I don't expect a repeat...

[HawkFan72]

By the numbers, the 49ers are weaker against the run than against the pass. I also expect a healthy dose of Marshawn Lynch this week and a more conservative passing game than what we saw last week.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I wouldnt expect Wilson to appear nearly as dynamic against the Niner D as he has against a poor New England and Carolina D.

I hope everyone doesnt freak if he doesnt look too good because there is a good chance he wont. This opinion I have is not hate. Wilson is a rookie and I am bracing myself for what I think is going to be a very rough game against a very good team.

 

[sutz]

Harbaugh is quite the schemer and he knows us well. Once he finds a weakness, he attacks it repeatedly. In our last game against him, he used speed on the outside to attack the big boy side of our run D's DL when we sent in the 3 DTs plus Clemons. I hope we have an answer this time because that was pretty aggrivating to watch...over and over!

I believe that is why we drafted Wagner. Speed at LB to counter the weak spot in the flats with speed at MLB.

If we are able to rattle Alex Smith, that will definitely work in our favor. They'll probably go with extra blockers and hit the short, quick stuff with V. Davis, so sacks will probably be hard to come by (especially after the schooling they got from NY). That approach should be money for them between the 20yd lines. Seeing what would happen if we sprung Walter Thurmond on them in the slot (had he been ready to play) would have been interesting.

Well, that is what GB did, and it worked for them. The question is: Can Smith pull it off as well as "the Best QB in the league"?

They will try to play a stingy game with us. Hopefully we find a way to hang some points on them then really get after Smith.

Both teams will be stingy. But this could boil down to one or two big plays. ST is an obvious area for that, but we're better than we were in the first meeting last season. If both teams are pounding the run game, eventually someone is going to hook up over the top with a big pass play. I actually think RW is a bigger threat for this than Smith.

Should be a good game, probably low scoring, and probably not decided until late in the 4th quarter.

 

[dsquid]

I just don't think Wilson will be allowed to try the sorts of things he did last week with anything close to the same frequency. This is a different defense and offense we are going against.

And if the numbers aren't as eye-popping, you can be sure we will hear Flynn's name come up again.

I believe that will be misguided, as so much of what this QB is allowed to do is game-plan driven.

Revisiting this prediction, I am actually glad that I was wrong about the conservatism. The Hawks did allow Wilson to pass a decent amount early on - and it worked - until drops derailed the gameplan.

Unfortunately, the stats turned out to be bad as a result, and the offense sputtered as a whole in the second half. This led directly to the second prediction being true - misguided fans calling for Flynn.