Here’s the Wiki caption when you look up Nick Mullens:
Nicholas Clayton “Nick” Mullens is the owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team, where in 2015 he set single-season school records for passing yardage and number of touchdown passes.Wikipedia
Too funny. Nick Mullens, he of the UDFA status and the practice squad last year, and this one, set a ton of records at Southern Mississippi, throwing for over 11,000 yards, 87 TDs and 46 picks. All that got him was 4th on the depth chart last year and a seat at the kid’s table. He looked pretty darn good at times in the preseason, and folks have been itching to see him at least get some real live action, as the Beater was stumbling anf fumbling his way to a 1-9 record. I mean, what is there to lose? Except draft positioning, that is.
Something tells me Nicky won’t be on the practice squad for a while.
Granted, this game was against a Raider team that has quit on the season already and is looking to get pick #1 (and Baby Bosa) in the draft. I mean really. Gruden’s plan all along was to tank the season and get Bosa. Otherwise, why trade your best player, an elite pass rusher, before the season even starts? But I digress.
Nick Mullens yesterday came out throwing and didn’t disappoint. He hit short passes, fit the ball into small windows, hit a couple nice mid-range passes, and fared pretty well under pressure. The only really bad pass came before his 2nd TD pass of the game. Which he shook off, and hit Bourne for a score on 3rd down. His line was 16-22 for 262 yds, and 3 TDs. Mullens threw to 8 different receivers. Brieda and Mostert got 130 on the ground for a well-rounded effort. Again, the Raiders.
The biggest stat, though? ZERO turnovers. And only 3 penalties
The defense chimed in with SEVEN sacks against the Raiders high-priced line and held the soon-to-be-crapped-out Raiders to 242 total yards. Carr was a mediocre 140 yards in the air.
Bottom line, the team at least hasn’t given up. At this point all they can do is try. to play well, and act like they are getting their shit together. They accomplished that yesterday. A short week, no less.
We will likely play ourselves out of the Baby Bosa sweepstakes, but there are a boatload of great pass rushers in this draft. The least this may do is quiet the thoughts in my head that we need to get a QB with a high pick. Our needs are so varied that I’d hate to think we need to use a high pick on a QB. If Mullens can keep his head while CJ fumbles his way to oblivion, then we have one less thing to worry about.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
One thing Mullens did real well was the play action bootleg, scored twice with those. Hard to believe the Raiders were that bad. It was on National TV and even if Gruden was tanking he wouldn’t want to look that bad. It did look like a team that had given up. Kinda like we did a couple of years ago.
And because it appeared that the Raiders were just mailing it in, I need to see Mullen’s play against a real team. I am more interested in the Defense, was that a true performance of what they are capable of or was the Raider Oline that bad? I am not worried about the Offense, Mullen’s is not taking Jimmy G job, next year Jimmy will be the starter. The Defense has looked like crap all year, one game does not make a great D, let’s see if they can string together good games.
Well, compared to everyone else, we were 1-7. Mullens looked good, and he earned the start for next week. What I really liked was Mullens’s quick reads. On the 2nd TD, he looked off both the safeties to get the ball to Bourne. Mullens got the ball out consistently faster and on target much more than CJ. \
And no tipped passes. No fumbles. Only one bad pass.
I loved the way he negotiated the safety on that play. He looked like a seasoned vet. He looked the coverage off on the first play of the game too.
The way he got upright and threw over the top of the all out blitzes were impressive too. One went for 1st down and the other short slant went about 40 yds. Beathard would have never complete those two passes. He would’ve had them deflected at the LOS or more likely, been sacked.
Wait a minute! I thought Jimmy the G was the new Montana. I thought our latest newest great franchise QB Mullens was the next Steve Young. I know we loyal Niner fans love our boy takes but I’m confused as to which new franchise QB is the next old franchise QB. Either way, with Nick’s performance last night we can simply ignore the draft and focus on developing the next Joe Montana and Steve Young! Get Amari Cooper from the Cowboys and we’ll have the next Jerry Rice, too! Bring Pete Carroll on board as HEAD COACH and we’ll have the next Bill Walsh! The future is so bright I gotta wear shades!
You forgot Eddie D. How could you forget Eddie D.?
Well, let’s have Unca_Chuck crack open his proverbial piggy bank and he can buy the team from the Yorks. He could be the next EDDIE! Imagine if he moved the team to Qualcomm Stadium. The San Diego 49ers?? Pure genius!
The things that impressed me most about Mullens:
1) On the quick developing plays, there was no hesitation, no waiting a half-second and throwing, giving a safety or backer a chance to make a play. For examples of this, see Beathard, CJ.
2) He hit receivers in stride. Outside of the one pass where Kittle had to snag the ball with one hand (and ran thirty yards with it), his passes were money. Receivers running didn’t have to reach or adjust or wait or stop and think. The ball was there, boom. For examples of the others, see Beathard, CJ.
My man Richie James dropped a perfect pass over the middle in the 1st qtr. He thought he might have gotten gobsmacked. Not good.
Yeah, that was a sure TD. But they later scored
If Mullens is allowed to keep playing and IF he keeps ballin’, he’ll be great trade bait to some hapless clueless team like the Bills. I can’t see Lynch doing that, but if Allen continues to suffer? Buffalo would be back to Peterman.
Unfortunately the Giants barely qualify as an NFL team, Irish. They are 18th in yards given up on defense, 14th against the pass, 23rd against the run, and 21st in points allowed. Better than the Raiders, sure. But not by much. After that we got the bye and the Bucs.
Then we get the Seahawks, so that should be the real test. But, if they have any brains, they let Mullens play the next few games to really see what they have.
All the talk last night was about how smart Mullens is and how fast he picked up the entire playbooik, and that they didn’t have to limit things for him.
Maybe they are slow-playing this for a reason.
Forget trading him. I’d trade CJ.
I’d trade Mullens and Jimmy G to the Raiders for Martavius Bryant. Straight up. Another brilliant potential move from the Red & Gold!
The Vegas Gamblers don’t have anybody worth trading for.
They have Reggie Nelson. If we had him on our D we’d be a FORCE to be reckoned with. We have Nick the next Aaron Rodgers or Steve Young or whoever so let’s trade off Jimmy G porn dude and get Nelson here immediately!
Hey Chuck! I just read that the Browns could’ve gotten Kurt Warner for no compensation in 1999. He won NFL MVP later that year. Even I didn’t understand how deep the pit is that the Browns live in.
HOF SB winner Kurt was an UDFA, best ever. I hope Mullens gets another chance, two in fact. Play CJ against those defenses and those pass rushes in the last five games.
Mullens completed only one pass over 11 yards (20). The Raiders truly suck.
Uhh I don’t think so, Mullen’s hit George Kittle for a 72 yard play..
61 was YAC
I loved what we saw form Mullens but we need to see more. Remember Spitty’s all time idol, Matt Flynn? He got big money from Seattle for one great game in Green Bay. He never amounted to much. I’m excited from what I saw in Mullens, I was sure he would be better than Beat Hard but many things change when the league gets the book on the QB and a little pressure hits their face. The Raiders rarely pressured him.
If Mullens doesn’t start the next game I will be very disappointed.
Flynn might have been good. He might have sucked. He got beat out by Russell Wilson and that’s that. I liked him, too.
Looks like Backup Beathard for the next game or 2 at least. As others have pointed out, its hard to gauge Mullens performance against that teams effort, but in any event it ranks right up there with any other rookie starting QB in history. I’ll take it.
Shanny Jr gets props for going after Mullens after the draft but if the kid is even close to this good against better teams you have to wonder why he sat him until injury forced his hand?
He sat Jimmy G for what we now know was too long last year too. Maybe he is a bit too conservative or maybe he subscribes to the idea that once you sit your starter in favor of someone else you kill his confidence and can’t go back?
In any event it brings life back into the team and the fan base even if only to see if Mullens falls flat on his face. Beathard was way too cautious with his throws against AZ, obviously afraid of throwing more picks/fumbles, ironically the same thing happened with Kaperstink after throwing 2 back to back pick sixes, also against the Cardinals, he was never the same player after that.
IMO Beathard had simply become gun-shy, plain and simple.
This kid in one Game already showed me more pocket presence then all of Beat Hard starts!
Looks like Bruce Irvin is on the street.
Gruden dumps him when he likely could have traded him for something?
What a blatantly obvious tank job.
Saleh-Seattle scheme fit though for next to nothing, if he wants to pick up the remainder of his Contract on a Waiver claim.
Massive payroll dump. Part of their 10 year plan. Once they hit Vegas they will be selling out at top dollar with a bunch of 1st and 2nd year players(low payroll) it actually is pretty smart business. Gruden is getting paid to look like he’s giving the ranch away.
Sherman’s call. Why did Pete Carroll get rid of him?
To me, he screams, “YES! F YES!” He could be the pass rushing strong side backer I want.
Half year of his salary and, a Waiver claim, is all that’s needed RT.
Tell me why Gruden didn’t deal him for another Pick last week? Rumor has it people were interested.
Dude couldn’t be more obvious in his efforts to secure a Top Draft slot can he?
Don’t recall seeing Irvin much against us on TNF either.
Sam Bradford’s good fortune seems to have finally hit the skids too. Released from AZ.
Could he get another gig in JAX?
Guy has got be the luckiest/wealthiest do nothing QB of all time.
Irvin was a 1st round pick. Gotta be something we don’t know if Pete Carroll couldn’t use him on D. Dang! On paper he sounds awesome
Here’s an early WR prospect for the Draft next April.
N’Keal Harry/ASU – 6′-4″/220 –
I’ve been watching this guy. Don’t know what to think, his hi-lites are incredible but he disappears at times. Could be the QB? It the Niners decide they like him I would be happy with the pick.
The other two guys had pretty good NFL careers…
According to the NFL, only three players in the Super Bowl era threw for 250-plus yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in their debuts. Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly and Nick Mullens.
Put a check on this kid too –
6′-6″/241 –
Sweat is a dangerous pass-rusher who shows good instincts and natural feel as an edge rusher. He has good play recognition and uses his instincts to get in the right position to affect the quarterback or disrupt plays. For a tall defender, Sweat has a nice ability to redirect, and he uses that to get after the quarterback or defend the perimeter. As a pure pass-rusher, Sweat is quick off the edge with the speed to turn the corner and run around offensive tackles. One of his most impressive traits is his active hands to fight off blocks while using his feet at the same time. Sweat has some functional strength that he uses to get off blocks and shows impressive hand placement to get under the pads of blockers or rip them away from him. Sweat’s excellent length helps him to do that and also makes it harder for offensive tackles to get into his chest. Once he gets free, Sweat has burst to close on the quarterback.
Irvin has 6 tackles in 8 games. Not sure if he gave up or what, but that is some lousy stats.
Shanny needs to understand that we are in evaluation mode. We know what CJ brings. Mullens needs to be evaluated. Now, Mullens deserves the start. If C can take a poundiing n the field, he can take a seat the next few games.
This is a good write up on Jimmy G and CJ. It shows what most of us have said before, a QB needs to pass the eye test. On the usual stats we read, both QB’s are similar, yet the eye test tells us that Jimmy G is a much better QB. NFL has NextGen stats with a deeper analysis I thought it was fascinating:
https://www.49erswebzone.com/commentary/1954-beathards-advanced-stats-show-different-quarterback/
Great article, thanks
Here is another interesting take on the Niners/Raiders rebuilds and path to a SB. It was written before the game was played, but is actually about how the franchises are going about their respective rebuilds and shows why Gruden may well decide to move on from Carr:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/10/31/san-francisco-49ers-oakland-raiders-thursday-night-football-preview-time-game-stream-jimmy-garoppolo-nfl-derek-carr-fantasy-salary-contract-jon-gruden-kyle-shanahan/?obref=obinsite
Jimmy G’s contract is as front loaded as the league would allow. His cap hit will be much less after this year.
Yup its correct. Salary was also part of the argument. I don’t see Gruden dumping Carr until he has a viable alternative if at all, but they are certainly getting rid of their high dollar players.
Ram’s lose. Glad to see it.
It’s just such a shame that our beloved 49ers are too pathetic to beat the Rams themselves but we can always root for relevant teams to do it. Although now that we have the second coming of Tom Brady with Nick Mullens the Rams and the rest of this league better take notice because our HIGH POWERED offense is coming to get them!
Yawn….
I may just be distracted because I’m jumping on the Chiefs bandwagon just like the rest of Niner Nation but I know an MVP third stringer when I see one.
Sounds to me that you don’t understand 49er /Ram football. We have played each other twice a year since 1950. I really didn’t start following the Niners until 1960. I don’t care if the Rams are a better team this year or not, either way it gives me pleasure when they lose.I think we spanked em for 17 straight games at one time. It all comes back around.
Just saw this this morning
Film breakdown of Mullens debut:
https://www.49erswebzone.com/commentary/1956-film-room-nick-mullens-goes-practice-squad-prime/
Nice!
Lots of weird shit out there.
New thread is up.