how do we stop 49ers vaunted pistol offense?

**ActualSpamBot** · 01-24-2013, 01:17 PM

Step one. Give Kaep a few looks early to get him to keep the ball and rush the edge, then have either Pollard or a linebacker ready to come around the edge and absolutely crush him. Remember, his protection as a QB goes away once he runs, so do what you have to to make it hurt. Do that a few times to open each series and he's not gonna want to keep it quite so much. That's when you start clogging the middle and rushing off the edge to disrupt the passing game.

**Hammerhead** · 01-24-2013, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by callahan09

Just wanted to bring this thread back up. I feel like we should be analyzing their offense more. I think our offense just needs to do what they do against their defense, but where we really need our masterminds focusing their attention during the lead-up to this game is how do we stop that Pistol offense with their read-option. I don't think it's unstoppable, but I'm curious about more ideas for stopping it. I keep reading 49ers fans say that what the Seahawks did to stop them won't work again because the real reason their offense stalled in that game was due to fatigue from the previous week. Anybody buy that?

I don't buy it, but the Seahawks D is very different than ours. Sherman and Chancellor are a sight to behold. I don't know that we can just do whatever the Seahawks did and hope for the best. The matchups may not allow it. I think the key may be playing a more cerebral game. Force him to commit to the pass, but disguise coverages so that he has no idea what he is throwing into.

**NOLARavenFAN** · 01-24-2013, 01:32 PM

We need to be really tough in the red zone.........they are going to get yards, and Kaepernick will make plays, but he struggles in the red zone, where we are really good. Typically they score 28 and win at home, with that defense.
I think that 31 points is the magic number for us. I don't think they can score that many.

Ravens 31-23

**GOTA** · 01-24-2013, 01:38 PM

No team in the league uses the pistol more than the Steelers. If you are looking to stop those plays that's the tape you want to watch.

**Your Worst Enemy** · 01-24-2013, 01:54 PM

Hope you realize that the 49ers don't run the Pistol offense every single play and have faced many top 10 defenses this year. The Seahawks, Cards, and Rams have pretty good defenses

**Paintballguy** · 01-24-2013, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Your Worst Enemy

Hope you realize that the 49ers don't run the Pistol offense every single play and have faced many top 10 defenses this year. The Seahawks, Cards, and Rams have pretty good defenses

You mean like when they lost to Seattle and St Louis?

**ActualSpamBot** · 01-24-2013, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Your Worst Enemy

Hope you realize that the 49ers don't run the Pistol offense every single play and have faced many top 10 defenses this year. The Seahawks, Cards, and Rams have pretty good defenses

And in this playoff run, since getting our best four defenders on the field for the first time all season, we've faced 3 top 6 offenses and held them to a combined 4 TDs.

Plus two top 6 defenses (including the number 1 D by points who we scored 38 on).

**Your Worst Enemy** · 01-24-2013, 02:02 PM

The 49ers lost to Seattle and St. Louis when Justin Smith was out and it still required 2 missed field goals from Akers against the Rams. That was millenia ago.

I think overpreparing to stop Kaep in the pistol is what did in the Falcons. Should've just played straight up. There are other weapons like Vernon Davis, Moss (maybe) and Crabtree to worry about. Kaepernick is NOT RG3, because he's a much better pocket passer and doesn't rely on simply throwing it over the top. The Ravens have the players to matchup, but it could also be an ugly game like the one two years ago

**Paintballguy** · 01-24-2013, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Your Worst Enemy

The 49ers lost to Seattle and St. Louis when Justin Smith was out and it still required 2 missed field goals from Akers against the Rams. That was millenia ago.

I think overpreparing to stop Kaep in the pistol is what did in the Falcons. Should've just played straight up. There are other weapons like Vernon Davis, Moss (maybe) and Crabtree to worry about. Kaepernick is NOT RG3, because he's a much better pocket passer and doesn't rely on simply throwing it over the top. The Ravens have the players to matchup, but it could also be an ugly game like the one two years ago

And the Ravens defense is light years better than the Falcons.

**The Excellector** · 01-24-2013, 02:07 PM

Someone brought this one up to me a few days ago. Teams make the mistake of paying too much attention to the QB. If you take away Kaepernick's options, there is less of a chance of him winning this game all by himself. So, if I were Baltimore, I focus on taking Gore away and jamming their outside WRs. With a zone/man mix in the middle, because Davis is their best weapon passing. Let him run a few times, just hit him when he does and he won't want to do it for four quarters. Especially, if someone like Ngata gets a hit on him.

**The Excellector** · 01-24-2013, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Someone brought this one up to me a few days ago. Teams make the mistake of paying too much attention to the QB. If you take away Kaepernick's options, there is less of a chance of him winning this game all by himself. So, if I were Baltimore, I focus on taking Gore away and jamming their outside WRs. With a zone/man mix in the middle, because Davis is their best weapon passing. Let him run a few times, just hit him when he does and he won't want to do it for four quarters. Especially, if someone like Ngata gets a hit on him.

It's kind of like when the Dallas Mavericks decided to take away James and Bosh, essentially saying that Wade couldn't do it all by himself, which he couldn't.

**Your Worst Enemy** · 01-24-2013, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Paintballguy

And the Ravens defense is light years better than the Falcons.

Couldn't agree more. And it's going to be a good show either way. Can't wait to see against the most versatile offense in the league. And on the other side of the ball I think the game will be good to see if Flacco can keep up this nice streak of his. He's definitely playing the best I've ever seen from him. No more "deer in the headlights" look for Flacco, and Torrey Smith is a BEAST--period. He humiliated Champ Bailer in ways that would make T.O. jealous.

That offense just needs the run game to wake up