Niners/Giants Game Thread

[detlef]

Gaffney

OK, OK, it's not just the Packers. I still think it's lame. You either want to discourage TD celebrations (and for the life of me, I have no idea why. This is not a serious thing. This is entertainment.) or you don't. Regardless, E Smith's ripping off of the helmet was not "grandfathered" in.

 

Honestly, given the fear of lawsuits and all, I'm surprised that the one TD celebration that is still allowed actually involves players entering the stands, something that leagues often have rules against. I mean, from a logical perspective.

 

I'm glad they allow the leap, but I just think they should lighten up on the rest as well.

[matt770]

I knew it would be a flag as soon as he jumped on the camera platform. I knew Harbaugh would be absolutely livid about it too.

[hardway]

Congrats Giants fans, your team played tough football and I think you will beat the Pats. I am pulling for the Giants now!

[MrTed46]

I'm a Jets fan and hate the Patriots as everyone should. But i'm about to root for them over an undeserving 9-7 Giants team. Never thought i'd be saying that

 

omg

 

[detlef]

I'm a Jets fan and hate the Patriots as everyone should. But i'm about to root for them over an undeserving 9-7 Giants team. Never thought i'd be saying that

Did I miss something where the Giants got into the play-offs ahead of someone who should have been there instead? Or some other way the Giants don't deserve this? I was under the impression that they just beat the #1 and #2 seeds in their respective houses, but I guess that doesn't mean as much any more?

 

And let's be clear, K Williams or no, it's not like the Niners gave away a game they had won. They may have lost it on those two fumbles, but it's not like the Ravens where they had a guy with the ball in his hands in the endzone and then had a kicker shank a 32 yarder. So, one of the two teams in the SB is pretty lucky to be there and the Giants are not that team. The Giants absolutely won that game last night.

 

I know, it would be better if we could have just had a bunch of coaches and computers vote on the best two teams.

 

Honestly, I just want a good game and think we're going to get one.

Edited January 23, 2012 by detlef

[Ditkaless Wonders]

1) Agreed. I cringed the moment I saw that play begin.

 

2) Agreed, especially in the 4th quarter

 

3) Really only did that once.

 

4) Obviously

 

5) Not much you can do there. DBs got to make a play on the ball. Tom Jackson said as much. It's one thing for WRs to run into each other because they both know where the patterns are going. Imagine if a DB pulls up because he thinks he backfield partner has it and then dude doesn't make the play and it results in a long catch. I've always been under the impression that a DBs primary job is to stop the completion. If he gets a pick, all the better. I think that was just bad luck. Especially the first one because dude had a head of steam and could have taken that back quite a ways.

 

 

I agree the D.B. play was not bad, just unfortunate. There is always a certain element of Luck. The 49ers were not gifted with good luck in those instances. I do note that the ability to have two defenders converging on the ball shows that their coverage was actually excellent.

 

 

I certainly did not feel that the 49ers were physically beat in the game. I do feel that if they played the game 10 times that the 49ers would have won some. How many I will not speculate on as that is the type of thing that can rile fans of the winning team and can seem like bittnerness. I will just say that the 49ers gained a measure of respect from me by much of their play, and I believe that once the hurt and disappointment is gone they will take away lessons that will make them even more dangerous next year.

[whomper]

Really hate to see this. Big to Willis and others for having his back

 

San Francisco 49ers kick returner Kyle Williams laid face-down on the shredded and wet field at Candlestick Park Sunday night as the New York Giants celebrated a fumble recovery in overtime. The second glaring mistake by the 49ers' sophomore in the NFC Championship Game was followed by three runs by Ahmad Bradshaw and Eli Manning taking a knee. After that, the G-Men kicked their way into Super Bowl 46.

 

After Jacquian Williams knocked the ball from his grasp and the Giants recovered at the 24-yard line, Kyle Williams was the scapegoat in San Francisco. The 23-year-old's name quickly started trending on Twitter -- partly because some 49ers fans lent their support, but mostly because he was the subject of hateful messages, several openly rooting for his death.

 

Someone, presumably a 49ers fan based on his profile image, tweeted that he hopes Williams and his family dies. Another wished Williams died in his sleep Sunday night. And when another tweeted that he's not sure Williams deserves to be receiving death threats, someone said that notion was "debatable."

 

Fortunately, several San Francisco teammates and other tweeters jumped to Williams' defense.

 

"Keep ur head up. U r my brother n teammate N I would put u back there all over again. We all lost this game tonight not u," 49ers star linebacker Patrick Willis tweeted.

 

Tight end Delanie Walker told CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel that it's not Williams' fault "so don't go over there and act like it is."

 

Although it comes as no surprise that some fans would immediately react in the most extreme fashion, it's comforting to see so many rush to defend someone against such classless acts.

Edited January 24, 2012 by whomper

[Ditkaless Wonders]

I knew it would be a flag as soon as he jumped on the camera platform. I knew Harbaugh would be absolutely livid about it too.

 

 

As soon as he did it you could see him hesitate as if the words of Singletary wre echoing in his ears. Too late. He hurt his team. Still, Isaw something in his body language which I cannot articulate but makes me feel that he finally understands the lesson and will not repeat this ever again. Maybe it was just my imagining.

[hardway]

Did I miss something where the Giants got into the play-offs ahead of someone who should have been there instead? Or some other way the Giants don't deserve this? I was under the impression that they just beat the #1 and #2 seeds in their respective houses, but I guess that doesn't mean as much any more?

 

And let's be clear, K Williams or no, it's not like the Niners gave away a game they had won. They may have lost it on those two fumbles, but it's not like the Ravens where they had a guy with the ball in his hands in the endzone and then had a kicker shank a 32 yarder. So, one of the two teams in the SB is pretty lucky to be there and the Giants are not that team. The Giants absolutely won that game last night.

 

I know, it would be better if we could have just had a bunch of coaches and computers vote on the best two teams.

 

Honestly, I just want a good game and think we're going to get one.

 

The Giants deserve to be in the Super Bowl, no doubt about that. They played their asses off and made less mistakes than our 49ers in a game you pretty much knew going in was going to come down to who made the fewest mistakes.

 

I have to take a bit of issue with the statement that the 49ers didn't give the game away. It's not like the Giants made adjustments on offense that we couldn't deal with, we had two terrible gaffs on special teams and that was the difference. I may just be a total homer, but I honestly believe that we would have won either 17-10 or 20-17 without both screw-ups by Williams.

 

Now I am not laying it all at his feet. Our offense was miserable with a few exceptions. Our players didn't execute well, and our offensive play calling was confusing at best, but this has been the case all year. Our offense has been pretty damn lousy, we just haven't been making many mistakes. I feel that we did give the game away with those two turnovers, and it's going to hurt for a while.

 

All I've got to say now is, "Go Giants!!!" NFC all the way, baby!

Edited January 24, 2012 by hardway

[Ursa Majoris]

Really hate to see this. Big to Willis and others for having his back

+1. Twitter is worthless enough as it is without the infestation of morally bankrupt cowards it draws.

[CaptainHook]

As I was writing that, I started to figure this was the case. But that's their deal. Nobody else is going to do it. So it may as well be the Packers only.

Bob Sanders did it too. I've seen it happen a few times, but I understand what you're saying.

[Cunning Runt]

Really hate to see this. Big to Willis and others for having his back

 

Death threats are obviously over the top, but Williams absolutely should be the goat. I mean, let's call a spade a spade. His play on the first one in particular directly led to a Giants TD and was just plain stupid on his part.

 

If I were a Niners fan (I'm not), that's exactly where I'd be pointing my finger.

[Ursa Majoris]

Death threats are obviously over the top, but Williams absolutely should be the goat. I mean, let's call a spade a spade. His play on the first one in particular directly led to a Giants TD and was just plain stupid on his part.

 

If I were a Niners fan (I'm not), that's exactly where I'd be pointing my finger.

Hard to disagree with that. I can't believe he approached a bouncing punt. The fumble is forgivable, it happens to everyone. The moving punt, not so much - he should have been fleeing in the opposite direction.

 

The threats thing is plain stupid though, just evidence of how social media is full of idiot trolls hiding behind a cloak of anonymity.

[whomper]

Death threats are obviously over the top, but Williams absolutely should be the goat. I mean, let's call a spade a spade. His play on the first one in particular directly led to a Giants TD and was just plain stupid on his part.

 

If I were a Niners fan (I'm not), that's exactly where I'd be pointing my finger.

 

 

The Giants dont win that game without those 2 miscues in my opinion so yes, I agree with you. The guy is probably beating himslef up mercilessly over it. Good to see his teamates have his back.

[Menudo]

I would like to see threats made in any way prosecuted by law. I'm sure 99% of the threats are made by complete cowards hiding behind a computer screen, and are no serious threat. However, if I was the guy getting the threats on myself and my family, I would be concerned with the 1% that might actually act on it. Some of these guys make their threats from their Twitter & Facebook accounts, so, they can be easily traced. I'd like to see them punished. I'm sure that Cundiff & Williams feel sick enough about their mistakes, they don't need these idiots piling on with threats of death/violence. These people who allow sports to affect them to the point where they threaten player's lives are a complete embarrassment.

[Ursa Majoris]

I would like to see threats made in any way prosecuted by law. I'm sure 99% of the threats are made by complete cowards hiding behind a computer screen, and are no serious threat. However, if I was the guy getting the threats on myself and my family, I would be concerned with the 1% that might actually act on it. Some of these guys make their threats from their Twitter & Facebook accounts, so, they can be easily traced. I'd like to see them punished. I'm sure that Cundiff & Williams feel sick enough about their mistakes, they don't need these idiots piling on with threats of death/violence. These people who allow sports to affect them to the point where they threaten player's lives are a complete embarrassment.

There is a law against this stuff. It's called Making Terroristic Threats and it's pretty damn serious.

[matt770]

In some other countries, threats are to be taken very seriously when athletes screw up. I vaguely remember reading something about Saddam torturing soccer players who didn't play well.

 

The fumble in OT was just a good play on Jacquain Williams' part knocking the ball loose IMO.

[Bier Meister]

my impressions of the game (and 9ers)

 

- i have been very skeptical about the 49ers due to past let downs, but around mid-season started to view them as a "good" team. very well coached, disciplined brand of football. they were staying competitive with worth opponents. my disdain for alex smith turn into tolerance because he seems to learn how to not turn the ball over. it appeared that this was enough for this type of team. beating the saints the way they did had me convinced that this is a sb worthy team.

 

as for the nyg/sf game:

 

it was the type of game i envisioned, two very good defenses playing a tight game with little margin of error. the 49ers played well enough to win despite smith playing like crap. the 9ers defense was fantastic. their Achilles heel was giving up long 3rd down conversions in the 1st half. somewhere in the 2nd quarter/2nd half they improved on that. gore/hunter looked just fine. i again thought harbaugh caledl a good game. i don't believe that he was scared of smith or the nyg d-line, but tried to neutralize them by being run heavy early on. there was only one point in the game that i was disappointed in his calls... in the 4th when they call 3 pass plays in a row and gave the ball over quickly to the giants. the advantage went to the team who got more turnovers....and could have been the 9ers with 2 dropped ints. while i generally believe that it takes a full game to win or lose it, the 2 late returns by williams made the difference.

 

they have a lot to build on, but i think the 9ers will be competitive for years to come..... i still want a real qb and a #1 wr.

[stevegrab]

In some other countries, threats are to be taken very seriously when athletes screw up. I vaguely remember reading something about Saddam torturing soccer players who didn't play well.

 

The fumble in OT was just a good play on Jacquain Williams' part knocking the ball loose IMO.

 

Wasn't there some soccer player from south america that was physically attacked after he contributed to his team losing an important game?

 

I agree that those making threats are idiotic trolls. Maybe if they would be prosecuted people would stop doing it. But is it really worth pursuing all of those people as criminals? Not sure how criminal justice system could handle the load.

[SEC=UGA]

Wasn't there some soccer player from south america that was physically attacked after he contributed to his team losing an important game?

 

I agree that those making threats are idiotic trolls. Maybe if they would be prosecuted people would stop doing it. But is it really worth pursuing all of those people as criminals? Not sure how criminal justice system could handle the load.

 

Here ya go.

[Bier Meister]

Here ya go.

 

 

espn did a great story on the 2 escobars