With the Falcons comfortably ahead 35-10 and driving in the third quarter of their game on Sunday against the 49ers, San Francisco cornerback Dre’ Bly intercepted Matt Ryan for what looked like a momentum-turning play.
But then Dre’ channeled his inner Deion Sanders and decided to show off in the middle of the return. What ensued was sheer embarrassment for Bly:
Couple questions for ya, Dre’:
1. Did you not think that Roddy White could catch you from behind given that you only had about a three-yard head start?
2. What compelled you to start dancing at that point with the end zone still 60 yards away?
3. Did you not know what the score was – what the hell were you celebrating about?
Up until their 45-10 loss to the Falcons in Week 5, Shaun Hill and the 49ers felt pretty good about how they started their 2009 season. Hill wasn’t setting the stat book on fire, but he kept the chains moving by making smart decisions and taking care of the football.
But on Sunday, Atlanta jumped out to a sizable first half lead and forced Hill to beat them through the air. What proceeded was a nasty performance highlighted by off-the-mark throws and inconsistency. He didn’t get much help from the running game, but he never got into a rhythm passing and his limitations as a quarterback were on full display. He struggled mightily with the intermediate and deep passes today.
That said, the Niners won’t be making a switch any time soon. It’s not like Mike Singletary didn’t know that Hill wasn’t Peyton Manning in preseason and Hill still beat out Alex Smith for the starting job. The bottom line is that San Fran will struggle this season when it can’t run the ball and the defense doesn’t step up.
Speaking of the Niners’ defense, Matt Ryan and Roddy White absolutely took them to school today. Ryan threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns on 22 of 32 passing, while White had his best outing of the year with eight receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns. White, who had gotten off to a slow start this season, found holes in San Francisco’s defense and as he often is, Ryan was accurate with his throws.
