Vernon Davis not happy...

VF21

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While Vernon Davis fumes, Nolan denies Niners are playing it too safe
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
September 19, 2007


SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Though Vernon Davis phrased his demand as a polite question, the San Francisco tight end's underlying message to coach Mike Nolan was clear: just give me the ball, and maybe we can fix the 49ers' struggling offense.

After catching just four passes in the Niners' first two games, Davis dropped by Nolan's office Tuesday. He asked whether a talented receiver such as himself could be more involved in an offense that has looked mostly awful despite San Francisco's unbeaten record, failing to gain 200 yards in either win.

"We've just got to get the correct game plan," Davis said Wednesday. "Sometimes the game plan you use might not be the best one."

After describing the 49ers' attack as conservative, Davis almost laughed when asked whether such a plan would work Sunday against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers: "No way."

Davis' volatility was one of the 49ers' worries entering the season, yet the athletic tight end clearly has a point. San Francisco's game plans under new offensive coordinator Jim Hostler do seem conservative and tentative to everyone but Nolan, with Alex Smith playing it safe while the 49ers rely heavily on Frank Gore, who's been mostly bottled up.

Nolan didn't take offense to Davis' request to open up the offense.

"I admired the fact that he had the courage to do it," Nolan said. "I assured him that it's a work in progress on offense, and that it will happen. He's not here to block on every down. He pointed out some plays where he was open, and I certainly couldn't deny it. We have to do a better job of finding the open guy."

Davis, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, spent most of the first two games blocking for Gore and Smith. Just two passes came his way in last Sunday's 17-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams, and he caught them both.

"It's tough to have patience, man, but (Nolan) is right about being ready," Davis said. "I basically told him I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing."

Despite the meager ball movement in the 49ers' first two games, Nolan believes his club still can be better than last season, when coordinator Norv Turner raised the NFL's worst offense in 2005 to respectability.

Hostler, the quarterbacks coach in Nolan's first two seasons, has nearly the same personnel, with only Darrell Jackson replacing Antonio Bryant as the No. 1 receiver. Davis also seems primed for a breakout season after injuries limited his rookie campaign.

"(Davis') frustration is all of our frustration," Hostler said. "We want to move the ball. We want to be more consistent. We didn't work all offseason and through training camp to start like we've started. ... We've got higher expectations (this year). That's why we're not happy with what's going on."

The 49ers existed on a steady diet of inside runs and short passes for most of their first two games. Smith, who's 26-of-48 for 252 yards, has completed just one pass longer than 22 yards, while Gore's 43-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 against the Rams is the longest play from scrimmage.

Hostler also called a picture-perfect reverse that could have silenced this entire discussion of creativity. But linemen Eric Heitmann and Justin Smiley both failed to block Rams cornerback Ron Bartell, the only player between Taylor Jacobs and the end zone.

Nolan cites a handful of drops on potential long plays, including a TD pass that went through Jackson's hands in the fourth quarter against Arizona, as evidence of the 49ers' good efforts.

"We don't have a creativity problem," Nolan said. "We do shotgun, reverses, play-action passes, and we do a lot of things with formations. But when it's ineffective, then that's what you have to fix. Our inconsistencies really lie in the execution."

And though Smith is in his third season, he's still young -- the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL for the third straight season, actually. Though he understands criticism of his meager statistics, Smith said he's only sticking to the framework of the San Francisco offense.

"It would be easy to complain about (only) 17 pass attempts," Smith said of the St. Louis game. "It would be easy for anyone to complain about touches. But right now, bottom line is we're not converting enough on third down to get enough plays. ... Bottom line is two wins."

Smith speaks to Davis daily, and he isn't worried about a mutiny just yet. Until the offense gets fixed, Davis says he'll keep filling any role he can get -- as long as the 49ers are winning.

"That's another thing that helps, as far as the winning," he said. "That's why I can come in here the next day and still be cool."
 
#4
I'm still not thrilled with Davis. He's going to make some great plays, and he did have some nice ones today (great job getting his feet down in bounds on one catch). He's also going to make some bad plays and I just don't see him getting that much better with maturity. Too much emotion.

I am thrilled with Willis. That guy is everywhere and makes great tackles.

I'm much more pleased with the passing offense over all three games than with the running game. Other than the one 4th down run last week, Gore has done nothing. Two yards per carry is not so good. I have no idea where the blame lies with that. The passing game seems to be going well, though. Smith's incompletions are throwaways and mixups with the receivers. Very few bad balls or bad reads.

And what was with the call on the Davis "incomplete pass"?!? He was tackled. I was always under the impression that when you are being tackled, the ground can't cause a fumble. Also, isn't an elbow the same as a knee? His elbow hit the ground before the ball came out. And if the rule says he isn't down, then it's a fumble and the Steelers should have kept the ball. Very weird stuff.
 
#5
I just don't see him getting that much better with maturity. Too much emotion.
I do!

Last week he went into Nolan's office and pointed out some things. Didn't pipe off to the media. This week.. BAM he's getting throws and making plays. How can he not get better with maturity?

The one problem I saw was he dropped an easy 1st down catch on a drive. Then there was that clutch 3rd and long red zone catch that was called an INT.. then... INCOMPLETE..?? call was terrible... I have no idea how the Refs decided that was the proper call..
 
#6
I don't think he did anything better himself this week than he did in previous weeks. They threw to him a lot more and he made some nice plays. He's made nice catches before, too, though.

But he also appeared to run the wrong route a couple times (that's sepculation based on body language and actions of Smith and coaches after the plays) and dropped that one pass. Last week his mistake lining up before the snap cost the team. His physical skills help him make a lot of plays. I just fear he'll end up more like Terrell Owens emotionally than Jerry Rice.
 
#7
And what was with the call on the Davis "incomplete pass"?!? He was tackled. I was always under the impression that when you are being tackled, the ground can't cause a fumble. Also, isn't an elbow the same as a knee? His elbow hit the ground before the ball came out. And if the rule says he isn't down, then it's a fumble and the Steelers should have kept the ball. Very weird stuff.
I didn't see the play in question, but the rules state that a receiver has to have complete control of the ball for it to be a catch. It doesn't matter if he gets both elbows, knees, feet, etc., down, if he doesn't establish control of the ball before it comes out. If the ball came out and they called it incomplete, I am assuming that he didn't establish complete control... ?

Could that be it?

Of course, the Polamalu interception in the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Colts two years ago got called an incomplete pass, and I never heard the explanation of that one. They do make some bad calls in the NFL sometimes. What sets them apart from the NBA is that they admit the mistakes and tell the fans what they are trying to do to correct them, rather than just trying to sweep them under the rug.
 

pdxKingsFan

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#8
From what I remember on that play the ball never actually touched the ground so it was either an interception or it was a catch and down by contact. Calling it incomplete was a chickenscratch compromise that made no sense based on any legitimate interpretation of the rules. But maybe I missed something and some tiny piece of ball touched turf.

The NFL is the only pro league where officials are part time and the quality has always been an issue. Issuing post game corrections is ludicrous. I don't think sweeping blatant injustices under the rug is a better solution but saying "Well gee, team X should have won but the ref blew the call" doesn't solve anything either. Especially with replay. The Polamalu interception was just one of many horrible calls that year which lead up to the worst officiated Super Bowl I have ever seen. For all that Goodell is trying to do to restore integrity to the game I think the number one thing should be establishing officiating as a full time position.
 
#9
The head of officiating explained the ruling on the NFL Network. His explanation made sense, assuming the rules he is referring to are specifically in the rulebook and not some interpretation or expansion of what the rules say.

Basically, for a catch to be completed the receiver has to gain possession of the ball and keep possession of the ball until two feet have touched the ground. Once that happens the receiver has completed the catch and becomes a ball carrier. At that point if he loses possession of the ball it is a fumble.

However, if a defender initiates a tackle, or the receiver falls to the ground before the receiver has completed the catch, then the receiver must maintain possession of the ball through the completion of the tackle. So if he loses the ball when hitting the ground it is not a catch.

What happened in Davis' case was that Polamalu hit him before his second foot hit the ground. That meant that he had not yet completed the catch and so he had to maintain possession of the ball even after hitting the ground. Since he did not, then it was not a completed catch.

There was an angle where they claim it shows the ball hit the ground. It looks inconclusive to me, but it's close enough that I won't argue without an HD TV. That's why it was incomplete and not an interception.