The only thing remotely close about the 49ers/Lions game was the final score. San Fran 27, Det 19. Other than that, it was a blow out.
While the Lions suffered through many years of getting the "no respect" Rodney Dangerfield treatment they had nobody else to blame for but themselves, it finally appeared the long downtrodden franchise had become relevant. Indeed they have. Reaching the playoffs last year only to get blasted by New Orleans was a giant step forward in their progress. They're at least respectable now. But ready for prime time? Uh-uh.
Consider the game just concluded. San Fran's receivers and running backs mysteriously dropped umpteen catchable balls.
The scab refs still at work seemed like they were all from the Detroit area. How else to explain how the game was called? While they were busy whistling San Fran for every ticky-tack infraction they could think of, they conveniently overlooked two blatant personal fouls on Lions defensive lineman Cliff Avril, and yet another when San Fran QB Alex Smith had gone into a slide after running the ball, only to have a Lions' defensive back come across with a forearm shiver to his head bloodying the bridge of his nose. Hey, when a QB slides, he's supposed to be hands off. The play's over. At least two scabs were looking right at it -- but no flags.
The Lions couldn't run against the 49ers, but that's no great surprise. It's common knowledge the Lions don't have much of a running game anyway, and San Fran's rushing defense is the best in the league. Nobody runs for big yardage against those guys.
But if the defense is stuffing the run, the offensive team is supposed to be able to pass, right? The Lions have certainly possessed a high octane aerial game of late. Stafford to Johnson is unstoppable, they say. The problem with that is the 49ers typically feature two "high safeties", as in both of them playing 15-20 yards off the line of scrimmage. In effect, that takes the deep routes away from the opposing wide receivers. The Niners would have liked nothing better than for Matthew Stafford to attempt long passes to the Megatron into such coverage. Wisely, he didn't push that envelope.
So if a team can't run, and long pass plays are a risky proposition (between an interception or the wide receiver getting "jacked up" while the football falls to the ground after an incompletion), the only thing that seems to be left is the short to midrange passing game. Grind it out and hope for the best. There may be teams that can out-grind the 49ers, as the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants proved last year -- but the Lions aren't one of them. Not even close.
QB Matthew Stafford was recently heralded as only the second, besides Drew Brees, to pass for over 350 yards in 4 straight games. That wasn't about to happen against the 49ers. Towards the end of the game, he padded his stats a bit with a screeen pass that should have went for maybe 10 yards, but turned into 47, while the Niners had already started celebrating their win.
Up until last year, the 49ers hadn't been to the playoffs since 2002. The Lions? 1999. Long dry spells for both. That time span saw several coaches come and go, and certainly the same can be said for all the players involved on both teams, a certain place kicker aside.
Much has been made about head coaches Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh, of the Lions and 49ers respectively. Comparisons have been drawn. They're about the same age, both feisty, and driven by a passion to win. Some have suggested they both possess a certain swagger, or even arrogance about them. Alpha males to be sure. Others wish to delve into their childhoods, upbringings, football histories, personal lives, and other things that are totally irrelevant.
If you want to make a comparison, look at it this way -- both inherited football teams that were doormats in the NFL. In Schwartz's first year with the Lions, he went 2-14. Not so good. Conversely, in Harbaugh's first year with the 49ers he went 13-3, and had his team knocking on the door of Super Bowl.
Two years later, Schwartz would get the Lions into the playoffs. Despite their early exit, that's not too shabby. Perhaps better things loom on the horizon.
Again, conversely, it might very well be that two years from now, San Fran will have already hosted a victorious Super Bowl parade, with another Lombardi trophy in the team's showcase.
Progress is progress, but sometimes it comes more quickly for some than others.
The San Francisco 49ers are already amongst the NFL elite teams. They have as good a shot as anybody to win it all -- even this year.
The Lions?
As was blatantly on display at Candlestick Park -- they've got a ways to go before they're ready for prime time.
Maybe someday. Sound familiar?
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