Word to 49ers opponents: Maybe keep the pre-game trash talk in the back pocket this season.
Patrick Peterson learned the hard way on Sunday, when he was exploited for two touchdowns after making comments midweek that the 49ers passing game has “tells”, and that he’d get an interception.
“There is some tell signs out there that tells us what plays we’re gonna get from those guys in certain situations,” Peterson said. “When I get my pick Sunday, we’ll talk about it.”
Perhaps it was Peterson who had some tells, considering the 49ers picked on him all game. The first Aiyuk touchdown saw the young receiver break the veteran corner’s ankles with his route, the second saw him catch a pass over Peterson despite tight coverage.
So, where were the tells? Peterson said postgame they were still there, he just didn’t capitalize.
“It was there,” Peterson said. “I had a opportunity to get two picks, I just didn’t grab it in. Credit to those guys. Those guys did a great job of sticking to their game plan and really getting to their identity, which is run the football, misdirections, hit those deep stops, that’s just what they do. We just wasn’t in good enough position to make those plays.”
It begs the question: If a team has a tell, but it’s not taken advantage of, does it even really exist?