By Art Spander
For Maven Sports
This is the season that every team in pro football has, other than the Patriots for that long period. The season that coaches fear and fans dread. The season when you stop asking what’s wrong and instead ask what’s right — if anything.
Copyright 2020, The Maven
By Art Spander
Their quarterback surely will be out a game or two. Their best defensive lineman will be out for the season. Bad luck or, as some of the 49ers contend, a bad field?
Copyright 2020, The Maven
By Art Spander
For Maven Sports
MIAMI — Jimmy G made the ultimate observation: “We know why we’re here.” He and everyone else.
Copyright 2020, The Maven
49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo, Super Bowl LIV Email Article By Art Spander
For Maven Sports
MIAMI — Jimmy Garoppolo understands, which in the game of football is no less a measure of his position than an ability to perform.
Copyright 2020 The Maven
49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo, Super Bowl LIV Email Article By Art Spander
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — This was back in the 1980s, when another 49ers team of another era — a very good one at that — hit the road and got hit, 17-3, in a playoff game by the New York Giants.
The Niners were unable to move the ball against the defense and the weather.
That was when the New York coach, Bill Parcells, sneered at the system of Niners coach Bill Walsh, giving it a name, contending in so many words, “Back here when it gets cold and windy, that West Coast offense doesn’t work. You’ve got to be able to run the ball.”
It doesn’t really matter what the conditions are. A team always needs to run the ball. Maybe not as emphatically as the Niners, the 2020 Niners, did Saturday, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 27-10, in their NFC Divisional playoff win, but run frequently and consistently.
For all the talk about how the NFL has morphed into a passing league, the run remains the essence of football. You take the ball and virtually shove it through the other team. Then do it again. And again, building your momentum and wearing down the opposition.
Never mind balance, this is battering. The Niners ran the ball 47 times. In one third-quarter-sequence, they ran it eight plays in a row and scored.
It was football out of the 50s, the old Woody Hayes game at Ohio State, three yards and a cloud of dust. It was boring. It was beautiful. It was successful.
It also helped keep the ball from the Vikings; the time of possession was a highly disproportionate 38 minutes and 27 seconds for the Niners compared to 21 minutes and 33 seconds for Minnesota.
“I think 47 rushes is pretty good, right?” was Niners tight end George Kittle’s assessment. “I personally feel we don’t run the ball enough every single week.”
They’ll have another chance Sunday in the NFC Championship game against either Seattle or Green Bay, each of which the 14-3 Niners defeated during the regular season.
San Francisco was the No. 1 NFC seed in the postseason, so it didn’t have to be cute — why take chances when you’re favored? — only dominant.
“We’ve been playing good football all year,” said Kittle. “People keep telling us we’re not very good.”
What they can say now is the Niners are one game away from the Super Bowl.
And one reason is the young quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who obviously passed infrequently (the Niners throwing a mere 19 times, completing 11 for 131 yards).
But on this afternoon when Levi’s Stadium hosted its first postseason game, and when the seats at last were packed with fans, many chanting “Defense, defense,” Garoppolo showed a skill unknown for many quarterbacks.
On one of the 47 runs, a run by Debo Samuel, Garoppolo was a blocker.
“I saw an opportunity,” said Garoppolo. “He was a little off balance. Had to get a pancake.” That’s the term for flattening a potential tackler.
On the other side, Niners cornerback Richard Sherman figuratively flattened all Vikings hopes with an interception, which led to the repetitive runs that resulted in the third-period touchdown.
“It’s that complementary football,” said Garoppolo, linking the defense to the offense and the offense to the defense.
And having the crowd linked to everything. It’s been a while since the Niners created so much excitement in Northern California. Since the last Super Bowl victory, the Warriors became the best team in the NBA and the Giants won three World Series. Now we've got the Niners renaissance.
“I was pumped up with the defense,” said Niners coach Kyle Shanahan, who then spoke of the offense.
“We had a pre-game goal,” said Shanahan. “We thought the team that got over 30 runs would win this game.”
It did, easily.
“We knew coming into the season we had a chance to compete in every game,” said Shanahan. “Now I can’t wait to watch these games Sunday to find out who we’re playing.”
49ers, George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo Email Article