Blown Timing Pattern

Perspective (kind of)

2012-01-26T22:28:00.002-06:00

Kyle Williams is destined to be one of the most talked-about names by 49ers fans this offseason (and rightly so), but thanks to the way the team has UNANIMOUSLY rallied to his defense, I'm not sure he's going to go down as an all-time goat the way so many other sports figures have. The way this team stood behind him to a man was unbelievable. Steve Young said in an interview that it shows this locker room is united, and that a united locker room is what it takes to win a championship. The 88 49ers were floundering around at 6-5 until they united as a team and went on to win 2 straight superbowls. They had the talent, but until their locker room came together they couldn't work it out on the field.

I don't mean to compare the two teams, obviously. That was an all-time roster. Just pointing out that great things can happen to teams that have that kind of unity amongst their players. They're all accountable, and they're all there for each other. That has both helped ease my pain from Sunday's loss and made me as optimistic as I've ever been about the future of this team. The coaching staff isn't going anywhere and will have an entire off-season to teach the team for the first time. Many of the pending FAs want to sign here again. The front office has proven their ability to get production out of everyone they draft, from the 1st round pass-rusher to the 4th round (possible feature) RB down to the 7th round special-teamers.

This team should be in the super bowl, no doubt. If Kyle Williams falls on the first punt, or just runs away from it, they're probably going to win that game. Instead of dwelling on that, though, every single player in the locker room had his back. I'm proud to root for a team like that. Imagine if the Jets' season had ended similarly. Or any one of 20 other NFL teams. Not many teams would react that way, and not many players would stand up and take responsibility the way Williams did. I don't think I've ever been prouder of a team I root for than I am about the 2011 49ers. They gave us a magical season, and when it ended in horror, they handled it as well as you could possibly wish for. This season was in every way an unqualified success, and for the first time I have complete confidence that they will improve this off-season and be competitive for years to come.

What do you even say.

2012-01-22T22:07:00.001-06:00

Maybe I jinxed it with the post on disappointment, because for them to end their season by doing something they hadn't done all year is just too insane to believe.

What a great season. Everyone will remember Kyle Williams, but the offensive play calling was atrocious, and Alex smith reverted to 2005 levels at points in this game. Don't get me wrong, if Williams just falls on the ball both times, they probably win. But the offense left a lot to be desired.

I would like to say the future is bright, but as harbaugh knows well these chances don't come often, and this was a horrible way for us to lose our chance. Once again, a season ends in disappointment, but it sure was a fun ride.

Fuck.

Here's to Disappointment

2012-01-22T11:11:00.003-06:00

6 more hours until the biggest game of my NFL fan life. I was a newborn when Joe Montana led the 49ers down the field and capped of their 3rd super bowl title with an Alex Smith-esque post throw to John Taylor. I was 2 when they flat-out embarrassed John Elway the following season, winning their 4th superbowl and continuing a run that would last for 10 more years. I was 3 when Roger Craig and Matt Bahr cost the 49ers a chance to be the first team in NFL history to win 3 straight superbowls. I was 7 the last time the 49ers played on football's biggest stage, winning an unprecedented 5th straight superbowl in spectacular fashion. A superbowl that included record-setting performances both by one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, and the greatest player to ever play the game. I was much too young to remember any of these moments.

All I've known from this team is disappointment. I very vaguely remember, as a preteen, seeing highlights of the team losing to Brett Favre in the playoffs year after year. Then we had the magical moment: Brett Favre's Face. Some people call it "the catch 2", but every time I think of that game, I think of that face. Sadly, even after a moment of triumph like that, Garrison Hearst's ankle failed him and we were once again left with crushing disappointment at the end of a football season.

Then began "the fall 1". All our heroes left us. We lost Young, Hearst, and Rice in the span of months. The greatest run any NFL team had ever been on ended in spectacular fashion. Though it lasted just 2 years, it set the tone for what was to come for all of us. Oh, and the season that broke the playoff drought? Ended by...Brett Favre. Disappointment.

Then we had another magical moment. The greatest comeback victory in any NFC playoff game that's ever been played. This is where my true fandom begins. 14 years old at this point. I watched this team drag itself back from a 3 touchdown deficit in just over 20 minutes. I was hooked. But even THIS season ends with crushing disappointment. Well, as "crushing" as it could be when your team loses by 25.

And thus began "the fall 2", this one destined to last much, much longer than the first. The fall that took one of the greatest franchises in the history of professional sports and turned it into a perennial laughingstock. The timing of choosing to follow this team closely at that point was nothing other than impeccable.

But now here we are. The day of the biggest game the 49ers have played in 14 years. A magical season that has been nearly devoid of disappointment. For a fan who's only ever known disappointment, this season has been the Neuralyzer, the season that has wiped 17 years of bitter disappointment from our collective memories. We are all 2 wins away from a season that doesn't end in disappointment. Truthfully though, this season has already been a triumph for us. The team has given us more enjoyment in 17 games than we have had in the previous 128 put together.

That said, here's to not ending this season with disappointment, and giving those of us who've only ever known it a season we truly will never forget. 5 1/2 hours!

Anxiety (The good kind)

2012-01-21T07:16:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the shitty Larry King randomness and syntax, but I'm just thinking out loud macro to micro on the eve of the biggest game in San Francisco since 1995.

Mainstream sports media (based in NYC) desperately want a Patriots / Giants match-up in the Superbowl. It would be an east coast coverage orgasm, and they want the number one media market team in the super bowl.

This desire shows in their NFCCG picks over the past week. Especially at the worldwide leader (which I find unwatchable), who I believe are in the NY media market, but may be in the #7-ish Boston/NE market.

The NFL Network has had excellent Niners coverage, and watching all day Wednesday as I fought the flu, it almost seemed 49ers biased. No surprise they're based in CA.

From what I saw, the Saints/Niners coverage/pregame last weekend was disgraceful, what with the premature coronation of Drew Brees and Sean Payton. I'm still chuckling.

It was a joyous experience to watch the Niners record yet another legendary playoff finish. I savored the Saints celebrating after the one that put them up 32, because I was feeling pretty confident (and drunk) that Alex-Fucking-Smith would make them pay like the cold blooded assassin he is.

The Niners physically humiliated the Saints. Colston alligator armed that dropped TD pass because he didn't want to get hit (again).

The Giants, the media, and their fans seem to be pretty confident their team is much improved since November. They act as though the 49ers existed in stasis since then, with no changes good or bad.

Giants fans and many analysts who picked the Saints last week like to call the 49ers "lucky". It's like a dropped pass against the Niners is more "lucky" than a dropped pass against, say, the Giants.

I hate to agree with Grant (hey what hair product are you using, Alex?) Cohn, but I think we'll see some passes to Sopoaga and Staley. I'm getting a strong feeling we may finally see Sopoaga's throwing arm unveiled. To the detriment of Tom Coughlin's face.

A muddy field screws up the pass rush. That probably evens out, since both offensive lines make their share of bad plays.

I hate Eli Manning, and want his milquetoast, silver-spoon fed face in loser's dismay at the end of the game. Like, crying for mommy Manning sad. I'll cherish that.

Not one analyst I've seen has discussed special teams. The Niners special teams have been heroic this year, and with a wet ball will probably cause a few turnovers for the second week in a row.

I can't believe the Niners are in the NFC Championship Game.

Alex Smith's Intensity

2012-01-16T10:57:00.005-06:00

Much love and respect to Alex Smith. He's gotten a little vindication for his amazing performance at the end of the Saints game. I think he deserves a lot more.

How many people could have possibly imagined him leading not one, but TWO TD drives in the last four minutes of the game to defeat Drew Brees and the Saints? Anyone?

I'll honestly say that I was still pretty confident in the team after each of the Saints' TD. Not that they'd score TDs mind you, but that Smith would be able to get some first downs and get in field goal range. I didn't see the touchdowns coming. Amazing.

So, how did Alex Smith do it? Seems to me he did it with a level of intensity and determination that separates regular players from clutch performers. You could see it in how he conducted himself during the game and afterwards during interviews, when he covered up his personal redemption and showered praise and attention onto Vernon Davis and others. Intense and indefatigably classy.

You could see it in the game winning play. Watch it again closely, and focus on Alex Smith. Coming out of the huddle you could see his intensity, thinking "Fuck everybody, I'm winning this game for my team right now."

You could see it after the catch. Smith was not exuberant like everyone else. He seemed intent to stare daggers and talk trash to the New Orleans defense, the proxy for all of Smith's haters over the years. You can only imagine the level of trash talk directed to Smith by them over the course of the game. Look at the still above. Everyone is celebrating. Smith gave a couple nice pats on the back to his teammates, then violently ripped off his chinstrap while staring down the Saints defender. Later, you can see him walking around the field talking trash to the Saints defense.

There's been hints of Smith's intensity and desire to win before. Obviously, dealing with everything he's been through in San Francisco and hanging in there requires a level of intensity and desire that few have. As Jim Harbaugh has recently said:

“I really felt that he had the competitive drive and the wanting to prove himself and wanting to do it here,” Harbaugh added. “That’s the thing that probably intrigued me the most–that character of wanting to come back and do it here in San Francisco. Which is probably somewhere between rare and extinct. Not just for football players but just about anybody.

Seemed like a nice comment at the time, maybe a bit of an exaggeration used to make his player look good. Just something that a coach says. Looking now, Harbaugh was truly speaking the truth. Word for word. Read it again.

Over the years, one frequent complaint of Smith was his lack of outward intensity and vocal leadership. The reasoning for the criticism was that quarterbacks needed the "I'm not backing down and we're not losing" sort of outward intensity in order to gain success on the biggest stages. Smith didn't really show it, at least not in the typical way that everyone was looking for. In the Tom Brady curse somebody out sort of way.

But right beneath our noses, Smith was showing it all along, by hanging in there in San Francisco when no other quarterback in a similar circumstance would have been able. Much lesser difficult circumstances have killed many quarterbacks. For Smith to stick with it, he must have had a desire to redeem that was as strong as the emotion of any elite quarterback. Against the Saints, he brought it out for all to see.

Smith does not have the arm strength, accuracy, vision, or pocket presence that the very best quarterbacks have. He never will. But one thing that nobody can question in him anymore is his intensity and his desire to win. It's been there all along, it just took one of the greatest games in the history of the NFL playoffs to put it on full display.

***

As a fan, really taking that game in has been a wonderful experience, many years in the making. But mostly, I feel really good for the veteran 49ers that have endured all the losing seasons. And most especially, I feel good for Alex Smith. He truly deserves it.

Now, as hard as it is, we have to get off this ridiculous Saints game and focus on the Giants, who will be quite the challenge. On Saturday night, it seemed like the national media hype machine was then shifting over to San Francisco after having fully digested the Saints and Tim Tebow. I expressed optimism at that time that the hype would be short-lived, and that the Packers/Giants winner would snatch the hype machine's attention from San Francisco. It's going in that direction, and hopefully it goes further. First it was the Saints unstoppable offense. Now, it seems like it's the Giants' date with destiny. Gotta have it, 49ers need to rock this underdog disrespected status all the way to a Super Bowl victory.

All that said, the Giants game is going to be tough on account for how their defense is playing. I'm calling Delanie Walker and Michael Crabtree right now. They have to play big.

Oh my god

2012-01-14T19:26:00.001-06:00

I can't type anything at all sensible or anything or whatever. What the hell did I just see? Did I just see Alex Smith Joe Montana his way right down the field? Holy SHIT! THAT JUST HAPPENED! We are going to the NFC Championship game!

That is the best game I've ever seen. I don't care if I'm biased. That is the best game I've ever seen live in my lifetime.

What Used To Be

2012-01-04T15:52:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder, lest we forget our roots.

This whole waiting for January 14th has been excruciating, and there's still 10 days to go! So THIS is what it feels like to be a fan of a good football team.

The San Francisco 49ers are the 2nd seed in the NFC

2012-01-01T22:57:00.003-06:00

Read that sentence again. Then again. One more time. Let it soak in, envelope you. Imagine how insane that would have sounded if somebody had said that to you after the Dallas game. Then remember watching a team with almost this exact talent go SIX AND TEN last season. Remember the chore it was to watch this team every week for 10 years. TEN YEARS!! 3 times the average NFL career. 10 years.

But we made it! Man, what a great season. The 49ers beat out another team for a playoff spot that that team really really wanted. Remember when the 49ers couldn't beat anyone at anything when there was any amount of significance attached to the game? This season it seems like they actually RELISH those games, where in previous years it looked like they felt how we felt: terrified, nervous, and overmatched.

I'm starting to legitimately worry about Donte Whitner's coverage. He went completely spazoid on the Lloyd TD, and I've seen a few other plays this season where he's been beat deep. The 49ers haven't played the kind of team that will make them pay for that, but they're about to. I'm less than comfortable with their deep pass coverage.

I thought the offensive gameplan was fine for a game against the Rams. Who cares, really? Whatever you do is going to work. I love Brad Seely. With the style of game the 49ers play, having a guy that smart running 1/3 of your team is absolutely invaluable. Can you IMAGINE this team running a fake FG like that in the last 10 years? I actually doubt any of the prior head coaches even knew the rules governing that situation. That was awesome.

I'm not at all worried about the near meltdown at the end. That was so flukey that it doesn't even warrant concern. This team has 16.5 weeks of smart, disciplined football under its belt, I'm not gonna freak out about 5 minutes of stupidity. They get a week off to rest their guys, then they get a team at home that lost to the goddamn SEAHAWKS last season. The Saints are a completely different team on the road, and the 49ers are designed to beat them. I'm nervous as always, but things have lined up for San Francisco very very well.

THE 49ERS ARE THE 2 SEED IN THE NFC!

Oh Dear

2011-12-24T18:34:00.002-06:00

I can't take much more of this. Holy shit. I think I really hate Seattle now. I mean, like, everything about that goddamn city. Jesus christ what a bunch of cheap shot artists. My vocal cords are completely fried, and I think I'm going to be dead of multiple myocardial infarctions before the night is through. If this is how I reacted to a regular season game, WTF am I going to do in the playoffs?! Dear god.

Their defense is good, so it's tough to knock the 49ers' offense too much. I really enjoyed how they obviously made changes at halftime. I'm still not completely used to how professional this coaching staff is: they saw what they were doing in the 1st half was absolutely not working, fixed it, then drove right down the field when they needed to. Vernon Davis finally started making plays he should make, which was nice. I think he made his first 2 sideline catches EVER on that drive, and they were both oh so pretty.

This game was crystal clear evidence that the 49ers will really really struggle if their formula for winning gets effed with. If their run defense isn't rock-solid, they're in trouble. If they start making big mistakes on special teams, they are absolutely screwed. That blocked punt looked like it would be a dagger, and all through the first half the special teams were making stupid penalties we're just not used to seeing from them. Before that blocked punt, it was readily apparent that Tavaris Jackson was still Tavaris Jackson, and that the Seahawks were not going to score any more points.

That's an uncomfortable situation for me. I don't like having to rely on something to be nearly perfect in order for them to win, but sadly that's the reality until their offense gets better. I guess the good news is that the teams they will most likely face in the playoffs have worse special teams than the Seahawks.

I'm not sure if it's a super bowl winning formula or not, but I do know that they match up well against the Saints and Packers, and I'm looking forward to seeing those games alone in my home so that my friends and family don't have to be put through the way I'm going to act during those games. I'm already doing vocal exercises so I'll still be able to speak after them.

So

2011-12-19T23:14:00.001-06:00

I think that's what they call a "decisive win". And no, I don't care about any of the caveats. That was an awesome win, and the most fun I've had watching this team in awhile. Wow. This defense is legit, dudes.

Expectations

2011-12-19T19:09:00.002-06:00

Blah. My chronic BFS (battered fan syndrome) is acting up big time this evening. 10 years of mediocrity, failure, and inability to rise to big moments have left scars too deep for one season to heal. Sure, there was the Philadelphia game, but then we learned that Philadelphia sucks. Then there was the Detroit game, but then we learned that the Lions, while very talented, also probably suck, and can't get out of their own way.

Sure, those are games that pre-Harbaugh 49ers teams wouldn't have won, so that's something. But then there's the Ravens game. Short rest? Yes, and the travel schedule was insane. But if I'm honest that's when a little doubt started creeping in. That was a big game for this team, and they failed fairly spectacularly on offense. It was hard to not have flashbacks to previous "big games" in which this franchise always seemed to be unable to put in a good showing.

I'm a little less worried about last week's game, partly because it's becoming more and more apparent that Arizona (especially at home) is not as terrible as I would have thought, but mostly because in division games, that kind of stuff tends to happen. But still. That doubt is creeping in.

All of this is a way of saying: please don't screw me over tonight, guys. I know it's not the Steelers at 100%. Harrison is out and Reotehoshlsltburger is playing on half an ankle, but it's still The Pittsburgh Steelers and it's still in primetime. I want to believe the team has truly turned a corner and that they're capable of not just showing up for a game like this, but actually WINNING a game like this. But I can't do it! 10 years is a long time and it leaves a mark on the psyche. A win tonight would do a lot to alleviate those doubts. A depressing loss tonight and, despite the 10-4 record, they go back to being "those" 49ers. I will expect a swift first round exit from the playoffs. They will have shown that the moment was too big. They can't keep up with New Orleans. They can't beat a good team in a big game. In other words, they're the 49ers.

So please win, guys.

At LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG Last!

2011-12-15T22:42:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to say something on the new stadium, which now looks like a certainty to at least happen, if not by 2014 then very soon after. Santa Clara has voted to cover 800+ million dollars of the proposed 1.something billion, and the owners just recently voted to expand the NFL's stadium loan program, which provides up to 200 million dollars to teams in "small" markets looking to finance new stadiums. Jed York seems to be confident that the 49ers will be the first recipients of this program.

I'm not crazy about the design of the new place:

Sure, it looks real pretty, but why doesn't everyone take a page from the Seahawks' playbook and design their stadiums to be a true home field advantage? Can you really not design for acoustics AND for revenue? I thought the whole point was to win football games. Meh, oh well.

I'm very excited that this franchise seems to have finally turned a corner towards being at least a sliver of what it once was. Jed York is, if nothing else, at least trying, and is serious about making this team good. He failed with singletary, but he hit a home run securing Harbaugh, and now looks like he will finally be the man who gets the 49ers the new stadium they so obviously deserve. Just another in a long string of good news items from a really really great season for us fans.

It's Official: The 49ers Will Not Meet My Demands

2011-12-11T18:25:00.003-06:00

After last season, I said they owed us a deep playoff run, and that given the success of virtual of every other team in the NFL in the last decade, we should be satisfied with nothing less.

The chances of the 49ers making good officially died at around 4:00pm Pacific time, December 11th 2011.

They will not beat ANY team that they play in the playoffs, IN ANY ROUND, ANYWHERE with that offense. They started drives beyond their own 40 yard line FOUR times in this game. In this game in which they were playing the Arizona Cardinals. They scored 19 points. Repeat, 19 points.

Their defense, whom we have overrated a pretty good amount (they are quite far from the once/decade-type defense that is actually so good that it can carry a team), has given up no fewer than 20 points to the good offenses that it has played this year (Dallas, Philadelphia, Detroit, New York). The offense will probably have to produce 25-30 points, minimum, to beat any of these teams in the playoffs. Can you see that happening right now? I cannot.

More importantly, the 49ers will be playing over the wildcard weekend, where they'll have to get some lucky fumble-based heroics to beat whatever mediocre NFC wildcard team they will host.

New Orleans plays at Minnesota, then finishes the regular season with home games against the Falcons and Panthers. The Saints just beat a game Tennessee team on the road in a very non-juggernaut performance. They can win on the road when they are not at their best. And Atlanta is not very good, nor is Carolina. They're going 13-3.

The 49ers, on the other hand, are going 11-5 or 12-4. At this moment, it's hard to see them beating the Steelers or the Seahawks on the road, who are playing very good football right now. Not when they are incapable of scoring a touchdown in the redzone, after their defense put them there or near there. It's like striking out at teeball. Not just once, but repeatedly.

What I'm trying to say is that, if they're very lucky, they'll make the second round, where they will lose by 20 points to a team that has a real offense (and a real quarterback).

Also, I'm done with Alex Smith. No pocket presence, can't throw a spiral, can't make the big play, doesn't know when not to throw the ball to the D-Lineman's hand and instead run through the wide open hole in front of him, can't throw accurately on any sort of consistent basis. It doesn't matter if Jesus Christ was the head coach, you can only cover up this guy's liabilities so much. You drop Aaron Rodgers in there in this game, the team scores no less than 30 points. Alex Smith can't make plays.

Here's to Colin Kaepernick in 2012, or maybe Aaron Rodgers' backup QB. Seriously, the Alex Smith nightmare has to end. They need someone who at least might become a franchise quarterback. The sooner they cut Smith loose and and make this happen, the better. I don't want to watch them lose to Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs for the next 5-8 years.

Hmm

2011-12-11T18:13:00.002-06:00

Maybe everyone saying that the 49ers' offense isn't very good were on to something. That was horrendous to watch. Up to now the defense has been so good that it didn't matter, but in this game they just simply couldn't stop Larry Fitzgerald. The offense should have won this game but they couldn't make any plays when it mattered. Or when it didn't matter. They just couldn't make plays. The offensive line was terrible, Smith was vintage 2005 Alex: oblivious to the blitz and scattering his deep throws like so much shotgun buckshot.

It could be that the Cardinals' defense is good, and given what they did the last 2 weeks that's probably the case, but the fact remains that the 49ers just lost to Red Skelton. That's not good. They should beat this team with 2 hands and a leg tied behind their backs.

Maybe this will be a good thing in the long run, but I don't think this was a team in need of a game like this. This team didn't strike me as an entitled bunch that needed to be brought back to earth. I think they just weren't good enough on offense to win this game, and that's pretty scary for their playoff prospects. This was a crushing loss, because it means the 49ers HAVE to beat Pittsburgh next week. If they'd have won this game, they could afford that loss and still almost assuredly clinch the 2 seed. Now we need to root against the Saints and hope the offensive line figures its shit out in time to face a much much better defense than the one they just got destroyed against.

Blech. I was really hoping for 14-2.

THE CORONATION!! (kind of)

2011-12-04T18:26:00.002-06:00

GO CRAZY, FOLKS! GO CRAZY!!!

There's plenty of time to dissect the aspects of this team that will cause problems if they're not fixed before the playoffs, but tonight is all about celebrating the fact that they WILL in fact be IN the playoffs!! The 49ers will be in the playoffs! What an amazing season.

For the first time I can remember as a hardcore fan of this franchise, I'm going to spend December worrying about playoff seeding instead of draft order positioning. The only downside is that now tonight I have to root for Jim Schwartz' smug ass to win a game against the main rival for the 49ers. If SF gets the 2 seed, they have a great shot to beat NO. If they fall to 3, they could really be screwed.

But enough of that! Back to the mirth! Back to the merry! THE 49ERS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS EVERYONE!!!! What a great day for those of us who suffered through the terrible times!

Fucking Bullshit

2011-11-24T22:58:00.003-06:00

Yes, the offense was terrible. But I guess that's to be expected flying 3 timezones with 2 days to prepare against this defense. Fuck this game. The refs were a fucking joke, a running theme in all 3 games today. Maybe the short week hurt them, too. The defense was its usual stellar self, when you give up 16 points on the road on a short week you should win. This fucking sucks. Fuck this game.

God dammit. This week is ruined now. Which I guess shows how far we've come, when going 9-2 is reason for me to want to fucking kill someone. It was unreasonable to expect them to win 15 games, but that doesn't mean this doesn't piss me off to no end.

Ahem. Now that I've cooled down, let me just say how amazing Jim Harbaugh is and has been for this franchise. Can you IMAGINE Mike Singletary flying 3 time zones on a short week and facing Baltimore? Holy lord. They couldn't even handle going down to San Diego. Last year this game would have been 44-3.

Whatever. I don't read anything in to this game. The Oline was on the field for 45 minutes on Sunday, and they looked like it tonight. 14-2 or 13-3 are still very possible, and those are records that none of us could have fathomed at the beginning of the season. This loss sucks, but it's hard to say it signifies anything in the grand scheme of the season because of the extenuating circumstances. Hats off to the Ravens and I hope we see them again under less bullshit-ey conditions.

Here's to no more depressing Sundays

2011-11-20T18:24:00.003-06:00

It didn't look good to start. But when you can not look good and still win by 16, you're doing something right.

I've been wondering if Kyle Williams deserved a shot. He looked good today against a sub-par team, but Braylon Edwards was playing against the same defense and didn't make plays. I'd like to see him get some more action in the future, he's an interesting talent.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else to say about this game. I figured it would be a relatively easy win, and it was. The Liability once again proved that he isn't one. Arizona's offense was hilarious to watch. That was us last year. Well, I guess that was us in 07 actually. It was really really really fun to have the team with less than 100 yards after a full half be the OPPONENT, and not the team we were rooting for. This season has had a lot of those moments.

Remember all those years where we'd suffer through loss after loss? How we'd have to make 4 or 5 wins nourish us over the course of an entire season? Most sundays for me were spent in a deep, dark depression while I watched highlights of teams that actually knew what they were doing. It was not fun. But I couldn't not watch. Every week.

This year, there's been exactly one of those Sundays, and even that was a game they should have won. It's been incredible. Every Sunday this season has been spent in exuberant joy, soaking in all the stories the NFL has to offer without the dark cloud of my own team losing 5, 6, 7, and 8 games in a row. It really does make up for all of those depressed sundays. It has been so much fun. And judging by the way Harbaugh operates, we should have at the very least 4 more of these joyful Sundays over the final 6 weeks. Hell, maybe all 6 will be fun. This team could beat Pittsburgh and Baltimore for sure. That's something I never would have said 12 months ago.

9-1! And the Packers showed maybe the slightest bit of a chink in their armor today. I think they'll go 16-0, but that defense could come back to haunt them. I'm a big Lions fan this week. NINE AND ONE!!

Good God

2011-11-13T18:55:00.001-06:00

15-1 is in play. The 5 remaining NFC west games are automatic. The Ravens are a joke. The steelers game is at home. What an absolutely fantastic game that was.

Alex smith (or The Liability as I'm now going to refer to him for all of time) beat the media's boyfriend head to head. Is anyone going to come around on the idea that he's good? Or are they still going to pretend that they can't beat good teams with him? Because wow. He beat Eli manning without frank gore for gods sake.

Who cares how many yards they gave up? Offenses can do whatever they want between the 20s, but if they can't cash in in the red zone, it doesn't matter. The 49ers defense has been incredible in the red zone. An unbelievable showing by them. Even without a consistent pass rush they still managed to exert their dominance down close.

After this game Im just not going to worry about this team anymore. Harbaugh knows what he's doing, and if there's one thing we know for sure its that they will always be in position to win. What a great season!!!!

Blechhhhhhh

2011-11-06T15:18:00.004-06:00

Good God. This game was the football equivalent of warm wallpaper paste. Happy to get the W, but that was FUG-LY. I really don't have anything else to say about it. I'm not sure if the offensive..."performance" was indicative of anything other them treating this game like a bye week.

If they can play like that on offense and still win by 8 on the east coast against anyone, then this team has truly turned a corner. 7-1 baby! I'll take it. What a season.

Now it's just time to sit back and root for Phil Rivers and co. TOUCHDOWN VINCENT JACKSON! WOOOOOOOO! Number 1 seed here we come!

WTF

2011-11-04T19:40:00.003-05:00

Amidst the absolute torrent of ignorant, lazy, and asinine narratives that are spewing forth from the national media's collective mouths about the 49ers this season, the one that I hear most (and the one that pisses me off more than any other) is that the 49ers are winning games despite their passing game. "Yes, Frank Gore and that offensive line are great, but get them down and force Alex Smith to throw and watch out!!! That's when the mistakes come pouring out in droves!!!" So far my new man crush Michael Erler at the excellent Neurosis With Balls (heh) blog is the only (semi) major media member I've heard give the correct narrative: Alex Smith is playing exactly the same this year as he was in the second half of 2010.

"Jim Harbaugh is coach of the year!!! Look at what he's done with Alex Smith! No more crazy interceptions!!! It's amazing!"

Somehow, Alex Smith morphed into Rex Grossman without me realizing it. I thought I'd been watching the 49ers fairly close over these past few months, but I must have been mistaken. Since when was the rap on Smith his crazy bad decision making? True, he'd had more INTs than TDs in his career before this season, but when you factor in that he was -10 in his first year, then his numbers don't look so bad. And why am I comfortable throwing out that first season? Because not a single one of us (die hard 49ers fans, all) could name a single receiving threat on that 2005 team not named Brandon Lloyd without resorting to google for help. In fact, since that rookie season, he's had more interceptions than touchdowns just one time: in 2007, when he played 3 games with a shoulder that was so badly injured that it kept him out nearly 2 full seasons afterwards.

There are things to bash about Alex Smith. He can't feel pressure well and doesn't make the proper adjustments 95% of the time to deal with a blitz. He cannot move in the pocket with any kind of consistency or effectiveness. He can't throw the ball accurately beyond 30 yards. One thing he doesn't do? Make terrible decisions that result in interceptions. He is *not* Rex Grossman.

I mean for God's sake, earlier this very season the 49ers were in the exact position that the experts say would be their downfall: down 23-3 to Philadelphia on the road, in the eastern time zone, in a game where they were heavy heavy underdogs. And all Alex Smith did was throw for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns in a single quarter, a quarter in which not a single pass he threw touched the ground. If that's not carrying your team to victory through the air, then I want somebody to explain to me what carrying your team to victory through the air looks like, please.

Are the 49ers the Packers? No, but nobody is the Packers. There is no other offense in the NFL that is functioning on that level right now. However, the people who say that the 49ers are not able to keep up with high powered offenses because somehow Alex Smith is a limitation on what their offense can do simply haven't been paying attention. In his last 11 games (the last 4 games after he took over as starter last season and the 7 this season), he's thrown 14 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. 3! To put it another way, in his last 334 pass attempts, Alex Smith has thrown 3 interceptions. For those of you who are like me and suck at math, that is an interception rate of .008%.

So please, everyone who's getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to talk about football: STOP SAYING THAT ALEX SMITH WILL THROW THE GAME AWAY IF THE 49ERS HAVE TO RELY ON HIM TO WIN IT. Is he guaranteed to carry them to a victory if they need it? Obviously not, and we've definitely seen proof of that. But this narrative that he would somehow be forced into back-breaking mistakes and turnovers makes absolutely no sense, and is making my head explode every time I hear it parroted as gospel by talking heads.

I realize I'm the resident Alex Smith Defender, but the more I watch this team the more I become convinced that Jim Harbaugh and crew have a switch that they can flip on or off at their leisure. Game getting close? Is your team down? Well, let's start calling the *real* offense before it gets out of hand. Are you leading by 2 touchdowns? Well, then there's no point in going crazy and giving other teams hints at what you might need to do when you're once again trailing, so let's go vanilla. Harbaugh is *all about* competitive advantage, so why would he "open up the offense" in a game when his team is throughly dominating? Maybe the lack of offensive firepower is by design, because in the games where they've needed the passing game to come through, it has. The one time it didn't was in week 2, when I think it's safe to assume that the team wasn't as fully formed as it is today. That was basically preseason week 6 for these guys thanks to the lockout shenanigans.

During all those years of sucking I was always hating the fact that the 49ers weren't getting coverage in the national media. Now that they are, I realize just how little these people really know about the subject they're getting paid so much to talk about. I guess it's enough that we as fans can enjoy watching our team and coach out class the other guys on the field every sunday. This week should be another fun watch

Never In Doubt

2011-10-31T12:59:00.002-05:00

I have to say first of all: Wow, the Browns really suck. Wow. I was having flashbacks to 2007 when I was watching their offense. I used to think Colt McCoy was good, but the more I see of him it certainly appears that that isn't the case. Course, they have nobody to throw to, so that doesn't help.

In regards to the 49ers, I'm not really that concerned that they kind of shut it down in the 2nd half. It seems to me that Harbaugh was almost coasting until the Browns made a play, and then he decided to start running the real offense again or something. Either that or he was able to counter the adjustments that the Browns made. Either way, it's to the point now where I have 100% confidence in this team to close out games on a regular basis. Yesterday's game sure wasn't pretty, but it was nice to see them once again coming up big when they needed to, and dominating a game at the end.

This version of Alex Smith has maybe a 45 deep accuracy rating in Madden. Just imagine if he could have hit on 1 or 2 of those deep passes that were *nowhere near* their target. Blarg. I like him, and obviously the team can be successful with him leading them, but if they had a guy who could hit on deep throws with more regularity, this offense would be legitimately scary instead of just utilitarian and functional.

And let me just take this moment to laugh in the face of everyone who thought Aldon Smith was a bad pick. I trusted Harbaugh then, and I certainly trust him now. IDK if it's him or Baalke that get the credit for draft picks, but those guys know what they are doing. Smith looks like a yearly double-digit sack threat, Culliver would appear to be a very good corner (when's the last time a rookie 49ers DB played as well as he has? He should have had another pick Sunday), and Kendall Hunter looks like he will be more than capable of taking over for Gore at the end of the year. A blockbuster first draft for this group.

6 and 1!!!! And I have every reason to believe they will be 7-1 after next week. Washington is really really bad. And the week after that? The Giants, who just barely managed to squeak out a win against the worst team in the league *AT HOME*. 8-1 is a very real possibility, and that would be 8-1 with 5 division games remaining. Good God gentleman! We could be looking at a first round effing bye for the effing FORTY NINERS. I would say we deserve it after the last 10 years. This is quite the season.

WHOOOOOOOOO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US!?

Jim Harbaugh is an Asshole Genius

2011-10-16T16:27:00.006-05:00

[The video was to be embedded here, but the NFL already shut it down. They are ruthlessly efficient]

Apparently, Schwartz told Harbaugh over the summer that Harbaugh wouldn't be able to "accomplish what you need to accomplish" because of the lockout and the shortened offseason. So, Harbaugh dismisses the guy after the game, resulting in a pretty funny blowup if you ask me.

As far as the game goes, you have to love 5-1 and you have to love all these eastern time zone road victories. A totally new day for the 49ers.

The defense was incredible today. They finally have a legitimate pass rush. Frank Gore was great as well.

On the other hand, they won this game despite Alex Smith, who decided to bring back Overthrows McGee and tried fairly hard to throw the game away. The 49ers are missing a passing game, and you can't be an elite team without one. Detroit seemed like a pretty good team, but not really a great team. They couldn't stop the run and they seemed to give up at the end of the game.

When I think of an elite team, I think of the Packers. When you watch their offense, you get the sense that they can score a TD whenever the hell they want and that they just hold back to make things interesting and entertaining.

The 49ers, on the other hand, are missing a quarterback and have a genius head coach that is brilliantly squeezing every possible ounce of production from this offense. When he gets HIS quarterback, he'll eventually put a juggernaut on the field.

Until then, it's just kind of amusing to sit and watch this team win games. Harbaugh's a beast, and head coaches aren't beasts.

Color me unimpressed

2011-10-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

Really? This team is 5-0? Really? I'm sorry, but the Lions suck. Well, maybe not suck, but they are not any better than the 49ers. The Bears are God awful. The Bears played about as well as the Bucs played yesterday, and the Lions only scored 24 on them.

The Lions were very very lucky to beat the Vikings, a terrible team. They were EXTREMELY lucky to beat the Cowboys, a middle-of-the-road team. They played pretty unimpressively against the Bears, a TERRIBLE team. I'm not that worried about the Lions. They can't run, and if you put 3 guys on Calvin Johnson then there's not much they can do passing either. Their defense looks tough up front, but once you get behind their D line they are decidedly average at best. I don't buy the hype at all.

Know who went 6-0 one year? Josh McDaniels and the Broncos. Jim Zorn was 6-2 in his first 8 games with the Redskins. I'm not buying this. The 9ers should be able to beat this team and beat them handily.

......

2011-10-09T18:37:00.003-05:00

..........

wow. There's really not much more to say. All those years I got on the message board and blog after a hot start and freaked out about how "THIS IS FINALLY OUR YEAR!!!"? Yeah, this is finally our year. Wow.

There is literally nothing coming to my mind when I try to find something wrong with today's game. Absolute domination in every single aspect from beginning to end. When's the last time we could say that about a game that wasn't at the end of the season against the Cardinals?

Alex Smith would appear to be a legitimate NFL quarterback. Jim Harbaugh would appear to be a legitimate NFL head coach. This is a legitimate NFL team!!

4-1!! And a fluke INT return in the meadowlands away from being 3 games up. 5 division games left, all of which are winnable. If they win all 5 of those games, they're in the playoffs. And for the first time in a loooooong time, I have confidence in this team every single week. This is incredible. This is how I felt watching the Giants make their run last year. I doubt the feeling will be the same at the end of the year, but it sure is fun to watch right now.

Gameday Live Blog

2011-10-09T15:14:00.002-05:00

IDK if you guys are here during the games or not, but I figure we might as well have somewhere to express frustrations as the game is going along.

First quibble: I don't like how they came out in that stupid formation, called a timeout, then came out in the same formation and ran into a pile for no gain.

But as I was typing this, Alex made one of the best passes I've ever seen him make for the TD. This is a real football team you guys.

My Annual Appeal

2011-10-02T09:02:00.003-05:00

And thus we arrive at the yearly "game the 49ers are not expected to win in which they are nearly double digit underdogs and playing on the east coast". Along with this annual event comes my annual PLEA with this team: I know you are not good this year, this much is obvious. I know you're not wining the Super Bowl, or even making a playoff run. Sure, you might sneak into the playoffs as an 8-8 team because the 2011 NFC west is quickly challenging the 2010 NFC west to become the worst division in NFL history, but who are we kidding? You suck. You might suck a little less than the rest of this division, but you sucky suck suck just the same.

But here's the thing: PLENTY OF OTHER TEAMS THAT SUCK WIN GAMES THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO WIN EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE! How about you do that, guys? Isn't it embarrassing for you that you haven't won one single game you weren't supposed to win in nearly 10 years? TEN YEARS! The last time the 49ers won a game they were supposed to lose, the Patriots were a 1 year wonder. Gas was 1.36 a gallon. Jeff Garcia was throwing to Terrell Owens, and Chris Collinsworth was a bad announcer! Does anyone remember just how bad Collinsworth used to be? That guy is probably the best color commentator on TV right now, and he used to be worst guy in a booth that also included Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Seriously.

Point is, it's been a looooooooooooooong effing time since this team has exceeded even extremely low expectations: win one game during one season that you were not supposed to win. Show up, look like a real NFL team, and outplay another real NFL team. I beg of you. Give me this one win that I can feel good about when you go 7-9. At least give me this one week that I can look back on and go "Sure, this season wasn't great, but remember when they beat the Eagles on the east coast?! That was awesome!"

Last year it was Green Bay, before that it was Minnesota, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh. And this team laid down at every opportunity to surprise us as fans and the media at large throughout the country. I want the kind of win that makes the guys on football night in america go "Wow, 49ers! Who saw that coming?!".

This year it's Philadelphia, you a-holes. WIN THE GAME YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOSE!! Give us fans who have slavishly watched 90% of your games during this last ridiculous stretch of historical ineptness one tiny sliver of redemption! WIN THIS EFFING GAME.

Yawn

2011-09-25T16:00:00.002-05:00

Since they played at noon, I sat and watched various games, along with the Redzone, but mostly the 49ers game. The Bengals suck.

It starting raining very hard right in crunch time, so I missed the game's touchdown, and apparently the game featured a safety? WTF? I was pretty upset about the rain: the Saints, Patriots, and Lions were all playing close exciting games. And now Directv has decided to charge extra to watch games on the computer, which is total BS. I might call and complain and get that for free.

Anyways, I'm glad they finally figured out that Vernon Davis is their best offensive player. Other than that, meh.

Same Old, Same Old, Part II

2011-09-18T18:30:00.003-05:00

Devastating mistake by Alex Smith, offense that can't and doesn't seem to want to close a game, a defense that's just good enough to upset fans when they inevitably fail. There wasn't a lucky special teams occurrence to interrupt the familiar script this week.

The defense is not capable of getting a stop at the end of the game. The offense is not capable of putting a team away. Harbaugh needs to answer for the situation where he took a penalty on the kickoff and kept a field goal instead of getting a 1st and 10 near the redzone. He's obviously full of it when he says he trusts Alex Smith. I can't really blame him. At this point, I'd rather just this season end now so that we move forward with some other quarterback. It's groundhog's day in San Francisco, has been for years. I'm really stupid for wasting 3 hours on this. Henceforth, I'm recording the games and going to work on Sundays or something. This is just dumb.

Same Old, Same Old

2011-09-11T18:06:00.002-05:00

As I write this, the 49ers are up 33-17 at the two minute warning.

I am thoroughly unexcited about this football team. Granted, they destroyed my football soul sometime ago, and I think it'll take at least one very impressive season to bring it back to whatever level it's capable of reattaining. But even that aside, the game itself looked like it occurred in 2010, at least in terms of how the 49ers played.

The playcalling was overly conservative. The offense awful on 3rd down. The defense was blah, as it's been for the last several seasons - not God awful, but not a defense that is even close to being able to carry a team.

Let's just say right off the bat that the Seahawks are TERRIBLE. Tavaris Jackson sucks, their O-Line sucks, their defense sucks, and their special teams suck. Everything about that team sucks. So, as far as I see it, any impressive attributes of the 49ers' performance should be placed on the Seahawks rather than the 49ers.

Until Ted Ginn decided to run away from his blocking and towards the sideline (a move that normally only works in Peewee League, maybe high school), the 49ers were well on their way to losing the game. The Mike Singletary playcalling brought the game close and you know the offense wasn't going to do a damn thing. We've seen that movie before. What stopped that was how much Seattle sucks at special teams. Man o man. They're bad.

Apparently, Harbaugh doesn't trust Smith to pass the ball vertically (as in, forward passes vertically, not deep ball vertically), despite a Seahawks secondary full of holes. This game will come into context next week, when both the Seahawks and 49ers get outclassed by actual football teams.

The only difference between this season and last season is that, this time around, you can have at least a shred of hope that the team will improve over the course of the season. They do have a real football coach, that helps. Maybe the offense improves as they learn the offense more and continue to get coached up.

On the other hand, Alex Smith is their quarterback.

Holy. Crap.

2011-01-07T18:27:00.003-06:00

Succeeding is not something this team has done well lately. It's not something this ownership has done EVER. What they do is fire a well-respected, successful coach and replace him with Dennis Erickson. Then they draft the wrong quarterback, pair him with a defensive-minded, in-over-his-head coach, and give that coach too much authority. Then they fire him, choose to ignore their offensive deficiencies, and hire another in-over-his-head, defensive-minded coach.

Then, when he doesn't work out, they fire him before the end of the season, do a cursory GM "search" that ends with them hiring the guy they had in mind all along, and then miss out on the obvious coaching choice to improve their team, choosing instead to hire a retread (billick) or a recently failed never-was (mcdaniels), or just poop on a platter and serve it to their fans (mora jr).

But not this time. They got the guy!! What the hell?! They got their guy! They got THE guy! They got the guy everyone else wanted...THE 49ERS got the guy everyone else wanted?!!!!?!?! What?!?!

When does THAT ever happen? Ever? Did you hear his press conference?! This guy...KNOWS something about football! He actually came out and said the quarterback is the most important position in football! IMAGINE THAT!

And this GM that nobody thought was the right call? He delivered on his first mission: coach by friday. Harbaugh by Friday, if we're honest. And he did it. He did it for a fair price, even. 5/25? That's a bargain for a guy who was as hotly sought after as Harbaugh. Amazing.

It's obviously possible that this move doesn't work, but you know what? They're trying. That much is obvious. York looked at the first decision he made as the lead guy (hiring singletary) and said "wow, that was retarded", and learned from it. He did what his parents never did: THE RIGHT THING! He looked at other successful teams and decided to be like them instead of stubbornly deciding he knew best.

I still can't believe they pulled it off. What a great way for Baalke's tenure to begin. He got his guy, and from hearing them talk, it sounded like there wasn't much doubt that he was coming here. I'm not afraid to admit that I have a full-on man crush on Jim Harbaugh. He sounds like a motivated, smart, professional coach who knows what's wrong and knows what to do to fix it.

I don't think we'll see too many more 31-6 losses to the Seahawks with this guy in charge. This is going to be fuuuuun.

Good.

2010-12-26T15:16:00.000-06:00

the Rams SHOULD win at 8-8. That's how it should go. The team with a real coach and a real quarterback should win the division. a 7-9 team should not. Good.

They're not just losing

2010-12-26T00:20:00.002-06:00

they're going to be completely embarrassed tomorrow. Does anyone really doubt this? Really? There's no way they're winning this game, or even keeping it competitive. For gods sake- they're in a "playoff hunt" and don't even know WHO THEIR STARTING QUARTERBACK SHOULD BE!! Are we sure we're against just throwing out the NFC west this year and letting Tampa in? Because that would be better for football as an institution.

Just let in tampa, and let New Orleans host that first round playoff game. Because a 7-9 team who doesn't know who their starting quarterback is in WEEK SIXTEEN OF THE SEASON should not be hosting a playoff game. Please let the Rams win tomorrow and the next game to go 8-8 so the NFC west doesn't have the stain of a sub .500 team hosting a playoff game. Please! Dear god!

There's just no way the 49ers can possibly win this game. The stakes are too high, in that there are actual stakes in this game. It means something. So that means they're not just going to lose, but they're going to be humiliated in an important game. Prove me wrong, you bunch of spineless cowardly pussies. Prove me wrong. Win one "important" game. God knows you haven't in 8 years, so why should I expect you to now?

And even if you win this "important" game, you'll probably lose to John Skelton at home next week anyways when you decide at the last minute that Chris Weinke gives you the best chance to win because he went to school at florida state where they were good that one time 10 years ago. That makes about as much sense as anything else you've been saying lately, you clueless bunch of hacks.

No, you can't even win a fake "important" game. Because you are spineless and clueless and soft and cowardly and afraid of your own success. You are not a real NFL organization, and tomorrow you will be embarrassed by a rookie quarterback who's already hit the wall and a team that FUCKING SUCKS and has 1/10th of your talent. Because you are clueless and soft, and do not deserve a spot in the playoffs.

I hope you die in a fire, you worthless cowardly pieces of dog feces. I hate you and want you to fail so you might actually get it through your goddamn head that what you're doing isn't working and that it's time to maybe get somebody in charge of the team who KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT RUNNING A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM. WHAT A SWELL IDEA THAT WOULD BE.

God I hate what you've become. Just go die peacefully in a field so I don't ever have to worry about you again, at least not for 9 more months.

So we should just not play anymore, right?

2010-12-19T18:30:00.002-06:00

That seems to be the recipe for things going well for the 49ers. It certainly doesn't happen while they're playing on the field. Still alive!

And I have to say, they are probably the favorites right now. If they've shown that they can do anything recently, it's beat the NFC west in at least somewhat convincing fashion. They suck, but dear lord those other teams are even worse. The only challenge is beating the Rams next week, since that's a road game. Even this team will not lose that Cards game at home. That's not happening.

So basically, they're losing next week. Because if they win that, they're in the playoffs for the first time in 8 years. And that's not happening. But I will admit, it would be fun to see, even if it came with a 7-9 record, and even though it would mean they'd be picking 21st in the draft.

Biggest game in 8 years

2010-12-16T19:04:00.002-06:00

The 49ers don't win big games. They're not a real team. They don't know how to properly prepare for teams like the Chargers (read: GOOD teams). They are not a good NFL team. They have no real coaches and don't have a real quarterback. They haven't won an important game in 8 years. I've already stated my desire for them to lose games for their long-term well being. They had even less time than normal to prepare for their vastly more talented opponent. They don't have their best offensive player. 2 of their key defenders have broken hands. They are 10 point underdogs. They are going to get destroyed.

BUT I'M STILL A NERVOUS WRECK BEFORE THIS GODDAMN GAME. WHAT THE HELL.

If they somehow find a way to pull this game off....god dammit. How many times have I said that over the years? AND THEY NEVER FIND A WAY TO PULL THE FUCKING GAMES OFF. EVER. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST WIN ONE IMPORTANT GAME?! ONE! Just give me that! 8 years! JUST GIVE ME ONE PLEASE!!!

It would be nicer to not care.

Might not have seen THIS coming,

2010-12-12T16:36:00.000-06:00

but everyone saw this coming. They'll probably sit on this lead in the 2nd half, win like 33-20 or something, make everyone think they're back in it, then they'll lose @ SD and then lose at St louis and kill any chances they might have had. Vintage.

The 49ers are heroine

2010-12-12T00:27:00.001-06:00

I'm excited for the game tomorrow. I know they should lose. I know it's better for them if they lose. They most likely WILL lose. Yet I'm excited and want them to win. Totally hopeless.

Well, this is maybe sort of interesting

2010-12-06T12:50:00.002-06:00

Hmmmm:

There’s a growing belief that former Raiders and Bucs coach Jon Gruden will return to the NFL in 2011. As his son, Deuce (really?), tells it, Gruden may be targeting 2012.
Via The Big Lead, Deuce Gruden appeared on the Sporting Rave podcast, and Deuce said that the family could be heading for San Fran or Cleveland.

I'm still stuck on the Harbaugh bandwagon, but Gruden wouldn't exactly be a bad choice either. There's always the chance that it's PR posturing, but it's mildly exciting nonetheless.

Officially a Rams fan

2010-12-05T19:09:00.002-06:00

The NFC west needs a team to finish over .500. Please God, do not let a 7-9 team host a playoff game. Please. Let it be the Rams, too. Because fuck pete carroll, that's why. The Rams are (kind of..ok not really) fun to watch and are winning for a good reason- they have a really really good quarterback. That's why teams SHOULD win. They shouldn't skate by on luck or special teams or whatever- they need a great quarterback. And they have one. PLEASE let them go 9-7 or better. Please.

As for the 49ers? Well everyone saw this coming. Not at all a surprise, though that play to Vernon at the end of the half probably put me in the playoffs in a FF league, so that was awesome.

But I'm not just a Rams fan because I want the NFC west to be represented by a not-terrible record. It's because I value the long-term future of my own team. And for this season, every win my own team gets harms their long-term future. Each win serves only to take them farther from a draft pick, and each win solidifies (if however shakily) their coaching staff's employment.

Dear god, can you imagine if they'd lucked into a win today? There would have been talk about Singletary maybe saving his job. Maybe they run the table and go 9-7! Sing has turned the corner! We can win with this guy!

Thank. God. A beatdown. EXACTLY what was needed. I want one further, though. I want them to lose out. I've gotten to the point where I will be disappointed after every win and ecstatic after every loss. I'm not a bad fan- it's the exact opposite. The only thing the 49ers can accomplish by winning is to harm their team even further.

Every loss brings us closer to a real quarterback and a real coaching staff. After the expectations this team had, if they finish 3-13, there will HAVE to be WHOLESALE changes throughout the front office. They could not possibly keep anyone. And they could not possibly justify making a minor tweak. If they spend the cash on a QB and a real offensive coach, next year they could win 10 games with the talent they have. Losing is for the best. GO RAMS!

(PS, as I write this I'm sitting at a starbucks in downtown portland with my man purse sitting next to me. I've never felt more at home)

(PPS, I want to thank my uncle for choosing this weekend to get married, so I didn't end up spending 200 bucks to go to this game, which was my original plan when the season began. I can't thank him enough)

The Ewing theory writ small

2010-12-01T18:39:00.003-06:00

Frank Gore: the most important offensive player the 49ers have had this season, no question. We all saw the stat: all by his lonesome, Frank Gore has accounted for THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT of the 49ers' total offensive yardage from scrimmage.

Obviously, he is a great, great player. But is it possible that maybe they were leaning on him a little TOO much? I don't mean that the crazy high workload led to this injury (though I guess that's possible), but more that maybe they were using him as a little bit of a crutch. Maybe in a weird way their reliance on him was actually holding the offense back?

I'm sure you've all heard of the ewing theory, but in case you haven't: read this.

Basically, the theory states that when a team is written off following the loss of a star player, it usually has the exact opposite effect: the team actually plays BETTER without that player.

Do I think Brian Westbrook is a better player right now than Frank Gore? No, I don't. But that's not what this is about. I think the hidden advantage to this injury is that perhaps the offense will get opened up a little bit now. I really doubt there's anyone on the coaching staff stupid enough to give Anthony Dixon and Brian Westbrook the amount of work they were giving Frank Gore. (Though, to be fair, I've underestimated the stupidity of this coaching staff many times to my cost).

I think, when utilized properly, this offense is better with Gore on the field. But I'm not sure letting 1 guy account for nearly 40% of your yards gained is what I'd call being "utilized properly". They were leaning on Gore to the point of him being a crutch rather than a piece that helped the offense move along.

It's not like there's no talent at other postions- we saw what Vernon Davis can do last year, and we've seen my boy Crabtree make some out-STANDING catches this year. Maybe this injury opens the way for those guys to get more involved, and maybe Sing backs off on the "RUN AT ALL COSTS" mentality he obviously had (regardless of what he might say).

It will be interesting to see. I think Mike Johnson is a guy who has some innovative ideas, but who was maybe being hamstrung by his head coach's philosophy. Hopefully we'll maybe get to see some more imaginative offense now that they don't have Gore to use as a little bit of a whipping boy.

Oh, but the blitz pickup will probably be worse. Does that matter against the Packers? probably not, right?

Who didn't see this coming?

2010-11-29T22:03:00.002-06:00

I'll believe it when A) They finish the game well (they won't), and B) they play well for 2 straight games (they won't). Whatever. It's been kind of fun tonight, but whatever.

Rams are winning the divsion

2010-11-28T18:51:00.001-06:00

Sam Bradford is effing amazing. Shit. We have to deal with that guy for the next 15 years. We're screwed.

Troy Smith to Start Against Arizona

2010-11-22T15:06:00.003-06:00

As the title suggests, Singletary declared Troy Smith the starter against Arizona. I do think that Alex Smith gives them a better chance at this point, but I guess it's close. Troy Smith has playmaking ability and the willingness to take a risk. Alex Smith has knowledge of the offense and the full use of the playbook. If the coaches get their heads out of their asses and formulate a game plan that the opponent can't completely predict, that could give the edge to Troy Smith as being the better choice. They haven't been able to do that very often though.

In continuing my streak of over-the-top negativity, I'll say that this discussion is akin to rearranging the chairs on the Titantic anyways. The odds of either of these guys starting a game next season is nil. Are we willing to give Troy Smith the rest of the season to see what he can do with more understanding of the offense and more reps just in case he's good enough to be a long-term starter? Might as well. We know Alex Smith went bust, we can't be 100% certain of Troy Smith yet and it's not as if Alex Smith is some sort of beast out there anyways. Any improvement from him over Troy Smith would be marginal at best, if even existent.

In breaking my streak of over-the-top negativity, the 49ers STILL have a chance to win this historically bad division. I know I know, I can't go flip the script after raining fire on anything approaching positive talk. But after another look at the division's schedules, I'm not sure any team will reach .500. The division could easily be 7-9. One hot, or even fairly warm, streak is all it would take, and every team in the division is tripping over themselves trying not to win this thing. By definition, one team has to fail a little less than all the others and get a ticket to the playoffs. Deciding who will play QB is huge in this regard.

So here's how it goes: the 49ers have a must win against Arizona next week. If they lose, I'm out. Then, they're going to get destroyed by the Packers (I'm probably going to go into hiding that week and I'm going to try and force myself to not even watch). Then, they have another must-win at home against Seattle. Again, lose that and I'm out.

Knowing the 49ers, they'll win both of those must-win games and suck me in again just to spit me out by losing their next two games after that (San Diego and at St. Louis) in agonizing fashion. They'll suck me in despite my herculean effort to not allow them to do so by being annoyingly negative. I'm willing to go through this stupidity again if it means seeing them hire Mike Holmgren and draft an actual franchise QB. If the Yorks mess up their next coaching hire, I might have to not renew Sunday Ticket. Shit's expensive!

I'm jealous of Vikings fans

2010-11-22T11:54:00.002-06:00

I remember how happy I was when Nolan got fired. The difference for them is they have a guy stepping in who, you know, will probably be a real NFL head coach. I really really long for the day when we get the announcement that Singletary is gone.

I have no idea why they would not cut ties right now- sure, the math says they have a chance, but give me a break. They just got shutout at home for the first time in 30 years and the coach COULDN'T REMEMBER THE MOST CRITICAL CALL HE MADE DURING THE ENTIRE GAME. He should have been fired as soon as he left that press room! You have to be kidding me that he didn't remember choosing to punt FROM THE 31 YARD LINE.

Does management enjoy being a laughingstock? Do they not realize that that is exactly what they are? The only way to salvage any kind of credibility is to cut ties with this charade, you have exactly nothing to lose. Maybe the team would at least be semi-watchable.

Niners We Know and Love

2010-11-21T16:28:00.003-06:00

Somewhat important game? Check (Update: By this I mean, for the Niners it's do or die, but to fans of other NFL teams, who really gives a shit?)
Somewhat equal to lesser opponent? Check (Update: I realize this isn't accurate; the Bucs have been a far better team in 2010. I guess I was thinking about all the Niners "talent" on "paper").
Singletary coaching? Check
Niners choke job? Check

Color me shocked the special teams unit stopped the fake punt. That's usually a Singletary specialty: Complete and utter surprise the other team doesn't play straight ahead 1940s football.

This team hasn't looked like a functional NFL team since 2002

2010-11-21T16:06:00.001-06:00

Even if they win today, it's still more of the same disjointed, unorganized and unprepared football we've seen for 8 straight years. How hard is it with this much talent to JUST LOOK LIKE A FUCKING FOOTBALL TEAM FOR GODS SAKE.

Mike Singletary won that game for the 49ers

2010-11-17T16:05:00.006-06:00

Wait wait! Before you scoff, allow me to take you back. Specifically, to the season-opening game in Arizona last year. Remember? The one where, at halftime, a crazed Mike Singletary (hard to imagine, I know) pulled aside and berated rookie head referee Don Carey, brother of the much more famous Mike Carey.

As you may have read in that article, this season 'ol Don was re-assigned to Ed Hochuli's crew. The crew that worked Sunday's game. And who was it that made the game-deciding pass interference call in overtime?

Don. Carey.

BOOOOOOOOOOM ROASTED! Obviously, Don looked over at Mike's intimidating scowl, remembered that encounter, and got a little jumpy with the flag.

So clearly, Mike Singletary won this game for the 49ers. Take a long suck on THAT, haters.

R.I.P Alex Smith's Career in San Francisco

2010-11-14T19:05:00.002-06:00

Man, the 49ers tried REALLY hard to lose that game. All sorts of touchdowns and big plays wiped out by penalty. A defense that is unable to close games (even though that's what the team's philosophy calls for every week).

They managed to win largely because Troy Smith showed more playmaking ability in one game than Alex Smith has showed in six seasons.

They'll only go back to Alex Smith if Troy Smith gets hurt. And if that happens, the 49ers will be out of the hunt, Singletary will be on his way out, and whomever replaces him will bring in another QB.

Yes, the guy who symbolizes the 49ers' failure of the aughts ought to pack his bags, he's on his way out. He can take his 70.2 career QB rating and his less than 1-to1 TD/QB ratio and go be Peyton Manning's backup or something.

Alex Smith would have lost this game. He would have thrown the ball away rather than get some of those long gains and (would be) touchdowns. He would have checked down the offense all the way to a 10 or so point loss. Troy Smith would have won the Panthers game. And the Falcons game. Probably the Eagles game. The 49ers' with a quarterback who is actually capable of sometimes doing something good when things aren't "just" right would be leading the division at this moment.

For the record, Alex Smith's doubters were right all along. About everything. Remember everything they said? It's all completely true. Football isn't a computer program. You need creativity and instincts, the ability to just throw something together when crap breaks down. I bet Alex Smith can follow a soup recipe with perfection. But if you give him a fully stocked kitchen and ask him to whip something up, you'll come back in a few hours and find him cowering in the corner with the stove on fire.

It's a shame that the 49ers already blew their season, because Troy Smith is fun to watch. They're going to be underdogs in their next three games. After these games, they will have secured yet another season without a winning record. The NFL is going to figure Troy Smith and the 49ers' new watered down offense out in the next week or two. That, combined with a defense that sucks, combined with a half season of amazingly crappy football, has already secured another moderately high first round draft pick. The 49ers' needed 400+ yards just to get 23 points. They needed overtime to beat a Rams team that still isn't very good, at home. They needed some Rams WR to drop what was going to be the game winning touchdown reception just to have a chance to win.

The optimists (Andrew), being the ones who insufferably blow up a 1/10th of 1 percent chance of something amazing happening to a legitimate likelihood, will be officially disabused of any playoff notions when Clay Mathews sacks Troy Smith for the 9th time at the end of the blowout that's going to occur in Green Bay.

But on the bright side, we shouldn't have to watch Alex Smith roll right and throw the ball away again. And, we see that this offense could be awesome with a good quarterback and any semblance of the discipline that was supposed to be the one thing that Mike Singletary could actually bring to the table. When they bring in a new coach, they're going to be good.

So, farewell Alex Smith. You were screwed in San Francisco. But, you sucked anyways, and thus screwed San Francisco at least as much as it screwed you. Given the randomness of the NFL (see the Arizona Cardinals' Super Bowl run), the 49ers may very well have added a 6th Superbowl with Aaron Rodgers (seeing how much of a douche Aaron Rodgers is, I don't like admitting this) by now. At the very least, they'd have some playoff appearances. Instead, we've had a lost decade. And with all the money you made, Alex Smith, I sincerely wish that I could be "screwed" like you have been. Have a nice life.

Mike Singletary is allergic to straight answers

2010-11-09T13:47:00.003-06:00

There's no other way to explain his almost pathological refusal to give a definite answer on anything ever since he took over as coach.

The most recent example, obviously, is his refusal to just tell everyone that Troy Smith is going to be the quarterback this Sunday. What is the harm in just being honest with your fans and with the players themselves? Per Maiocco, even the Smiths haven't been told who's starting this Sunday (which is funny to me, because all I ever heard about to start this year is how "honest" singletary is. Balmer, Lewis, and now both Smiths might have something to say about that), so it's not like Singletary is obfuscating in order to keep the Rams in the dark. I think it's obvious to all of us that this organization isn't nearly smart enough to pull that off anyways.

Don't get me wrong, there are times when he makes a definitive statement. Like, for instance, the time after the Chiefs game when he declared Jimmy Raye's job safe for the season, before firing him less than 24 hours later.

Mike Singletary: bad coach. I know I'm not breaking any new ground there, but I just wonder where exactly this STRICT REFUSAL to just come out and say things that are obvious to everyone else comes from. Maybe it's a football coach thing, and maybe if I followed any other NFL team as closely as I follow the niners I'd notice them doing it too. The problem is when most of them do it, they're successful.

It's really a shame that this team is saddled with such awful management. Why can't we be the chiefs? Or the Browns? Those are teams with a fraction of the talent the 49ers have, yet they are able to compete with (and beat) teams that are infinitely more talented. Why?

Because their coaches don't go out there, line up, and play a conventional, conservative game against teams that are better than them. They make those teams play on their terms. They don't do what 95% of the stadium is expecting them to do. They mix it up. The 49ers don't have that, and haven't for 8 years. If they played football like that, and maybe used the talent they have to the fullest, they would not be sitting at 2-6 and staring yet another non-winning season in the face.

There's no doubt in my mind that the talent on this team is good enough to win 6 out of the next 8 games. If you don't think they are, you need to watch the other nfc west teams play. Their teams are awful. If the 49ers had a coach who wasn't so stupid that he doesn't realize that a quarterback 2 weeks removed from a shoulder separation and who's sporting a 1-6 record isn't obviously going to be on the sidelines Sunday, then maybe they'd have a chance over these next 8 games.

It's really too bad. What a hopeless feeling to have half a season left, and know that you won't have the chance to watch a relevant football team until next September. And we'll be lucky if it's that soon.

Crazier things have happened

2010-11-07T16:18:00.002-06:00

Just sayin'. This division is awful. Cardinals choke away a sure win, Seahawks are getting KILT at home. Niners will be 2 back next week with 5 of 8 remaining games IN the division, and with every other team falling apart on all sides of the ball.

Realistically, it's looking like the Rams' division. But, would it REALLY be that crazy if the 49ers made a "stunning" comeback behind a new starting quarterback? They still have more talent at most positions than any other team in the division. IF they beat the rams next week, they are the favorites to win it when you look at their talent and schedule. They'd be 1 game back with 7 remaining.

After that game their only difficult game is @ Green Bay. You pencil that in as a loss, and the Chargers game as a loss, and you have an 8-8 record. That would win the division.

But we know the more likely outcome is that they lose next week, and the Rams go on to win it. The Rams have a good QB, and in this division that's all you need. BUT, that also means that if T. Smith can be good, the niners have a very good chance.

Just sayin, crazier things have happened.

Singletary: not a smart coach

2010-11-03T16:23:00.002-05:00

Mike Singletary told a 2-6 team to "get away from football" during its bye week. You know, the week that's supposed to be an advantage for a football team. Instead, they're going to be spending it doing anything other than preparing for their next opponent.

Maybe this is why the 49ers have been HISTORICALLY (and hysterically) awful after their bye weeks in recent years. Seriously, go look it up. It's amazing how terrible they've been.

Honestly, is it too much to ask to just get a freaking guy to run this team who knows what he's doing? Really? It must be, because we haven't had one for 7 years now.

But sports ARE kinda funny sometimes. I said these same things about the Giants and about Brian Sabean. Everyone agrees that Sabean is one of the worst GMs in baseball. But he just won a world series. Sports are weird.

Either way, telling your 2-6 team to "get away from football" during their bye week instead of taking that time to prepare for your next opponent? I'm sorry, but that's just stupid. The rams are going to kill us in 2 weeks.

I don't even care

2010-11-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

Go 2-14 for all I care niners. Go 0-16 for the next 20 years if you want. The Giants just won a goddamn world series and I'm so numb to any possible future sports failure that I couldn't care less. Maybe that's what you need to start playing well- for me to not care.

WELL I DON'T CARE BABY!!! THE GIANTS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read that last sentence over and over. It's true. It's not a dream. The Giants are world champions.

I can watch Troy Smith talk at a press conference and not want to punch him in the face

2010-11-01T11:15:00.001-05:00

that alone is reason to let him keep starting. Honestly, have you ever watched Alex Smith get interviewed and not been annoyed as crap? He is such an awful interview.

I know it's a stupid, meaningless thing, but it's nice to see the leader of your team actually, you know, semi-composed when he's speaking in public.

LOL THIS TEAM

2010-10-31T15:17:00.000-05:00

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.

2004-2005 Reprise

2010-10-31T14:16:00.002-05:00

It's dangerous to ever mention that the 49ers have reached a new low, because they have a knack for making such a judgment look premature and naively optimistic. What I'm watching (mostly on the NFL Game Mix channel because this game is boring and crappy) is an offense that brings me back to the Cody Pickett days. A first down is a major victory. Two first downs is a "breakup the 49ers" event. It's pretty funny. And in a REALLY sadly ironic twist, Brandon Lloyd, the once embodiment of the 49ers' lack of talent, is the difference maker in this game.

This is looks like when a team has the first overall pick and picks the wrong player. Let's hope they don't make the same mistake in April.

On Troy Smith and the quarterback position

2010-10-27T16:17:00.002-05:00

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)

HOW A GENIUS WOULD FIX THE 49ERS

2010-10-25T16:37:00.002-05:00

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!

Brutal

2010-10-24T15:10:00.003-05:00

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.

Um...yea

2010-10-18T10:15:00.004-05:00

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).

I'm Rooting for the Number One Pick pt 2

2010-10-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

[Insert another picture of Alex Smith sucking]

When Nate Clements fumbled the game away last week, I went from being upset about the state of this franchise to being mildly amused at the abundance of absurdity. At this point, the 49ers have taken a giftwrapped division and have turned it into 0-5. Several players quit the team, the basics of getting a play to the quarterback were too much for the OC to handle, the rich tradition of Frank Gore up the middle continued, the much ballyhooed defense has been exposed as not at all good, and the once hopeful franchise quarterback is FINALLY revealed to his onetime defenders as a decent backup NFL quarterback.

The 49ers are three games back in an obnoxiously bad division with eleven games to go. The hopeless optimists (*cough* Andrew *cough*) will talk about how the division can still be had. If the 49ers magically transformed into a team that knew how to win a football game, that could be true. They won't do that, of course. But even if they did, I still wouldn't want to see it.

That's because this team will simply never be a genuine contender with Mike Singletary and Alex Smith at the helm. Period. Singletary doesn't know what he's doing and Smith is a backup quarterback. Each have had ample opportunity to show what they can do and each has failed. Singletary is just good enough to provide schaudenfreude-type entertainment for a national audience. Smith is just good enough to keep optimistic fans wondering. Which is to say, he isn't good enough.

I think we all understand that an actual franchise quarterback is the easiest and maybe only ticket to a consistent playoff and Super Bowl contender. We don't have one. We need one.

It's common sense to think that a team needs a coach that knows what he's doing to be a consistent contender. We don't have that either.

Maybe Singletary and Smith rally, and this team squeaks out eight games and wins the division. That would create the risk that one or both or them are invited back next season. I'm not willing to take that risk.

Putting Nate Davis into the lineup gives punch drunk fans like me some red meat, it signals that Singletary and Smith are gone, and it gives us a chance to see if the guy is a real gamer. He very well may be.

And if he's not, the 49ers put themselves into a position where they can draft an actual franchise quarterback. Throw in a coach who has demonstrated NFL success, and the 2011 49ers could be the 2009 Jets.

I've watched total crapitude since 2002. At this point I'm willing to watch another throwaway season if I know that the reward is a real coach and a potential franchise quarterback. It's the right move.

I'm Rooting for the Number One Pick

2010-10-03T15:09:00.002-05:00

[Insert your own mental picture of Alex Smith sucking here.]

Was this a "must win" game? Eh. I thought the Kansas City game was a must win, and they got blown out. I'll say next win is a must win for Singletary to keep his job.

As for the team, they're out of it. There are no more must win games.

Nate Clements is the obvious goat for being a complete idiot on that interception. But I'll go ahead and say that Alex Smith was the main culprit in the loss. Two terrible interceptions, several other poorly thrown balls (per usual). The defense gave up 16 points, the special teams scored a TD. When those two things happen, you have to win. Plain and simple.

The interception at the end of the first half was especially noteworthy. A great quarterback gets a TD in that drive, going up 21-7 at halftime. An okay quarterback doesn't do something stupid, and the team goes up 17-7 at halftime. Alex Smith throws a terrible interception and they go up 14-10 at halftime. No Singletary, the quarterback is not "one of eleven." The quarterback is everything. Everything.

And we don't have one. Thus, I'm rooting for the top pick so that we can get one. Plus, getting the top pick means that Singletary is definitely gone. That's going to be necessary for this team to ever be good.

It only took 3 weeks to lose me

2010-09-26T15:34:00.002-05:00

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Let's be honest with ourselves here:

-Mike Singletary has NO IDEA what he's doing.

-Jimmy Raye is a bad playcaller, probably 80-90% of the time.

-Alex Smith has no pocket presence, his accuracy is mediocre, he's a pretty good backup quarterback in the NFL.

-The defense is very overrated. As has been the case for years, there is no pass rush.

This is a team with talent, playing in the worst division that that NFL has seen in probably decades. They are finding a way to screw that up.

We've been told to be patient, this and that, "next season", "potential" and so forth for about a decade. Meanwhile, myriad of once crappy teams have made the playoffs in that time, while playing in a tougher division than the NFC West. Other than the Lions and Bills, this is the worst franchise in the NFL.

The only way to remedy the situation is by firing Singletary and Jimmy Raye, paying a guy like Cowher or Jon Gruden (some proven winner, no more Nolans please) a gazillion dollars to come and coach, and trading a high round draft pick to get a the best QB possible. No worries on starting over. A competent coach and quarterback would have this team in the playoffs in 2011. This talk of the importance of continuity and all that is overstated, we hear it because Alex Smith has absolutely no natural feel for the game. He's a robot. Good QBs are not.

This team is not worth watching. I'm going out of town next weekend and was planning to be back by noon for the game. I'm skipping the Falcons game. This team hasn't earned my time and they're not getting any more of it for the time being. Life is too short for this stuff.

0-2 is 0-2

2010-09-20T23:50:00.002-05:00

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Well, they certainly played better this week. The defense looked mostly excellent. Alex Smith was fantastic. The box score was dominated by the 49ers, except for that little line about turnovers.

It goes without saying that you're not going to a win a football when you're -4 in turnover differential.

The two interceptions were kind of unlucky. The muffed punt was stupid, and unlucky. Same with Walker's fumble. Maybe the football gods wanted to punish 49ers fans for that era (that the younger amongst only caught the tail end of) when the 49ers were continuously awesome.

Whatever. Good teams find a way to win. That's what the Saints did.

Bottom line, this team is 0-2. Normally, I'd say that 0-2 is a disaster. But with the NFC West looking even more crappy by the week (if that's possible), 0-2 really isn't a big deal at this point. They're one game out. No biggie.

But you know what is a biggie? Next week's game, at Kansas City. Yes, the 49ers have a lot to build on from this game. Yes, Alex Smith took control of things and led a spectacular drive to tie the game. Enormous kudos to him, as well as to the offensive line. Sans turnovers, it was the offense we were hoping to see. Same with the defense. Giving up 20 points to the Saints (3 of which were not their doing) is about as much as you could have asked for.

Any "momentum" from this game can only be realized with a win next week. I've had 8 years of the occasional moral victory. They are just a slap in the face at this point. Kansas City has looked solid, and Arrowhead is a Seattle-esque House of Horrors in terms of intimidating road atmospheres. Still, it's a game the 49ers can and better win.

Meet the New 49ers, Same as the Old 49ers

2010-09-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

That game couldn't have been any worse.

Mike Singletary cannot manage a football game.

The OC can't call plays.

Alex Smith can't throw an accurate pass.

None of them will be with the team next season, and they'll be starting over yet again.

First Preseason Game

2010-08-15T17:49:00.002-05:00

I only watched the first half. Here's a few random observations:

-Alex Smith looked like the same Alex Smith. The interception probably shouldn't have been thrown and the pass to Vernon Davis makes me pull out my hair. That's a clear touchdown (and a pretty easy pass) that he simply screwed up. The good-to-great QBs make that throw 10 of 10 times. I don't expect him to be worse than last year, but I can't expect him to be noticeably better after this outing. I'm hoping that improvement on the o-line and on the outside are enough to make the offense look better.

-Dixon looked good, but we've seen lousy RBs excel in the preseason before. He should get the start next week to see how he does against 1's. Hopefully the guy is at least better than Coffee was last year, because Michael Robinson is straight up garbage as a running back.

-Just a glimpse or two at the returners (Ginn, Williams) shows that they are both heads and shoulders above what we had last year (Battle aka the canary in the coalmine that is the WR corps - his place on the depth chart was an accurate measure of the unit's suckitude). I'm really liking Williams in particular. One of them may or may not be pretty awesome, but it seems that one will be at least average, which is huge for the team at this point.

-The run defense looked dominant - without Franklin or Willis.

-The pass defense looked suspect - no pass rush.

-Anthony Davis struggled pretty mightily, which should have been expected. He's not going to be awesome when the season starts, but he really needs to be better than what was there last year by the first game. That's the goal. He's a project.

-Iupati looked awesome in run blocking. I get excited at the thought of Frank Gore running behind an offensive line that can actually make holes for him. He gets 1k+ without holes, he got 1,700 with some holes. If we can see something even close to that this year, that'll help the offense and Alex Smith tremendously.

-If Taylor Mays sticks with it, he's going to be fantastic when he figures out what the heck he's doing.

Bottom line: It's too early to make definitive judgments, so I'll keep the right to do some 180s before the preseason ends. But:

-Defense looks the same, because it is the same. Improvement could come from an experienced Goldston and a frequently used Brooks. Otherwise, expect another solid but unspectacular defense that will keep the game competitive most of the time.

-In theory, I should be really excited about the offense. Smith in his second year, two new 1st rounders on the line, Crabtree with experience etc. But, I have to say that I've lost all confidence in Alex Smith. He just looks like a middling backup NFL quarterback. Recall that I was a HUGE defender of the guy for a very long time. I won't give up on him yet, but he just doesn't look very good. ZERO excuses this year for him, he has everything he could ever ask for to have an excellent season. If he produces anything less, the 49ers need to go out and find his replacement.

-Overall, this can be a playoff team regardless of Smith if the offensive line can block well and if Crabtree/Davis and Co and make some plays for Smith. The division is garbage, a middling offense that occasionally makes a big play can get the team to the postseason. Playoffs by default is better than no playoffs, but Arizona isn't done yet. I'd rather see Smith play well, ensuring the first playoff birth in way too long.

Patrick Willis: good at football; rich.

2010-05-05T12:23:00.001-05:00

Good for him, and good for the 9ers. The best player at his position BY FAR, and he deserves every penny.

LOL everyone who says the yorks are cheap.

Things that make you go "DAAAAAAMMMMNNNN!"

2010-04-16T14:41:00.003-05:00

Totally called that it was a 5 BTW (like everyone didn't already know that)

Anyways, here's a video of what I hope we can expect:

Now that first one is pretty much just bad coverage- he gets outside and then runs away from everyone. The second one is what excites me. He had moves AND speed- it wasn't just "let me get to the edge and beat everyone", he actually MADE that return happen. If he can do that on kickoffs and punts...watch out. This should be fun.

TED GINNNNN

2010-04-16T12:30:00.002-05:00

Say what you will about the 49ers' management, but they've never had to trade a top 10 drafted player just 2 years after he was chosen. For peanuts. When I heard about this deal 2 things came to mind:

LOL cam cameron, and
Wow, the 49ers are actually intelligent.

This post comes with the disclaimer that I have no idea what pick they gave up (all I've heard is "late round", which must be like a 5?), but I really really like this move. A lot. Remember, when you trade for Ted Ginn, you don't just get Ted Ginn, you get Ted Ginn's whole family. And for a 5th rounder (maybe) at that!

But seriously, a guy who's proven he can make an impact in the NFL by returning kicks. Imagine that. They don't need to spend a 1st rounder on him, and he won't be under any pressure to be a game-breaking number 1 (or even number FOUR) WR. He can be a return man and that's it, and they won't have any stupid ideas of trying to work him into the WR rotation, since they have 4 guys who have wayy more talent there.

He won't give the kind of threat on offense that a guy like Spiller would, but I think that if you used him in an innovative way (probably not going to happen), he could definitely give defenses something to think about. Also, he was wayyy cheaper than Spiller would be.

God damn, seriously- this was a great decision. It gives them a lot more flexibility with those 2 first round picks.

Scot is out

2010-03-22T19:38:00.002-05:00

ummm........wow. OK. Well it's been awhile since we first heard the news, but I have a really hard time believing this is anything other than really bad. Maybe he wasn't that great, but I'm not sure this is the best way things could have happened. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

It sure would be nice if this team could go one offseason without having some sort of huge upheaval in some area, though.

I just thought this was funny

2010-03-17T21:37:00.002-05:00

the 3 QBs we're supposed to be worried about next year are Charlie Whitehurst, Derek Anderson, and either Mark Bulger or a rookie.

lol

IDGAF how bad anyone thinks Smith is, I'd rather have him than any of those 4 options, and it's not even a competition

For the record

2010-03-10T15:48:00.003-06:00

Mardy Gilyard is my Willis/Crabtree of this draft. I want the guy bad, and he'll be a great value.

Seriously, compare him to Steve Smith- both undersized, from smaller schools, ran unimpressive 40 times, projected to go after the "big guys" at WR. But both were dynamic return men and played fast on the field.

Gilyard makes plays happen on returns, and could be had for a 3rd rounder. Use those 1sts for a tackle and maybe a defender. Maybe Haden falls but is actually good. Maybe A. Davis from Rutgers can be an anchor at RT. I'm not sure, but I do know that I love Gilyard, especially given the value that far down in the draft.

The NFC West is ours with 7 wins

2010-01-30T00:53:00.001-06:00

It's going to be a very very ugly division next season if the 49ers don't step up. Wow. The 4 QBs in the division will be Leinart, Smith, Hasselbeck (?), and ??. I guess there's always a chance that someone makes a move for McNabb or something, but Jesus. That's ugly.

Karma, bitches

2010-01-25T13:35:00.002-06:00

Been warning my viking fan friends all year that this was going to happen. It literally could not have ended better. RELIEF.

Suck it, Favre.

Nate Davis

2010-01-08T10:22:00.004-06:00

This is a video of every throw that Nate Davis made in the preseason. Yes, it is against lowsy players (and with mostly lowsy teammates). Yes, they gave him a much scaled down version of the offense. Yes, not every throw or play was great.

But, for a rookie, especially a guy who slipped in the draft due to a concern that he's a slow learner and a project, this is impressive. Overall, very good accuracy and touch on his passes. Most importantly, his pocket presence is fantastic. McNabb has taken a liking to him and will train with/mentor him, this can only help.

I read the quotes of Alex Smith saying that he'll have the opportunity to work on things like pocket presence and footwork now that he'll be in the same offense for a second season. I'm very eager to see what he's able to bring to the table next year.

I'm equally eager to see what Nate Davis can bring to the table, and I'm wondering if he has any chance of winning the backup QB spot over Shaun Hill. Davis didn't get throwing reps in practice, he could use those next season. We know what Shaun Hill is: a good leader, a guy who won't royally screw up much, a guy with very little talent and a noodle arm. If Nate Davis can get up to speed in the offense and be responsible enough to not make huge mistakes were he to enter the game, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he becomes the backup next season. That would definitely help his development, and he'd be the first guy on the field if Smith falters or gets hurt. Of course, he has to earn that. If manages to do so, that speaks well of his development.

I hope we're able to see what he's made of in the next couple of seasons

Garrett Gilbert

2010-01-07T22:42:00.001-06:00

not on topic, and the guy won't be available for 3 years, but oh my god. Oh. My. God. He's a true freshman and he's doing that.

Just for fun

2010-01-02T00:11:00.003-06:00

I was perusing Andre Johnson's rookie stats. It's amazing how similar they are on a game-by-game basis to one mister Michael Crabtree.

I think he might end up being pretty good. Maybe.

Stats only I care about/Alex Smith

2009-12-29T13:33:00.002-06:00

-The 49ers are the only team in the top 10 in the NFL in turnover differential (+9, 5th in NFL) that is not still alive for the playoffs.

-The 49ers are 1 of only 3 teams with a positive point differential that are not still alive for the playoffs (the Falcons and Giants are the others).

-The 49ers will probably go 5-1 in their division. The other teams in the NFL that have 1 or 0 division losses all won their divisions, and will likely make up the top 3 seeds in both the AFC and the NFC.

From a purely statistical standpoint, these are bizarre facts. Not sure about historically, but I'd have to think that the VAST majority of teams that went 5-1 in their division, had a positive point differential, and ranked 5th in turnover differential ended up in the playoffs. So, without actually thinking about the games this year or the state of the team, but just in looking at stats, why are the 49ers a statistical oddity?

Well, they're an oddity when looking at the above stats, but not at all when looking at a couple of others:

-The top 10 passing yards teams in the NFL are ALL still alive for the playoffs.

-Only ONE team in the bottom 10 in passing yards (the Jets) is still alive for the playoffs.

-The 49ers are in the bottom 10 in passing yards.

Team passer rating, sometimes considered a useless stat by some people who are anti-statistics (the fact that sacks aren't considered in the rating is a major flaw, but it's useful nonetheless) is an even more powerful indicator:

-14 of the top 15 teams in the NFL in passer rating are still alive for the playoffs (the Giants are the exception)

-Only TWO teams in the bottom 15 in team passer rating (Jets, Dolphins) are still alive for the playoffs.

-The 49ers are in the bottom 15 in team passer rating.

I don't think it should surprise anyone that passing is this important to a team's success in the playoffs. The fact of the matter is the conservative/good defense/mistake-free plan is virtually irrelevant to today's NFL. Yes, turnover differential is important, but the least random turnovers are interceptions, and those are encapsulated in the passer rating.

Guess what I'm getting at is that Singletary's plan was doomed to fail from the beginning. This 3 yards and a cloud of dust crap does not work in today's NFL. Should a team buck the trend and try and be that one team that wins without passing? That was what Singletary did until it became remarkably obvious to anyone that had watched a 49ers game that this was stupid and a failing strategy. Fan (and probably ownership) outrage, and pure desperation, finally lead to change. Hopefully Singletary learned, but I'm not so sure.

The other point is the importance of the quarterback position. With better QB play, this team would have been in the playoffs this season and probably a couple other seasons in the last 5 or so years. It's not a coincidence that the 49ers went from a perennial playoff contender to top draft pick contender literally overnight when they lost Steve Young. A QB makes that much difference.

This is why I have no confidence in the 49ers' future right now. They have things going for them, but I have to say that I've turned on Alex Smith. He just doesn't look like a guy that is capable of being a great quarterback to me. Yes, the crap he's endured has been crazy. He's a robot, as opposed to an artist, he's the worst type of player to give inconsistency and constant change. The 49ers ruined him, and that's not Smith's fault.

Might he all of the sudden be great once he finally gets a second year in an offense? It's not something you can rule out I guess, but has he really shown anything that leads to this possibility? Really? Remember, he's started 42 games, he's not a rookie anymore.

For some context, Matt Ryan had a passer rating of 87.7 in his rookie year. That year, he started 16 games and posted an 87.7+ rating in 9 of those games. In his 42 career games, Smith has 13 games with a passer rating over 87.7.

Yes, I know that some QBs play well right away and some don't, and I know the surrounding casts were different. But look, every year there's at least one new QB that comes out and looks pretty impressive, that looks like they could potentially be a franchise QB. I've never seen Alex Smith look like a franchise QB, ever. We're still talking about projections and extrapolation and potential like he's 19 f**king years old. It's all hope, and nothing else.

Smith on his way towards another beautiful throw out of bounds.

I know he can be better with more understanding of the offense and all that. What I might be most concerned with is pocket presence. My concern? Alex Smith doesn't have any, never has, and with as much experience as he has, this is something that can only be pinned on him. As soon as some activity goes down around him, he runs to his right and throws an incomplete pass. Watch some other games, how often do you see any other QB do this? Watch someone like Ben Roethlisberger, who will stay in the pocket, avoid a sack, and make a throw. Better yet, a guy like Matt Hasselbeck, not a physical specimen by any means. He has great pocket presence. Alex Smith has given up tons of completions and first downs because he bolts from the pocket to the right at the first sign of trouble. QBs make plays with pocket presence all the time. When Alex Smith does it once (against Seattle way back when) it becomes that one play that Smith backers mention as a sign of Smith's potential. Roethlisberger does that a good half dozen times a game.

Pocket presence is the most underrated skill in the NFL in my opinion. This skill is the reason that Brett Favre has always been healthy. It's why Roethlisberger has had a great season. It's why Donovan McNabb is a great QB. O-Line quality comes and goes, but good pocket presence can keep a QB making plays even with a mediocre line.

Unless Alex Smith magically shows pocket presence that he's never had, he'll only be a successful QB if his O-Line is awesome. Which means that, even if you gift the 49ers the highly dubious assumption that they'll build a great O-Line, Smith will be one O-Line injury away from complete mediocrity. This is not a sustainable plan for yearly contention, and this means that Alex Smith is not an above average QB. How many QBs can be successful with a sick O-Line?

They can't get rid of Smith now, but so help me God if I was running the franchise I'd have my finger on the trigger. Let Smith know that if he isn't awesome right away next year, he's out. It's not worth keeping a mediocre QB around when you might have a better one on the bench.

And f**k no, I don't give Smith all of next season. As I said, he's started 42 games. Yes, he's been screwed. But not all NFL skills/instincts/talents are completely tied to whether routes are referred to by a number or by a letter. He knows the NFL, he knows the speed of the game, he's seen lots of defenses. He's apparently very smart, two offseasons and a one regular season should be more than enough to supplement his game experience with the knowledge of the offense that's required for success. If he isn't showing excellent play right away next year, he ain't the guy. If he ain't the guy, might as well move along sooner rather than later.

Football sucks

2009-12-20T20:10:00.002-06:00

I'd come to terms with it. I'd accepted 8-8, mediocrity, middle-of-the-road. I KNEW this was going to happen. I KNEW IT AFTER THE FUCKING COLTS GAME FOR GOD'S SAKE. The Eagles are super bowl contenders- there was no way the 49ers were going to beat them at home.

And yet, this game made me angrier to watch than any other game this season. WHY?!?!? What the hell did we have any reason to expect?? I hate football for doing this to me every week, and and every year. Of course, that's easy to say on a Sunday after my team has been humiliated.

Next sunday I'll be right back there, watching them play down to their competition and probably blowing a game they should win. It's honestly starting to make me wonder why I bother investing my time in this shit. Is there hope of getting better? Sure, but there is every year. Are things different this offseason than they ever have been? Sure, but they are every year.

Every year you can find SOMEthing that's different, something that gives you hope that next year will be better, NEXT year will be worth watching!

But WILL it?

I don't think I'll ever be able to get to the point where I honestly don't care- I'm sure none of us as fans could envision that day where we REALLY don't care about the team either way. But god damn, they are really pissing me off, and I'm not entirely sure what they need to do to get better. Coaching? New players? I honestly believe this team has enough raw talent to be a playoff team. So WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM?

I guess all we can hope for is offensive continuity for the first time in 7 years, an improved offensive line, and an improved pass rush. But pardon me if I'm not 100% sure those things will actually happen.

After all, it hasn't before, so why should we continue to believe that NEXT year will be different?

All I'm left with now is rooting against the Vikings with every fiber of my being. God I hate them.

I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO LOSE

2009-12-20T16:10:00.001-06:00

SO WHY IS THIS PISSING ME OFF SO MUCH. GOD DAMNIT.

Some perspective?

2009-12-18T22:06:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that hell will have to freeze over before the 49ers would go on the road to the eastern time zone and win a game they absolutely HAVE TO WIN. It IS customary for the Iggles to blow a game every year at around this time, but boy is it unlikely to be this one.

So with that said, we as fans are resigning ourselves to another year of mediocrity, albeit this time one where we may actually have a non-losing record for the first time in 7 years.

And ya know what? That ain't so bad. I'm not sure exactly what we expected to get out of this season. Maybe if a couple more breaks went our way (minnesota, indy, houston, etc) we'd be better, but the fact of the matter is that .500 for a team whose offense did a complete 180 halfway through the season is more than acceptable.

More than that, the 49ers are the only team in the NFC west that is set up for any sort of long-term success. When this season started and I saw football outsiders say the Rams were the "sleeper team" in the NFC West, I could NOT understand their reasoning. At all. The Rams have nobody outside of Steven Jackson that you are in the least bit worried about.

And that got me thinking, how many guys ARE there like that in this division?

So to cheer us niner fans up a little bit, I thought I'd try to break down the "impact players" (for lack of a better term) in the nfc west. Guys who you as an opponent are scared of, and guys you have to gameplan for:

NFC CRAPWEST BREAKDOWN

1. Arizona Cardinals
Impact player count: 3 (Warner, Boldin, Fitzgerald)

Obviously a team with a LOT of offensive talent. Wisenhunt is a good coach, and they have amazing skill position players- Fitzgerald, Boldin, Breaston at WR, and Wells looks like he's going to be a pain in the ass for a long time.

BUT

The centerpiece of their offense is a guy who will not be in the league in 2 years, maybe not even next year. Kurt Warner is eventually going to start playing like he's 40, and when that happens they have no backup plan. With Leinart at QB, the Cardinals are barely a .500 team, even with all the available weaponry on offense.

Their defense just makes me go "meh". Not great, not terrible. Rodgers-Cromartie is very good, but can be destroyed if you fool him.

Seattle
Impact Player count: 1? (Hasselbeck?)

Seriously, who on this team scares you, or WILL scare you in the near future? I can't think of anyone outside of Curry. He could be a beast, but he sure hasn't been that great this season.

On offense they have nobody. Hasselbeck is old and can't stay healthy, Branch is done, Houshmanzadeh is pretty OK, but isn't the kind of guy you have to scheme your defense around, and Julias Jones? Really? Forsett looks like he'll be a good player, but I'm not sure he's going to be a guy you're terrified of. Other than Forsett, they have no young up-and-coming talent that will soon be a threat.

Their defense is just more "meh", with the aforementioned Curry being the lone bright spot. The rest is just a bunch of dudes who aren't awful, but, again, aren't guys that you spend the week preparing for.

St. Louis
Impact Player count: 1 (Steven Jackson)

Oh no. Ohhh noooooooo. This is the 2004 49ers with a better running back and better safety. No need to spend much time on this team- turnover happens quick in the NFL, but it's tough to imagine them being any good in less than 2 years.

San Francisco
Impact Player count: 6 (Crabtree, Gore, Davis, Willis, Clements, J Smith)

Ahhh yes. The entire core of this offense is under the age of 27. Smith looks good. Crabtree looks like he could be a top 10 WR, Gore is a top 5 RB, and Davis is a top 2 TE. Willis is the best linebacker in the game, Clements is borderline, but when he left the defense got quite a bit worse, and Smith is a guy that offenses hate because he just does. not. stop.

If Alex Smith keeps improving (he'll go into next year as the defined starter, and for the first time he'll be entering his second year in the same offense), then the sky is the limit for the offense. They have skill at every position save offensive line, and that skill is young and established. Obviously offensive line is important, but Rachal and Staley both look like they're going to be solid, and Heitmann is one of the best in the game.

More of the same on defense. The skill position players that the defense is relying on are young and talented, and aren't going anywhere any time soon. Goldson could be special, Clements has at least another 2 years left, same for Justin Smith. Also, apparently Shawnte turned into a really good player over night.

So what's my point? Yes, this year was frustrating. We're one miracle play and one trick play away from being in the driver's seat.

BUT

The team has a lot of young talent that is steadily improving, and the rest of the division doesn't. SOMEbody has to win the NFC west every year, and right now it looks like the Niners are built to be able to do that for awhile to come.

Karma

2009-12-14T23:47:00.002-06:00

It paid the 49ers back in full in one game. This is a makeup for the "everything that can go wrong will go wrong" Seattle game last week and the Minnesota game, and just the general fact that they've lost a half dozen close games. I suppose the Bears game is karma in their favor, but most of the rest was against.

Seven turnovers? Sheesh! People will try to explain it. Say the Cardinals weren't concentrating or something. Props goes out to the defenders who forced those fumbles, there were a lot of legit strips/hits in there that were liable to cause fumbles. That so many did is happenstance. That the 49ers recovered so many of them is more happenstance. That sort of stuff evens out over time. Karma.

Random notes:

-I started Alex Smith against punk John Gale f/ Chris Johnson, so I was actually slightly sore when I saw Gore gash the Cardinals. I was hoping for a pass play on that last redzone possession, even knowing that running was the smart move there. Fantasy aside, it was nice to see balance. Keep the D offguard, you have a talented running back and talented pass catchers. When the defense can't key on any of them, good things can happen. Need an O-line though.

-Very interested to see how the offense looks after an offseason of the players learning it more, and the coaches learning the personnel more, and O-line upgrades. It's clear that the offense isn't in synch, but what can you expect? Installing a new ball-control offense, shuffling linemen, changing QBs, bringing in a brand new number one WR mid-season, and then doing a comical 180 to a spread offense in the middle of the season will do that. Timing is off, people aren't on the same page. It's folly to expect anything else. People will say this and that about Alex Smith. He's entitled to show what he can do with *gasp* an offseason/training camp of working on the same offense he's already learned. What a thought! Also, for the vicious Alex haters out there, staying with Smith for another season is the only logical move. What else are you going to do? Bring in Daunte Culpepper? Draft future backup TE Tim Tebow? Do to Nate Davis what was already done to Alex Smith? If Smith proves once and for all that he isn't the guy next season, then give Davis a shot once that season has been decided.

-Ahmad Brooks. Do we have something there? Wow.

-I didn't enjoy the game all that much since I've retreated back into pessimism-self protection mode, but it was nice to see a win on national television. Also, that Michael Crabtree touchdown was effin' sweet. Mostly, it's nice to just not be angry after a 49ers game.

-This season is lost, but I can't help but be optimistic for next season. Two first rounders and an offense that can be something with more cohesion and improvements along the O-line. They haven't had this much talent since the latest collapse (~2002). They're genuinely close to being a legit (and not just lucky) playoff team. Next season.

-That optimism is dependent on the performance of Alex Smith, Jimmy Raye, and the front office over the next year. *sigh*

-I recall a similar "next season optimism" after the '06, and we all know how that turned out. That's a warning. But seriously, this team is a lot more talented all around than that team.

-To come full circle, eventually things have to fall into place. The 49ers have one of the longest playoff droughts in the parity-filled NFL, and the talent-level is no longer commensurate with that factoid. There's only so many times we can call heads and get tails. Karma is the real reason for optimism, that the suffering of the last decade will be paid back with meaningful January football games down the line. Or, this is all just me trying to justify my hopeless faith. Whichever.

Fuck you, Brett Favre

2009-12-06T21:55:00.003-06:00

Fuck you good. And fuck all you stupid pussy bandwagoning Vikings fans.

Man, today really made me angry RE: Football. Watching that jackass finally melt down is just the soothing balm my angry heart needed.

I hope you Vikings fans (not that any are reading this) enjoyed your little run of good luck, because now "December Brett" is coming back. and you won't like him very much.

This Team Doesn't Even Deserve My Anger

2009-12-06T18:30:00.002-06:00

That's all I got. It's actually REALLY hard to lay blame for this one, because they all suck. They all screwed up. Nobody wanted to make a play. I'm done. If they can't beat a terrible Seattle team when it counts, why should I care?

Oh FFS

2009-12-06T15:38:00.002-06:00

Blown non call on the PI, epic failure in short yardage, burning all 3 TOs. Fuck this fucking team.

EDIT VERNON DAVIS I FUCKING LOVE THAT PLAY!

Minnesota Disaster

2009-11-29T18:47:00.002-06:00

I'd rather not rehash the happenings that went down in that game, only to say that it destroyed the 49ers' season. Even after all the crap that we've seen from this team this season, a simple win at Minnesota would have left them at 6-5 (5-2 in conference). This record would have left them in control of their own destiny when it comes to winning the division, as they'd be able to tie the Cardinals and win the tiebreaker due to a season sweep merely by taking care of their own business. The 2 conference losses would have them at least tied with every other NFC wildcard contender in terms of the first (I believe) non-division wildcard tiebreaker (conference record). They'd also only be one game out of the wildcard, with an easier remaining schedule than the two teams ahead of them (GB, Philly).

I know that "ifs" and "buts" are pretty stupid overall. What happened happened and you can spin any sort of set of ifs and buts to come with a perfect season for most any team in the NFL (moderate overstatement). But, this isn't some "if" that has to do with strategy, or playcalling, or an injury, or how a fumble fell. It's one miracle play that should have never happened for a variety of reasons. One play. One play would give the 49ers legitimate hope.

Now, as Singletary has finally seemed to figure out what works on offense, it's almost certainly too late. They lost too many games because of stupid reasons, Singletary was too stubborn for too long. And, the defense sucks, even with the mere 3 points given up today. After that Minnesota game, I blew up in impressive fashion, because a) Brett Favre was involved and b) I knew, maybe more likely than not, that loss was going to be really, really big when it was all said and done. We knew the 49ers were a middling team that could make the playoffs in a parity-filled conference if they won a few close games. Those are the sorts of games that separate playoff teams from the others. They came out on the wrong end.

On a somber note, Arizona's loss today (Vince Young = Awesome) is just enough to keep stringing us along with a tiny little carrot, making us wonder whether the 49ers can actually pull off a playoff run. They're certainly set up well when you look at their schedule and the Cardinals' schedule (they play MN and GB still). If Warner remains out for much longer, that becomes doubly so.

But, I STILL can't trust the playcalling, even though, I'll admit, it was pretty impressive today (the pass on 4th down was ballsy, and that end around to Walker was sweet and completely unexpected). The return units are a complete bust, and that will cost the team at some point. But most of all, in a remarkable 180, I now have no faith in the defense.

Yes, they held the Jaguars to 3 points (thanks to a cruddy kicker, but even 9 points would have been impressive just the same). They did finally get some sacks. But, there were just too many times when Gerrard was allowed to sit back there for forever, and when he managed to throw the ball, it was almost always a completion. That defense can't be trusted to produce turnovers or hold teams at all. They only seem to make plays when the other guy screws up, and that's not going to happen against Warner and McNabb. The 49ers will only make a run if the Alex Smith spread offense goes gangbusters, and I don't trust the OC enough for that (also, it's fairly sloppy - too many dropped balls today, and Smith missed guys a few times).

So, more misery. It would almost be better if they had 2 more losses. That would allow me to not pretend they have a chance and to start looking at draft boards. They just have to string us along.

On happier notes:

-I really think that Smith is playing himself into a permanent starting job, and I actually think that they should keep Raye. Remember, he does what Singletary wants. And, his playcalling has gotten slightly better as the season has gone along. Also, there has been an incredible flux, and he has had to learn where his talent lies. Injuries everywhere, a QB change, randomly getting an awesome WR in the middle of the season, a comically huge shift from stodgy run offense to spread offense, etc. I think he's been alright really, and the continued lack of any continuity that would come from replacing him isn't worth getting somebody who, maybe or maybe not, is a good or better OC.

Just imagine what Alex Smith could do with the same coordinator for two years in a row! That was sort of phony excitement, but he really deserves to have the same offense for two years. I think he has what it takes, and that would make the 49ers much closer to legitimate than if they have to get a new QB.

-Carolina lost again, taking them to 4-7. To finish the season, they play TB, @NE, Min, @NYG, NO. Assuming that New Orleans still has to play to get a top seed, the Panthers could very easily go 1-4, for a final record of 5-11. Last year, the two teams that went 5-11 drafted 7 and 8. An extra win thrown in there should still create a top 10 pick. Sweet.

I don't even care

2009-11-29T16:33:00.001-06:00

that the coaches are going to say that the offensive performance "has nothing to do with any change ever, we've always been this good blah blah blah". Fuck them. They're finally doing what they should have been doing ever since Smith took over, and WHAT A SHOCK- it's working.

Alex Smith, professional NFL quarterback. Suck it, haters.

Fire the shit out of Jimmy Raye

2009-11-22T15:26:00.002-06:00

When the hell is he going to realize that you don't have to wait until you're down by 20 to play offense?

And no, the Packers were not in prevent at all. They were running their normal defense. If they call the offense like they did in the second half over the whole game, they win. The defense sucks without Clements and Spikes, too.

No fucking excuse for this. Stop with the retarded offense and run the spread- it works, your lame shit doesn't.

Was I right?

2009-11-22T13:04:00.003-06:00

or was I RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHHHTTT.

Plolayoffs. What a fucking joke of a team we root for. Jesus Christ.

YOU WANNA CALL ANOTHER FUCKING DIVE PLAY JIMMY?!? THEY PROBABLY WONT SEE IT FUCKING COMING THIS TIME.

/arnaz battle returning punts again.

Thanks 49ers

2009-11-22T13:03:00.002-06:00

You fucking horrible football team: thanks for just letting Greg Jennings help me relive Antonio Freeman's slant for a touchdown in the 96 playoffs.

Why don't you go ahead and get blown out. I hate you all for not showing up. I knew this game would suck, in fact I had no doubt.

And is there any doubt at all about Alex Smith? I mean, sure, something bad will probably happen, but you have to THROW THE FUCKING BALL to make anything at all happen. The guy is a stiff and a terrible, terrible quarterback. I bet we see Shaun Hill after the half (at the very latest).

Yay another sack, awesome job offense.

Fuck Green Bay, too. Those people in the stands are repulsive.

Lol

2009-11-18T17:31:00.002-06:00

Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers runs a hybrid 3-4 scheme that makes dramatic scheme adjustments depending on the opponent. So the 49ers will try to guess along and figure what the Packers showed in their first nine games that they might apply to Sunday's game plan.

We're fucked.

Really? We're going to rely on Jimmy Raye to "guess along" and figure out what the Packers are going to do on defense? Don't even bother watching the absolute travesty that's going to unfold on the heated tundra in 4 days.

Seriously, how is Jimmy Raye even taken seriously at this point? It's pretty GLARINGLY obvious that he is not an NFL level offensive coordinator- for God's sake, he was surprised to see the Packers running a different defensive scheme on Sunday than the one they'd used the previous week. Really? We're relying on this guy to run an NFL offense?

Kill me now.

Where's Rayvin???

2009-11-14T23:10:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to take a moment to gloat about Notre Dame's suckitude. I hate Notre Dame. I hate how they get the legacy treatment and are all over television no matter how much they suck. I hate how the BCS made special rules for them, such that people were actually thinking of Notre Dame as a possible BCS team prior to their loss against frickin' NAVY. That boggles my mind.

I hate how they fired Ty Willingham early, despite his having a good deal of success. Weis had his most success with WILLINGHAM's players, has had basically no success of his own, and yet has been allowed to last longer than Willingham did. While Notre Dame was struggling a few years ago, Rayvin was talking this and that about how great Notre Dame would be once Weis' players were in and experienced enough to provide optimal productivity.

Oops.

Arrogant fatty McWeis must be on his way out, and Notre Dame continues to be relevant only because the powers that be insist in manufacturing illusory relevance. Kind of like how undefeated NFL teams only get about as much attention as the last place team in the NFC East. But I digress.

Anyways, just wanted to turn the knife a little bit. I'm sure Rayvin is long gone and has forgot about this blog, but in the off chance that he shows up again: haha!

\my Badgers continue to toil as an above average Big Ten team, aka mediocre.

Sooo...

2009-11-12T21:14:00.001-06:00

...are you getting a very familiar feeling with this game?

So THAT'S why the offense has been conservative

2009-11-08T18:55:00.003-06:00

Once a (pretty bad) team actually had the opportunity to gameplan against Alex Smith, we see that he is, in fact, nearly the same mediocre player that we were hoping would become something better than that. Very little has changed with him, and I fear that the 49ers' may be sitting in 6-10 land waiting for Smith to not suck for longer than necessary. He has the rest of this season. If he's not awesome by the end of it, get the fuck rid of his sorry brainy-will-never-be-ready-for-primetime ass and draft someone. These are years of a franchise's life going to waste. Frank Gore's career will likely be wasted. Willis' best years are being wasted. My Sunday afternoons are being wasted.

Eric beat me to the punch, but just in case any of us (or Mike Singletary) are under any illusions, this will not be a playoff team. The Arizona Cardinals, inconsistent as they may be, are a clearly better football team who has a two game lead and a cake schedule (only games against Minnesota and Green Bay are worth mentioning). So, the division is out.

Wildcard? The 49ers are competing with the Bears, Packers, Falcons, and 2/3 of the Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants for two spots. That's assuming that the only competition involves teams with better records than 3-5 (the 49ers have the same record as the freaking Seattle Seahawks). There is no chance.

So, just eight games into the season, we already face the depressing reality that this will once again be a crappy football team that will not be "playing in January" as the kid owner put it.

The defense is good enough to not suck as it's been for a few years. Which is to say, they're just good enough to let you down week to week. The offensive line is crap. The quarterback is crap. If Singletary says anything ridiculous about the playoffs or anything else after this game, he will become Mike Nolan 2.0 in my eyes: delusional, lost on offense, and just not effective. He's already two out of three.

I'm Done*

2009-11-08T18:14:00.006-06:00

Enjoy this dogshit team, I can't take it anymore. Plus my kid is learning too many cuss-words on Sunday afternoons.

Damn I hate this team.

Singletary hasn't done dick. This is the same exact 49ers team we've been watching for the last 6 years. I wonder if today's post-game comment will be, "we have to learn how to finish". Riiiight. Keep fooling yourself, "Sing".

It feels good to feel the burning hate for Singletary and his bullshit message. And let's be honest, anyone wearing a giant wooden cross has to be a dick.

This isn't even a 6-10 team. This is the same team that always drops 5 or 6 or 7 or 8straight games in the middle of the season. Nothing has changed!

Alex Smith crumbles under the slightest pressure. Fuck his little hands. He should
be in the UFL. You KNEW both those picks were coming.

*Yea, I'll probably be back watching on Thursday night. I obviously hate myself.

It was option B

2009-11-01T15:05:00.002-06:00

Alex Smith is good. Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Micheal Crabtree are good. The O-line isn't good, but it's decent enough to win games.

The defense was amazing, and held Peyton Manning without a TD pass. Seriously.

This game was lost because the 49ers do not have professional NFL-level coaches running their team. IDK if the blame rests mostly on Singletary or Raye, but both the horrendous playcalling and unbelievable mental errors cost them this game, and both of those things rest on the coaches.

Mediocre team at best. The talent is there, but it's hamstrung by poor management.

So which is it?

2009-10-27T23:46:00.002-05:00

To my mind, there are 3 ways this season can go from right now onward, and we'll see this Sunday how it all shall unfold:

1. Alex Smith resurrects his career and leads the team to a playoff berth.
The 49ers are the "where the hell did THEY come from???" team, and WE are finally the team that gets the endless breathless reports on how they've turned their season around and how great of a story it is to see Smith bounce back from a terrible start to his career.

Sunday's impact: A win over the Colts. If the 9ers win on Sunday, it will be because Alex Smith is the real deal. That will get everyone's attention in a right hurry.

Odds of happening: 5%. Let's be real- we're 49er fans. In the 00s, that means we get shit on and like it. No chance we end up being "that" team this year. Though I do love my boy crabs.

2. Alex Smith is merely "meh", and leads the team to another 7-9, 8-8ish type mediocre season. Everything we've seen in the last couple weeks and last couple years: sort of OK play from the defense, "meh" play from the offense, and enough stupid mental and coaching errors to just make them frustratingly close to being successful, and that keeps us coming back for more.

Sunday's impact: a close loss to the Colts. They get down fairly big (think last week), and are able to come back and make it a game, but they're never ACTUALLY in it. We've seen it many, many times before.

Odds of happening: 75%. By far the most likely outcome. I'm rooting for Smith to be sure, but forgive me if the last 4 years of watching this team have pretty much squeezed out any shred of optimism I may have had. Boy, it was fun to watch him on Sunday, but he was playing against vanilla defensive looks and not a guy I like to call "BOB SANDERS".

3. Alex Smith is an unmitigated disaster.

He plays terribly or even gets injured. The season spirals out of control and into a 5-11/6-10ish end. Plus side: we get 2 top 10 picks, thereby destroying our cap space for the near future. Wait, that's not good either.

Sunday's impact: a disastrous blowout loss on the level of the Atlanta game. There is no excuse for that to happen again, and if it does, then we know what we have on our hands- another season of bitter disappointment and disillusionment.

Odds of happening: 20%. I'm not sure I think this team is this bad, but there is definitely that chance floating around in the back of my head. I really think Smith looked excellent on Sunday, vanilla defenses or no, but there's a nagging thing in the back of my mind that makes me think we can't possibly expect anything other than disaster and blood and guts and destruction. Maybe it's the whole "I've been watching this team play football for 4 years" thing.

Houston, we have an offense.

2009-10-25T15:45:00.003-05:00

Um, wow. I'm not really sure how to express what I just saw in words. Truly a tale of 2 teams.

In the first half it was Atlanta game part deaux- defense terrible, offense terrible, nobody could do anything. Also, Arnaz Battle needs to be cut. He does nothing that warrents keeping him on an NFL roster, and hasn't for at least 2 years now. With Crabtree, Morgan, Hill, and Jones, there is no reason for him to be here. He cannot field punts- I'm pretty sure I would do a better job than him, and I have a possibly broken thumb.

Alex Smith threw 3 touch down passes in one half. I'm going to let that sink in for a minute.

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OK? Alex Smith had 4 fewer fantasy points than TOM BRADY. In one half.

And yes, Houston didn't gameplan for Smith all week. But that was not injured Alex Smith. That wasn't "hasn't played football for 2 years" Smith that we saw in the preseason. That was a different player. Seriously. Forget the 3 TDs- they were great, but the way he LOOKED throwing them was spectacular.

He moved in the pocket. Alex Smith. Moved. In the pocket. To avoid defenders. He threw the ball on time. Alex Smith. Threw. The ball. On. Time. He fit it into tight spots. Seriously, go watch that 3rd TD to Davis. Since I started following this team, I haven't ever seen a 49ers QB make a throw like that.

Im not happy with this, though. This was a horribly coached game. It is completely unacceptable to look like this after you've had 2 weeks to prepare for an opponent- wrong packages, too many men on the field, stupid delay of game penalties, wasted timeouts, keeping Battle in as a punt returner when he has shown absolutely no proficiency in that department EVER in his career, etc.

Some of that can be attributed to the patchwork Oline and both Smith and Crabtree being on the field for the first time in a very long time. So in some respects I let it slide, but even in the first half the coaching was pretty bad.

It would have cured a lot of ills if that last drive had ended with points. Overall, I feel the less bad about this loss than I did after either of the other 2. The offense showed it's willing to make some changes once smith came in and that was refreshing. Smith looked really, REALLY good. The defense picked it up in the second half and played well.

If they can capture the way they played in the second half and bottle that up for the remaining games, they're a legit playoff team. I'm not totally sure they can, though. We'll have to see how Smith handles a defense that knows he's coming, and how the defense handles the best quarterback in the NFL. I'm expecting a 3-4 record after next week.

GO GIANTS!

Nate, you were 100% right

2009-10-25T13:08:00.001-05:00

damn, I really thought we were gonna get to watch a good team finally. At least the first few weeks were fun, though. Back to the depressing mediocrity we know so well

WOW

2009-10-25T12:51:00.001-05:00

IF ONLY SOMEBODY IN THE WORLD KNEW THAT IT WAS A FUCKING RETARDED FUCKING IDEA TO CUT A FUCKING PROFESSIONAL RETURN MAN FOR A DUMB SHIT WHO DOES NOTHING BUT FUMBLE FUCKING PUNTS.

HOLY SHIT I AM SO PISSED RIGHT NOW

The Difference

2009-10-13T09:19:00.002-05:00

“I’m not going to apologize to the fans again, but the one thing that I want you to know after a game like yesterday, it’s a situation where you kind of sit back and go, ‘Wow, I didn’t really know that could happen again.’ And the thing I will say is this, this team will be a special team, this year will be a special year. It’s unfortunate as to what happened yesterday. As a staff, we did not do a good job preparing for a team (coming off) a bye week. But going forward, we will come back and we will get better and we will be a team for our fans to be proud of.”

Are those just words? Sure they are. But at this point, the only thing the coach of our team can offer us is words until they take the field again in 2 weeks. Do you know who NEVER EVER not once EVER used words like this? Mike Nolan. It's true that we were all giddy and exuberant about that moron once- I remember in the old furom days I was drawing parallels to his first couple years and Bill Walsh's for god's sake.

But if there's one thing I remember about Nolan it's that he never took responsibility for anything. After a blowout loss like this there is no way he would have had a player go up to the podium and steal 5 minutes of his spotlight to apologize for an unbelieveably moronic error. There is NO WAY he would have admitted the coaching staff wasn't properly prepared! Seriously! Can you imagine Nolan saying anything like that, even when it was BLATANTLY OBVIOUS to the rest of us?

Yes, yes, bashing Nolan again. I do it all the time. But my point isn't just to say "hahahahha Sing's better than Nolan derrrrrrrrr", but simply to say that Singletary made my faith stronger that this is truly a different team, and that this week's game was truly an aberration, not something to expect from them.

Nolan never really acknowledged that he made mistakes, so it was impossible for him to learn from them. Thus we got a rotating vortex of suck that never really improved. Sing looks to be very introspective and fully able to admit when he or the staff screwed up, he holds himself accountable just like he held Davis and Bly accountable.

Now, like has been brought up, if the team just isn't that good (a distinct possibility), then all the pep talks and responsibility-taking in the world isn't going to give them more talent. BUT, if Sunday's performance was a result of a conspiracy of problems (unprepared, overconfident, mental errors, etc), then I have faith those problems won't repeat themselves. I'm just looking forward to seeing how they respond after living with this loss for 2 weeks. I think it may be a pleasant surprise for us.

The Silver Lining

2009-10-11T18:22:00.003-05:00

October 2nd, 1994 . Week 5. A humiliating home blowout loss against a so-so team drops the 49ers to 3-2. Is this sounding familiar?

No, this team is not the same team that had Jerry Rice and Steve Young. But here's the point: the team we saw on the field today was NOT the 2009 49ers. Know how I know that? Because I've been watching them play this season. Yes, they looked flat. They looked like they looked for the past 7 years, but the difference between those years and this year is that this year, this performance is out of character for this team.

Are they going to win 10 in a row like they did in 94? Highly unlikely. The reason I bring that game up is because it shows that even an all-time great team can have a week where they just utterly fail to show up in any facet of the game.

The sting and embarrassment of what we just witnessed should not taint the rest of the season- this is not Mike Nolan's 49ers. Singletary will not allow this to happen again. Sure, I thought he wouldn't allow it in the first place, but you better believe he's going to make the changes necessary to succeed. He has earned my trust with the decisions he's made since taking the team over, and I won't let one week out of 16 completely destroy that trust. We as niner fans have been burned so many times recently that our base instinct is to think the sky is falling after a showing like this, but I'm not going to do that today.

In 2 weeks we take the field against a pretty good team, but with the added strength of a pro-bowl running back and a young, dynamic wide receiver that could stretch the field and make some plays.

I think our guys maybe bought into their own hype just a little bit too much this last week, and maybe started taking the season for granted. Well, last time Singletary coached a blowout, his team came out absolutely inspired 2 weeks afterward and came within 1 yard of blowing up the division. The sky isn't falling- our guys got humbled today, and they sure as hell won't be taking any games for granted from here on out.