Bay Area Sports Guy – Aldon Smith sets 49ers’ single-season sack record; media getting restless

Early in the game, the Dolphins used spread formations to force the 49ers to drop Aldon Smith back into coverage. But it was only a matter of time before Smith took advantage of rookie left tackle Jonathan Martin.

Smith used a bull-rush technique to knock Martin backward, sacking Ryan Tannehill at the beginning of the second quarter. That gave Smith 18.5 sacks this season, which puts him ahead of every 49er in history for sacks in one season. Going into today’s game Smith was tied with Fred Dean in that category — Dean had 17.5 sacks in 1983.

Halftime just started as I’m writing this, and that was one weird first half. The Candlestick Park crowd — extremely boisterous when the Dolphins have possessed the ball — got pretty frustrated when the 49ers’ last drive bogged down with a sack of Colin Kaepernick, a loss of two yards on a run by LaMichael James (who has 12 yards on three carries and one catch for 15 yards), and an errant pass over the head of Michael Crabtree that almost drilled one of the kids getting set to take the field for the halftime show.

The 49ers lead 6-3, and the snark level in the press box and on Twitter couldn’t be higher. Media people are openly rooting for the 49ers to fail, and laughing whenever Kaepernick throws a short pass with less-than-optimal touch (translation: 85 mph). When the 49ers made the switch to Kaepernick from Alex Smith, they needed to blow out every team (besides the Patriots, I guess) the rest of the way for this thing to be deemed successful by those who cover — and in many cases, despise — Jim Harbaugh.

We’ll see if the offense can do a little better than 0-for-4 on third downs in the second half, as well as the number of sacks Aldon ends up with. As we stand, the people who predicted Smith would get shut out today have no chance of winning a large pizza from Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria.

Fitz's Future Unemployment Check

The media and the Alex Smith fans are openly rooting for the 49ers to fail. Sad.

Otis Byrd III

Yeah, it is pretty sad. Yes, Alex Smith had a great season with the 49ers last season and he was good/ok this season before he got hurt but, Kaepernick is better and he can simply do things that Alex Smith can't do as far as running and throwing deep. For a lot of people, it seems they feel bad for Alex Smith because he stayed with the team, even through his failures and criticism from fans, media, and even coaches like Mike Nolan. Then when he had some success, he got injured, and now can't get his job back. Some people do feel that way, and it's sickening how the announcers for the 49er games the past few weeks, are sticking up for him, and making Harbaugh look bad because Alex Smith in a sense, lost his job to injury, even though Kaepernick played great in his first two starts (the Bears and Saints games) and outperformed Alex Smith this season, in just those two games. Some fans saw the success that Alex Smith had last season and how he knows the offense and has a repoire with some of the players on offense, and even though Kaepernick has looked great and has had growing pains at the same time, they feel Harbaugh should go back to Alex Smith because he's had success with this current group on offense, and that the 49ers have a better chance of winning with Alex Smith this season. There are more Kaepernick fans (me being one of them) than Alex Smith fans, but I guess BASG was right in that this decision has divided some fans. It's interesting and kind of ironic how some of the same people who criticized Alex Smith for years and wanted him gone, are sticking up for Alex Smith and wanting him to start over Kaepernick. What a tenure Alex Smith has had here with the 49ers.

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Stan

Roman calls a better game then Jimmy Ray or Greg Knapp is all.

and Jim Hostler, Mike McCarthy, and almost all the other OC's the 49ers have had in recent history, at least in the Alex Smith era. Norv Turner is probably the last good 49ers OC. Yeah, Roman has had some issues, but he's the best 49ers OC since Norv Turner.

Nobody's rooting for them to fail. Just as Roman didn't call a great game. And CK wasn't impressive. If Miami's QB had played in the second half like he did in the first it would have been a loss. Good thing in the second half he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn..or even a broad backside in front of him.

Sunset Boy

Media people are openly rooting for the 49ers/Kaep to fail? Sounds like they want the so called QB controversy to continue. Sells more papers. Objective journalism is a myth. And these are the people that shape public opinion? Scary. BASG, wish you'd elaborate a bit more on which media types are the ones rooting against Kaep. Might confirm a suspicion or two that I have. Plus I like to read content from people with integrity. Would make that decision easier.

So when do I get my pizza, BASG? I was the first of two people who guessed 2 sacks on the nose, is it a coin flip or do I get it for saying it first? :D

DeafwriterJC

Aldon has some really good moves, he can shake and leave you holding on to a rope while he spins around you then sweep around a quarterback's legs with his long arm span. That is his M.O. and Aldon is incomparable to any pass rusher that has lived. I feel the 49ers found a gold mine in Aldon who can disrupt offenses for years to come as long he stays out of trouble and harm's way. Pay Aldon to a long-term contract! Tender him a new contract and lock him up. And sign Goldson and Culliver locking them up too.

Also, congratulations to Aldon Smith on setting the 49ers new single season sack record!

JayT

I like Colin K's ceiling, but I do have to admit that this would have been an easier game with Smith as our QB. It's going to be interesting.

SpartanSportsGuy

A lot of pissing and moaning after that touchdown run?

Thecuckoo

Punch Cohn for me pleaseeeee

Yeah, Lowell Cohn has lost his mind. Even Damon Bruce and Larry Krueger in a sense,lost respect for him when he wrote a column last week saying that Greg Roman should be fired. Damon trashed the article, multiple times calling it stupid and he even was implying that he was talking about Lowell Cohn when he said that it was someone he used to respect, and he did use to respect Cohn. Damon used to have him on his show a lot. After that column, Cohn probably won't be on Damon's show anytime soon.... Krueger criticized the article too.