Color Coincidences
Some things I’m left thinking about after the NFC Championship Game:
• That sucked.
• I think we all need to agree that Kaepernick is unable to complete the endzone corner fade route to win games, okay? How many times did it fail in the Super Bowl before yesterday?
• Richard Sherman is an asshole. Sorry, but the best have class, unless you’re planning a career in pro wrestling. And I say that as a wrestling fan. In real sports, the most respected players speak well or don’t speak at all. And, frankly, I’m not a fan of the culture that champions people like him and Yasiel Puig.
• The 49ers have work to do in the offseason. They need to further revamp the secondary. Eric Reid was a very nice pick, but Donte Whitner is more concerned with making hits than making plays. The 49ers would do well to let him go. Eric Wright and Carlos Rogers are decent cornerbacks, but they could use a real improvement there. Depth at wide receiver is still an issue, with Boldin a free agent and no real other options to Crabtree otherwise. One of the focuses of the draft should be to provide depth to both offensive and defensive lines. But mostly, Harbaugh needs to find a strikeout pitch for his offense: a play they can go to in order to score in the red zone. That fade route isn’t working.
• Bring Phil Dawson back.
• Kaepernick can show the most incredible arm, as he did on his touchdown pass. He threw a bullet in a difficult situation and positioned it perfectly. That bullet was eye-opening. But he is having problems with any pass showing touch. Both interceptions came on balls that floated, and were not placed well. I’m not saying the 49ers should have kept Alex Smith, but Kaep needs to work on that part of his game, a lot.
• The officials need to work on a lot of things this offseason. Grounding, folks, look it up. Also, learn the difference between “Running Into” and “Roughing” the kicker. Hint: the rulebook says it is when the defensive player “Contacts the plat leg of the kicker while his kicking leg is still in the air.” (Read here: Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10, Item 1. Or, the top of Page 70)
• It’s a shame that one of the most blatant missed plays by the officials is something that will now get ignored because of Lynch’s fumble. In the end, sure, the 49ers ended up with significantly better field position at the 15 yard line rather than the 1. But that doesn’t change the fact that a clear fumble with Bowman clearly having the ball and being down by (horrifying) contact was not reviewable.
• Everyone knows the Seattle Seahawks break the rules with their defensive practices, particularly in the secondary. Seattle writers even admit it. But you know what I think? Richard Sherman will bring about its end. Sherman’s has always been a loudmouth, but he took it to a new level on Sunday, right down to his meme-worthy interview at the end of the game. In those 30 seconds, Sherman exemplified every bad stereotype that Roger Goodell has been horrified by in the NFL, between the rough play and the thuggish talk. Never mind that Sherman is a very intelligent man, he comes off as a thug, especially in the national spotlight.
All that it takes for Sherman to stop being the best will be tighter rule calling. Now that Sherman has put himself in a spotlight, and done it in a negative light, there will likely be little sympathy for the people in charge, or the fans outside of Seattle, to resist a crackdown. And after this season, and those season’s exploits and all the attention in the press, I expect that.
I fully expect the other cleat to drop next season, even if it’s not specifically or explicitly announced.
• Five players on the Seahawks have been suspended for PED use since 2011, and Sherman got tabbed for it but won his appeal and criticized the tester in a way reminiscent of Ryan Braun. I wonder how many football writers are even bothering to talk about it, and if they will be as judgmental for the NFL Hall of Fame votes.
• I can’t wait for baseball season. Especially now.
But I’m just going to be seen as a bitter 49ers fans after a loss, I’m sure. But most of these things are very true. Especially about Richard Sherman.
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