49ers Dominate on Defense, Take Anger Out on Jets While Picking Up Third Win
By Baily Deeter
Last week wasn’t very fun for the San Francisco 49ers, and they couldn’t wait to take their anger out on the Jets. So, that’s exactly what they did.
San Francisco’s punishing defense dominated in a 34-0 win that could’ve even been worse. Mark Sanchez was pressured all day, and every throw was hurried. He continued to struggle with pressure on him, and that’s why the Jets didn’t score. Sanchez was intercepted once, and a couple more possible picks were dropped.
Colin Kaepernick picked up his first NFL touchdown, cruising in from seven yards out while finding a hole on the left side. He broke loose again in the fourth quarter, but he slid right in front of the end zone and ran out the clock. Frank Gore punched the ball in on fourth down, powering through the line and diving into the end zone. Kendall Hunter did the same thing in the fourth quarter.
Alex Smith made some nice throws, and he exploiting the Jets’ biggest weakness. Kyle Wilson, who is filling in for the injured Darrelle Revis, was beat multiple times by Mario Manningham, who caught three passes for 47 yards and ran for 28 yards on an end-around. Smith didn’t get much of a chance to do anything, though. Everything was done by the defense.
Aldon and Justin Smith struggled last week, letting Matt Kalil and the Vikings’ offensive line eat them up. But Sanchez was hurried by San Francisco’s defensive line all game, and he made inaccurate throws. Once the Jets fell behind, they barely ran the ball, so the 49ers had no problem stopping a weak Jets’ offense. After a letdown last week, they look like the team that beat the Packers and Lions back-to-back to start the season.
The Jets didn’t look like the team that beat the Dolphins last week. Their inconsistent quarterback struggled, and the 49ers added the Jets to their list of teams that couldn’t get the run going against them. Sanchez posted a 39.9 quarterback rating while completing just 44.8 percent of his passes, which will have Jets fans clamoring for Tim Tebow to start.
Tebow got some playing time, though. He threw one pass, and it was caught. However, Derek Epps fumbled it, and the 49ers recovered. Santonio Holmes fumbled, too, letting go of the ball despite not being touched. Carlos Rogers scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, sealing the win (and giving San Francisco a 24-0 lead). Larry Grant blocked a punt, too, setting up another touchdown for the Niners.
The 49ers return home to take on the 2-2 Bills next week, while the Jets take on the 4-0 Texans next week on Monday Night Football.