Well, another week in the books. The Niners hosted the Dolphins yesterday and came out with a victory.I know that a win is a win, but a few things are troubling me:
Kick coverage - the special teams have been LOUSY at this all year, so it shouldn't surprise me, but it's just getting worse and worse. They had the Dolphins in a tailspin momentum wise after a muffed punt return led to a touchdown and then let them get a 35 yard return on the ensuing kickoff. That has to stop. I know the defense is good, but they need a little help.
Clock management - the offense, over the last few weeks, has been miserable at this. I don't know if this is Kaepernick getting used to being a starter or a change in the offense in general, but they need to stop using their timeouts so quickly. Yesterday they used their final timeout (albeit on a challenge) two minutes into the fourth quarter.
3rd down efficiency - A team can't rank in the lower 3rd of the league in this stat and expect to make it far in the playoffs. Especially when they are failing to convert on 3rd and short. There's no need for this.
Penalties - The team as a whole is committing way too many penalties. While they are frustrating on defense, they have been a killer on the offensive side of things. It's hard to get any momentum when you're constantly moving backwards.
Now, there are some shining spots as well...Kaepernick is playing well and needs to keep working at his second and third reads. But he's a lot more mobile and takes fewer sacks than Smith did. Aldon Smith is a massive force on the defense. He may wind up breaking the single season sack record at this rate.
Next week? The Patriots in Foxboro on a wintery New England night. Should be fun...and I'll be there watching!
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