49ers 17, Patriots 30: Grades

 

SANTA CLARA – These are the grades for the 49ers’ ninth loss in a row – the team’s longest losing streak since 1978.

QUARTERBACK: A-minus/F. Colin Kaepernick played really well in the first half. Then someone locked him in a closet at halftime, and an imposter stole his jersey and snuck onto the field for the second half – the fifth game in a row this has happened. No one on the 49ers’ sideline seemed to notice, though. The imposter – who happens to look exactly like the real Kaepernick – missed 10 of his first 12 passes. After the game, he was laughing at his locker. This could not have been our Colin. He would never act like that in a sad, somber, losing locker room. Someone please look for him. He’s trapped in a dark room by himself somewhere.

RUNNING BACKS: B+. Shaun Draughn caught a touchdown pass, and Carlos Hyde ran hard in an NFL game for three full quarters – a personal best. Good going, Carlos.

WIDE RECEIVERS: F. Someone named Chris Harper caught two passes for 35 yards to lead all receivers, and Jeremy Kerley caught no passes on six targets. Torrey Smith, allegedly the team’s No.1 receiver, missed the first game of his NFL career. Which was news to me. I hadn’t noticed him on the field all season.

TIGHT ENDS: B. Garrett Celek tackled his own player at least once. He’s terrible. The other tight end, Vance McDonald, actually is quite good. He caught three passes for 46 yards and scored a touchdown. And he would have been even more productive if only he had a real quarterback to throw him the ball.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D. Allowed five sacks. After one of them, every offensive lineman except the rookie, Joshua Garnett who helped Kaepernick up, turned their backs on Kaepernick and walked away from him.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F. Allowed a running back to gain at least 100 yards on the ground for the eighth time in the past nine games, and laid only three hits on Tom Brady. Also gave up during the second half.

LINEBACKERS: F. What I said about the defensive line.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: F. Allowed four touchdown catches and intercepted zero passes. Eric Reid, the defense’s most consistent player according to defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, missed four tackles. Actually, “missed” is the wrong word. He avoided four tackles. Simply wanted no part of the Patriots’ big running back LeGarrette Blount, or even their little slot receiver, Julian Edelman. Hey, at least Reid was consistent. He left the game during the fourth quarter after tearing his bicep.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A. Phil Dawson made the 400th field goal of his career. Congratulations on your historic day, Phil.

COACHES: A+. And congratulations to Chip Kelly as well. He became the first head coach in 49ers history to lose nine games in a row. It’s rare when the 49ers make any kind of history these days. Afterward, Kelly blamed the rain, the wide receivers and the overall execution of his players for the loss. He never blames himself, even though the 49ers have scored only 16 points in the third quarter of all games this season.

And why should Kelly blame himself? He is without a doubt the best head coach I ever have covered. Every decision he makes is perfect. Just ask him. He has a reason for everything that goes wrong. He is in total control of the situation. No one is more convincing.

Give Chip a round of applause.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for The Press Democrat’s website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.

This article has 218 Comments

  1. If I was coaching this roster why would I blame myself for, especially everyday I have to look at Trent Baalke and Jed York the worst GM/CEO in the NFL hands down.

  2. Grant …

    I have no issue with your grades .. as I’m
    inclined to agree with you … but ,, tell me ..

    do you have just a tad too much salt ..
    in your vinegar .. ? … ;-}

      1. Grant, you’re an A+ product of Bruins English, a la John Wooden (not Chip). I’d like to see you write a “Grades” post on the Patriots. Compare and contrast the position groups.

        If Carlos Hyde ran with Donte Whitner’s mentality, the 49ers would be in business.

        1. Thanks, JC. That’s a really good idea. Grade the opponent. That’s who everyone came to see yesterday anyway.

      2. Seriously?…Seriously, no…Jed York has decimated the organization…his concern is $$$, not a winning football team that brings in more $$$…Proof is in the fact that Baalke still has his job..Baalke is by far, the worst judge of talent at this time in the league…he, no doubt, believes that Gio Carmazzi and Tim Rattay were the right choices to make

    1. Personally I liked the snark in the grade report by Grant. We 49er fans need something to laugh and smile about because we certainly are not getting that from the York owned franchise.

              1. Yeah just like the storm was coming right? And winning 8 out of 10 games. Keep preaching Seb. Preach it all the way to free agency! Maybe you, Kap and Baalke can car pool it out of town together, save costs!

            1. Your thinking rationally, Prime-logically. That’s why your probably wrong.
              Other than hiring Harbaugh, York-the York family- has made a mistake with every single personell move since they took over this franchise. And Balky has done almost quite literally the same, with every single draft. But, just one huge thing for the York’s-he keeps the payroll down, keeps costs down.
              Seb may be right. Baalke may be here next year with a better contract next year. York makes a boatload whether they win or lose-and losing is cheaper.

  3. OK, re: Kerley, I’d like to interject the obvious here. BB is widely known to want to take away your best weapon. He was game planning against Kerley all week, and when Torrey Smith was a scratch, well…..duh. That’s where he went. The other guys are mostly Uber drivers. They weren’t getting open and Kap held the ball too long hoping someone would.
    We saw the OL.
    How many offsides on the D? JFC!
    Pass rushers need to finish. Y’all know about lanes?
    2nd half futility is the opposite of clutch; the antithesis.

    1. Yeah… BT …

      dunno how many times the announcers
      remarked about how .. “close” ..
      the defense got to Brady … well ..

      “Close” is only good enough for
      horseshoes and hand grenades !

      1. Prime …

        if you’re right …

        I’ll be rooting for the Ray-Duhs …

        (and I’ll forever deny ever saying that)

              1. Raider lovers will never be welcome here. I remember when they picked Jamarcus Russell.

                The Raiders sucked for so many years. They seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They will probably do the same, especially when they meet up with a team like the Patriots.

                Prime, enjoy your dark hole, soon they may move to Vegas.

              2. Seb

                Golden State Raiders will erect a stadium adjacent to the Warriors new arena in San Francisco. It’s going to be fantastic. Tremendous. Raiders will win bigly and Make SF Great Again.

              3. I went to Raiders/Broncos game and 49ers/Patriots game. Experiences were polar opposites, but if the 49ers were 9-1, Levi’s would be rocking. Both were great. No joke. Santa Clara in the rain was a real hoot.

            1. Hahaha Seb this is so funny hearing you squirm!
              My family asked what me what I’m laughing at. I told them I have no idea what this dude is!

            1. Not so fast, Seb-skov. The Raiders DO play a much better brand of football than our 9ers.
              They’ll get to the playoffs and then be disposed of in the 1st round because their defense is only marginally better than the 9ers. But there is no quit in their game.

            1. The Raiders defense has played pretty well the last month or so. I can’t see them winning a SB this year, but they are a dangerous team that is only going to get better. Almost all of their top players are in the 25 year old range. They are going to be a force for the forseeable future.

        1. MWN, Prime
          Me and my cousin got kicked out of the old Frank Youell Field by of all people Jim Otto.
          My cousin and I got a little summer job (we were still in high school around 1964) cleaning around the bleachers. Our supervisor dropped my cousin and I off at the stadium and left to pickup something back at the shop.

          It was just us two at the stadium cleaning near the west end bleachers. About 20 minutes after our boss left we see a huge pickup truck pull up to the front vehicle entrance gate. Apparently, the driver caught sight of me and my cousin and drove his truck right across the field and parked right in front of us. He asked what the hell we were doing there and we tried to explain that our boss was on his way back. He didn’t believe us and proceeded to kick us out. When we told him that our boss would be mad that he kicked us out, he said; tell your boss that Jim Otto kicked you out!
          When our boss finally showed up and we told him that Jim Otto kicked us out, our boss laughed and said; Well, you’ll remember this day for the rest of your life!
          He was right.

    1. Yep, but he had a really nice run, too.

      He does have talent, like many ND players do, but I will concede he is Kinda injury prone. Like all rookies, they need a year of building muscle, then he will be able to take the pounding.

      I wanted to draft him because of his pass catching skills.

  4. I feel so sorry for the players who have to be saddled with this sorry bunch of offensive and defensive bunch of theorists because careers in the NFL are so short for a myriad of reasons!

  5. No, no, he should have blamed Modkins for all the bad plays, and given himself credit for all the good ones.

  6. Everyone employed by the 49ers are stealing pay checks from the York family and I’m perfectly fine with it considering how utterly clueless this family is when it comes to running an NFL team… The only choice Jed has is to completely clean house at season’s end. Hire the right football people outside of his comfort circle and let them run all aspects of the team other than signing checks. Anything less than draining the swamp at 4949 and this sorry excuse of a team will continue…

    1. I’m not sure that can be the answer. Yes Baalke will be gone but how can they fire Kelly? It’s not a performance decision unfortunately,it’s a business decision. Can’t keep buying out coaches. Tomsula 12 million and now Kelly 25?

      1. Sure you can. It all depends on how committed York is to winning… He has deep pockets so it’s certainly doable. Does he stick with a HC running a finesse/gimmick offense for the next 3 years or do the inevitable and fire Kelly right after the season in order to rebuild? We’ll find out (not soon enough unfortunately).

    2. Say, red……..

      just a reminder-Jed York created this team, using his judgement and his decision making………
      The worst sports CEO that ever was. And he’s not there by merit, either.

      1. From here, I see York parlaying his current position into some political office. I remember reading that this was the plan.

        A perfect fit.

      2. Yep, that’s why he needs to do the right thing and remove himself from running (ruining) the football side of things… Sign the checks and focus on the business.

  7. Well, I saw missed block(s), I saw missed tackle(s) I saw fumble(s) I saw dropped pass(s) I saw bad penalty(s) I saw bad snap(s) I saw bad coverage, I saw a bad punt, and I saw another Jekel/Hyde performance at the QB position.

  8. To put it bluntly, the Niners were shaped. They were so shaped, they were folded spindled and mutilated.

    I am glad Baalke admitted that it was all his fault. He assembled a talentless bunch of clowns that tackle their own players, or run out of the way of the Ball carrier. Kaep cannot throw and catch the ball. It seemed like the receivers were jogging out there.

    Baalke also assembled a pathetic group of coaches. They had them so unprepared, they jumped offsides willy nilly, converting their 3rd downs and extending drives.I hope they had coaches squirting Kaep with a hose during practices, because it looked like he had never thrown a wet ball in his life. Gloves are legal, I hear.

    The coaches were as undisciplined as the players.

    The coaches were shaped, and it was embarrassing how badly they were out coached. Calling time out at the end of the game was obtuse. Mercifully, they did not run up the score.

    Bellichick gave a clinic, and the Niners should learn from it. They should throw out the playbook, and copy the plays the Pats ran.
    Way too many times, they ran Hyde into the teeth of the defense, but at least they lined him deep, and let him build up a head of steam before hitting the line of scrimmage.

    Abandoning the run in the second half was clueless, and led to the defeat. They did not even try to roll out Kaep, so he was contained, just like the Pats strategized. The Niners played into their hands.

    All in all, I was happy in the first half. Maybe they should make the proper adjustments in the second half, but that is asking too much for this bunch of coaches.

    Baaalke is presiding over this dysfunctional dumpster fire, so he should be held accountable for a 9 game losing streak.

    1. Well Seb looks like you are using up all your excuses. It’s week 10.
      First Baalke, now the coaches. You know there is only one more person to blame. But being the guy you are, we all know you won’t go there!

      1. Kaep played bad in the second half, because they are not utilizing him properly. They also are not supporting him. Those receivers ran slow and acted indifferent.

        They are 43 mil under the cap, and the players are looking like they are 43 mil less talented than the other team.

        There is a reason why one team is 9-2 and the other is 1-9. It starts at the top.

        1. Kaep sucks at this point in his career, period. He’s better off focusing on his other priority although if you can use an NFL team as your national platform why not — especially when that team/owner is too afraid to cut him.

          1. Kaep looked very good in the first half. The only drop hit Patton in the hands. He had good touch on a couple short throws, and hit his receivers in tight coverage.

            Second half they abandoned the run, which made them one dimensional. It is easier to defend the pass when you can ignore the run.

              1. Kaep missed 10 of 12 passes. That masked the lack of a run game, and magnified the offensive futility.

                In the 4th, I saw way too many 3 pass, 3 and outs.

        2. So the receivers aren’t trying hard with Kaep at QB, and neither is the OL according to Grant. Sounds like last year, and sounds like Kaep still has some of the same issues in the locker room. And that more than anything else is why the 49ers should have just let him go during the off season.

          1. If you want to blame the losses on Kaep’s protest, go ahead. I will blame the lack of talent, inept coaching and FO leadership.

            Actually, I am impressed how well the team is still playing hard considering they are on a 9 game losing streak. Many other teams would have disintegrated by now.

            1. I’m not blaming it on Kaep’s protest.

              Read my post again. First, I didn’t put any blame on anyone for the losses. Second, I didn’t mention anything about the protest. I honestly don’t understand how you come up with some of your interpretations of what I say.

              What I said and meant was it sounds like Kaep still has issues within the locker room, just like last year (which was before the protest btw). Hard to lead if the guys you are meant to be leading don’t want to follow you.

              1. Scooter, Kaep being controversial meant that many people are mad at him for being a distraction and want to cut him, you included.

                There must be some reason why you think the players are not playing hard for him.

                Last season, the FO started leaks against him, as if they wanted to get rid of the last vestige of the JH influence. They forced him to play injured and blamed him for his poor performance.

              2. C’mon Seb, don’t play dumb. There were plenty of reports outlining Kaep was on the outer with his teammates last year. It isn’t a myth. And the FO has nothing to do with it. The players opinion of Kaep is based on their interactions with him, not because of what is said in the papers or by the FO.

                He wasn’t well liked by his teammates last year, and one has to wonder if the lacklustre performance of his offensive teammates this year is also related to his standing with them now.

              3. Also, I am not mad at him about his protest. Quit trying to suggest I am. I have no problem with it. Or him. But the 49ers should have gotten rid of him before the season started. The FO didn’t want him, he didn’t want them, and he had issues with his teammates in 2015. Not a good position to be in for anybody.

              4. Scooter, any QB with a 5 game losing streak will be considered radioactive.However, they should look at Bellore and some other defenders.for the real reason this season has failed.

                Gabbert may be a swell guy, but after a 4 game losing streak, he was benched

              5. Blah blah blah. None of that has anything to do with what I said. I’m not blaming Kaep for the way the season has gone. He is just part of the problem. And yes, he is part of the problem.

              6. I never said that Kaep is blameless. I have said that the whole team sucks, from the top to the bottom. However, I will defend him when some say he is wildly inaccurate after he passed for 400 yards. Last game, I saw him almost perfect in the first half, with nice touch on the ball. I will fully admit he did not shine in the second half.

                Last thing before I hit the sack. It was fitting for Jed to host a ceremony honoring his uncle for making it into the hall of Fame, and have it become a fiasco, with the rain pouring down and an empty stadium.

                No wonder Eddie gave Grant an exclusive interview. Grant wrote that Jed needs to go.

                Eddie said that Carmen Policy helped him a great deal and was very very very smart. Jed has shunned CP and refuses to mention him in the Niner Museum, even though he was an integral part in the Niner’s success. What class.

          2. Scooter,

            I agreed with your reasoning the first time you said it, and I still agree, several months later.

            If they had taken Denver’s offer they could have saved many millions in salary, would have another 4th rounder for next draft, and Jeff Driskell would still be on the roster (they could try playing him now, because who knows…)

            And the 4th rounder could be used to package it with our 2nd rounder to get back in the first round to get a QB next year.

            So, all positives.

            What I do not understand, though, is why you keep trying to reason with Seb.

            1. Allen, this team is 1-9. better this than talking politics…..

              I like Scooter, and we seem to respect each other’s opinion. This site is devoid of the fair weather band wagoners. Only the most dedicated are still around.

              1. Seb-I have always really loved the Raiders, not the 9ers. But whoever is the front-runner, that’s who I’m for………

            2. Thanks Allen. I agree, anything they could have gotten for Kaep would be better than what they are getting from him this season in now meaningless games.

              A lot of my reasoning time with Seb is spent explaining how he misinterpreted what I said. What can I say, I dislike having what I say misrepresented!

              1. Dont fall for Seb-skov’s balloney, Scooter. With respect to Kap, he does have a bit of old Joe McCarthy in him.
                Before you know it, he’ll have you out as a neo-nazi for getting frustrated with Kap and his reading of Defenses.

          3. Scooter,

            So the receivers aren’t trying hard with Kaep at QB, and neither is the OL according to Grant. Sounds like last year, and sounds like Kaep still has some of the same issues in the locker room. And that more than anything else is why the 49ers should have just let him go during the off season.

            Not sure where this came from but I haven’t seen it. Who is reporting there are problems in the locker room?

              1. Rolling the football to the QB was a new one to me….At least he did not snap it over his head. ;p

            1. Nobody, rocket. Seb was blaming Kaep’s poor performance on the WRs not trying hard, and Grant mentioned the OL seemed disinterested whenever Kaep got sacked.

              Personally, after watching the game last night (didn’t get to see it live), I didn’t see any such issues from either group. I thought the WRs tried hard all game. They were just out classed. Though there were quite a few times open guys were just missed by Kaep, including on a couple of those sacks where he had an open guy on a crossing route if he had sensed the pressure early and went to the quickly developing route.

              Regardless of whether there is any lingering ill will from teammates, the 49ers should have let Kaep go this past off season. He didn’t want to be here, the 49ers FO didn’t really want him, and the will he or won’t he go became an unnecessary saga.

              1. And now he has showcased himself for a lousy incentive laden contract or better yet as a back up.
                Let’s call a spade a spade. CK is not a starting QB any longer

              2. Ok Scooter. Thought I had missed another report of locker room dysfunction. I wouldn’t want to miss the latest gossip ; P

    2. Dont be entirely surprised if balky gets an extension at the end of the year. Think I’m kidding? We’ll see…………..

      1. Bellicheck would not be able to maximize the full potential of the roster with the money first Yorks owning the franchise and Baalke making the decisions.

        1. Seb-
          Do you notice whenever anybody says anything about Gabbert, you always come back with how its worse than Kap? And he probably is……….
          but you are hyper-sensitive about Kap.

          Very interesting.

  9. Overall a D level performance, which is an improvement from the previous F level performances.
    If this team is going to be in a position to compete for a division title in TWO years there will need to be a new GM, and only about 10-15 current players still on the roster. The roster needs a big influx of talent. A new coaching staff will probably be needed also but the lack of talent makes it hard to determine their skill level.
    The Niners are also boring to watch at this point.

  10. Here we have the soft bigotry of low expectations again when it comes to Kap. If you can’t maintain at lease some consistency from half to half then the “A” doesn’t count for squat. Last time I checked, an A and an F average to a C.

  11. The 9ers have averaged 5 fewer points per game under Kaepernick than they did under Gabbert. The losing margin is 10 points per game higher under Kap than Gabbert. Squid has had his chance, give the ball back to Blaine. At least he has the respect of his teammates.

  12. Hey Grant what happen to the improved O-Line you mention to me a couple of weeks ago? Hmm… 5 sacks to a team that traded away there two best pass rushers lol

        1. Whoops. That should have gone somewhere else. My comment placement is almost on par with Kaepernick’s throws.

              1. Seb just a question for a Kap lover. How does Kaepernick go from sulking, pouting and angry after losses last year to lackadaisical and laughing in the lockeroom after laying an egg in the 2nd half?

                Is this the kinda QB you want leading the way and the 49ers paying franchise money to?

              2. Just some gallows humor. Maybe he was laughing so he would not cry; Like Joni says, it is all the same relief.

                Being angry after another loss will not make the 1-9 team better. Sounds like they are resigned to losing so Jed can be happy.

              3. Prime. I did not blame anyone else. Jed said he wanted to be rewarded with a high draft position, so it looks like he is getting his wish.

                Kaep is just rolling with the hand dealt to him.

                Unlike you, he does not fly off the handle and spew invective, because that would make him look bad.

              4. Kap realizes the franchise and him will no longer be together at years end. This is why he lacks the drive to lead this team and never gave a full effort late games this year. This is not the guy you want leading a team.

              5. No, Prime. Kaep is giving his full effort, because he wants to keep playing. It is not his fault that the coaches did not design a single play that intentionally had him roll out. He only rolled out when the pocket collapsed.

                Maybe you have not heard this before, but forcing Kaep to be only a pocket passer is like putting an Abrams tank in a pit.

                Kaep can be accurate on the run, but the coaches are not smart enough to realize that.

              6. Throwing off his back foot is the coaches fault? Rolling out and throwing across his body across the field and forcing the WR to make a unbelievable catch is the coaches fault?

                So because he struggles in the pocket, the coaches should design an offense to roll him out on passing downs? Change the entire offense and makeup of the QB position in the game for Kaepernick? A guy who is average at best and who’s play has regressed the past 4 years?

                Seb, you may not be dumb, but you sure are stupid!

              7. Prime, he made a play out of nothing. he was about to take a sack, but had enough athleticism to throw a pass very few other QBs would dream of attempting.

                Dissing him for completing a pass is why I think you are totally clueless.

              8. Yes he made play out of sheer horse shoes but only because Harper made an unreal play!
                You need to stop watching the highlights and watch the entire body of work regarding his play. go back and watch the entire 2nd half and come back and tell me he is worth signing long term to starters money!

              9. Prime, I will say it again. Bellichick put on a coaching clinic. Niners coached like it was a Pee Wee game.

                Like Razor so succinctly said, the Niners were incapable of making second half adjustments. Kaep was stymied because the Niners were out coached, plain and simple.

              10. Bill B put on his coaching wizardry and forced Kap to throw off his back foot repeatedly? Forced him into throws no QB should attempt across the body and across the field? This has now happened in each game since he started consistently in the 2nd half of games. If its not Kellys fault its the other teams superior coaches.
                I know one thing for certain now on Mondays. The sun will rise and you will make lame excuses for Kaepernick. The shining light is 5 more weeks of it! Then both of you and Baalke will gone!

              1. And now we gave up 5 sacks to a team that traded away there two best pass rushers could’ve been more if Kaep didn’t scramble.

              2. No, they won 2 games despite Devey. Pats fans called him a QB killer after he let Brady get mauled.
                Devey only succeeded to let Kaep get injured.

                Both squads, this year and last, are lacking in talent.

              3. Yeah and he caught a TD pass yesterday where he blew past the Patriots defense and yet that’s something Carlos Hyde has yet to do. Is it just me or did anybody else see Carlos Hyde whiff on the blitz pickup that attributed to one of the 5 sacks this so-called improved line surrendered.

              4. Yes Seb and we also won 2 games last year where the opponents failed to kick cheap shot FGs that me and you might’ve made.

              5. No, that was the coach’s fault for assigning flyweight Harris to try (and fail) to block Hightower.

              6. Chip has no clue how to use this roster. Took him 10 games to figure out to throw to Draughn.

              7. You may be right. One of the other 5 sacks had Harris whiffing. Hightower knocked him aside like an afterthought.

              8. I agree, DuJuan Harris is ideal to run the Read option. He has quick hips. His style is a good complement to Hyde.

                He is not ideal to block a player who out weighs him by 50 pounds.

                I would like to see more swing passes in the flat to Harris. Heck, they might score another TD…..

              9. It was Carlos I recorded the game he whiffed badly. I’m sorry everybody wants Carlos Hyde to be this great player but he’s not Harris is better then him the only thing that hurts Harris is his size limitations and your right he shouldn’t be blocking big LBs but I’m sure Chip feels he’s the best option at RB for this team right now.

              10. Truth, I think Hyde has worth. He ran tough inside, and held onto the ball even though they were trying their best to rip it out. He did gain 86 yards for a 4.5 average. It was not his fault that they abandoned the run in the 4th quarter.

                Niners should use Hyde and Harris as a one two punch.

            1. Seb,

              I’m not saying Hyde is horrible but he’s not as good as people think he should be better then this I mean we’re here talking about Harris and Droughns two players that been cut a hundred times by other teams and the only reason there in the NFL is because the 49ers are the only team that would sign them otherwise they would be bagging groceries but yet Carlos Hyde is having trouble outplaying them lol

              1. Dont look at me, I have been saying for over a year and even before this last draft that Baalke should never have let Gore walk. Baalke did not even offer Gore a contract.

                They should have retained Gore for his leadership. He was the heart and soul of the offense.

                He is still productive, and Frank Gore is a better blocker than the whole RB squad.

              2. Yup Frank Gore was a great blocker and never danced in the backfield always would shoot the hole I loved him and one of my all time favorite players. I will hate Baalke forever! ;(

  13. Staley’s post game comments ( or his few choice words) sounded like a guy that is getting very frustrated that Kap can’t move this offense down the field consistently when needed…Anyone else get that feeling that he took an indirect shot at Kap? I think the locker room is starting to crack….

      1. Seb-

        You make it out that few QB’s in this league, in it’s history, can make throws like Kap. Very, very wrong.

        Drunkinmiller also had a cannon……..and was about as effective. You better take a look on Youtube at some other QB highlights before dusting off a place in the HOF for Kap.
        You going to try and tell knowledgeable fans that a D cant be formulated for a QB that’s always rolling out? Sheesh……………….

    1. Staley should be grateful that Kaep avoided at least 3 or 4 or more potential sacks If he didn’t run. Could you imagine if The Patriots still had Collins and Chandler Jones.

    1. He’s a darn good rugby league player. Very powerful, very athletic. But not sure what position he would play in the NFL. Probably LB I would guess. Or perhaps RB, but like Hayne he would need to learn to stay low, and not sure he’s got the speed for RB.

      Personally I would give these long shots a miss. Focus on guys that have grown up playing the game.

      1. I agree. The experiments with the athletes who have never played the game don’t work. They’ve tried it twice now and they are better off focusing on players who have actually played the game than trying to teach athletes who haven’t.

    2. 80, the Niners need another distraction like they need a hole in their head.

      Maybe if he had attended the OTAs TC and preseason, but not now.

  14. LOL! And I repeat. They will not win another game this year. Kap is a cancer that must be cut out before any rebuilding can begin. No respect in the split locker room once he doinked one of the players wives. Oh, you didn’t know that? The lack of respect from his teammates has nothing to do with his political stance or crummy play. It has everything to do with his personal conduct. He is a scumbag. He will never command the respect of his team. On top of that, he stinks. Bye bye Kap. Bye bye TB.

    1. Hmm, all I know is that some ex GF and Kaep got together, and Aldon could not handle it. It sure was not his wife.

      Scumbag? He is giving away a million bucks to fight social injustices. That sounds pretty noble to me.

      1. Seb, seb, seb………….

        You would have us all believe that if someone was messing with your girlfriend, because its not your wife, that its OK?

        Why do you bother putting out nonsense like that? Your going to try to make us believe it has nothing to do with what his football family thinks of him?

        Noble? Hardly, Seb. He did it AFTER he started taking the heat for his behavior, not before. Then, rather than doing it quietly, he purposely blabbed it to the papers so that all would know.
        He is quite literally your false god……………

    2. Kaep actually played pretty well WHEN he had time to throw. If it wasn’t for his running ability the Pats D would’ve had 10 sacks instead of 5.

    3. The niners could very easily win 2-3 more games this year based on the schedule. The dolphins, bears, jets and rams all tend to let teams hang around and the niners have a history of playing terrible until the season is completely over, then winning some stupid, meaningless game to blow their draft position in the final 2 to 3 weeks.
      At this point in the season, I want to see improvement from the players, hope from the youngsters, and entertaining losses from the team.

      1. Easily? Nothing is easy with Jed’s team (unless you’re the opposition looking for a win)… The only individual improvement I’ve seen (and it’s been minimal) is from Buckner. Outside of him most players look like they’d rather be elsewhere. Tartt is a perfect example… He’s been playing like crap this year and a major reason is total lack of effort. This team is rotting from the inside out and it will take some serious purging to cure it.

        1. Red,
          Perhaps the wording was poor but I meant, its far from outside the realm of possibility. Truth be told, a few wins late in the season would only serve to make this pathetic season even worse. Wins against poor teams late in the year don’t give teams something to build on but rather take away tools that will be needed later.

  15. I wonder if the Yorks hosted Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo for dinner while they were in town. They are next years HC and QB respectively after all.

      1. He looked at that empty mausoleum and speculated that this place is where Head Coaches go to destroy their career.

        As heir apparent to Bellichick on another playoff run, he would be brain dead to come here.

        1. And now he got a first hand look at our “talented” roster from the sidelines. I’m sure he told Chip after the game not to worry about his job security because nobody would want it.

      2. True. Unfortunately, York has put himself in the running for worst owner in all professional sports. In order to hire competent employees he must pay the York Incompetence Premium (YIP). For York, the YIP grows year after year. Last year, the YIP was around 1.25. After this year the YIP is going to be around 2. That means for York to get a quality HC candidate like McDaniels he would have to pay him 2x his asking salary for other teams. For example, if a guy would work for let’s say Arthur Blank for $3M/season then York has to pay the same guy $6M/season to work for him. The YIP is going to really cut into his profits so I expect York will continue hiring employees no one else wants.

  16. Kaep did well hitting the five yard dink pass over middle most of the first half while mixing in some well placed 15 yard flutter balls with RAC. However, Kaep lost focus and was developing his stadium exit strategy in the second half. Another observation the play calling was to the middle of the field around the six minute mark and players did not run to the sidelines to stop the clock. This team is going to dog it for the rest of the year.

    1. I surmise that Bellichick did not run up the score in the first half out of respect for Eddie. Once the ceremony was over, they got down to business.

      Niners shot themselves in the foot with all those offsides penalties.

      They actually did compete, and scored a late TD, but even I could tell that they were a beaten, down trodden team at the end. Losing 9 games in a row can do that to teams.

  17. Larry Kreuger was asking for solutions, because it is way too easy to just rip the team.

    One solution to the off sides problem is to have a coach along the side line at the line of scrimmage, who can tell players if they need to move back onsides.

    Getting them to stop jumping off sides requires discipline, something lacking, and could be coachable with competent coaches.

    1. How to instill discipline? Brooks should be told they are benching him until he promises to line up at least 6 inches behind the line of scrimmage.

      Every player should be told not to anticipate the snap, because the other team is trying to draw them offsides. The easy solution is for them to to wait until the ball is snapped.

      Giving the other team easy first downs is counter productive.

      1. Brooks has been jumping offsides even when Harbaugh was here. The only reason he’s still on this team is because there’s nobody else better then him.

  18. 5 game offensive splits

    Points scored
    1-5 > 95
    6-10 > 90

    1st downs
    1-5 > 111
    6-10 > 93

    Yards per game
    1-5 > 291
    6-10 > 327

      1. Disastrous as it is, the offense is the not the reason for 1-9. In the Harbaugh era, we never averaged more than low 20s per game.

        1. No it’s definitely not the only reason rib. The defense is even worse and the two together create a terrible football team.

          1. Hard to believe, offense statistics says this team is not at all different from the Harbaugh teams.

            2016 49ers – passing 186 yds per game, rushing 120 yds per game

            2011 49ers – passing 183 yds per game, rushing 127 yds per game
            2012 49ers – passing 206 yds per game, rushing 155 yds per game
            2013 49ers – passing 186 yds per game, rushing 137 yds per game
            2014 49ers – passing 191 yds per game, rushing 136 yds per game

            Everyone clamoring for a QB with the #1 pick – still think so?

    1. 20.4 avg pts per game puts Niners tied with the NYG, they of the 7-3 record. And they are playing in a division where every team is over .500. What do they have that we don’t? I have all day ;)

  19. The NFL is about adjustments. Chip Kelly cant do it, and that’s why he belongs at the College level….

    1. Razor, before the season, I thought Chip would solve all the game management problems and get the most out of his players.

      After a 9 game losing streak, I am beginning to believe his detractors in Philly.

      You are right, the in game adjustments were not only lacking, they were non existent.

  20. If Arians continues to have health issues the Cards are going to need a new head coach and you can forget any top coaches choosing us over the Cardinals if were both looking.

    1. The Cards have some problems long term as well. Palmer is getting older and not better so they have to find a QB. They also have Oline and pass rush issues and their top pass rusher is a FA after this season. The Cards had a short window and it’s closed.

      1. But they still have star players to build around the 49ers don’t right now. NFL Networks are saying that the only teams Romo would be interested in is the Broncos and Cardinals.

        1. The Cards do have some good players. The point was their QB and some of their best players in general, are aging or FA’s, and without a QB their window will close. If Romo winds up going there, he could extend it a couple of years, but the guy can’t stay healthy so it’s still unlikely.

          1. Still in better shape then the 49ers also they will attract free agents better then the 49ers but I hope I’m wrong

            1. I wasn’t trying to compare them to the 49ers. Everybody is in better shape than they are. Just saying that the Cards have a lot of question marks going forward, especially at the QB position.

    2. Yup! Get the chance to coach Patrick Peterson, Calais Campbell, Matheus, David Johnson etc. Probowl players.

      And we have???

  21. I find it wildly amusing that people sitting on their couch think they are qualified to judge the performance of a long term successful head coach.

  22. My tip for the off season – do not go after a QB in FA or draft or trade. This team is a long ways from needing a QB.

      1. My mistake, don’t go out of the organization to get a QB. And I am not implying that our QB’s are good or deserve a contract.

  23. Time to forget the grades – they don’t mean anything at this point. We could file this season as a lost cause.

    It may (actually it has been since about the 4th game of the season) be time to start putting serious emphases of next years draft.

    Here are my first two picks (at least wish-list).
    1. Myles Garrett
    2. Mitch Trubisky (who may be the 1st QB off the board. If Trubisky is still on the board in the 2nd rd he’s my pick. If both Trubisky and Kizer are gone I would look at Watson in the 2nd or if slides to the 3rd rd, I would grab him in a flash.

    1. Trubisky goes first if Kizer, Watson, Kayaa, Falk and maybe even Mahomes dont declare. Otherwise it seems unlikely.

  24. “…every offensive lineman except the rookie, Joshua Garnett who helped Kaepernick up, turned their backs on Kaepernick and walked away from him.”

    I have noticed that on a couple of touchdown throws as well…Kap runs down to the endzone and cant find anybody that will celebrate with him…speaks volumes about this team’s camaraderie.

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