ThWillis. good analysis. I would have liked to see play action roll out out of pro set on 2nd down in that series if they were not going to try to bang it in. But I liked what Harbaugh said: "Woulda, shoulda, coulda is undefeated."
I've gotta ask...of all the 49ers one could choose to put in one's signature area, why choose Widmer? He strikes me as a weak link; for example, the Ravens went after him with success in the first half.
EVERYONE on defense had a bad game except for maybe Willis. Missed tackles, missed assignments, undiscplined plays(jumping offsides), blown coverages, etc. Whitner looked no worst than anybody else. I put the first Boldin TD on him, as he should have given Bowman more help, seeing as he had the WR. But that was Bowman's man and he blew the coverage, just like he made the play on Roddy White to get us to the SB in the NFCCG. It is what it is.
Whitner is one of the main reason this defense has turned around. He was a unsung guy last year I liked the way he played and what he brought to the table. I think he justified this year with a Pro Bowl birth. People see him around the ball so much and assume he's getting beat for TDs, but not realizing how we scheme defensively and what these TDs are a result of. Like ppl see the Pitta TD and say its on him, not realizing two Niner defenders were out of position on that play and virtually were defending air, which left Whitner out to dry. So its not so cut and dry as to say he gave up this play and that play. We play a insane amount of man under coverage or striaght press across the board. When you keep two ILBs on the field in your nickel, even versus 4 WRs, your margin for error is very small. Fangio has to tweak the scheme because he puts a lot of pressure on both Goldson and Whither to help on the boundary guys as well as spying on the coverages of the LBs and giving them help if needed. Its a tall task when teams constantly spread you out or go with these bunch WR looks. So if the pass-rush doesn't get there, you asking ILBs to hold up against very good WRs and uber atheltic TEs in man coverage. All-Pros or not, that's a win for the offense. And especially when our CBs on the outside aren't winning one-on-one battles, it makes for a long day. So now the safties start taking a step or two to the outside to cheat a little to give help to the outside route and leave holes between the hashes. Its just one of those things...live by the sword, die by the sword. When we're on, everybody looks like world-beaters. When one person is off though, everyone just looks a step late in Fangio's scheme.
So in essence, I think Whitner is a helluva SS. He has great range and instincts and has made more plays in coverage than he has given up, contrary to what many in our own fanbase believe. But no safety is perfect and they all give up plays, even touchdowns here and there. Our defense doesn't have the success its had without Whitner. He's a big part of what we do.
