Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers returned to Candlestick Park and lost to the Indianapolis Colts 27-7. The 49ers re-established the running game with veteran Frank Gore, who rushed for 82 yards on 11 carries. However, the passing game struggled again with quarterback Colin Kaepernick completing 13 of his 27 passes for only 150 yards and an interception. Nearly half of Kaepernick’s passing yards were late in the fourth quarter after the Colts had won the game decisively.
The wide receivers were covered in tight man-to-man coverage and Kaepernick could not get the ball to them. This once again shows his apparent inability to make precision and pinpoint accurate throws. The Niners should have tried more flairs and screens to loosen up the offense and then attempt to take shots down the field.
The defense did their job for the most part despite veterans Patrick Willis and Nnamdi Asomugha went out with an injury. Wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Darrius Heyward-Bey both made big catches to move the chains. What beat the 49ers were the diverse play calling and the speedy aggressive Indianapolis defense. Just like last week in Seattle, head coach Jim Harbaugh got out-coached and his players got outplayed.
This game could have been a shootout, but each team’s defense saw to that. The Colts may have scored 27 points, but it was not easy against one of the league’s best defenses. The Colts quarterback only threw for 164 yards, but he rushed for one touchdown on the boot.
In Week 4, San Francisco will travel to face a divisional opponent in the St. Louis Rams. Last season, the Niners tied and lost to the Rams. The loss took place in St. Louis.
John Ware is a San Francisco 49ers writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @OutermindMedia, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.
