00:00:00
Speaker 1: Always great to catch up with our good friend Larry Kruger, sponsored by TimberTech. TimberTech decking and railing everything wood should be. You visit TimberTech.com. You've got the Commanders and the 49ers at Levi's Stadium tonight to finish up week number six. And Kruger joins us courtesy of the UMA guest line.
00:00:19
Speaker 2: What's happening?
00:00:19
Speaker 1: How are you?
00:00:21
Speaker 2: John, how are you, man?
00:00:24
Speaker 1: Are you cruising down to Levi's right now?
00:00:28
Speaker 2: I am. I am. I'm taking that beautiful Trek down 680. Luckily, I have a hands-free device. I am going to pull over here for you because I'm that kind of a radio guy. You know, Sunol is also a cell nightmare spot. Oh, totally. Even the best of cell phones drop off. Going from Pleasanton to Milpitas, there's a dead spot there. Yeah. I don't want to have our conversation interrupted so i'll be pulling over on.
00:01:01
Speaker 3: Stone ridge very nice all right uh tell us good uh what do you think yeah good uh what do you think about tonight some people have said you know trap game that kind of a thing i don't see it but what do you think.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Well i mean it's about meeting the commander's edge because the bottom line is anybody who watched the commanders and knows the story about the commanders knows that they're going to show up in this game. They, whatever they got, they're bringing it. They're going to be absolutely razor sharp tonight. I expect them, the commanders to play their best game. Doesn't mean they're not going to get their doors blown off, but they're going to, they're going to show up full bore. Last week was an embarrassment. I guarantee you they had a good week of practice. Everybody was paying attention. I'm sure everybody, And there's a lot of talk out of the district that Quinn's done if they get beat bad in this game. So I don't know if that's true or not. That's just rumor. But I think you're going to get the best of Quinn, the best of his staff, the best of these players. Whatever their A game is, plan on getting it tonight. And that means the Niners are going to have to show up with that edge. And it's going to be tough coming off of an emotional win in Seattle with all the energy. And the fans need to help out tonight and get that place rocking. Tina Turner is going to be honored at halftime. And it's up to the faithful to get that energy really going early. And if they do, I think the Niners could win big, but I guarantee you they're going to get the Commander's A game.
00:02:40
Speaker 1: Well, you know, just to bring up what you said about Seattle, because I was saying this late last week when Seattle went to Denver, I thought, you know, It's really hard when you play in those emotional divisional games, especially as physical as they are, and it came down to some plays late in the game. And I thought Seattle might have some issues in Denver, and they did. They weren't their normal energetic self, especially offensively. So I'm glad that the 49ers had a few extra days to kind of get past that game. The first thing that jumps out to me, Krug, is the commanders have a defensive coordinator who is a disciple of Brian Flores, and they– go after you. They don't go after you at a level of Brian Flores. I mean, I think the Vikings are at like 67% blitz rate. It's about in the mid-40s. But how do you think they'll handle the Washington blitz and just how aggressive Washington likes to be in forcing quick decisions?
00:03:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, they blitz at the second highest rate in the league. But, you know, Purdy's got a 131 rating this year against the blitz. So you've got to blitz him at your own peril, potentially. So It's all going to be about first and second down. The Niners are number one in the NFL on first and second down. The Niners' average third down, John, is third and 4.6. That's the best in the league. That means they're getting it done on first and second down, and they just have to continue doing that. They've got to continue running it. Expect some run blitzes on early downs and expect the commanders to try to sell out and blow up some plays and get them into third and long. If it's third and 18... I think Washington's blitzes, you know, will be more effective. And also there's the big Mike Evans question, you know, is Evans going to go, you know, Evans is, he's been to say he's been monster just doesn't even speak to it. I mean, he's got the second biggest target share in the league behind JSN. He's got five red zone catches. That's top three in the league. He's got seven explosives. That's top four. So, I mean, if Evans goes and can play and you know, that, that changes the thing. If, all of a sudden, you know, he's questionable. He's like one of the six guys that's questionable tonight. If he doesn't go, then it's, you know, Christian Kirk. Is it, is he going to step up? Is it going to be cowling? Is it going to be Watkins? There's no Debo. There's no DeMarcus Robinson probably until after the buy. So, you know, I think that's the angle. I mean, some people, I was talking to Dave Lombardi Saturday in the locker room after practice. And I said, Dave, what do you think? Is Evans going to go? And he's like, oh yeah, yeah. He's going to go. I think he's going to go. I don't know, because based on what I saw out there, my eyes told me he's not going to go. So we'll see. I don't have any sources, but my eyes said that he's not going. But we'll see, and he's a tough guy, and he's like Trent Williams, John. He doesn't need to practice necessarily to play, but we'll see. That, to me, is the big question of the night.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: Larry Kruger is joining us, of course, the Krug Show. Make sure you're checking it out on YouTube and all across social media. Niners Nightly with Krug as well. He is the insider of insiders when it comes to your 49ers coverage. Make sure you're checking out all his stuff. You will be a smarter 49ers fan because of it. Let's expand on that just a little bit because, like you said, Mike Evans has been everything without Debo. Maybe Christian Kerr could be a lot to expect him to carry the receiver core in his first game back or first game for the 49ers ever. How much does that hinder what they want to do, or can they just kind of switch the game plan to more Kittle, more CMC? How do you see Kyle kind of adjusting if Mike Evans isn't around?
00:06:17
Speaker 2: Well, I think it's a big Kittle night, John. I mean, Goddard burned this defense for a couple touchdowns. They've given up two touchdowns to the tight end three different times already this year. We're only in week six. So it's Kittle for sure. I mean, it's a big night, and we can make the commanders prove they can defend the tight end. The problem here is that their second-level players are special. Frankie Louvu and Sonny Stiles are special players. Sonny Stiles had 13 tackles last week against the Giants, and I talked to Clay Kubiak about him, and he's like, yeah, he stands out. He's big, he's rangy, he can jump, he gets in passing lanes. He says he reminds him a lot of Fred. And then Louvu's one of the most hyperactive, smart linebackers in the game, and he's a little... beat up and a little older a little past the prime but he still can get it rolling so you can't let those two players take over the game.
00:07:12
Speaker 1: You know and so on the other side of the ball it historically or at least under kyle they've struggled against mobile quarterbacks uh last week jayden daniels had 103 yards rushing against the giants and two touchdown runs of over 25 yards but this year the 49ers have given up the least amount of yards to quarterbacks only 33 so What gives here? Obviously, you've still got to watch Jaden Daniels. Have the 49ers figured out mobile quarterbacks, or is that a major concern going into tonight?
00:07:39
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, they're healthy now on the second level. Warner's playing at a crazy level. He typically makes every single play. I think that has a lot to do with it. Jaden Duggar, I talked to him at his locker this week. He's just a young guy, John, having fun. He's like, man, I'm just trying to play fast and have fun. And he's having a great time, and he's got long arms, and he's a super smart, instinctive football player. He's one of the youngest players in the league, and he's being given a full dose of responsibility, and he'll have a big responsibility with Greenlaw out tonight. But I think it's really more about the defensive front. You've got to rush his one. You've got to keep him cupped in there. 49ers have done a great job. They've got great second-level speed if he does escape. He can buzz. He can get to third and fourth. and 14 and you think oh got this guy and all of a sudden you run a stunt somebody comes out of a lane and this guy goes for 38 yards and that can happen in a blink of an eye and he can change the field position on you so you know I think the Niners have done an amazing job this year defending explosives they're number one in the league at minimizing explosives but defending explosives from Daniels tonight is going to be you know I think the key to the.
00:08:52
Speaker 1: Game yeah I do too In regards to the one thing is, too, without these receivers is the run game. And the commanders have done a pretty good job containing the run. But just in terms of what that's going to mean, and we all know the 30-plus numbers with Kyle Shanahan, I think it's 63-8 when they go over 30 carries. I'd imagine that that is the main thrust. If we don't have the receivers, if they don't have the receivers tonight, then running game is going to be a major. It always is, but even more so a major portion of the offensive game plan.
00:09:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the 49ers have done something really different this year there. I mean, they're really managing CMC much better. I mean, he doesn't have a single 20-touch game this year in the first five. He had 20-plus touches in 13 of 16 games last year. So, I mean, he's played 99 fewer snaps. He's got 50 fewer touches so far. And, you know, Kalon Black, One day of practice, his girlfriend or wife had a baby this week. So congratulations to him. I could see him having his first kind of bust-out performance. The goal line has been interesting, though. The goal line has totally belonged to CMC 100%. The Niners have eight goal line carries to begin the year. He's got all eight. And he's also getting all the targets. He's got 25 targets compared to only two for Black. But I expect Black to have his bust-out game tonight. He's hitting the hole hard. He's starting to get a better feel. And I would not be surprised if he had a big night.
00:10:32
Speaker 1: Larry Kruger is joining us as we're looking at the Commanders and the 49ers tonight. Remember, pregame show starts at 2 o'clock with Adam Copeland and John Dickinson. Make sure that you are listening and watching Kruger, the Kruger Show on YouTube and all across social media, plus Niners Nightly with Kruger right here. on KNBR. I know you know this. Chris Ballard was let go as a general manager of the Colts this morning, and a lot of people are suggesting that they may do a fire sale. Combine that with the fact that Defoe, DeForest Buckner, basically said, I'm sick of this stuff. I'm sick of the same thing every single year. Do you see the 49ers being a major player, possibly, if DeForest Buckner is moved in the last year.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Of his deal? I definitely think they'd be interested. I mean, you know, they always like to have guys that fit in their room, and they know that Defoe fits in their room. You know, especially midstream, John. I mean, you know this. You've covered the NFL for years. Who you bring in almost matters as much as, like, you know, what they bring football-wise. It's like, how do they blend to the group? You know, this thing's got a vibe right now, and there's leaders. And if you're going to come in and upset the group, that's not going to flow. But Defoe is, you know, I call him Defoe. That's what the players call him. But DeForest is an original Niner. Now, he's not the player that he was, but, man, I mean, he's had some plays this year that are spectacular. Did you see that play where he chased it down the sideline? I mean, he was, like, running 28 yards, 30 yards, you know, getting the running back. So he still has tremendous wheels, and he's got, you know, better technique than he's ever had. If he's healthy, yeah. I mean, he's in the last year of his deal. You know, these things when the GM, first of all, Ballard's a great GM. He just got screwed. Andrew Luck retired. They made a couple bad moves. They got desperate at the end. They traded multiple picks for Sauce Gardner. Now, you know, what mode are they in? You know, that's the thing. You don't know what mode they're in. Is the interim GM going to just do nothing and wait for the, usually it's one of two things. They're either going to sell out all their pieces and try to get as many picks as possible or, Or they want the person in charge is just like there and they can't really make any owner, make any moves. And it all comes down to the daughter of her say to see if, you know, who's going to go and who's going to stay. But they have Quentin Nelson. They have DeForest Buckner. They've got, you know, they've got Keenan Allen. You don't think Keenan Allen could help this 49er team? Former Cal Bear, bring him home. Colts have a lot of talent for sure. um i'd be interested heck i'd probably give a first round pick if i could get quentin nelson and deforce buckner oh can.
00:13:09
Speaker 1: You imagine putting quentin nelson on the guard at a guard spot here oh my gosh him and like pooney on either side of each other would be ridiculous man that would be yeah he would be absolutely great i gotta look i know i have no insight on what the colts are going to do it just seems to me that because like you said that team is kind of a mess and One of the things I think of is all these teams that are trying to get in the– really the college quarterbacks haven't lived up to the billing for 2027 that were also supposed to be great. But, you know, the Jets have three first-round picks. The Browns have multiple picks. The Cardinals just picked up a two in the Marvin Harrison trade. I think all these teams are trying to get to the top of the draft. Daniel Jones has been nothing special for the Colts. I wouldn't be surprised if they hit the reset button, tried to get as many picks as they can. And like you said, they're not talentless. They just– they need a reset button, and I wouldn't be shocked at all Shane Steichen could probably go, their head coach. But like you said, they got Nelson, they got Buckner, they got Jonathan Taylor, they got Keenan Allen. They got a bunch of guys. And a lot of times, like you said, when they change things like that, they hit the reset button, try to get as many picks as they can. And 2027 is supposed to be a good draft, so I could see that.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: One last one.
00:14:13
Speaker 1: The Rams yesterday. Can you believe– I mean, I don't know what to make of them right now. And it sounds like every time I listen to Sean McVay, he sounds burned out to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he was in the broadcast booth next year somewhere. They're two and four. I know that they haven't had Miles Garrett back yet, but how much can he help in terms of just, I just, there's something off about that team. And then Seattle's got Kansas City coming up this weekend. I'm not saying they're going to lose, but that's going to be a tough game because their offense isn't playing so well. Can you believe just how this has opened up for the 49ers to this point in the season?
00:14:46
Speaker 2: It's amazing. It's impressive. And, you know, that's why they just got to try to stay healthy, take them one at a time and, And, you know, maybe John Lynch can help them at the deadline and get this thing really rolling with some momentum. You know, 49ers, there's a lot of young 49er fans. There's some middle-aged 49er fans that have never seen the Niners win the Super Bowl. And, you know, as far as the Rams, I mean, they're in a little bit of a free fall. I talked about this a little bit this summer. You know, you know what a personnel nerd I am, you know, The Rams are– everybody talked about Miles Garrett and their premier top-line talent. This team reminds me of the 95 Cowboys that were awesome. They had Emmitt and Aikman and Irvin, but they also had just guys out of the CFL and just random guys because their cap was so top-heavy. This Rams team is top-heavy, and Les Snead did them a favor by going with the long-term view at quarterback in the middle of the first round. They could have gotten a stud that could help them win. Instead, they went for Ty Simpson. And, you know, like, oh, we don't just when you think you don't have any needs is when you suddenly get old and they look they look kind of old. I mean, they're thin. Aleric Jackson decided he was going to hit somebody after the Bronco game. And he got himself suspended and they had to go to David. They had to go to David Quissenberry. Now, Quissenberry is a great story. Beat like, you know, cancer. He went to San Jose State. But I mean, he got beat like a drum.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:16:14
Speaker 2: I mean, Arizona kept pressuring off that. I watched that game. Josh Sweat killed him. Yeah, I mean, Sweat absolutely killed him, and Stafford got smoked. He got hit seven times. A couple of those were like nasty whiplash. I guarantee you, if you were around Matthew Stafford today, he is not feeling good. They played without Trent McDuffie. They played without Miles Garrett. The back end of their backups are pretty ordinary. The Niners' twos and threes are studly compared to the Rams' twos and threes. It's a long year. You're going to have five to ten guys on a season-ending IR. For them, if it's the wrong guys, they've got a great chance to miss the playoffs. I agree.
00:17:00
Speaker 1: I was looking at it before the game yesterday. They had Arizona twice. They had really winnable games. I thought they were going to win a five-game you know, winning streak, but I mean, to lose to Arizona is inexplicable. And they got that touchdown late. And then, you know, look, there was a bad call at the end of that game. They got an extra 15 yards, but they shouldn't have been in that position. And like you said, I think you hit it right on the head. All of a sudden Stafford looks old and the offensive line, I know they'll get Jackson back next week, but they were giving up leaks all over the place. The Cardinals unexpectedly at lots of blitzing, you had Buda Baker come in and they, and it's, It was unbelievable that they could get held to nine points for the majority of that game. They had that last drive, but then their defense gives it up. And there's just something chemically not right with their team. You can just tell. And every time I hear McVay after the game, he sounds more and more frustrated.
00:17:47
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: He looks like a big– he's just a burnout guy to me. I mean, he just– he puts so much into it. I could see him burning out, taking a couple of years off, going to the booth route, making a bunch of money doing that, not working nearly as much. um it's just I don't know there's something weird and as far as Seattle goes until they get a running game Sam Darnold can't shoulder that load their offensive line doesn't look good other than JSN on the offensive end because they let Ken Walker the third go they don't have enough offensive weapons they could get beat by Kansas City that would be their fourth loss I mean it really opens up Philly's not a factor anymore without Jalen Hurts I liked what I saw from the Packers I like what I saw from the Bears and Minnesota is five and oh but Man, this thing is opening up real nice for the 49ers. I think John, as we talked about, I think John Lynch is going to be really aggressive at the deadline. What an opportunity for these guys. Tonight aside, what an opportunity.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: No doubt. No doubt. And a couple other things. Back on the Rams, they had two turnovers in Arizona's territory in the fourth quarter. Their vaunted offense had 286 yards at home. Their vaunted defense produced no sacks. They gave up 5-3 a carry to Bam Knight. I mean, the Rams are in a bad way right now. And Seattle, I mean, if you saw Darnold, Darnold, the difference between Hurdy and Darnold, I mean, it's just Darnold looks like Darnold doesn't have a full account of the defenders. I don't think he spends nearly as much time in preparation as Purdy does because he doesn't have as good a feel for where the defenders are, and he keeps getting fooled. He throws picks every single week. I mean, this is the Darnold that I saw at SC. This was why I didn't love him in the draft. This is why he wasn't good earlier. He had a nice little run in Minnesota. He won the Super Bowl amazingly. But, man, and then Seattle has no run game. John Schneider and Les Snead gagged. Those teams were ahead of the Niners. All they had to do was stay the course. Instead, John Schneider. decides to pay special teamer Rashid Shaheed, who he doesn't even really use that much, $ 17 million instead of giving Kenneth Walker $ 14. I mean, that was a gift. And then Les Snead to go for Ty Simpson instead of some awesome player in the middle of the first round, that was a gift. So the Niners have got to take advantage. There's no question. As far as good teams to watch, though, you know who I saw yesterday that looked great was Carolina. Dude, Carolina is coming. I mean, they are coming. They beat Philly in Philly, and it was no accident. Tanner McKee was under the gun all day. I'm still not the biggest Bryce Young fan, but Chuba Hubbard is a hell of a back, and they got really good weapons between McMillan, Coker, Tommy Tremble. Their defense stops the run. Philly averaged 2-7 a carry. They had 11 hits on Tanner McKee. Now, granted, he hasn't moved that well. But still, Carolina, Canales has got– they're coming, man. They're going to be a tough team, I think, the rest of the way.
00:20:58
Speaker 1: Crew, great stuff, man. Appreciate it. Thanks for making the time while you're heading down to Levi's. We appreciate it. Tell the people where they can find you, man.
00:21:07
Speaker 2: I'm right now I'm in a parking lot off of Stone Ridge in Pleasanton.
00:21:12
Speaker 1: Oh, I know exactly where you are.
00:21:14
Speaker 2: If you're there. I'm sitting here in a black Chevy Trax. No, yeah, check me out on the crew show. And the crew, you know, of course, you know, the crew show is blowing up. I mean, Kev, my son has helped the YouTube channel blow up. It's really great. Thanks to him for doing all that and And you can, of course, find me on YouTube. But then Niners Nightly on the Leader, 6 to 7 most nights. Sometimes Mikey has me on Mondays and Thursdays on the radio after the football game. But, yeah, Monday through Friday. Saturday we're on from 10 a.m. till noon. So it's a two-hour 49er forecast show. And then I'll be on with the boys in a few hours for a segment and in the postgame and doing my YouTube thing and just having fun, man, living the dream, raising the family. Life's good. You're the best, man.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Bro, thanks for the insight. I'm glad everything is crushing for you again. Krug Show on YouTube. Make sure you check it out and all of social media and Niners Nightly right here on KMBR as well. Thanks for the insight, brother. We'll talk to you soon.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Have a great one. You too.
00:22:22
Speaker 1: All right, there's Larry Kruger. Make sure that you're checking him out, following him, hitting the Krug Show, and getting all your Niners stuff from Krug. All right, we'll come back with your national news, including some stuff on the NFL, a ton of stuff going on. Why the Colts could be cleaning house. Could Arch Manning actually get benched? Robert Sala finally gets a win. We're excited about that and much, much more. We'll do it coming up next. National News. Then we've got your, of course, your Lund's last call. We still got some Niner stuff to get to you as well before we hand it over to pregame at 2 o'clock. Only here on Esports Leader.
Speaker 1: Always great to catch up with our good friend Larry Kruger, sponsored by TimberTech. TimberTech decking and railing everything wood should be. You visit TimberTech.com. You've got the Commanders and the 49ers at Levi's Stadium tonight to finish up week number six. And Kruger joins us courtesy of the UMA guest line.
00:00:19
Speaker 2: What's happening?
00:00:19
Speaker 1: How are you?
00:00:21
Speaker 2: John, how are you, man?
00:00:24
Speaker 1: Are you cruising down to Levi's right now?
00:00:28
Speaker 2: I am. I am. I'm taking that beautiful Trek down 680. Luckily, I have a hands-free device. I am going to pull over here for you because I'm that kind of a radio guy. You know, Sunol is also a cell nightmare spot. Oh, totally. Even the best of cell phones drop off. Going from Pleasanton to Milpitas, there's a dead spot there. Yeah. I don't want to have our conversation interrupted so i'll be pulling over on.
00:01:01
Speaker 3: Stone ridge very nice all right uh tell us good uh what do you think yeah good uh what do you think about tonight some people have said you know trap game that kind of a thing i don't see it but what do you think.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: Well i mean it's about meeting the commander's edge because the bottom line is anybody who watched the commanders and knows the story about the commanders knows that they're going to show up in this game. They, whatever they got, they're bringing it. They're going to be absolutely razor sharp tonight. I expect them, the commanders to play their best game. Doesn't mean they're not going to get their doors blown off, but they're going to, they're going to show up full bore. Last week was an embarrassment. I guarantee you they had a good week of practice. Everybody was paying attention. I'm sure everybody, And there's a lot of talk out of the district that Quinn's done if they get beat bad in this game. So I don't know if that's true or not. That's just rumor. But I think you're going to get the best of Quinn, the best of his staff, the best of these players. Whatever their A game is, plan on getting it tonight. And that means the Niners are going to have to show up with that edge. And it's going to be tough coming off of an emotional win in Seattle with all the energy. And the fans need to help out tonight and get that place rocking. Tina Turner is going to be honored at halftime. And it's up to the faithful to get that energy really going early. And if they do, I think the Niners could win big, but I guarantee you they're going to get the Commander's A game.
00:02:40
Speaker 1: Well, you know, just to bring up what you said about Seattle, because I was saying this late last week when Seattle went to Denver, I thought, you know, It's really hard when you play in those emotional divisional games, especially as physical as they are, and it came down to some plays late in the game. And I thought Seattle might have some issues in Denver, and they did. They weren't their normal energetic self, especially offensively. So I'm glad that the 49ers had a few extra days to kind of get past that game. The first thing that jumps out to me, Krug, is the commanders have a defensive coordinator who is a disciple of Brian Flores, and they– go after you. They don't go after you at a level of Brian Flores. I mean, I think the Vikings are at like 67% blitz rate. It's about in the mid-40s. But how do you think they'll handle the Washington blitz and just how aggressive Washington likes to be in forcing quick decisions?
00:03:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, they blitz at the second highest rate in the league. But, you know, Purdy's got a 131 rating this year against the blitz. So you've got to blitz him at your own peril, potentially. So It's all going to be about first and second down. The Niners are number one in the NFL on first and second down. The Niners' average third down, John, is third and 4.6. That's the best in the league. That means they're getting it done on first and second down, and they just have to continue doing that. They've got to continue running it. Expect some run blitzes on early downs and expect the commanders to try to sell out and blow up some plays and get them into third and long. If it's third and 18... I think Washington's blitzes, you know, will be more effective. And also there's the big Mike Evans question, you know, is Evans going to go, you know, Evans is, he's been to say he's been monster just doesn't even speak to it. I mean, he's got the second biggest target share in the league behind JSN. He's got five red zone catches. That's top three in the league. He's got seven explosives. That's top four. So, I mean, if Evans goes and can play and you know, that, that changes the thing. If, all of a sudden, you know, he's questionable. He's like one of the six guys that's questionable tonight. If he doesn't go, then it's, you know, Christian Kirk. Is it, is he going to step up? Is it going to be cowling? Is it going to be Watkins? There's no Debo. There's no DeMarcus Robinson probably until after the buy. So, you know, I think that's the angle. I mean, some people, I was talking to Dave Lombardi Saturday in the locker room after practice. And I said, Dave, what do you think? Is Evans going to go? And he's like, oh yeah, yeah. He's going to go. I think he's going to go. I don't know, because based on what I saw out there, my eyes told me he's not going to go. So we'll see. I don't have any sources, but my eyes said that he's not going. But we'll see, and he's a tough guy, and he's like Trent Williams, John. He doesn't need to practice necessarily to play, but we'll see. That, to me, is the big question of the night.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: Larry Kruger is joining us, of course, the Krug Show. Make sure you're checking it out on YouTube and all across social media. Niners Nightly with Krug as well. He is the insider of insiders when it comes to your 49ers coverage. Make sure you're checking out all his stuff. You will be a smarter 49ers fan because of it. Let's expand on that just a little bit because, like you said, Mike Evans has been everything without Debo. Maybe Christian Kerr could be a lot to expect him to carry the receiver core in his first game back or first game for the 49ers ever. How much does that hinder what they want to do, or can they just kind of switch the game plan to more Kittle, more CMC? How do you see Kyle kind of adjusting if Mike Evans isn't around?
00:06:17
Speaker 2: Well, I think it's a big Kittle night, John. I mean, Goddard burned this defense for a couple touchdowns. They've given up two touchdowns to the tight end three different times already this year. We're only in week six. So it's Kittle for sure. I mean, it's a big night, and we can make the commanders prove they can defend the tight end. The problem here is that their second-level players are special. Frankie Louvu and Sonny Stiles are special players. Sonny Stiles had 13 tackles last week against the Giants, and I talked to Clay Kubiak about him, and he's like, yeah, he stands out. He's big, he's rangy, he can jump, he gets in passing lanes. He says he reminds him a lot of Fred. And then Louvu's one of the most hyperactive, smart linebackers in the game, and he's a little... beat up and a little older a little past the prime but he still can get it rolling so you can't let those two players take over the game.
00:07:12
Speaker 1: You know and so on the other side of the ball it historically or at least under kyle they've struggled against mobile quarterbacks uh last week jayden daniels had 103 yards rushing against the giants and two touchdown runs of over 25 yards but this year the 49ers have given up the least amount of yards to quarterbacks only 33 so What gives here? Obviously, you've still got to watch Jaden Daniels. Have the 49ers figured out mobile quarterbacks, or is that a major concern going into tonight?
00:07:39
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, they're healthy now on the second level. Warner's playing at a crazy level. He typically makes every single play. I think that has a lot to do with it. Jaden Duggar, I talked to him at his locker this week. He's just a young guy, John, having fun. He's like, man, I'm just trying to play fast and have fun. And he's having a great time, and he's got long arms, and he's a super smart, instinctive football player. He's one of the youngest players in the league, and he's being given a full dose of responsibility, and he'll have a big responsibility with Greenlaw out tonight. But I think it's really more about the defensive front. You've got to rush his one. You've got to keep him cupped in there. 49ers have done a great job. They've got great second-level speed if he does escape. He can buzz. He can get to third and fourth. and 14 and you think oh got this guy and all of a sudden you run a stunt somebody comes out of a lane and this guy goes for 38 yards and that can happen in a blink of an eye and he can change the field position on you so you know I think the Niners have done an amazing job this year defending explosives they're number one in the league at minimizing explosives but defending explosives from Daniels tonight is going to be you know I think the key to the.
00:08:52
Speaker 1: Game yeah I do too In regards to the one thing is, too, without these receivers is the run game. And the commanders have done a pretty good job containing the run. But just in terms of what that's going to mean, and we all know the 30-plus numbers with Kyle Shanahan, I think it's 63-8 when they go over 30 carries. I'd imagine that that is the main thrust. If we don't have the receivers, if they don't have the receivers tonight, then running game is going to be a major. It always is, but even more so a major portion of the offensive game plan.
00:09:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the 49ers have done something really different this year there. I mean, they're really managing CMC much better. I mean, he doesn't have a single 20-touch game this year in the first five. He had 20-plus touches in 13 of 16 games last year. So, I mean, he's played 99 fewer snaps. He's got 50 fewer touches so far. And, you know, Kalon Black, One day of practice, his girlfriend or wife had a baby this week. So congratulations to him. I could see him having his first kind of bust-out performance. The goal line has been interesting, though. The goal line has totally belonged to CMC 100%. The Niners have eight goal line carries to begin the year. He's got all eight. And he's also getting all the targets. He's got 25 targets compared to only two for Black. But I expect Black to have his bust-out game tonight. He's hitting the hole hard. He's starting to get a better feel. And I would not be surprised if he had a big night.
00:10:32
Speaker 1: Larry Kruger is joining us as we're looking at the Commanders and the 49ers tonight. Remember, pregame show starts at 2 o'clock with Adam Copeland and John Dickinson. Make sure that you are listening and watching Kruger, the Kruger Show on YouTube and all across social media, plus Niners Nightly with Kruger right here. on KNBR. I know you know this. Chris Ballard was let go as a general manager of the Colts this morning, and a lot of people are suggesting that they may do a fire sale. Combine that with the fact that Defoe, DeForest Buckner, basically said, I'm sick of this stuff. I'm sick of the same thing every single year. Do you see the 49ers being a major player, possibly, if DeForest Buckner is moved in the last year.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Of his deal? I definitely think they'd be interested. I mean, you know, they always like to have guys that fit in their room, and they know that Defoe fits in their room. You know, especially midstream, John. I mean, you know this. You've covered the NFL for years. Who you bring in almost matters as much as, like, you know, what they bring football-wise. It's like, how do they blend to the group? You know, this thing's got a vibe right now, and there's leaders. And if you're going to come in and upset the group, that's not going to flow. But Defoe is, you know, I call him Defoe. That's what the players call him. But DeForest is an original Niner. Now, he's not the player that he was, but, man, I mean, he's had some plays this year that are spectacular. Did you see that play where he chased it down the sideline? I mean, he was, like, running 28 yards, 30 yards, you know, getting the running back. So he still has tremendous wheels, and he's got, you know, better technique than he's ever had. If he's healthy, yeah. I mean, he's in the last year of his deal. You know, these things when the GM, first of all, Ballard's a great GM. He just got screwed. Andrew Luck retired. They made a couple bad moves. They got desperate at the end. They traded multiple picks for Sauce Gardner. Now, you know, what mode are they in? You know, that's the thing. You don't know what mode they're in. Is the interim GM going to just do nothing and wait for the, usually it's one of two things. They're either going to sell out all their pieces and try to get as many picks as possible or, Or they want the person in charge is just like there and they can't really make any owner, make any moves. And it all comes down to the daughter of her say to see if, you know, who's going to go and who's going to stay. But they have Quentin Nelson. They have DeForest Buckner. They've got, you know, they've got Keenan Allen. You don't think Keenan Allen could help this 49er team? Former Cal Bear, bring him home. Colts have a lot of talent for sure. um i'd be interested heck i'd probably give a first round pick if i could get quentin nelson and deforce buckner oh can.
00:13:09
Speaker 1: You imagine putting quentin nelson on the guard at a guard spot here oh my gosh him and like pooney on either side of each other would be ridiculous man that would be yeah he would be absolutely great i gotta look i know i have no insight on what the colts are going to do it just seems to me that because like you said that team is kind of a mess and One of the things I think of is all these teams that are trying to get in the– really the college quarterbacks haven't lived up to the billing for 2027 that were also supposed to be great. But, you know, the Jets have three first-round picks. The Browns have multiple picks. The Cardinals just picked up a two in the Marvin Harrison trade. I think all these teams are trying to get to the top of the draft. Daniel Jones has been nothing special for the Colts. I wouldn't be surprised if they hit the reset button, tried to get as many picks as they can. And like you said, they're not talentless. They just– they need a reset button, and I wouldn't be shocked at all Shane Steichen could probably go, their head coach. But like you said, they got Nelson, they got Buckner, they got Jonathan Taylor, they got Keenan Allen. They got a bunch of guys. And a lot of times, like you said, when they change things like that, they hit the reset button, try to get as many picks as they can. And 2027 is supposed to be a good draft, so I could see that.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: One last one.
00:14:13
Speaker 1: The Rams yesterday. Can you believe– I mean, I don't know what to make of them right now. And it sounds like every time I listen to Sean McVay, he sounds burned out to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he was in the broadcast booth next year somewhere. They're two and four. I know that they haven't had Miles Garrett back yet, but how much can he help in terms of just, I just, there's something off about that team. And then Seattle's got Kansas City coming up this weekend. I'm not saying they're going to lose, but that's going to be a tough game because their offense isn't playing so well. Can you believe just how this has opened up for the 49ers to this point in the season?
00:14:46
Speaker 2: It's amazing. It's impressive. And, you know, that's why they just got to try to stay healthy, take them one at a time and, And, you know, maybe John Lynch can help them at the deadline and get this thing really rolling with some momentum. You know, 49ers, there's a lot of young 49er fans. There's some middle-aged 49er fans that have never seen the Niners win the Super Bowl. And, you know, as far as the Rams, I mean, they're in a little bit of a free fall. I talked about this a little bit this summer. You know, you know what a personnel nerd I am, you know, The Rams are– everybody talked about Miles Garrett and their premier top-line talent. This team reminds me of the 95 Cowboys that were awesome. They had Emmitt and Aikman and Irvin, but they also had just guys out of the CFL and just random guys because their cap was so top-heavy. This Rams team is top-heavy, and Les Snead did them a favor by going with the long-term view at quarterback in the middle of the first round. They could have gotten a stud that could help them win. Instead, they went for Ty Simpson. And, you know, like, oh, we don't just when you think you don't have any needs is when you suddenly get old and they look they look kind of old. I mean, they're thin. Aleric Jackson decided he was going to hit somebody after the Bronco game. And he got himself suspended and they had to go to David. They had to go to David Quissenberry. Now, Quissenberry is a great story. Beat like, you know, cancer. He went to San Jose State. But I mean, he got beat like a drum.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:16:14
Speaker 2: I mean, Arizona kept pressuring off that. I watched that game. Josh Sweat killed him. Yeah, I mean, Sweat absolutely killed him, and Stafford got smoked. He got hit seven times. A couple of those were like nasty whiplash. I guarantee you, if you were around Matthew Stafford today, he is not feeling good. They played without Trent McDuffie. They played without Miles Garrett. The back end of their backups are pretty ordinary. The Niners' twos and threes are studly compared to the Rams' twos and threes. It's a long year. You're going to have five to ten guys on a season-ending IR. For them, if it's the wrong guys, they've got a great chance to miss the playoffs. I agree.
00:17:00
Speaker 1: I was looking at it before the game yesterday. They had Arizona twice. They had really winnable games. I thought they were going to win a five-game you know, winning streak, but I mean, to lose to Arizona is inexplicable. And they got that touchdown late. And then, you know, look, there was a bad call at the end of that game. They got an extra 15 yards, but they shouldn't have been in that position. And like you said, I think you hit it right on the head. All of a sudden Stafford looks old and the offensive line, I know they'll get Jackson back next week, but they were giving up leaks all over the place. The Cardinals unexpectedly at lots of blitzing, you had Buda Baker come in and they, and it's, It was unbelievable that they could get held to nine points for the majority of that game. They had that last drive, but then their defense gives it up. And there's just something chemically not right with their team. You can just tell. And every time I hear McVay after the game, he sounds more and more frustrated.
00:17:47
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: He looks like a big– he's just a burnout guy to me. I mean, he just– he puts so much into it. I could see him burning out, taking a couple of years off, going to the booth route, making a bunch of money doing that, not working nearly as much. um it's just I don't know there's something weird and as far as Seattle goes until they get a running game Sam Darnold can't shoulder that load their offensive line doesn't look good other than JSN on the offensive end because they let Ken Walker the third go they don't have enough offensive weapons they could get beat by Kansas City that would be their fourth loss I mean it really opens up Philly's not a factor anymore without Jalen Hurts I liked what I saw from the Packers I like what I saw from the Bears and Minnesota is five and oh but Man, this thing is opening up real nice for the 49ers. I think John, as we talked about, I think John Lynch is going to be really aggressive at the deadline. What an opportunity for these guys. Tonight aside, what an opportunity.
00:18:41
Speaker 2: No doubt. No doubt. And a couple other things. Back on the Rams, they had two turnovers in Arizona's territory in the fourth quarter. Their vaunted offense had 286 yards at home. Their vaunted defense produced no sacks. They gave up 5-3 a carry to Bam Knight. I mean, the Rams are in a bad way right now. And Seattle, I mean, if you saw Darnold, Darnold, the difference between Hurdy and Darnold, I mean, it's just Darnold looks like Darnold doesn't have a full account of the defenders. I don't think he spends nearly as much time in preparation as Purdy does because he doesn't have as good a feel for where the defenders are, and he keeps getting fooled. He throws picks every single week. I mean, this is the Darnold that I saw at SC. This was why I didn't love him in the draft. This is why he wasn't good earlier. He had a nice little run in Minnesota. He won the Super Bowl amazingly. But, man, and then Seattle has no run game. John Schneider and Les Snead gagged. Those teams were ahead of the Niners. All they had to do was stay the course. Instead, John Schneider. decides to pay special teamer Rashid Shaheed, who he doesn't even really use that much, $ 17 million instead of giving Kenneth Walker $ 14. I mean, that was a gift. And then Les Snead to go for Ty Simpson instead of some awesome player in the middle of the first round, that was a gift. So the Niners have got to take advantage. There's no question. As far as good teams to watch, though, you know who I saw yesterday that looked great was Carolina. Dude, Carolina is coming. I mean, they are coming. They beat Philly in Philly, and it was no accident. Tanner McKee was under the gun all day. I'm still not the biggest Bryce Young fan, but Chuba Hubbard is a hell of a back, and they got really good weapons between McMillan, Coker, Tommy Tremble. Their defense stops the run. Philly averaged 2-7 a carry. They had 11 hits on Tanner McKee. Now, granted, he hasn't moved that well. But still, Carolina, Canales has got– they're coming, man. They're going to be a tough team, I think, the rest of the way.
00:20:58
Speaker 1: Crew, great stuff, man. Appreciate it. Thanks for making the time while you're heading down to Levi's. We appreciate it. Tell the people where they can find you, man.
00:21:07
Speaker 2: I'm right now I'm in a parking lot off of Stone Ridge in Pleasanton.
00:21:12
Speaker 1: Oh, I know exactly where you are.
00:21:14
Speaker 2: If you're there. I'm sitting here in a black Chevy Trax. No, yeah, check me out on the crew show. And the crew, you know, of course, you know, the crew show is blowing up. I mean, Kev, my son has helped the YouTube channel blow up. It's really great. Thanks to him for doing all that and And you can, of course, find me on YouTube. But then Niners Nightly on the Leader, 6 to 7 most nights. Sometimes Mikey has me on Mondays and Thursdays on the radio after the football game. But, yeah, Monday through Friday. Saturday we're on from 10 a.m. till noon. So it's a two-hour 49er forecast show. And then I'll be on with the boys in a few hours for a segment and in the postgame and doing my YouTube thing and just having fun, man, living the dream, raising the family. Life's good. You're the best, man.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Bro, thanks for the insight. I'm glad everything is crushing for you again. Krug Show on YouTube. Make sure you check it out and all of social media and Niners Nightly right here on KMBR as well. Thanks for the insight, brother. We'll talk to you soon.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Have a great one. You too.
00:22:22
Speaker 1: All right, there's Larry Kruger. Make sure that you're checking him out, following him, hitting the Krug Show, and getting all your Niners stuff from Krug. All right, we'll come back with your national news, including some stuff on the NFL, a ton of stuff going on. Why the Colts could be cleaning house. Could Arch Manning actually get benched? Robert Sala finally gets a win. We're excited about that and much, much more. We'll do it coming up next. National News. Then we've got your, of course, your Lund's last call. We still got some Niner stuff to get to you as well before we hand it over to pregame at 2 o'clock. Only here on Esports Leader.
