Hopefully the real playoffs start this weekend. Last week’s games were really about separating the contenders from the pretenders.
- The DeMeco Ryans led Texans Curb-stomped the nascent hopes of the hapless-in-the-playoffs Chargers and Jim (rah-rah) Harbaugh.
- The Ravens crushed the woeful (offensively anyway) Steelers.
- The Bills stampeded the no-trick Broncos.
- The fucking Iggles fudge-packed Green Bay and their awful playoff history as well.
- The Rams invaded the Vikings and torched their longboats and they again cry in the face of yet another playoff failure. Sourdough Sam was hung out to dry and was beaten into submission.
Only the battle between the Buccos and the Commandos was any fun. I was hoping Baker Mayfield would get another playoff game as his career has been a whirlwind of bad situations and shit coaching while he rolls along with a smile on his face and a hop in his step. Cleveland couldn’t get rid of him fast enough, and his stints in Carolina and the Rams were awful. Now on the Bucs, hes flourishing.
Anyhow, this weekend brings what look to me like some good games.
Saturday:
- Texas at Chiefs – This will prove if Houston’s defense is for real. I’d like to think Ryans can dial up consistent pressure, but I think KC wins in the end.
- Commandos at Lions – This one also looks to be predicated on the Washingtons getting more out of their defense than previously thought possible. As banged up as the Lions defense is, I think Deetroit takes this fairly easy.
Sunday:
- Rams at Iggles – Don’t like the Iggles, not a Sirianni fan at all, and the Rams are on a roll. But again, this one comes down to how well the Rams defense can stop Hurts and the Eagles offense. The Rams have proven they can score early and often, so this could be a track meet, but all LA needs to do is get a couple stops and they take it.
- Ravens at Bills – This is the game of the weekend. Both these teams are I think the class of the league and could beat any of the NFC contenders. The only big ??? is can Lamar Jackson shake off his playoff doldrums and play a solid game? For all the accolades, MVPs, and psychotic number put up (41 TDs, 4 picks???) he has yet to reach the Super Bowl with his 3-4 playoff record. Buffalo and Josh take it.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Forbes?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/vincentfrank/2025/01/17/robert-saleh-to-receive-record-contract-offer-from-san-francisco-49ers/
Hah! Yeah, saw that. Bad news is the Raiders, Jags, and Cowboys want him as their head coach.
Good news is that it is the Raiders, Jags, and Cowboys. Having just come from the Jets, Saleh certainly recognizes a train wreck organization when he sees one.
I don’t see him coming back especially if Dallas dangles a carrot. He probably needs to prove to hisself that he’s capable of directing a club and I am sure the money will be better. And that is what this world is about anymore $$$.
I don’t see how any established coach would go to Dallas and deal with Jerry.
How much fun would it be to have Wrecks Ryan there? The Mouth and the Ego?
I’d love it 😆
Deion Sanders name has been thrown around as well.
Ego I meet Ego II.
It would likely be a colossal train wreck, but Jolly Roger would eat it up.
From overthecap.com, they highlight these 6 49er players where the team can save money by cutting them:
DT Maliek Collins
DE Leonard Floyd
DE Yetur Gross-Matos
WR Jauan Jennings
FB Kyle Juszczyk
WR Deebo Samuel
The only player with any guaranteed money in 2025 is Juaun Jennings, and for the life of me I can’t understand what his name is doing on this list.
The other 5 make sense to me although Collins would be a maybe for me, the rest can walk.
Texans run the same basic D scheme as the 9ers, but what a difference in execution.
Ryan’s is an excellent coach and he has the horses. I picked them to beat the Ravens last year but they came up short, I’ll take them over the Chiefs today.
3rd and 8 incomplete pass and Mahomes gets the gift roughing call.
Fuck the NFL. What an absolute joke.
Flag football for real.
Pansy call on Roughing penalty on Mahomes the Refs always bail out the Chiefs, so sick of the shit!NFL does BLOW!!
And on script Texans driving then of course a holding call after almost a 1st down run, fucked them over, lucky to get the FG..13-6.They get the ball to start 2nd half, need a TD if the Refs let them play FOOTBALL!!
Refs doing all they can to help KC. They had the 1st down on the catch over the middle. Ref moved it back a yard. .
Kicking woes for the Houstons. 4 points lost.
Just can’t miss that extra point and a FG it’s a momentum killer.Fucking Fairbrainless is reaching Moody Status now..
Mahomes doesn’t even get hit and they throw the flag.
Insane how jokey this is.
No other QB in the history of football gets more bogus penalty calls then Mahomes..
TB12 apparently gave the homer card to Mahomey.
Sick and tired of the officiating in the NFL. Adds to the theory of legalized gambling and the Vegas influence.
Still don’t get why KC gets all the love. They are 7-10 against the spread this year.
So fucking sick of KC.
Gee. 3rd and 10. What does KC do? All-out blitz.
Sorensen never did that.
What a stupid sequence there. Let’s rush the 4th and 10 play. Don’t take a time out.
Oh well. Didn’t think Texas would win anyway, but seeing teams do stupid shit like this at this stage of the playoffs is annoying.
The Houstons looked just like us!
Jeff Ulbrich hired by the Falcons.
So glad to see the Lions going down in a ball of flames. Their HC acted like an arrogant prick all season
How about those Commaders putting it to Lions in their house!Daniels is really incredible he has ice in his veins for a Rook always making great decisions.Up 10 points 38-28 plenty of time left but Goff isn’t nearly as good as Daniels. And now the Lions just committed their 4th turnover while Washington playin turnover free football.
Time for Campbell to crack his own knee caps as Redskins are tomahawking the Lions and the curse of never going to a SB will continue…
Cough..Goff..Choke.
Not all his fault but… he’s still a guy that hears footsteps and gets rattled under pressure.
Eat Crow Lions 🦁 losing 45-31, plenty of blame to go around with your 5 turnovers,12 men on the field just bad playing on both sides of the ball..
Damm never thought this could happen but Commanders is now my pick to make it to the SB.. Jayden Daniels is cool as a cucumber leading his team to wins,let the good times roll in Washington..
Thought this would come down to Washington’s defense and they brought it in spades. Damn. Goff reverting to his bad old habits. Chucking and ducking when under pressure. Campbell gets too cute like someone around here and it bit him in the ass.
Are Dan Quinn and Dan Campbell the same guy?
Daniels is looking like the real deal. His deep passes were fucking money.
Just made the NFL a little interesting.
With Ulbrich getting hired in Atlanta and Shanny suggesting Sorensen remaining in the fold for ST coordinator, it’s looking like another round of musical chairs.
Reporting abounds that Shanny has placed all his eggs in Saleh’s basket. Promising Saleh a DC salary above and beyond the norm still doesn’t account for the possibility that another HC position elsewhere is still a better option. Shanny simply can’t understand what is wrong and completely misses the point. Push for improvement.
Other teams are desperate to improve while Shanny wants to rearrange the deck chairs.
He whiffed after dragging his feet with Wilks and he’s showing signs of doing it again.
Should Saleh take another HC position, I’m not seeing who Plan B is at DC.
Define insanity.
It’s not promising. Shanny is showing that the team just might not come first IMO. He’s showing that WR syndrome. Nothing wrong here.
Totally off topic, (kinda), is the question of playoff game scheduling.
How does the league put the NFC West Rams into the Eastern time zone as the early game, with 3 of the Eastern time zone teams?
Sorta seems like a handicap to me.
Just say’n.
3:30 their time. at least t wasn’t 1:00 pm. Hate both teams but I want the Rams to go down now.
Rams/Philly in a defensive battle. Philly has 2 great plays for all their scoring. 2 60 yards runs.
Philly can’t put the Rams away. Even with all the turnovers and mistakes.
Almost worth it to see Philly gag this up.
Ben Johnson to Bears and the musical chairs is reduced by one…
Saleh’s value increased.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/robert-saleh-to-have-second-interview-with-the-jaguars
I’m sure Baalke would love to stick it to Jed and Co by taking Saleh away too.
Baalke is in no position to be sticking anyone.
I can’t believe he’s still there as GM. 25-43 on his watch?
Brilliant.
Trevor Lawrence isn’t quite what he was cracked up to be, but the level of incompetence in that franchise equals ours back in the bad old days of Dr Kedorkian running things in the 2000s.
Jaguars will never get a good H/C as long as Idiot Trent Baakle is their GM ! Ben Johnson had no intention going there as long as he was involved.He’s well known around the league going back to his 49er days as an asshole.
Jags owner(Kahn?)should of cleaned house when he jettisoned Pederson,a huge mistake by not doing that..
Baakle reminds me of the commissioner in “The Gauntlet” with his pale skin and a voice that sounds like its coming from the grave all raspy!
Saleh would be a fool taking that job and working with him and have no say in operating moves..
Money talks AK. Let’s hope Saleh has some respect for SF.
If Saleh knows anything, it’s how to gauge a franchise. The Jags are a complete fucking clown show and Saleh just left the Jets.
Saleh should be fine, but I’d like to see us be the ones driving this and not simply hoping he picks us.
Get other candidates in.
I don’t want to end up being stuck with Layne Staley.Mainly because I have no idea that the fuck he did all of last year. If Saleh bails, then this looks like our only option.
Hey, Staley did great in LA but he had Aaron Jones, Jalen Ramsey, and a loaded Rams defense.
Exactly what I was thinking Chuck.
What happens if Saleh gets an offer he can’t refuse? Yeh it’s Jax and all but, money is money. Even the highest paid DC won’t be better than HC coin and, money goes farther in FL.
Who picks who indeed.
Plan B? Make another Wilks decision because it’s the last musical chair and everyone else is seated already?
I’m already thinking he’s going to recycle Staley if that happens and we’ve already had a taste.
As much as he’s a laughing stock, Wrecks is a damn good DC in his own right. He ain’t Buddy but, if he’s itching to coach again he might be an alternative to recycled ‘pals’ of Shanny?
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/lions-sign-wr-ronnie-bell-to-future-contract
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/49ers-receive-bad-news-amid-search-for-defensive-coordinator/
Did you pack a snow shovel Winder?
NJ- No I left it with a neighbor in Oregon. Yesterday surprised me, I knew it occasionally got cold here but that one rivaled Oregon. The only difference was that everything was already shut down yesterday and still mostly is today.
Hard to believe what mother nature is doing Winder. We had about 3″ here while places in and NOLA got almost a foot. Stay safe down there.
Yep, the 49er way appears to be lollygagging a DC hire while candidates fall by the wayside.
We are likely stuck with Staley. I mean, I liked Ulbrich but we missed that. Not thrilled with Gus Bradley or Dennis Allen, and Staley benefitted from a stacked defense. At this point I’d go with Deshea Townsend. Mainly because he’s from a different more aggressive system. He’s been a DB coach most of his career though.
I don’t fucking know. I just get pissed that they are sitting on their hands through all this.
https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/2025-draft-prospects-nick-bosa/1820753/
One less H/C off the market as Aaron Glenn takes the Jets job.Just don’t see Saleh has many options left.No Way he’s working with Baakle and they might go now internally with Offensive minded coach Liam Cohen.
And forget Cowgirls &Saints as well, so Saleh would certainly consider now being the highest D/C with the 49ers hopefully!He gets the most out of players with his jubilant & intensity style..
And forget Dennis Allen, he’s failed miserably as a H/C just so so as D/C who’s not an intense dude and not a motivator of men like Staley also!
I read that Liam is staying in TB and, Ran Carthon is out on the street as well. I’m not sure Saleh wants a DC job he already had?
Starting to think Khan has the upper hand.
Trent Baakle is gone parting ways,stepping down as GM..Jaguars Owner Genghis Khan wised up finally knowing lots of HC candidates did not want to deal with him.Losing out on Johnson&Glenn surely played into it as they now need a GM&HC..
Damm it though it puts Saleh back in the running as he’s going to interview later in the week.🥺
Ran Carthon comes to mind for me AK.
This is interesting…
https://thejetpress.com/aaron-glenn-could-hire-steve-wilks-defensive-coordinator-jets
$10M buyout attached to Belichick won’t be a problem for Khan.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/after-belated-firing-of-trent-baalke-whats-next-for-the-jaguars
Not so sure anyone wants to come to SF right now. Our team is beat up and even though we has some flashes of top notch ball much of the year was flat out unwatchable. I have a feeling we are going to look pretty bad on the coaching front when all the dust settles. I don’t think Shanny is fooling anyone anymore, he needs help and even the media has finally stopped calling him a genius which he’s not. Because if he was we would have won a couple more SB’s. The one bright spot in my mind is Purdy.
Maybe they see that Saleh is in a good position for Jax or Kawakami is floating rumors? Either way, they better have a backup plan.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-49ers-mulling-pete-carroll-possibility
Pete? Jesus. Kawakami is on the glue again.
Come on, Winder. As bad as this season went, this is still a very talented team.
But like I said, I don’t fucking know. Shanahan could be the blocker as he has too much influence over everything 49ers. I mean, he’s really the GM. Lynch does things I guess, but it all runs through Shanny. Then there’s the front office driving me nuts as they dither around while positions are filled left and right.
Is it the money? Is it Shanahan? Teams have no problem hiring his coaches away. I don’t get it.
chuck- I don’t really think it has anything to do with the players even though we are going to lose some of the older ones. I think it has to do with Shanny and his inability to adjust to game time situations and his stubbornness to do so. Teams have already picked our qualified OC’s and he’s already stated he will call the plays. A DC will be challenged by coming here imo. A lot has to do with this years draft but I still don’t think SF is a prized destination right now. It might have more to do about the whole FO than we hear about. I might be an outlier but I am truly disgusted with what I saw last year.
Another 3rd RD pick whiff..
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/former-49ers-third-round-pick-signs-with-nfc-rival/
Yeah another bust for the 49ers NJ they never seem to get a competent TE to compliment Kittle!
Freaking Rams scored 2 ROY candidates on DL with Verse&Fiske with their 1st 2 picks so their scouting department scored bigtime.
This is what the Niners need to do in this draft, hit STUDS on DL and OL early and often!!!
That’s the rub AK. They shop for studs obviously but often whiff. That’s on the FO and the scouts. If you over value you overpay.
I’m just dabbling in the Draft class right now but I’ll be drilling into things before April. Right now most of the pundit opinions agree with most of us. Trenches trenches trenches.
I’m leaning towards DE & OT at 11. Hoping they value which is right and get it RIGHT.
I like what I’m seeing in the rankings thus far. Some good depth on the DT side which might allow them to wait beyond 11 at that position.
For me it would be a pass rusher before an OT at 11.
But… I only wish I could be a GM and don’t have a clue otherwise 😉.
https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/1/23/24350637/trent-baalke-robert-saleh-49ers-jaguars-liam-coen
No fat man in the middle? No DT?
Report from well respected writer Mike Silver has said Robert Saleh has canceled his 2 nd interview with Jaguars ( too much drama and BS?) on Friday( shout out to Baakle for helping out)and will accept the 49ers D/C job!! That’s great to hear, but until the ink ✍️ is dry on this deal these crazy carousel rides continue…
Liam Cohen ghosted Tampa today and is in Jacksonville to ink his deal as HC now Baalke is gone.
Saleh is reportedly on his way to SF and will sign as DC tomorrow.
Thats the best outcome for the 49ers, the band is back together.
In other good news, Nick Sorryson will not be returning as ST coach after all.
Good. GTFO.
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-robert-saleh-headed-back-to-san-francisco-as-the-teams-dc
Huh. Down with that. I really didn’t think he’d walk into the Jax trainwreck.
Just to have Saleh coming back has me STOKED!! Freaking 49ers were dead last in blitzing the QB and giving up 100 yard rushers every Fucking week, and ending up 18th on defense which never happened under Saleh and never will..
His motto was “All Gas No Brakes” that’s the type a leader you want getting this Defense right again! And for god sakes let him have plenty of input in the draft especially on Defensive player picks!! We need a few “Fat Man Ballin, unmoveable objects and destructive pass rusher🤑 picks for NJ and Nail this Draft like last year overall again.. Btw congrats to RG Domenick Puni All rookie 1st team he was phenomenal on otherwise a shit line..
That is great news. I honestly didn’t think it was gonna happen. Looking forward to FA and the draft.
Ha, good one thanks. Always liked Van Ronk, had older LP with Tell Old Bill. Yes Saleh should be big help, especially if FA and draft can add to talent level. Cheers!
https://tinyurl.com/yuc2zz59
Interesting article
Dude thinks the Packers are the center of the football universe!
Nice that we’ve ended so many of their playoff dreams. Up there with beating the Cowboys so many times.
It’s official . . .
https://www.si.com/nfl/robert-saleh-return-49ers-defensive-coordinator
New thread is up