49ers 24, Redskins 26: Grades

Here are the 49ers’ grades after their 26-24 road loss to the Redskins.

QUARTERBACK: B. The 49ers seemed mentally beaten down early in the game when Brian Hoyer was the quarterback. Hoyer in particular looked shell shocked from weeks and years of being the Cinco de Mayo piñata. He looked like he expected to lose the game. The Niners needed to bench him, and they did, for C.J. Beathard. And the rookie quarterback played well, even though his numbers weren’t great (his passer rating was 72.1). But he gave the Niners a spark, and led them back from a 17-0 deficit. He seemed energetic, excited, fresh and optimistic, unlike Hoyer, who seemed totally drained. The rest of the players raised their games once Beathard entered the huddle. Sometimes a rookie quarterback can have that effect on his teammates. They know he’s green and untested, so they pick up their play to help him out. Beathard made the Niners competitive against the Redskins, and he will make the Niners much more interesting the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to watching him play.

RUNNING BACKS: B. Carlos Hyde gained only 28 rushing yards. He was not effective running the ball in the middle of the field. But he was effective running near the goal line (he scored two touchdowns) and catching passes (he caught five passes for 47 yards). He might be a better receiver than a running back – he has very good hands. But the Niners used him too much. They should have given some of his touches to Matt Breida, who averaged more than five yards per carry. He deserved more than four carries, which is all he got.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C-minus. The leading receiver was Aldrick Robinson, who caught two passes for 66 yards and one touchdown. The rest of the receivers were non-factors. Marquise Goodwin had 26 receiving yards. Trent Taylor had 11 receiving yards. And Pierre Garcon had 55 receiving yards on 12 targets. He really struggled to get open. And he helped lose the game by committing an offensive pass interference penalty on the 49ers final drive. That was a killer.

TIGHT ENDS: D. George Kittle caught four passes for 46 yards, and is on pace to finish the season with 56 catches and 565 receiving yards. Those would be good numbers for a rookie tight end. But he also is on pace to finish the season with 13 drops – he dropped two more today. He needs to learn to secure the catch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: F. Trent Brown committed two false starts. He’s one of the most talented offensive tackles in the NFL, but he’s unfocused. His teammate, Brandon Fusco, is extremely focused. He just has no talent. He can’t drop anchor and hold his position in pass protection – he gets pushed backward like he’s wearing roller skates. Kyle Shanahan should stop calling straight drop-back passes and start moving the pocket on obvious passing downs, like third-and-five, simply because Fusco is so bad.

DEFENSIVE LINE: D. This unit played well against the run for the most part – Washington averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. But the defensive line generated almost zero pressure on Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. The only player who sacked Cousins was rookie Solomon Thomas, who didn’t play well. He was way too aggressive crashing down the line of scrimmage to tackle the running back. The Redskins noticed this in the first quarter, and waited until the fourth quarter to use Thomas’ aggression against him. On first-and-goal from the seven-yard line, the Redskins ran the zone read, and Thomas sold out to tackle the running back. But the running back didn’t have the ball. Cousins had it, and jogged into the end zone for the touchdown. Thomas guessed wrong. So much for that Stanford education.

LINEBACKERS: F. Ray Ray Armstrong and Brock Coyle are backups at best. Both got exposed today. Coyle ran the wrong direction during a screen pass in the first half even though he was starting at the play. Coyle saw Cousins dump the ball to running back Chris Thompson, and Coyle still ran away from him. Hard to fathom. But Armstrong was even worse than Coyle. Armstrong got juked in the backfield by Thompson, who ran 39 yards on that play. And Armstrong gave up a 51-yard catch to Vernon Davis late in the game. Armstrong was supposed to be in man-to-man coverage, but he took his eyes off Davis and stared at Cousins while standing still. That play looked like a glitch in a video game. The Niners need Reuben Foster back.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: C. The pass coverage wasn’t good, and the third-down defense was atrocious. But the defensive backs weren’t that bad. They held the Redskins top-four wide receivers to just 88 yards. The players who really hurt the 49ers in the pass game were the Redskins running backs and tight ends, who mostly took advantage of San Francisco’s linebackers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C. Trent Taylor returned one punt 39 yards and set up the offense with a drive that started from midfield. But the Niners didn’t score on that drive because Robbie Gould missed a 47-yard field goal.

COACHES: B. Give Kyle Shanahan credit for benching Hoyer. That was the right move. It took guts bringing in a rookie quarterback to make his NFL debut on the road when he probably hadn’t practiced much during the week. A lot of coaches would have stayed with Hoyer. Shanahan made a difficult decision, and it kept the Niners in the game.

But the Niners could have won had Shanahan not made a critical mistake in the third quarter. On third-and-five, the Niners had the ball in field-goal range at the Redskins 20-yard line. Shanahan needed to make sure his offense didn’t go backward, and he knew pass protection was an issue – it’s been an issue all season. He needed to call a pass which allowed Beathard to roll out of the pocket. But Shanahan made Beathard drop straight back, and the Redskins sacked him for an eight-yard loss, and the 49ers missed the field goal. One bad play call by Shanahan essentially gave away three points in a game the Niners lost by two.

Still, Shanahan mostly coached well. He was much more effective than his defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, who couldn’t figure out how to generate a pass rush or improve the Niners’ third-down defense. He was just a spectator. Too bad Shanahan couldn’t bench Saleh, too.

This article has 350 Comments

  1. That was a horrible call for offensive pass interference. Not Garcons fault. He was getting mugged all day.

      1. Are you serious? Do you really believe instead of catching a pass thrown to him Garçon chose to run into a defender rather than catch the football?

          1. He was the intended receiver, why on earth do you think he was trying to keep the defender close to him? Are you blind????

          2. Dude, youre letting your dislike of the 49er organization cloud your judgement. That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever read from any sportswriter. It’s not a rub route when you’re the intended receiver. Seriously, you need to pass this blog onto someone more objective and go write about some other sport. That’s a credibility killing statement. Jeez.

            1. Houston 9er & brosbeforehos – Let’s get one thing straight……the guy running the “RUB” route (GARCON) phase of the pattern is not the intended receiver. the first receiver in the progression is the receiver for whom the rub on the defender is being run. The receiver running the flat & up concept route was the intended receiver because it was his defender who was being “RUBBED” by Garcon.

              As the late great Bill King always said, “HOLY TOLEDO!”

              Do you even know if the ball is pumped with air or stuffed with rags??????????????

              1. The intended receiver is the one that the ball was thrown toward: Garcon.

                If the ball had been thrown to the outer receiver, you would be correct. But it wasn’t so you are not.

                Perhaps it is your head that is stuffed with rags??

              2. Hey mike you are completely wrong. If Garcon was going to rub the defender then the ball would not be thrown to him! This was a very bad call. If the ball was thrown to the falt then the refs could have called it a pi!

            1. the way the pattern is designed is the outside receiver (Garcon) is supposed to “rub” the defender assigned to cover the inside receiver who is the intended target of the play. the concept is for the player doing the “rubbing” (the outside receiver) to make the defender who is covering the inside player GO UNDERNEATH IF THE INSIDE RECEIVER IS RUNNING THE “WHEEL” ROUTE or over the top if the inside receiver is running the flat route. If the intended receiver is going high, make the coverage defender go low (underneath), and if the intended receiver is going low (shoot or flat route), make the defender go high to get to his coverage!!!!!

              Did it ever cross anybody’s mind that maybe CJ threw the ball to the wrong offensive player?????

              1. Sadly that’s what I saw.
                Garcon was the intended receiver because that’s who he threw the ball too.
                However, a QB isn’t told to throw the ball to one guy, he has progressions to go through and based on that route I would assume he was the second read and Beatherd threw it to him rather than the primary.

      2. He was the intended receiver and he and the LB collided. If it wasn’t for the fact Hyde was leaking out which made it seem like a pick play it would have been PI against the LB, which it should have been anyway as Garcon was the intended receiver. If the ball had been going to Hyde it should have been OPI as called. But the pass was to Garcon, and he got taken out by the LB. Bad call.

        1. It was a slant/flat concept. The receiver running the slant can’t run into the defender covering the flat.

              1. As I said above, the league called the 49es after the game and told them it was not OPI. I have irrefutable sources

          1. Grant, this is why you have little credibility. Jimmy J even called it the worst call of the day. A good ref would’ve convened and picked up the flag once they realized Garcon was the intended receiver. Absolutely isn’t a pick play if he was the intended receiver. What part of that logic don’t you understand?

          2. I could be wrong, but my understanding is the receiver can’t intentionally contact the defender to free up the other player. But that wasn’t what happened.

            1. The only thing he did was put his arms out to protect himself from the collision with LB. Watch the tape Grant. I watched it like 10 times, yelling more and more expletives every time lol.

            2. Against Cover 1 Man Free, the slant receiver runs a rub/pick route to get the flat receiver open. That pick was illegal.

              1. Seems like Beathard misread the coverage. The flat receiver becomes the primary receiver against Cover 1 Man Free.

              2. I agree that is how it seemed to me too. But regardless, Garcon was the intended receiver, and he didn’t try and take out Brown – he looked to me to be running his route. Even Brown himself admits he intentionally instigated contact.

              3. Grant I know you think you’re right because you read “Defensive Coverages 101” in the off-season. But Dungy wrote that book and said it was a bad call.

          3. They can’t run that play…we’ve been called twice for OPI……the refs obviously don’t know what they are looking at

          4. “When asked if a penalty flag for a pick can be thrown against the intended receiver, Shanahan said, “No. Absolutely not.””

            This is Matt Maiocco & Kyle Shanahan calling you a moron.

            1. That’s not true. The WR must give the defender a clear lane. That’s the basis of the call. This what the NFL says:

              A penalty called when an offensive player impedes a defender’s ability to play pass defense. This can mean setting an illegal pick, where an offensive player intentionally gets in the way of another player’s defender. Pass interference is also called when an offensive receiver shoves the defender away from him prior to making a play on the ball. The penalty is 10 yards from the previous line of scrimmage, and the down is replayed. Offensive pass interference cannot occur behind the line of scrimmage or after the ball has been touched following the throw.

              You cannot impeded a defender. He has to have a clear line. And the NFL, as should be well known by fans and coaches alike, has a point of emphasis of enforcing offensive pass interference this year. So you’re not going to get away with all these rub-routes like you were. You’re playing with fire because if you collide with a defender during a route crossing, you’re going to get flagged.

              There is nothing about ‘intended receiver.’ You just have to get in the way. And Shanahan is crying and Maiocco, while I like him for his lack of drama and fact-based reporting, is nothing more than a stenographer since he went to CSN. Unlike his days here where he was more in-depth,

              1. So youre contention is that Pierre Garcon was impeding the path of the LB instead of going for the football?

        1. Wtf? Extended his arms? Jesus H Christ that’s idiotic. The LB literally ran through the receiver with the ball in the air. That was Defensive PI without a shadow of a doubt.

          1. Houston absolutely correct. I am shocked we are even arguing about this call. The LB almost took the Wr out! How can nfl allow calls like this in such important moments of the game.

      3. My issue with the call is that the ball was thrown to Pierre. If it had been thrown to the other receiver then I could see the illegal pick call.

      1. I have to agree. All of his comments go support his earlier post, and then he has to get petty….SMH…

  2. Lol, you’re bagging on Solomon Thomas by bringing up his Stanford education? Really? What does education have to do with being tricked by a read-option play? And you honestly think all Stanford players got in due to their academia and not their, oh, I don’t know, FOOTBALL TALENT?

    Sometimes Grant, you can’t help but nitpick players you don’t like, then praise Hoyer to the sky after the Colts and Rams game, even though the Rams played on short rest after playing defensive 75 snaps, and Hoyer leading a comeback against the Colts bottomfeeder defense after he sh*t the bed during the 1st 3 quarters.

  3. “The rest of the players raised their games once Beathard entered the huddle.” Agreed, and that’s huge for a young QB.

    “And he helped lose the game by committing an offensive pass interference penalty on the 49ers final drive.” Iffy, it not a BS call. However, players are getting called for that more this year. Shanny needs to adjust accordingly.

    “Thomas, who didn’t play well.” Come on Grant, you’re gonna make Razor cry and possibly take some more time off.
    :-)

    “The Niners need Reuben Foster back.” For sure.

    1. Nah, he knows Grant’s game. Thomas is a rookie and made a rookie mistake. But, the thing is, he’ll learn. Other than that, he was outstanding. Nine tackles, multiple TFLs, sacked Cousins who is one of the toughest to sack in the NFL.

        1. Cousins is still tough to sack. For a QB who holds the ball as long as he does, he’s sacked about half the rate you’d expect. He just has a knack for creating ‘just enough room.’

      1. Not saying he wasn’t good, just needling Razor a little. But in addition to his rookie mistake against Cousins, he missed two tackles. He’s got some work to do. Overall, I was encouraged by his performance today,

        1. Quit crying. I said he had a good game. I said he made a rookie mistake. Saying ‘rookie mistake’ implies that rookies will make mistakes.

            1. You started this. Instead of simply pointing out my mistake, you implied that I left out his sack on purpose. Which didn’t make sense because my post was pro Thomas.

              1. What didn’t make sense is you watched the game, yet your meticulous stat report left out the sack. Rookie mistake….

              2. You are delusional. Why would I bring up his other good stats (tackles and TFL) if I were trying to bury or dismiss him?

              3. We’ve already established it wasn’t convenience, but a rookie mistake. It’s called needling, not delusion….

  4. Now this is funny: Hoyer in particular looked shell shocked from weeks and years of being the Cinco de Mayo piñata. Much better than the usual cliche’s we see around this issue.

    Is this The players who really hurt the 49ers in the pass game were the Redskins running backs and tight ends, who mostly took advantage of San Francisco’s linebackers a euphemism for being treated like Ned Beatty in Deliverance? Thing is though, I don’t think Bowman would have made a difference. Bottom-line is that, except for Foster, we didn’t have a single NFL quality linebacker on the team, except Foster, from Game 1.

  5. You’re sure in a “Bah! Humbug!” mood today, Grant. It’s too bad they are missing the opportunity to hire you to run the franchise.

    The real truth is this: what is essentially an expansion team on a long East Coast road trip went into DC and nearly beat a superior team. They deserve credit and kudos for that.

  6. The thing that gives me most hope for Beathard is his demeanor. He’s much like Dak Prescott in that regard. Calm in the pocket. He made plays today that Hoyer would never make. Like keeping drives alive by scrambling, moving around in the pocket and then throwing when he had a receiver finally get open. Hoyer doesn’t do those things. So strap it on and let’s see how it turns out with Foster back and Beathard getting prepared as the starter.

  7. Coyle and Armstrong. God that was hard to watch. Embarrassing. Saleh too man he calls a horrible game he doesn’t realize you can’t drop earl Mitchell and Thomas into coverage?

    1. Yeah Saleh needs to review the tape. Especially when Skins where on the 5 yard line. Niners had a 3 man rush.. WTF. With Mitchel dropping back… 0 pressure at all.

  8. Grant,

    How much blame do you put on Saleh for the 3rd down woes? Is it more on him or would you say the players aren’t executing?

    1. He has some bad players to work around, but he hasn’t found any solutions. He hasn’t earned his salary.

        1. I don’t care how high the 49ers are on Kilgore. He’s not the answer at Center either.

          1. If they were so high on him would they have gone so long with Zuttah? I think they’re resigned to keeping him for the time being.

              1. The 49ers are certainly high on something if they are high on Kilgore. The middle of the o-line is the worst in the NFL.

      1. Neither did Chuck Studley until Walsh got him some DBs and a Fred Dean. Then we had the #2 defense n the NFL and won the Superbowl.

        Defense is, far more than offense, about pure talent. And if you don’t have it even great defensive minds like Belichick can’t fix it. I mean, coming into this weekend the Patriots were giving up 28.4 PPG.

        Or as Walsh said (and I’m paraphrasing): ‘Offense is about scheme, defense is about athleticism.’

      2. I think he is doing a good job for no safetys that cant play two games in a row. Or any healthy LB.

  9. Attended all open practices. Also attended practice as an invitee.

    Hoyer vs. Beathard in practice sessions:
    Hoyer, with qb jersey on, much superior deep arm, not even close.
    Seemingly complete control of the offense . Evidently not so with lights on.

    Bethard, evidenced much uncertainty in running the team, even in practice.
    Less pure deep arm obvious. From outside the numbers on one side to other, not in Beathards wheel house.

    Believe this is reason coach stayed with Hoyer till today. We will see.

    1. Correct. If Hoyer has time to throw, he’s effective. But he has no time to throw on this team.

      1. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

        Any QB if give time is effective. Gimme a break. The good ones are effective when they don’t have a lot of time. Hoyer is substandard.

  10. Solomon Thomas is getting better but no way can you say he has merited being the 3rd overall pick in the draft.
    He is steady by also over pursuing and missing a lot of sure be tackled.
    He’s got a long way to go for that pick to be justified.

    I also think J Tartt makes Eric Reid very tradeable now. He is not returning so let’s get a 4-6th round pick back.

    Call Bill B and offer Eric Reid, a 2018 2nd and 4thround pick for Jimmy Garrapolo.

    That first half was painful to watch. Now with CJB, the season becomes watchable. Let’s he becomes the next Steve Young!

    1. Thomas continues to get better every game. He is a ROOKIE…. They make mistakes. No one justifies there draft position until a couple years at least. He has a non stop motor and his play is very encouraging for a rookie. I said this at the beginning of the season. CJ will be better then people think. He looks a lot more calm and collective then Trubisky. He looks like he belongs. If this kid improves we don’t need to draft a QB very high. Hopefully he stays healthy and improves. If he does not we know what we have. A very capable back up….

    2. You realize that he’s out-playing every other first round rookie defensive lineman.? By quite bit. He’s even been nominated for Defensive Rookie of the Week TWICE. He’ll probably get another after today — 9 tackles, 2 TFL and a sack.

      https://www.ninersnation.com/2017/10/3/16410610/solomon-thomas-rookie-of-the-week-nomination-week-4-49ers-cardinals

      And unless some of those other Round 1 guys suddenly get the fear of Jesus and start performing, I think his only d-lineman competition (from the Round 1 guys) will be Myles Garrett. The rest are so far behind him that the contest will be over by mid-season.

      And, of course, he’s also out-playing a lot of establish, high-quality defensive linemen as well. But that’s a much longer post and an unfair story.

      Yet fans keep dumping on him and act as if he sucks. Honestly, you’d never know he’s been outstanding (for a rookie) if you only listed to 49er fans and beat writers. They’re 100% convinced he’s a bust and waste of a pick and (obviously!!!!) is just no d***e d good.

      1. +1
        And he will get better.

        I too tend to immediately judge a draft by what you are doing for the team today. I think it is wise to use the four year grading system. After four years of play you really have a sense of a teams choices and how they are helping/hurting the team. I am still optimistic about this teams choices even though most of them were not picks I would have made.

  11. Just don’t have a lot of talent. It’s sad. I mean the drops the missed tackles. And why do you not call out Staley he’s getting abused and giving up big sacks. He’s washed up.

  12. Ok, so I’m still wondering why the OL is so bad? Fusco was brought in for Shanahan by Lynch. That’s 0-2 on people brought in for OL FAs. Tomlinson did play well but he didn’t come as a free agent. Makes me wonder how well they are at evaluating personnel. The hole created at LB was unnecessary, and yet it was deliberately created.

    Solomon did play a good game but we could use a CB like…I don’t know the kid in NO seems to be playing pretty well and scored a TD.

    Beathard still needs to improve but he showed great poise today.

    As I stated earlier I was thrilled by the close game.

    1. I hope to God he goes away… If to Green Bay, when he flops there won’t be any more excuses for this bum. He picked an awful time to file a lawsuit/grievance too.

  13. Let us not forget the defensive holding “No Call”in the end zone against Kittle…..and then they called that BS call against Williams at the goal line….We need full time refs…..not old codgers that can’t see

    1. A bunch of the referees were hired full time this season. It seems to be that the officiating is getting worse all the time. Watching obvious replays go the other way is astounding. So many missed calls, followed by game changing calls on ticky-tacks calls. It is very hard to watch the game sometimes.

  14. Hey Grant, don’t forget about the personal foul by Garcion in the 4th quarter take the team further out from a field goal.

  15. Grant still clings to the myth that his A performing, wonder QB Hoyer would have won 9 games if only he had a line that never got him sacked.

    Bull.

    Hoyer was available as a free agent because he’s not a good QB. Well below average. Nothing to do with his o-line. He’s been so bad he’s been benched for a first year rookie 3rd round pick. Just think about that. He’s history and the odds of someone signing him next year are lower than Kaps.

  16. As for Liddle Grant’s eyesight, a couple of thousand miles away from the game, staring at his TV screen, he quickly spots that the defense is playing poorly because it misses Bowman and is upset about the Hyde rumors. Glancing around, his eagle eye sees that Hoyer is shell shocked and is expecting to lose the game. He confidently predicts the game will get ugly and the Niners defeated in a rout.

  17. But give Liddle Grant credit, he has figured out that Bowman’s linebacker backups aren’t as good as Bowman and there’s quite a steep drop off.

    No doubt he’ll be writing that the Niners should quickly resign him.

    1. Damn smart play on his part.
      Looked like an opi to me as he appeared to slightly alter his route. But in any case I hate that call at that time of game… close should go to a no call.

  18. Weird team. They do just enough to lose by a FG or less every week.. Beathard, because of his arm, is at best a backup. A guy who can pick up a team for a few weeks. Good defenses will kill him. He can’t make the throws.

    1. Beathard benefited today from playing against a team that had no film on him. Will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

      For all the excitement from some, the results from the offense were basically the same as the first five weeks.

      1. Defenders should shrink the field on him. His lack of arm strength is very disturbing to me as his deeper balls and out routes tend to float. Which is dangerous in this league.

  19. Grant should just become the new head coach, I mean sitting on the side lines and watching the game he is an expert….SMH!

    1. Oh better than that. Grant doesn’t actually GO to the games, he’s such a Niner Insider, he watches the games at home just like the rest of us. Kinda sad really. Not worth the airfare to send him.

      1. I actually think you get a better view and have the benefit of replay on this.

        Wonder if nfl network will start offering all 22 game day.

        1. That’s probably why he stays in front of the TV when the Nines are home … wait a minute

  20. It’s being called this year. We have adjust.

    http://www.redskins.com/news/article-1/Tested-Redskins-Defense-Stands-Tall-In-Game-Ending-Drive/b7509db6-10ba-4c7d-aab9-0a9702b19f3f

    “After an incompletion, Beathard targeted Garçon again on a slant route that fell incomplete when Brown ran into Garçon in coverage. That induced a penalty for offensive pass interference, a flag that Brown and the defense had anticipated from watching previous games and recognizing the route combination taking shape before the snap.”

    “I knew the play before it was going to happen,” Brown said. “I told D.J. [Swearinger], I said ‘Hey, look, they may throw it to Pierre [Garcon], because whenever the tight end is there…Pierre was cut split, so I knew they were going to run a pick and try to give it to [Carlos Hyde] outside and [Garçon] ran right into me, so already knew it was going to be a flag on him, because I was guarding my guy, I got to have my right of way too.”

    1. Smart play by the defense. Set it up so the WR causes a foul. Honestly, I hate rub-routes because too many bad things can happen. And they’re even more dangerous to run this year because a major emphasis in enforcement this year is offensive pass interference.

      1. Before the game, I said that they should eliminate those rub routes. Too much of a chance for OPI.

      1. Except Brown told a different story later when he admitted to running into Garcon on purpose.

    2. Except for the fact that Garcon wasn’t running a pick play and Beathard didn’t throw it to Carlos Hyde. Beatherd threw the ball to Garcon who was interfered with by Brown.

      “I told D.J. [Swearinger], Hey, look, they may throw it to Pierre [Garcon]…. so I knew they were going to run a pick and try to give it to [Carlos Hyde] outside”

      Yeah that makes tons of sense.

      1. It was a bad call. The problem is that OPI is being called a lot more this year. It had already been called against us late in the Rams game. Like it or not, if a WR collides with a DB or extends his arms, there’s a good chance that OPI will be called. These kind of calls will become the norm. With any rule change, (official or just a point of emphasis) coaches and players need to adjust accordingly.

  21. This kid is not the future. I pretty much think I can throw a faster pass than this guy.
    He played well for his first start. Those floaters are going to haunt him. Sorry. Don’t see the potential in this kid.

        1. 80, I am thinking that Kaep may go to a team that has playoff aspirations. It will probably happen around the 12th week when some starter goes down due to injury.
          .
          GB, with Rodgers going down, may rue the day they stuck with their existing QBs. They know how dangerous and effective Kaep can be, and I think they want to win too much to let emotions dictate their decisions.

          1. Original seb,

            I hope you’re right and Kap goes to GB. IMO, that would sink thier season. GB losing makes me happy.

    1. MD,
      CJ may or may not be the future but we know that he was a big improvement over Hoyer. Beathard’ passes may flutter and his arm strength is not in the Joe Flacco sphere but the kid did bring us back from a 17 point deficit and may have been one bad call (supposed Garcon pick) from putting us in field goal range for a possible win.

      As long as the ball gets to the intended receiver I don’t care how it looks in flight. Our receivers have been dropping passes even when the ball hits their numbers, so it has to be a coordinated effort by QB and WRs to make this work.

    2. @ninermd….you also argued Alex Smith was a Bust…….and said Shaun hill was a top QB

      I am actually glad you see it this way, you just confirmed my believe in CJ ……..

  22. Doesn’t matter if Beathard can’t throw deep…SF has neither the receivers or OL to go deep with any success, no matter who the QB is. Same complaint of A Smith in KC and he has done pretty well there.

  23. http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article179038296.html

    Here you go Grant Cohn, something a 49ers fan would rather read. It wasn’t perfect, but Kyle’s young QB prodigy looked poised, and unflappable.

    Matt Barrows: ‘Calm, cool and collected’: C.J. Beathard nearly delivers 49ers’ first win

    Ah, a more optimistic look at CJ Beathard, who looked in far better command than Hoyer, despite the growing pains. What 49ers fan wouldn’t rather explore the positives of CJB’s first playtime. We’ll see moving forward whether CJB can continue to play poised football, a breath a fresh air over the frantic, hectic, sketchy Brian Hoyer who couldn’t hit a receiver in the breadbasket if his life depend on it, and plays one quarter out of four of solid football in his best games, yet get’s an A- grade. Lol. Sure Grant…. Sure.

    Out!

    1. One more thing from me. The 49ers have a rookie QB thrown into a road game down 14 points, against a very solid defense, and the young kid plays poised without question, and makes plays with his legs, and arm. Most importantly, Beatherd stands strong, and seems to know where he wants to go with the ball, and it’s usually a good decision.

      I’ve got news for you. It’s not usually about the biggest guy who throws the best ball that makes a good QB. It’s the ability to process information, and always feel confident you know where you need to go with the football. And in my book, a guy has to be a decent enough scrambler, and make some play with his legs, extending plays and picking up first downs, keeping defenses honest. And that’s exactly the way CJB plays QB. Since day one, he’s had one standout quality, and that’s the unflappable toughness between the ears.

      It’s obviously too early to say CJ Beathard is the 49ers future starting QB, but my god, give a kid his due! And wouldn’t it be great if he were. I’ll be watching, I can assure you of that!

      Grant Cohn: “I don’t know if I would call him (CJ Beathard) good”, yet you give a veteran, who shows up for one quarter of quality football, and garners an A?give me a fricken break Grant!

      OUT!

      1. Here you go Grant Cohn, something a 49ers fan would rather read. It wasn’t perfect, but Kyle’s young QB prodigy looked poised, and unflappable.

        Matt Barrows: ‘Calm, cool and collected’: C.J. Beathard nearly delivers 49ers’ first win

        Ah, a more optimistic look at CJ Beathard, who looked in far better command than Hoyer, despite the growing pains. What 49ers fan wouldn’t rather explore the positives of CJB’s first playtime. We’ll see moving forward whether CJB can continue to play poised football, a breath a fresh air over the frantic, hectic, sketchy Brian Hoyer who couldn’t hit a receiver in the breadbasket if his life depend on it, and plays one quarter out of four of solid football in his best games, yet get’s an A- grade. Lol. Sure Grant…. Sure.

        Out!

  24. 1. I am not sure benching Hoyer for the rest of the season is a good idea.
    2. We need faster , more athletic everything.
    3. Like I keep saying, Niners must sign Cousins in the off season. Then dangle on of the top franchise qbs and trade for 2 future #1s. We need help at every position group except P and K.

    1. rollotomasi,
      Another reason for the move could be clandestine – perhaps turning to reigns over to Beathard is the Orgs way of tanking the the rest of the season to ensure they land a top 3 pick in the 2018 draft.
      Drafting in the top 3 will give the team a shot at 3-5 top tier QBs.

      On the other hand, maybe CJ shows-out and becomes the surprise of the 2017 draft. Stranger things have happened.

  25. Another game killing call, and it’s called a offensive pass interference! Are you kidding me? The wide out was running to the ball and the defender slams into him. Lol whatever man

  26. “Thomas guessed wrong. So much for that Stanford education.”
    ~ Grant

    Gee Grant, you were so close to actually bringing us a reasonable report and then you jack it all up by disparaging Thomas’ Stanford’ education.
    Why is this put only on Thomas when half the defense was faked out on Cousin’ run? And what does his Stanford education have to do with it?
    Except for a couple of plays where Thomas was juked, I thought that he had his best game of the season. Watching him run down field to make a tackle and move to the outside to almost make another tackle shows promise. In time he will learn to harness the aggression but I’ll take that over lackadaisical play any day of the week.

    Thomas’ play is trending up and that gives me hope for the future.
    With a few good draft picks next year and better QB play along with better discipline on the O-line we could be winning the close game that we have been losing this season. This team is going to be darn good in the near future.
    And when this happens, you may need to find some other bad team to disparage since this seems to be your M.O.

    1. Grant holds a grudge because of the annual whipping that Stanford administers to his Bruins….

  27. I’m not sure if Beathard has the natural arm strength to be an nfl starter. He made some nice plays today for a rookie coming in. A lot of the balls he threw seemed to wobble/float though. Don’t get me wrong. He should finish out as the starter. But I’m pretty sure he has no ability to throw a tight accurate deep ball.

    1. There’s this thing called YouTube. And has these videos we call ‘highlights,’ And what you can see is that, yes, he can throw deep, he does throw spirals, he’s very good rolling to his right and throwing.

      But more important, you can see the intangibles and skills our recent QBs don’t have: footwork, the ability to throw WRs open, to throw with touch, to feel the rush, to read defenses pre-and-post snap and hang-tough or bail depending on what is the best thing to do.

      He’s no cannon arm, but having watched a ton of his highlights, it’s good enough for the NFL.

    2. B,
      Kaepernick once broke Randy Moss’ finger in practice because of his arm strength.
      Can’t really say that outstanding arm strength is the key to being an NFL QB – where is Kaep now?

  28. Well, I am glad that Hoyer took his demotion with class, and he said all the right things. His job is to help CJB as much as possible, and be ready in case of injury. Good team attitude, and maybe he will benefit from standing on the side line, studying plays and the defense’s reactions.
    .
    I generally agree with all your grades except the O line and LBs. I would give them D’s, because they played their hearts out, it was a tough fought match, and there were enough good plays to counter the bad ones. I would have given them F’s if the Niners were blown out, but this was a very winnable game.
    .
    I wish to applaud Kyle Shanahan. He went bold, made quick assessments and effective adjustments. It was a gutsy call to bench the starter, but it seemed to be a master stroke of motivation. I will say right now that he is doing everything he can to win. I will let him go with his new choice as starter. Of course, Kaep is still my choice that would give them their best chance to win, but if CJB can play like he did, the Niners will have a good chance to win with him, too. I guess that KS is going with CJB, and since he is making a bold move, all I can hope is for him to succeed.
    .
    At least he is going with a mobile QB who can use his legs to avoid the pass rush, and buy time to let his receivers get open. He also had the ability to throw on the run, and his 14 yard scamper to convert a third down play made me very happy. Hope KS can dial up some roll outs.
    .
    Sure am glad they lined up Hyde deep in the I, but think Fusco should be replaced by Beadles. I hope Ray Ray will be replaced by Mark Nzeocha, and Coyle will be replaced by Elijah Lee. I hope they bring along Foster slowly, so he does not have any relapses.
    .
    Niners made a very difficult decision, and I wondered if it may have disrupted team chemistry, but I saw Niners playing with every ounce of sweat left on the field, and they were very physical. KS made a bold move that seemed to energize the team. If not for a missed FG, or that bogus OPI, the Niners could have emerged victorious.
    .
    Now, if only they can learn to consider time outs to be precious, and saved for legitimate (Good job) challenges and the last 2 minutes of each half. Imagine if the Niners had kept all 3 time outs.

  29. Besides Grissom, whose play is uneven, the offense is slow. There are no offensive players who are fast, expect maybe Brieda.

  30. The opi was a bad call. WE need to leave the word “intended” out of things for clarity. Garcon might not have been the primary read on the play. Even that is debatable but is probable. However, he was the targeted receiver. The ball was clearly thrown to him and he put effort into trying to catch it even trying to avoid contact. The defender made no such effort he never looked at the ball and ran through garcon trying to cover Hyde. The opi against Taylor in the rams game was iffy, but with no reply angle to show otherwise I can deal with it. This was just a terrible call.

  31. We cut one of the leaders of our team, then watch our lb corp play their worst game of the year……and some of you are praising KS for benching journeyman Hoyer, get real……he should have never been in there in the first place. Not sure I’m dign the smug look KS continuously wears either, readn his own press clippings apparently. The kid played well considering the circumstances…..but mostly showed just how terrible Hoyer is, was, will be. Those that said he is better than Kaep should be slapped rt in the mouth…….
    Periscope stuff is pure garbage, saying that from day 1. Especially earlier in the year when a written post game article took several subsequent hours…..lazy journalism at its finest.

    1. “Those that said he is better than Kaep should be slapped rt in the mouth.”

      So anyone who disagrees with your opinion should be physically assaulted. You and Kap should join Antifa.

      1. U take everything so literal my friend, my point is ur nuts if u ever thought Hoyer was better. Don’t you have an old blog from last March to go read again??? Kaeps got a pair that you could only dream of having, his name forever engraved in history……dude is trying to change our country for the better, and gets predictably black balled…..while u peruse Grants blogs from a year ago. Make a dif in your world, don’t settle to be a nobody hating on civil activist…..

        1. The hate came from you with your violent talk. Calling for someone to be hit (joking or not) is inflammatory.

          “Make a dif in your world, don’t settle to be a nobody hating on civil activist…..”

          How do you know that I’m not active in my community? Do you think you are making a difference by swinging from Kap’s pair ad nauseum?

        2. Your entitled to your opinion that Kap is good. But will you at least admit that it isn’t nuts for someone to think that Kap is overrated or below average? A guy that has been benched for Gabbert twice. I think we can all agree that Gabbert sucks.

          1. I should have said You’re, not Your. BTW, I wasn’t hating on an activist. I was critical of a former Niner QB’s play. I support his cause.

    2. people stop posting kap all the time cant u punks remember the def kap had games were won 13 to 10 and 7 came from def and also if other team score came over 20 we lost so much for kap lol

  32. What can you really say except the 49ers find a new way to lose. Bill Walsh said it about DeBerg, but now we say it about a whole team: “They play good enough to get you beat”. I feel sorry for KS because if you take all the drops, penalties and just plain dumb stuff we see, you can probably multiply it times 10 when he watches the film.

  33. LOL! News Flash! Kaep files a grievance accusing the owners of collusion!! Probably not good for employment. Do you still think he’s going to play this year, or ever Seb? Obviously he knows he will never play again so financially, this was his only move. Good move by his agent. Is that Drew Rosenhaus? I hate to say it Seb, but “I told you he’d probably never play again”. So you only have two scenario’s I believe would give him a slight chance to get signed. One, the NFL orders a team to sign him. Probaby wouldn’t work out well for him. Two, an owner decides that in order to prove there was no collusion, he/she signs Kaep. Maybe collusion on top of the accused collusion. Doubt it. I can only smile. Exactly when was the last time an employer hired the very chap that was suing them? Ummmmmm Never?

    1. Juan, this may trigger a decision that the league will get a team to sign Kaep so it will not void the existing CBA, which is extremely team friendly. If they continue to blackball Kaep, it will be a sign of collusion, so they could easily counter his claim by having a team, any team, sign him. Voiding the CBA may be opening up a whole can of worms for the league, something they will not want to have happen.
      .
      The league should take this grievance seriously, because it may cost them lots of money. I am not too worried about Kaep. Bosses who persecute and retaliates against an employee who files a grievance will just be digging themselves into a deeper hole. Kaep will play, it is just a matter of time. Niners, with the benching of their starter, may be the most logical spot.
      .
      Goodell needs to nip this problem in the bud, because the prospect of a new CBA will help the players and hurt the owners. The League needs to act quickly. Sure, KS does not want Kaep, but if Jed insists because he wants to prove no collusion, stranger things have happened.

      1. lol. No it won’t. Already toxic, now he’s radioactive to go with it.

        And if really wanted back into the NFL, it was definitely a boneheaded move. Kind of like throwing Sherman’s way with the game on the line.

        Fact is he doesn’t have a case. Even the ACLU won’t take this kind of case because, except for government workers, employers have the LEGAL RIGHT TO FIRE YOU FOR YOUR POLITICAL BELIEFS. And that is well established, well settled law.

        This case is a PR stunt and, possibly, a money grab.

        1. I won’t dispute your statement. But the issue is governed by the CBA not state and federal laws. The language is probably so vague and ambiguous (on purpose so Goodell can have his way) that a judge who is so inclined can cause trouble. I’m leaning towards a money grab as you suggest. Can’t earn with his arm – now will try his mouth,

  34. Geragos is his attorney!!! This is friggin great. My face literally hurts from smiling! What’s the strategy behind filing the grievance? Was it a smart move? Is he getting bad advise? Has he realized that he will never play again? (That’s what I think) So why not sue for loss of employment and income, back pay, loss of endorsements, etc. Again, smart move if he can prove collusion. Either way, he’s done. Seb? Thoughts?

    1. I think Geragos is a high profile attorney, and the league should not take this grievance lightly. Billions are at stake.
      .
      The league probably has left a paper trail, and they have evidence of collusion. This grievance was not filed on a whim, but with an agenda in mind.

        1. If they prove collusion, they get to tear up the existing CBA. Yes, that can translate into big bucks.

        2. +1 Just. I would add fame whoring for both of them. Me, me, me, Kap likes to kiss himself and Geragos has worked for pieces of crap like Chris Brown and Michael Jackson.

      1. CTE and the league’s willingness to accept druggies and women beaters, are subjects the league can cover up with the existing CBA.
        .
        Players want it torn up and a new, more player friendly CBA to be installed.

        1. CTE damage starts in pop-warner. It gets worse in HS. It gets worse in college. It gets worse in the NFL.

          But it’s not just the NFL. Soccer players get CTE. Baseball players get CTE. Rugby players get CTE. Motorcycle racers get CTE. Fighters get CTE.

          It’s not just an ‘NFL problem,’ despite all the finger pointing. It’s any and every sport where you can get a concussion.

          1. Interestingly enough… It’s not hits to the head that cause concussions. They are caused more by essentially whiplash which cause the brain to hit the skull.
            The problem is it can be caused by hits to the stomach just as easily as it can be by hits to the head.

      2. Actually not. His damages are limited under the collectively-bargained grievance procedure. All he could get would be his 2017 base salary and some liquidating damages, which I believe cannot exceed twice his base salary.

        But I’m not sure it’ll even get to discovery. He’s been unemployed since the beginning of the NFL year. You only have 50-days to file a non-injury grievance. He’d have to convince the court that the grievance filing deadline didn’t start tolling until the beginning of the season.

        1. The 50-day period starts from the date the dispute arises. One could argue that the dispute itself did not arise until the alleged pattern of exclusion emerged from the collective actions of various teams. As such, the 50-day time limited might not have started tolling until the time that the supposed wrongdoing was recognized. Or in other words, this situation is more nebulous than when a player has a definable dispute with a club or clubs that can be shown to arise from a specific set of actions on specific dates. Here, the pattern (if such exists) would not have been identifiable until the inaction of clubs reached a “critical mass”, so to speak.

          So while whether the grievance was filed in a timely manner will likely be at issue, I suspect that it will not be an insurmountable barrier given the nature of the alleged dispute.

          1. Glad you weighed in. In a broader view, would you care to comment on the challenge of proving collusion/conspiracy w/o a ‘smoking gun’? I suppose civil cases have a lower standard than criminal cases.
            Edit- I can read Cubus’ link but would still be interested

            1. Brotha,

              It will be tough road. Based on what we currently know, I suspect the only hope is for them to find emails/documents that show something more than just collective dislike for his actions.

              The standard is “clear preponderance”, which is akin to “clear and convincing” standard necessary in some civil law actions. In an arbitration setting, clear preponderance usually means that one has to bring compelling evidence before the arbitrator. In other words, the evidence would need to do more than show collusion was more likely than not (simple preponderance) but rather that the arbitrator was convinced by the evidence that collusion had occurred.

          2. JPN001,
            Thanks for contributing to the discussion. Do you think Kap’s legal team can access emails or paperwork among owners through NFL channels in the “discovery” process?

            1. Mood,

              At this point, it is all speculation for us, and maybe for Kap’s legal representation as well. However, it is amazing what people will commit to email that they would have never put in more formal writing. A few emails among enough owners (or their representatives) that went beyond merely criticizing his actions but rather specifically addressed whether they would sign him could lead to an inference of collusion. Further, not every team has to be involved for it to be collusion. But a word of caution — even if such emails exist, it is unlikely (but not impossible) that they would directly show collusion. It would be a matter of interpreting the intent behind the words.

              1. I just had time to read the relevant parts of the CBA. The discovery process is not very robust (even for arbitration) and it focuses on a party not being able to present evidence if it is not submitted to the other party at the proper time. The parties are supposed to submit all relevant information, but there is no mechanism for compulsion. This will likely make the task even more difficult. Maybe the long-term plan is to move from grievance to lawsuit by claiming the clubs and/or the NFL did not act in good faith during the grievance process.

              2. > Maybe the long-term plan is to move from grievance to lawsuit by
                > claiming the clubs and/or the NFL did not act in good faith during
                > the grievance process.

                That’s indeed a possibility. In any case, it will be tough sledding for Kap’s team.

          3. CBA Article 43, Section 2. Initiation:

            A grievance may be initiated by a player, a Club, the Management
            Council, or the NFLPA. A grievance must be initiated within fifty (50) days from the
            date of the occurrence or non-occurrence upon which the grievance is based, or within
            fifty (50) days from the date on which the facts of the matter became known or reasonably
            should have been known to the party initiating the grievance
            , whichever is later. A
            player need not be under contract to a Club at the time a grievance relating to him arises
            or at the time such grievance is initiated or processed.

      3. Mark Geragos is not afraid to take controversial cases. However, in my opinion, his track record in high profile cases is suspect, at best. For a sports related Geragos fiasco, research his representation of and subsequent dispute with former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield.

        He was once a highly regarded criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles, but then he became a media darling and the rest seemed to fall apart. Some of you will likely recall his behavior when he represented Scott Peterson back in 2004. What you may not know is that subsequent reviews of the evidence tend to conclude that sufficient evidence was present for a murder 2 conviction but likely not for a murder 1 conviction. The murder 1 conviction and death sentence that Peterson received may partially be the result of problems with his representation.

        I do not believe that Kaepernick has done himself any favors by allowing Geragos to represent him. Further, I do not believe that the collusion grievance in-and-of-itself is going to be at all beneficial to him, but as always, I do not like to speculate overmuch when only partial evidence is available. So at this point, the above is just my belief.

        1. Thx for your replies.
          Interesting that Kap&Co. declined to work with NFLPA, who reportedly offered legal assistanc.

      1. That is a great article, Cubus. And I agree with the author — the likelihood of success on the merits seems remote, at best. However, stranger things have happened once the discovery process begins, if it begins at all. I think the process will move forward, but Moses is quite right above to point out that the 50-day time limit and when it started to toll will likely be an issue.

        1. It might have started when Trump made his SOB rant, and Jerry became a lap dog for Trump, by advocating that there needs to be a rule forcing players to stand, and exhorting his fellow owners to fire any protesting players.

        2. I partially posted it to entice you to come out of the woodwork :) We haven’t seen you “around these here parts” in quite some time.

          1. Unfortunately, the football discussion here is more repetitive and personalty driven than it once was. I mainly just skim it these days, and I rarely see anything upon which I want to comment. But as you know, I cannot resist when law and sports intersect.

  35. “Solomon Thomas, who didn’t play well.”

    Why is this doofus allowed to write these reports? It should be in the criminal statute somewhere stating he isn’t.

    Yeah, Thomas didn’t play well because of one freak’n play where he crashed on the running back. By this standard, Junior Seau never had a good game in his entire career.

    Let’s just ignore the fact that Thomas repeatedly destroyed Vernon Davis at the point of attack.

    1. IMO, fans read Grants’ analyses at their own risk to their blood pressure levels. I think fans are better off finding out how former D linemen rate Thomas’ performances and growth, e.g., Tim Ryan, Dennis Brown, etc. They all indicate that Thomas is pretty much improving with every game.

  36. LOL Seb! That was brilliantly crafted sarcasm! At least I hope it was. If you really believe what you just wrote, than you MUST be nuts! I don’t think so. I think you’ve been working your Kaep material for the laughs! All this time!! Bravo! Good job! I was laughing reading your thoughts. You got me!

  37. Hey, I get to add to the equation:

    One unemployed mediocre quarterback + divisive sideline activism + realized fan backlash of protests + 11-24 record over last three years + filing of grievance accusing the owners of collusion in an effort to keep him unemployed = One unemployed mediocre quarterback. Simple and precise.

  38. Grant is the little kid who never gets picked, so has to think he is smarter than everybody else. That is annoying enough, but them he has to be arrogant and smarmy to get his points across because he knows his points are ignorant also. Worst sports writer I have ever had the displeasure to run across……total waste of time and information.

  39. High profile certainly does not equate to competence. Geragos is a serial celebrity hack. He sucks. I’ll bet he doesn’t get an endorsement from Scott Peterson!! This is too good to be true!! I’m loving it Seb!! So let me get this straight because it’s hard to digest and comprehend. In your mind, the grievance is going to force the NFL to force a team to sign Kaep. Then, after being bullied into signing the player, they’re going to throw him out there as the starter, or even the backup? And possibly “take the league by storm”? This is how you think it’s going to go down? LMMFAO!! This is great! Crow for dinner at Seb’s house tonight!!

    1. He’s lost a lot of high-profile cases and been fired from others. I wonder why he was picked. I wonder why Kaepernick doesn’t use the Union who fight this for free.

      I also wonder why this timing? Two days before the owners meeting… Couldn’t be a coincidence.

      1. Off the top of my head, I think Geragos has strong community ties in the Modesto area. He may have taken the job pro bono for Kaep simply for the potential exposure. Also, Geragos has connections with cable news to express Kaep’s “plight.” This strikes me as a PR stunt.

        1. I think Geragos has damaging information, and a paper trail that proves collusion. Kaep only has to prove collusion between 2 teams, not the entire league. The fact that an email or letter was possibly sent to the entire league, it may prove to be problematic to the NFL.
          .
          He has handled notorious cases, but he has also done class action lawsuits for the underdog and innocent victims.
          .
          The timing is perfect, and is going to cause lots of worry during the owner’s meeting, and they better deal with it quickly. If some team signs Kaep, he will have no collusion claim. If they continue to persecute him, and make him a Martyr, it will only get worse for them, and give the league a big black eye.
          .
          Why not the NFLPA? Many members are not happy with the anthem protests so they may purposefully not be a forceful advocate for Kaep. Sure Geragos will gain money and publicity, but he also sees the potential monetary gains the players will incur if they can void the CBA 3 years early. There are huge stakes involved. Trump may have handed Kaep a victory with his bombastic expletive filled screeds.
          .
          Geragos must think he has a good case, and since neither the NFL or the player’s association can interfere due to the fact that they must rely on a neutral third party, The odds of winning are 50/50.
          .
          Hundley is not the answer for the Packers, and Siemian just became injured on his surgically repaired shoulder. Niners just benched their starter, and Bortles is joke compared to Kaep. Fitzpatrick and Cutler are 2 others who may bench themselves.
          .
          Despite the conspiracy to silence Kaep, he will play, and I hope he takes the league by storm.
          .
          With billions at stake, this is no PR stunt.

            1. He is correct. You do.
              .
              On this collusion matter, I feel vindicated. Geragos just confirmed they expect to have a smoking gun through the depositions.

  40. For the fourth consecutive week the Steelers are dealing with another self-inflicted controversy. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Sunday night that wide receiver Martavis Bryant has requested a trade from the only NFL team he’s ever played for.

    https://www.yahoo.com/sports/drama-pittsburgh-martavis-bryant-reportedly-wants-trade-022219995.html

    Wooden head. Just coming off a one-year suspension and the next suspension may be ‘for life.’ As a player he’s an explosive play-maker and diva.

    I’d give the Steelers, if they’re willing to trade him, a low round draft choice on a ‘sign and trade’ where he gets a new contract and the team won’t have to eat much, if any, bonus because he gets stupid again.

  41. FWIW, for all his early season struggles:

    Robinson got off to a rough start in 2017 but seems to have found his groove over the past two games. He was targeted six times against the Colts but only allowed a single reception for 15 yards. He had a similar performance in Washington.

    That’s two games in a row where he’s effectively shut-down the opponent’s WRs. And in this one, there was no effective pass rush to speak of with just 6 hits and 1 sack in 38 pass plays.

  42. And Tomlinson had a good day yesterday:

    It was an encouraging performance for the much maligned former first-round pick. Against a tough interior, Tomlinson allowed only two pressures on 53 pass-blocking snaps all day.

    Yeah, he shut Allen down. Allen had no tackles. No sacks. A couple of pressures.

  43. the fans are restless…

    i sure hope Beathards develops into a legit starter…but i wasnt crazy about his “arm talent”, as the young whippersnappers refer to it these days. course, Joe didnt have AAA arm talent either, so who knows…

    i’m not a defensive play caller but i was pretty shocked by the Niners inability to anticipate/react to Redskin offense which the Niner coaching staff should know a lot about. I’ll leave it to more experienced coaching/GM minds than mine to determine whether Saleh has just shown us an Achilles heel.

    This team is a long way from being good. the next step is mediocre, like the Redskins. Extremely few of these players will still be on the roster when we are considered “good” again. I hope that’s soon enough to include Foster, Buckner, and a couple of others. I hope its soon enough that the fans dont turn on Shanihan, who has an offensive scheme which seems to my eyes to be highly effective.

    1. “the fans are restless…”
      Count me out of those fans. I’ve seen endless years where Niners teams went sideways or down with no plan or direction. I have a lot of patience with this front office and coaching team since they are doing mostly the right things, and doing them in a transparent manner.

  44. They should have started CJ after our 3 losses…..Glad he played well.

    A bit skeptical on how he will play next game.,…….but i kinda have a confidence in this kid.

    The way he grew up in a football family and his story at Iowa….

    “2015 season

    Beathard helped lead the 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team to an undefeated 12–0 record during the regular season, as he passed for 2,570 yards during the season.[11] He was selected by both the coaches and media as a second-team player on the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team.”

  45. From ESPN. Really well written.

    To that end, the future is now.

    On Friday, the 49ers released beloved veteran NaVorro Bowman after he grew unhappy with a reduced role and said so publicly. Part of the reason for that move was to clear a path for rookie Reuben Foster to start at middle linebacker — the position the team envisioned for Foster upon drafting him — when he returns from a high ankle sprain.

    On Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan turned to Beathard in place of Brian Hoyer midway through the second quarter, then confirmed after the game that Beathard had done enough to be the starter moving forward. In a more subtle move, the Niners also quietly began rotating rookie cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in with starters Rashard Robinson and Dontae Johnson.

    Add those changes to rookie defensive lineman Solomon Thomas’ stepping into the starting lineup for the injured Tank Carradine, rookie George Kittle’s opening the season as the starting tight end and increased playing time for rookie receiver Trent Taylor and running back Matt Breida and it’s not hard to see what’s happening here.

    The 49ers’ youth movement has taken hold, whether they want to call it that or not.

    Therein lies the rub. Just because Shanahan and the Niners have been using some of their younger players more regularly doesn’t mean the results have changed. Yes, they’re still losing, but they’re not getting blown out, as the not-so-desirable distinction they earned Sunday would attest. In other words, the 49ers are still not winning, but at least they’re not winning with players who still have growth potential.

    …don’t be surprised if the Niners continue to get more snaps for some of their other young players. Foster is likely to return next week against Dallas. Witherspoon’s playing time will continue to increase. Rookie Cole Hikutini got his first taste of NFL action Sunday after being called up from the practice squad. Wideouts Kendrick Bourne and Victor Bolden Jr., offensive lineman Erik Magnuson and linebacker Pita Taumoepenu also could start working their way into the mix.

    http://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/27987/the-49ers-are-embracing-their-youth-and-thats-a-good-thing

  46. Here’s a pretty cool picture of Bethard hanging-tough against the rush:

    http://a1.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2017%2F1015%2Fr274329_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=570

    Kaepernick would have been running around like a chicken with his head cut-off and and sacked 9 times out of 10..
    Gabbert would be oblivious and get strip sacked.
    Hoyer would have fallen to the ground.

    As for Bethard, I thought he showed some solid intangibles. I think he can read an NFL defense and make his reads and optimize the results of the play when all factors are considered.

    I don’t think he’s perfect yet. I think Bethard needs to improve his anticipation (which already seems better than the three clowns listed above). I think Bethard needs to put more zip on his out-routes because while his placement was good on most of them, getting them there with a bit more zip will cut down INT chances.

    All-in-all, I was happy with his debut. But the best part is, we’ll get 10-games to see if he can show enough to grow into an NFL QB. And if he can… Well, that’s only good for the team.

    1. +1000 .. Moses !

      Being that this was CJ’s very first NFL regular season game..
      I would have given him a very high B+ … or even an A- !!

      (And when his pal George blew a perfect pass on the sidelines ..
      I got that same feeling I had .. whenever Wendell Tyler
      carried the ball …)

    2. Trubiscuit, #2 overall selection, 50% completion rate, 113 yards, 1 TD, Zero Ints, 94 rating.
      Beathard*, #104 overall selection, 52.8% completion rate, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int, 72 rating.

      *Not a full game.

  47. If that was a rub route on Garcon’s critical PI call then Washington was doing the rubbing (or mugging).
    The nearest San Francisco 49er to Garcon was sightseeing on the Golden Gate….Bad Call, due to this call from Humpty Dumpty: “the 49ers better not win. I’ve been tweeting over a month on this and more than the Puerto Rico hurricane; not in my house…There better be a flag in the last few minutes or I’m busting a cap in someone’s A$$, I’ll show those “son of a biotches.”

    1. Gee, Seb,

      I think I’ll apply for a job with the NFL.

      1st I need to mail them my resume highlighting my strongsuits:

      1. 2014-15: Caused a locker room melee by dating my teammate’s (and best pass rusher then and now) girl friend.

      2. Listen to my I-Tunes on the sideline and getting reprimanded by the NFL for wearing non-approved NFL licensed products.

      3. Go to an Aldon Smith party and semiautomatic weapons complaints from neighbors causes a shutdown (demonstrating strong team leadership here).

      4. Go to Vegas, get a hotel room with my 49er team mates, get accused of rape, then disappear, no where to be found when the cops arrive, so they accuse all of my team mates who were present resulting in an embarrasing lawsuit and PR damage against the team you supposedly are captain of (although unspoken, NFL QB’s are the unspoken leader and team image).

      5. 2015-2017: I refuse to stand for National Anthem, NFL, and many of my team mates and others across the NFL copy me. Before long, like a top 10 musical hit, most employees in the NFL are doing it to the point the President of the United States takes to the podium and the VP walks out of an NFL game.

      6. 2017: File a lawsuit against my prospective employers.

      NFL, When is my interview, and do I get a job with you ?

  48. Grant Cohn @grantcohn
    ·
    Oct 8
    “If C.J. Beathard played today instead of Hoyer and put up identical numbers, people would say Beathard was outstanding.”

    BAM! And we are seeing exactly this. Everyone loves the backup, until he’s no longer the backup. This is “We want Carr” Part Deux.

    1. Hammer: I think we all saw that CJ didn’t have sufficient speed on the ball at times where it was really needed. Plus he tended to throw floaters and wobblers. Everyone is saying it is a “lack of arm strength”. But surely a QB can increase his arm strength just like a person can increase the strength of any part of their body. I understand that this might affect timing and perhaps other areas, but surely his arm strength can be increased.

        1. Is that not a premature statement in one half of football? I mean all his throws made it to the intended target and its not like it was going to be picturesque throws in his first NFL game?

          I think everyone needs to hold their judgement on the kid good and bad till he plays one complete game of football with a week preparation.

          1. “I mean all his throws made it to the intended target”

            So he was targeting the Redskin DB on that interception? Which happened to be on a deep out, which is the one that best shows arm strength.

            1. Another bad throw was the deep out to Trent Taylor, who was open. Beathard put everything he had into that pass, and lofted it out of bounds.

              1. Come on guys, one game. Of course he was going to have some bad throws. I think after the Dallas game the criticism will be warranted.

              2. let’s hope the OL fights harder for CJ like they did when he came in to ‘Skins game….Dallas will be looking hard at game tape…KS needs to “pull a rabbit out of helmet” for offense & CJ– or I suspect we’ll see a sad run of 3 & out repeat movies next game…
                This next game will either make CJ a true hope (even in a close loss), or a new frustration…
                (BTW, looked like all CJ’s snaps came via shotgun, quite honestly I didn’t pay attn. to Hoyer’s — did Hoyer do more/any snaps under center? It looked like CJ got about an extra second or 2 than Hoyer did)

        2. “When you’re talking about arm speed and you’re trying to maximize strength in the arm, a lot starts with the rotator cuff,” says Ken Mastrole, of the Mastrole Quarterback Academy and XPE Sports Academy, who has worked with first-round NFL Draft picks Teddy Bridgewater and E.J. Manuel. “The rotator cuff and the four-muscle group of that area of the shoulder are key. There’s a lot of undeveloped areas in the shoulder that can help quarterbacks improve arm strength.”

          http://www.mensfitness.com/sports/football/larry-fitzgeralds-nfl-workout

          1. Cubus,
            You do a disservice to Grant’s fans by bringing data and facts into discussion. An excellent example that counters the canard that “you either have arm strength or you don’t” is Brian Hoyer. Pretty much all the major scouting reports for his draft declared him to be average or below average in arm strength. Yet over the years he has built up requisite strength and now throws a pretty good deep ball as we have seen.
            https://www.scoutingacademy.com/The-Source/SourceID/1220/Brian-Hoyer-Scouting-Report

      1. He did indeed throw some ducks but I think its not his arm more than it is his footwork.
        He never got settled and established his back and front foot properly.
        I watched his 2nd half throws and he looked “hurried” a lot of times. I think a week of practice and more reps will give him more confidence and time to work on his mechanics.

        The best thing about this week is seeing Beathard and what he can do. I would not say either way what he can do till we see him in at least 3 more games.

        Credit to Kyle Shanahan for trying everything he can to win. I think this move shows the team what kind of leader he is.

        1. Yeah, I certainly didn’t mean to imply that I was unhappy with CJ. I thought KS made a good decision and CJ played well. There’s a lot of aspects of his game to like. Just seems like getting speed on the ball when it’s needed could be improved.

          1. I think 49ers fans in general will always be hyper-critical when it comes to the QB position. To me its the biggest difference next to a good oline and pass rush. If you are able to have 2 of the 3, you will win more games than not.

            The snap judgements on Beathard are to be expected. We all knew this year was going to be about evaluation and seeing what guys fit in Shanahan scheme. The good news is we have 10 more games to see it all unravel.

        2. Prime,

          Shanahan may or may not be a good leader, time will tell. What we do know are the following:
          1. His team is very undesciplined – as Grant pointed out early on in training camp. They commit way too many penalties. I pin this directly on Shanahan.
          2. His play calling lacks situational awareness. This was evident during the Super Bowl and throughout this season. A good example is during the 49ers last drive. It was 2nd down with the ball on the Redskins 41 and 19sec on the clock. If you just sit there and not lose yardage, you have a shot at a 58 yard FG. So, what did Shanahan do? They could have run the ball, gained some yardage, spiked the ball, and kicked a FG for a chance to win. Yet, the 49ers kept trying to attack the sidelines even though the Redskins CB were playing outside leverage.

          1. Sure, when you are 0-5, you can point fingers at everyone and most times its warranted. But let’s be real about a couple things.
            1.Rookie head coaches and players will make mistakes. That will include penalties.
            Now if these same mistakes happen in a couple weeks, sure, Shanny deserves harsh criticism.

            2. When you lack talent at key positons, it dictates what your play calling is.
            I think this is the best 0 win team in the NFL. Ive watched Cleveland and even though the Giants won last night, they are terrible compared to the 49ers.
            This is a maybe 4 win season. This was the consensus in training camp when we all had tome to dissect the reasons why. Why would it change now?

    2. This is “We want Carr” Part Deux.

      What the two situations have in common is the irrational desperation of the sports fan. What they don’t have in common is that Carr was a known disaster at the time he was being chanted up as the Niners savior while Beathard is an unknown. He could be be next Carr, he could be the next Montana. Most very likely somewhere in between, and why not take the rest of a lost season to find out?

      1. Beathard off the top reminds me of Chad Pennington and he has the potential of a Steve Young! Would that not be something. I mean is this franchise not deserving of a little nostalgic luck at the QB position.

        1. Potential of Steve Young? Based on what? He doesn’t have the arm strength, speed, or accuracy that young displayed.
          Young would have been a first rounder had the USFL not outbid the NFL.

      2. The game yesterday played out almost exactly like the game one week earlier, but now fans are happy with the play of the QB? Silly.

          1. Incorrect.
            It’s either 24-12 (with Beathard as QB) vs. 23-26 (with Hoyer as QB), or 24-12 vs. 23-40, depending on whether one considers just the Redskins game or the last two games.

        1. Happy probably not the correct term, excited for something new is more accurate. The future is all 49ers fans have to hang on to.

        2. Happy with the scoreboard result? No. Intrigued and hopeful by the showing of a rookie playing his very first league snaps? Why crap on that, hammer? As a guy here used to say, arrows up? Why not find out. If so, thats other positions that can benefit from much needed attention.

          1. Or at least till the kid plays 4 complete quarters. Piss and vinegar abound after the kid leads a potential 17 pts comeback. Tough crowd.

        3. “The game yesterday played out almost exactly like the game one week earlier, but now fans are happy with the play of the QB? Silly.”

          I don’t get this argument.
          1. Washington is better than the Colts, possibly a playoff team.
          2. Beathard’s first action.

          A more accurate comparison is what each QB did against Washington.

          Hoyer: 4/11, 34 YDs, 3.1 Avg. 45.3 rating.
          Beathard: 19/36 , 245 YDs, 6.8 Avg. 1TD, 1 INT, 72.1 rating.

          It should be clear that Beathard is an upgrade over Hoyer. So he wasn’t perfect, it was his first game. So he doesn’t have good arm strength, we run a WCO.

  49. Grant,
    Don’t let your bias get in the way of your analysis. Solomon Thomas had a decent game according to Tim Ryan. The TD run that you referenced was just as much the fault of Ray Ray. By the way, are you jealous of a Stanford education?

    1. I recall a Greg Cossell interview where he noted that Ray Ray was responsible for missed assignments for which Bowman tried (and failed) to compensate.

  50. The difference is that one is a 23 year old rookie while the other guy is a 32 year journeyman. The 23 year old rookie in his only start looked a lot more in command then the veteran. It’s not that people just love the back up because he is the next man up, it’s also because he is a young player that has already shown in his first playing time to play at the level of Hoyer… What Kyle is doing is exactly what educated fans appreciate. See what you have in a young player at an important position instead of playing a journeyman that everyone knows what he can do.

      1. The 49ers are embracing their youth, and that’s a good thing
        5:00 AM MT
        Nick Wagoner
        ESPN Staff Writer

        On Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan turned to Beathard in place of Brian Hoyer midway through the second quarter, then confirmed after the game that Beathard had done enough to be the starter moving forward. In a more subtle move, the Niners also quietly began rotating rookie cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in with starters Rashard Robinson and Dontae Johnson.

        Rookie Cole Hikutini got his first taste of NFL action Sunday after being called up from the practice squad.

        1. I thought Ahkello looked passive or was that just because he was playing in a lot of zone coverages?

          1. Prime,

            Watched it at a tavern w/o benefit of a recording…Probably a combination of auditioning for next years draft and receiving experience in different defensive packages.

            1. Not sure how many snaps he played but he looked nervous which again was to be expected. One thing is for sure, Jimmie Ward and Tartt are the future at the safety positions.

              1. Reading defenses on film vs. on the field in live action in your 1st NFL game will have that effect…I’m also going to reserve judgement on CJ for the reason you stated, Prime.

  51. Why Being 0-5 Is A GOOD Thing
    October 12, 2017 at 5:11 PM • 42 comments
    By James Darnell

    The 49ers have been competitive, particularly defensively. The team has lost four straight games (now 5 ) by three points or less, and has clearly shown that it is headed in the right direction despite the win-loss column being completely lopsided. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is gaining experience by the day, and appears to be the right man for the job. His team plays hard for him, often praises him for his football acumen, and seems to have bought into his approach.
    Signs of improvement are there. The right coach and GM are in place. There’s talent to build on. But winning meaningless games in what will ultimately be a terrible season record-wise would do nothing but harm. This team needs to bring in more talent, particularly on offense. More specifically, this team needs a quarterback.
    http://www.49erswebzone.com/commentary/1753-why-being-0-5-good-thing/

  52. San Francisco.
    San FranciscoO
    San Francisc O-6

    theres your grade until further notice

  53. The 49ers keep coming close to victory with no ounce of gold to show for it in 2017. Sunday’s 26-24 loss at Washington marks the fifth consecutive game San Francisco has lost by a field goal or less.

    But who cares?

    San Francisco is winning in the big picture for later, even if nothing shows up in the standings now.

    This was supposed to a be major rebuild for general manager John Lynch and more of an audit season for Shanahan. It was hard to expect good results. In terms of improving the team for the short term and evaluating it for the long term, it has been a smashing success.
    http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/san-francisco-49ers-john-lynch-kyle-shanahanalary-cap-space-nfl-draft-picks/12eeu6745ost61izipxto6bsld?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

      1. Your welcome, Prime.

        You called it from the beginning of camp. Shanny/Lynch are in rebuild.

        They need playmakers, so with the top pick in every round they’ll get some.

  54. Beathard doesn’t fit the profile of a can’t-miss franchise quarterback. Beathard, who played in college at Iowa, was a bit of a surprise third-round pick. He wasn’t considered a potential third-rounder by many draft analysts, but clearly Shanahan and general manager John Lynch saw something in him.

    San Francisco had the second pick in this year’s draft and had the option to choose any quarterback in this season’s class, including breakout star Deshaun Watson, and passed until the late third round with Beathard. That’s a pretty big gamble, to pass a Watson or Patrick Mahomes in the first round and then use a valuable third-round pick on Beathard.

    Now the 49ers will get plenty of time to figure out if Beathard can be the permanent starter beyond this season, or if they’ll need to draft someone early or make a long-anticipated move for Kirk Cousins if he hits free agency.

    Frank Schwab, Shutdown Corner

  55. “It is much too early to tell whether Beathard can be the 49ers’ quarterback of the future. But we know that Hoyer certainly is not that guy. Any chance of him finding a long-term home with his seventh NFL team in nine seasons is over.”

    …….ouch

    1. Hoyer officially became a back up for life. No way will he be a starter again in the NFL unless someone gets hurt. Its a cruel business.

      1. Ha! They said it took Rogers 3 good years to learn McCarthy’s offense. God luck Mr.Kaepernick, hopefully you’ve learned how to study a playbook during your time off.

        1. I don’t really thinks he wants to play……I believe his bank account is getting low and he needs cash…..

  56. I am content. I said that Hoyer would pull a Gabbert, and was proven right.
    .
    I said that KS needed to make quick assessments and wise adjustments, so he benched Hoyer.
    .
    I said they needed to line up Hyde in the I, and he scored twice.
    .
    I said they should get Hyde involved in the passing game, and he caught 5 passes for 47 yards.
    .
    I was disappointed. I said that the Niners should consider time outs to be precious, and saved for legitimate challenges and the last 2 minutes of each half. Not having that third time out may have been the difference between winning and losing. Some day, they will learn.
    .
    I am disappointed that Kaep still does not have a job, but with all the attrition, it may just be a matter of time before he gets a call. Many QBs are benching themselves or are getting their shoulders driven into the turf.
    .
    This grievance may force their hand. Hope they lean on Jed to sign Kaep. Kaep and CJB can then compete for playing time. Something that should have been done in TC with all the QBs.
    .
    I am happy Hoyer was benched, but equally glad that CJB is getting a chance. He may not have a rocket arm, and his passes wobble, but at least CJB can find open receivers, is decently accurate and he used his mobility to elude the pass rush so players can get open. CJB did an admirable job leading the offense, and his leadership seemed to inspire the defense, too. If not Kaep, at least CJB is a mobile QB with lots of upsides.
    .
    Now I hope KS can devise schemes that play to his strengths. Hope KS can devise some bootlegs and roll outs. Sure am glad KS went bold, and he did not run into the teeth of the defense too much.
    .
    The Cowboys, without Elliot, are beatable.

      1. I think you forgot two I’s making it 7 total.

        Anyone who ever played a down of sports knows coach’s favorite go to line is:
        “There’s no ‘I’ in team,” which is why SEB will forever be, “The Fool on the Hill”

        Fool on the Hill, performed by:
        By Sergio Mendes
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEHckjjbE8I

  57. Not saying Bow was great, but he wasn’t this bad.

    http://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2017/10/16/49ers-snap-counts-rough-day-for-linebackers/

    “While Ward continues to acclimate well to free safety, Coyle looked every bit the player that was brought in primarily to play special teams in the offseason. He allowed 6 catches on 7 targets for 77 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus, while covering running backs in the passing game has continued to be an Achilles heal for coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.”

    “Armstrong allowed five catches on five targets in coverage for 136 yards, per PFF, including a crucial 51-yard reception to former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis that set up Kirk Cousins’ game-winning touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.”

    1. Bow was great, it’s the “was” part that sucks…a healthy Bow in this game would have made it a W.

    2. Not for the first time this season the play of the LBs really let the team down, especially in pass defense. Will be good to get Foster back.

      1. And Saleh never made the necessary adjustments.
        Now of course Coyle and Ray Ray are back ups at best, but you’d think he would be able to figure out you could not cover Thompson with a LB.

    1. if CJ OK for rest of 2017…much $$ and trade stock must be put into more LB’s and Edge rushers…top priority after QB situation…Coyle’s the D’s version of the OL’s all-pro Fusco….

    2. A little less violence and a little more technique? Saleh reminds me of our shock and awe campaign in Iraq. The people who were shocked and awed are with the WMDs. No one has been able to find either to this day.

      1. via webzone link below…Coyle and RR are MAJOR contributors to this loss…with better coverage LB’s this could’ve been a W. Crappy technique — better LB’s are needed to get a W

      2. Personally, I feel like Saleh is playing way too much zone coverage, and dropping defensive lineman into coverage too much….

    1. I don’t think Shanny wants to sign Hyde to an extension, given the fact he stated that he felt there wasn’t much difference between him and Breida….

        1. Sure, there’s no chance they were advertising him. Why would they sign him to an extension, when Breida is just as good? Doesn’t make sense….

          1. Because Breida is a tiny change of pace back and Williams is unproven.
            Hyde has done everything the organization has asked him to do. This is his audition year. Why extend him now when the knock on him has been being able to stay healthy. The longer he proves that the more money for him. Win win for both sides.
            I think he deserves an extension but he needs to prove it over a full season.

      1. Hyde is not worthy of premium dollars and he thinks he is. That spells trouble for coming back to the Niners.

      2. and yet KS has shown a difference in scheme & snaps ratios between them…based on opposition’s D weaknesses, not QVC network shopping of Hyde. So their strengths are not identical (breaking tackles, speed, vision/awareness, etc.) Perhaps a contract tete’-a-tete’ deal will happen?

      3. I won’t be surprised if Hyde turns down Niners’ offer be cause the latter will value him considerably below what Hyde will (over)estimate as his market value.

        I am not sold on the long term viability of Hyde. The guy is as bad as a rookie in his pass blocking inconsistency. Breida will soon surpass him as a pass blocker.

  58. An observation……..

    Kyle Shanahan: “Playing QB in this league is about going through progression, having to manipulate zones.”

    Robert Saleh: ‘I felt like we could have kept (the Panthers) under 10.’

    Kyle Shanahan on the 49ers’ fourth-down failures: ‘The first one is the one I regretted.’

    Robert Saleh says NaVorro Bowman can cover Christian McCaffrey man to man

    Kyle Shanahan thinks he has an idea of how the Panthers will use Christian McCaffrey

    Robert Saleh on containing Russell Wilson: ‘We had him. We had him in our grasp.’

    Kyle Shanahan: ‘We had a couple shots early and the protection didn’t hold up.’

    Robert Saleh: ‘One drive just p***ed it all away. Excuse my language.’

    Kyle Shanahan: ‘There’s lots of things to be encouraged about. There is.’

    Robert Saleh on Solomon Thomas: ‘We do need to find ways to get him inside to rush the passer.’

    John Lynch: ‘It’s in our best interests’ to release NaVorro Bowman

    Kyle Shanahan: ‘I think we’ve got more talent than what we’ve shown so far.’

    Kyle Shanahan: ‘We very easily could be 4-1.’

    Robert Saleh: ‘I felt like we could have kept (the Panthers) under 10.’

    Robert Saleh on NaVorro Bowman: “He has no deficiencies.”

    Kyle Shanahan ‘not sure’ who the 49ers’ vocal leaders are

    They all sound like a bunch of excuses from a source that blindly refuses to see what the problem is.

    Also you can sense a lack of leadership, lack of authority, lack of ownership on the situation.

    I think Shanny is the best Offensive coordinator we have had in a while, but I am starting to feel his lack of leadership skills will damage him……..same thing that happen to Josh McDaniels

    1. To be fair he can’t be honest. I mean do you want him to say we have receivers that can’t catch a cold , a career back up QB, and linemen that act like Wal-Mart greeters as the wave at passing defenders.
      Or perhaps Saleh could admit that his dbs and linebackers are backups from last year’s team which was one if tge worst defenses in NFL history.
      They are not making excuses they made statements… and in Salehs case the defense is far better than it was last year. They are giving up nearly a TD less per game and 25 yards less per game. The problem is the offense. Even in this last game the defense essentially gave the offense 7 if their points… meaning the offense was only responsible for 17 points.

      1. Have you noticed though that the defense has never held a lead for long. Statistically we are better. But every time we get ahead, the opponents take the lead or tie fairly quickly. We are somewhat heartened that we’ve lost 5 games by less than three points but that cuts both ways. Maybe our D should have been able to stop them just once more instead of the O having to win in OT or at the final bell. The reality when it comes to D is that the only stat that counts is how many points you give up and whether it’s less than the other guys.

  59. I would have downgraded ST for missing the onside kick. It was a bad effort. Grant needed to have mentioned that.

    1. Do you know that onsides kicks (when the other team is expecting it) have about a 1 in 10 success rate? We’ve already had one this year. Statistically we have 8 more attempts until we recover the next one. Are you going to complain about those next 8 also?

      1. Oh, I know that. It was still not a good or credible effort according to Tim Ryan. I think I would downgrade ST a bit for this poor effort.

        1. I liked the effort behind the last second misdirection attempt. The kick just didn’t get placed correctly as they rarely do in these attempts.

  60. how about this…when Hoyer was in it did seem that the futility triplets- Fusco, Tomlinson, and Kilgore, were even leakier than their normal sterling level of play…
    so, perhaps shock from Bow release- as Grant suggested? Then, Hoyer out , CJ in, and the OL gets the “keep the kid alive” vibe going? Did protect seem better when CJ came in? Was it just the shotgun snaps?

  61. The Cowboys may be without star running back Ezekiel Elliott

    Las Vegas oddsmakers like the 49ers’ chances in the game. According to various casinos, as of Monday morning, the Cowboys are anywhere from four- to six-point favorites.

  62. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought Beathard was going to be anywhere near an NFL franchise quarterback during his collegiate career at Iowa. Even as he compiled a 21-7 record as the Hawkeyes’ starter, he averaged just 148 yards per game as a senior.

    When the 49ers drafted him in the third round, it was a pick that was mostly laughed at.

    “C.J. Beathard had mostly fifth-, sixth-round grades from the teams I spoke with,” NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said, via NFL.com. “[He’s] very smart, understands where to go with the football, better arm than expected when you really sit down and study him. I haven’t seen him live, and the people who went to his Pro Day told me he had an excellent day…

    Source: SB Nation

  63. I am glad to see CJ play, I like the guy not sure if I like his arm. I now am beginning to think another QB in the draft or get Cousins. Wasn’t really impressed with Cousins against our ‘stout’ secondary felt he should of had a much better game.

    1. What should the 49ers do if they get the No. 2 pick, Darnold goes back to school and Rosen goes No. 1?

            1. Why not? He is the most accurate. Think Trubisky will be just fine as he has shown. Allen, same thing.

              1. Ha – If we take Norton’s kid at least he won’t be a DL from the Pac 12. Don’t want to just keep on doing the same thing, ya know.

      1. It seems that one of KS’ top criteria is for a tough SOB. Who’s the toughest QB that plays in a pro-style offense and is pretty good although not in the Darnold/Rosen/Allen category?

      2. In that scenario, they’d probably need to hand in the card for Rudolph or get a couple #1 picks to move down, and then take Allen….

      3. I don’t know Grant, maybe draft another defensive lineman. Kidding aside if there is not a quality QB for the top 3 or 4 picks it might be best to trade back as there is a tremendous amount of holes on the team and unless they are addressed and self inflicted wounds stops, a QB isn’t going to make much of a difference.

    2. I agree Under. Cousins is overrated. He led that one good drive late in the game but that was more on our soft zone coverage.
      He is better than anything we have but Id rather draft and develop Josh Allen than sign him to big money and term.

    3. C.J. looks like a guy that can be a dependable back up. If they can’t get Cousins, they’ll need to draft a better option. If they do get Cousins, they could raffle off that top 5 pick. I’d prefer the known commodity, with the Visa Reward Points, but who knows at this point how it will all play out. Next spring proves to be an eternal period of intrigue….

      1. stop being a seb……we are not mortgaging the future of the franchise on a mediocre QB like cousins…….

        1. Razor is speculating different scenarios. He also said that no one knows how it will all play out.
          .
          That certainly is not like me,who makes bold pronouncements.
          .
          Razor is diametrically opposed to me because I think that they should sign Kaep, because I think Kaep is better than any rookie in the league. I also think that Kaep can read defenses, and with better support, can do well enough to help win games.
          .
          Yes, CJB performed admirably. I even said so before. However, his lack of arm speed is disconcerting. I have seen him throw wobblers and float passes. He can be accurate, but not always consistently.
          .
          I will agree with Razor on this. If the QB situation is nailed down, the Niners can spend those five picks in the first 3 rounds to get possibly 4 starters. If they have to bundle picks to move up, they might miss out on several top notch talented players.
          .
          He also mentioned drafting an O lineman with their first round pick. I think the QB class is so deep, they might be able to get a good prospect in the second round.

        1. Doubtful, Cousins’ arm strength rated at 59 mph. Beathard’s 52 mph to the left, 55 mph to the right.

          1. Kaep had a great arm too… Alex not so much. I know who I would take now. Cousins is not worth that money. CJ will prove people wrong… Kyle knows that!

            1. Can Kaep read a defense, or execute a NFL pro style offense? If not, I don’t see the relevance of bringing him into the conversation….

              1. Montana had an average arm too… What Montana was great was his smarts and his clutch gene. Great timing as well… He took what defense gave him. You brought up Cousins arm strength not me there Razor. Give this kid a chance. I think we got something. I’m rarely wrong :)?

              2. Let me spell it out for you. Montana had no visible deficiencies to my untrained eyes while at Notre Dame or San Francisco. Cousins can read a defense. Beathard can read a defense. Cousins runs a pro offense. Beathard runs a pro offense. Beathard had noticeable deficiency when throwing the out. Exactly how does Kaepernick, who can’t read a defense, and can only operate a gimmick offense, figure into the arm strength conversation about Cousins, Beathard and Montana?

  64. Miller, Niner Noise on Josh Allen
    Article: Could Josh Allen be a 49er:

    “Josh Allen has rare traits in terms of arm strength and athleticism; after watching him in person I’d say his arm is the strongest I’ve ever seen. Allen is able to make difficult throws from any platform and can easily throw a 25-yard out route on a line from the opposite hash.”

    But according to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, Allen has a higher ceiling than top-ranked prospects like USC’s Sam Darnold or UCLA’s Josh Rosen:

    College football is loaded with talented signal-callers, but Allen has the highest ceiling of the entire group. I struggle to come up with a good player comparison for him. He’s way ahead of Chiefs first-round pick Patrick Mahomes from a development standpoint and I think he has a much higher upside.

    1. Jeremiah explained more:

      He has Joe Flacco’s frame/arm strength and he’s more athletic than Carson Wentz. Speaking of Wentz, Allen is playing in the same college system that Wentz did, and that’s a big plus. He spends a lot of time under center and this isn’t a dink and dunk spread attack.

      The Cowboys’ Josh Allen fits the prototype. At 6’5″ and 222 pounds with an elite arm, 4.59 40 yds, functional athleticism and experience in a pro-style system, Allen displays No. 1 overall potential.

      “He’s a big ol’ kid with a big arm, and he’s pretty athletic, too,” said one AFC executive, per The MMQB’s Albert Breer. “We gotta learn more about him, but the tools are there.”

      The NFL is so desperate for franchise signal-callers, it’s prepared to anoint Trubisky its top prospect at the game’s most important position after 13 collegiate starts and fewer than 600 pass attempts..

      Trubisky is one example. Kizer, Watson and Miami’s Brad Kaaya are all intriguing yet unpolished prospects. As underclassmen, each could use another year of seasoning.

  65. wonder what the press was saying about Montana’s arm strength back in ’79/’80? Just wondering…

    1. Tjf;

      Take it for what it’s worth, and I did not want to say this for fear of another NFL team, but I was correct on Breida, RB Hunt for KC (#80 gave me credit for that find in the summer–now KC’s starter),
      but Allen appears to have some Montana in him, the way he keeps plays alive and makes defenses pay.

      He also is only the 2nd QB (aside from Aaron Rodgers) who compares to Dan Marino, in that Allen only needs to flick his wrist, and the ball gets out quickly and for long distances.

      If Shannahn can work with him, I recommend drafting him, then picking up your Leo in free agency.

      “Totally legit. Absolutely could be the first pick,” an AFC decision-maker not in need of a quarterback said. He’s got the size and the arm. He probably has a quicker release than Wentz. He’s every bit the prospect Wentz was, and probably better.”…CBS SportsLine

    2. They questioned his arm strength, but I can’t recall a time when I noticed said deficiency on the field, whether it was at Notre Dame or in San Francisco….

  66. NFL Network ✔@nflnetwork
    In 2013, not one FBS school offered Josh Allen a scholarship.

    Today, the @wyo_football QB just might be the best prospect since Cam Newton

    Here’s the article. The quote is by George Witfield. I’m not saying JA is the best prospect since Cam but I think this guy knows more than most about QB prospects.

    Here’s the full quote:

    “The best decision Josh has made in his life was to return to Wyoming,” said George Whitfield, the noted quarterback guru who has trained current pros like Cam Newton and Jameis Winston — and who worked with Allen this summer. “Understanding an offense is big because you can’t run an NFL offense if you don’t have ownership of your college system. He’ll also improve his mechanics. But believe me when I say that there hasn’t been a talent like this come out of college football since Cam Newton. I try to be conservative in my thoughts about Josh, but that’s the truth.”

  67. I think we just got a $3 million discount on Bowman’s salary cap hit, courtesy of the Raiders.

    1. Good place for Bow to land. I am happy for him but the Raiders may regret the signing. Grant is so right that Bow can no longer play at a high level. Or even at an average level.

    2. I was dubious of Norton’s DC capabilities…this move may make him look worse…but I actually hope Bow does “a man’s job” (Blade Runner) and makes KN look good…

  68. First, Cousins will not take half the salary cap.
    Second, Beatherd and Montana are not cocomparible. Montana had an average arm, not a weak arm, that is a major difference. One shrinks the field and limits play calls.
    Cousins has crapy receivers this year and still has 106 qb rating. He isn’t throwing for a ton of yards but he’s already proven he can do that, when threw for just shy of 5000 yards 2 seasons ago. Does he throw a lot of picks? No.
    What exactly is he bad at?

    1. The people that are dissing Cousins are the same people that said “he is not a very strong deep thrower; while his velocity is adequate, his accuracy when throwing deep is questionable”. Cousins has had to earn his stripes every step of the way. The only question he needs to answer is in the playoffs, and whether or not he can deliver in the 4th quarter, when the game is on the line….

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