49ers 39, Rams 41: Grades

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SANTA CLARA

Here are the 49ers’ grades after their 41-39 home loss to the Rams.

QUARTERBACK: A-minus. The minus is for the first pass of the game. That was brutal. Brian Hoyer threw the ball right to the cornerback, who intercepted the pass and returned the ball to the 49ers three-yard line. Hoyer basically handed the Rams a seven-point head start. First, the location of the cornerback should have negated the throw in the first place. Marquise Goodwin ran a quick out route toward the sideline, and the corner never backed up. He knew Hoyer would throw a short pass. Secondly, Hoyer paused before the made the throw. The pass was late. He should have thrown the ball away. Throw it into the stands and hit the hot dog vendor in the head – just don’t throw to the cornerback. That was Hoyer’s worst decision. But he rebounded and was excellent the rest of the game even though he was under constant pressure. His passer rating from that point on was 112.3, and it could have been better – his teammates dropped six passes. This was the Hoyer we saw last season in Chicago and expected to see this season.

RUNNING BACKS: B. Carlos Hyde averaged only 3.4 yards per carry, but that’s because he ran so many times at the goal line. He was superb, and scored two touchdowns. He gets an “A.” I downgrade this group to a “B” because Raheem Mostert fumbled and Kyle Juszczyk committed a critical holding penalty when the 49ers were at the Rams 9-yard line. If Juszczyk hadn’t committed that penalty, there’s a good chance the 49ers would have scored a touchdown on that series, but instead they kicked a field goal. And they ended up losing by two points. That holding penalty could have been the difference in the game.

WIDE RECEIVERS: A-minus. Pierre Garcon was the best player on the offense. He gets an “A-plus.” He caught seven passes for 142 yards, including a 59-yard catch down the left sideline, a 30-yard catch across the middle, and an 18-yard catch on third-and-17. I don’t understand what took Kyle Shanahan so long to get Garcon involved in the offense. He is a pleasure to watch. Marquise Goodwin gets credit too – he made a beautiful 50-yard catch over two defensive backs. He didn’t wait for the ball to get to him – he jumped and caught it at its highest point as he’s coached to do. Good for him. And rookie Trent Taylor caught a touchdown pass. He also caught a 12-yard pass third-and-10 on the final drive, but the officials flagged him for an offensive pass interference penalty. I watched the replay and didn’t see what he did to draw the flag. Maybe the camera angle didn’t show the penalty. Maybe the penalty was a bad call. I don’t know. I downgrade this group because Aldrick Robinson dropped two passes.

TIGHT ENDS: C-minus. Garrett Celek caught a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter and cut the Rams’ lead to eight points. That was a big play. An even bigger play was George Kittle’s drop in the red zone. After Kyle Juszczyk’s holding penalty, Shanahan called a long pass to Kittle. The play was “Y Stick Nod.” Kittle ran five yards up field, took two of steps to his left and then broke back up field. He was open and Hoyer’s pass hit him in the hands, but Kittle dropped the ball. Had he caught the pass, he could have picked up the first down or even scored a touchdown.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D. This unit committed three penalties (one was declined) and allowed four sacks. The final sack came on the 49ers final offensive play. It was fourth-and-20. Right guard Brandon Fusco tried to block Aaron Donald, but failed. Donald instantly beat Fusco and sacked Hoyer to end the game. Fusco is a liability.

DEFENSIVE LINE: F. These guys touched Jared Goff just two times and sacked him no times. The pass rush was non-existent. Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas each recorded only one tackle. Thomas was particularly ineffective. Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth owned Thomas all game. Thomas has short arms and no technique, and once he engages the offensive tackle he has no way to disengage. He locks on. Has no counter move. He wasn’t worth the No. 3 pick.

LINEBACKERS: F. Ray Ray Armstrong committed his weekly 15-yard penalty, and NaVorro Bowman missed three tackles. The third missed tackle led to a 27-yard gain on third-and-10. He is washed up. Sad.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: D. This unit committed four penalties, including a holding penalty by Dontae Johnson. That penalty came on third-and-7 when Elvis Dumervil sacked Jared Goff. Johnson’s penalty extended the drive and allowed the Rams to score a touchdown. I give the defensive backs a “D” and not an “F” because they didn’t have the benefit of a pass rush.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B. This unit helped the Niners get back in the game during the fourth quarter by forcing a fumble during a kickoff return and recovering an onside kick. But Robbie Gould missed an extra point. If he had made that kick, the 49ers probably would have forced overtime.

COACHES: A-minus. Kyle Shanahan did almost everything he needed to do. He laid the foundation of a passing attack, boosted Hoyer’s confidence, allowed Garcon to be a major factor, called three deep passes and changed his game plan on third down – the Niners converted 9-of-18. But for the second-straight home game, Shanahan’s team played sloppy. They committed 16 FIPS – one fumble, one interception, 10 penalties and four sacks. And that doesn’t account for the six dropped passes. They’re still playing like losers. Shanahan has to change that.

This article has 290 Comments

  1. Hoyer was good , but not A-. He had the pick 6 (essentially). B+ at best. Still better than Kap,

    Gritty performance by Hyde. Hurt already though, he’ll be lucky to play all 16. I miss Hightower. Hightower isn’t special, but he can block, catch, and run OZ in a pinch.

    Wrs “I don’t understand what took Kyle Shanahan so long to get Garcon involved in the offense.” I don’t either. Maybe he couldn’t get open against the ‘Legion of Holders’.

    LBs I’m not burying Bow yet. But yeah, he was awful tonight.

    “They’re still playing like losers.” A bit harsh for a young team with so much roster turnover and a new staff.

    Agree on the rest.

    1. Still better than Kaep? Couldn’t resist could ya? Get one thing straight, he isn’t better…..never has been, never will be. U folks are something else…….true fans I guess. Lol…….

      1. Correct, I couldn’t resist. Just like you couldn’t resist.

        dReed209 says:
        September 21, 2017 at 10:38 pm
        Elite qb’s get that call…..not Brian Hoyer. Nobody is listening when a journeyman speaks……

      2. I agree with #80. Everyone and their brother are better than Colin Kaepernick, who was nothing more than a running back with 4th quarter meldowns, and who could only throw easy check-down passes of 4 yards unless they were “clutch passes” late in the game. Without a great running game, a great defense, and without coach Harbaugh coddling him with smoke and mirrors that hid Kaep’s deficiencies, it took a while for other teams to learn: just take away his runs by daring him to throw the ball. As it turned out, his cannon arm’s deep passes couldn’t hit the side of a barn. For evidence, refer to how ex 49ers DC Vic Fangio’s defense feasted o Kaepernick two seasons ago. Colin played the entire game, yet only netted 4 yards. Only 4 yards? Fangio knew exactly how easy it was to beat Kaepernick. In addition, Kaep’s highly ignorant and racist protests against the police, the military, and the government have continued injuring the game far more than concussions ever will. Since his first protest, every year month after month, the NFL is losing fans. By a 2 to 1 margin, the #1 reason that former fans have cited as to why they stopped the games is the wave of Kaep’s protests.

    2. “Better than Kap”…. are you kidding? These are the Rams, the lowly awful loser Rams. Their defense makes superstars out of QB’s. Hoyer’s true measure was last week against Seattle…mediocre beyond belief.

      1. Really?
        What other qb threw for 200+ yards against them this year?
        Indy didn’t do it, Washington didn’t do it…
        Breaking news, Jeff Fisher isn’t the rams coach anymore.

        1. Yeah, that Rams D really made Tolzien look like a superstar in Week 1. Tolzien:9/18 128 YDs, 0 TDs, 2 INTs.

        1. Kaep was playing vs Sea when they had the best def in football, and were perennial Superbowl contenders. Sea appears very mediocre this year, certainly not the case when Kaep was under center. Why am I even debating Kaep vs Hoyer? The answer has nothing to do with football talent, contrary to what you true fans lead folks to believe. How many games was Kaep our best weapon last year?That will never be said of De la Hoyer…..maybe we can debate something worth our time. Like why Grant still has a job…..

          1. And choking. Brutally choking. Completely choking. Which is why he was 1-7 to Alex Smith’s 7-4.

            In his 8 games his QB rating was 63.7 vs an Seahawk PD rating of 75.6 for the stretch. And that includes last year’s dink-and-dunk fest of 122.3. Which means his other games averaged somewhere in the HIGH 50s.

            So you have no point. He was worse than the average. He worse than most ever QB that faced Seattle. He was completely owned.

          2. Ha! That last sentence made me smile. Seattle starts slow most years. They will probably still make the playoffs. Kap was our best weapon after Hyde went down. You could argue that Kerley was a better weapon. Other than that, Kap was a better weapon than people like Torrey Smith, Patton, and the backup HBs. That’s not saying much. I like how the pro Kap/anti Hoyer fans are cherry picking the one game in Seattle. I will counter that one game cherry pick with this.

            http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/colin-kaepernick-sets-a-new-historical-low-gets-benched-in-loss-to-bears-120416

            The Bears were hardly a defensive juggernaut.

          3. Seattles Defense is still possibly the best in football. Their issue is on offense.

            Keep in mind the most points scored by Kaep in Seattle was 13 in 2012.
            In 2013 he scored 3 points, in 2014 he scored 7 points in Seattle.
            Seattle is a completely different animal at home.

            So before you just crush Hoyer give him a few games… don’t just crush him because of the Seattle game.

          4. Reed, glad you are touting Kaep. Of course, with Kaep at the helm, I think the Niners could be 3-0, but will concede that many others will disagree with my opinion.
            .
            I agree. Hoyer did do well, but he put the Niners in a huge hole to begin the game, and it seems like he is another Steve Deberg; can get close, but not enough to win.
            .
            Please do not come to this site to diss Grant. I could easily dredge up another name and go to the other Niner sites, but I like it here because Grant is like a breath of fresh air. Sure, he can be critical at times, but that is his job. Grant can also be spot on, like his calling for Garcon to be featured more and their decision to take more deep shots down field.
            .
            Hope to see more of your posts because you seem to have a sharp football mind, but I will push back whenever Grant is dissed, because I think he is exactly what the Niners need. He is like the boy who said the emperor had no clothes. Sometimes the truth hurts, but they will not improve without honest constructive criticism.

            1. I love how Grant absolutely blasted the Thomas pick.
              It’s exactly what I’ve been saying about him.
              Too small, not violent and a wasted pick.
              The small arms make him look like a T-Rex.

              Jamal Adams or Mitch Trubisky were the picks. Now hindsight is what it is but going DT was a mistake and Thomas’s lack of pass rush might make it a bust.
              Strike 1 for John Lynch on his first ever draft pick.

              1. No, on many other teams with a horrible record and no talent, the first round pick would be thrust into the breach. Luckily, the Niners are moving past the horrible record and it is heartening to see the upgrade in talent.
                .
                Most rookies would do best by sitting a year, studying hard, and working out to get stronger.
                .
                King Solomon will be a long term veteran, and many will question the football acumen of his doubters in a few years, when he really gets going. Now that Tank threw a track, King Solomon will get more playing time, and he will get better as the season goes along.

              2. Seb not sure what games you watch but Grant is right. Thomas is getting swallowed up because he is undersized in the upper extremity.
                Offensive tackles with Long arms just extend them and keep him at bay.
                This is simple physics.

                If you are going to make predictions then present some facts.
                Remember your prediction about Shanny and Lynch taking back Krapernick?
                Big miss!

              3. King Solomon just needs to work out more and build muscle. That takes time.
                .
                What I like about him is his explosive first step, something few others have. He has traditionally started off slow, but comes on strong towards the end. I still expect that to happen.

              4. So now he should sit and work out and learn but not Trubisky?
                That 1st round picks should play sparingly or just watch so they can develop?
                Man you contradict yourself every day.
                I told you lay off the weed Seb, it kills short term memory!

              5. Prime, in general, I say that for every rookie.
                .
                Ideally, it would be the best move, even Trubisky. You were the one predicting Trubisky would be the second coming of Joe Montana, and bet that he would become the new Niner QB, since all this time, you have been saying that the Niners have no QB.
                .
                Some losing teams are desperate, and will throw a rookie into the breach, but that may be counter productive in the long term.
                .
                I am taking a long term viewpoint on King Solomon, and still think he was a wise decision to draft, especially since the traded back, accumulated 2018 second and third round picks, and still got Thomas, the player they coveted.

              6. Perhaps they could put Thomas on one of those torture racks and stretch him a but. Make those arms longer.

            2. Rear view mirror stuff. We may as well be arguing whether Garcia would do a better job. Hoyer is the man now for good or ill.

              1. I’m not sure why anyone would think to even bring up Krapernick.
                It’s so far from reality that the 49ers made that decision many months ago.
                It’s like debating who won the Vietnam war. Makes no sense and completely irrelevant.

              2. People need to remember that this team has plenty of options for improvement at the QB position next season. They can sign a free agent or get one in the QB heavy draft. I am sure the coach and front office have considered those options as they signed Hoyer for this season. This season doesn’t matter at all other than to evaluated players and install their system We shouldn’t even be bringing up any past QB’s into the conversation.

              3. Speaking of Kaep, he is still available, and after Hoyer’s first pass, he seemed like a superior option.

              4. Krapernick is an irrelevant topic now.
                Should we discuss what comes first the chicken or the egg?
                Totally irrelevant Seb.

            3. Seb did I predict or did I advise it would be the smart thing to do was draft Trubisky? Big difference.

              Unlike you I didn’t put out 100 mock drafts and self pat myself on the back because I got one or two picks right. Law of averages I guess worked in your favour. Congrats on being lucky I guess.

              As for Thomas, sure maybe he develops into a good player. But taking someone who was undersized and never had elite pass rush skills 3rd overall raises questions.
              Those questions are getting louder as in 3 games Thomas hasn’t shown his value at 3rd overall.
              Time will tell but your predictions have had no success.

              1. I hoped they would have Goodwin do a stutter step, and go for a long pass deep downfield. Do not know if Goodwin did that, but Garcon did exactly that.
                .
                Sure, I predict many things, and when they become true, I get to crow. Of course, for all the ones I do not get right, I will not crow about them. I will just let you do that.
                .
                Calling some one undersized does not mean he will be undersized all his career. He has the frame to add weight, and he will be playing for years.
                .
                I also have advocated that the Niners consider time outs to be precious, and saved for LEGITIMATE challenges, and for the last 2 minutes of each half. I see improvement in that field.
                .
                The Niners continue to shoot themselves in the foot, and keep defeating themselves. Someday, they will learn.

          5. No, Kaep was playing Seattle when he had Jim Harbaugh as coach, the best Defense in the NFL getting him the ball back, and Frank Gore leading the run game. He also had V Davis in his prime as TE and Crabtree as his lead receiver. Once those guys left, Kaepernick showed he had difficulty completing passes with accuracy longer than 4 yards.

      2. Face it Chess. Teams change. First 3 weeks in Rams are no longer lowly losers. Unless you think 49ers are still super bowl contenders just because they were a few years back.

    3. Go back and read the comments in the live-blog. I finally closed that tab out as you’d have thought Hoyer was a combination of Ryan Leaf and Hitler. Talk about a bunch of toxic whiners.

      THIS. IS. A. GUTTED. AND. REBUILDING. TEAM.

      Get that through your pointy heads people. There are going to be days like this. And all you whinging isn’t doing anything but making you look childish.

      1. Rookie head coach. Rookie coordinators. New schemes on both sides of the ball. Offensive scheme that even vets experienced with it says it takes a couple of seasons to fully digest. 30 new players. 15 rookies. Journeyman QB. What could go wrong here?

        But hey, we are fans g-dammit! Our team needs to win every game otherwise they are pathetic losers. And fans who excuse such pathetic losing are pathetic losers themselves. Have I got that right?

      2. I predicted 4 wins. I also predicted that the Rams win this division. Both predictions seem to be on pace.

    4. The dude is a backup QB thrust into the starting role. Not many backups in NFL can play to the level Hoyer displayed last night. I’d give him an A+.

  2. Blessing in disguise is the D-line isn’t covering for how terrible Dontae Johnson and Rashard Robinson are in converage. This team will know exactly where it needs to get better on defense and won’t be fooled into thinking those two corners are even serviceable. What’s so frustrating about their penalties, is that they make them when there’s absolutely no reason to, like on that red zone boundary shot Robinson got flagged on.

    1. Yes this season is for player evaluation. Thats what you do when you are doing ground up rebuilding. We just need to consider this season as an extended training camp/pre season.

  3. That timeout they called with few mins left was as crucial as opi call…..quite the omission Grant. An A for that coaching, and for the guy that threw essentially a pick 6 on first play from scrimmage?? Get real.

  4. Haha good point. Another blessing in disguise is losing the game.

    I will never be the fan that starts rooting for my team to lose to better their draft position, but when we lose a game that our team showed tremendous fight all the way to the end, offense improved a whole lot, got tons of reps on both sides of the balls for the younger players which will lead to lots of great film to learn on and get better. It is not such a bad thing to lose when you gain so much from the game during a year where we are not expected to do much winning anyway and then to be able to better our draft position quite a bit by 2 close losses. I mean those 2 losses (5 total points) could be the difference between the 4th pick vs. the 8th pick in next years draft and potentially being able to get one of the top QBs and not being able to get one.

    1. Exactly my point as well. I would rather see them lose close games than win games against teams that are better than them. It gives a false sense of team strength. Would rather see the weaknesses exposed. These injuries are also a blessing in disguise. With a full roster they might have won a couple of these last games and cost themselves draft position. For a team geared to rebuilding for the future that is essential. Sure they have a lot of cap space but you build through the draft. If possible you also want your higher priced position players on rookie salaries as long as possible. That especially applies to the QB position. The same cap space used on signing a really good free agent QB could be used to sign multiple skill position players who have proven themselves already. It is a more cost effective way of using draft picks and cap space.

  5. Yeah I gotta agree that time out was a bad call.
    But our interior Oline is bad.
    That last drive besides the horrible OPI call on Taylor….at least from that angle, every play the d linemen were in Hoyers face in 2 seconds. What can he do??
    I can admit I’ve been down on Hoyer and the opening pass was bad-but he killed it after that.
    The D line is pathetic. Thomas I agree-horrible pick. Adams or a corner made much more sense. He will just end up being a pretty solid player-he ain’t no Von Miller-and to take him there he needed to be that.

  6. While I like the concept of “violence” on defense, I think it causes the defenders to play recklessly and sometimes stupidly, especially the young guys. There’s a fine line that has to be walked and it seems to me that you need real veteran leadership to help the defense walk it.

    Still waiting for Armstead to show me more. I think the disappointment with Thomas is because we are comparing him with the other first round rookie, Foster.

    But all in all, it was great to see some offense again. Garcon was a great acquisition.

    1. I think people underestimate how hard it is on a defense to lose two starters like Reid and Foster who played together all TC and PS and got comfortable playing together. Backups step up into the starting defense who aren’t as physically talented, but more importantly do not have the communications and player tendencies down with all the first team guys. This is playing a much great effect on the defense looking shaky that people realize.

  7. Besides the running game being consistent the last 2 weeks, basically every other position grade flipped from one side of the spectrum to the other side . This is perfect example of why everyone should hold off on the knee jerk reactions (myself included) during the early part of the season.

    Just need to keep coaching this young team up and teach them how to win games or maybe that just comes with experience, but will be nice to see this all come together by seeing the offense and defense each play a solid, complete game (in the same game).

    1. It’s a rebuilding year. There is, literally, no reason to get upset at losses are giddy with wins. Thirty new players, fifteen rookies…

  8. “But for the second-straight home game, Shanahan’s team played sloppy.”

    The Rams were on their way to thumping the Niners in Santa Clara, and let the Niners back in. The score doesn’t tell half the story. The superior team, despite the sloppiness, was the Rams. They’ve improved. The Niners haven’t.

    “They’re still playing like losers. Shanahan has to change that.”
    It just goes to show that the Niners hired the wrong coach…again. I told you so last Spring.

  9. The Ref’s were not the reason the 49ers lost (they got completely dominated at LOS on both sides of the ball) but there were 3 questionable calls that really hurt.
    1. The PI on Taylor wasn’t visible on the replay, its too bad they didnt have a better replay. 2. The hold on Juszczyk seems to have been called because his arms were wide but the way he was thrown down and the defender escaped it sure didn’t look like a hold. 3. The no call on LA’s db at the back of the end zone on Celek.

  10. I don’t understand something… Thomas was never drafted to be an Edge rusher. That was my biggest question mark with his selection and why Razor and I argued over his selection for some time. But when he was drafted Lynch didn’t argue that he as being drafted as an Edge rusher, he was drafted as a base edge that would slide inside on passing downs. Even Razor who many have given grief too on this, stated he is an interior rusher who will develop into a disrupter on the interior on the line. This was why we argued over the selection often becuase I felt that it was too much of an investment at one position group and it wasn’t worth it if he couldn’t play the edge, unless the new group didn’t feel that Armstead wasn’t good enough. I still question the move but feel Thomas will be a good player.

    The biggest issue was that there was only 1 top tier talent and picks 2 -8 were all good but not great. Beating the rams at the end of the year last year actually screwed the team over.

    1. I thought that after Garrett, picks 2-15 would have comparable impact on their respective teams..
      I suppose the fan-GM’s reasoning about Thomas may be something like: “We need an edge rusher or a DB as our first-round pick since it’s the area of greatest need right now. Since Niners drafted a D lineman, he’d better be a pass rusher”. Is that what psychologists called “projection”? However, Niners FO may have be thinking: “In order to have a really top notch Pete Carroll D over the next 2 seasons, we need greater D Line depth and an athletic, disruptive lineman setting the edge on base downs and sliding next to Buckner on passing downs”.

    2. Sometimes it is better not to win. That win last year did not really help Chip retain his job. Although I can understand the players wanting to win. That is why I want the players to play hard and want to win while still falling short against teams that they have a shot to beat. Let them get screwed by the refs or lose on bad bounces. But this will be the last year. Next year they need to be ready to compete if not for the play offs or championships.

  11. Did Arik Armstead lose weight or something? He’s not nearly as imposing looking as he was coming out of college

  12. Did any of you really expect them to be any better? This is year one of a six-year experiment. Why so much whining???

    1. 6 year experiment?!? Is that you, Jed?? Were you one of the 85 people at the ballpark tonight? I see more fans at high school games…..even $20/ticket is too steep for the Shanny/Hoyer show, hence the empty stadium. Almost embarrassed to be a Niner fan….Almost.

      1. It’s because 49er fans are, frankly, some of the biggest band-waggoners in the NFL. It’s been like this since the days of Vic & Tony Morabito. It was like this during the early Eddie years. Unless you’re winning, and winning big, 49er fans don’t turn out. Heck, even when they were winning the division back in the late 1960s, they struggled to sell out.

        Not that you have a clue about that. You seem to think you’ve found something intelligent to whine about. You haven’t.

        1. Winning the division in the late 1960s? I was in the seats almost every week but I must have missed the winning the division part.

          1. No doubt he means the Preston Riley era. Late 60s… early 70s… give or take a few years here and there.

            1. Best record in the ’60s was .500 with a 3rd place finish. Only die-hard faithful attended. I think it was still only $2.50 to sit in the east end zone at the time and you could still bring in your own beer. Different world back then.

          2. I believe he meant the early 70s, 70-72, three years in a row of finishing 1st in the division with Dick Nolan.

            1. No doubt eM – Mo’s response to the previous post says: “Not that you have a clue”….People who live in glass houses…should dress in the basement.

            1. They’ve improved. KS took over the Titanic-after it crashed. We have not seen an O like that in years, and KS by no means has all his pieces together yet.
              Given what Jed and Bulky did to this team, what are you expecting to see? Bulky left the team with virtually NO talent. With a pinch of luck, they could easily be 2-1.

  13. I am very surprised that nobody is mentioning a missed XP. Since the off-season I am wondering why did we let go Phill Dawson. He was like a machine when it comes to XP and field goals up to 50 yards. Could it be money? At his position (kicker), they don’t earn that much (compared to others). We should not let him go…

        1. Before we bury Gould, note that he leads the league with 7 for 7 in field goal attempts. Rams kicker has missed 2 pat attempts so far this season. Unfortunately none last night.

          1. I don’t want to bury Gold. But, I wonder why did we let Dawson go. Does anyone know? Hope that this was not just because he was a leftover from the previous regime… like brooks and Dial. I do miss them now, in particular Dial, with an injury to Caradine.

    1. I mentioned it and it was big. BIG.

      It’s not just our kicker though. Since the move back there probably isn’t a team that hasn’t missed that pat at one time or other Ours just came at an inopportune time.

  14. Coaching is not an A.
    The defense was horrible, the penalties were horrible, the game management was horrible.
    I’d give them a C and only because shanahan s offense started rolling.

    On another note. The NFL has been talking up this young rams team all week. They get a call like that in a crucial time? Sf had full momentum rolling and the drive before hand our tight end was mugged in the end zone with a ref standing right there. I thought it’s a crucial part of the game for calls like that, guess I was wrong and was thinking wrong team to benefit from a call like that.

    The defense looked like the defense from last year. Missing the two biggest enforcers is hurting the team. Reed was a bigger loss than some might have thought.
    Oh well bad teams always have missed plays, drive killing penalties and injuries.

    1. +1000

      You nailed it. My very first thought when Paulsen got mugged in the endzone was, the NFL sent a memo to Triplette’s crew that they really need attendance to improve in LA. Then the call on Trent Taylor pretty much confirmed that thought.

    2. Some things never change around here. MD is still wearing his tinfoil hat and Seb is still pining for Kaepernick’s return. ?

      1. Listen here Hack….
        If you don’t think the NFL doesn’t “usher” teams into the big stage then you’re not as smart as you think you are.
        It’s LA and nobody goes to their games.
        Or maybe you missed the pre game shows and all of the folks talking them up like they’re the Seattle Seahawks from 6 years ago and crowning them champs already.
        Yeah that call and no call had zero effect on the outcome. Blah blah. Talk about the same old act. Your popping in every month and being the keyboard warrior you are hasn’t changed either.

  15. I can’t say for sure what could have happened, but calls and non-calls have fuc**d us the last two weeks. How different would our conversations be if we were 2-1 and in 1st place?

  16. Good grades. Agree with all of it for the most part. That game was a big surprise to me. The Rams defense is not as good as I thought it was. The Rams offense is better than I thought it was. The 49ers are who we thought they were. That defensive secondary is just brutal to watch. I honestly think the 49er CBs would not be starters on any other NFL team. Inability to generate a pass rush magnifies the ineptitude of the secondary. Early returns on Solomon Thomas are not positive. He made 1 play where he sprinted to the sideline to make a tackle which was an impressive play because it showed off his speed. Other than that, it looks like Thomas just isn’t big enough or he doesn’t have the right technique to play DE in the NFL. The LB group may be one of the worst in the NFL. Bowman is a shell of his former self and it’s sad to watch. They really need Foster to come back. On offense, you can see scheme matters. Shanahan’s offense is a good solid NFL offense. He just doesn’t have the pieces yet to make it go. The o-line, especially the interior, is God awful. The team made major upgrades at skill positions but the roster additions on the o-line just aren’t working.

    Overall, I’d say you can count that game as fuel for the fire to continue improving. The offense made strides but the defense regressed. In order to get to 9 wins as many predicted, the 49ers have to go 9-4 the rest of the season. I just don’t see that happening with this defense.

  17. Just throwing this out there ,but the zebra’s have been worse at calling the game ,than our offensive line is at blocking . Juice ,Taylor . Don’t see it . Defensive line looked beat up . Lb looked slow. Dbs showed how bad they are . Thinking Seattle game took it’s toll on them . Refs gave that game away ,your welcome rams fans .

  18. Apparently it’s easy to forget that the players just played last Sunday and just assume that it has no impact on play. I know it applies to both teams but come on man. How can this resemble a real NFL contest in any meaningful manner? Aaron Donald is good but he probably dominated like he did because he rested all training camp and did not play a whole game on Sunday. Thursday night games should be eliminated if the league gives $.02 for the quality of the game. But as the officiating proves week in and week out the only thing that matters is the overall bottom line to these folks.

    1. It seemed that the defensive front 7 was somewhat impacted by the quick turn around. Considering that Gurley man is a handful, I thought they did decently against the run. However, I think the lack of pass rush was where the Sunday game had real impact. Conversely, I don’t think the offense would be putting up that many points had they faced a fresh Rams D.

  19. Kilgore is a weak, low-motor player who starts out weak and gets worse as the game goes on. Hope Magnuson is getting some reps and can take his place. Too bad Garnett had to be out the whole year instead of half the year. The guards are garbage.

    1. Fusco is hopeless but Tomlinson may have a future at RG after Garnett returns at LG — but a lot may change over the off season.

  20. Nfl needs to fix officiating big time. They want to know why people aren’t showing up for the games . Because the refs are making bad calls , the league has limited the practices to only 2 contact practices , not allowing players to jell . You get players that don’t play at a high level for lack of practices that matter . By limiting the hrs allowed for practice you get less skill . Another thing they need to address in the 53 man rooster, ( 2 more players ,would help ) They allowed the protesting, to continue , to the point where fans don’t want to watch the games. They ( the NFL ) as a whole have failed in allowing the fans to see a competitive game . Robbing fans of the things we love ,team sport .

  21. Pierre Garçon is a baller !! , tough , great hands , route running , get him the ball early and often , great signing

    1. Here’s hoping Thomas doesn’t turn out to be another Kentwan Balmer… I like Thomas’ motor but he has some work to do for sure.

      1. Grant you do love your knee-jerk reactions.

        Thomas is playing in his 3rd game going up against a 12 year vet LT. He wasn’t a pure pass rusher in college either. Thomas has the physical ability and the motor to be good…let the man learn. Plus your “short arms” crap….tell that to Dumerville and Von Miller. You can learn technique.

        You went off on the offense last week and I told you to R-E-L-A-X. I’ll say the same thing about Thomas.

        1. Grant’s grading shtick is to rile the average fan after losses — that’s how he rolls (or riles!).
          The fan who compares Thomas to Balmer knows little about either. One should listen to the podcast of Scot McLoughan’s interview on KNBR last week about why Balmer failed, or listen to Shanalynch about what they like about Thomas.

  22. The team is best at defeating themselves. Drops, TOs, stupid penalties, etc. The lines have me worried the most to be honest. Both got mostly manhandled by the Lambs – DL especially. Yes, they’ve been on the field a bunch but they’re mostly young and not like it’s week 10 either. Just hope it’s not a sign of things to come…. Looked like a Jimmy O’Neil defense out there last night. Giving up 41 points at home is inexcusable. Hopefully getting Foster back will take care of that gaping hole in the middle. Game against the Cards should be telling.

  23. At this stage in 49ers football, I can tell you I watched last night’s game from start to finish and never expected the guys to win. However, I was excited and entertained by the team. My expectation is that the 49ers have competitive games like this with all bottom 10/ middle of the pack teams. Otherwise, I expect them to lose a good portion of their other games. Last nights game was perfect for my viewing pleasure.

  24. Missed the game (wreck – not my fault but vehicle totaled). Had to deal with that instead. Will watch game later.

    Sounds at first like typical Thursday night game after a tough road game. Also sounds a lot like what many of us have said about the team. Lots of roster turnover, new coaches almost like a new franchise so lots of growing pains.

    It remains to be seen whether the lack of pressure was due to an ineffective D line or one that was gassed and therefore exposed the defensive backfield. Losing Reid certainly could not have helped.

    Glad to hear Garçon was used more and Juice was thrown into the mix. Sounds like Taylor had a decent game while Robinson did not.

    Get used to losing close ones. On the plus side, it is the marker of an improving team. On the negative side, it is downer for the fans who want so much for the W.

    1. Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope no one was hurt.
      Re Niners losses, the losing margin is getting smaller with every game — one silver lining!

      1. Not bad, thanks just real sore. No one was injured (beyond small cuts & lacerations). Both cars are headed to salvage yards though.

        Got to watch condensed game. Sloppy. Lots of mistakes still. Could have been won. Defense looked gassed. Field looks terrible. How is this possible?

        For a short week there was some tightening up on the offensive side of the field. Defensive side needs all their players and Savage Foster is certainly the fulcrum of the defense now.

        1. Good that injuries were minor despite both cars getting totaled.
          Speaking of Foster, I was a little unhappy to see Foster smiling and chatting on the sidelines right after Hoyer’s pick-(almost six) on the first play. But I figure he’s a rookie and will grow into a leadership role slowly.

  25. Don’t know why Dawson was let go , all he did was split the uprights , MVP , last year , if it was about $ that’s insane … cost them last night

  26. Grant – Why does Eli Harold get a pass from your grading? I never hear about him from you or even the game commentators.

    1. I saw it. The offensive pi call WAS as bogus as calls get. Except for maybe the non-pi call against the db covering Celek in the end zone.

      You can’t make, or not make, attrocious calls like that unless your looking to do it………….At their very best, the refs are making this a very hard league to pay attention too.

  27. Good write-up Grant. I didn’t catch the game, I was coaching my sons flag football game. We tied, lol.

    Anyways, tell me you’re ready to give up on that 9-7 prediction.

    I’m glad to see the offense is finally showing up. We’re starting to look like a real football team, and at least games are watchable again. This team is a year or 2 from being relevant again. We need upgrades in the secondary, and the o-line, oh and we need a legit QB. I think we’ll really start putting it together deeper into the season.

  28. Was at the game again tonight (nice to be using my season tickets again, after having to travel on Sunday for work during almost every home game last season).

    Several thoughts:

    First, kudos to the fans. They were great. My theory is that now that the team sucks, all the rich, tech people with no football knowledge that gobbled up all the season tickets for the new stadium have given up their seats, and a lot of real fans are finding cheap seats to purchase on the secondary market. So it was definitely a better crowd than usual.

    Second, that first throw of the game was awful. I sit in the lower level in the corner of the end zone where the Niners started, and so could see the whole play. Hoyer stared down Goodwin the whole play, hesitated before throwing, and then threw it anyway to a corner that had jumped the out route and had it covered completely. There were a couple times Hoyer tried to force throws into routes that were very clearly covered, and to receivers Hoyer had stared down the whole play. There were a couple times he was saved from turnovers, when he could have just thrown the ball away or found a secondary receiver.

    Third, defense was gassed. I don’t know if it was the short week, or they just expended all their energy getting “up” to play in Seattle against Seattle, but definitely did not have the energy or legs to keep up with the Rams offense. Whether it was receivers running by the corners, or the linemen being unable to disengage from the offensive line, something was off. Throw on top of that the injury to Tartt and Coyle (Bowman’s backup), it was tough. And I know the Rams also played on a short week, but I think the Niners expended more energy for the Seattle road game.

    Fourth, the Celek mugging in the end zone was a bad no call by the refs. Right in front of the back judge also.

    Fifth, I did not see what Taylor did to get called for offensive pass interference on the third and 10 after the onside recovery. Admittedly, I was watching the offensive line more, since I was worried about them keeping the pressure off Hoyer. When I went home and saw the replay, I was unhappy to say the least. The TV angle was bad, but I didn’t see any extension of Taylor’s arm that warranted such a call. Additionally, there was a complete disregard of the fact that the cornerback had illegal contact on Taylor beyond the 5 yards from the line of scrimmage even before Taylor ran his out.

    Sixth, Fusco was just abused on the 4th down play. On the 1st down play, I forget who on the line missed a block, but it forced Hoyer to rush and badly miss an open Goodwin on the slant that would have picked up 8-10 yards. I’m not sure Garnett has shown much in his one year of NFL experience, but Fusco made me wish for his expeditious return from injury.

    Seventh, I kept waiting for the Niners to run the bootleg run/pass option after setting it up with several outside zone runs with everyone pulling to one side and Hoyer faking the bootleg. The Rams were finally selling out on the zone run, and could have opened up some opportunities for bootleg action.

    Eighth, I know McVay and Shanahan come from the same coaching background and tree, but it was even more obvious watching the game that they run almost the same offensive style.

    Finally, traffic wasn’t too bad getting into and out of the game.

    Overall, probably the most exciting game I have seen at Levi’s since it opened.

    1. Thanks for the summary. I work about 2 miles from Levis and two of my colleagues and I had planned to go to the game, but we had a work deadline to meet and so we bailed. You may be right about the fans attending after buying tickets from secondary market. I watched the game late in the evening on DVR and was impressed by the noise created in a stadium far from full.

    2. Pot-kettle,
      Good solid theory. Apparently the market was flooded with “cheap” tickets. That brought in the cheering fans. That stadium is not friendly to a 12th man. Kudos to the crowd last night for making it happen.

      The obscure ones inside that glass walled building plucked down inside a stadium, they could have been there but then again maybe not; as usual we will never know.

  29. Imagine this squad with no Carlos Hyde. Any semblance of run threat to keep D honest for pass goes away.

    We know Hyde. Somehow, someway he will find himself on IR for at least half tne games. If losing bad by mid-season, he will find a way for season ending IR. He’s not a bell cow in this regard. He’s killing it right now. 2nd half of season, don’t count on it.

    Mark my words.

    1. I must be the only guy who is not impressed by Hyde this year. Sure he has good stats but his long runs were less due to his effort than the huge holes he had to run through. With out those holes he is average. He did make a couple of good runs this last game. One of which he broke some tackles. Still his longer runs were entirely because of holes a person could drive a truck through. Most RB’s would have done just as well. I suspect they are because of Shanny’s system in which most RB’s thrive. Now Gore was entirely different. He would slip though holes a snake would have trouble getting through. Not saying Hyde is not good. He is just not as good as his fans think he is. Everyone just remembers his first NFL game in which he was fantastic. That was as good a game by a RB that I have recently seen. Now all those yards he got were entirely on his own merit.

      1. I agree. Hyde racks up the yards but when the chips are down he has yet to be clutch….and there’s that injury thing. Gore racked up yards and his contributions to winning were frequent and obvious.

  30. 5. I totally agree. They did not show on TV the arm extension, but the defender could easily have been called for illegal contact downfield on the same play.

  31. Lynch and Shanahan’s draft doesn’t look so great these days. One first round pick didn’t make it through the first quarter. The other is ineffective on the D line. There’s a quarterback who probably won’t play this year. Anyone else even suit up?

  32. Grant, good grades, I agree with them all, except the Coaching.
    .
    Coaching should get a B+ because they still have not prepared the team well enough to avoid all the self inflicted wounds.
    .
    The Time Out management could also be improved.
    .
    Glad to see them go bold, and made a game of it.

  33. I remind everyone the year is 2017 so why bring up Kap he is out of the league…. back to football Niners lost because Rams WR s Woods and Watkins were better than Niners WRs when it counted and their OL was much better so Goff had time to throw. No pass rush ragged DB play and Niners made LA look like a playoff team. Ouch!

  34. “This was the Hoyer we saw last season in Chicago and expected to see this season.”

    Hoyer only played in 6 games last year and started 5. He had 4 good games out of the 6. This version of Hoyer is the version that the league has seen since he entered it. He’s horribly inconsistent. This is why he’s on his 7th team in 9 seasons. He’ll have 1 good game for every 2 or 3 lousy to mediocre outings. Peer back to 2015 when he appeared in 11 games starting in 9. His numbers are up and down week to week. It’s who he is and it’s why he’s just a journeyman QB in the league.

  35. For the sake of making it more difficult, exclude the safety position and then choose who the 49ers should have drafted at #3. Adams was the best choice so I’m curious who you think would have been the next best choice outside of the safety position.

    Personally I’m thinking If I couldn’t go safety and seeing how Derek Barnet has been a dud so far(like I thought he would be) I would likely go with Corey Davis, WR. The combination of Davis, Garcon, Taylor and Kittle would have been a formidable receiving corp.

    After Davis the next player I’d consider is Haason Reddick but #3 would have been too soon so another trade back would have been appropriate. Reddick would have saved us from trading up for china doll Foster.

    1. In my last mock, I chose Malik Hooker because he was the closest thing to Earl Thomas in the draft.
      .
      However, in many of my trade back scenarios, I chose Reddick many times.
      .
      I am glad Lynch went out and signed battle hardened and battle tested WRs, instead of a WR, because the rookie WRs tend to get injured until they can sit down and build muscle to endure the big hits. Sitting and studying would help them go from the college systems to the pros, too.

      1. Don’t have my PFF account anymore, how have they been grading him? I was leery to go CB, seems most of them have been either hurt or disappointing so far.

        1. If that stays the case then I would definitely change my answer to him as well. Adams, Lattimore, and Davis were my top 3 picks at #3 so either of the two alternates would be ok with me.

      2. Via Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, cornerback Marshon Lattimore is out this week with a concussion suffered last week against the Patriots.

    2. Excluding the S position I would take Lattimore. Johnson is horrible and Robinson has been getting beat every week. Davis could be considered a china doll too (ankle surgery and current hamstring). Of the top 3 WRs, Shanny was interested in Ross. I assume because of his speed and versatility. Ross could be a china doll as well. I like Davis and Ross, but not at #3.

    3. Personally, I wish they had traded down some and picked up an edge rusher like Watt but if they had stayed at their position Lattimore was available as were several WRs.

      In my estimation Thomas shouldn’t have been the pick, but he was and I want him to become all that everyone expects of him and more.

      He has moments and I hope that these are teases of what he will be rather than merely mirages.

      1. NFL network had a story before the game about how Lynch and Thomas met at a business class at Stanford and established a positive relationship to follow. Did not know this and now that I do it explains why Thomas was basically coveted by Lynch.
        Was this an emotion before intellect mistake ? Time will tell…..

  36. Fun game to watch until you got to the ending. Still hurts, but they’re a very young team. Should prove to be quite the rivalry between these two coaches for the next few years….

  37. Another (good) takeaway from last night. Goodwin seems to have rediscovered what those things at the ends of his arms are supposed to do.

    Once this team puts it all together, consistently, they will be something to reckon with. For all the crap Niners plays last night what looks like a darn good Rams still had to reckon with them and only then because they were bailed out by the refs at games end.

    1. I’d expect Goodwin to continue to be inconsistent until he proves otherwise. Based on what I hear, he seems prepared to work hard and fix his issues (most of it seems to be mental). He’s getting the entire season to prove himself.
      Overall, team is showing slow but steady progress. First, observing generally, they have been able to run the ball (esp. after Beadles was replaced) and stop the run. Second, the team is fighting to the end of the game. Third, the team is learning the offense and it’s showing on the field. Finally, they are still on schedule for a high draft pick!

    1. Bold. Will we look back at this game as the turning point? The light coming on so to speak. Or was it just two teams playing out an old rivalry.

      2-4 is more likely and 1-5 is completely possible. Given the need for one of the top QB prospects next Spring I’m all for as few wins as possible at this point. Close hard fought losses works just fine for me.

        1. I wouldn’t chance it and I don’t want to have to give away too much to grab someone.

              1. Allen when all said and done will be a top 5 pick. One of the most talented QBs to enter the draft in the last 10 years. He is playing with ZERO talent around him. With that said I think Kyle would be very interested in Rosen instead. IF they don’t get Cousins…

              2. None of them have to be week 1 ready. Even if they get Allen or Darnold I’d still be ok with both sitting for most of their first season. They have Hoyerible for another season, they only need him to play maybe half of next year.

              3. “He is playing with ZERO talent around him.”

                This and his supreme physical skill set is why I question just how far he’s going to actually slide in the minds of GM’s. They’ll recognize that he’s running for his life most games and has no one decent to throw to. The guy just oozes NFL talent.

              4. Grant Cohn says:
                September 22, 2017 at 12:29 pm
                We’ll see. Different situations.
                —————-
                Certainly but I was really just illuminating how different things change from September to April.

            1. I know you weren’t thrilled with the pick, but what chance do give C.J. to be our qb of the future?

              1. just how low do you see it?
                %’s : low 40’s, 20’s or teens…
                so Beathard is insurance against 2018 pick washout?
                CJ becomes KS’s backup qb option for long term?
                and placeholder/teacher for new qb?

              2. My hope is that they will daft a qb they like every year. They are bound to hit sometime and as much as a mid round pick hurts when you miss, it ain’t nothing like selling the farm for an early first round and missing. People forget that many evaporators thought that Ryan Leaf was the best pick.

              3. People forget that many evaporators thought that Ryan Leaf was the best pick.

                I remember that. It was, despite all the red flags on his on-field performances, because he had ‘upside.’ Big arm. Big man. Had a couple of big games on TV.

                Years later, I hear the same thing about Tebow, Locker & Kaepernick. Upside. Look at those arms, that athleticism. Only they come to the NFL and even dinking-and-dunking they can barely hit 60%, but mostly hit in the high-50s and never learn to play QB because, frankly, they never really played ‘QB’… They were just sandlot gimmick players with no QBing skills.

        2. Ugh. I don’t care where he’s available in Round 1, he’s not worth it unless he suddenly learns to walk on water. He’s inaccurate, is prone to stupid interceptions when he forces the ball into coverage and runs for no reason at all. In short, he plays like he’s a hybrid of Kaepernick and Steve DeBerg.

          In short, he’s what you call an ‘upside’ pick. Not a good player/college dominator pick. An upside pick. I’m perfectly content with Beathard as an ‘upside pick’ or ‘developmental pick’ or just a ‘wild-*** get lucky’ pick.

          1. what if…
            CJB is KS’s near term guy…currently has Hoyer as teacher, mentor, and stand-in “Pinata” to take the weekly beatings while the OL gets working at least competently (can’t hope for better with this lineup…), then Hoyer’s pulled due to fan “outrage”- CJB now starts to get “real on-job training”…and, with some luck- the good type mind you, we see some hope by end of season…then 2018 draft major needs at higher rounds — OL, S, CB, WR, LB

      1. part of the lambs play quality last night was some payback for 2016’s humiliations…just a motivating factor…but you have to admit they attacked effectively…I hadn’t bothered to note Goff’s improved play so far this season…oops…so those stories about how well he was picking up McV’s scheme weren’t #fake news.

    2. I don’t know Hammer. Injuries are starting to hurt the 49ers.
      There is zero resemblance to a pass rush and both back up RB’s look shaky.

  38. PFF TOP 5 GRADES:
    DI DeForest Buckner, 88.9 overall grade

    WR Pierre Garcon, 88.1 overall grade

    QB Brian Hoyer, 87.7 overall grade

    T Joe Staley, 85.5 overall grade

    WR Marquise Goodwin, 80.6 overall grade

      1. PFF ARIK ARMSTEAD, 73.0 OVERALL GRADE
        Armstead added two pressures of his own to complement Buckner. He also had two stops in run defense. However, at the end of the night the 49ers struggled to get off the field on defense, which helped lead to the final result.

        No Thomas grade provided. I do not possess a subscription to PFF. The grades I have posted from them weekly are the free ones.

        1. Who knows. I don’t really buy-off on their grades though I like their raw data. There’s just way, way, way to much subjectivity coupled with some serious analytical fallacies that cause that massively over/under value players.

          1. It’s just a free tool that provides us hacks with a point of reference. I agree that it’s not to be taken too seriously.

  39. Seb,

    I guess you think signing Kap would have prevented 51 points scored on our Defense….Myopia, thy name is Seb.

    If Kap’s inaccurate interception factory were in this game the score would have been 101 instead of 51.

    And you think the ref excuse is weak sauce. By my count we should be 2 and 1, if you take away the bad ref calls that lead to 21 points for Carolina and Goodwin’s droppd pass we win.

    Vs the Rams, the bogus holding call in the endzone on Robinson; the legal tackle by Ward for unecessary ruffness; the no push by Trent Taylor on the games last pass; the holding call on our fullback who was tackled by a Ram’s D-Lineman (arm wrapped around his body) and slammed to the ground, yet they call San Francisco, setting up points….etc., etc.,. Any one or more could have changed the outcome…..(I won’t get into more dropped passes).

  40. Seb,

    I guess you think signing Kap would have prevented 51 points scored on our Defense….Myopia, thy name is Seb.

    If Kap’s inaccurate interception factory were in this game the score would have been 101 instead of 51.

    And you think the ref excuse is weak sauce. By my account we should be 2 and 1, if you take away the bad ref calls that lead to 21 points for Carolina and Goodwin
    s droppd pass we win.

    Vs the Rams, the bogus holding call in the endzone on Robinson; the legal tackle by Ward for unecessary ruffness; the no push by Trent Taylor; the holding call on our fullback after be was tackled by a Ram’s lineman(arm wrapped around his body) and slammed to the ground, yet they call San Francisco, setting up points….etc., etc.,. Any one or more could have changed the outcome…..(I won’t get into more dropped passes).

    1. Seb,

      As Grant noted above, the season’s really about laying a foundation for the future. No other available QB, certainly not Kap, could teach Shanahan’ s version of the WCO but Hoyer. Once the O-Line, the RB’s, the TE’s, the FB’s and the QB’s soak this in, Shanny is free to pursue his QB of the future in a QB laden 2018 NFL draft, if he chooses.

      In addition, if a prolific QB is drafted in 2018, he walks onto a team with the offense already installed; our 49er No. One pick, Joshua Garnett, back in the fold; other FA or drafted O-Linemen and that stud ‘Z’ receiver (think Jerry Rice) Shanahan said he eventually would get around to acquiring….Rome wasn’t built in a day, Seb.

    1. For those who disagree with TomD that the refs cost the 49ers the game, your arguement isn’t with me, it’s with Mike Holmgren…..He was the color analyst for WestWood One’s, Thursday Night Football last night.

      Those bad call plays I enumerated above—they were Mike Holmgren’s, and he actually had more refs singled out for bad calls against the Niners.

      1. We could have got screwed because of the refs collective incompetence from earlier in the season..

        http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/09/22/offensive-pass-interference-may-be-a-sudden-point-of-emphasis/

        As one source explained it to PFT, the league routinely sends clips and memos to game officials pointing out missed calls from the prior week. This often leads to an overreaction, with the officials suddenly paying unreasonable attention to dynamics that previously had been policed less zealously.

        With several questionable offensive pass interference calls on Sunday and continuing to Thursday, it’s possible that the league decided that too many offensive pass interference calls were missed in Week One, prompting the league office to emphasize offensive pass interference moving forward. Which resulted in the flag that effectively ended the 49ers’ comeback against the Rams.

        1. # 80,

          I really hate to pull the ‘southern drawl’ card, but it seems like every time we get one of those guys in charge of the ref mike, he’s still getting even for those Dallas games we won by Montana in 1981 and Young in 1995 that led to two SuperBowl Trophies.

    2. Ah, JJ Watt. I put him as my Round 2 pick when I did my trade-down-for-Trubisky mock draft. I really think he has Watt it takes to make it in the NFL. But we’ll see. Athleticism doesn’t mean you’re going to make it in the NFL. It just means you have better chance…

      1. “Ah, JJ Watt. I put him as my Round 2 pick when I did my trade-down-for-Trubisky mock draft.”

        Haha. I know you meant TJ. I labeled TJ as a mid round gem back in October when he was a projected 4th rounder.

  41. I agreed with your postgame report and most of your grades, once again Grant.

    Here our some of my thoughts:

    There is no such thing as a “moral” victory in pro sports, but there is such thing as entertainment! The 49ers have lost their first 3 games, but they are actually playing a little better than I expected to start the season. I figure this was probably a 5-7 win team, depending on how quickly they could assimilate Kyle’s offensive scheme, and how quickly Kyle’s team could figure out exactly how all of the pieces fit best. Let’s get real for a second …. Jeff Triplette and his crew have ruined yet another prime time game with their poor officiating, especially when the calls matter most, it’s hard to understand how this guy still has a job as a head referee? The taint of NFL officiating is hard to accept, but it’s how a team responds and keeps fighting that I’ll be watching from here.

    Back to the entertainment value as a viewer and fan …. so far, early on this season, I’ve been enjoying watching the 49ers more than I had been over the last few seasons, and in addition to the competitive spirit I am seeing, combined with the excitement I feel about building another potential “dynasty”, and the competitive spirit I am seeing from an undermanned team. I have very high hopes for the 49ers new leadership, and I think the world of both Kyle and John Lynch as individuals, but more importantly perhaps, is the way that these two football greats seem to work together, and the personal relationship and trust between the two. I also think there are a lot of YOUNG players with high ceilings, and outside of a questionable 3rd overall selection in this years’ draft, ShanaLynch are right on target for where we should expect a team going through the first phase of a new era, and if I get as much entertainment value out of some more games, as I have from game 2 and 3 on the schedule, I’ll be stoked. I saw some growth on this offense tonight, and if, or more likely when this team can clean up the penalties over time, I think the 49ers are in exciting shape heading into 2018, when they can ideally draft a franchise QB (Sam Darnold is the guy, and the best way to make that happen is to lose these close games). I would rather draft Darnold than sign Cousins, though I like Cousins, and use all of the extra money to spend on free agnecy, and potentially another good draft under their collective belts (thanks in part to a gutsy call to draft Ferrari Foster, and trusting your team doctors) I can see ShanaLynch building something special, as they have a very young nucleus of talent to build upon and develop. But it’s clear that they will need to find “the guy” to lead this team at QB running Kyle’s offense, and get the interior of the line cleaned up with another couple quality OG’s and another Center (if Magnusen isn’t the guy), and trade Armstead to a team who needs a base 3-4 defense lineman (and let him bulk up again) and get a pass rushing LEO prototype. And the 49ers need to find a lock down #1 corner, in the next offseason, so there is still plenty of work to do, but if they continue to build upon what I am seeing, “brick-by-brick”, this team can get back into contention sooner, rather than later.

    I gave the 49ers an overall B+ grade last night, and if it weren’t for penalties and mental mistakes, which you kind of expect from such a young team, I’d give em an A. I’m also factoring in the fatigue as I think the 49ers played the tougher game on Sunday to come back from in such a short time than the Rams, so I am feeling positive about this fresh new era of FORTY NINER FOOTBALL! Brick By Brick!

    1. Keep up the good work Grant!.

      For what it’s worth, and I don’t want to sound like a suck-up but … I have been in agreement with a lot of, if not most of your points of view throughout the early stages of the overhaul and re-imagining of the 49ERS NFL roster. I think you’ve been exceptionally fair, by and large, and have been spot on with a lot of your early observations. It’s too bad about NaVorro Bowman, but I personally think he’s worth keeping around as a part time player/mentor to Foster/Smith and perhaps another quality ILB who can also play a strong special teams role, if he’s OK with it, and I’d continue to pay Bow as long as he keeps up a leadership/mentor role and has some kind of role as a spot player.

      I like Cousins, but I am on the Sam Darnold train, so I’m going to be OK with losing these entertaining close games early in the season, as long as a see signs of growth throughout the season. The 49ers are very much in the early stages of a complete rebuild and retooling of their roster, and they need to find a franchise QB, so as long as the Niners are playing quality football late in the season, they can lose every one of these entertaining early games as far as I am concerned.

      It’s all about GROWTH at this point, and finding their guy to quarterback this team into the future of this new era and building this thing right from the top, all the way down the roster. And once you’ve got the pieces in place, you can learn how to win these kinds of games, and tighten up the ship.

    1. So why did officials kill the 49ers’ final drive with a tacky-tack offensive pass interference call on Thursday night?

      With several questionable offensive pass interference calls on Sunday and continuing to Thursday, it’s possible that the league decided that too many offensive pass interference calls were missed in Week One,

      prompting the league office to emphasize offensive pass interference moving forward. Which resulted in the flag that effectively ended the 49ers’ comeback against the Rams.
      Posted by Mike Florio on September 22, 2017, 1:59 PM EDT

      1. TomD….

        The only reason I differ with u is very few pi are called on Seattle-perhaps the worst (or best) at comitting this infraction and more often than not, getting away with it.

        On their best day, the refs are very inconsistent—often depending on where a team is playing.
        Makes it hard to watch a game…………………

  42. Ok, so who has been the best addition to the team? Is it the new signal caller (cricket, cricket)? the Juice? The new guard from Detroit – Tomlinson? The new TE Kittle? The rookie Savage Foster? The speedster ironically named Goodwin? The islander Garçon?

    Personally I vote Garçon and Foster (and since he isn’t healthy, I tip the scales to G).

    1. Yeah, it’s got to be Garcon with Foster out. Remember all the people that didn’t want Garcon? They said he wasn’t a #1 WR (he looked like one last night). They said he would take reps from our young WRs (Taylor and Goodwin were involved last night).

      1. Taylor may develop into an important cog in the offense as an occasional slot receiver. I am very high on him, but he will always be a complement to primary receivers. He is very quick, but he is small and slow.

        1. I was talking about the young WRs as a unit, not the X position. Taylor actually benefits since the D has to respect Garcon. Even if we did acquire a X WR, Garcon could have slid into the Z role, again making things easier for the X and slot WR. There is no downside to signing Garcon.

          1. I’ll bet that for the next 4-5 games, Hoyer’s fortunes on a strict cause-and-effect curve with Garcon’s…and the OL too…(many owwies coming up for # 2)
            but a year from now, and possibly towards end of this season, the stable of small fast RB’s will become a HUGE part of O.
            I’d bet KS’ plans to have these guys (Breida, Washington, Mostert) run wild thru a defense– runs and receptions — kinda like what Charlie Garner did when PHI was at ‘stick in ’94 and shredded Seifert’s D (40-8, I think) — when Young was pulled and spoke loud bad words at the back of Seifert’s head– I was at that game. Also went to ATL game that year…where Sanders b***h slapped Rison…

  43. Ronnie Lott destroys the tanking strategy.

    http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/22/ronnie-lott-completely-rejects-win-for-losing-narrative-about-49ers/

    “OK to lose?! C’mon. Man, let’s not go back to the… OK to lose?” Lott said. “It should never be… anything in our lives that allow us to be OK with that. You just can’t accept it. You just cannot accept losing.”

    That guy knows what a winning culture is about. The people who think we are better off not winning are losers.

    1. Matt Maiocco‏Verified account
      @MaioccoNBCS

      When asked what he saw on Trent Taylor offensive PI, #49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said, “I saw a very good route.”
      Brian Hoyer, when asked what he thought of the call said he couldn’t comment because he didn’t want to be fined.

  44. Y’all need to chill out on the silly “Thomas is a bust” thing. Here are you Round 1 defensive linemen (to date):

    Myles Garrett — no stats (injured)
    Solomon Thomas — 7 tackles, 0 assists, 0 sacks (6 tackles first two games to make it clearer)
    Jonathan Allen — 3 tackles, 2 assists, 0 sacks
    Taco Charlton — 1 tackle, 0 assists, 0 sacks
    Takkarist McKinley — 1 tackle, 1 assist, 0 sacks (moved to OLB)
    Derek Barnett — 3 tackles, 0 assists, 0 sacks

    In short, he’s out-performed every Round 1 defensive lineman taken. Regardless of your expectations and declarations of ‘bust.’

    And, FWIW, he wasn’t drafted to be a EDGE rusher, but a big-end used to set the edge and provide an 6-to-8 sack year bumping inside as a 3-technique pass-rusher . The fixation on his sack production and declaration of ‘bust,’ 3 games into the NFL season is beyond nonsensical.

    1. Yup, he was supposed to be a beast against the run and an occasional interior pass rusher and disrupter.

      http://ninerfans.com/sakamoto-49ers-dt-deforest-buckner-receives-top-grade-panthers-carradine-not-far-behind/

      “Thomas failed to maintain gap integrity resulting in a seven-yard first-quarter run, while also being penalized five yards for lining up in the neutral zone.”

      Of course it’s too soon. Do we really have to say that in every comment? The fact that you have to point out the failures of the other top picks just highlights that he has been a bust so far.

      1. OMG! I love those quips. A d-lineman failed to maintain gap integrity! It’s like the other team has no players that can make plays and only the 49ers are allowed to move defensive linemen!

        ****! If we shot ever defensive lineman who lost gap integrity, we’d be out of defensive lineman in Week 1.

        The funny thing is, he’s out-performing EVERY OTHER ROUND 1 DEFENSIVE LINEMAN. Every single one. Without exception.

        But the collective lack of intelligence and patience in fandom is already proclaiming him a bust. It’s crazy making. Especially when some of the idiotic serial-nay-sayers say it post-after-post-after-post-after-post.

        Or the whole “Jamal Adams” thing. Seven tackles. Two assists. One pass defended. He’s been a big fat ‘who cares’ safety. He’s not lighting it up in New York. He’s no Ronnie Lott. He’s no Kenny Easley. Heck, he’s not even Eric Reid the pro-bowl rookie! And considering safeties should have at least twice the tackles of defensive linemen due to the nature of the game, he’s underperforming (if you want to call it that) more than Thomas.

        OTOH:

        Jimmy Ward has 10 tackles, 2 assists and a pass defensed. And that’s just playing 1.5 games.
        Eric Reid has 8 tackles, 4 assists and that’s playing just 1.5 games.
        Tartt has 15 tackles, 4 assists, 3 PDs and an INT and he’s just the back-up who is only starting because of injuries!

        1. Gap integrity is pretty important, especially for a big end. Now your saying we shouldn’t expect Thomas to maintain gap integrity. What is he here for then. You can say that it was one play, but the same happened in Seattle.

          Again, just because he is “out-performing” the other lineman doesn’t mean he is playing well. If he were playing well, you would be touting all the great plays he made. But you can’t do that.

          “…already proclaiming him a bust.”

          Sometimes I think you can’t read.

          #80 says:
          September 22, 2017 at 2:45 pm
          “Of course it’s too soon. Do we really have to say that in every comment?”

          Adams has been playing all over the field, not just SS.

  45. Agree on all but QB. I gave Hoyer a B. Did predict his 300 yard passing night. Totally agree on your Coaches take.. They are playing like losers. That’s a culture thing and it’s up to Shanny et al. to change the culture.. Especially with a team not good enough to make mistakes and win..

  46. Fair grades Grant. Their lack of depth, contrary to what Seb has stated, especially on defense, is quite obvious. A blind man can see that. I was just happy to see a QB that can throw to the left side of the field. Is Hoyer the answer? Of course not but he’s a step up from Kaep, so he’ll suffice for this year where we all know they aren’t going anywhere. They are at least two years away from competing for a playoff spot. I suggest we sit back, relax and watch the rebuild. It’s gonna take time. Patience people!

  47. Reporter: Did you see what happened on the Trent Taylor PI ?

    Hoyer: No, I was throwing to a spot, so was focused on that…I thought you were supposed to let guys play at that point of the game.

    Damon Bruce‏Verified account @DamonBruce 18h18 hours ago

    The offensive PI call sunk this comeback like the iceberg sunk the Titanic. Fun game, good ending. Better than it started anyway. #49ers

  48. I disagree that they play like losers. On the contrary, what I saw was a ton of fight in that team. All night. What I also saw was a seriously shallow expansion team make too many mistakes to win a game in the NFL.

  49. It’s also early but I think the Rams are the best team in the division and can shock some in the league this year. They’ve always had Seattle’s number, so who’s in their way in our division, Arizona? LOL! Considering that, with our depleted roster, we hung tough! Better than a Kaep led team, that’s for sure! ;>)

    1. Juan,

      Did you catch Seb wearing his Ram’s Crush Uniform….Somewhere, last year, I remember him saying he was a Ram Fan until Joe and Steve came to town and he jumped on the band wagon….Currently looking for that quote.

      1. TrollD, you are the cretin who dreams about breaking into gun safes and creating nightmares.
        .
        You are the guy who amply demonstrates his total lack of football knowledge when you advocated trading Kaep for Tebow.
        .
        Now you are casting false aspersions by declaring that I may be a Rams fan, even though I have never stated that , and you can troll through the archives , but will never find me saying that.

          1. Prime, I was wondering when you would chime in.
            .
            I am a die hard faithful Niner fan, and think their blackballing of Kaep is a big reason why they have not won a game so far.

            1. Because Kap was so impressive in the 3rd and 4th quarters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              I know, I know…………he’s a victim and it’s somebody else’s fault. I’m learning my lesson…………………….

    2. Juan, since the Niners went 0-3 with Hoyer, I can state that Kaep may have done a lot better. Since those games are done and there are no rematches, Hoyer is just pulling a Gabbert. Sure, I wanted him to do well, and lead the team to victory, but Hoyer just cannot seem to win, even with a much improved roster. Kaep, with this much improved roster and better coaching, surely would have done better than Hoyer.
      .
      Yes, you will disagree, but being winless is a hard position to defend.

      1. Which Kap was all last year pretty much and a good portion of the year before. Bad line? Hoyer has one too! Bad WRs who can’t catch passes, well seems that problem is also afflicting Hoyer. Not arguing Hoyer is better. I’m merely stating your argument is unsound and lacks basis.

      2. Seb says “Kaep, with this much improved roster and better coaching, surely would have done better than Hoyer”

        Yawn!

  50. Lol Tom! Sometimes I think that Grant has created the Seb character just to get more hits on his blog. Seriously, nobody can be that stupid! You’d have to be 150 years old to do all the things this bullthrower has put forth! It doesn’t ad up!!

    1. and don’t forget– Grant and Seb use the phrase “self inflicted wounds” and a few others (shooting feet, etc.) far more often than any other posters…
      (now witness a lull in Seb’s use of these phrases…for a while)

    2. Juan,

      I think you are probably right. Did you see where Grant went full seb and implied that Shanny called plays based on what he said? Grant also knows that Kap will get clicks. He made plenty of Kap threads and seb constantly brings up Kap. Clicks and more clicks. Having a sock puppet account (seb) would also allow Grant to secretly be a prick to the regulars he doesn’t like. A “legend” in his own mind.

      1. # 80,

        You may be on to something.

        Prime and I call Seb, SebRazor, due to their similar phraseology and how they stick up for one another.

        Razor is exactly that guy for Seb, as you say Seb is to Grant….The guy that intervenes on Seb’s behalf if he’s in a difficult debate, then Razor becomes the A-hole that Seb reminds us he never is (ie, the guy who never uses profanities).

        1. Yeah, I thought all the multiple account stuff was far fetched at first, I guess I try to see the best in people. But now it seems highly likely. I’ve also noticed commenters getting trolled or triggered into lengthy arguments. Again, clicks and more clicks.

          1. I’m leery of posters asking tons of questions in their posts- yet rarely if ever offering their own opinions for debate, praise, or scorn…
            then we have the particular poster that offers nothing but opinions, most blatantly obvious or fellini-esque nonsensical.

            1. Yes! I’ve noticed the questions only people too. They don’t seem to speak normally on top of that. Is Grant using chat bots to drive clicks?

              1. don’t think the PD can afford chatbot infrastructure– but some of the wacky crap spewing from mr. Legend makes me think they’ve got a 1st gen. used “C-bot” platform, maybe Grant “poached” one at a google employee’s garage sale in Mountain View….

      2. 80, Grant and I are like night and day. He does not like Kaep, I could talk about Kaep all day.
        .
        I do think that the trolls on this site do have multiple accounts, since it is very easy to do. When I am attacked by multiple poster names, I always have surmised that they are all just one poster.

        1. Seb–

          Talk about him all day??????????? You could marry this guy!!!!!!!!!!!
          Talk about him all day?? That absolutely is Idolatry.

    3. Juan, I am not Grant, I am unique.
      .
      Still, no one on this blog site has thought of a way to move a 3 ton Boulder 12 feet with no mechanical devices, especially when 3 others tried, and failed.
      .
      Until you do, I will never be impressed by your acumen or thought processes.

      1. Seb, this boulder story has Sisyphus written all over it. But then so does your attempts to convince about Kaep’s greatness. Get back down there and start pushing up again.

        1. Just wondering if you were smart enough to be able to move a 3 ton boulder 12 feet during a lunch break. It could also be a mental test, and everyone failed.

        2. Smart enough to not have to bother with a triviality like that. Throw money at the problem and let someone like you deal with it. How’s that for smarts?

          1. Rib not too smart, because they were throwing money at the problem by assigning 3 guys to move that rock. Then they would waste even more money bringing in a crane to move it.
            .
            Although I was working on the irrigation, I did it myself over a lunch break. I saved them lots of money, and the looks on their faces was worth my efforts.
            .
            Just like Jed is throwing money at a problem, maybe it would be smart to wisely utilize capable people.

            1. Like who? Krapernick?
              You keep forgetting Seb that Krapernick was the one who opted out of his contract.
              He wanted no part of the 49ers and they obliged.
              Meaning they had zero interest in him as well.

              Take your little innuendo scenarios and boring grunt work stories and shove them where the sun don’t shine.
              No one cares about Krap and no one cares about moving rocks!

            2. Another one of your hero stories showing you in a good light. Not only are you smarter than anyone but you don’t care about money. What an amazing human you must be in that padded cell of a brain of yours.

              Take those meds, Seb. Everything will even out. You will have some sense of peace once they kick in.

            3. In your line of business I hope you are familiar with the concept of the fixed price contract. I give you what we agree is a fair price. After that it’s up to you. Hire 20 guys from the Home Depot parking lot, use your superior mental acuity, use Archemedian concepts, whatever, it’s now your problem not mine. It only becomes my problem if you renege on your end of the bargain. And I’m sure you’ve not remained in business by doing that, right?

      2. How bout this, Seb……….

        Dig a declining path for 12 feet and use a piece of wood as a lever to get it started………..

        What is this–some Zoo trick??

          1. Quit trolling Seb, your becoming a bit too obsessed with what people post. Get out and get some fresh air. Will do you some good old boy! Clear your head!

  51. Your right tjf!! Wow, what if!! Actually, with today’s influx of “fake news”, it wouldn’t surprise me!!

  52. tjf,

    Wouldn’t that mean Grant would have to be knowledgeable in the Napa Sanitarium Inmate Early Release Program and actually get into character acting for Seb’s obvious mental symtoms ?

    Maybe Grant has a psch. undergrad degree that’s unmentioned ?

        1. one more fun fact…Grant naming Seb “a legend”…
          in the Intel/spy world, a “Legend’ is a fictional backstory a spy uses for their “identity” in operations.
          hmmmmmmm….

            1. Nope. He named you legend because:

              Sebfluenza- a disease of the mind whereby the afflicted believes themselves superior and invulnerable to logic and cogent thought. Prone to discordant thoughts and opinions, rambling tiresome tirades without basis or historical precedent. Prone to God complexes and florid ideation of past deeds. Increasing displays of narcissistic behavior with likely return to prepubescent displays of defensiveness. Sadly there is no known cure….

            2. If you mean fussing and squabbling over silly mundane things makes u a legend in your own mind……..you are!!!!!!!!!!

            3. Yup, you 3 seem to just parrot your screeds, and confirm my status by opposing me.
              .
              I control your thoughts and make you obsess about me, and the amount of time you waste writing screeds opposing me is impressive. My posts
              make you expose your own worst character traits.

  53. How much more do we have to hear? It’s the SOS every week every year! Just a different coach. TO LOSE TO THE RAMS like that is embarrassing. We had 4 first round picks on defense yesterday and NONE OF THEM DID ANYTHING! ZERO, ZIP, NADA, ZILCH! I looked in the WEBSTER dictionary for the word POTENTIAL and up popped, THOMAS, BUCKNER, ARMSTEAD, and WARD! Look under the word….. LOSERS and there they were again! Don’t give many and sheeeeeet about how I don’t know JACK SHEEEET. Someone prove me wrong! Go ahead tell me the GREAT THINGS THESE 4 have done! Gone on prove it! This team is 0-16 that’s my personal thinking and a stadium that will be a ghost town those last weeks!

  54. what were we saying about “chatbots” ?????
    the Hollywood comedic great Jackie Coogan too, how appropriate…release the clamp from your skull,
    Uncle F….

  55. BTW that stadium is a total JOKE! An embarrassment to the NFL. PSL’s and JED have just destroyed the fan base. Who wants to pay anything to watch the SHEEEE T they put on the field? JED IS DUMB FER!

  56. Good old NAVARRO BOWMAN opens mouth about how he has been dissed! Then he plays like SHEEEEEET! He’s shown these three games that YES he is DONE in this league nothing but a second rate linebacker at best. His pal RAY RAY ARMSTRONG is just another JERRY GURL hood rat! Basically I say 4-5 years at best before we flush this entire system and become some what competitive. And don’t you weasels tell me different look at DETROIT And CLEVELAND mired in 50 year slumps!

  57. You know what losing teams do over and over? They get injured. Just like last year these chumps can’t make it through three weeks without having to play the JV. Too boot last night UNFRIENDLY FIRE EARL THE FAT F Hit Tartt in the head with his knee. These guys are BAD! As a matter of fact HORRIBLE. Then CARLOS HYDE is hurt and you know that will linger for weeks. This is what LOSERS DO! They can’t stay healthy because they spend all their time chasing instead of HITTING! 0-16!

  58. Seb, no one said you were Grant. Grant is Grant. What we’re saying is he has invented this fictional character named “Seb”, for the purpose of creating controversy on his blog to enhance participation, period. That is not a far fetched scenario. All this nonsense about protest participation, oil rig stories, Pacific Crest Trail highjinks, season ticket stories, gun safes, chainsaws, pot grows and explosives is all a bit much, not to mention the whole Kaep infatuation. Grant, in his/yours own words. Your trying to hard!

    1. careful there…not a good idea to break the news to an MPD (multi personality disorder) patient that their current personality may not be based in reality…anybody watch Mr. Robot on tv?

    2. Juan, I wish I were up to the level of Grant’s writing, but he can paint a picture, and sometimes, I feel like I am standing next to him when he related what he saw in the practices. I certainly think I am verbose, but Grant just has a way with words.
      .
      However, he could never keep up with my prodigious posting, and many times, he would be at the practices while I posted, so he would be hard pressed to be doing 2 things simultaneously; watching the practices, taking notes while also trying to post.
      .
      Grant knows that he would be blackballed if he was pro Kaep, so he just lets me do that for him, and I am happy to oblige. Looks like Trump wants all protests to stop, so it is confirmation that the White House is leaning on the owners to keep blackballing Kaep. The funny thing is- Trump complains that ratings are down, but Kaep is not even playing.

  59. None of these writers including GRANT ever call a spade a spade. Why TRUMP is a winner is he calls it like it is. Why didn’t SHANAHAN blast the refs? MONEY! Call the NFL on this. Say It is one of the many reasons that football is losing viewers. I have watched enough this year. I’ll peek in from time to time, but hell no you aren’t going to get my money. NO GAMES, NO WILD WINGS, all the things fans do. I went to a wild wings for SEATTLE game and they had the Raiders front screen, they deserved that, the NINERS had one screen in the bar the rest was either more RAIDERS or another game. SAD! You could get a seat in the restaurant all game long. Years ago you had to get there when the doors opened. NFL is on the decline thanks to REFS, ANTHEM, and HORRIBLE COACHING!

  60. Lol tjf, I’m actually hoping it’s not true, but it’s so likely, it’s scary! I mean, come on, think about it. The thesaurus based language. The incessant overkill of player names and football jargon. The 140 different draft mocks. The propensity to claim victory in defeat.. Who does that and leads a normal life? Grant has created a Frankenstein of football information coupled around a supposedly meek, suburban, pot growing nerd who sends his kids to a weird, alternative styled hippy based school where nature is the predominant educating factor. All a bit cookie cutter if you asked me. I don’t believe it. Seb is Grant. That’s ok though, like I’ve said many times, it pure entertainment!! Keep it up Seb/Grant!

    1. Your right, Juan…It IS pure entertainment!!!!!!!!!!!!

      All of Sebbie’s posts go something like this………..”blahblahblah Kap blahblahblah Kap……….then………..you football acumen is non-existent”…………..or…”you suck”. Something just like that. Look for the pattern…………
      Funny as hell!!!!!!!!!!!! You can see it coming from a mile away…….

      1. Saw, you are a troll shadow account because you seem only to attack me, and never say anything relevant about football.
        .
        I suppose I should be flattered to be compared to Grant, but I am sure he does not feel the same ways about me. ;p

  61. I made my annual trek to Levi last night. In my opinion what the biggest difference between last night and the last 2 seasons was…….It wasn’t freaking boring. During the last 2 seasons I fell asleep during the 2nd half of many of the games. There was no sleeping during the 2nd half of last nights game. The crowd was louder than any of the 3 previous games, which was nice.
    I came away from last nights game with the feeling that this years team is a lot like the 79 team, they will be excellent soon, probably 2019 if they can find their QB. Hoyer is the 2nd coming of Steve Deberg…..Just good enough to get you beat. Which is ok for now. The D looked poor last night but I believe that a healthy Foster and Reid would have made a huge difference in the run D and the 9ers would have won by 10. I had a nice experience this morn I had the pleasure to eat breakfast next to my new favorite 49er Trent Taylor. We both agreed that the offensive PI call was crap. He is a very nice and polite young man.

    1. Old Coach,
      It’s something how history has a way of repeating itself. Your comparison of this team and the 79 team along with the Hoyer, DeBerg comparisons are on point.

      Walsh’ first season as head coach was a painful learning experience. Shanahan will have the same scenario.
      Walsh had a young QB sitting on the bench that became the best QB of all time.
      Shanahan may have a young QB sitting on the bench that might be special or he drafts one of the top 5-6 QB’s in 2018 who becomes our star.
      Also, the Shanahan, 49ers connection adds to the story.
      All that’s left is for our current 49ers team to do is replicate what the great 80’s team did.
      That’s a tall order, but the pieces for success may be on the team already.

  62. The grade I am having the most trouble with is special teams. Grant if you were to subtract Robbie Gould from the formula would you then give them an A.

    The reason why I ask this is because, outside of the point kicking, I feel like they are already looking like they could be one of the best special teams the 49ers have seen in a long while. They are well coached by Hightower and group, as they are a lot of young players making few mistakes and playing at a high level. I think they are going to be something to watch this year.

  63. I do feel that an F for the linebackers is a bit severe. F was for many games last year thus this game this year I would give the LBs a D minus. Gurly is a tough tackle so I give Bowman a pass until next time.

  64. Right on the money coach. Great analysis. Taylor will have many more fine moments as a forty niner. He’ll be fun to watch. Your parallel to the ’79 team is right on. This it is why it is important to have friggin patience and let this team grow without the ridiculous criticisms being put forth when they’ve only played 3 games, winless or not. The same thing happened back then, but without the internet, blogs, and every other form of media these days that just throws a tremendous amount of pressure on organizations. Three games after a 2-14 season and there are calls for the coach to be fired, the QB to be benched, the mascot to turn their costume, the stadium to be demolished, and everything else. What a joke. Coach, did you see quit in those guys last night? I certainly didn’t, yet some are saying they are playing like losers. Or even better, that they are losing, or even more comical, that they should lose on purpose to get the first draft pick. Total nonsense.

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