HAPPY BIRTHDAY RONNIE!!
Or, the George Thorogood school of thought. To paraphrase:
Everybody funny
Now, you funny.too
The media in general, and especially locally, seem to be making a case that the 49ers are all of a sudden a lousy team looking up at the rest of the division. Funny thing is, as I’ve said before, 98% of these issues would have come to pass regardless of the martyrdom of St. Jim. Not going to rehash that, but just say that I think the offense improves. Why? Because it has never been very explosive these past 9 years, and has been on a downward spiral lately.
Yeah, we had injuries, but the defense suffered many more devastating injuries and was able to keep it together. The offense floundered terribly amidst missed blocks, bad line calls, and shitty play calling. Happy regressed as the directive seemed to be to take away one of his weapons in running when things broke down. By the 12th game, guys like Frank Gore, VD, Crabs, and Joe Staley were openly questioning Roman and the offense being trotted out there.
Truth is, the 49ers lost halftime leads in something like 6 games. Defenses seemed to be able to figure out how to stop us at will while the 49ers couldn’t adjust to save their lives. Even some of the wins (Wash, NYG) were exercises in futility as the offense 3-and-outed itself to nowhere while the defense held on. The adjusting to defensive schemes was terrible.
Anyhow, that’s the past. With a new offensive scheme and some new ideas, I think these guys can introduce some needed flexibility and speed into the offense. Steve Logan is a huge WCO proponent, and looks to get things moving much quicker than has has been these past 9 years. New WR coach Ron Curry, an offensive assistant the past 2 years, and a 7-year NFL vet who learned his trade under Freddie Biletnikoff, should be a vast improvement over John Morton. What also makes me laugh is when people point to Jed and Trent saying things like “we will get back to running the ball” in January as if they designed the offensive schemes before anything happened, and the coaches haven’t set foot in the building.
Still and all, the big question to me is Geep Chryst. Our new OC has a spotty career as an OC (in a shitty situation in SD), and varying degrees of success in various stops working with every offensive group on 5 different teams. Either he has learned a lot in his various stops, or he’s a bland lifer who won’t bring anything different or dynamic to the team.
The defense should be fine. I think Mangina-eous should be fine as the DC. The players certainly understand why things changed. Fangio bailed amid reports of him not getting the HC spot, or York balking on Fangio staying in his role if Adam Gase came in. Not sure about the veracity of that, but whatever. The coaching staff turned over, and the players will deal with it. Managing at least has a solid record of DCing what with his success under Brian Belichick in New England. His HC record is shitty at best, but certainly he brings a big presence on the defensive side of things. I said two years ago when they hired him to work with the TEs, that he was positioning himself for another HC run, either here or elsewhere. The defensives coaching staff is also full of ex-DCs and ex-HCs, notably Tony Sparano, Jason Tarver, and Clancy Pedergast AZ’s recent DC.
So, laugh as the hipsters and media trolls must at our goombah coach, power hungry GM, and the brash owner, I think this team stands to certainly do better than last year’s mark. Yeah, kind of a low bar, but to listen to the pundits, we’re on our way to 4-12. Let the techie-wonks sell their tickets, and run for the shade. Super Bowl? Probably not, what with all the roster turnover, but certainly a playoff run. And, as the San Francisco Giants have proven in recent years, once in the dance, the season resets. Get on a roll and you can take the trophy.
Forty Niners Forever 
There is a lot to be optimistic about this team. The loss of our 2 great ILB’s hurt real bad but that’s the way it goes they had their reasons and both made a lot of sense. I see a real competitive TC coming up and I for one am very excited to see what’s gonna happen.
That’s actually a big plus. The fact that Bowman =missed the entire year, and Willis missed a majority of it with his various injuries, and the defense was able to play at a high level.
The offense didn’t fare nearly as well. The defense adjusted well to problems and in-game changes.
The offense did not adjust to injuries or during games.
Optimists and Pessimists Chuck.
Can’t judge the results before the games begin.
I’m most optimistic for Logan and Henry.
We need a more open passing scheme.
Can’t live on 20yd puts and Max protect all the time.
Quick rhythm, more balance, perhaps things improve?
Gotta try something new.
If we suck, we suck.
Just compete and show some life.
20Yd Outs that is.
Well that’s the point NJ. I don’t think it’s being pie in the sky to think the O can do better. The d should be fine. Ergo, the team will do better than last year.
The fucking drudgery of the media and the blogosphere pointing out minutiae and laughing smacks to me of bandwagonism in reverse.
All I’ve been saying is don’t bury them before they are dead.
It’s Happy Hour…… where’s Dennis?
I know follow the ducks.
I think they finally ate him.
CHOMP!
I like Dennis, funny guy and a real fan. Sure is a downer lately though.
“I think this team stands to certainly do better than last year’s mark. Yeah, kind of a low bar, but to listen to the pundits, we’re on our way to 4-12”
I think doing better than last year could very well put the 49ers in postion for a playoff berth. 2 games better and you’re at 10-6, which they easily could have been at if they’d held a couple of halftime leads last year. 10-6 in the NFC West, maybe you’re in the dance.
Yeah, we’re in a tough division with a tough schedule, but all these games are tough.
The way we’ve been playing, even in the good times, the games were nail biters.
Chuck the schedule/Division is brutal enough.
Add a complete overhaul of the Coaching Staff, retirement issues and pending retirement concerns and, we’re a LONG SHOT.
All we have right now is faith.
Some choose doom over bloom.
I’m in the Optimist Camp.
Faith over futility.
You better stay away from the Skeebs. Optimism is not appreciated at all.
Some choose to be fucking jerkoffs. The whole skeeb site over there is ludicrous.
It’s the anti-bandwagon crowd. The de riguer position is to be down on the Niners.
Fuck ’em all. I understand that it was a purge, but putting Harbaugh on some kind of pedestal as to be up there with the greats is ludicrous. He inherited a good team. Carroll is coaching circles around him.
I think we have the personnel to win games this year and for awhile we won’t be so predictable.
I tell ya, it could be anything. Under Nolan and then Sing we had the players but the coaching sucked. It got better, but the team that was built from high draft picks from 2005 through 2010 has gotten old. Some good players have replaced the old ones on their way out, but its a crapshoot.
I keep coming back to the offense and how it has to be better than last year. I think the defense has enough continuity to hold together.
It still remains to me that for all the coaching moves, Geep is the biggest unknown.
I’d think there has to be wholesale changes in offensive schemes. No more of this jumbo straight ahead blocking scheme. Foerster is known as a run blocking whiz, but he did well with Balt’s and Wash’s pass blocking schemes as well. Least sacks given up in 2007, most 50+ yard pass plays in 2010, and RGIII’s 102 QB rating and 2,700 yards rushing in 2012.
This comes down to nuts and bolts, and how well the coaches get their shit on the same page.
Tomsula will ride herd on the defense much as Harbaugh took watch over the offense.
It all rolls back to Geep however.
Tough break for Jaxonville, ROB. Their 1st round pick (3rd overall) DE Dexter Fowler out for the year with an ACL tear. Didn’t miss a game in college.
I really like Vernon Davis always have and I think he’ll be better this year. However, with all these TE draft picks and deals it leads me to believe the FO is thinking about parting ways with him, sooner rather than later. He was hurt in game 2, out for game 3, and then hurt again in game 4. A pretty nasty hit to the back. He played through the injury all year and he’s a stud for doing that.
The huge problem we face is this coaching staff was a patchwork job done quickly without one competitive thought or process. Sadly young Jed got the stadium deal done and now it’s back to business as usual. Baalke not addressing real needs should be all the proof anyone needs.
Lastly anyone of you who feel we still have a fighting chance at bringing home hardware with Kaepernick in the line-up has not only forgot who once played that position for us but has simply forgotten how and why we won in the past as well.
Always a Niner Fan but I’m just saying….
VD will be gone because he’s going to want a huge payday. We aren’t going to give it to him. For good reason. He’ll be 32. You’d prefer a 4/$50 mill deal? Because that’s what he wants. Sorry. Not me.
What are you saying? The draft is getting mostly Bs from what I’ve been seeing. They drafted for the future, not for immediate needs. Take that as you will. If you’ve been paying attention, the defensive coaching staff is very solid. Offense is the question mark. But that has been the case since 2005. Other than Gore, the offense has been very inconsistent. They nearly always rank near the bottom in TOP, 3 and outs, 3rd down conversions, and delay of game penalties.
The bar is so low that I don’t think they have any problem getting over last year’s offensive shittiness.
Gee, Butler, how long did it take Steve Young to win it all? He played on some good teams and didn’t win it for 4 years after getting the starting job.
Kap was 5 yards from winning it all right?
Actually, Kap had the TD but Jimbo called a time out and passed to Crabtree the rest of the way. If Jimbo lets Kap run that draw we pull ahead on that play. He outsmarted himself as usual.
I keep saying it, Nip. You need to post over there in Skeebers dark cloud land. They need some lightening up. I mean really. A Harbaugh Scoreboard?? He’s got fucking Alex Smith on there. Let’s all hold our breath to see who does great! As long as it isn’t us!!! Yay! We suck! I hope we suck for 10 years so we can write nasty posts about Jed York! Woo hoo!!!!
I get that there’s a ton of uncertainty. But to hope your team stinks for the foreseeable future is baffling at best. Hipsterism at its worst. All because there was a front office struggle? Whatevs.
I’d rather play fetch with your dog than hang out on the Skeebs. May as well be on suicide watch if I hung out there. Too dark too hopeless.
Maggie would like that.
Which part?
Even if VD is bound for free agency after this season, I think he bounces back huge for the same reason. If he wants the big payday, he’s going to have to wipe last year’s disaster of a season of the board. I agree, the Niners giving him a huge contract isn’t going to happen, but I still think the Niners will squeeze one more good season out of him.
He was bad last year, but he was also underutilized by Roman and Harbaugh, imo. Get him back in the offense again and I believe he’ll do fine.
I heard it is Ronnie Lott’s birthday today. Happy Birthday Ronnie, my 2nd favorite football player ever, behind Joe.
My team played Ronnie in HS. Ronnie went to Eisenhower in the San Bernadino/Colton area. We played them in the CIF play-offs. Eisenhower picked off a pass and one of my best friends of all time leveled Lott. I have it on very reliable personal info that Ronnie remembers the hit. Not a big deal really, just cool that my good buddy made a hit on my 2nd favorite player ever that he remembers.
I met him at hilltop mall in 82, real nice guy.
It is a contract year for VD, so he very well could put up some big numbers.
What baffled me all year was the fact that both Gore and VD, normally excellent blockers, were fair to awful.
Another reason why I think the schemes were shitty. They tried to change Kappy’s style and tried to do things they couldn’t quite figure out. We had a hard time with straight 5 on 5 blocking schemes, let alone stunts and blitzes.
Throw in the fact that the team told Kap to stop running and you get a shitload of sack behind crappy blocking with a QB who was told to stop trusting his instincts.
Which is why the quicker tempo woe be warranted.
The weirdest thing about the bad play calling from last year is, IMO, we could run the ball fairly well and RoBaugh would not call run plays to control a game. That coaching staff was an enigma.
An enigma wrapped in a riddle?
good one.
A goddamn disaster.