I'm gonna get skewered for this, but...

[scutterhawk]

...they were sandbaggin' it.
Not wanting to show their hand and not wanting a loss at home. That's it.
Even if (and it's a GIANT if) they lose at New York, it'll be the last loss of the season. Actually, I think this was the last loss of the season, so take solace, my friends.
Think about it. Have you ever seen them so lackluster before? I read in a thread that even their body language was different. They didn't seem to have a "spark." Whatever it was on Sunday, they're goin' on a tear from here on out.

Mark my words. It ain't over 'til it's over.

This post is too funny.
I was thinking the EXACT same thing LOL
Pete probably told his guys that he wanted them healthy enough to go the distance, and not to get into all the piss-hype in this game.
There was way more than just the "body language" of every one on the Seahawks, keep it close, play loose but DON'T get caught up in Harbaughs foo-fe-rah punk game.
Y'all can feel free to disagree but, I still don't/won't agree with how this media hyped game was officiated, and it has NOTHING to do with it being a loss, and EVERYTHING to do with what showed to be biased calls at the most critical times ,and the Crabs forced fumble, that quickly got swept aside by corrupt officials, is just ONE example.

 

[NorCalHawk12]

Told you I'd get skewered.....

Maybe "sandbag" was the wrong term.

Conservative. Vanilla. Keep it close. Keep Russell healthy by limiting scrambles/runs.

Yes, we got beat. Actually, no, not beat. We had fewer points when time ran out.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

We lost a close game to a very good opponent, our division rivals, on the road. If any one of a number of plays had gone another way the outcome could have been different. That's how close it was. The 9ers have a top tier defense, an offense capable of moving the ball and scoring points, a freak athlete (albeit a halfwit) for a QB. Not only was this a playoff game for them but also an uber-revenge/pride game and they just happen to be the healthiest they've been and playing their best football so far this season.

We went in, for whatever reason, conservative. I won't say we "sandbagged it" or we were "playing not to lose" but we clearly weren't willing to do anything and everything we had to do to win. We didn't take many shots down field and Russell ran the ball one time, and while both of those are a credit to the 9ers D, it also tells me that we weren't taking any chances... whatever the reason may be.

And all that said, if it weren't for one play we could have won the game. Instead we're 11-2, 1 seed in the NFC, control our own destiny and I'm not even mad about it.

 

[BlueTalon]

Remember how silly it sounded when 9ers fans said that their OC only opened up half his play book after last December's game?

Absolutely. It still does.

 

[loafoftatupu]

Yep.. no sandbagging but certainly conservative. Definitely different from the norm. No way were they not trying their best to win within their plan.

I totally get it. There just isn't any shame into losing to a good team in their house, under those circumstances. The Niners know the Hawks, but that doesn't help them in Seattle.

Hey, if everyone on this board knew that the Hawks would be 11-2, with a split of SF and a close game in SF that resulted in a 2 game lead with 3 to go? Yeah.. everyone takes that with extreme joy. Similar to my current feelings.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

but we clearly weren't willing to do anything and everything we had to do to win.

We did what we always do, try to run the ball and let Russell make plays in the passing game. The difference wasn't play calling, it was poor play on defense, special teams and losing the penalty battle.

Now I will give you the fact that we got too conservative with the play calling after Golden's great punt return. That was the time to try to stick it in the endzone and make it REALLY difficult for SF. But it appeared Pete and Daryl were happy with playing for the FG to take the lead and put the game in our defense's hands.

 

[HawksSoc]

Remember how silly it sounded when 9ers fans said that their OC only opened up half his play book after last December's game?

Absolutely. It still does.

No sillier then this does my friend.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

but we clearly weren't willing to do anything and everything we had to do to win.

We did what we always do, try to run the ball and let Russell make plays in the passing game. The difference wasn't play calling, it was poor play on defense, special teams and losing the penalty battle.

Now I will give you the fact that we got too conservative with the play calling after Golden's great punt return. That was the time to try to stick it in the endzone and make it REALLY difficult for SF. But it appeared Pete and Daryl were happy with playing for the FG to take the lead and put the game in our defense's hands.

I'm thinking about earlier this year, Houston I think it was, where Marshawn tells Russell "just take over" and he did. I believe Russell has that ability and he didn't do it this game and I don't believe it's because he couldn't.

Like loaf said, they tried "their best to win within their plan" and I don't know exactly what their plan was, but I do believe it included keeping Russell safe above all.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Like loaf said, they tried "their best to win within their plan" and I don't know exactly what their plan was, but I do believe it included keeping Russell safe above all.

I think their plan's always to try and keep Russell safe. Like I've said in other threads, give SF credit for being REALLY disciplined with their DE's staying on the edge and not letting Russell out of the pocket on the read. You could tell right away that was SF's game plan on defense, do not let Russell outside the pocket.

 

[Zebulon Dak]

Like loaf said, they tried "their best to win within their plan" and I don't know exactly what their plan was, but I do believe it included keeping Russell safe above all.

I think their plan's always to try and keep Russell safe. Like I've said in other threads, give SF credit for being REALLY disciplined with their DE's staying on the edge and not letting Russell out of the pocket on the read. You could tell right away that was SF's game plan on defense, do not let Russell outside the pocket.

Agree.

 

[Largent80]

I look at it this way....SF needed that win WAY more than we did, and if Gore doesn't make that run, we had them beat in their own place.

I'm happy to get out of that game with RW intact.

 

[Ninerg]

I doubt they sandbagged it. But, it was clear they flat out told RW to not run the entire game. Probably worried about the headhunting.

The Niners are not cheap shot artist. As a Niner fan, I don't want to see Russell Wilson get hurt. Having said that I was very disappointed with our defense that we didn't put a big damaging hit on Lynch.

Also, the Niners have been way too conservative this year, got Kap playing like a game manager. We kept kicking field goals against you guys, we should scored TD's. Our defense dominated most of game and the offense should have put more points on the board.

 

[paramedic586]

I doubt they sandbagged it. But, it was clear they flat out told RW to not run the entire game. Probably worried about the headhunting.

RW was smart to hand the ball off multiple times instead of trying to run. Brooks was coming from the right multiple times during the read option. I was surprised that he did not hit RW on some of those plays given how quickly he got there. But RW did that in the last meeting. Brooks lit RW up on one read option play and he kept handing the ball off after that. The announcers in the game were talking about it too. He was playing smart heads up football.

 

[Dick Johnson]

I doubt they sandbagged it. But, it was clear they flat out told RW to not run the entire game. Probably worried about the headhunting.

I don't know about sandbagging either. After all, these are two teams that really DO flat out hate each other.

Regarding Russell Wilson and not running ... I'd say the tone for that was set very early -- in fact, on the very first possession I'd argue. Wilson DID try running away from the defense as he always does ... and the sheer speed that Novorro Bowman came flying in there to sack him there and cause the fumble was truly amazing. Up until this point, I think it's been in the back of his mind that he's thinking, "I'm faster than any lineman or linebacker out there, so if I get in trouble, I can just run away from them". Not so with San Francisco. To me, that play right there was the tone setter in terms of Wilson and scrambling with the ball. It kind of put the brakes on that idea for basically the rest of the game.

I was shocked when Bowman lit up Wilson. I had never seen him take a hit like that, and I honestly didn't think it was possible. I thought the niners contained Wilson extremely well, and along with Bowman's hit, I think those are the main reasons Wilson stayed in the pocket.(edited for spelling)

 

[sekiuHAWK]

...they were sandbaggin' it.
Not wanting to show their hand and not wanting a loss at home. That's it.
Even if (and it's a GIANT if) they lose at New York, it'll be the last loss of the season. Actually, I think this was the last loss of the season, so take solace, my friends.
Think about it. Have you ever seen them so lackluster before? I read in a thread that even their body language was different. They didn't seem to have a "spark." Whatever it was on Sunday, they're goin' on a tear from here on out.

Mark my words. It ain't over 'til it's over.

I saw the body language too... Reminded me of Tyson vs buster Douglas

 

[TheHawkster]

I've been saying they played very conservative for almost a full 3 qtrs of "It's all about the ball".
Then we began to open it up late.

Niners just caught us with the clock killing drive.
Thats the way the ball bounces.

We didn't use many premium plays. Time to watch it again....

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I've been saying they played very conservative for almost a full 3 qtrs of "It's all about the ball".
Then we began to open it up....

Huh?

Most of our longest plays were in the first half, including the long TD to Wilson. If anything we were too conservative in the 4th qtr, especially after Tate's punt return. Seems like Pete was content to just get a FG.

 

[Pak40.]

I don't think it was something conscious. But I also don't think they unloaded the playbook either knowing they could probably beat them without it and also they don't want to show everyone their whole playlist with HFA so likely.

Also I don't buy that they told RW to not run at all. The reads weren't there, they were spying him the entire game and trying to force Lynch back inside. They may have told him to be cautious due to not having TJack backing him up but he still could slide, etc.

Overall, they just went conservative and that's not an entirely bad philosophy on the road where you try to keep it close and win it in the 4th quarter.

Unfortunately with the Gore and Kap runs, we didn't get a chance. Certainly out of character for our defense but sometimes these things are good to "reset" their expectations and refocus them. I think this will be good in the long run.

If HFA is such a guaranteed win why hide anything?

 

[Pak40.]

I doubt they sandbagged it. But, it was clear they flat out told RW to not run the entire game. Probably worried about the headhunting.

The Niners are not cheap shot artist. As a Niner fan, I don't want to see Russell Wilson get hurt. Having said that I was very disappointed with our defense that we didn't put a big damaging hit on Lynch.

I do not think it is possible to put a big damaging hit on lynch.

 

[jdblack]

Told you I'd get skewered.....

Maybe "sandbag" was the wrong term.

Conservative. Vanilla. Keep it close. Keep Russell healthy by limiting scrambles/runs.

Yes, we got beat. Actually, no, not beat. We had fewer points when time ran out.

Yeah I think that is accurate, this thread is mostly people talking past each other because "sandbag" means different things to different people. The dictionary definition basically means playing conservatively, which limits play selection, but some people consider sandbagging to be giving up or letting the other side win.