HappyDays

Big difference from last week to this week is this week we came in knowing what kind of game we were about to play. We knew it was going to be a shootout and gameplanned accordingly. Last week I think LA really took us by surprise and had us playing on our heels right from the start. Nobody expected them to be able to put up 40+ points. Once we figured out what kind of game it was we adjusted and got back into it but it was too late. This week we got our shots in early and forced Detroit to play catch up.

Sure we got lucky with that injury, but also the 49ers players were mentally back in sunny California by the 3rd quarter while our guys were making snow angels for fun. It was a HUGE advantage that for some reason a lot of our fans want to take away.

If we had played the Rams in our snowy weather we would have won that game IMO. Probably not as badly as we beat San Fran but that game shows you how a nice weather team performs when they come to our turf. Every offense gets worse in that weather, but ours gets less worse because we have Allen and our team practices in it. So I'm still anti-dome even though it's an increasingly unpopular position.

Ben Johnson has lost a step

Per Joe Marino's substack - On the year we have a 30.6% pressure rate which is 17th in the league. So perfectly average. The pressure to sack percentage is only 9.6% which is #1 in the league. So yeah I agree, I don't think the pass protection is quite as good as most fans think. On the edges I think we've been excellent in run and pass blocking, but the interior has been more middling. Allen erases most of that all on his own. Although Joe pointed out that the pressure rate has gotten better, falling from 42.1% in weeks 1-6 to 22.5% from weeks 7-13.

Then we don't really disagree on anything except for semantics. I will tip my cap to Brady not just for calling a great game (the awful 3rd and goal sequence excluded) but having a great gameplan to start. All day long we attacked the Lions injured LB corps and avoided their safeties at all costs. Committing to the run kept us in manageable 2nd/3rd downs on almost every series. If I'm going to credit one person other than Allen it would be him for sure.

Genuinely curious how many QBs you think would have won this game for us today? I'm biased and I know it but I really think Allen is the only one. There was just so little margin for error. We needed our QB to make zero big mistakes and only like 3 minor mistakes, while also making multiple otherworldly plays that went way above and beyond the play call/surrounding talent.

Yeah I hope people realize nobody thinks that Allen is literally the singular reason that we won this game. The point is that without Allen performing at an unbelievable level it would have been a sure loss. I'll go further and say any other QB in the league would have lost that game today. So yes give the RBs and the OL and all that their due, but there are plenty of RBs/OL/etc. that could have won this game. There is only one QB. Luckily he's ours.

That is a great call out. Easy to forget about OL in this thread.

I'm not being negative. We have the best QB in the league. I can't be more positive than that. My point was that we needed him to perform at an unreal level to win this game, and he did. Rarely do I only give him the game ball. I thought he deserved the distinction in this one. If you disagree that's fine, my feelings aren't hurt.

I'll give Ed Oliver and Johnson/Cook honorable game balls. I know players other than Josh made plays. Just saying this was a game that without the best QB in the league we would have lost in a blowout. That's not controversial is it?

Allen Gonna break my routine and explain myself a bit here. Nobody on defense gets a game ball because, you know. Brady doesn't get one because he butchered the easiest set of play calls in the game. Ultimately this is a game that we win exclusively because we have the best damn player in the league and I'm choosing to recognize that.

We scored 48 points and my heart just stopped thinking we had likely lost. I don't really want to hear about injuries or whatever excuse. This was two humiliating defensive performances in a row.

Benford was shut down most of the year but has taken a beating the past two weeks

Dorian Williams is the difference on this drive. They're not able to pick up 20 yards a play because he is there making the tackle at the catch point

Embarrassing performance from this DL, again. I don't care about pressures. Bring the QB down

Thank God Dorian Williams is back. Unlike Spector he can make tackles

Had a good chance of being a TD because we caught them by surprise. I'm fine with it.

Meh I didn't actually mind that. It is a risky call but you don't win football games without taking some risks. I live with the result.

Oh and that wasn't even a hold. Never seen a Mahomes TD taken off the board with a flag like that. It's happened to Allen twice this year.

Officials keep their flags tucked away until a play like that. This has been an awful year for officiating

Why is Spencer Brown role playing as the hunchback of Notre Dame

Neither side can field an NFL defense right now

Okay Knox gets his flowers for that one

The worst part about a shootout like this is there aren't a ton of high level offensive plays, just godawful defensive play. If I was a neutral observer I'd be bored out of my mind