Vs.
By Scary Barry Rodriguez October 7, 2013
Candlestick park , San Francisco - By objective standards and those of all the pro football analysts this game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans was seen as no pushover for either team. Yes , the Texans and their quarterback Matt Schaub were struggling. Early in this 2013 season many other highly rated teams such as the Atlanta Falcons , Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys have struggled ! So what ! Just look at the Niners struggling just to be a 2 and 2 team
On their second possession in the first quarter Houston's Matt Schaub was intercepted by Tremaine Brock who returned the pick 18 yards for a San Francisco touchdown. The hometown fans didn't even have time to blink and their team was up 7-0 ! Then still in the first quarter the Niners put together a drive that culminated in Frank Gore scoring on a 7 yard run to put the score at 14-0. It seemed Houston was moving the ball but nothing was happening
In the second quarter the offenses of both teams struggled. Make no mistake the Texans with Adrian Foster did move the ball but couldn't convert on enough third downs to affect the score. Then late in the second quarter , in their own end of the field , Matt Schaub was intercepted again by Tremaine Brock. The Niners capitalized on this when Anthony Dixon scored on a 2 yard run after a short drive. The score at the half was 21-0 .
With the type of ball control offense Houston uses , plus the continued woes of Schaub , at this stage in the proceedings for practical purposes the game was over ! The San Francisco crowd was in a festive mood and I was bored ! Colin Kaepernick really hadn't been required to deliver the goods. Good old Frank Gore just kept on gaining chunks of yardage in the second half.
The Texans managed to avoid a shutout by scoring on a Randy Bullock field goal from 41 yards out. The Niners Phil Dawson also split the uprights from 38 yards out. The score was 24 -3 at the end of the third quarter. Fans start leaving to beat the post game traffic jams. The Texans continued to play with heart but little results to show for it !
In the fourth quarter Schaub was intercepted again by T. Jerod -Eddie. He was replaced at quarterback but it was to late to affect the outcome in any way ! Colin Kaepernick managed to put a long drive together that resulted in a 64 yard touchdown by Vernon Davis. Other than this Kaepernick's only upside was his ability not to turn the ball over. Dawson hit another field goal from 24 yards out to cap the score at 34-3 ! Only half of the stadium was full when the game clock ran out. Houston head coach Gary Kubiak seemed on the verge of tears at the podium during the post game interview .
This didn't represent a step forward for the Niner offense. Kaepernick missed seven pass attempts in a row before directing the last touchdown drive. He didn't have to do anything. The jury is still out as to whether the prematurely crowned superman can live up to the hype ! The defensive unit playing without the services of Aldon Smith and Patrick Willis took charge of the game ! The Niners have a soft schedule ahead.
The game statistics didn't provide an accurate story. The Texan's offensive statistics in most categories were greater than San Francisco's . But they had twice the amount penalty yards and four turnovers. Kaepernick had only 15 pass attempts and completed 6 for a pathetic 113 yards and one touchdown. Frank Gore ran up 81 yards on 17 carries. He was the only offense the Niners needed due to the defensive units performance !
Matt Schaub is poised on the abyss of no return. He is not a mobile quarterback and seems to be manifesting the " Tony Romo " syndrome of failing in the clutch ! His stats weren't bad until you look at the three interceptions. He went 19/35 for 173 yards. Can you believe that Adrian Foster rushed for 98 yards on 21 carries and his team didn't score a single touchdown !
By no means are the San Francisco 49ers out of the football doghouse ! Hopefully they can find their offense again when they play the weak Arizona Cardinals in their next scheduled game. Maybe , offensive coordinator Greg Roman can devise a scheme for Kaepernick that will suit his relative inexperience ! If the defensive unit continues to kick butt maybe Aldon Smith can work out his maturity issues somewhere else !
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