Troy Smith: not terrible. Like I said, not great, but not awful. He made some plays when he had to. I'd be totally fine with letting him keep the job this year, at least the team might be kind of fun to watch once he's got some more practice time under his belt.
Jesus Christ. I'm glad I missed that. That was FUG-LY. Really don't care that we won, that wasn't a good football team. This still isn't a good football team because the coaching is still bad. But, as Nate said in the previous post, it won't matter now. There will be no change until the end of the season. So we might as well root for Mr T. Smith and the rest of this uninspiring group of cowards for the rest of the season.
Seriously defense. What the fuck. You are pathetic and need to be shot like a lame deer.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
On Troy Smith and the quarterback position
Interesting. Though if you think about it, not really. This was the only choice for Singletary. If you play David Carr in a game where your future may well be on the line (if it isn't decided already), you're essentially waving the white flag on your coaching career. That's especially true when you factor in how horrible he looked last week. We know what David Carr is- not very good. I'm surprised more people didn't see this coming, to be honest.
Troy Smith is short, skinny, and looks like he probably belongs split out wide or in the backfield. Alex Smith is tall, big, and looks perfectly positioned under center. And no, it's not because one is black and one is white. Donovan McNabb looks perfect under center, too. You just don't see very many 6'0 guys running an offense.
But, to me, I think Troy Smith is an interesting case study of what makes a (potentially) good (or even decent) quarterback. It's not his size, or his arm strength (though he has that) necessarily. It's something about the way guys carry themselves. I usually hate it when sports writers go off on this BS about how the personality of a player can somehow lift his teammates and inspire them to perform better.
However, I think the position of quarterback is one of very few exceptions in sports, in that I think the personality of the person playing directly affects the success of the team as a whole. Think about it- how many of the best, most successful quarterbacks in the league are total stiffs?
What really was the difference between Manning and Leaf? Both were extremely talented throwers of the football. But Manning was an excellent leader and Leaf was a total effing headcase.
Here's the point: I think Alex Smith has all of the physical tools you need to be a good quarterback. That's why I was so sold on this team at the beginning of this year. Give him some weapons, some continuity and-BAM!- you have a good quarterback! BUT, what I forgot is that he doesn't have the personality of a good quarterback. He just simply doesn't understand what it takes to be the leader of an offense, and he doesn't understand how to do all of the things the position requires that aren't "throw the football" (though, really, he doesn't even do that very well ).
Enter Troy Smith. A guy who, at first glance, doesn't appear like he would be a good quarterback. But the thing is, he DOES understand all of those things. He's an excellent leader by all accounts. In college, when he would sprint out to his right, he would continue trying to make a play. He wouldn't run in a straight line and then fruitlessly throw the ball out of bounds; he understood how to keep a play alive and how to attack a defense and how to open up his receivers so that they could make a play down field.
Now, does this mean that the hopeless optimist of the bunch is at it again? Do I think that Smith is now going to become the MVP of the league because he's going to break every single-game record in the NFL on Sunday? No, I don't. I'm not even sure he's going to be any good, either this Sunday or in any of his starts.
But I AM interested to see how the offense responds to him. I want to see if suddenly plays are being made, and suddenly the offense has at least some semblance of a rhythm to it. Because that's what a good or even decent quarterback is able to do- make plays and keep the offense moving. And MAYBE the reason we haven't seen that yet this year is because Alex Smith just simply isn't even a decent quarterback, even though he might look like one.
Either way, they've once again succeeded in sucking me back in and making me interested in what they're going to do. So that's at least something!
(PS, there will be no giddy posting of youtube Troy Smith highlight videos, though a few of them are pretty impressive. We'll just have to wait and see what he does for real)
Troy Smith is short, skinny, and looks like he probably belongs split out wide or in the backfield. Alex Smith is tall, big, and looks perfectly positioned under center. And no, it's not because one is black and one is white. Donovan McNabb looks perfect under center, too. You just don't see very many 6'0 guys running an offense.
But, to me, I think Troy Smith is an interesting case study of what makes a (potentially) good (or even decent) quarterback. It's not his size, or his arm strength (though he has that) necessarily. It's something about the way guys carry themselves. I usually hate it when sports writers go off on this BS about how the personality of a player can somehow lift his teammates and inspire them to perform better.
However, I think the position of quarterback is one of very few exceptions in sports, in that I think the personality of the person playing directly affects the success of the team as a whole. Think about it- how many of the best, most successful quarterbacks in the league are total stiffs?
What really was the difference between Manning and Leaf? Both were extremely talented throwers of the football. But Manning was an excellent leader and Leaf was a total effing headcase.
Here's the point: I think Alex Smith has all of the physical tools you need to be a good quarterback. That's why I was so sold on this team at the beginning of this year. Give him some weapons, some continuity and-BAM!- you have a good quarterback! BUT, what I forgot is that he doesn't have the personality of a good quarterback. He just simply doesn't understand what it takes to be the leader of an offense, and he doesn't understand how to do all of the things the position requires that aren't "throw the football" (though, really, he doesn't even do that very well ).
Enter Troy Smith. A guy who, at first glance, doesn't appear like he would be a good quarterback. But the thing is, he DOES understand all of those things. He's an excellent leader by all accounts. In college, when he would sprint out to his right, he would continue trying to make a play. He wouldn't run in a straight line and then fruitlessly throw the ball out of bounds; he understood how to keep a play alive and how to attack a defense and how to open up his receivers so that they could make a play down field.
Now, does this mean that the hopeless optimist of the bunch is at it again? Do I think that Smith is now going to become the MVP of the league because he's going to break every single-game record in the NFL on Sunday? No, I don't. I'm not even sure he's going to be any good, either this Sunday or in any of his starts.
But I AM interested to see how the offense responds to him. I want to see if suddenly plays are being made, and suddenly the offense has at least some semblance of a rhythm to it. Because that's what a good or even decent quarterback is able to do- make plays and keep the offense moving. And MAYBE the reason we haven't seen that yet this year is because Alex Smith just simply isn't even a decent quarterback, even though he might look like one.
Either way, they've once again succeeded in sucking me back in and making me interested in what they're going to do. So that's at least something!
(PS, there will be no giddy posting of youtube Troy Smith highlight videos, though a few of them are pretty impressive. We'll just have to wait and see what he does for real)
Monday, October 25, 2010
HOW A GENIUS WOULD FIX THE 49ERS
Sorry for not being around guys, I figured this site had probably died this season along with any hope we had of the 49ers actually being competent. It's awesome to see that it hasn't.
Anyways, obviously this season is over now. They're going to lose in London (or even if they win, it will not be a good performance), and Singletary is getting fired during the bye week. This is Nolan 2.0. So what's next? My proposal:
1. Make Manusky the interim HC, with the explicit caveat that no matter what he does short of winning a superbowl, he's not getting the full-time job next year. We don't need another Singletary disaster. You won a bunch of meaningless games against crappy teams at the end of the year? Good for you. Now we're gonna go hire somebody who knows what the hell they're doing.
2. Draft Andrew Luck. He's going to come out after the year he's had, and he not only looks like the best QB in the draft, he looks like he'd be a very very good pro. And let's be honest, we know the 49ers will most likely be picking in a position to be able to get him.
3. Hire Jim Harbaugh. "OH NO!" I can hear you say "WE NEED A PROVEN WINNER!!". There's something to be said for that, sure. Getting Gruden (who, I would remind you, won with another guys' players, and drove TB straight into the ground afterwards) or Cowher (who, I would remind you, WAS a very successful coach, but was succeeded by somebody who is enjoying the exact same success) would seem to make more sense, but I really doubt either of them would come to a situation with such flux at the QB position.
In fact, I'm pretty sure no established coach would come here right now. Unless they're able to swing a trade for a really good QB (Kolb? Vick? Really? I don't think that's happening. I'm not even sure Kolb is any good), a coach with a winning record isn't going to want to risk humiliation by coming here and failing.
When you think about it, a Luck/Harbaugh combo is beautiful. Harbaugh is an offensive-minded coach who has transformed Stanford in a manner of a couple of years from a doormat to a perennial pac 10 contender. He's hungry. He most likely wants to prove himself at the next level, now that he's proven he can do it in college. And if you bring along his current QB, I'm sure he would love to develop him at the next level as well. Oh yeah- and neither of them would have to move very far, always a plus.
Harbaugh has had success everywhere he's been in his coaching career to this point. I'm sure he'd be itching to prove that he have success in the pros too, and if you bring along a QB that he's already comfortable with, that would just sweeten the deal. I'm telling you, this would turn the team around almost over night. DISCUSS!
Anyways, obviously this season is over now. They're going to lose in London (or even if they win, it will not be a good performance), and Singletary is getting fired during the bye week. This is Nolan 2.0. So what's next? My proposal:
1. Make Manusky the interim HC, with the explicit caveat that no matter what he does short of winning a superbowl, he's not getting the full-time job next year. We don't need another Singletary disaster. You won a bunch of meaningless games against crappy teams at the end of the year? Good for you. Now we're gonna go hire somebody who knows what the hell they're doing.
2. Draft Andrew Luck. He's going to come out after the year he's had, and he not only looks like the best QB in the draft, he looks like he'd be a very very good pro. And let's be honest, we know the 49ers will most likely be picking in a position to be able to get him.
3. Hire Jim Harbaugh. "OH NO!" I can hear you say "WE NEED A PROVEN WINNER!!". There's something to be said for that, sure. Getting Gruden (who, I would remind you, won with another guys' players, and drove TB straight into the ground afterwards) or Cowher (who, I would remind you, WAS a very successful coach, but was succeeded by somebody who is enjoying the exact same success) would seem to make more sense, but I really doubt either of them would come to a situation with such flux at the QB position.
In fact, I'm pretty sure no established coach would come here right now. Unless they're able to swing a trade for a really good QB (Kolb? Vick? Really? I don't think that's happening. I'm not even sure Kolb is any good), a coach with a winning record isn't going to want to risk humiliation by coming here and failing.
When you think about it, a Luck/Harbaugh combo is beautiful. Harbaugh is an offensive-minded coach who has transformed Stanford in a manner of a couple of years from a doormat to a perennial pac 10 contender. He's hungry. He most likely wants to prove himself at the next level, now that he's proven he can do it in college. And if you bring along his current QB, I'm sure he would love to develop him at the next level as well. Oh yeah- and neither of them would have to move very far, always a plus.
Harbaugh has had success everywhere he's been in his coaching career to this point. I'm sure he'd be itching to prove that he have success in the pros too, and if you bring along a QB that he's already comfortable with, that would just sweeten the deal. I'm telling you, this would turn the team around almost over night. DISCUSS!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Brutal
I don't even know how this game will turn out, but I think 10 penalties will indicate to any fan even paying a little attention that the 49ers are a horribly coached team. I feel bad for London.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Um...yea
Just when I thought last week had to be the worst performance by the 49ers, they show up with their finest meltdown yet: the first half of yesterday's game against Oakland. That was hilariously awful. The 49ers are a bad, bad team.
Except Manny Lawson, with his Madden 11-ish instant acceleration to pick off that pass.
While that TD pass to Crabtree was the best of his career, Alex Smith will never play well for an entire game. Never has, never will. I was surprised when Carr didn't start the second. Smith was erratic and jumpy for most of the half, barely looking down field before throwing off-target checkdown passes.
Luckily for the 49ers, Jason Campbell is just as bad as #11.
And Singletary is clueless. He was shouting that the Intentional Grounding called on Smith was not a loss of down (at least from what I heard on TV).
Except Manny Lawson, with his Madden 11-ish instant acceleration to pick off that pass.
While that TD pass to Crabtree was the best of his career, Alex Smith will never play well for an entire game. Never has, never will. I was surprised when Carr didn't start the second. Smith was erratic and jumpy for most of the half, barely looking down field before throwing off-target checkdown passes.
Luckily for the 49ers, Jason Campbell is just as bad as #11.
And Singletary is clueless. He was shouting that the Intentional Grounding called on Smith was not a loss of down (at least from what I heard on TV).
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