O’Sullivan should shoulder the blame for Week 6 meltdown

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, October 13, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

San Francisco 49ers
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Anyone who picked up the Monday morning paper or looked at the Internet box score of San Francisco’s game against the Philadelphia would have thought that the Eagles dominated the 49ers.

After all, when you beat a team by 14 points, it is a pretty convincing win. The problem for the 49ers is that they played three solid quarters of football and actually led the Eagles, 26-17, entering the fourth stanza.

In the fourth, though, the San Francisco home fans were subjected to 23 straight points from Philadelphia, which pulled away en route to a 40-26 triumph.

This wasn’t just a loss for the 49ers; rather, it was the type of game that can ruin a season.

There is a world of difference between 3-3 and 2-4, especially when a team gives the game away like San Francisco did Sunday. Making things more difficult for the 49ers is the fact that NFC West rival Arizona posted a statement win over the Cowboys on Sunday to improve to 4-2.

Arizona now leads the 49ers by two games in the NFC West (three, really, because the Cards have beaten the Niners this year), and things don’t get any easier for San Francisco. The 49ers have to travel this Sunday to play the undefeated Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Things looked good for the 49ers as the third quarter ended against Philadelphia. Even after San Francisco punted and the Eagles scored on a Donovan McNabb pass to L.J. Smith to cut the lead to 26-24, there was no reason to panic.

The 49ers, however, couldn’t do anything on offense once again and had to punt on a three-and-out series. After the Eagles went up 27-26 on a 38-yard field goal from David Akers, San Francisco was still very much in the game. It was time for the offense to move the ball.

After J.T. O’Sullivan was picked off by Quinten Mikell, though, the Eagles had the ball at the San Francisco 7-yard line with 6:28 left in the game.

Now it was time to panic.

The 49ers held, however, and forced Akers to kick another field goal. At 30-26, the game was still much within reach for the 49ers. The glimmer of hope for 49er fans was still glowing.

That glimmer was soon snuffed out quickly after O’Sullivan fumbled and the Eagles took over on the San Francisco 20. Another field goal and another O'Sullivan pick made the wheels fall off completely. All of the progress that O’Sullivan had made through the first five games of the season was wiped out by a horrid fourth quarter against the Eagles. In the final 15 minutes, O'Sullivan went just 2 of 9 with an interception, a fumble and two sacks.

Prior to the fourth quarter, O’Sullivan 15 of 21 for 181 yards and no interceptions. How can a quarterback completely fall apart in one quarter of play after playing a solid game for 45 minutes? Nerves might have been a part of it. A lack of protection from the offensive line also hampered the signal-caller But the bulk of the blame should rest on O’Sullivan’s shoulders.

Regardless, the 49ers are now 2-4, continuing to fade in the NFC.
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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
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