Obsessedsportsnut's Blog

The 49ers played one hell of a game, and I’m extremely proud of their resolve and their fight until the very end of the game. If there was ever a loss that could propel a team to victory and greater things, this game would be it.

Today, I think we had a glimpse of what this team can be. The defense obviously is a very strong unit behind the leadership of Patrick Willis, and showed its ability to play well, while limiting the Saints offense to only 287 total yards.

The offense on the other hand was a revelation. The drive on the Niners 2nd touchdown was a thing of beauty with Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, and Vernon Davis all making big plays to set up Anthony Dixon’s 2 yard run. Today was the first time I saw the new Alex Smith. He was confident in the pocket and made great decisions and showed great awareness. Yes he through two interceptions, but the last one for sure wasnt his fault, and was the result of a great play by the defense.

In order for the 49ers to win, they need to cut down on their mental lapses and mistakes.

1) The opening high snap that resulted in a Saints safety
2) Delanie Walker fumbling the ball in the red zone
3) Philip Adams muffing a punt in the 4th quarter that resulted in a Saints field goal

If none of the mistakes had happened, the game would have been a completely different story. The 49ers need to play with discipline to win.

I also had issues with the clock management at the end. Alex Smith lead a very very impressive drive at the end. 8 plays, 82 yards, in 0:53. Too good…but it was too fast. You can not leave 1:19 on the clock for Drew Brees. On at least 4-5 different occasions, the 49ers ran out of bounds to stop the clock, when they should have stayed in bounds and at least tried to milk the clock a little bit. They should have given Brees less time to work with…at least give him some type of pressure.

Are the 49ers screwed? Nope. Luckily for the 49ers, they play in a very very weak NFC West, where the last 4 division champions won no more than 10 games each. With the Seahawks and Cardinals at 1-1 and the Rams and 49ers at 0-2, it is very likely that this trend will continue for a 5th straight year. On paper, the 49ers are still a lot better than the other 3 teams, and they should still win the division this year.

Next weeks game against a surprising 2-0 Kansas City team is a must win game for 49ers.