/ Monday

Monday Night Football Wrap Up

Here are some key takeaways from the two games last night starting with the late game.

  • The 49ers pretty much played mistake free. This is a sign of very good coaching so kudos to Chip Kelly and his staff. The Rams, on the other hand, had a lot of penalties and this enabled the 49ers to advance the ball and win the field position battle.

  • The balance on offense looked great. Blaine Gabbert didn't light it up but he managed a great game and was able to make quick decisions, something Chip Kelly covets in his QBs and something Colin Kaepernick has lacked.

  • The 49ers did a great job of converting third downs. This is a testament to how good Carlos Hyde is since he did this against a solid defensive front from LA.

  • On the flip side, the Rams struggled with converting third downs. Great job by the 49ers defensive front! Hopefully it's back to the way it was during the Jim Harbaugh years.

  • It seems that Aaron Donald became yet another victim of the SI jinx by being on the cover last week and then getting ejected. Of course being shut out in the NFL is never easy to take and his frustration on the field showed.

  • The fan running around on the field and circling the players three times pretty much symbolized how the 49ers ran circles around the Rams. Just pure domination.

  • I am not trying not to get my hopes to high on the 49ers just yet. They did play a team that ranked low in offensive output and clearly the Rams offense is still stagnant. The 49ers play Carolina next week in Carolina. The Panthers have four extra days of rest and the 49ers will lose an extra day for travel. It's an early game so the time zone adjustment for the 49ers can be a challenge. Plus the Panthers are a very talented team and I am sure they are very eager to win this game after losing a heartbreaker in Denver last week.

I didn't watch the Pittsburgh - Washington game as I was tailgating for the 49ers game but from the box score and highlights, the Steelers offense will still be a force to be reckoned with and the Redskins simply cannot hang with the big boys since they did struggle against teams with winning records last year.