49ers report card

Grade the 49ers’ season up to now. Grade position by position and grade the coaching staff, too. Explain your grades.

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      1. Just ask your dad what he thinks. Then change a few adjectives to make it sound more youthful..and wallah..

        1. Bob, genuine question for you.

          You don’t like Grants writing (see above), you don’t seem to like the 49ers, Why are you here?

      2. QB C Plus
        Like Bryan is a B Plus WWE star, CK is a C Plus, and that’s not a good way. The games I have seen CK in: panics, jittery, no trust in his Oline to protect him, hands the off to Gore too many times, he needs to pass more and find a WR to be consistant and rely on, or like Peyton Manning did, contribute the ball to everybody. He needs to stand in the pocket like PM did and allow plays to develop. Whether it’s a coach issue, play call issue, practice, CK throws the ball too quick, and too fast.
        RB: C
        There are times though that the RB is a B to A minus, but sometimes, it’s like the run is given up too soon or the 49ers fall behind to strap it. Hyde is too much of a rookie and Gore is the go to RB to run, but not catch the ball. there are times the 49ers run too many times to emulate other teams rather then find their own team chemistry.
        TE: Low C
        Davis has vanished, Carrier has good block skills, ? on catching, and Vance…why did we not get Ertz in the draft when we had that golden opp? Once again, we let the Eagles take away our potential player, first DeSean and now Ertz. TEs have had to block more then to get open due to the Oline problems.
        Oline: D
        Not enough protection. Running is iffy. Injury wise is a mess. the loss of Kilgore will hurt very badly on the 49ers and could give protection more problems without a good C in there. Also, there could be a problem in snapping the ball or establishing communication on road games. OLine is not giving Ck time to develop plays.
        Dline: D
        I know that’s harsh, but at times, no blitzing, no good play makers in Dline or seondary. Injury issues too, but even when a team has injuries, somebody else steps up and so far, not a lot of stepping up. Perhaps it’s time for the 4-3 to make a come back?
        LB: C minus to a D: Injury, non impressive, it’s always a case of stop the run and let the pass or penalties hurt the line.
        Secondary C
        Very iffy at times, and injury has hurt.
        Special Teams: A
        Dawson hasn’t lost a step and the punting has done a decent job.
        Coaching: C
        Surprising that I bash on Harbaugh that I give him this type of grade. 4-3, even if I quibble over these wins over losing teams or inept teams with a poor defense or joke coaching, Harbaugh has kept the team contending. however, one too many times could wind up with 10 wins that could shut out the 49ers from the playoffs if they have difficult with Seattle, the one Arizona, New Orleans, and New York Giants. Harbaugh needs to call better passing. i am encouraged to see 4/ 5 Wr sets, but he needs to keep at it rather then do it one time, it’s great, he gives up, doesn’t go for it again, or doesn’t go no huddle. has not improved CK’s skills.

        Overall:
        As much as harbaugh’s antics pain me and CK’s lack of effort, got to give them a mid C. A season can’t have you beat losing teams and lose to winning teams, nor should it be you played overall losing teams and think you deserve a SUperbowl when a team should be challenged. Lesser teams mean no competition or motivation. SF Giants got to the World Series by beating good teams in the playoffs and overcoming odds. The 49ers are a long ways from it as even if they can run, passing is an issue that needs to be worked on.

    1. Grant learned well from his Father, and maybe Glenn Dickey in his later years. Wait until all the other columnists write and letters to the editor are in, then take the opposing side and cause all kinds angst. Yes, it is lazy and devoid of original thought.

    2. With Rod Serling’s Voice-over:
      ‘Imagine if you will,……….’ walking into a restaurant. No one greets you or seats you. You seat yourself at a table with no place settings, just menus. You open the menu and it reads: “You can have anything you want. Go find it, cook it, and Bon Appetit!”

      This article is the Twilight Zone of poser Sports Journalism. Grant is malingering and “stealing” whatever the PD pays him. Rather than entertain, educate, and inform, this “Article(?!!!?!)” looks like a HS sophomore’s homework assignment.
      By contrast, the two Matts seem to continue to find topics of interest.

  1. Well for coaching staff:

    Fangio: A-. Yes Sunday night was pitiful but a lack of healthy defensive backs and having WIlhoite instead of Willis calling plays was always going to hold back how much Fangio could do but on the season the defense has played well. Has made some strange decisions, Ward on Brandon Marshall in the Bears game for one but considering what this defense has lost he’s done a great job getting consistency out of this unit. The Broncos’ game and Cardinals game gets him a minus, but that is almost overcome by how great this unit was in the Eagles game holding that productive offense to 0 points.

    Roman: B. If there ever was a season where Roman was getting too much hate, this is the season. Roman has done a great job using the varied talents of the 49ers wideouts and even adding an extra layer to the 49ers offense with it’s spread scheme that has culminated in the most versatile offense the 49ers have had in a long time.He’s also managed to deal with a makeshift OL that has hurt the ability for the 49ers to run the ball which gets underplayed in the media. There has been some head scratching play calls at times, the insistence on using Boldin out of all these wide receivers on screens is incredibly confusing to me for one, but a lot of the problems with the 49ers offense has been more execution than philosophy. I know people think the 49ers should be running the ball more but not only do they now get better matchups in the passing game, ie: Brandon Lloys is the 49ers 4th wide out right now, but the 49ers OL hasn’t run blocked well this year outside of Iupati.

    Harbaugh: C. This might seem harsh considering the injuries the 49ers have dealt with and how I graded the 49ers coordinators but realistically the 49ers should be 6-1. Weeks 2 and 3 the 49ers lost games due to poor discipline, the penalties, and poor awareness of game situations.. Maybe I should hold the coordinators more responsible for this but I think it falls on the head coach. Yes this team is still 4-3 and in 2nd place in the NFC West but when your roster is this talented better results should be expected. At least the 49ers have gotten over their penchant for second half collapses but now they’ve picked up the habit of falling behind early which is better in some ways but still not what should be happening on a consistent basis.

  2. Coaching.
    Harbaugh…. C.
    I know he had banged up players, but I can’t help but think of this team killing itself with stupid penalties early this year, and the lack of hunger last Sunday night. Coach should have had those problems fixed by game 1

    Roman… C…
    Although he has called some good games I can’t help but think of the poor calling in the Chicago game, and how they didn’t start running the ball again until week 4. Same old mediocre OC
    Fangio… B
    Let’s face it this is our bread and butter guy on the staff. To have this beat up defense ranked #2 overall until last Sunday is a miracle and a testiment to his good calling. Would have been an A until Sunday happened. Would have liked to see him get beat by going all out. Blitzes all day would have been nice to see. Especially after the first two quick TD’s.

    Offensive line. C
    I know they’re banged up too, but our regulars are getting punked this year so far. Staley isn’t worth a pro bowl spot, Iupoti is still getting manhandled at times, Kilgore was doing fine, Boone is coming along but die to greed he started slow and was also getting manhandled, Davis.. Idk. Would like to see more games from him. Martin was our best o-lineman so far this season. Solid job by the crybaby.

    WR… B… Not much to say but they have been our best group on offense.

    TE…. F…
    McDonald is a loaf an Davis isn’t selling out for this team. Dropped balls and contract disputes only justify his claim of “protecting the product” I can no longer respect this guy. That’s my opinion.

    RB… B-
    Hard to grade a player(s) when they depend on others to do well.
    Our o-line hasn’t been good and neither has the play calling. But when called upon and after getting some good blocks they’ve been very good, Gore is Gore and Hyde is growing. More patience and we’ve got our future RB for a long time. Miller is mediocre this season. I’ve seen him miss some blocks disappointed in his performance this season so far, hopefully he can get back to last years form in this second half. I think all of them will and our running game gets turnt up. Expect an A out of this group after the year is over.

    Qb… B
    Shotty line, dropped passes are the only two things you can’t count againts him. Nervous in the pocket at times, accuracy, and staring down receivers you can. He’s getting better but still has away to go before becoming a serious threat in the pocket. We know he’s multi threat and has a cannon of an arm, I’d like to see consistency from this kid. He will get an A if he can go to Seattle and not wet the bed. Turnovers need to be turned down a notch also. But some of his plays this season have been fantastic, his trust is starting to show with Lloyd and Johnson also. We know he trusts MC and Boldin. This confidence can pay big dividens in the redzone and playoffs.

    Defense line. B-
    We know the cowboy is the man and puts 100 into every rush and run stop attempt, we are missing a huge piece in the middle that’s been filled in nicely and RM is getting nothing on qb’s. Is also being doubled at times. But they struggle because of the lack of talent in the next group…..

    Lb’s C
    I know they are filling in big shoes and were use to seeing such excellence, but having said that I won’t knock them for not pressuring qb’s. No my knock is on tackling and lazy attempts at holes being filled.
    I’ve watched some games where wilhoite and Lynch don’t go all out to fill holes in the line, I’ve watched them get beat in coverage too. Yes we have all pro’s but these fill ins aren’t squat without at least one pro bowler on their side. Meaning wilhoite thrived with bowman playing and Willis playing. He is in NO way a leader for those lb’s Brooks is the idiot of the year so far with all of his hands to the face penalties, but he has been our only pressure guy.

    Secondary….solid B
    Again NO pash rush puts these guys in trouble at times and they still managed to become a top 5 squad. Our best unit on the defense.

    Special teams…. C
    Not getting those quick stops on punts, our punter is nowhere near the guy he was 2 years ago.
    Dawson scares me on the road, he’s hit some long kicks but has missed some shorter ones. Keep him past 50 and I’m comfortable. Ellington isn’t a kick returner anyone should fear. Idk if he doesn’t have the speed down or it’s just not in him to break some big ones.

    Stadium…. C
    Shorter lines are good, longer walks to the stadium bad.
    Parking in the front red lot is a huge mistake unless you’re planning on leaving in the 3rd. Otherwise park outside that sucker an do some walking. Food is not great. Who knew nacho cheese was white? The feel of 49er football just isn’t there yet. That’s a downer!

    Those are my first half grades. Hoping all improve (IMO) by seasons end.

    1. Nice, the stadium food is horrendous and wayyyyyy over priced for what you get. I think that’s why they’ve allowed tailgating.

      1. I think so too. Got some nachos ONCE for the wifey and had to ask of they were out of cheese sauce. My buddy’s chicken fingers were more like chicken knuckles.
        Maybe I should move up to the executie suites.

  3. QB: B+. Kaepernick has been pretty good this year for the most part, and looks an improved player from the 2013 version. He’s been asked to carry a much larger load this year, and has had to carry the offense on his shoulders at times. But he’s also shown he still has some limitations in his game. At this point of the season he is a good, but not great QB.

    RBs: B-. A tough group to grade, as some of the issues they’ve had have been coaching and OL inflicted. Gore and Hyde have had some good games, but they’ve also struggled to get much going in others, for various reasons, which has really put a lot of pressure on Kaep to deliver.

    WRs: B+. Boldin has been Boldin (except against the Broncos), while the additions of Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd have really added something to the offense. However, the WRs have had their share of drops and penalties that have cost the team some points which prevents this unit getting a better grade. Crabtree has been a bit of a disappointment also.

    TEs: D. Yikes. The man that was needed to turn this turtle of an offense back on its feet has been completely ineffective since week 1, largely due to injury though even when on the field he has looked a shell of his former self. McDonald continues to be just another guy, and more is expected. Carrier has been something of a pleasant surprise.

    OL: D+. Double yikes. This was once one of the best OLs in the NFL? They’ve struggled to get push in the running game for the most part, and also struggle to keep the pass rush at bay. Injuries have played their part, but still, a big disappointment so far. I give them a D+ due to a couple of good outings in the run game.

    DL: B. Have been pretty good against the run. Haven’t made much of an impact rushing the passer, but then the OLBs are supposed to be the primary source of pass rush on this team. Solid.

    ILBs: B. Wilhoite and Borland struggled against the Broncos, but for the most part the ILBs have done a decent job helping contain the run and in coverage. Willis hasn’t been dominant, but he’s been good.

    OLBs: C-. A passing grade, but just barely. Doing their job against the run for the most part, but not enough pass rush pressure is coming from this unit, though Lynch has been a pleasant surprise and Brooks appears to be getting better as the season progresses. Lemonier didn’t live up to the expectations and rightly has been benched. Skuta has been honest but unspectacular.

    DBs: B. The Broncos game was a disaster, but I’m willing to look past that and see the good this unit has done. They’ve managed to keep most passing offenses in check this season, with the Eagles game a real highlight. And they’ve done it without much help from the pass rush. But they’ve also had their share of bad moments, with mental errors and costly penalties playing a large part in the 2 losses in weeks 2 and 3. Before the Broncos game I’d have said B+/A-, but the Broncos game knocks it down to a B. Special mention goes to Cox who has been a real standout, while Bethea has also been good (Broncos game aside). And aside from one horror afternoon covering Marshall, Ward has quietly been getting better each week and playing some decent football.

    STs: C. A real mixed bag. Some good days, some very bad days (Eagles was woeful).

    Coaching – Offense: C. The ground game has struggled, no doubt, but the 49ers continue to get beat in games in which they abandon the run. Yet they keep doing it. Meanwhile, the passing game has had some bright moments but is plagued by drops, penalties and miscues that have left plenty of points on the field. Obviously most of that is on the players, but coaching has to take some of the responsibility too.

    Coaching – Defense: A-. Yes, they have had some bad moments, none worse than against the Broncos, but with a depleted unit Fangio has found a way most weeks to limit opposing offenses. Good job by Fangio.

    Coaching – STs: C-. Why is Seely considered such a good STs coach? He once again struggled to get the coverage units to play sound football without specialist coverage guys taking up roster spots. I can’t help but think most good STs coaches would have found a way.

    1. Just a question for you Scooter. How has CK been asked to carry a larger load? He has been given weapons this franchise has not seen in decades? He also has a rejuvenated Frank Gore and bruiser Carlos Hyde.

      1. Just look at the proportion of total offense he has accounted for. How many times he has thrown compared to this point of the season last year. How often the team has abandoned the run and put the game on Kaep’s arm.

      2. He’s not asked to carry the load any more than any other QB. While his passing numbers may have increased, so has his mistakes. He has 11 TDs and 5 INT, and countless delay of game penalties and burnt time-outs. We are paying him 12 million per year. He’s supposed to know what he’s doing with that kind of dough. And he has yet to lead the team to a 4th quarter touchdown. Blaine Gabbert did it before he did, and he only played in one game! Blaine also scored the first TD at Levi’s. We should not be surprised the offense is so dysfunctional. It wasn’t like the team was moving like a machine in the pre-season.
        He’s just average right now. He can get to A-/B+ territory by being more consistent and running the offense in an efficient manner. Enough with this frenetic chaos stuff.

        1. Maybe you shouldblame Jim since the clock management stuff (delay of games, timeouts etc) were occurring when Alex was the QB.. The coach is as much responsible for that then anyone. He has not taught or fixed that problem with any of this QBs since arriving in SF…

          1. I don’t think it was Jim’s idea for Colin to burn a time-out on 4th and 2 when they were trying to draw the other team offsides, and would have preferred a delay of game penalty.

            1. Just let him have that one fan. We all know the truth. I’m curious what his excuse is for the lack of Tds in the 4th qtr

              1. I don’t have anything positive to say about kaep in the fourth quarter but I do know that if it wasn’t for 5 dropped passes in the first half he would have easily had 250+ yards and 2-3 tds in the first half.. This game is a game of momutim.. oh and the O line allowed 6 sacks… The defense allowed 42 points at the end of 3.. Would you like to place blame on CK.. You guys are tools! Watch the games instead of coming on here and bashing someone you clearly don’t like.

              2. I don’t blame Kaep for anything. I’m just taking a certain position on his play, and his level of maturation as a quarterback.Yes the receivers dropped passes, they also made some great catches one some pretty sorry passes. So it’s a wash don’t you think?
                I’d still like to know what the offense can’t seem to score a TD in the 4th quarter. What’s the deal with that?

              3. Fellas at the end of the day kaep has played very well considering how bad the O line has performed. Just look at last Sunday night were manning had all the day to go through all his progressions.. Kaep has zero time in the pocket.. If it wasn’t for his athletic ability the O line would of allowed 10 sacks easy. This unit by a mile has been the most disappointing. Why do you think the Dallas cowboys are 6-1? It’s not cause of there line is it? 4-3 with healthier days ahead! As far as the fourth quarter tds it’s not just on CK.. This is a team game and he has done a lot on his own already… It’s time for Vernon, crab to show up!

              4. No you’re right he’s elite but is he perfect? We’ll until he is I think we are allowed to point out flaws without being called haters or tools. Sorry I’m not a homer

              5. Also I want to add that in today’s NFL the “window” is most often defined by the QB. As long as a team has an elite QB their window is allways open. See: Den NE GB NO those teams are in it every year because their QB’s give them a chance to win the whole thing. So I disagree that our window will close by the time CK “gets it” because by the mere act of “getting it” he will extend our window of opportunity

              6. Wops this should have gone at the very bottom of this thread in response to Fan 77 CK for Foles trade and 9ers “window” closing

            2. Fan,
              You are very astute and quick in pinpointing out all of Kaep’s negative qualities but is there a reason why you fail to mention that this team beat a very good Cowboys team along with Phillips and good Chiefs team with CK at the helm? I mean if I didn’t know any better I might think that your criticism of Kaep is agenda filled (haha).

              1. Kaep beat the Cowboys. Hey played pretty good in that game. Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half.
                Kaep gave the game to the Bears. Absolutely just said, “Here you go, Merry Xmas.” Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half.
                Kaep lost to a 2nd string back-up in AZ. Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half.
                Kaep really didn’t do anything in the Philly game. It was the Defense that held that Philly offense in check. It was Gore running for over 100 yards. Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half.
                KC game he was okay. Smith threw that pick to ended the game. Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half. Gore went over 100 yards. Best play of that game was the rookie line backer running away from Gore.
                Kaep played great in the Rams game. But Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half.
                And then we have Denver. Play a good first half, threw the killer pick and couldn’t rally the team around him after that.
                Oh yeah — Kaep didn’t score no TD in the 2nd half. But Blaine Gabbert did! All hail Blaine!
                With Kaep as our leader, we have scored
                28,20,14,26,22, 24(defense got a gift TD at the end of the game)and 17.
                Middle of that pack with all that talent. Sure the offense sucks, but if he was smart enough to call some 3 steps drops and pass it to all them WRs we have, we would be okay.
                Here are the stats: 17th in passing. 11th in rushing.
                Yup.

              2. Fan,
                Correct me if I’m wrong (actually I’m not) but don’t both halves count in football?

                Let’s face it Fan, if CK wins a Super Bowl you will spend more time harping about how he blew his first SB appearance and his Int against Seattle in the championship game.

                BTW, have you ever come up with a better QB that is available who could supplant CK?
                I’ve asked that question of you since August.

              3. If, and that is a big if, CK wins the SB with the Niners I would be pretty happy. It would be a long journey and he would have grown and and learn from the adversity.
                If the Niners trade CK to another team and he wins it with them, well I could care less what he does. He would always be the QB who was given the golden opportunity and he blew it.
                Yes both halves count in football. CK does well in the 1st half, but not in the 2nd half. And really, it’s 60 minutes of football so playing good in half the game is not a good measure for a QB.
                CK has the upside, I don’t question, that. I question whether he will get there. And now that I’ve seen a larger body of work, I think some of his flaws are going to prevent him from ever truly becoming en elite QB. You gotta do the little things too.

                Before the season, I had high hopes for CK, I thought he would be way farther along then he is. Everyone is jumping up and down over these small improvements. We need to see some bigger ones.

                With the WRs that that the team has right now, you’d think a decent pocket QB could get the job done.

              4. I would sucker Chip Kelly to trade Kaep for Foles and a mid round pick. Kaep has that upside, throw that in there.

                Philly has Maclin, Sproles and Shady McCoy. I would think that Niners with Boldin, Johnson, Lloyd, Ellington, Gore, Hyde and Lattimore could be potent and they can run the Roman offense from 2011/2012.

                Run that dink and dunk offense before Alex got hurt wouldn’t be so bad. People forget that the Niners put up 620 yards running and passing against the Bills.

                It would be nice to see some screen passes to the backs again!

                This is also based on the window that the Niners have to win it all with the defense that they have now.

                Would you do it?

              5. No I would not. For as long as it is taking CK to develop into a well rounded QB, one thing he does better than anyone, is step up in big games. Sure he made some head scratching throws in last years NFCCG and SB, but that will come with experience.
                What convinced me about CK was last years playoff in GB and in CAR. Those were tough situations and he stepped up.
                My only criticism of the guy is his maturity. The maturity to try and not be a hero and the maturity to listen, learn and work on his game 24/7, 365 days a year. This past offseason I don’t think he did enough work to eliminate some weaknesses in his game. He did too much show time instead of study time.
                He’s a gamer,a guy that will step up in big games. He’s still very raw. I think all your criticism’s of the guy will bewarranted if he plays the same way next year. Let’s see if he can get them back to the playoffs and what he does from there.

              6. Foles is only 25. Last year he threw 27 TDs and only 2 picks. In the beginning of the year he led a bunch of comebacks.
                This year he’s thrown 7 picks, but I think we would have a much more fluid and consistent offense.
                It’s Harbaugh’s make or break year.

              7. But no playoff wins and he might not get there this year. I like Foles but there is no upside. You get what you see now.
                CK just had to grow up!

              8. Kaep played well in the GB game under tough conditions. But he ran it more then he through it. It was a FG that won it.
                In Carolina game they didn’t do much in the first half until the goal line stand. Also took a FG to win it.
                Seattle was just a bad half. Notice a trend?

                The Niners are talented and they’re jus so dysfunctional right now with penalties and the offense lacks a clear identity, mainly because it’s Kaep preference for playground ball.

                So I would mortgage the future and take Foles for a season to go for the ring, much like how Kaep was given a chance in 2012.

                Right now the NFC is stalking up like this:
                DAL
                PHILLY
                DETROIT
                GREEN BAY
                AZ
                CAROLINA

                The team with tough defenses are AZ and DETROIT.
                Games that could be a shoot-out is DALLAS and GREEN BAY.

                Who would your rather have as QB in those games?

              9. Foles has thrown 10 TDs against 7 INTs, for 1,628 yards, and he is the answer for the 49ers. Kaep has thrown 11 TDs against 5 INTs, for 1,719 yards, and he makes too many mistakes. Makes perfect sense.

              10. Scooter Mcg,

                I would totally consider Foles to run the Niner offense. He also had 27TD and 2 picks last year.

              11. Foles looked sensational last year. But then Josh McCown had 13 TDs and 1 INT last season. Foles has been a bit of a disappointment this season so far, and it has been well documented that he has been struggling with accuracy and timing. That can happen once teams get a bit of film on you, and you come off a hot streak. Happened to Kaep last year too.

                I think Foles will be a good QB, but last season was a bit of a mirage. He’s not as good as what last season would lead you to believe.

              12. Fan:

                Who would your rather have as QB in those games?

                I don’t know, maybe the guy who has beaten every team on the list (with the exception of Detroit, against whom he hasn’t played)

                But don’t let facts get in the way of your anti-Kaepernick agenda. Who cares about facts?

              13. Like I said I would take CK because he is seasoned. He has playoff experience and he has played well. Teams dared him to run and he did. In the playoffs, it’s any means necessary.
                Yes he needs to be a better player in the pocket, but again that’s maturity of not trying to be a hero. It’s not like he does not have the skill set to do it. It’s his brain. I’ve said before you can’t teach intelligence, but you can teach patience.
                All those teams you listed as how the NFC is shaping up, with a healthy roster we can easily travel and or host any of them and win.

              14. Foles did go to the pro bowl last year. 27 TDs with 2 picks.

                His stats are okay, but his team is 5-1 with the one loss to the Niners.

                You all know my feelings about Kaep at this stage of career and I have my doubts he will progress fast enough before the window closes on this team.

                Also,

                Philly has scored 34,30,37,21,34 and 27 this year.

                Their passing offense is ranked 7th too.

              15. Fan
                So you would like to trade CK (a player with better stats across the board) for a 2nd year player in a sophomore slump because of what that 2nd year player did in his first 10 games( when the opposition didnt have film of him)? Then how about a guy who only threw 5 int and took a team to the SB in only his 10th career start? Doesn’t that guy sound better?

                You say that CK cant develop fast enough for you and that our “window” will close before he is ready. And yet you want a second year QB who is sure to have more growing pains (he already quadrupled his int’s from last year in just 7 games) going forward and a ceiling that is lower than that of our current QB?? Do I have that right? I dont want to misrepresent your position

              16. 77,
                Maybe Rocket is tired of dialogue with you because you’ve helped poison the blog.
                most come to discuss a myriad of subjects pertaining to the team. With you and your garbage it’s like groundhog day.
                I busted you out as a troll long ago. Now you are worse.

              17. Bos49er,

                I don’t think Kaep across the board is necessarily better that Foles. He still hasn’t been able to lead the team to a TD in the 4th quarter over 7 games.

                Foles is younger, but is more polished passer. People have film on Kaep as well as a runner, and have pretty much such down the read option. Kaep gets his running yards on broken plays.

                I would be intrigued to see Foles as the QB with the WRs that this team has.

                When Kaep came on 2012, I wouldn’t consider trading Kaep. But two years as a starter, there’s a larger body of work. I see the amazing play mixed with a lack of maturity, and a limited passing offense scaled down to his skill set. So I would consider cutting my losses and moving on to a system type QB, and not a dynamic player who is more like a running QB then a true passing QB.
                Foles did supplant Michael Vick, and the Eagles played better with a more traditional QB then running QB.

        2. I was really hoping to avoid yet more debate about Kaep from my grades. Oh well.

          FWIW, Kaep is making up around 80% of the 49ers total offense this season. I don’t know where that ranks him among QBs, but it is certainly more than he has been asked to contribute in the past, which is what my point was. And while he is indeed making some mistakes, he is also doing a lot of good, and has also had some good plays (incl. TDs) undone by bad drops or penalties.

          He is not just average right now. He is playing some good football for the most part, even if you refuse to see it.

          1. he has played well at times. I agree. But he’s inconsistent. He should play well most of time. He hasn’t play well in the red zone in the 4th quarter, that’s for sure.

            A QB is supposed to throw the ball. That’s not doing more. Are we paying him 12 million to hand the ball off to Gore?

            He can scramble, which makes up for some of the O-line issues. He also holds the ball and has happy feet, so he runs himself into sacks.

            If we’re going to grade the tame and make assessments of their play, I think we should be honest and not hopeful for what he can potentially do. What is he doing now. I may be harsher and tougher then most, but that’s my take. You’re free to disagree.

            I think this whole notion that Kaep has to do so much more because he can run is inaccurate. His running makes up for some of his lack of growth in other areas. At the same time the team seems to encourage him to run more. I heard Matt Barrows talk about it. So it’s kind of a tough spot for the coaching staff. Do they try to win games, or help Kaep grow as a QB. Is it fair to take a few steps back so he can take a few steps forward?

            In comparison to other QBS at his age, I would say Luck and Cam Newton are farther ahead and also do more.

            1. Yes, I agree he is inconsistent, but he plays well more than he plays poorly. And I agree that Luck (in particular) and Newton are playing better than Kaep. Luck is playing extremely well, he’s one of the top QBs in the NFL at the moment and gets an A to A+ from me. Newton has been playing very well this season too, especially given the depleted WR core he is working with, and would get an A- from me.

              Doesn’t change that Kaep is playing good football for the most part. I’m not being hopeful, and I’m not grading him on what I think he can be, I’m grading him based on what he’s done in the first 7 games of this season. No QB plays completely mistake free. So saying he is just average because he’s made some mistakes makes no sense. And to say he hasn’t grown since last year is also a very myopic view. Has he grown into an All-Pro QB? Heck no. But he is better than last year in a number of areas, including going through his progressions.

              “That’s not doing more”. Please re-read my original post, as well as my reply above. I’ve not said he isn’t being asked to do what many other QBs are asked to do. I simply said he’s being asked to do a lot more than last year. And it is true.

              1. For the most part, I think Kaep’s stats put him right in the middle of the pack in all categories compared to other QBS. Surprisingly he’s almost in the top 10 in passing yards. He’s also up there in sacks. Some of it is on the line, and some of it is on him.

                As much as I bash the guy on here, I am hopeful that he starts to figure it out and play better on a consistent level. I’m all about tough love man!

              2. I believe he is just outside the top 10 in passer rating and QBR for QBs with 100 or more attempts. So in the upper half of QBs, but not far from the average either. Perhaps a B+ is too high for him, I deliberated between a B and B+. But I think he’s doing better than a C grade.

              3. Some guys on here love stats. On paper Kaep’s either close to top 10. He used to lead the QBS in rushing, Russell Wilson might have passed him up. But there are other stats that may not show up, like the delay of game penalties, calling needless time-outs. And what about the unsportsmanlike penalty for swearing after the interception? If you’re going to give Kaep a grade, you have to take all of that into consideration. And it has to be a concern that the offense slows down in the 2nd half.
                As the QB, he’s the leader in that huddle. Maybe the reason we haven’t seen Kaep play 60 minutes of complete football is there is a lack of focus somewhere. If he can make such a careless mistakes as calling a time-out to avoid a delay of game when that’s what you want to do, what else is he not focused on?
                Payton Manning had a great game because he was dialed in. He was studied, it soaked into his brain and it showed.

              4. Peyton Manning had a great game and has had a great career because he’s a great QB. Future first ballot HOF career. Yet he’s had plenty of bad games, bad drives and bad plays along the road. Nobody is perfect.

                I understand the frustration with the delay of game penalties, though those appear to have been cut down on in recent weeks. I understand the frustration with his mistakes. But you seem to think good QBs don’t make mistakes. That they don’t have 3 and outs, or drives that end in punts. That they don’t have games where they throw a few INTs. It simply isn’t true. Again, even great QBs have bad games, bad drives and bad plays. Kaep isn’t great (at least yet, anyway), but he is good, and despite being a good player will still make mistakes.

                What I will say is that Kaep in my eyes is still a better athlete than football player at this point in his career. Some of those mistakes you put down to focus issues, I think are simply the result of a guy that lacks an innate football mind. I see the same thing with plenty of players in plenty of sports – great players that make decisions under pressure you can only shake your head at. To me that is a guy that doesn’t have great football intuition/ awareness, that needs to think through or be reminded of certain things on the football field. As he gets older and more experienced, those types of head scratching mistakes will lessen as through repetition and experience it becomes more second nature to him. But in the meantime these types of mistakes don’t make him a bad player, just an occasionally frustrating one.

              5. Scooter,

                That’s about as good a view of Kap as I’ve read anywhere. Great analysis and understanding of the situation. Well done.

              6. Cheers rocket.

                I see pretty much all the beat writers are saying Kaep has been the offensive MVP so far this season. This isn’t anything most reasonable people on here are surprised to see as (1) Kaep has been playing pretty well, for the most part, and (2) the rest of the offense has had its fair share of issues.

                Pretty much every beat writer is also pointing out that the OL has been a real problem for this offense. Again, not news to most people. But it puts Kaep’s level of play into perspective. It is hard to play consistently well as a QB and offense if the OL isn’t playing at a high level.

            2. Peyton Manning really impressed me out there. The throws he made, crisp, trusted his Oline, stayed in the pocket, didn’t have to move, let his Wrs develop, did a great job. I know the game against Seattle, he had problems,but Denver didn’t lose by a big margin to Seattle. If I had to grade Denver, QB A, RB B to a C Plus, TE, A, WR A to B, Oline B Plus, Dline B, LB B, Secondary B, Coaching A, and Overall, Denver gets a A Minus to B Plus.

              1. Jim Mora: Yes I doubt we could beat Denver @ home. I credit JElway’s new and improved team is clicking on all cylinders. They are the most complete team now. I think it will be Denver/Dallas this year. But keep things in perspective — Carolina’s 3-3 and they’re leading their division. Omaha Omaha!

            3. “he has played well at times. I agree. But he’s inconsistent. He should play well most of time. He hasn’t play well in the red zone in the 4th quarter, that’s for sure.

              A QB is supposed to throw the ball. That’s not doing more. Are we paying him 12 million to hand the ball off to Gore?”
              ~Fan77

              Actually, he has looked VERY good at times. Some of his throws can possibly only be matched by only 2 other QB’s in the league. It’s those type of passes that make Kaep such a dynamic player, and frankly, have given the Org reason to dole out the contract for CK that you seem to have a hard time accepting.

              BTW, I don’t have a problem with our QB handing the ball to a future HOF’r and best RB in 49ers history.
              Perhaps you conveniently misread somewhere that 49ers are a pass first offense.
              C’mon Fan, you know we are a ground & pound offense. When our O-line is healthy we can pound the life out of opposing defenses, and we will be doing that once our frontline players are back.
              Have a little faith and patience bud, it’s going to be ok.

          2. Bingo scooter….
            The delay of game point was spot on. Nothing has changed. Smith use to get them too, but talking sense into two people like this is a waste of breath. Notice they jumped on yours because it’s the longest about ck. Fugg Em. Let them watch in disgust. He will win is a Super Bowl.

            1. Explain why in the heck would you call a time out when you are trying to draw a team offsides. When you are deliberately willing to take the delay of game penalty.
              B-I-N-G-O Baby!

              1. 77….. Because he was an idiot at that moment. That’s why. Who’s arguing that? Sounds pretty desperate to hold on to a bonehead mistake to take an overall look at a qb. Congrats you chose a bad decision. Smh

              2. Ninermd.
                Let’s see — should we really make a list of Colin’s bad decision? How about that pass in the SB? The NFFCG. Let’s go before the SB to the Rams game when he made that dumb pitch. There’s so many to choose from. Just takes one bad decision to lose a game.
                B-I-N-G-O BABY!

              3. Yeah fan..all mistakes courtesy of our brilliant offensive coaching staff..lol.Cause apparently they are masterminds in the redzone.If making Kap the fall guy..makes it easier for u to deal with that..so be it.lol.

              4. 77…. You can pick anyone you want. But there is a list of great plays too. So we could go back and forth with this.
                My question to you before attempting to go through it is….
                Who on earth would you recommend the qb be? Besides ck. Would you be honest and say you’d rather still have Smith here? Or would you rather see that star on our sidelines nobody knows about that threw to crucial TD’s in a pre season game and 4th quarter of a blowout vs the mighty Denver Broncos?
                This kid is still young and showing signs of improvement every year since he’s started. He’s NEVER in his life learned how to be a traditional qb until he was drafted. I understand you don’t like him and would rather have Gabbertt starting that’s your opinion. But even when he plays good you have something negative to say.
                I couldn’t stand Alex smith when he was here. I understood te system and teams he was on were bad, I explained that I myself saw flaws in his athletic ability that I didn’t like.
                He can’t throw accurately past 15 yards, he was a one read qb, then harbaugh came along. And I saw a transformation in a kid who stunk to the point of almost being the biggest bust ever to a solid qb who stopped mistakes. And I ate my crow for saying he would never even be that. When I started noticing he would not take the training wheels off and hit some receivers deep and would check down 80 percent of the time with receivers open I guessed that harbaugh would dump him of he didn’t start throwing downfield a little more. Then came the manning news, then came te game that sealed his fate the Ny Giants game in the regular season. They called the same exact games they’ve been calling with ck. Throw heavy games and abandoned the run to prepare him for pocket passing play. He failed miserably. You better believe that is when harbaugh knew he wasn’t the qb he envisioned. One concussion a week or two later and he was done.
                So I get critisim on the qb. I did the same, but I also gave smith his due when he turned his play around. That was also after 7 years of being in the league, ck is only in his 3 year starting. And has already passes smiths play here. I’ve stated earlier in the year that this was my make or break season with ck. I’ve seen nothing but growth and yes some bad mistakes. Kudos to harbaugh and roman for balancing the teachings of a qb and the runnin game. Because you can bet they abandoned the run to get him prepared for the future and to become a pocket passer. Can’t learn that stuff handing the ball of 30 times a game. It is paying off and he will without a question be an elite qb in this league and not just another Vick, culpepper, or mcnabb. He will be our next Steve young. Should I throw those numbers up again in their first three years?

              5. I still cant for the life of me understand why everything is still about Alex Smith? Whenever someone brings up Kaepernick and his mistakes, people refer back to Smith. Why cant we just dress up or dress down the current QB without the comparison?

              6. FDM it’s just 3 turkeys who can’t leave Smith out of the conversations. You know who they are!

              7. Ninermind-

                Sadly we are stuck with Colin. That die was cast a long time ago. I would like to see him improve at a faster rate. There’s a small window and it is closing.

                I don’t think we should be patting him on the back for doing what he’s supposed to be doing at 12 million a year. I wish someone would pay me 12 million to learn on the job. He’s supposed to read defenses, make passes, run the offense. But not run it to the ground.

                Since this post is about grades by position, I choose to look at the QB position, not by the stats, but by his limitations and how the offense has to compensate. If we were lighting it up like Denver’s offense, then yeah you can call me a troll for nitpicking.

                He played a good game against the Rams. But they still are punching it in to the end zone in the 4th quarter.
                He still looks panicky in the pocket. The conundrum with Colin is he does one thing that amazes you to make you forget all the other things he’s not doing. Take the TD pass to Stevie Johnson, I think it was against the Cards. He scrambles to his left, then throws a rocket and Johnson catches it, and it looks brilliant. The problem was the throw was late, so it was way harder then it needed to be.

                IMHO, The coaching staff is trying to figure out what their identity is and what type of offense they need to run. They know Colin’s inconsistent, maybe lacks focus which is why there are lapses in judgement, i.e, delay of game, unsportsmanlike conduct, etc. He wears those beats by dre, he’s of the millennial generation and maybe just lacks the attention span.

                Coaches don’t want random, but that is really what Colin loves best. You can see it in the way he plays. That’s his natural state, not standing back in the pocket going through progressions. I don’t mean that as a knock, just an observation. Maybe they should go against all conventional wisdom and just let it go to schoolyard. Problem is the other 10 players on offense need to know what to do.

              8. FDM….
                It’s for a point of posting on here is why I brought him up, he also was our last qb. What makes you get butt hurt over that name? Fan has mentioned him tons of times. Take it easy. I’m just as sick of his name as you are, but sometimes with certain folks it has to be mentioned.

                Prime…. Nobody is on your bandwagon. You talk about forgeting about smith yet there you are everytime his name is mentioned. You’d think if someone was sick of something they would just skip the comment. Kind of like I do with the other trolls on here. You get hurt and lash out in defense of smith to this day. You are truly pathetic and obviously like nuts. Stay off mine Tarzan.

              9. Fan,

                You couldn’t be more wrong about the TD pass to Stevie Johnson. He came open just before the ball arrived.

                You’re in danger of losing any shred of credibility you have left when you make statements like the one above.

            2. Ninermd.—- You are correct. They are haters who are entirely too obsessed with Kaep. They like other haters just look for someone for them to focus their hate on. It isn’t really about Kaep so logic and reason are irrelevant. but only about maintaining a reason and justification to continue to project their anger on a conveniant object.

              sanfranbob- stated yes that until he is perfect they will be allowed to point out flaws with out being called haters or tools. Since no one is ever prefect that sets an unreachable standard for them to be able to continue their hate. You by your own words define yourself via through your own absurd standards as trolls and haters.

              Fansince77– You did finally admit that you bash Kaep on this site in one of your previous posts. Honesty finally slips through. You also say you believe in tough love. Pure rationalization for your attitude and cover for your intent. The intent and purpose of tough love is to teach and change negative behavior to the benefit of the subject. Kaep doesn’t read these post so how are your bashing’s to be rationalized as being constructive?

              Trying to reason with someone who clearly has issues is a waste of time. Not saying he is but it wouldn’t even surprise me if sanfranbob is just another incarnation of Fansince77. Sanfarnbob seems to have taken up the role of 77’s validating echo on these posts.

              One good thing, Fansince77, is that you have made other posters who post criticisms of Kaeps play seem rational by comparison.

              1. 77 is a hater. A true troll. Little disappointed it took the room so long to figure it out. I’ve had her number for two years.

              2. Bay Area Fanatic,
                You still haven’t answered why I’m a troll, and you are not. You hate on Alex Smith, the O-line, the Defense, you even through your favorite player Frank Gore under the bus in defense of your one true God, Colin Kaepernick.
                You never gave Smith any credit for any of his good games. I had to courtesy to at least some of the good things that Colin has done, and then I go back to pointing out all his flaws.

              3. Jill again thanks for the laugh. I guess you’re not a believer in constructive criticism.

        3. Last 2 games his clock management has been great. Rams game I don’t recall any delay of penalty games(1 on a punt) and still had timeouts at the end of both halves. The Bronco game I remember 1 timeout to avoid a penalty.

        4. >>Blaine Gabbert did it before he did, and he only played in one game!

          Wait. You are giving Blaine props for performing in garbage time?

          1. Besides I don’t think it was props he was giving. Just pointing out the fact that in garbage time kap couldn’t move the offense but gabbert did

              1. ribico:

                I see what you did there.

                With that post, if Harbaugh works his magic and turns Gabbert into an elite NFL QB and if Kaepernick fails to take the next step or, worse, regresses, you will be able to say that you were the first to recognize the greatness that is Gabbert. You will be able to say that you called for it on October 22, 2014.

                That’s pure genius, you sly dog.

              2. >>you were the first to recognize the greatness that is Gabbert. You will be able to say that you called for it on October 22, 2014.

                And don’t think I won’t let the board forget about it either!

          2. Just stating the fact that the offense wasn’t exactly clicking during the preseason.

            Through 7 games the a Kaep led offense hasn’t scored a TD in the 4th quarter and most of the games have been close.

            His stats are a little better then last year. And has made improvements in some areas, but shows little growth in others.

            I love how some people say that Kaep cane make throws others QBS can’t, but he also can’t make a lot of throws that an average QB can, like a touch pass, a screen pass. But cheer up, we’re only halfway through a season and have a bye. Maybe he’ll spend the whole time working out and kissing his bi-cep.

  4. 49ers so far … B- / C+ …
    Yeah.. there were penalties in the beginning .. (lots)
    but … the refs had something to do with that, too ..
    Obviously, there was a sense (in the zebra camp) to
    air out the laundry … and they did ..

    Broncos game notwithstanding .. I’m ok with
    the Niners so far… and looking for some great football
    after the bye .. when we get some of our “talented” guys back..
    cuz… you just know .. they will be
    “executing” !

  5. A plus plus …they had done it, done it, done it, and will continue doing it, doing it, doing it.

  6. If you take away Kaepernicks score from week1(hey that’s fun to do) his PFF overall grade would be -3.8 for the season. Last year through the first 7 games he threw 1 TD for every 22.75 attempts, this year those numbers are 1 TD for every 20.45 attempts. INT’s last year 1 for every 36 attempts and this year 1 for every 45. His team is 4-3 however I hold him personally responsible for one of those losses. The one department I haven’t seen any change though is consistency.

    I’d give Kaepernick a C+ for the first 7 games. He’s been asked to throw more and his numbers haven’t regressed from the extra attempts however he’s hot one game and not the next. And he cost us the Chicago game as well as our home opener in our new stadium.

    1. I forgot to add in the first paragraph that he’s attempted 225 passes through the first 7 games this year versus 182 last.

    2. C4C

      PFF is an example of a ‘dumb’ stat. Where did he release the pass from ? Where was his receiver when the ball arrived ? How long was the attempted pass ? Toooo many dumb stats blur the real ones of which there are few…mostly….Did we win?

      1. From the two paragraphs I posted only the first sentence referenced a PFF “stat” although it wasn’t a stat it was a grade. The rest are just regular stats that came from NFL .com.

        1. His TD and INT ratio to pass attempts are not dumb stats. The fact that he’s attempted 40 more passes this year and his ratios improved shows tangible progress.

          1. @C4C

            To me, that shows that opponents have figured out that Kaep can’t beat them with his lack of passing expertise, and so they continue to ‘stack the box’ thus killing our run game and forcing CK to pass more. KAEP IS A QB…despite what Harbaugh calls, QB’s throw the ball; some throw it well, others not so much….

            1. Oregon your hatred is showing through. It was a system/personnel failure.
              Mostly I blame it on the system. Through the AZ game there was a reluctance to stretch the field vertically. There were multiple games in which they didn’t even suit up Lloyd. In the Philly, KC and Ram game Kaep took the shots to Lloyd. Now that has to be respected
              you guys and your anti Kaep garbage are lowering to quality of the blog. 3 years with of starts and he continues to win and get better. Yet you can’t help but to allow the stream of garbage to continue to flow from your mouths. Maybe you are prejudice …. I don’t know

              1. Bay

                If you didn’t have key words like ‘hatred’ and Pathetic’ or ‘garbage’, etc, you wouldn’t have a vocabulary at all. Look, you bought into Kaep when he arrived…I get that, but you bet on a losing horse….That’s not a signal to double-down and keep trying to convince yourself that he really won. WATCH THE DAMN GAME! The best argument in the world can’t change what happens on the field. No, I’m not prejudiced, and no, I don’t hate Kaep. I don’t think you grasp the idea that the NFL is not the place for OJT. I’d say lay off the snide remarks, but that would leave you nothing to say.

  7. “during” the postgame handshake,
    Peyton Manning was hoping that
    Coach Harbaw would take a moment to
    (a) look him in the right in the eye, and
    (b) explain the time out with 3 minutes to go.

    Oh, yeah; what was the really good reason for
    not giving Gabbert the entire fourth quarter…???

    Note to Ankwaaann Boldddun: ya dropped tha rock.
    In the endzone, of all places. Not so cocky, not so cool.
    Definitely not the funky “contributor” you thot you were, hmmm?

    1. Least Harbaugh wasn’t lifting his shirt and jumping up and down and slapped old Manning on the back…no wait, you had to win the game first. As for Boldin, funny he jaws about officiating, but he won’t criticize himself for what he did on the team other then say mentally: I got to be me.

  8. Stadium in Santa Clara: D
    Expensive all around, bad parking, bad traffic, lack of transportation, boondoggle stadium all around,now we got rumored reported fights with gang members showing up in 49er gear, Santa Clara 49ers or South bay 49ers should be renamed over SF 49ers. This is no longer a San francisco 49er team. Not trolling, it’s fact: you’re in santa Clara, call yourself something else. Never mind the Dallas or New York comparisons, what about Tenn Titans over the ‘Oilers? Why not Tenn Oilers?

    1. MW Niner, proud member of the Authority or Degeneration X, best for 49ers as their lone fan that accepts lower expectations.

      I’m proud to be my own 49er fan. Anything short of a superbowl, remember MW, I win.

  9. Could someone communicate to the 8-yr old troll ..that
    my “expectations” were for him to go to Wally-World, and
    buy himself a clue ..
    (he’s not wanted here, there or anywhere) … but then ..
    it seems that I must lower my expectations for that ..

    but then just maybe
    if he loosens the straps on his bicycle helmet ..

    (Nah … never happen)

    1. MW, hey buddy, this is about grading the 49ers and I gave a clear pointed viewpoint of the grades I feel the 49ers should get, and rather then have a conterpoint, a viewpoint, a disagreement, you continue to engage to engage in ‘if this fan has anything bad to say about the 49ers, he’s a BAD 49er fan, a TROLL,’ You think you could honestly read the clear paragraphs I gave out on the 49er grade and calculate what is right and wrong with what was said rather then be a candidate for Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management? Now, did I say fire harbaugh? did I say get rid of CK? Did I say chuck the season?

      1. Jim Mora—–MWniner’s post was in response to your post above it that contained your sarcastic ‘lowered expectations” quote, and had nothing to do with your grade evaluations. He just responded to sarcasm with sarcasm. Your grade evaluations right or wrong had nothing to do with his response to your post.
        the intent and tone of your post instigated it, so don’t try to spin it around and make him the villain in the exchange. Trolls and haters are very good at this sort of tactic,

      2. How hasn’t this not blog figured out that you are a seahawk fan when you go by the name of a former seahawk coach? You also sound just like the guy who used to call himself Clipboard Jesus, a Charlie Whitehurst fan who hated Hasslebeck and used to talk about wrestling and throwing for 300 yards all the time. I guess that could be a coincidence, but I kinda doubt it. Plus you never say anything negative about the seahawks just the 49ers.

          1. Razor:

            Wow, you’ve changed. You used to get upset about what you termed “vulgar screen names and perverted references.”

  10. QB’s – B- Colin makes plays that just leave me speechless, The TD to Boldin against the Rams for example, or the one in the NFCCG to Boldin, He has abilities that simply no other QB can replicate. My concern is that I feel Harbaugh is leaning too much towards forcing Kaep into his offense rather than making the most of Kaeps unique abilities. To me this has as much to do with Kaeps inconsistencies as any perceived mental weaknesses. I see it that during plays its like Kaeps mind is saying “I have to do this, or that” while his instinct is saying something else. It’s fascinating to watch his development but clearly we still have some way to go. And the balance between structured play and those “holy crap did he just do that!!” moments has not been found.
    RB’s – C Frank is Frank, he’s producing pretty much what I expected.for a 31 year old Running Back. Hyde shows flashes of real promise. I’m looking forward to seeing Lattimore get a chance or two late in the season. Bruce Miler is a ginger legend.
    TE’s – F there is definitely something wrong in Vernon’s head, he just doesn’t seem as committed as in previous years. I’m almost ready to give up on V-Mac, nearly a season and a half in and he’s shown me pretty much nothing. I would like to see Carrier get more chances.
    WR’s – C+ They are what they are, crafty, reliable veterans. what they are not is game changers, not one receiver here gives me the feeling that if they get the ball in space they can take it in from deep.(sigh..just spent half an hour on YouTube looking for old 5 yard slants with Jerry and John laying waste to the league) Ellington looks nice, but I just don’t think he will get the necessary amount of game time that a player would need to develop into something better.
    O-Line – C. Injuries. I defy any o-line in this league to cope with the injuries we have had, and remain elite. They are good, but the turnover of players is like kryptonite. Any O-Line needs continuity to succeed more than, or as much as any other group on the field. Lets see, A Davis is just returning from multiple problems, Iupati has noggin knock issues, Kilgore is gone, Boone got caught in the dangerous money game and is still rusty. And Staley’s level has dropped significantly, but I can put that as much down to the turmoil going on around him as it could be a personal drop off in excellence. Next man up I hear you say, all well and good, but Starters are starters, and backups are backups for a bloody good reason.

    D-Line – D. what the hell is going on with Tank and Q-Dial? Ray Mac is anonymous and Justin can’t do it all by himself. Ian Williams has been a nice surprise.
    LB’s – B. another injury vortex, Brooks is playing at his ceiling, which isn’t quite high enough for me. Not high enough to properly counter his poor discipline. P.Willy is hurt, and although Wilhoite has played well beside Willis, the Broncos game showed that we might be able to cope without one all-universe MLB, losing both is crippling. Borland is a rookie, everything he does is to be considered revision material for him when approaching next year. Aldon what can I say, God I can’t wait for him to get back on the field. Finally Aaron Lynch. there’s work to be done on his fundamentals, especially when considering the run, but the thought of him and Aldon with Justin firing on all cylinders is a real beacon of light.

    Secondary A-. I’m kind of basing this grade on what we expected from them before the year started, they were the weak link, the achilles heel, the noodle arm of the team if you will. Well given that they have also been an injury vortex, I think they have performed well beyond expectations. Perrish is currently ranked higher that Dick Sherman by PFF, Bethea has taken Whitners leadership role and excelled. Reid is steady and improving. I feel Ward’s issues have been more about how he has been deployed (Bears anyone) than any physical or mental deficiencies. Brock should come back strong, and Culliver, erm.. well I think he’s the loser from Perrish Cox’s ascension.

    Coaches
    Jim – C-
    Greg – B-
    Vic – A

    Overall Team Grade – B- Injuries, Injuries, Injuries. Throughout our great 3 year run, we have stayed remarkably healthy, not so this year, and this has as much or more to do with out current record as any other single factor. Just to use one example, you have to play one of the NFL’s greatest ever offences, piloted by one of the Leagues greatest ever QB’s, only you cant use 6 of your best defenders, 3 of whom are top 5 in the entire league at their position. Oh, and by the way, you get a day less than them to prepare, and you have to play in their stadium which happens to be a mile above sea level. And all some people took from that game was “boy we suck, lets sack Harbaugh and start from scratch”

    To anyone who says that you can’t use injuries as a reason for declining results. well I call BS, STFU, GTFO and any other tired overused acronym that I can’t be bothered to think of.

    Just one more thing. a request to Grant, I understand that clicks are king in your world, and willfully removing anyone from this site should be seen as a last resort. But is there any way you could get a “hide post” or “ignore” option added to the comments section? It would make my browsing experience much more pleasant. At the moment this site is like a really nice apple pie, but there’s rabbit droppings in it, a “hide” function would remove those droppings for me, and enable me to enjoy the pie unworried by the prospect of biting into the defecation of a Hare brained rodent.

    Cheers All.
    Go Niners.

    Yours Sincerely, Tally Ho, Pip Pip, chocks away
    Dave Clark.

    1. Dee great post. Maybe after a few English lessons you could start your own blog. This way You wouldn’t have to beg grant to kick off those buggers that you disagree with. Cheerio! snap crackle pop!

      1. Why Bob, thanks for the sincere compliment, but there’s a slight problem, I’m not asking for Grant to kick you off the blog, no no, sorry, let me start again, I’m not asking Grant to kick anyone off the blog, I’m simply suggesting a method by which I can choose whether or not I have to cycle through/past posts that I have absolutely no interest in reading. Quite a simple concept really, In fact I’m astounded that anyone, especially someone of your undoubted intellect could misunderstand.

        1. I’m astounded, astounded that, your mom has finally refused to remove all the rabbit droppings from, from your path in life so you can enjoy your pie, enjoy your pie free from worry, I’m sure grant would love, love to, fill that void for you.

          1. Really Bob, that’s your best work? a Mom joke! If you’re determined to troll it up, please put some decent effort into it.

  11. All of the offensive positions are based on the performance of the OL, so that gets graded first

    OL: D+ Due to injuries or whatever, they are not playing as a cohesive unit. Even our “best” players, Staley and Iupati, get manhandled one on one with alarming frequency. Some stretches on the early games the worst performance I’ve seen out of a Niner OL in years. Way too much pressure up the middle. I’m super concerned about our center position going into the 2nd half.

    QB: B- Awful AWFUL game against the Bears, brilliant against the Rams. Makes plays no other QB in the league can. Will have a significant grade bump once he becomes more aware of route jumpers and stops throwing those killer picks.

    RB: Incomplete – hard to judge given the OL and helter-skelter play calling. Though not figuring into the final results, they NEED to punch it from the goal line when given the opportunities (Rams game). FB Miller is a blocking machine.

    WR: B Boldin is like a man playing against children, Stevie a pleasant surprise, he’s been like Boldin Jr. The most significant WR contribution this year comes from Air Brandon. Can we get at least another year like this out of him as Crabtree is on his way out. Ellington and Patton? We just need to make peace with the idea that our wideouts arrive by trade and free agency and not the draft.

    TE: C- Unlike our resident orthopedic expert Jordo, I don’t believe Davis is a malingering poison, I think he is truly having issues with his back, effecting his ability to make the catches (blocking is a different animal). Even so, they need to ride Davis, he *can* make plays, our 2nd and 3rd TEs have shown nothing.

    Defense very hard to grade due to… well… everything.

    DL: B+ See below

    LB: B+ 2, now 3, out of 4 starters out. Still top 5 rushing defense out of basically a bunch of rookies and 2nd stringers. Amazing. Also amazing, the most experienced player, Brooks, the least impressive.

    DB: B Some breakdowns, but very impressive play out of a group only returning one starter from a year ago.

    Every defensive groups needs to get it’s starters back, if they can remain healthy this will be the bunch that takes us to the promised land.

    ST: B+ Coverage looks shaky at times, Ellington average on returns. It would be nice to have a dynamic playmaker on returns, but still suffering nightmares from the play at that position, I’ll settle for muff-free catches. Dawson 80+%, mr automatic beyond the 50 – great! Lee his AP self, 5 for 5 in pinning the Rams inside the 20.

    COACHING: Overall – C+: That lack of team composure in the Cardinals game was beyond pathetic and embarrasing and ultimately cost the game. The flagfest caused the Bears defeat. Though execution errors, I lay most of the blame to the coaching for those. Gets one grade bump for having game plans that defeated teams that are currently combined 11-2. Another half grade bump for tuning out the media drama BS that has dominated pressers.

    OC: C Not sure why they abandon the run and go 5 wide spread for extended periods.

    DC: B+ The job Fangio has done, forced to use 2nd and 3rd unit players, is nothing short of amazing. Due to the preseason lineup, I’m giving a mulligan on the Broncos game.

  12. I like Scooters grades and support Kap’s B+ grade and would put Roman at B as I like that he has opened up the playbook- the line hasn’t been consistently providing holes to run through……… and I like that Kap has been running a lot as well- albeit not when he has to do it to save his life.

    MD- I am in Red Lot 8 and we have had a pretty good experience out there per ease of getting in and out. The only dud per fan support was the last game vs KC but I see things improving as the season progresses into the second half. And for what it is worth, the Raiders drew a good crowd last weekend, so for a team that is 0-6 they deserve credit and I hope the Rams go to LA and the Raiders get a new stadium. Additionally, I believe the one built in Tennessee was done for around $450 million, so there are certainly cheaper versions available, but not sure what the base price would be for out here.

    1. Woooo you’re out in the cuts too. We’ve made a home out at green 4. Got a hookup on the guy with the motor on the bike. Well worth 20 bucks for three people to get dropped off a mile away. Can’t find him after though. But the traffic gettin to 101 takes about 20 minutes. Not bad at all. Once we get on 101 it’s smooth traffic. The stadium parking is what I was talking about. It’s the same old nightmare as candlestick was. You have to be a patient mofo to want to park in there. No thanks

      1. I miss The Stick………. we would drive over the hill through the projects outside Hunters Point and park in the same driveway outside the stadium- in and out of the stadium in a jiffy. I think we are about a 10 min walk to the car and last time it only took about 15 min to get to 101. My beef is with having to navigate the tight stairwell getting out in the northeast corner- design flaw there………… I just hope we get some momentum going to pump the stadium up a bit.

  13. QB – (B) Started off great against Dallas and then struggled against Chicago. But has been improving since then. Terrible 2nd half against the Broncos, but had his team come through for him may have been a different story. These last few weeks he seems to not be as hurried in the pocket. His intermediate throws have improved. Still struggles finding his check down but I like the improvement I am seeing and I think it will continue. I also like what he has going with Stevie. If VD gets back up to speed than this passing game will be dangerous.

    RB – (B-) They’ve had some great games, and some down right terrible ones. But its definitely not all their faults. The O-line has been inconsistent as has the play-calling. If it was only Gore I’d say B, but Hyde has been a C+ in my eyes, so I took the average.

    WR – (B) Crabtree, huge disappointment. But Stevie and Lloyd have been great. I hope to see Stevie get more playing time, possibly at Crabs’ expense. Lloyd continues to come through with big plays. Bolding has been good, but I’ve seen more drops than I’d like out of him, but still plays at a high level and I see no signs of aging.

    TE – (D) Awful. We all know Davis’ struggles, so I don’t need to elaborate. I still have hopes for VMac, he looks great with the ball in his hands, as long as he can keep it there. I would like to see him get more opportunities. Carrier has looked good, he’s a keeper no doubt.

    OL – (D+) Running, though inconsistent, has been dominant at times. If Roman didn’t abandon the run so quickly they may have been better in some games. Pass blocking has been atrocious. Plus we just lost one of our most consistent players on the line.

    Offense overall – (B-) Inconsistent has been the theme thus far. But I think they will improve after the bye. VD will be healthier. AD will be healthier. Crabs (if struggles are injury related) will be healthier, and Iupati should be back. And Roman and Harbs have to figure out what they want to do and stick with it.

    I gotta get back to work. I might grade the rest later.

  14. I’m back from a small medical procedure. Did I miss anything???? First of all i predicted the out come of Sundays game. If i was the kind of guy who bet against his own team i would have gotten rich. A short week coming off a road game going into another road game and dealing with a number of injuries. On top of all that playing the Broncos, no brainer bet the house on Denver and i said that early last week. Now for my Grades i give the team an incomplete. To be 4-3 with all of the starters we have missing is pretty incredible but most of them will be back right after or soon after the bye and i expect us to go no worse than 7 and 2 and with that record or better i will give the team an A.

    1. Yup… Denver was a different type of “trap game.” If we gave Harbaugh sodium pentothal, he won’t be so diplomatic about the schedulers.

  15. QB: C+ Colin is improving, but very inconsistently. Throwing motion is slow, but continues to improve. Much better then his college motion. Big strides in making delivery more efficient. Has improved going to alternate WRs. Better at pre-snap. Still has major problems seeing open WRs or underneath coverages.

    WR: B+ Boldin and the new guys doing a good job. Crabs must have a mystery injury.

    TE: C- VD suddenly can’t catch flies while covered in honey. VMac moving quicker, more fluidly but making rookie mistakes. Both blocking very well.

    RB: B- Hunter was the 49ers secret weapon who could threaten sideline to sideline and make explosive plays. His presence never telegraphed the type of run, making the offense harder to defend. In TC the 49ers were installing sweeps (and bootlegs) with Hunter in mind, then he got hurt. Hyde and Gore can hit the edge, but not as quickly as Hunter. Gore’s ability to go wide usually fades late in the season.

    Offensive Line: C- Expected subs like Martin to struggle, but veterans playing below par. (I suspect nagging injuries). Boone is staler then King Tut’s sack lunch, but does a great radio interview.
    Pass blocking made more difficult by Colin’s slowness getting the ball away. Run blocking made more difficult by Hunter’s absence.
    One of the NFL’s biggest secrets… this huge, athletic O-line has never been good at short yardage.

    DB: B- Did a good job with new players and key injured players out while playing behind so-so pass rush. Big weakness matching up against tall pass catchers.

    Interior D-line: B Improved since the Dallas game (or Dallas is that good). Justin gets his occasional sack, but otherwise poor interior push on the pocket and passing lanes (vital vs Manning).

    ILB: C+ Shows flashes, but sometimes plays like JAGs.

    OLB: C Shows flashes, but usually plays like JAGs. Lynch a bright spot.

    SS: B- Love the trick plays. Punt+kick coverages OK but not dominating. Too many make-able FG’s missed.

    1. I’m tempted to do a grade by functionality rather than position. Sample below…

      Red Zone: D Short yardage run blocking has always been a problem for this group of big, athletic linemen. Hunter’s absence allows defenses to charge gaps from slot to slot. Colin’s slowness getting rid of the ball makes red zone pocket passing almost impossible. Quick hitters (like the Vernon Post, or shallower) just aren’t happening. It’s almost to the point where all red zone passing should be on roll-outs.

  16. They all get an A from the Ghost cause it is an interesting season for sure. And A’s all around here for sure for the same reason. Except for Lonesome Bob. I think we should give him a soft, fuzzzy blanket. Maybe a little love will help him stop being such a turd in this punchbowl of football mania…

    1. A for interesting…..that makes sense. That’s ghost in a nutshell. Probably the reason no one takes you seriously.

      1. MWN, you know what’s funny? It’s that if you go to the contact list here on the PD website, Grant isn’t listed as a columnist, reporter or anything actually. Lowell is, but not Grant. I wonder why?

        1. really ..space ?

          I didn’t know that … Guess this is a good
          one to ask Grant, huh ?

          Hey Grant ..

          How come ?

      2. MW,

        I agree with you, I actually learn more about football with the regulars on here , then the columns that are provided. To change the subject, I remember Grant calling Buster Posey a bust, got to be the most ridiculous column about the Giants ever. Posey will be a Hall of Famer, and the guy plays clutch.

  17. 49ers.com just explained the practice squad carousel. In a nutshell it always us to keep 54 players instead of 53. They let Johnson take reps at QB at practice than before game they release and resign Ventrone or Osgood so they are able to play on Sunday. I mayself wondered why this was happening so if you knew sorry

      1. claude ..
        then we should take it upon ourselves to be
        sure she’s aware of it … right ?

        lol !

        1. Did YOU really just say “Don’t believe everything you read”??????????

          You?????

          The one who believes word for word anonymous comments left on random no name sites????

          That just made my day.

          Thank you.

        2. Wasn’t Sidney Rice one of the players who got his arse kicked by Harvin? If so, it’s fitting that’s his opinion. Amazing how Seattle has all this sh-t talkers but they were all afraid of Big Bad Headache having Harvin. Lol. Now that’s a joke.

          1. KY49er: No, it was Tate and Baldwin. Rice was with him @ Vikings. Yeah we should have never brought him to Seattle.

            1. So you admit that PH fought with two of the players at his position? (which was reported earlier, but dont believe everything you read) Then you say thats perfectly normal , all teams have these problems.

              Could you just be whistling past the graveyard as in “dont turn around everything is ok just keep walking and dont look back”

              Sure Harvin is gone but Wilson is still close to the front office and the resentment is bound to grow once he gets that monster extension

    1. Have this story on copy and you beat me to it. Lol
      Soooo another “un-named source” is talking about the Seahawks now. Good to know SF isn’t the only tmz team out there. I wonder if CK is “black enough” for some of his team masts. Smh

      I wonder if troll Mary will not believe this and do a 180 on her stance of “if it’s reported it must be true” and start slamming players like she did with McDonald. Hmmmm. Love to see the way they react when the shoe is on the other foot. Lmao

      1. MD ..

        yeah… it’s a great “come-back” story.. and ..
        it seems yer lickin’ yer chops in anticipation !

        I got my popcorn ready …
        can’t wait ! … ;-}

      2. I seem to remember some smug if-there’s-smoke-there-must-be-fire comments from Mary when Deion reported that Harbaugh had lost the locker room.

          1. remember much like defensive holding if there is no flag (criminal charge) there is no penalty Ray Mac is doing juuuuuust fine

    1. Lose by 30 or 3 it’s still a loss.
      How about those Rams??? Lmao. Best part is they are relatively healthy.

      Claude where there’s smoke there’s fire. Touché Seahak fan. It must be scorching in that lockeroom. Buahahaaa

    2. Hey Mary ..

      Hate to be the one to burst yer bubble … butt …
      (see what I did there ?)

      THIS Link’s fer you !!

    3. Hey Mary, far as I know, you won that game vs. the Rams. It was stolen. If this is the NFL’s way to help the 49ers into the playoffs, that is so classless of them.

      1. Thanks Jim. Pls give me your opinion on something. Do you think Seattle never did learn how to use Percy Harvin properly? My biggest fear is that he’s going to go to the Jets and be consistently fabulous. Haha.

  18. Hmmmm. Golden tate sleeps with Wilson’s wife causing divorce. Harvin deck’s Golden tate, Tate gets shipped off. Harvin deck’s Baldwin. Harvin get’s shipped off. Divided locker room, not all teammates like Wilson…. Buahhahahaha.

    No wonder this team imploded.

    1. Bay
      I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson’s divorce was his agent telling him “are you really sure like 50 million sure that you want to spend the rest of your life with this woman? if not, act now”

        1. But look on the bright side, now that he is divorced he can focus on the reason he is tearing the locker room apart his apparent lack of “blackness”.
          Does anyone know if Rob Parker was the source from the Sea locker?

      1. Decent theory. Here’s another. Wilson was going g to make her sign a prenup. She got mad and slept with Tate.

  19. Seahawks are losing – in part – because they can’t cheat anymore. Their defense looks ordinary all of a sudden. I called it in the preseason, they won’t even make the playoffs.

    1. what’s the 49ers excuse 41-17 and it would have been even more except Broncos put in their 2nd string QB. Haha. If anyone takes drugs, it’s the probation wife-beating squad.

        1. Hardly, I don’t get upset about things I can’t control. I’ve said that repeatedly. A lesson you 49er fans would do well to learn. Probably in the span of 4 more games, you’ll be crying to get rid of Roman, Harbaugh and Kaepernick. You do this every year — you’re so predictable. Just like if I use a swear word you’ll get on Grant’s case to tighten up the rules in here ;)

          1. And yet we’ve need been outsold by a soccer team. Before this bandwagon started 2 years ago your team couldn’t outsell a damn soccer team. Buahahahaaa.

      1. Lol how about 3 all pro defensive players a starting cb, a starting lineman???
        No Scary…. What’s your excuse? We destroyed that team a week before. Buahahahaa…

        My new Seahawk slogan.
        If you don’t cheat… You Don’t repeat!!!!! One and done!
        #questforsix>questfortwo

  20. Mary October 22, 2014 at 4:08 pm
    Don’t believe everything you read.

    Except when it’s about the Niners….

    Hello I’m Mary and I am a troll, not just any old average troll I have studied in the art of gossip and I have my license in firefighting. You may rememeber my slogan. “If there’s smoke, there’s fire) I may not have a big red truck, but I assure you I know fires in locker rooms.
    My sources (TMZ&Sanders) assure me that the problems in SF are real, so believe those stories.
    Just don’t mind this Seattle talk. Because again…. Don’t believe everything you read. Get your news here first. I am a gossip master and fireman..

    My name is Mary and I approved this message.

  21. Mary says…..Hardly, I don’t get upset about things I can’t control.

    And yet this troll has posted 9 times about this story in 30 minutes. Lmao got this troll piiii s s eeed off. Ha ha haaaa.

  22. I’m not going to insult you; you’re a waste of my time. Haha.

    I’ve posted about Percy b/c it’s such an intriguing story. Why oh why could we get rid of such a talent.

    Answer: He’s NOT a football player; he’s track star.

    1. MD ..

      This is much better than I expected ! ..
      Just to let you know … I’m glad I had my popcorn ready ..

      Mary …

      WOW .. you
      just ran into a buzz saw ! …

      And just to let you know … sure
      the Niners got beat by the Broncos … but
      it still tickles me that
      the (once) mighty SeaChickens got beat by …

      (oh… I love sayin’ this ) …. THE LAMBS !!

      Oh yeah… one more thing …
      No one will remember the score … just the “W” .. and the “L”

      (The Lambs, mind you …)
      rotflmao !!

    2. You’re not going to insult me because you couldn’t.
      Your little bag of toll coins is empty. Gonna take some coins to play this game. Get back to that bridge and charge double for troll crossing. Come back when you got some change.

    3. Yet, according to “Mary” not so very long ago, he was a dangerous weapon the Niners would have to game plan around. Now he’s just… a track star. LOL.

      Mary, as your team continues it’s rapid fall back to the depths they are used to being in, can we count on further hilarious excuses from you?

      1. Is this the same Mary who vowed not come on here an talk trash during the regular season? And then proceeded to do just that? That Mary?

        Since we can’t trust her to keep her word, we shouldn’t be surprised when she talks out of both sides of her mouth.

            1. I was thinking 12, with little navy blue/lime green jerseys that she dresses them in on game day. .

              The last one wears No. 12, and she calls him her little 12th man.

        1. Ha, on that thread the regulars here could have predicted the unceremonious dumping of Harvin. Meanwhile the 12th idiots were gobsmacked when it actually happened.

          Track star… LOL

  23. Titans are about to make the best decision they’ve made at the QB position since cutting Tyler Wilson; The Mettenberger Era begins!

        1. Oh I hadn’t seen Murphy would be starting too – its like Christmas come early for you!

          At least you’ll have some interest in this weekend’s games while the 49ers have the bye.

          1. That’s what I thoght too, at least I have a reason to pay attention to a couple games this weekend.

  24. A whole bunch of cheerleaders, denyers, and bad-mouthers on here today…Is this a high school day off or something ? The wisecracks seem awful cheesy… Leave the cheers to “The Gold Rush”

    1. Well when the boss tosses out a dozen words and then take a vacation, the kids will act up.

      As a teacher for many years, I hate this whole “grade” thing. It’s worthless, there are no real subject matter experts here. I don’t think anyone present has NFL experience as a player or a coach. I taught everything from music in junior high to journalism at an elite college but I know jack about Chemistry or Math so I would never attempt to grade anything in those subjects.

      1. If the PD management ever needed proof that this blog runs itself W/O the esteemed Mr Cohn. The 220+ hits on a one sentence “article” would seem to provide it

      2. Ghost, An X-teacher. I’m impressed. I have 5 in my family. It’s a tough and under-appreciated job!

    1. @BOS49er

      Given your last several posts, are YOU really asking ME ?

      I really dunno’, but it seems that there’s a lot of rehashing and regurgitating the same old popularity contest stuff like there was a prize at the bottom.

      1. Oregon
        Can you really fathom that I would ask YOU such a question? Lets see you are a regular (or at least used to be much more frequent) and yet you are surprised that there is a debate about our starting Qb (smithers v haters ring any bells) and some badmouthing? “denyers” and “cheerleaders” you say? (see the smither v hater debates) and Im sure that there has never been any name calling on this blog before today.
        But now we have a certain “regular” on here who claims to be a Seahack fan and is here daily “bringing stuff to our attention” and proclaiming “where there is smoke there is fire” so a few of us wanted to bring to their attention the billowing smoke out of the SEA locker room.
        Not to mention our moderator has given us a 10 word “article” and left us to “discuss amongst yourselves”

        So I ask again why was today any different than any other day on here for you

        1. @BOS49er

          Thanks for the reply…I suppose that it just seemed as though yesterday was a bit ‘meaner’ than most. Hey, Mary is just as entitled to her opinion as any one (or all) of us. Personally, I appreciate a divergence of opinion…Man, I’ve been cheering the niners since I was a kid, 1949 to be exact, and have literally walked through fire for my team. I suppose that it’s just that I’ve always hated the opponent, not the opponents fans. Smithers…? call me the president of that club…I don’t care…those people insult names and icons knowing nothing but a perceived notion about them. To be honest about it, I was surprised at your question to me. I go round and round with ninermd, bay, and 23jordan, constantly…’have for 3 years. But that’s just because we don’t like each others opinions and ways of stating them. Remind me if you and I have disagreed….

    1. I would trade a first aid kit for Crabtree because Crabtree is nothing more than a bandaid!

    1. Crabtree is going to command top dollar. You think he is worth more than 6 million? Boldin money? VJac makes over 11 million a year.
      We need a guy like Jordy Nelson. Crabtree has been a bust! Can’t stay healthy and makes maybe one or two big catches every other game. Let him walk!

      1. Last year I said Crabs wasn’t that good and Jordo 23 got all over me. Crabs got caught from behind by a CB, is all you need to know about that guy.

        1. I’ve been saying it since day one and look at his entire body of work as a 49er. Half of it has been in the training room getting treatment. He has not earned a big time contract here in SF. One of our worst draft picks!

  25. @Bay

    I would…. how much time (injury or otherwise) has Jackson missed since his rookie signing?
    ‘Gotta’ show up….

    1. Marty,why you so desperate for attention. Try a dating site. You’ll find what your looking for there!

    2. And to think Oregon is upset we are “picking on” a troll. Inside the 49ERS! Lard a..s..s

              1. RW wants to stay in the pocket but our O-Line sucks again this year and he took advantage of his skills. I think he thru for 300 yds and rushed for 100. I don’t believe Kaep. will ever be a pocket passer.

    1. My memory is sketchy these days. Watching Kaep’s inconsistent play these days has aged me…

  26. When can we expect your grades, Grant?

    Btw, just getting it in early, your grades aren’t as accurate as mine*. :-)

    *Unless they are the same.

          1. But that’s only because I saw the movie when I was 9 and cried when he died.

          2. Phar Lap was indeed another great Australian horse (well, actually a New Zealand born horse, but trained in Australia). But he was distance runner… and somewhat before my time!

    1. Chargers have a lot of good players out. Rivers will have to be on song to win this one.

      1. Broncos get lucky 2 Weeks in a row with teams decimated with injuries. Let Manning have his regular season glory!

  27. Pisses me off to watch San Diego press receivers of Denver and send extra bodies.

    Fan gio has been great the majority of the season. But last week and for a half against the Bears, he coached horribly. Last week I wondered if Fan gio had conceded the record to Manning.

      1. Notice troll77,
        you are the only one eluding to the fact that I am a troll. The entire room knows you are a douche bag and that you are a troll. I see you called out on it daily.

        Why do you come on here? What’s your vandetta? Did Kaep bang your high school girlfriend? Are you Hofer? Seriously you attempt to hold the QB position to the highest unachievable level of perfection. Then when our guy falls short, you stand there on your soap box to say, “see”. All I see is a dirtbag, and it’s you. And pretty much everyone in the room is tired of your shhhhtick. Tired.

        You are a king hypocrite. You say that you want Kaep to play better. Then in the same breath you say, unfortunately we are stuck with him. Make up your mind fool. And make an attempt to talk about something other than the QB. Team strategy, offensive and defensive philosophy, players other than the QB. Raise your game fool. Oh and by the way, when you ripped on Crabtree and criticized him for getting caught from behind last year, remember that he fought to come back early from a torn Achilles. He saved our offense last year. Without him we don’t come within a pass of a repeat trip to the superbowl. You my friend are a clown. Clown 77.

        Go back to your KC blog troll….

        1. I believe others on this blog have called you things much worse then troll. You called me troll because nitpick on your hero, Colin Kaepernick. Yet you did the same thing to Alex Smith. So I’m just holding him to the same expectations you held for Alex. It’s not my fault Colin is not reaching those lofty standards that you set.
          If you understand anything about football besides stats and Colin’s tattoos, why it would be great to discuss offensive and defensive philosophy with you. Over tea perhaps. But what’s the point? You already made up your mind and are not open to any new thought.
          Take the recent conversation about trading Kaepernick for Foles. It’s not a hate related discussion, but one based on whether a pocket based QB like Foles might be a better fit so the team can run more diverse plays.
          Scooter gave some good points on why the trade is a bad one, as others. You? You called me a troll. Didn’t offer any reason why the trade is a bad one. Because, I think deep down, you fear that I may be right.

          1. Fansince77:

            bay is correct. No one but you has called him a troll. He’s been called other things, however. He’s been called a hater. He’s been called a hypocrite. He’s been called a football ignoramus. He’s been called a liar. He’s been called a bully. He’s been called a self-important douchebag completely lacking in self-awareness. He’s been called stubborn, close-minded, fact-averse, arrogant, biased, dishonest, delusional. bay’s been called many things, but he’s never been called a troll, until now.

            Then again, he seems to be the only one calling you a troll, so I guess it’s even.

            1. Claudey Balls is so wise! I’m merely calling him a troll based on the same criteria as to why he is calling me a troll.

              It makes no sense — oh wait a minute — he is a hypocrite.

            2. Clod look at you trying to man up. It’s like Nathan Lane trying to get into a fist fight. It’s cute. Did you pucker your lip while you typed? Bet you have to stand up to reach the keyboard Mr. Napoleon. Keep hugging my nuts Claude it’s where you reside. Not a big deal since you are all suck and no bite.

              1. Fan-troll 77,
                I wish Claude would make up his mind. Earlier he pointed out that your posts lack facts and that you have an anti Kaep agenda.

                Then he goes back to hugging my nuts……

                But honestly Fan-troll77, Claude has called you out, Jack has called you out, Rocket too. Oh and myself, Jordan and MD…. Only one that hasn’t is Mary. Nice company you keep Clown…. BTW why do you keep bringing up Alex?

              2. Jack has called you out, Rocket too. Oh and myself, Jordan and MD…

                And what’s your point? Jack calls you out. Rocket clearly has a man crush on Kaepernick. Jordo is on the fence with Kaep and you will turn on him so fast the minute Kaep lays another egg. You know he’s on the fence with Kaep right?

                So I’m asking you again, how am I a troll when you did the exact same thing to Alex Smith? Oh wait, you can’t comprehend that comparison. How and I a troll for calling out the weaknesses in Kaep’s game, and you do the same thing with the O-Line, the running game, Vic FANGIO. Oh lord you called out Vic Fangio, who has got the Niners to be a top 10 Defense with half the starters out.

                Grant told you to keep it clean, and what did you write about Claude? That’s a little uncalled for, don’t you think?

              3. bay:

                When you get all homoeroticky (accent on the “icky”), your comments are unsettling, to say the least. Save that stuff for your Kaepernick fan fiction.

                Also, there’s nothing inconsistent about calling out Fansince77 for his agenda-driven slams at Kaepernick and calling you out for your laughably hypocritical objections to his comments. How do you not see how his anti-Kaepernick shtick mirrors your anti-Smith shtick? The only differences are that he hasn’t (yet) questioned the fanhood of those who disagree with him or posted sexual fantasies about them.

                Baysince2013:

                You seem to understand and acknowledge that your continual anti-Kaepernick comments are similar to bay’s continual anti-Smith comments from 2011-12 (and 2013-14 and, presumably, 2015-end of time). What you don’t seem to understand, however, is that your comments are similarly biased, nonobjective, fact averse and reality-resistant, in addition to being similarly repetitive, tiresome, off-putting and divisive. That kind of commenting is nothing to aspire to, so why keep doing it?

                If your goal has been to hold up a mirror to bay and show him what that type of criticism looks like, I think you’ve made your point. (Whether he understands it is a different matter, but that’s out of your control.) If your goal has been to point out what you consider to be flaws in Kaepernick’s game, you’ve made that point too. Repeatedly. Don’t worry; we understand your position. In light of the fact that you have accomplished those goals, continued posting of the same comments in the same fashion serves no good purpose and will serve only to alienate you from the vast majority of commenters and destroy whatever credibility you have left.

                If your goal has been to convince everyone of the correctness of your opinion, you have failed, not because the rest of us have a mancrush on Kaepernick, but because we have seen demonstrable improvement from him, as multiple commenters have thoughtfully explained (with citation to actual facts) to you.

                If, on the other hand, your goal has been merely to annoy, to outrage, to disrupt, then you have succeeded. But that would make you a troll.

                In sum, give it a rest. We understand your position. Let’s see what happens when the team gets back its missing All Pros and injured players. Let’s see how the rest of the season plays out and then we can do a post mortem and point fingers of adoration or blame. But for now, cheer for team and try to enjoy the good times when they come.

              4. Mr. Claude Balls:

                You sir, are the smartest man in the room.
                You figured me out.

                If I accidentally offended anyone here on their feelings for the players, coaches, offensive and defensive philosophies, my bad.You should be free to like and root the players and team anyone you like. I respect your views, even if they differ from mine, and I hope you return the courtesy.

                To the rest who are here to annoy and provoke: I don’t like bullies. Especially loud, obnoxious bullies. I’m not going to leave you alone.

                Who insults Canada after a soldier was murdered in cold blood?

              5. “Rocket clearly has a man crush on Kaepernick”.

                It’s statements like these that speak to my trolling senses….

              6. You’re full of horse manure Mr. Sanders. What part of Smash Mouth Spread does that half of your brain not comprehend? Ask Maiocco yourself. Hammer and I provided the statistics and the video proof is in the games.

                Your exact words were the coaches do not trust Kaepernick to throw deep. Nothing about the coaches limiting his throws deep. Kettle meet pot. Pot meet kettle.

          2. “You called me troll because nitpick on your hero, Colin Kaepernick. Yet you did the same thing to Alex Smith.” Fan77…..

            And there it is folks. The agenda I knew the ck bashing was about.
            And FDM and Prime wonder why I throw Alex smith in his face.
            New ammo prime. Find it. Because you are on the same level this guy is on. It’s sad when someone like onelame actually gives credit at times to the man who stole his blue eyed wet dreams job. Yeah with that comment you’re a troll 77… Say Hi to Mary for me. Smh

            1. Fan is not a troll. He just has some concerns about CK’s development and the mismanagement within games. It’s fair and honest, no agenda.
              MD, 23, Bay they are not trolls either. They are just haters. Haters when the team is playing poorly and haters when people disagree with them. More or less cry babies. That pretty much sums up the pollution on the blog!

              1. The coaches don’t trust Kaepernick to throw deep….

                The 49ers can’t run the spread offense….

              2. Good to see you are coming around Razor. I knew you had half a brain in that head of yours somewhere. Good on you pal!

              3. It’s so clear now to me that each win this year clearly indicates the 49ers are moving to a spread offense Razor. You might have missed the part where Frank Gore is tearing it up in each win.
                Maybe you have the same television feed as 23 Jordan/Lame/ MD where you imagine what you want to see and believe it to be true. Or maybe the drugs are just better down there than up here and the rest of the world!

              4. Circumstances, draft picks, 4 and 5 WR sets, Kaepernicks’ skill set and the incremental increase clearly point out Harbaugh has become disillusioned with that facet of his offense….

              5. Draft picks, free agency acquisitions, 4 and 5 WR sets doubled over last year, and Kaepernicks’ skill set, clearly point to Harbaughs’ disillusion with that facet of his offense….

              6. Razor what makes you think the 49ers are moving toward a spread offense? Stevie Johnson and A.Boldin are possession type WR’s acquired in free agency. The draft never produced a speed type WR. Carlos Hyde came from OSU, a spread offense but he is more of a power back. Yes they employing more 4/5 WR sets but I think that was more situational with being down in games or lack of healthy personnel.
                My other question is Harbaugh and Baalke come from another planet when it comes to the spread?

              7. “Razor what makes you think the 49ers are moving toward a spread offense?”

                Watch the games.

              8. You left out the guard replacing Iupati next year comes from the smash mouth spread offense of Clemson. Ellington has plenty of speed….

              9. The 49ers used three or more wide receivers on just 22 percent of their plays in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus, including just three all season that had four or more wideouts.

                They have used three receivers on nearly 60 percent of their plays through the first three games this season, including 14 with four receivers and 14 more with 5 against the Cardinals.

              10. Wrong, I’ve never intimated that belief to you or anyone else. It was first reported by the speculative Matt Maiocco in the offseason about the transition to more spread. You know, before the injuries? You know, the 49ers beat reporter?

                While you’re back pedaling, how about addressing your claim that the coaches don’t trust Kaepernick to throw deep?

              11. Nice 180 Razor. You said the 49ers are now drafting and employing the spread offense exclusively. Like I said, show me proof. You brought to the table the draft, the games and now Matt Maiaocco. My response in this order:
                Draft: who?
                Games: injuries(Vernon/Arizona) and being down (CHI,Den).
                Maiacco: please provide link?
                This like I said to Scooter is just another variation and formation to mix things up for Roman. The JH lead Niners are not going to move exclusively to this style of offense. That’s like saying Manning led offenses will now be run first. Unheard of!

                I do think the Niners staff is limiting CK’s throws deep because all their wins have come from limiting the opponents possessions and keeping the defense fresh. They are taking the frequency of the ball out of his hands. The reason is more of an emphasis on running the ball. Why you have such a hard time believing that when it’s been a winning formula since what, 2011?

              12. Lol prime…
                You’re chum in the water. Again nobody is on your bandwagon. Who’s the guy that goes postal over Alex smith talk????? Lmao

              1. “And the games tell me that nowhere does the draft or free agency indicate moving toward that.”

                13 of the 19 offensive players drafted by Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh since 2011 have come from schools that effectively run the spread offense.

              2. “13 of the 19 offensive players drafted by Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh since 2011 have come from schools that effectively run the spread offense”

                Really Hammer, that’s all you got? That means nothing. You need a better argument than that to prove they are moving towards a spread offense. That could be simple coincidence. You are getting lazy.

              3. The spread offense was used primarily against AZ because Vernon and VMac were hurt.
                The draft produced nothing that tells me a guy could come in and play within the spread. Ellington maybe but he can’t even get on the field for a regular snap.
                I think Razor and Hammer should go fishing together!

              4. So what your saying Claude is go 3 wide (3 guys vs.1) and attack with an aerial assault? Could work but not in this Niners offense.

              5. No, I’m saying that telling someone to go home and get his f’in’ shine box is not the argument settler so many people seem to think it is.

                That said, the reference to going three wide was a nice touch.

              6. FDM, I’m not sure what you’ve been watching, but it is pretty clear from watching the games that the 49ers are looking to mix in the spread a lot more in the offense. Its not just when they are behind, either. They’ve run a lot of their offense out of multiple WR sets in some games. Sure, injuries likely have some bearing on it, but its also about getting your best players on the field. The 49ers have 4 legitimately good WRs.

                Now whether the increase in spread has been effective or not is debatable, but that they are using 3, 4 and 5 WR sets a lot more often is not.

                When people say they are moving toward a spread offense they don’t necessarily mean they think the 49ers are moving to a predominantly or only spread offense. Harbaugh and Roman love to play out of different formations.

              7. Scooter I think you missed the original point. Mr.Eater thinks the 49ers are drafting and employing the spread exclusively.
                He’s wrong! All it is, is a variation like the read option. Because of injuries and situational game plays, they used it more. But for him to think the organization is moving on that direction is pure speculation. AKA, baloney!

              8. “Mr.Eater thinks the 49ers are drafting and employing the spread exclusively.”

                What say you Razor?

              9. I don’t recall razor saying they would use the spread exclusively.

                What has been blatantly obvious is there increased use of spread formations and even 5 WR sets which were non existent in the past. The fact an entire gameplan against the Cards was devoted to a spread system should tell us this team is intent on being versatile.

                The fact they’ve been largely successful with it likely means a continued emphasis going forward.

              10. Prime, I’ve had a few conversations with razor about an infusion of the spread offense in the 49ers game plan, and at no time has he ever suggested in those discussions he thinks the 49ers would go exclusively spread formations. Just that it would become a large part of the offense. So far this year he has been proven right.

              11. Maybe you should play closer attention then Rocket!
                When they came out with the read option people classified the Niners as a running team. Now they add a wrinkle going with 4 WR sets and you label them as meaning a continued emphasis moving forward.
                My point is neither of you guys have any clue as to the future direction of the offense or offensive or draft philosophies.
                Roman is a student of the game. Next year or next week he could come out in sow thing completely new like the wish bone. You guys should not pretend to know because unless your on the coaching staff, quiet please!

              12. This is where prime should have just left the convo…
                If prime was in the movie jaws he’d be the chum that brings the sharks to the feast.
                Lol thought ya had something huh prime. And like always you just can’t take your lesson and leave. You have to stick around and make a bigger fool of yourself.

    1. Pisses me off more to watch the refs give Denver the game. It’s gotta be embarrassing for the nfl when they hire an ex ref and he says it will be a fumble as the idiot on the field doesn’t. Smh

      1. MD,
        the NFL needs a poster child right now to fix it’s image. Manning is that poster child. The NFL will guarantee his return to the superbowl. Bank on it.

        1. Oh hell yeah they will. I would go as far to think they will do their best to help win that Super Bowl and ride off into the sunset. He’s at Brett favre tiredness now.

          1. Prime Canadian Boy,

            So you are knocking America, yet you watch American football?

            Also, don’t forget that if we really wanted Canada, it would have been our 51st state already.

              1. Fan why would he know what happened up here? The guy is nothing but a hater and ignorant clown!

              2. So because some a$$ hat decides to go on a rampage you can’t talk about canada? Talk about digging deep for drama. Get out of here with that. Canada is a joke and in case you didn’t know they despise Americans.
                And yet you side with a known racist. FDM how are you any different than the idiot named prime.
                Oh and prime..
                It’s a conspiracy that this commissioner didn’t know anything about Ray rice huh?
                Yeah you go ahead and trust a billion dollar company. Lord knows all corporations don’t have scandal and cheats. That’s a true canada way of thinking. Aaa?

            1. “don’t forget that if we really wanted Canada, it would have been out 51st state already”
              Are you the most uneducated idiot on the blog with that comment or what?
              Its not 1945 anymore Robbie Hammer! Canada has other allies than the USA. Read a book, learn about the rest of the world and get rid of that stupid avatar dummy!

              1. Seriously…. I don’t know if I should be offended by that avatar or feel pity for serious lack of intelligence.

                I guess both

                Come on Grant that avatar should be banned.

  28. nfl.com is showing the game .. if you don’t mind refreshing the page
    all the time ..

    (if you do.. theres always .. HERE)

      1. I don’t. I have Verizon fios, but I would have to pay 15 buck more a month for it, along with a few other channels I have no interest in watching> I would have paid it this year if CBS wasn’t showing TNF now.

      2. I don’t have it because my region doesn’t get it, and why should I have to pay when the NFL is on a free channel on Sundays? Of course, I got to save up and get Sunday Ticket on my computer.

      3. Time Warner in NYC didn’t have it for the longest time due to corporate ownership pissing contest

  29. Md ..
    as far as I know.. you can only get the NFLN ..
    if you have Direct TV … I know my cable company
    doesn’t offer it …

    But.. lately .. they’ve been showing the Thurs night games
    on CBS
    (don’t know how long that will last, tho cuz Goodell is a greedy SOB)

    I posted that link for those who have
    cut the cord and can only watch online

    1. MNF was stolen from the working man by ESPN. I’d like to think TNF on CBS gives back to those families across this great country, with only an antenna….

  30. ok .. I stand corrected, coffee…

    All I know is .. I don’t get it on my cable ..
    but then .. my cable sucks

  31. Does Grant still work here? He post almost nothing anymore except on game day. Hope he isn’t getting paid for this.

    I thought I heard on the SD – Denver game that the rest of the thursday games are on NFL network only. Don’t know if that is correct.

  32. “…Does Grant still work here? He post almost nothing anymore except on game day. Hope he isn’t getting paid for this…”

    And some days, he invites us to write his column for him .. ;-}

    Could be he’s on strike, perhaps ?
    I dunno .. but @ 10-22-02:17 PM (above) ..
    Space pointed out that he isn’t listed as a columnist.. writer
    or anything on the PressDem’s contact page ..

    Ya think he’s taken his ball n bat and gone home ? … or ..
    maybe he’s on a siesta ?

    1. Well, he wrote 20 words (plus one reply further telling someone to do the job for him) and is closing in on 300 responses.

      Lazy, or genius? I guess that depends on whether you judge success by page views…

  33. Dish Network has NFL Network. They also have RFD TV. You can catch some pretty great music on Saturdays there including the Marty Stuart Show, best 30 minutes on the tube…

  34. You know what would be great? (no, what would be great?) Be great if we could have an annual barbecue together, some outside event in Marin or Sonoma County. Then all of you guys who hate each other so much could meet face to face. I’ll bring the popcorn and beer, maybe Jack could bring the nachos and Razor the hard stuff. Man that would be fun!

    1. What a dumb story on Wilson. He’s doing everything he can for Seattle. NFL officiating has been the worse I have ever seen to determine games like this. Seattle should not be 3 and 3. I would have them at least 4 and 2 or 5 and 1. Letting players like Tate go and trading Harvin were dumb moves. I always thought if you won a Superbowl, there was enough of the winning share of the money to sign your players.

      1. Jim Mora, I agree with you. Seattle has received so much press and air time since winning the SB. I even got tired of seeing them all off season on NFL. If I had to find a fault with RW I’d probably say he’s Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. He’s a good guy and I think he’s the real deal — a real positive force.

      2. Yes, in hindsight giving Harvin that huge contract was a mistake. Losing Tate and RedB and/or Clemson. . .) And PeteC knew PH since HS and thought he could handle him. Remember at the time (and present) the 49ers had a huge passing arsenal and we needed to upgrade. I credit the front office for getting rid of Harvin when they did.

  35. Hammer, taking the week off? Harbaugh said there will be some self scouting, and game planning on upcoming teams. How about an article on what he might see and how he may go about fixing it. Possibly scant time spent on the Rams due to familiarity, and the bulk going towards the Giants and Saints?

  36. Seahawks owner donating $100 million for Ebola research. Damn I hate the hawks but this is something good for change.

    1. I never hate the opposition the 49ers play. I highly respect them. The 49ers have won their games, but I feel a majority of wins should be done by passing the football.

  37. Razor,

    Did you know the 49ers have run 42.5% of their plays this season from the spread? That’s about twice what it was a season ago.

    *Defining spread as 11 personnel (1RB/1TE) and 10 personnel (1RB/0TE)*

    1. And out of all that, CK’s passing yards are still considered too low and don’t match up to other QBs and I’m tired of this debate. CK got his bonus, he should be earning it. Handing the ball off and not amounting to anything out there is money wasted. Wilson demonstrated he can pass the ball for Seattle. Even if it didn’t generate a win, it shows he can adapt. CK can’t adapt, and he’s throwing the ball way too fast and still doesn’t get set in the pocket. Montana and Young were both QBs that didn’t panic and threw the ball as hard as CK does. Somebody needs to work with CK seriously in telling him to stand in the pocket.

    2. Remeber you, I and Scooter having a discussion prior to the start of the season as to the incremental change with regards to 3 and 4 WR sets? If you recall, I believe I was the most optimistic on the increase….

      1. I remember that. I thought they might get to around 35% if memory serves. Can’t remember exactly what % you thought, but I think it was around 40% to 50%, and through 7 games you’ve been closest.

  38. I have a question — this is generic. On most teams and I think it happens with Seattle. Isn’t the QB given a few plays and depending on how he see’s the defense line up isn’t he allowed the leeway to adjust?

  39. During these times when the NFL press is focused on
    all of these “mutiny-in the locker room stories”
    HERE IS a good write up
    on the G.O.A.T. … it’s nice
    to see something like concerning one of our own

  40. The wisdom of Jim Mora:

    “I always thought if you won a Superbowl, there was enough of the winning share of the money to sign your players.”

    Superbowl bonuses have nothing to do with the next years salary cap, or demands by some players for new contracts at a higher rate.

    1. “…The wisdom of Jim Mora:…”

      Perfect example of an oxyMORON

      ya kno .. like jumbo shrimp ,,, and .. military intelligence

    2. Maybe b/4 the salary cap. And once you pay a QB — and sign up some of your core players, kiss that same team you had in the SB goodbye. Now you have to draft carefully and develop and pray you don’t have injuries. And even if you do everything right, everybody else is improving their teams.

    1. pmpl … space … but ..
      there are two chances of that ever
      happening to him …

      slim … and .. none

    1. Once again .. a good read, Jack …

      wouldn’t it be nice if other columnists
      put that much thought, research and effort into
      their writings ?

      1. MWN:

        wouldn’t it be nice if other columnists
        put that much thought, research and effort into
        their writings?

        I strongly agree with you. Unfortunately, I sometimes question how much demand there is for such articles. It seems like a lot of people don’t like being forced to think too much when they read.

        1. Just not the maturity or experience from the QB to audible into and out of to find the right matchup.

  41. Jack:

    Thanks for the details on personnel groupings and tendencies.

    Just as you would like to see the 49ers run more out of spread formations, I would like to see them throw more out of 22, 21 and 12 personnel groupings.

    It seems like a good idea. If the defense is set up to defend the pass, then run. If the defense if set up to defend the run, then pass. I know it’s more complicated than that, but the 49ers have the personnel to do it.

    1. More play action and bootlegs with Kaep under center from the 22,21 and 12 personal. Take some deep shots too.
      Less Gore around the Red Zone please. Let’s stop settling for FGs.

    2. “I would like to see them throw more out of 22, 21 and 12 personnel groupings.” Agree

      On throws of 20+ yards they are 7-12 for 188 yds and 2 TD’s in these groupings.

      They are 8-20 for 277 yds, 1 TD, 1 Int when in 11, 10, or 01 (no backs/1TE).

      1. Jack:

        On throws of 20+ yards they are 7-12 for 188 yds and 2 TD’s in these groupings.

        Thanks for the information. Do you have any information on who caught/was targeted on those passes?

        1. “Do you have any information on who caught/was targeted on those passes?”

          21:
          Boldin: 37
          Davis: 29 TD
          Lloyd: 23, inc
          Crabtree: inc, inc, 32 TD

          22:
          Carrier: 23
          Lloyd: inc

          12:
          Carrier: 22, inc
          Lloyd: inc

          1. Jack:

            Thanks, but that looks like 6 completions for 166 yards, not 7 for 188. Is one of those incompletions supposed to be a 22 yard reception?

            I like the throws to Davis and Carrier; that’s where the mismatches are/will be. Davis needs to get healthy for the stretch run.

            1. Thanks for catching that Claude. It should be 6-12. I mistakenly included a catch from 22 with the 12 totals originally.

              1. That’s OK. 6-12 for 166 yards is still successful for long passes. I hope we see more of them from personnel groupings that suggest a running play.

    1. A lot has been made recently about Johnson’s contributions compared to Crabtree. I wonder how much of that is the result of Johnson often being matched up against the opposition’s #3 CB.

        1. Johnson is a starting calibre wide receiver, so it’s a mismatch for him to go against a #3 corner.

          I haven’t done enough research on it to say anything definitive. Just a thought.

          1. Nah, Johnson is an average WR who only has four 1,000+ yard seasons because Fitzpatrick had to throw to someone. I’m sure I read that somewhere…

            In seriousness, I agree to a point Jack, I am sure Johnson is benefiting from some good matchups. In saying that, he has been lining up all over the field and I doubt he’s always against the 3rd (or 4th) DB. Would be interesting to see how often he is matched up against starting CBs. And he’s been doing his good work with a pretty limited snap count.

            1. Johnson ranks first in average yards per route run (3.18), according to Pro Football Focus….

              1. Ha!

                I must admit that I didn’t see much point to keeping both Johnson and Lloyd at the beginning of the season. But I hadn’t factored in how much 3, 4 and 5 WR sets they would employ.

              2. He really should be starting ahead of Crabtree considering how well he has played. I cannot believe some on here were talking about cutting him, SMH.

      1. That’s a huge part of it. However I think Stevie would and could get open against anyone. He’s got good hips. If he had speed he’s be illegal. I’d like to start seeing what Ellington can do in this offense as a receiver.

      2. Against Denver 3 of Johnson’s 5 receptions came when matched up against safeties.

        Against St Louis 3 of Johnson’s 5 receptions came against an outside linebacker or safety.

        Against Arizona 6 of Johnson’s 9 receptions came against a linebacker or safety.

        1. Kudos to Roman for creating mismatches and to Kaepernick for exploiting them. More please.

        2. Interesting. That would indeed bring into question whether he should replace Crabtree. Though I think he has done enough to at least share some snaps in 2 WR sets.

          1. I disagree. He’s a perfect fit for the role he’s in. Crabtree’s a better fit in 2 WR sets because of his blocking ability.

            1. Stevie Johnson has looked pretty good as a blocker from what I have seen. And its not as if he hasn’t got experience or had success playing on the outside in 2 WR sets. So while I agree he is good in his current role, I see no reason he couldn’t continue in that role and also play some snaps rotating in for Crabtree in 2 WR sets.

        1. Better keep that one on file with Seahawk Down Razor. I have a feeling there will be multiple times it will need to be brought out.

    2. Great article razor, thanks for the link. It really shows some areas where Kaep has shown improvement.

  42. I’m anxious to see how filthy the Smith/Lynch combo is from the 49ers Nickel Package….

    1. If Lynch keeps improving and forms a nice trio with Smith and Brooks, do you still think the 49ers biggest need is a pass rusher next year?

      1. Yes, but perhaps from the DE position given Tanks’ fall from Fangio’s grace. I still don’t fully trust Aldon to stay out of trouble, or Lynch for that matter. Don’t want those two going out at night. OLB may not be the priority, but you can NEVER have enough pass rushers as far as I’m concerned, besides Brooks may become a cap casualty….

        1. I agree razor. I’d be tempted to go for more of an interior pass rusher (though I’ve not given up on Tank just yet), but regardless of position I think they need to continue to bolster the pass rush.

        2. I still don’t fully trust Aldon to stay out of trouble, or Lynch for that matter. Don’t want those two going out at night.

          I’m sure they’d be OK if Brooks chaperoned them.

      2. Kilgore was playing well, and if Marcus Martin can hold serve as Hammer said, do you think he might be an upgrade in short yardage situations?

        1. Physically I think Martin is a superior player to Kilgore, and so on that level I think yes (though Kilgore has actually been doing an ok job). They key will be his technique. If he plays with good leverage and footwork he could be a real boon to the power run game.

          1. Biggest concern with Martin is that he has a total of 90 snaps in the NFL. All in the preseason.

          2. Scooter ..
            I was under the impression,
            the jury was still out on Martin .. so ..
            you’re already sold on him at this early juncture ?

            Claude ..
            Somehow, I’d feel much better if Justin Smith
            chaperoned them … in lieu of Brooks .. ;-}

            1. MWN:

              If those three are going to go out together, I want a SWAT team, a Secret Service detail and a squad of Marines to chaperone them.

              1. Claude ..

                ya kno .. MidWest is usually the guy who makes
                me spray my monitor with coffee .. but
                you do a pretty good job in his stead ! .. ;-}

                (where the heck is he ?)

                But.. still .. Justin Smith is a guy I wouldn’t
                want to piss off, either !

                Scooter ..

                oh ok..
                guess I misread your intent ..
                gotcha now, tho

            2. Nope. I didn’t mean to imply I was sold on him. I just think from a physical stand point he is better than Kilgore. We have little idea where he is at from a mental or technique perspective. If he shows good technique and has a good enough grasp of the mental side of the position then yes, I think he can be good.

        1. Oregon – I sure did. Finally the Ducks put a complete offensive game together. Where abouts in Oregon do you hang your hat?

  43. KC playing really well in baseball. I’m very happy for them. I just don’t want another Giants world series parade they’d hold on a Tuesday and people ditch work and kids miss school. Besides, if the Giants won, they’d be like the NY Yankees of the West Coast, totally boring. parades should be held over a WEEKEND!

  44. Levi Stadium: F
    Boondoggle, bad parking, bad traffic attendants, heavy traffic, public transit is a joke, amazing how 31 other stadiums don’t have this problem. Food and tickets are terribly expensive.

    1. And some people would complain about a free lunch..

      but the thing that gets me is ..
      these same people can’t understand that
      no one actually cares what they think ..

      (it’s not like we haven’t heard the same complaints
      over and over and over …. and over again !)

      (don’t they even know a different tune ?)

      These are the people who should have .. THIS ..
      … tattooed on their forehead

  45. If the Rams handle their business tomorrow
    and notch a win against Kansas City,
    then they will come to town on Nov. 2
    with enough momentum to be competitive.

    Right now, Coach Harbaw, you are beatable.

    1. You watch that Rams/49ers game tomorrow. I will enjoy the bye week, get it together you losing it.

  46. Here is the good news:
    even with a loss to the Rams (at home)
    that’s 4-4 (on track for a .500 season)…

    The bad news: between today and week 13
    the Seahawks face five opponents with
    a combined record of 14 – 17 – 1.
    Translation? They have plenty of time to
    retool their game, a comfortable “ramp-up”
    for their two contests with the 49ers…..Nuff said.

    1. Dang, I hadn’t realised Cook’s hamstring injury was that serious. Hamstring injuries can linger a long time though, so I guess it makes sense.

      Dontae Johnson has done enough in his playing time to suggest he can take over that backup role. But wouldn’t want any more injuries to the CBs. Do they sign another CB to the 53, do you think?

      1. I think they have to with Brock still recovering as is Ward and Culliver. That’s one position you can never have enough depth. I would imagine a signing very soon.

      2. Nope. Aldon Smith will be filling that roster opening. Not some puny little defensive back. We need pass rushers!

        1. Sounding like that could happen as soon as tomorrow. Adding Smith could really help the play of the DB’s.

          1. The 49ers secondary has weathered the storm. On the horizon, a rainbow appears in the form of Aldon Smith….

        1. Yeah, sadly he’s not draft eligible for 2015. Not that the 49ers would have a shot at him, he’ll go very early when he comes out.

          For the 2015 draft I don’t mind his running mate, Michael Bennett. Good fit for that 3-tech pass rushing spot, and is good at setting things up for his outside man on twists and stunts. Bosa is excellent, but he’s also a beneficiary of playing next to Bennett. Bennett just needs to do a better job holding up against the run.

            1. I’ve never been a big fan of Harvin. He’s a great athlete, but just isn’t a good receiver. The offensive coordinator has to manufacture ways to get him the ball because he isn’t capable of getting open using traditional means (i.e., route running) on a regular basis. And for all his speed, he isn’t a deep threat. Or more precisely, he’s no better a deep threat than Ashley Lelie or Ted Ginn, guys that were equally fast and equally poor route runners.

              Now for all that, if an OC is willing to structure their offense around finding ways to get him the ball in space, he can be dangerous. But to me WRs that can be dangerous in space but aren’t able to get themselves open regularly should be complimentary guys, with a few designed plays a game, not one of the focal points of your offense. Which means to me he simply isn’t worth the money he is being paid.

    1. If you go back you’ll notice that each time they are signed it’s a “one year deal.” They don’t sign parital-season contracts.

      1. I mean to say you wont see a contract that is only for a week or two, I believe with NFL contracts they all are written to expire on the same day just depends on what year.

          1. NP, in fact I verified that in fact all contracts end on the last day of February. I found the TERM section from a current contract:

            TERM. This contract covers 5 football season(s), and will begin on the date of execution or March 1, 2012, whichever is later, and end on February 28 or 29, 2017, unless extended, terminated, or renewed as specified elsewhere in this contract.

            1. Calling Ventrone’s deal a one year deal is a bit of a misnomer since it’s only about a 4 month deal even if they kept him continuously for the rest of the season.

  47. Part 1 of the GOAT..
    If you notice a lot of his great plays were outside the pocket. For the youngsters who didn’t get to see him play.. This is why qb’s will always be under the microscope when playing here. Athletic, smart, and accurate. Nobody better. And for all of the pocket passer wants….. Again he was excellent at that but it didn’t come righ away. And he was deadly outside of the pocket too. Who says legs can’t win you superbowls. Ck is improving and hopefully he will be close to this good or even better. Check out parts 2 and 3 also. His later years where he maintened the pocket and sliced up some of the greatest defenses ever.
    Have a great weekend faithful.

    http://youtu.be/MVjTlVcB1AQ

    1. MD ..
      thanx for the time machine ..great lookin’ back, huh ?

      They used to say he couldn’t run .. but he did ..
      (he just couldn’t slide very well, as I recall ;-) )

      He had the best play action move that suckered
      many a defenseman ..

      Yeah.. we were spoiled by him fer sure .. and
      no doubt he still casts a very large shadow which
      extends from The Stick .. all the way south to
      Levi’s

  48. I’m putting it all on the line, MW Niner. KC will win it. Giants should be made to reimburse Fox for giving them the worse ratings ever next to the 49ers.

  49. Lynch may be the next one gone in Seattle. ESPN reporting if they weren’t thin at the position he would be on the block.

    1. Just for fun, dream of the Press Conference where Lynch is presented as the newest Niner.
      There’s Baalke near the podium giving Lowell the Stink Eye.
      There’s Harbaugh saying “We didn’t pursue him, he just kind of mentioned he was looking for work and we figured ‘What the Heck?’ Marshawn, you got anything for the Press?”
      Lynch (mumbling): “Naw, f88*-it Coach, I hate all those axe/hoes before I even meet them. Yeah, and this is my last Presser.”
      More seriously, its hard to imagine the Seatards without him.

      1. Yeach, Lynch might get out of control without Robinson there to interpret. Can’t you imagine Harbaugh trying to deal with Lynch.

    2. Michael that was discussed in 2013 b/c of his age and salary cap amount. BUT I don’t know that it will materialize as the 2 other RB’s haven’t exactly panned out and I think we have greater needs elsewhere than replacing MLynch. Makes for a good story though.

  50. C’mon Grant. Start a new thread for today’s games. Call it live thread for NFC west or something.

    1. And as recent history shows, he doesn’t even have to really say anything. We’ll take care of it.

  51. Is this just the way it goes. After winning the SB Baltimore was 8-8 the following year. Does anyone else have an opinion how this could happen?

    1. If you don’t cheat.. You don’t repeat! Sold out for one Super Bowl. Held the whole way.
      Lynch will be gone, and you better bet that Rat cheat of a coach will be vanishing too. Back to irrelevance for Seattle. Oh BTW.. Boughten Superbowls never equal longevity. How’s Baalke and the future for SF looking now. Buahahahhaaaaa

      1. So a sqawks fan is amazed they aren’t particularly welcome on the arch-rivals board. Are they all this f-ing stupid up in the rain zone? Or just this one?

        1. Well rib….. As a partial excuse for many of those up north. They are new to this football thing. They don’t know the rules ov rivalry yet. Good news is the Seahawks are one and done and have big trouble brewing so you probably won’t hear from these folks much longer.

  52. Tom Brady (question for Colin K.):
    have you ever scored 51 pts in a game?
    Kapurnicus: ah…. no.
    Brady; please take note….30 of 35 completions
    354 total passing yards for five (5) TDs…
    Oh, yes; NO interceptions and NO sacks.
    QB rating of 148 …. 7 of 11 third down success.

    Be sure and note: Niners v Rams (31-17).
    Chiefs v Rams: 34 to 7. Just to review week #2 –
    the 49ers put up 20 points, and the Rams 28 pts.

    Try and enjoy that massive tennis shoe collection
    and the stylish razor cut from the big bucks barber.

    Real deal NFL QBs save their “flash” for the game itself,
    not some photo layout in a fashion magazine, rookie.

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