There are 3 changes Cignetti MUST make

[fearsomefour]

First off not complaining here, that was a great win for this team. It was exactly what most of us expected: a great defensive outing with enough offense. But all that aside there are three things Cigs must do going forward:

1. Hold Cook accountable. Stop the excuses for him. He is not helping the team. Sit him for a week at the very least, it might wake him up being inactive. Making him re-earn his job is what is best for this team. If the other TEs aren't good enough in the passing game so be it, simply adjust to your personnel with only Kendricks or Harkey and 3 wide.

2. Stop with the shotgun on passing downs. With Gurley in the backfield a play action pass IS going to freeze safeties and LBs. Faking that BS handoff from the shotgun is not fooling anyone Cigs. Please stop it. If you insist on him being in the gun due to interior gap insecurities then start running from the gun so the fake will have some bite to it.

3. Vertical hot reads. When SF watches film of this game as well as the Skins game they are going to see that loading the LOS and bringing it works against this offense at least 90% of the time in obvious passing downs. In today's game the hot reads were dumps to the flat and the Browns were not caught or held accountable. Slant 'n Goes (aka sluggo's) and slants in general would have been much more effective today and vs the Skins. Get that ball vertically over the blitzers into some wide open green in the middle of the field.

This offense is really close now. They have a QB who can do the job behind a great RB in Gurley and some good talent at wideout. It's adjustments from this point forward, some tinkering that needs to be done to make this offense viable week to week. Today they made it hard on themselves IMO and the above adjustments will go a long ways towards getting them where they need to be.

A lot of lateral passing can indicate the same thing a lot of rolling out does....they don't trust the QB to stand in the pocket, read and find the right guy.
The passing game is as broken as its ever been. One thing for sure is there needs to be some shots down field to help key the D honest. Doesn't seem to be a lot of the medium crossing stuff, I don't know if that is by design or if they want to risk the time for those kinds of routes.

 

[Merlin]

A lot of lateral passing can indicate the same thing a lot of rolling out does....they don't trust the QB to stand in the pocket, read and find the right guy.
The passing game is as broken as its ever been. One thing for sure is there needs to be some shots down field to help key the D honest. Doesn't seem to be a lot of the medium crossing stuff, I don't know if that is by design or if they want to risk the time for those kinds of routes.

How many times did we watch Joe Montana or Steve Young kill our defense with slants to Taylor back in the day? I see Quick as that type of option. He has very good hands and the size to run that route effectively. Then of course if it's there with no safety over the top and the QB wants to gamble go with a sluggo and take a shot.

That is what is missing from our offense right now. Defenses rarely pay for bringing it. It is schematic in my estimation, and goes back to who they have playing (I would guess they don't trust Cook or Britt to run those routes on critical down/distances and rightly so), and too much reliance on misdirection and check downs to the flats along with the screen game.

Quick is ready to help this team. Why they aren't using him eludes me. I'd run a mostly 3 WR set with Quick/Austin/Bailey as my top 3. Introduce some more vertical hot read options, and it will also make the misdirection elements even more effective.

 

[fearsomefour]

How many times did we watch Joe Montana or Steve Young kill our defense with slants to Taylor back in the day? I see Quick as that type of option. He has very good hands and the size to run that route effectively. Then of course if it's there with no safety over the top and the QB wants to gamble go with a sluggo and take a shot.

That is what is missing from our offense right now. Defenses rarely pay for bringing it. It is schematic in my estimation, and goes back to who they have playing (I would guess they don't trust Cook or Britt to run those routes on critical down/distances and rightly so), and too much reliance on misdirection and check downs to the flats along with the screen game.

Quick is ready to help this team. Why they aren't using him eludes me. I'd run a mostly 3 WR set with Quick/Austin/Bailey as my top 3. Introduce some more vertical hot read options, and it will also make the misdirection elements even more effective.

I like the two TE sets to pass out of also.
Two TEs with Quick and Bailey at WR. There are passing options there as well. They need to try and mix some stuff up as well.
I agree with getting Quick more involved.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Take a few more deep shots to keep 'em honest.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Interestingly, Bernie on his show brought up a lack of play-action passing game and come to think of it, I didn't really see much of it in the first half. Then again, with so many three and outs, you're probably not getting much of a chance to set up your play-action passing game.

There's definitely a chicken or the egg argument to be had with play-calling getting 1st downs and getting 1st downs opening up play-calling.

 

[LACHAMP46]

More Brian Quick.....More slants....More Cook....I said it...don't stone me.....More Jared Cook.....More Quick....More play action...Where the hell was Mason? Less Bennie runs, only Bennie screens & dump offs...

Foles is really starting to underwhelm me...on a weekly, drive by drive, basis....