger Craig’s great run against the Rams in ’88 is spot on. But Simmons will always have the best calls in my book.

In 1964, he stepped into highlight lore for all time with his call of Jim Marshall running the wrong way for a safety. He undoubtedly had numerous other great calls during his first stint with the team, which sadly ended the year before "The Catch."

Fortunately for 49ers fans, and for highlight reels, Lon Simmons would return for one last shot, a two year stint where he finally got to call a Super Bowl, and he made it count.

The 1988 season is littered with great plays from heart stopping games. While Simmons was great anytime one of the offensive stars broke free, calling out the yard lines as Rice or Taylor or Craig streaked passed them, there were specific moments where Simmons shined the brightest.

The first such moment came with a minute to play in a critical early game against the vaunted New York Giants, when on third and ten, down by four, Joe Montana found Jerry Rice for 77 yards.

Hearing Simmons relatively calm demeanor change drastically as he made the call, “Montana to throw, steps up, long for Rice. HE’S GOT IT! HE’S GONE THE THIRTY, THE TWENTY, THE TEN, TOUCHDOWN 49ERS! A 77 YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO JERRY RICE!”

Any reel of the Super Bowl drive is filled with Simmons doing his finest work. His voice matching the tempo of the team: Slow and methodical at first, finding a huge burst with Rice’s catch on 2nd-and-20, sounding exhausted on Craig’s ensuing catch, and perfectly punctuating the drive with the exclamation point: “Back to throw Montana, he Steps up, throws, TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!”

Of course, I skipped a play chronologically for the simple fact that it is the ultimate call of one of the greatest plays in football history. Steve Sabol describes the play as the best run in the history of the game, and Brian Murphy accurately said, “[There’s] almost no way to describe it other than to see it OR listen to Lon Simmons’ radio call.”

Simmons himself actually felt bad about his call of this spectacular run because he felt as though he was being repetitive, but the call stands for itself: “In trouble, he’s gonna be sack, no gets away. He runs, gets away again! Goes to the 40, GETS AWAY AGAIN! TO THE 35, CUTS BACK AT THE 30, TO THE TWENTY, THE FIFTEEN, THE TEN, THE FIVE, HE DIVES, TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!”

Lon Simmons is a Hall-of-Famer when it comes to broadcasting, and his baseball calls were great. Yet, his ability to describe the 49ers streaking down the sidelines is my reason why he will always be a legend.

Kruk and Kuip: Broadcasting at It's Finest

George Duryea — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:16:07 -0400

I remember the first time I heard locally broadcast baseball outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.

I was going to school in New England and a friend was watching the Red Sox in the common room. All I could think of was how bad the commentary was.

I grew up following the San Francisco Giants, and no matter which combination of broadcasters happened to be announcing the game, I was always content with the quality.

Were blessed to have ESPN’s top choice for baseball play-by-play on a regular basis in the form of Jon Miller, and we’ve got a scrappy youngster named Dave Flemming who came out of nowhere a few years back to join the broadcast team after Ted Robinson and Lon Simmons left.

Those guys, past and present, are great. But any Giants fan will tell you the trademark callers of the Giants are Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, informally known as Kruk and Kuip.

There is an art to broadcasting baseball.

They master it, and not just because they can seamlessly throw in the forced marketing gimmicks of the “Toyota Drive of the Game” or the “Defining Moment brought to you by Fry’s.” The art to baseball broadcasting requires four main elements: Enthusiasm, Homerism, Knowledge, and Knowing When to Talk.

The last element can be tricky and has arguably been their biggest weakness, yet they have gotten better at letting some moments sit without commentary.

In terms of knowledge, the two former players are obvious experts who know how to call a game. Krukow, the former pitcher, is not only great at breaking down the battle between pitcher and catcher, but has a great appreciation for plays in the field and analyze them quickly.

While those two traits are important, it is the first two, Enthusiasm and Homerism that make these two broadcasters one of the best pairs in baseball.

I’ve heard home runs called by some broadcasters as if it was the third ball in an intentional walk. Kuiper knows when something exciting or important is happening and anyone who can hear his voice knows it too. And while they clearly want the Giants to win, they break things down from a fairly objective standpoint.

It’s why a week ago, you could hear Kruk compliment Andre Either after he just gave the Dodgers the lead in the 9th, saying "That was a great at-bat." The balance of Homerism and Objectivity is hard to strike, and topping it off with the right amount of Enthusiasm is what makes for a great announcer.

Kruk and Kuip sound like someone mic’d the two most knowledgeable and passionate fans in the yard and just let them watch the game. And we Giants fans are blessed to sit in on their day at the yard.

Post Draft Analysis: A Fun Waste of Time

George Duryea — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:27:47 -0400

Looking back, 2006 is one of the best recent years to revisit post-Draft analysis. Articles ridiculing the Texans, praising the Cardinals, and believing there must be some genuine divinity behind the Saints that allowed them to grab the consensus best player in the draft.

How many people still want to say they would rather have Reggie Bush over Mario Williams. Williams has 30.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles (plus he returned one for a touchdown) and just started in his first Pro Bowl.

Bush, on the other hand, has been injury plagued. And when he is on the field, he has been far from the "game changer" that the "Consensus Number One Pick" should be. Twenty touchdowns and over 3,000 total yards (not counting returns) over three years is nothing to sneeze at for most players. But it's nothing to be proud of for the "closest thing to a sure thing."

For fun, go read Gene Wojciechowski's post draft analysis of how the Texan's "gagged." Unless you are a Saints fan, you'll laugh.

Sure, sometimes they get it right on (see the freakishly prescient Michael Smith's pre-draft analysis), but more often than not, it's a educated guessing game where experts are paid way too much to offer as much insight as you can find here.

I'm not saying I will not read it, but that's just because it's football, and I'll read and critique anything written about the 49ers.

The "Greatest Teams": How Repeated "Greatness" Has Hurt the Debate

George Duryea — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:18:48 -0400

Someone recently posted a poll, asking which team was the Greatest Football Team of all-time. The choices were the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1972 Miami Dolphins. A gut reaction from four fan bases was undoubtedly the same: Those are our choices?

In sports, everything is about winning, and that drive never fades. When your team wins the game, you want them to win the next game. Soon it becomes the desire for them to win the division. Then it is a first-round bye and so on until they win the Super Bowl. If they win the Super Bowl, you want them to repeat.

It is this drive that makes us fans. Wanting to win. We want our players to be the best and our teams to go down in history. In the offseason, all we have is the past and the future, so we are left to speculate on what will come and debate what has passed.

Even the NFL knows this, as the current NFL Network schedule consists of highlight reels, draft coverage, and Top 10, a show ranking some aspect of NFL history from Pass Combinations to Great College/Failed NFL Coaches.

This site is no exception, with the most popular articles often being debates over the top this or greatest that. I would not be surprised to see an article listing the Top 10 NFL Debates. Undoubtedly, that list would include "Who is the Greatest Quarterback?"; "Who is the Greatest Player?"; and "Which is the Greatest Team of All Time?"

It is the last one which I am drawn to the most. Not because of some hesitation over which QB I would pick or my uncertainty of how to adequately assess different players from different positions, but because of how complex the "Team" debate is.

Do you rely on a team's record? Their statistics? Their statistical ranking at the end of the season? Their post-season performance? If you argue some combination of these factors, how do you weigh them?

How do you account for the change in eras? You can have a debate about the best method to debate the debate. How do you handle a team that was undefeated and likely could have all but ended the debate, but they did not win the Super Bowl?

My problem with the debate is that, more often than not, teams that belong in the debate are left out. When the NFL had its own Debate, it asked a "Blue Ribbon Panel" to rank the 40 Super Bowl Winners. It ended with the top two teams being the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1972 Miami Dolphins, respectively.

Most people can walk away, thinking that the decision makes perfect sense. The Bears lost only one game while dominating every other one they played and Dolphins had the perfect season. No other team on the list can make that claim.

However, I think it is cheap to end the debate there. Especially when this panel could not take into account a key to the voting, it had it's members listing the teams.

I see something in common between the third, fourth, fifth and sixth teams on the list which is not true of the teams at first and second. Multiple entries on the list. Why does that matter? Because it affects how people vote.

ESPN's Page 2 gave one of the more extensive arguments about rankings of every Super Bowl participant. In the comments about the fifth greatest team, the writers pose a question: "So why isn't this team ranked even higher?"

A stunning question since the writers clearly had the power to rank them higher. The answer they provide: "Largely because it wasn't even the best team in 49ers history..." And there it is. There needed to be some separation between the choice at No. 1 (the 1989 San Francisco 49ers) and a team from the same franchise.

Now, I am not trying to argue about whether I agree with their assessment or attempting to make a point about how great the 49ers are. My point is this: When teams are ranked, repeated success can hurt them.

If you take 10 fans of any "Team of the Decade" and asked them which of the years was their team's best year, you'll get two or three different answers.

Ask a Dolphins or Bears fan about their team's best year, and you will only get one answer (I am aware the Dolphins won again in 1973, but no one brings that team up for this discussion, so it is a moot point).

I will admit I do not have a great sense of how heavy the debate is amongst fans of the Steelers, Cowboys, or Packers. But, I have seen 49ers fans argue that the 1994, the 1984, and the 1989 teams were the Greatest in the franchise's history.

When people are polled, those teams hurt each other when someone puts the 1994 team in the top five over the 1989 team.

In the moment of the wins, it did not matter. Current champions have a limited view of how history will look on them. But, as we get further from the success of those teams, the sight of their greatness becomes blurry as the extra diamonds on their rings obscure our vision.

The Bears team stands out. They only lost one game and they rolled through the post season. They also lost that one game by 14 points and faced the fifth seed from the AFC while the second seed had been the only team to beat them.

The Dolphins went undefeated. How can anyone argue with perfection? It was also a team that faced one of the weakest schedules in the NFL and racked up a post season average margin of victory of 5.8, never winning by more than 7 points.

I am not going to list the credentials of the 1989 or 1984 49ers, the 1978 or 1975 Steelers, the 1992 or 1977 Cowboys, or any of the great Packer teams because that is not the point. The point is to open up the debate to those teams who had more than one great year.

Because those franchises and their teams belong in the debate, and it is a debate worth having.

Only God Knows: Why Players Must Stop Thanking God

George Duryea — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:53:52 -0500

Whatever deity you might believe in, he, she, or it seems to be quite fickle when it comes to sports teams.

This year alone, he, she, or it seemed to jump from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Arizona Cardinals to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the span of three games.

Why does he she or it seem so indecisive? I think I have the answer: No deity cares who wins. Period.

Don't get me wrong, I've been prone to the last minute crisis, hands interlocked with my head bowed mentally praying to whatever might hear my prayers. However, I've yet to find any consistency with when they are answered.

I do it because it is really the only thing I can do. I cannot block that weak side blitzer that is coming untouched. I cannot tackle that receiver as he streaks toward the end zone. I cannot shoot that three, or block that shot, or hit that pitch, or catch that bloop. All I can do is hope and pray.

But the players themselves feel the constant need to thank God after a win. And it needs to stop. If you have so much faith that the Almighty listens to you, you should be saying "Hey, God, it's me. Look, I know you've been a big help to me and my team, but you really might want to focus on some other things.

"Evidently, the economy is in free fall, there's chaos in the Middle East, and some people are convinced that you, or some being like you, want them to kill themselves and a whole lot of innocent people in your name. So, maybe, before you help my team, you could help out with some of that other stuff." Or something to that effect.

This is not the Middle Ages. Our champions are not decided by divine right. They are decided by the players.

So save your divine thanks for your prayers. Why? Because, in sports, the answer to your prayers undoubtedly came at the expense of someone else's.

My Playoff Logic: Why I Don't Want to See the Pittsburgh Steelers Win It All

George Duryea — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:13:13 -0500

I am a rabid 49ers fan. I grew up on NFL Films productions about the 49ers and have parts of them memorized. I still watch the same ones today that I watched 20 years ago, and they still give me goosebumps. So, in spite of the hardships of the last six years, I love this franchise and the hallowed place it has in History. For that reason, I do not want to see the Steelers win it all this year.

Pittsburgh was the first team to win four Super Bowls, and I was OK with them becoming the third team to win their fifth. Why? Because the 49ers were the first team to win one for the Thumb.

In retrospect, as much as I hated the Cowboys of the 1990s and how many rings they kept the 49ers from, I am glad they beat the Steelers. You might again ask, Why? As of this year, only one team has been to the Super Bowl more than once and maintained a perfect record: the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers.

Every year, as the playoffs roll around with the 49ers omitted again and again, admittedly for good reason, I look to history to see who I will root against. Sure, every once and a while I will have some friends I want to see happy, and in those cases I can hope their team wins. But history, and the legacy of the 49ers, always takes precedent.

It is why I never want to see a team three-peat. It is why I never want to see another team be undefeated in Super Bowl Play. It is why I rooted against last year's Patriots.

Not only would they have had the first perfect 19-0 season, they would have beaten the 1984 49ers mark of 18-1. Tom Brady could have gotten a third Super Bowl MVP, tying Joe Montana; won his fourth Super Bowl, tying Joe Montana, and would have done it with plenty of time left in his career to top Joe Montana. Topping Joe Montana is not allowed. Unless, you know, it were by a 49er, but I do not see that happening any time soon.

At this point in the playoffs, I have ranked the remaining contenders in the order which I'd most like to see them win the Super Bowl: Philadelphia, Arizona, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. And for each team, absurd logic has come into play.

I'm not looking forward to the never-ending gloating that would come from an Eagles win, but they're 0-2 in the Super Bowl and I have nothing against their players, though McNabb did break Joe's Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a QB, and yes that irks me, but it is relatively minor.

I do not like Arizona, and they would be 1-0 in Super Bowls, but its better than the other two options of 2-0 or, god forbid, 6-1. Baltimore would become the second team to be undefeated in Super Bowl play, but that is far better than the Steelers becoming the first team to six.

I hate to say it, because instinctively, I have nothing against the Steelers. They have great players who are mostly hard to dislike. They have a great group of fans, some of whom I count as friends, or at least good acquaintances. None of their players are regularly compared to the great 49ers of the past, particularly Joe Montana or Jerry Rice.

But, my team was the first to five, and I do not care what kind of long shot odds we have of doing it, but I want my team to be the first to six, and I will continue to root for that to be a possibility.

I realize this is probably futile in the long run (not to mention possibly the short run) but it is what I do in the playoffs. If I cannot root for my team, I root for their memory. Because it is that memory which has kept me going since 1994.

Mike Singletary's SF 49ers: Why I'm Picking San Francisco Over Miami

George Duryea — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:09:03 -0500

When the Mike Singletary Era began, San Francisco was a joke of a team. They had two wins over Hapless Detroit and Wounded Seattle. Despite fighting hard and repeatedly nearly pulling the upset (watch the first three quarters of the Eagles game again if you don't believe me), they were considered bottom dwellers.

Miami, on the other hand, came off an abysmal 1-15 year to challenge for a suddenly wide open AFC East. Shocking the Patriots early in the season captured the league's attention.

Fans of Franchises like the Raiders and 49ers looked on in awe, wondering how such a feat could occur, namely a franchise turning things around so quickly while they have struggled for years.

But 49ers fans have felt a strange feeling since coming out of their bye week. While the league was busy laughing at Mike Singletary and his antics from the Seattle game, I spent the week telling people that the Arizona game would define the season.

Either the team would continue the trend set in the Seattle game and manage to perform worse than they had under Mike Nolan, or maybe, just maybe, they would buy into Mike Singletary and turn the season around.

Credit Mike Singletary, because the team went all in.

A slight improvement in last second game management, and the 49ers would have pulled an upset of a heavily favored Arizona team. It was a game where the hype was on the Cards to prove their worth, to show that they could perform on a national stage and do what was expected.

The 49ers would either be pushed over or the Cardinals or Arizona would trip over it's own feet.

And at the end, a great deal of the conversation was Arizona's fortune to escape a game they should have dominated because an inferior team dropped the ball.

Beating St. Louis the next week was a lower middle-class team beating a horrible team as they were supposed to. But anyone who had not watched the 49ers closely over the past few years did not see the signs in that game. Efficiency in the red zone and an all-around dominant performance from a team that was not supposed to be able to dominate.

Dallas was next, and a heavy favorite. Looking at the box score, it would be easy to say the Cowboys handled the 49ers. But the details of the game told a different story. Small mistakes in the red zone cost San Francisco eight points before Dallas had sniffed the end zone. They were the mistakes made by a quarterback in his second full week with the starting offense, and against Dallas, they were a game changer.

There is no guarantee that things would have been demonstrably different had San Francisco started up 14-0 instead of 6-0, but it would have made Owen's early touchdown grab merely cut the 49ers lead instead of putting the 49ers, the team who had dominated early, behind by a point. Things got away from the 49ers quickly, but they never gave up, a fought hard until the final whistle.

I walked away from the Dallas game frustrated, but optimistic. This team was different than the one that had coughed up late leads to Philly and New England. They we're fired up, and I was optimistic going into Buffalo.

After a terrifying game testing the limits of a bend-not-break defense outing, Shaun Hill ended the game with a kneel-down for the second time in three starts.

The impression that most took away was the continuing story of Buffalo imploding. The Jets, fresh off a reality check from Denver, would come in and rebound against San Francisco. Everyone was predicting it (save Keyshawn Johnson), while no one took note of the four-point spread or Accuscore placing the win percentage for the Jets at 51 percent, while San Francisco stood strong at 48 percent.

Another strong performance for Mike Singletary's team. Another stunner from the team of the 1980s. Do not let the score fool you. The stat sheet is far more indicative of how the game played out. Save for a few missteps, the 49ers dominated the New York Jets.

When the 49ers faced crippling moments, the turn over that cost them an early lead, an ill timed INT from Hill which led to a game tying touchdown, and a holding call on a touchdown costing them four points, they did not fold.

Over the past four years, when something catastrophic happened, especially against a strong opponent, San Francisco would fall apart. Drives stalled on any sack or holding penalty. Overturned touchdowns killed team morale. The team could be pushed out of a game at any second by any mistake. But it has not happened in the past two weeks.

Since 2002, I have learned to guard any optimism with healthy skepticism. But I'm feeling good about football again. I was grinning far too much after Sunday's performance to not comment on what I see around me.

Too many people are jumping ahead to Week 17, predicting Miami will be 10-5 and looking to clinch it's first playoff berth since 2002. Before they can go 11-5, they need to reach 9-5, and I'm not sure that is going to happen.

I'm not guaranteeing a win. I won't dismiss Miami and how well they have played of late. But, I don't think people are taking Mike Singletary and his team serious enough. This isn't a 5-8 team, its a 3-2 team (Shaun Hill Era) that was this close to being 4-1 or possibly 5-0. And they demand to be reckoned with.

My "Prediction" (frankly it is merely a guess): 49ers 24 Miami 17

49ers-Cardinals: Why San Francisco Lost

George Duryea — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:04:36 -0500

Anyone who has watched the 49ers since Mike Nolan took over has noticed one immutable fact. Almost every single time they have had short-yardage situations, they have failed to get it with power running.

With 40-some seconds remaining in the game, it was a perfect time to call a quick corner fade rout rather than wasting a down, and 20 seconds, to spike the football. Then, you bring in a power-running formation that has failed time and again in goal-line situations in the past few years.

Gore, unable to pound it up the middle, nearly goes in after bouncing it outside on second and goal. Which led to an obvious point: You don't run conventionally again.

Last year, in a woeful game against the Cards, the 49ers trailed late. It had not been a pretty game, but the 'Niners made their way to the goal line with 26 seconds on the clock.

The play: end around. The result: touchdown. This year, against the Eagles, we had 3rd-and-1 in the second and ran it up the gut. Result: No gain. 3rd-and-, against DETROIT, early in the first, rush up the gut with Gore. Result: Loss of one.

In the same game against Detroit, 1st -and-goal from the four yard line turned into 4th-and-1 from the one, thanks to three rushes up the gut. 4th and goal was an end around to Rossum. The result: Touchdown. Against New England, 3rd-and-1, Nolan and company call for a rush up the gut resulting in 4th-and-2.

This is not a power running team. It regularly loses the battle at the line of scrimmage (on both sides of the ball) when it is do-or-die. And there was no reason to think it wouldn't lose it again on that final series.

Michael Robinson didn't come close. Gore only did because he abandoned the original play. There was no excuse for such dismal play-calling. Play action. Bootleg. End-around. All would have been better options in this situation.

Mike Singletary might be criticized heavily for this game, but both he and his staff did a great job, for the most part, for the first 59 minutes and 20 seconds of the game.

However, the final 40 seconds cost him the game and made his road to becoming the permanent head coach a far treacherous one. He's 0-2, but he should be 1-1. The team might bail him out, which could be increasingly more likely with the way the team played tonight, but he missed a huge opportunity for a strong step in that direction.

I've been close to thinking this team has turned it around. I'm right there. Unfortunately, they just cannot get me over that line.