(What's your key to the game?)
Guy, I dunno what to expect tonight, primarily because I don't follow SF. Everyone says they're a bad team, but "everyone says" isn't a very good guideline.
OK. Let's assume that SF has less talent than we do. They are coached by a guy who likes to run an unconventional offense that is sometimes very effective and sometimes handled by NFL defenses. It's premise is to spread people wide and hit quick throws to iso-ed guys. (Have I got that right?)
Now, I do know something about us. And given the above assumptions, there is ONE THING above all others that I think is a key to a win.
That is for Williams to contain the Chip K offense. Squeeze it. Suffocate it. Compress the gaps they'll want to hit and suffocate big plays.
Do that, and our DL will be able to ratchet up the pressure and induce inconsistency and mistakes.
What I fear is Williams running exotic packages that open up gaps to be exploited and invite big plays against a not yet fully gelled secondary. That could be fatal. All too often in the last decade, we have seen that sort of momentum get established and watched our units wilt and then collapse. Our Defense is vulnerable to deflating indolence and our Offense is not ready to handle the pressure of trying to win shootouts.
Remember: talent differential is not enough unless it is very, very wide. And I don't know that any of us really believes that our talent advantage against SF is wide enough to let us escape with a win if we play without discipline.
So, that's the variable I'll look for. The O will be fine--limited but fine. My question is whether Williams can run a disciplined secondary to contain and suffocate.
What's your key to the game?
