Chip Kelly: “The biggest things that has hurt us offensively is the drops.”

SANTA CLARA

This is the transcript of Chip Kelly’s Week 16 Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

How long has it taken you to get familiar with your new roster? You guys had a lot of new players coming through the door here in the last couple of days.

“Yeah we have. I mean, that’s just part of what you have to deal with at this point in time. We’ve had a lot of injuries and I don’t know the number of Injured Reserve. Is it 14 or 15 or 16? I don’t even know the number. 16 guys on IR. You’ve just got to deal with it. You’ve got to put a group together and get ready to go play.”

 

Why isn’t T Joe Staley on IR? Is there a hope?

“There’s a hope that Joe can continue to play this year.”

 

And WR Torrey Smith is still going through the protocol?

“He’s in the concussion protocol.”

 

What has WR DeAndre Smelter shown you on the practice squad? Is there a chance he could be up for the final two games?

“There is a chance. That’s one of the reasons, especially with [WR Quinton Patton] Q.P. being out with the broken foot. We know he’s done for the season. Smelt’s done a nice job since he came back. Obviously, he had the bad hamstring injury in preseason camp and really couldn’t show his true self. But, he’s done a nice job since he’s been back. He’s picked up what we’re doing. Gives you good size out there. He’s a bigger body and then can also contribute on special teams because he is a bigger body.”

 

Does Patton require surgery?

“Yeah, he already had it.”

 

What about DB Jimmie Ward?

“Jimmie broke a shoulder or scapula. A collarbone. One of those.”

 

Is that a surgery as well?

“Not that I know of.”

 

Are you guys expecting to face Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff and what have you seen from him just in his few games as opposed to maybe what you learned about him during the pre-draft process?

“Well, he’s in the concussion protocol so until he gets released, but you have to be prepared for both him and [Los Angeles Rams QB] Case [Keenum] and there’s rumors that [Los Angeles Rams QB Sean] Mannion may play. So, you’ve got to be ready for all of them. Their offense hasn’t changed drastically from Case to Jared. It’s still their offense. The back is the feature player for them. [Los Angeles Rams RB Todd] Gurley is as talented a guy as we’ll face. He’ll be the main stop. You’ve got to stop the run against these guys and then obviously Jared like any quarterback, and I’ve mentioned this before, the experience you get in game reps as a quarterback is totally different than practice reps because in practice you don’t get hit and in a game you do get hit. You’ve seen him get better as the more snaps he’s played. He throws a nice ball. It’s catchable. He’s very accurate when he has a chance to get his feet set. So, obviously we need to disrupt the timing of the routes and try to get some pressure on him. When you give him time to throw, he’s a very accurate thrower.”

 

We’ve talked about the struggles in the second half. Is this something that you concern yourself with from a standpoint of trying to figure out why this is happening or do you take a more just kind of micro view of it and just look at every individual play where things don’t–?

“We do. We look at both. When you’re analyzing what you’re doing and why it is. I go back to the, we talked about it the game before with the Jets, we opened up a drive with a drop. The second drive we have a drop. Then the next two drives we have penalties that set us back and then all of a sudden we’re playing in big down-and-distance situations that make it difficult for us to transition and keep ourselves on the field. Similar to the same thing. We started the second half off with a drop. I think it was on the first play of the second half as we’re moving. We’ve got a shot to kind of get going. And sometimes it’s not the same guy. So, it’s obviously, it’s spread across the board, but I think offensively one of the biggest things that has hurt us offensively is the drops.”

 

Obviously, QB Colin Kaepernick’s numbers are dramatically different first half to second. Do you analyze what you can do different in that 15 minute stretch at halftime?

“Yeah, we do and we go through the whole thing. But, the one thing you can’t control sometimes is there are guys open and Colin is putting the ball on them and now we’re not catching the football. We’ve got to probably do a better job of who we’re getting in those situations and getting open to get them the ball so that we can continue to stay on the field.”

 

He’s also missing passes too.

“Yeah, he has. But I mean, if you look in those two specific games we got a first down in the first game the first play of the second half against the Jets and it’s a drop. It’s right in the receiver’s hands. There were things like that. And we’re pretty, not black and white, like his hand touched it and it was way out here, that’s a drop. We’re talking some of those are just the ball’s right on, he’s done a good job of putting the ball right on people. I think some of that mounts. When you get a drop, sometimes as a quarterback now you lose a little confidence. Now I’m going to try to place the ball and now I’ve become a little bit more inaccurate because I’m trying to make sure that I don’t throw it. Some of it kind of compounds itself.”

 

It seems like RB Carlos Hyde has been on a roll these last few games. Is that a result of the offensive line blocking better or is it partly because teams are taking away Kaepernick’s outside runs and there’s more room in the middle?

“I think it’s a combination of both. I think one of the things when you have a running quarterback is you create an extra gap for the defense. So, not everybody can gang up on the running back. So, if you do gang up on the running back, the quarterback can make you pay although I think people did that all along because [QB] Blaine [Gabbert] did the same thing. I know the last game Blaine played he had 10 carries for 70 yards against Arizona. So, it’s part of the byproduct of having two guys that can move is that you can’t devote everybody to the running back and that’s part of being in the pistol or being in the shotgun is that now the quarterback is a viable run threat. When he’s underneath the center, he’s not a viable run threat. So, it’s a combination of that. You get to create an extra gap when your quarterback can be a runner. So, you can’t have everybody on the defense constricting on one guy.”

 

Does that get better during the year as the quarterback and the running back work together and that cohesion gets a little bit sharper?

“Yeah. I don’t think we had bad cohesion before. So, I wouldn’t say that’s the product. I also think Carlos is a lot healthier now since he’s recovered from the injury in the Buffalo game.”

 

Is he in general running more decisively, Carlos?

“Sure. I guess so. I mean, I don’t think he was running indecisively. So, I don’t–.”

 

To my expert eye, it seemed some games earlier in the season he wouldn’t hit the hole as hard as he’s hitting it recently.

“I just think that’s a byproduct of experience. It doesn’t matter who you are. The longer he gets to play and more comfortable, more reps he gets doing the same thing, you could be a golfer, the more you’re out on the practice range and you’re swinging, you groove your swing. So, I just think he’s gotten better over time. A very talented player. The more reps he gets at it, the more he sees it, the more comfortable he feels with it.”

 

The more decisive he gets.

“Sure, as I said to start the conversation.”

 

With DB Jimmie Ward going out, will CB Rashard Robinson be starting now at corner?

“It depends on the package that’s in at the time. So, we’ve got to be able to mix and match. You’ve got to make sure you know where [Los Angeles Rams WR] Tavon [Austin] is. Is he in the slot? How are we going to match up with that? So, there’ll be a lot of different, between [CB Tramaine] Brock, [CB Keith] Reaser and Rashard in terms of who’s playing outside.”

 

Your record is what it is, but it seems like in the locker room guys are still pretty jovial. They’re still in good moods. Is that something that you think is a good thing at this point with what the record is or would you like to see guys, I don’t know that maybe being angry is a better way to handle it, but are you good with where the team’s at from that standpoint?

“Well, I think they control their effort and their attitudes. Those are things you can control and they worry about the things that they can control and they don’t dwell on the negative. But, I don’t take jovial as that they don’t take it very seriously in terms of what they’re doing. I think they’re very serious in their preparation and how they do it. So, it’s just they don’t have to dwell on the negative part of it. They deal on how do we become part of the solution and how do we fix this thing.”

 

ME: You mentioned you look at the second half offensive from a macro and a micro perspective. Did I understand correctly you said that the overall theme of the macro perspective is drops–?

“No, I just said that was one aspect of it.”

 

ME: So, you haven’t found an overall theme from the macro perspective, that it’s more than one thing or–?

“No.”

 

It’s a young roster. Do you see guys as the season has gone along that have stepped into more leadership roles and sort of controlled the psyche of the team?

“I see a lot of guys try to contribute to that aspect. Obviously, we’ve lost a few. When you lose [LB NaVorro Bowman] Bo and [LB] Ray-Ray [Armstrong], those are two real integral guys on defense. You throw [S] Eric [Reid] in that mix. You still have the stalwarts like [DL Glenn] Dorsey and [S Antoine] Bethea, but you saw Jimmie Ward starting to emerge as one of those guys that kind of the guys on the defensive side rallied around. [DL] DeForest Buckner’s another guy that some of the guys on the defensive side can kind of rally around when they speak just because of how hard they play and what they do on a daily basis. They get an opportunity to when they say something, people are going to listen to them because of the performance that they put out on the field.”

 

Is the message to the team this week ‘Let’s go get ‘em?’

“No. We didn’t use that term. No. Am I missing something there?”

 

A radio interview you did included that phrase this week.

“Yeah. I don’t really think about the radio interview right after the phone’s hung up.”

This article has 524 Comments

        1. Except in Philly that wasn’t the case. So, in fact, you (like all the rest) are entirely clueless about Kelly and his ‘adjustments:’

          2013:
          12.8 PPG in the first half
          14.8 PPG in the second half

          2014:
          15.4 PPG in the first half
          14.2 PPG in the second half

          2015:
          11.0 PPG in the first half
          12.6 PPG in the second half

          Funny thing about facts… They tell you who justs make crap up, or even worse, believes made-up-crap, and think they have a clue and those who look for facts with which to test their understanding of what’s going on.

          Here’s another clue. Kaepernick, in every since 2012, has gotten worse in the second half of games. This year is the most dramatic. But it’s his pattern. And really started to show in 2014.

          So, I personally believe that once were past the well rehearsed, initial scripted plays chosen for their high-success Kelly has to go the rest of the playbook and Kaepernick is, simply put, over-his-head. I can’t prove it. But makes sense as this happened under Harbaugh, and Tomsula, too.

          But with Kelly, that’s not what happened in the past. In the past his QBs were, over-all, as good (if not better like Bradford last year who was excellent in the 2nd half) in the second half.

          Facts…. How do they work?

      1. Think that is more due to scheme then talent. We all have our thoughts on what happens in the second half. Combine all those thoughts then you will have the reason(s) for second half failure.

          1. I didn’t say that, there is enough blame to go around to include Kelly. Just that Kelly is taking so much heat and lots of it is out of his control. I listen to them all, out of conditioning players, lack of adjustments, lack of talent, dropped balls, penalties, missed blocks, missed tackles, lax coverage, and the thing that bugs me the most lack of discipline.

            1. Kelly knew what he had prior to being hired. Shame on him for not lobbying to get something he could develop. Instead like the pompous prickle he is, he thought he could reinvent old wind up. Yeah that worked out well.

              1. He was supposed to be an offensive genius, and innovator. Maybe Chip Kelly should be at FSU and Jimbo in SF? Out of all the match ups, FSU/Michigan has me most excited….

              2. You mean the guy that couldn’t score inside the 20. When the most valuable player was the place kicker, the guy that threw the red flag at the most ridiculous times, the guy that drafted Kaep. I guarantee you if Harbaugh had this defense he wouldn’t of won any games with Smith or Kaep at QB.

              3. I need to include the many delay of game penalties. Don’t get me wrong I love Harbaugh thought he was a great coach, he had a defense. I am not saying Chip’s offense doesn’t have its issues, but this defense is terrible and I believe its scheme more then talent.

              4. I was talking about Jimbo Fisher, UC. But since you brought it up, Coach Harbaugh knows how to win….

          2. Why would Kelly get blamed for the 2nd half when he was MORE SUCCESSFUL in the 2nd half of games during his time as the head coach in Philadelphia? Are you saying he suddenly forgot how to coach at half-time?

            Especially in light of Kaepernick’s obvious deficiencies as the game wears on. The longer he plays, the worse he gets. And this has been going on since 2012. Every year Kaepernick has gotten worse in the second-half of games than he was in the prior year.

            Yeah, this year’s extreme. But, frankly, I don’t think he’s putting in the time to do film study. So he’s running the ‘easy, well-rehearsed plays’ early on and having success. Then when those plays are gone, Captain Clueless simply folds like a house of cards because he’s got nothing.

            1. Since Chip cannot remember what he said a week ago, it sounds like his memory retention is lacking, so he forgets what did not work.

              Kaep has never been accused of not studying, except by leaks and smears. Now we have you wildly speculating without a shred of proof the same old tired screed.

              If Kaep runs the easy, well rehearsed plays that are a success, I think the coaches should devise more plays so he can continue succeeding.

              However, Joe Montana seems to think that they should let Kaep be the field general, instead of just relying on the plays called.

              Folds like a house of cards? No, that is the O line when they collapse and give up 5 sacks.

              I will agree that he has nothing. No receivers, and no competent coaching.

        1. And they’re almost all wrong when it comes to the supposed inability of Kelly to make adjustments. His track record in Philly proves he can adjust and succeed in the second half.

      2. Don’t get me wrong I think Chip is overmatched but normally talent wins out over time.
        Scheme can help but over time less talented players lose the battle of attrition… closely matched teams are the norm in the NFL but the niners from a talent perspective are the worst team in the NFL including Cleveland. Maybe not at the beginning of the season, but now they are.

      3. Because evidently talent takes over so what happens is inferior players can only sustain a certain level of play till the superior players eventually submit them to submission, kinda of like a UFC fighter fighting an inferior opponent it’s just a matter of time when he taps out.

          1. Grant—- What the truth is saying is that the first half success is partially because Kelly’s schemes make the players seem better than they are. In the second half the other team either adjusts or Kelly has just used up all his options. So in the second half the players do not have the scheme edge anymore and they crash to earth. Either way the players abilities are exposed in the second half. It’s sort of like when a team scores using a gimmick play. You can not sustain an offense on trick plays. Ultimately talent will win out. Truth is only saying that the second half is also reflective of the lack of talent on this team. It makes perfect sense.

            1. It makes zero sense. You can’t credit Kelly for the first-half production and then not blame him for the lack of second-half production.

              You’re saying Kelly is a genius to get 5.7 yards per play in the first half out of a supposedly talentless offense. But if he’s such a genius, he would get much more than an awful 4.3 yards per play out of the same players in the second half. Kelly is no genius. He has no solutions, he gets out-coached every game and the talent isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

              1. I’m not giving Kelly credit for the first half I’m saying this teams roster is horrible PERIOD! Honestly I don’t even think they play that good in the first half either, you seem to dismiss or ignore the lack of talent on this roster which makes no sense when everybody in NFL circles repeatedly point out how bad the roster is smh

            2. Nah. That’s part of the problem with Kelly. They run their stuff in the 1st half, and come back out in the 2nd with the same instead of having plays that build off them.

              1. instead of having plays that build off them.

                Like every other NFL offensive coordinator does. Kelly is out of his league.

              2. Combining Kelly’s lack of 2nd half adjustments with a QB whose QB rating drops by nearly 20pts in the 2nd half for his career is a less than optimal situation.

              3. No you don’t. Setting up plays for the second half has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with coaching.

              4. “Setting up plays for the second half has nothing to do with talent”

                So I guess those 7 probowlers the Raiders have have nothing to do with there 10-3 record lol

              5. It’s not just because of Coaching that the Niners suck truth, but the adjustments people talk about being made at the half is about adapting to how the defense is playing you. The players are too good in this league to win without some misdirection in play calling. The talent is terrible too, but you can make a certain number of plays every game simply based on watching how a defense reacts to given plays and adding elements to expose the weakness in how they are playing it.

          2. So you’re saying the niners are not playing poorly in both halves?

            No one is giving Chip Kelly Credit for the offense playing well in the first half. However, there are a few things that have to be considered.
            1. The niners predominately are a running team, with little to no talent in terms of the passing game.
            2. Carlos Hyde has some of the lowest precontact yardage in the league. (Which means he is breaking tackles and taking hits to get his extra yardage moreso than other backs.)
            3. The niners are normally playing from behind in the second half.

            When considering these 3 things, how is it a surprise that the offense doesn’t regress significantly in the second half…
            When noting they
            1.have to pass more in the second half and don’t have playmakers necessary to do so.
            And
            2. that Carlos Hyde begins to wear down (as he is gaining a large number of his yardage after initial contact.)

            1. “The Niners are normally playing from behind in the second half.”

              True, but they’ve only been down by more than a touchdown twice, Seattle and Atlanta. With the score close there’s no need to abandon the run game.

              The problem is they do nothing in the 3rd quarter because they have no adjustments.

              They’ve scored 23 points in the 3rd quarter all year. That’s when the game gets out of hand.

              1. Here is where I argue that the point about Hyde comes into play more.

                Teams have wrinkles but they all have core plays don’t really change as much as everyone wants to believe. This is especially true of Chip Kelly’s offense. Teams should be just as prepared for the 49ers offense in the first half as they are in the second. It’s not like we are seeing new plays in the first half either.

                Honestly, I think the biggest thing that comes into play here is that everyone overlooks the niners. This keeps them close for a bit, as its hard to get up for such a team. Then they take it serious after half when they realize the game is closer than it should be.

                I can’t say for certain but I have seen this happen a lot… *note* this should not be an excuse for early season games.

  1. Hmm, I see that Chip is improving. He has gone from refusing to answer Grant’s questions to replying in monosyllables.

        1. Colin hasnt won a game all year, passed for 6 yards in a game and alienated the entire organization to voice his own social issues Kaepernick.

          Thats how he will be remembered in SF. A cancer!

          1. Kizer it is then! Despite operating behind an offense similar in talent to the 49ers, he put up better numbers in every category this year, except completion percentage where he went from 63% in 2015 to 58.7% in 2016….

      1. That’s where it begins, yes! Coaches like Harbaugh, Dantonio set their own cultures though, and that’s where the Chip is adrift….

  2. Come on Grant. Stop being so hard on Chip. It’s pretty obvious that this is Baalke’s fault. Sure the offense hasn’t scored a point in the 2nd half the last 3 weeks, but that’s not Chips fault.

    1. Jack Hammer

      your sarcastic post is reminescent of last years attack on Alex Smith because he hadn’t thrown any TD passes to any of his WR’s…never mind the fact that his TE’s and RB’s were staying fat on his passes….perhaps we should learn from Alex how to have a successful passing game with no quality WR’s….

      1. Alex had some pretty good TE at KC. It’s not just the WR that are garbage in SF but also the TE’s.

    1. That’s not Chips fault. And it’s certainly not Kaepernick’s fault. I once saw him plant his foot on the goal line and sprint untouched for a touchdown.

      1. The Niners got outscored 63-78 in the second half when Gabbert was the starter. That’s an average of 3 points per second half. With Kaepernick at QB, The Niners are getting outscored by an average of 12.6 points per second half — almost five times worse.

            1. Grant: Your attempt at using the second half point differential between when Kaep started as opposed to when Gabbert started is supposed to mean what? That the onus of the losses is on Kaep? The point differential would only mean what you are claiming it to if everything else was constant. Well anyone with half a brain and no agenda would realize that this team has been in constant flux through out this season. Look at who the starters were in the first game and who the starters are now. You think who the players the team puts on the field might have some influence on the point differential?

              Do you suffer from ADD? Your criteria and foundation for analysis are constantly in flux and all over the board. Most of the posters here are relatively consistent in their thought processes, but you appear to often resemble a different person every day. You have written some pretty good stuff based on logical reasoning, Then you go and come out of left field with stuff based on a completely different analytic standard. In short you lack a consistent methodology. This is why you are so irritating to people. People expect consistency from others.

              1. Grant it’s alright to hate Chip Kelly as a coach but don’t take it personal and you know what I’m talking about

              2. Willtalk

                I won’t condemn you for the same answerless (word ?) frustration that we all feel on here…but don’t get too close to the likker locker when we vent….MY ‘opinion’ ? YES…the onus of all the losses lies with Kaep….he poisons the well at halftime and does not lead as his position is expected to. Yeah, I could be dead wrong, at least as wrong as Seb might be right…(heaven forbid). He is the albatross around the ancient mariners neck. The niner ship will never find port until he is castigated….

              3. Ore, at least you are being honest, but the Niner defense has been atrocious, and has set new records in futility.

                Remember not too long ago, the Niners for 15 games, held their RB to less than 100 yards? Now we have their third string RB set personal bests and allowing 170 yards per game just makes me want to puke.

                I get it. Kaep has not done as well as I had hoped, but blaming him solely for the Niners losing so badly is myopic.

        1. Are you implying if the Niners played in the 2nd half like they did in the first half the outcome would be different? Are you implying that Kaep is the reason?

          1. “Are you implying if the Niners played in the 2nd half like they did in the first half the outcome would be different?”

            It’s quite possible that there could have been another 6-7 wins. First off, TOP would be a lot better which would keep the D off the field and lower the point total needed to win.

            1. That’s where I was going with that, now you couple that with a top 10 defense, you have something. I find the 2nd half collapse is unusual and is only the product of this season.

              1. “I find the 2nd half collapse is unusual and is only the product of this season.”

                Not quite. Over his final 8 games last season in Philly, Kelly’s offense scored a total 7 points or less 6 times in the 2nd half.

        2. The 49ers have scored 106 points in the second half all season. 63 of those were in the first 5 weeks. They’ve scored 43 over the last 9.

          But don’t forget, Kaepernick gives them the best chance of winning.

          1. 13 TDs 3 Ints…. Not terrible. It’s quite obvious that not many QBs can win games with this talent. Certainly Gabbert did not fair any better. Not even close. Blow the whole thing up from the top on down.

            1. Well, that’s not quite true.

              Gabbert was terrible but he DID fare better.

              He is 4-9 in 13 games as a starter in SF the last 2 seasons.

              Kap is 2-15 in the last 2 seasons.

        3. An there have been a whole lot of injuries in the meantime but don’t let that get in the way of your simplistic analysis…

    1. hacksaw,
      Actually it could said with these names:
      Delaney Walker
      Mike Iupate
      Frank Gore
      M. Crabtree
      A. Bolden
      P. Willis
      Justin Smith
      Terrell Brown
      Aldon Smith
      N. Bowman

      Not saying that Kap is a good QB, but what was his record when he was surrounded by these players?
      These guys made a difference – in other words you win with TALENT!

  3. “The biggest things has hurt us offensively ls the drops.”

    Finally, some good news for 49er fans….Although the York’s haven’t been proactive enough for 49er fans, upon closer look, York subtle activity has taken place, via Trent Baalke…He’s signed Ray Ray and Vance to extensions, so no need to draft Lb’s or TE’s in 2017….He’s saved his job, Jed’s, and O’neilswith this master stroke !!!

  4. Mark Richt on McCaffrey and Fournette skipping their bowl games. “I think it’s sad personally.” “Football is the greatest team sport there is, and I think until the season is over, you should be with your team, really and truly.”

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2683137-mark-richt-comments-on-leonard-fournette-christian-mccaffrey-skipping-bowl-game

    I agree with this. I understand the injury risk but if they’re putting money over team now they’re more likely to do it in the pros. They might play well in their rookie seasons and then dog it until the final year of their contracts.

    1. Pros don’t put money over team? Amazing.

      Of course Universities put education over money, since that’s their reason for existing. In your dreams.

      The NFL puts player health over winning. Right.

      1. Not every pro. Some pros take less money to play on better teams. I never said anything about Universities putting education over money or the NFL putting player health over winning so you are debating yourself on those two points. Amazing.

          1. Me and Mark Richt. It’s about commitment. You have players like Jerry Rice who worked out every day trying to stay in shape and get better and you have players like Kap that doesn’t take his craft seriously.

            It may not be a concern for you but it is to me. Yes colleges are all about the money but that is a straw man argument. I’m questioning their commitment to their fellow players. So “enjoy” your me first, money first athletes.

            1. Yota has this right.
              There are 6th and 7th graders being pre-recruited by colleges. We’ve got high school sophomores talking contracts and agents. It’s their dreams and personal goals; in high school. They enter college thinking professional career mgt. These guys’ team mates know the score. As previously mentioned, in the BCS playoffs, they’d show up for their mates.

              1. BT,

                They enter college thinking professional career mgt. That is my point. Those same players are more likely to enter the NFL thinking professional career mgt. That is why I said they might not play as hard or not play through injuries unless it’s their contract year. Sure it’s not always the case but sports are filled with athletes that go all out in ther contract years and not so much when they get their money.

              2. Wait! Are we arguing about a point of agreement? I’ve only had one glass of wine, I swear!
                : >)

            2. Of course Mark Richt doesn’t like it. He is paid to win games and that becomes more difficult if his best player isn’t on the field.

              These guys don’t owe anyone anything. Unless you’re in a playoff bowl these things are just useless money grabs. This doesn’t make me change my thoughts on McCaffrey’s commitment to the team in any way. The guy was a warrior who took a beating to help Stanford even get to this point.

    2. The colleges make millions every year off these guys. So they skip out on a meaningless bowl game which is basically an exhibition that makes the schools more money. Big deal.

      1. McCaffrey has taken a beating, and has been sidelined with injuries, so it is not like he is 100%. If he were playing for the national championship, of course, he would play.

        Fournette says he is only at 85%, so he has injury issues, too.

        Maybe they watched Jaylon Smith blow out his knee and lose possibly multiple millions of dollars. It sounds like a business decision.

        1. seb,

          Thank you for the thoughtful and direct counter argument. It carries more weight than a snarky reply. Do you think our pending FAs should sit out the last two games because we have already been eliminated from the playoffs?

          1. “Do you think our pending FAs should sit out the last two games because we have already been eliminated from the playoffs?”

            You don’t think there are guys sitting out right now with injuries that would be playing on Saturday if there was anything meaningful on the line?

              1. You’ve never heard of teams shutting guys down before?

                What good does it do to play Joe Staley or Torrey Smith on Sunday? A win doesn’t mean anything, and an injury could hurt the team for next season.

              2. Then the HC can sit him down, not the player taking himself out. Another point, injuries can happen at any time. We have seen what happens to players like Reid who are afraid of getting injured,

          2. I think the FO does not care, so they will just continue to play players out of position, and not utilize their talents correctly.

            In the case of Torrey, I hope they shut him down for the rest of the year. It looked like he was concussed, then sustained another concussion. That scenario could prove fatal.

            I am all for sitting players who have not done well, and play the backups to help assess their potential. Since they are on a 13 game losing streak, they should be bold and innovative.

            I want to see them play Cromartie. Too bad Rush was poached by the Jags. I would like to see Balducci go both ways. Tartt should play nickle LB. Since they refuse to let Harris play, I can only assume that they are shooting for the number one pick.

        2. The time in the college spent by the top football players is a business decision enforced by the NFL. 95% of the NFL-bound players would skip college if NFL had a farm system. For most of the seniors playing a Bowl game, it would be their last game. However, the best players like McCaffrey will play more games in their first two years in the NFL than they did in their college seasons put together.

          McCaffrey is making a smart career decision not just a business decision. He’s already insured for almost $5M against injury and drop in draft stock. But if he got injured in the Bowl game playing as a running back, the length of his potential career could be at risk. His ambition is to have a long NFL career and then return to get his degree. His team mates are smart — mostly, since they understand the cost benefit analysis behind his decision, and know him as a great team mate.

      2. A little off the topic, but eventually there will have to be some financial incentive for College players. They can barely survive on what they are allowed currently and meanwhile the Colleges rake in record profits. I get that the players get a free education, but they are the reason most of the institutions are raking in millions every year and should be able to share in the compensation. At least give them a decent monthly stipend so they aren’t looking for under the table perks from program backers.

        I have no problem with players who are going to enter the draft skipping Bowl games with no playoff ramifications. After what happened to Jaylon Smith last year, we are likely to see it happen more often in the future.

        1. What good is a “free education” if so many colleges recruit large numbers of athletes who wouldn’t be admitted based on their academic achievements in high school? That aspect wouldn’t be so bad if the same colleges made an extra ordinary attempt to educate their players. Instead they provide meaningless classes for their cheap “hired hands.”

          1. The “free education” excuse is just cynical nonsense. I’d assert that 80% of the football players in FBS schools would not pass a legit high school exit exam. In the limited time they have to actually study in college, they have assigned student assistants to babysit them thru such majors as General Studies, Sports and exercise,Communication, Sociology, etc.

            There are only a handful of schools where the majority of the players actually are looking for a meaningful education that will prepare them for life after college and play.

            Most college sports fans refuse to recognize football and men’s basketball for what they are: money making-machines to entertain alums, college town residents and students, while funding all other sports at the college. These two sports should be considered separately and their players fairly compensated.

      1. That’s fine. There are two sides to the discussion. I posted an article that had players disagreeing about not playing in bowl games, one of those players was Jaylon Smith. Another was Zeke Elliot who disagreed but understood the decision. I also understand this. But if I’m doing a teams draft I would take their decision under consideration.

          1. Hmm, maybe there are people who aren’t all about the money. Some people have a deep passion for the game. If player A and player B are rated the same at the same position but player A skips the bowl game, I will take player B every time.

            1. “..maybe there are people who aren’t all about the money.”
              That’s the line of thinking that colleges coaches hope from their star players and delusional fans of their program while they pocket millions of $$ per year.

              1. I’m thinking like a GM who is trying to build a team. As a GM it would concern me. As a friend I would support McCaffrey and Fournette’s decision. As an agent I would encourage the decision. As a relative I would beg them to never play another game at any level.

              2. From what I have seen, scouts have had a mixed reaction to the decision by McCaffrey and Fornette. Some think it was a smart move given how banged up they were this season, while others are seeing it as a red flag of sorts.

              3. Some players probably take the view that they would rather not be selected by general managers with the point of view that a player should never take into account self preservation. That works for both sides.

                Personally, for my own enjoyment, I hope McCaffrey is taken by a team with a QB who can throw the ball a foot in front of him at the numbers. Whooosh!

            2. Ezekiel Elliot signed for 24.9 with 16.3 guaranteed.

              Jaylon Smith signed for 6.49 mil with a 2.9 mil signing bonus because he dropped to the second round.

              He may have lost 18.4 mil with 13.4 mil guaranteed.

              McCaffrey is smart. JS, not so much.

              1. It’s just not the initial money that Smith lost. He may have irrevocably damaged his career if he doesn’t fully recover. Fournette and CMac are a sign of things to come, especially for RBs and other positions with strict shelf lives.

              2. @Mood_indigo

                Major ACL injuries don’t shorten a players carrier. Just look at the wonderful talent the 49ers have amassed mining that vain of gold.

      2. Some players consider the bowl games to be an important part of the auditioning process.

        McCaffrey does not need to prove anything. They have plenty of tape on what he can do. The only thing that could lower his value is if he became injured.

        Next thing you know, some will start ragging on players who leave school early to enter the draft. Some would say they are quitting on their team, too.

    3. I’m not a fan of these college players deciding not to play in bowl games. It is part of the college football schedule, and they know that heading into the season. It is no less meaningful than any other game on the schedule, so why check yourself out now? For McCaffrey, how is playing the bowl game less important than playing against Rice a few weeks back? To me it is no different than Charles Walker’s decision to leave the Sooners back in November, and he got completely ripped for that decision.

      Serious injuries happen. It sucks. But that is football. I understand these guys could lose a lot of money getting a serious injury now, but they could have lost a lot of money getting a serious injury all season. To me it just says these guys weren’t playing the season for their team, they were just hoping to survive long enough to get a big pay day. Good for them, they probably will. But they aren’t displaying the type of attitude and mentality I would want to build a team around.

      1. “For McCaffrey, how is playing the bowl game less important than playing against Rice a few weeks back?”

        Rice had importance because it was his last game at home.

        1. What about Nov 19th at Cal? They were 7-3 and not in the playoff discussion. He has been projected as a mid to late 1st round pick for months. Since the second week of the season if I remember correctly.

          1. 80, Oh please. You would even consider Mccaffrey to miss the Big Game? That is one of the most important games of the year.

            1. Ah, the Big Game. More like the Big Money Game. He had a great day in the Big Money Game. But he could care less about this game. That is a trait that could manifest itself in the pros. He might only play hard in the Money games and Money seasons.

              1. Why should McCaffrey play any of the games after Stanford got its third loss? No chance of a playoff game. The reason he should play is because he is a starter on the team. This meaningless bowl game is just as meaningless as most of Stanford’s regular season games. As I said earlier he has been projected as a 1st round pick for months.

        2. Jack, he could have easily just declared the game before that would be his last game at home. It was a meaningless game. Why play that game but not the bowl game?

          I honestly don’t understand how a regular season game is of more importance than a post season game to a player. If that is genuinely the belief, the college football system is badly broken and needs to be fixed. These games should be the pinnacle of the season. And no player should ever feel they are justified to walk away from their team before the season ends.

          1. Scooter,

            I see your point, but most of the bowl games are meaningless. Just another money grab for the schools with zero motivation for the players other than pride. If Stanford were in the playoff, there’s no doubt he’d be playing.

              1. I explained above. These games should be the pinnacle of the college football season. If players don’t believe that then the bowl system doesn’t work and needs to be changed.

      2. Considering the toll playing takes on the health of the players, I applaud some who choose not to play in meaningless games, because the risk for injury is too severe.

        Football is a game of attrition, and most careers are less than 3 years. Most players do not even fulfill their rookie contracts, so they do not get that lucrative FA deal.

        Look at the exhibition games. Players risk a lot for little monetary gain. I would like for the NFL to eliminate one exhibition game, and use that extra week to possibly schedule 2 games within a 3 week period so there are 10 days rest between games.

        They should let the team designate 22 starters and those players would get paid, but be excused from playing in the rest of the exhibition games.

  5. Reporter Says 49ers Owner Jed York Once Stuck Him With A $2100 Dinner Bill

    Tom Ley
    5/17/16 11:31am
    · Filed to: jed york

    The most aggravating part of Kawakami’s story isn’t even that a billionaire NFL owner made a sportswriter pick up a $2100 bill over a jokey bet, but that he was oblivious about the whole thing. Here’s Kawakami:

    If I thought Jed was sticking it to me, I’d almost be okay with it. I don’t even think he knew. I don’t think he knew what $2100 means to a sportswriter who didn’t inherit a billion-dollar team.

    http://deadspin.com/reporter-says-49ers-owner-jed-york-once-stuck-him-with-1777068612

  6. Tim Kawakami Verified account 
    ‏@timkawakami

    This is one of the greatest franchise-destructions in recent history–at the same time raking in record profits–and York fans blame me.

    BoShow Kirsch ‏@BoShow_Memphis · 20m20 minutes ago

    @timkawakami I can’t believe there are actual York fans Tim. What sane, educated, people can’t see this tragic destruction of the franchise

    MJ Kasprzak
    ‏@BayAreaCheezhed
    @timkawakami York FANS? You mean there are 2 left?

    Robert Amberg ‏@robertamberg · 30m30 minutes ago

    @timkawakami York fans. Isnt that an oxymoron? Or just a moron?

    NorCalG ‏@NorCalG16 · 35m35 minutes ago

    @timkawakami There are “York fans”??? This makes me want to throw up. On Jed York.

    Tony Nagatani ‏@AnthonyNagatani · 37m37 minutes ago

    @timkawakami The #49ers debacle would make an excellent @HBO ensemble drama a la “And the Band Played On,” Recount,” or “The Late Shift.”

    Tony Nagatani ‏@AnthonyNagatani · 37m37 minutes ago

    @timkawakami Jonah Hill could play Jed.

    I-Break4Winos ‏@JohnPirate81 · 12m12 minutes ago

    @timkawakami I love it…KARMA!! GO RAIDERS

    Robert Amberg
    ‏@robertamberg
    @timkawakami And screw the license holders.

    3:20 PM – 21 Dec 2016

    Marcus Marsden
    ‏@MarcusMarsden
    @timkawakami crazy, but I’m enjoying my popcorn.

    3:19 PM – 21 Dec 2016

    1. NFL Power Rankings:

      28. Rams
      29. NYJ
      30. Jags
      31. 49ers
      32. Browns

      TomD’s Response:

      # 31. BROWNS (Victorious vs. 49ers last year)
      # 32. 49ers

  7. Here’s what I don’t understand about the 2nd half collapses. The assumption is that the opposing team makes adjustments at halftime that Kelly can’t respond to.

    I can believe that is the case for the first few games of this season. But if Kelly’s scheme is really so simple and predictable, then when other teams do their prep work for the niners during the week, they should be able to have the “adjustments” ready for the first half of Sunday’s game. The opposing team was able to watch film on the 49ers during the week, so they should have the “adjustments” in place at the start of the game. But that’s generally not what we’ve seen most games.

    With regards to the dropped passes, maybe it’s because Kap does not throw a very catchable ball.

    1. Cubus:

      After researching, thoroughly, the Kelly offensive story, via Philly sportswriters, local writers and national cable networks, teams have difficulty vs. a Kelly team’s, team speed. Teams have difficulty replicating the speed of a no huddle offense in their practices, much like an MLB batter takes 3 innings to adjust to the opposing pitchers fastball. It takes a minute to adjust to it.

    2. Kelly shoots all his bullets in the first half and saves nothing new for the second half. Curtis Modkins confirmed this during a press conference earlier in the season.

      1. In addition to the above, Grant, Philly writers noted the lack of audibles. At such a quick pace, 2 to 3 plays are pre-called, prior to the snap–these are the plays the QB works with, instead of the encyclipdic # of plays Joe Montana, Brady, Manning, or Rodgers dials up from their playbooks if they spot a weakness (not just 3)

        1. Grant,

          Writers have asked Kelly if his offense allows the QB to audible. Kelly danced around the questions.

      2. Teams are watching film on the niners during the week preceding the game. So, since the offense has been relatively successful during the first half, is it because Kelly is using a “rotation” of starting game plays and schemes. Or do you think TomD’s point, about the speed at which the offense moves, works well until the opposing team’s defense gets used to it.

        1. The speed argument doesn’t make sense any more. The 49ers are not running plays every 15 seconds, they are taking most of the clock. Kelly is trying to milk the clock while not allowing the defense to substitute.

            1. True but they are hardly as far out of the norm as they normally are. In Philly he ran a play every 22 seconds or so now it’s 25 seconds. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s a massive change and much closer to the rest of the NFL.

    3. cubus,
      For me it’s simple. There’s an old adage that says: “the cream always rises to the top.”
      In the case of the 49ers, teams with more talent will always rise to the top and this has been the pattern in the 2nd half of games throughout the season.

      I often wonder what our record would be if Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick or Bill Parcells were coaching this current roster.
      By virtue of their coaching mastery they could probably squeeze out 5-7 wins but they would also be pinning for a revamping of the roster because the current roster is below standard.
      What this team needs is more “cream.”

  8. Weeks ago, Grant was the 1st columnist to write his opinion of why the York’s should be proactive and fire Trent Baalke. Paraphrasing Grant, it had to do with preparing the upcoming draft board for the incoming front office, and coach, since, Baalke probably won’t be here.

    Many others columnists have cited there reasons to do likewise, and their reasons cited have to do with a future without Trent Baalke, also.

    However, 49er weirdness and dysfunction are progressing rapidly throught further York, inaction.

    The latest, cited by Haberman and Middlekauff has Baalke signing recent player extenstions….

    TomD’s question is: Why is Baalke still building this team via extensions if he is no longer a part of the 49er’s future.

    http://niners.vsporto.com/episode/17703/the-haberman-and-middlekauff-podcast-add-contract-extension-problems-to-the-list-of-49ers-problems/

  9. Larry Krueger Verified account 
    ‏@sportslarryknbr
    Larry Krueger Retweeted Eric Branch

    Trent drafted Eli Harold/Corey Lemonier in rd 3 and foolishly gave Tank Carradine an extension, so Rush sits despite 6 sacks in preseason.

  10. The 49er talent level is low enough that it’s difficult if not almost impossible for them to recover from dropped passes, or penalties during a drive. Missed field goals actually cost them the Jets game.

    The 49ers have a “no tolerance for error” talent level, and a “the fault is lower down” ownership.

    1. Its not gonna take 7 years to rebuild this roster. With a smart, experienced NFL GM, over 50 million to spend via free agency and pretty high draft positioning, my guess is it will take 3 years before we reach the playoffs again.
      The NFC west is not like it once was. The Rams are in rebuild mode. The Cards are in decline and Seattle remains the class of the division.
      This is a critical offseason for the Niners. Need to draft and or sign the next coming of the triplets in a QB, WR, and RB. You have to find the pieces to rebuild this offense this year. The defense can be pieced together with some current talent and free agency. Really we need to address dline and the entire LB unit. The secondary is good, not great but can wait to be addressed.
      Overall have to hit on a QB for the next 10 years. Then give him some weapons to grow with. But above all that, find the right General to lead this turn around.
      My Xmas list:
      Trent Kirchner:GM
      Darrell Beavell:HC
      Gus Bradley:DC
      or
      Mike Shannahan:GM
      Kyle Shannahan:HC
      DC: whomever the Shanahans can work with

      1. I like everything you said but will add that I believe Hyde is a very good back with a crappy team around him. Time will tell on that though.

  11. Also, noted by writers, is that Kelly takes a Vince Lombardi approach. That is, a handful of plays practiced 1,000 times wins. It’s actually Kelly’s belief that a handful of plays run to perfection is better than going into a game with a large playbook.

    It’s the classic thinking of many great coaches, including Vince Lombardi and John Wooden. As long as their teams did their jobs, it didn’t matter what the opponent did.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/chip-kelly-eagles-offense-2015-9

    1. And yet the Eagles are on pace to finish with the same record(or worse) as last year when Chip Kelly was there lol

    2. “Instead of trying to outscheme your opponent,” I think this explains the lack of second half adjustments. As TomD stated Kelly runs a handful of plays. If it works he will run them. If it doesn’t work he will run them. He doesn’t try to outscheme the other coach. Isn’t that part of the job?

      Oh, if he doesn’t have the personnel to run his offense he will run the same plays because he will NEVER try to outscheme his opponent.

      1. So your saying if you take Derek Carrs O-line and Cooper/Crabtree away from him he’ll still be successful? Hmm

        1. Hmm, I’m not talking about Oak and Del Rio. I’m talking about Kelly doing the same thing over and over. I will play along though. If Carr was our QB, he would have less success in the 2nd half because of Kelly.

          1. I was just making a point #80 if Carr was our QB Kelly would be doing back flips so yeah we would be a little better but not with this roster. You and Grant can go on and on about the second half but until this roster gets a major upgrade it won’t really matter who’s coaching and that is the Truth

              1. True I can’t argue that and I’m not saying Chip is a great coach I’m just saying we need more talent on the roster and that falls on Baalke not to mention he’s been in charge of the roster the last 6 years.

  12. And the 49ers set a 70 year franchise record for # of straight losses, as Grant would say, because Kelly’s limited playbook has shot all it’s weapons in the first half.

    And as I noted above in Business Insider, Kelly runs only 4 running plays, and the rest of the NFL caught on.

    Read the article, then type in Kelly’s predictable offense. Choose one of a 1000 stories all citing Kelly’s predictability

    W: 1
    L: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 13, ?

  13. 80,

    In the article I like this quote by Stanford’s, David Shaw (about Kelly):

    “Chip Kelly is a friend, but I could not run the offense he runs,” Stanford head coach David Shaw said this summer at a coaching clinic. “If you run an up-tempo offense, you better be good at staying on the field. If you cannot get first downs, your defense will play the entire game.”

    1. TomD,

      I think most coaches would agree with that quote. Our D is horrible, Kelly should do everything in his power to keep them off the field.

      1. The problem is the offense is too especially when you have backup o- lineman and 4th or 5th string WRs

  14. The second half regression could be the sum of several factors.

    Chip ran out of scripted plays.

    Their defense have solved the signals, so they know what is coming.

    Chip is inherently predictable and tends to run into the teeth of the defense.

    The team practiced hard before the game, so they are gassed.

    Chip refuses to make adjustments, or is incapable of doing that.

    The Niners are shaped by their opponent.

    Lack of depth and lack of talent.

    They keep shooting themselves in the foot.

        1. Simple, teams give Kap more complex looks and force him to go through his progressions. Problem is he cant make it past the first read cause thats covered. So what does Kap do,run or takes a sack.
          Whats any coach suppose to do with a lmited QB?

          1. Prime, like I said before, why is he effective in the first half, but not the second. If he was so limited, he would not even do well in the first half.

            My 8 factors are more plausible than your screed.

            1. It was like that in 2014. It got worse in 2015. It’s gotten worse in 2016.

              Here’s a clue for you — in the beginning of games teams use their most practiced and likely to be successful plays to establish their offense. Here are some more clues:

              Sam Bradford was BETTER in the second half by 5% compleition and with a better (101.6) QB rating.
              Mark Sanchez did NOT have these completion splits in 2014 or 2015.
              Nick Foles DID have these splits in 2014 but NOT in 2013.
              Michael Vick did NOT have these completion splits in 2013.

              In short, you’ve discovered NOTHING. Only one Eagle QB had these splits. At least one got better. But not Gabbert or Kaepernick, both of whom got worse.

              These bad QBs are like bad pitchers. Take Jake Peavy (Giants) as an example. He was good the first time through the order. But as the batters saw more and more of him they started hammering him.

              First time through the order – 2.80 ERA.
              Second time through the order – 8.77 ERA Whoops!
              Third time through the order – 5.75 ERA.

              In short, good clubs figured him out sooner and hammered the hell out of him. Bad clubs later. But virtually everyone figured him out after they’d seen him once.

              That’s Kaepernick & Gabbert in a nutshell. The defenses figure them out and they get hammered. And there’s nothing Kelly can do because they just suck.

              1. Seb says “I hope he plays the Niners twice a year to shove it in the Niner fans faces just to show how clueless they are”

                Wanting the team you say you are a die hard fan for, to lose? Just out of spite? Wow are you ever to caught up in this blog/Kap love thing. You really do need a new hobby.

                Seb says “Keep parroting that Kaep is only a one read QB. When he continues his career”

                Well he is a one read running QB, that’s a fact and the last part about continuing his career? Maybe not so much anytime soon in an NFL city.
                Wishful thinking right Seb? Just like the storm was suppose to come, oh well, maybe next year, in your mind.

              2. Prime, Kaep may very well stay with the Niners, because Baalke will be the sacrificial lamb, and once Baalke is gone, Chip will convince Kaep to stay.

                I consider myself twice the fan you are, because I support the Niners starting QB, instead of you, who hates him with a burning passion, and chortle with glee when they lose.

                I want to speculate on a what if, but if that means the Niners learn a lesson the hard way, so be it.

                Many fans are rooting for the Niners to lose for a good draft position, so it is not unheard of to want their team to lose, and I only want 2 losses per season, and that is only if they drive Kaep away.

                Keep parroting that he is a one read running QB, it still does not make it true. I see multiple reads, the zone read inherently has more than one read.

                While I hope Kaep learns to make his job easier by looking off the safeties, he has all the skills to lead this team to the SB, because he has done it before.

              3. See Seb, real fans want the 49ers to lose to get a high draft pick to improve the team. You want them to lose so you can some how show 49ers fans they were wrong all along about old wind up. See how stupid that sounds. Mind boggling!
                You can song and dance it any way you like about Kaepernick. You might be the only guy on here who thinks the 49ers should keep him. If that happens, we will be here again at 1-13 same time, same place next year.
                I’m sorry to tell you again, this guy has bottomed out. Look at the film, look at his performance last year, this year. He is a one read, then run QB. Blame whomever you want, its all smoke. 49ers need to move on from him as soon as Seattle embarrasses him again as a limited QB.

              4. Prime, in the end, Kaep will retire, and the Niners will still be playing football.

                Until then , if you want him off the team, then you may suffer the consequences of your clueless hate.

                However, he is still a Niner no matter how many screeds you have written this past season. This just goes to show how little football knowledge you possess.

                Getting rid of the last Niner QB to lead them to a SB is obtuse.

            2. Seb says “Prime, like I said before, why is he effective in the first half, but not the second”

              Teams see what type of plays are called and adjust. They force Kap to read more of the field, take away his first read and know he will run.
              Hes a one read run QB. A defensive coordinators dream matchup.
              Seb, the NFL is chess. They set him up and then take him out.
              There is no denying he is a one read running QB.
              You cannot call complex plays for him. Kelly is handcuffed. Why do you think Torrey Smith hasnt caught many deep balls this year?
              BECAUSE Kap cannot get to the 3rd or 4th progression in the play call!

              1. Prime, wrong again. I have seen many many times when Kaep has progressed to his third option, but you seem to deny reality.

                Kaep may be part of the problem, but if you look at the big picture, this team is failing because of a total system collapse.

                Diss Kaep all you want, but he is not the one allowing 150 yards rushing every game. Diss him for missing Torrey, but the coaches told him to not improvise, and he was forced to run the play called.

                Diss Kaep for not finding his receivers, but even Chip said that the real problem is dropped balls that hit the receivers in both hands.

                I really hope Kaep flees this dysfunctional dumpster fire and goes to a team that will appreciate him. I hope he goes to a team that has a stout defense and good RB, and only lacks a decent QB, and I hope he plays the Niners twice a year to shove it in the Niner fans faces just to show how clueless they are. I still want the Niners to win another ring, but that dream is impossible with this FO wanting to lose.

                Kaep is the last Niner QB to lead them to a SB, yet you think that some marginal FA or unproven rookie will be better? This is why I think you have a total lack of football knowledge.

                Keep parroting that Kaep is only a one read QB. When he continues his career, you will look just as clueless as the FO.

        2. Why was every Kelly QB, except Foles in 2014, but only for 2014, as effective in the second half as the first?

          Why has Kaepernick grown increasing ineffective in the second half of games regardless of head coach?

          2012 – 60.0%/64.2% 4% better in second half
          2013 – 58.6%/58.2% Virtually identical.
          2014 – 62.3%/58.5% Dropped 4% in second half.
          2015 – 63.3%/54.8% Dropped 8% in second half.
          2016 – 71.7%/42.3% OMG! Seriously, just OMG!

          As I said in post further down-stream, Kelly (like all NFL coaches) gives Kaepernick all the easy, confidence building stuff early. The most polished and well-practiced plays. But once the game goes on and they have to dig into the playbook, Kaepernick flames out.

          And he’s the worst at it of all Kelly QBs in Philly or SF. And he’s dramatically worse. No other QB has come close to this ineptitude, not even Gabbert or Nick Foles (2014 version).

          In short, there’s nothing there. You haven’t found a smoking gun. You’ve seen a problem and jumped to a conclusion.

          But you didn’t test all the data. You should have. You’d have noticed that Kaepernick is the only real disaster. Even Foles and Gabbert didn’t fall to pieces like Kaepernick has…

          1. Mozes, you are just as bad as Prime. Cherry picking stats and drawing the wrong conclusions to fit your screed.

            Gabbert also has lost, so it is more a factor of Baalke’s incompetence than the QB performance. The second half regression is more tied to the ineptitude of the coaching than anything else.

            Baalke gets most of the blame. He whiffed on an entire draft class. He broke his promise to retain veteran leadership. After what happened to JH, both Cowboy and Willis retired because they saw the writing on the wall, and they showed no loyalty because the Niners treated them and all players like chattel. Baalke lowballed Crabtree. Baalke refused to resign Boldin. Baalke traded away Davis. Baalke did not even offer Gore a contract. Baalke re-signed the QB killer DEVEY. Baalke is so toxic, no decent FA would consider coming here. In fact, they avoided Baalke like the plague.

            Baalke refused to spend the salary cap, but the end result was that the Niners ended up with a team that was 50 mil less talented than other teams. Baalke tried to go cheap, with cheap results.

            Baalke, with his ACL strategy, likes those good values, but when they all flame out spectacularly, Baalke looks like the fool on the hill.

            Glad Baalke has taken all the blame. It is richly deserved. Jed will let him fall on his sword as the fall guy, so he can save his own skin and not be held accountable. Another profile in courage.

            Kaep is not doing well because he does not have a Julio Jones or a Dez Bryant to throw to. Compare Gronk to Vance? LOLOLOLOL. The Niner receivers have stone hands. Chip threw them under the bus for all their drops. Since Baalke was burned with AJ Jenkins, he has not even tried to draft another receiver. In TC, the WRs were an assortment of cast offs and UDFA. They even scraped the bottom of the barrel for a CFL player.

            Go ahead and blame the QB, but this defense has set new records in incompetence. Joe Montana himself could not win on this team that gives up 200 rushing yards regularly.

            Grant hit the nail on the head with his analysis. Fault the coaching for the second half regression, because Kaep had good first halfs. Chip himself admitted that he was not putting players in positions to succeed. I will go further. They are not only playing players out of position, they are playing the wrong players. Cromartie, Reaser and Harris are sitting on the bench while this team continues to lose.

            I am reminded of the quote- there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. You are cherry picking statistics to contrive a false narrative. Kaep is not the sole reason they are losing. It all starts at the top. Jed has his fingerprints all over this debacle, and Baalke is the architect of this cataclysmic catatonic catastrophe.

        3. I remember reading an article about the pace of the game. It takes teams the first two quarters to adjust. You can’t practice for that sort of tempo.

          I think that is why you see the difference in the two quarters. Teams adjust. Drops and mistakes kill a lot of 49er drives, but at this point in the season there is more equity in losing than in winning.

          So many are on the blogs destroying Chip Kelly when instead they should be thankful for the lack of winning at a point in the season where the season is lost. The team is floating on a screen door. They need as many chances and picks to plug holes as they can get.

          Put the pitch forks down and enjoy that Chip is showing he can move the offense with no talent. The last thing at this point the team needs is wins. It just needs to see it can compete. It has.

          1. Sorry, you are just trying to put lipstick on a pig.

            You are buying into the loser mentality.

            Jed wants to be rewarded for losing, but the losing mindset will continue, even with a good draft position.

            Niners need a winning attitude, and that only comes with winning.

            I supported Chip, but after the last few losses, I can see that he is not the answer.

  15. Zane Beadles to play guard, tackle and center in consecutive weeks. He’s gotta be the team MVP. Thanks, Baalke … for the parting gift..

    1. He’s been a pleasant surprise. He’s been what Baalke hoped his other OL pickups had been. His work at OLT has stood out. Marginal push at point of attack, but reasonably dependable in pass pro. Good effort.

  16. ” Yeah, I dont really think about the radio interview right after the phone’s hung up’.

    Nice, selective amnesia.

    No wonder he is losing. He keeps forgetting those past losses, so he can’t learn anything from the defeats.

  17. Yea Prime, your wrong about Colon. Other than the fact that he can’t read a defense, doesn’t even know what the word “progression” means, is the most inaccurate QB in the league, has a bigger windup than Juan Marichal, thinks “leader” is what he puts on the end of his fishing line, is despised by more than half the team, he’s actually a damn fine mediocre player. I’m still waiting for one of his prominent proponents to give a detailed account of his so called “skill set”! It’s laughable. Bye Bye Colon. He not only will be out of here, but no owner will sign him. He will never play another down in the NFL. Goodbye Colon.

  18. This board argues about Kaep..is he good, is he bad, is he good in abad system? etc. Hete’s the problem. It’s been so long since “we” have had a good QB we do not have any experiences to give us the feeling of knowing we got the right guy. Thank Baalke for this. Between Tomsula, then Chip, Gabberts, then (again) Kaep…..it’s a long futile deck chair on Titanic exercise. Time to sink this thing, build another boat. Everyone to the Parking Lot.

    1. Who scouted Kaepernick? Jim Harbaugh.
      Who advocated for Kaepernick in the draft? Jim Harbaugh.
      Who failed to train Kaepernick? Jim Harbaugh.
      Who caused Smith to be shipped out? Jim Harbaugh.

      I don’t blame Baalke, Tomsula or Kelly for Kaepernick. By mid-2014 the NFL had him figured out stone-cold. His QB rating for the second half of 2014 –77. For 2015 – 79. The QB rating is a bit better this year. But that’s because he takes no risks at all now and his happy to out-dink-and-dunk Alex Smith and defenses give you the first 10 yards where the vast majority of his attempts come…

      1. “Who caused Smith to be shipped out? Jim Harbaugh.”

        Harbaugh wanted to keep Smith. It was York and Baalke that made the decision to move him.

      2. Kaep led the team to the SB after only 10 games. What other QB has ever done that?

        It would help Kaep to have decent WRs to throw to, but none of the present WRs remind me of another Jerry Rice.

        JH led the Niners to 3 consecutive NFCC Games, so firing him was about as stupid as splitting up the forces at the Little Big Horn.

      3. I remember you coming in here before the season and spewing all kinds of nonsense and then disappearing when none of it came true. Still trying to blame Harbaugh for any of this downfall is ridiculous. Kap played well enough under him to win a lot of games. He didn’t ship Smith out either.

        1. Rocket

          Sorry, but I must disagree with your statement “…Still trying to blame Harbaugh for any of this downfall is ridiculous.”… I think that having Kaep at QB for the last 3+ years is far and away less than desireable than having Alex Smith at QB. Their records’ certainly indicate as much…

          As much as many posters say, Alex didn’t deserve to be the #1 draftee in ’05, check back and see what other coaches thought…ALL of them wanted Alex and we got him…and then proceeded to throw him into the starting line up…could Aaron Rogers pass that test.? Hell no…and you know it. That he didn’t ship Smith out is only splitting hairs…JH drafted Kaep…and replaced Alex with him unrightously What else could you call it ?

          1. Oregon,

            Whether anyone agrees with the change to Kap or not, it resulted in a run to the SB and another NFCCG after Alex was gone. Kap wasn’t nearly as bad during Harbaugh’s last season as he is now either. Harbaugh was able to get a level of play out of him that won a lot of games. That is the mark of a great HC, especially when we consider how bad Kap has been under the Coaches who followed.

            In regards to Alex, Harbaugh did not want to trade him. I have no idea how the idea he did ever became a belief around here, but Harbaugh would have loved to keep Alex around and maybe he could have eventually won the job back.

            I know you are a big Alex Smith fan and supporter. I like him a lot too, but Alex is a second round talent at best. He is extremely smart and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but his game is limited and he needs a lot around him to succeed. Rodgers is a much higher caliber of player and had the mental makeup to become great no matter what situation he was put in imo. His confidence is and always has been off the charts.

            1. Rocket

              I DO respect your opinion, but as great minds sometimes think alike, they also are occasionally divergent….I’m satisfied with that for now….Merry Christmas….

  19. 2017 NFL preliminary head-coach predictions (I reserve the right to change these):

    LA Rams: Tom Coughlin
    Jacksonville Jaguars: Todd Haley
    Buffalo Bills: Scott Linehan
    San Diego Chargers: Sean Payton
    New Orleans Saints: Mike Smith
    Indianapolis Colts: Nick Saban
    San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan
    49ers’ GM: Scott Pioli

    1. I would be beyond happy with Pioli as GM and Kyle Shanahan as Head Coach. Not my first choice, but it would be better than I fear we will end up with. My fear is that Jed will try to keep Chip as Head Coach while hiring a new GM. No GM candidate with any ability will be willing to be saddled with Chip so after a nation wide search we will end up with Gamble.

      It is going to take some time and drafts to fix the offense so this team will need to rely on the defense, which will be easier to fix than the offense. Unfortunately, no competent Defensive Coordinator will want to risk their career working for Chip. I think we are screwed.

      1. I don’t want Parcells’ son-in-law as Niners GM. I want a complete and total purge of Parcellosaurus football where they draft big, good athletes in the hope that they turn out to be decent football players. Bellichick got rid of that tendency after he became the GM but I’m not sure Pioli has. Need a GM who can draft QBs and receivers, and who will hire coaches who can and will develop QBs.

    2. LA Rams- Sean Payton, to help Goff.

      Bills- Anthony Lynn.

      Niners- Chipotle.

      Niner GM- Gamble.

      Saban will not leave, and Chris Peterson will get an NFL HC job, especially if he can manage to defeat Bama. Shanahan will get a gig, but not with the Niners, maybe the Colts.

      1. I’m thinking the Patriots will go to the Super Bowl and he’ll stick with that team for now. What do you think?

        1. That definitely could happen but I believe McDaniels is ready for his next shot and the Rams seem like a perfect fit for him.

              1. Yeah I was going to ask the same question. Coughlin may be a two time SB winner, but at this point I think McDaniels is the more sought after option and one of the bigger names out there. Coughlin moving to California isn’t likely either. He’s 70 and is pretty close to the family all of which reside on the East side of the country.

              2. I think both are well known, but at this point McDaniels is the more attractive candidate, especially for a market like LA.

              3. McDaniels is well known among hardcore football fans, but Coughlin is more famous among casual fans and non-footabll fans than McDaniels and Jeff Fisher combined.

              4. Casual fans judge franchises by the product on the field, not by the denizens of front office and coaching staff.

    3. SF – Chip Kelly
      Fixed that for you
      Jed reserves the right to change that for us. But he won’t.

      Somebody new in SD, but Sean Payton? Is that just a W.A.G., or have you read something somewhere? Cuz that’s not just out of left field, it’s out of foul territory down the 3rd base line.
      Indy is interesting. I’m not sure if Irsay will pull the trigger even though he needs to let loose both barrels. Nobody ever knows what that guy will do. IF they do, do they hire Saban to hire an OC and build a Defense? Or maybe let Sean Payton hire a DC and work with Luck?

      1. The Colts need defense and Payton’s defenses usually stink.
        Payton is a California guy and he could work with Philip Rivers.

            1. Actually, I was thinking Kaep would go to the Rams for revenge, because he would love to have that Ram defense and Gurley.

              Payton is smart enough to utilize Kaep correctly.

              Goff would do well to sit and study for a few tears.

              1. Goff is getting the Alex treatment. It might take years to recover.

                Goff would do a lot better if he got the Aaron Rodgers treatment.

              2. True. The Rams are not a savvy organization, though. They drafted Goff for his name-recognition in California. They’re trying to sell tickets.

              3. “Goff would do a lot better if he got the Aaron Rodgers treatment.”

                Didn’t realize that the Rams have a HOF QB for him to sit behind and learn from.

              4. Goff has been Fisherized. Goff is in trouble. Harbaugh could save him. Coughlin might be able to salvage him….

              5. I think the 49ers could benefit from one too, and a coach that can develop his own culture without assistance from ownership. That’s why I like Dantonio….

              6. Jack, I would think that a SB QB would do. Kaep would thrive on that team, which is only missing a QB.

                It would be a bold move, but if Kaep could take the league by storm, again, it might be a Hollywood ending. Heck, Kaep may take less just to stomp on Jed’s team twice a year.

              7. The Rams need an Offensive minded HC to put in a system that Goff can develop in for an extended period of time. The worst thing they can do is hire another HC with a defensive background who isn’t able to develop the franchise QB. Coughlin isn’t an old defensive guy but I question how much of an appetite and patience he has at this point in his life.

                I think the best option for the Rams is an OC who is well versed in modern passing concepts and can make maximum use of Goff’s pocket awareness and accuracy. What the Rams also need are OL and WR’s. If they can improve the talent up front and at the Skill positions, they could eventually be one of the better offenses in the league under a HC like McDaniels or Shanahan.

              8. That’s Harbaugh. He’ll be their head coach in 2019. Coughlin is the perfect bridge. He’s an older coach who can instill discipline into a young, underachieving team.

              9. pocket awareness and accuracy

                There wasn’t much of that on display in Goff’s last performance….

              10. Harbaugh would be a good option for any team, I agree. However, he’s not the offensive mind I would be looking for in order to maximize the Rams offense. I think McDaniels or Shanahan would get more out of the offense than Harbaugh, but Harbaugh would likely get the most out of the team as a whole.

              11. I believe the Rams will hire a proven head coach, not an up-and-comer. That’s the sense I get.

              12. Razor,

                There was when he wasn’t under duress, which wasn’t often. It’s a little hard to throw the ball with constant pressure in your face. As it was, he still made some great throws and some simply were dropped.

              13. I wouldn’t disagree with that but I don’t think it’s the right move for them long term. The fact they are rumored to be infatuated with Gruden is not a good sign for their fan base.

              14. They Rams aren’t in the business of making the right moves. They never should have moved to LA in the first place.

              15. There was when he wasn’t under duress

                In the NFL, you can expect a lot of duress. I agree with Fisher, he’s no where near ready….

              16. If you don’t know your history, you’re doomed to repeat it. Snyder did the same thing to Shanny with RGTurd….

              17. Razor,

                I’m not talking about typical pocket pressure. I’m talking about complete pocket breakdowns right off the snap. No QB is going to be able to make plays without time, let alone a rookie. The Ram Oline couldn’t protect him and were especially poor on obvious passing downs.

              18. I think people failed to appreciate the intellect Alex Smith provided Kaepernick as his back up….

      2. “SF – Chip Kelly
        Fixed that for you
        Jed reserves the right to change that for us. But he won’t.”

        I agree with you, BT. If Baalke is gone, I think Jed keeps Kelly. Jed strikes me as a risk averse kind of guy, and a complete overhaul might be too risky for him, especially if Kelly’s “it’s the talent” campaign has gotten through to him (the likely ultimate target of said campaign).

        1. I’m fairly confident Eddie D has passed along the message that the silicon air has done all it can for Chip Kelly….

    4. I like your options for the Jags and Bills, along with the Niners obviously considering I’ve been suggesting KS for a couple of years now. Payton getting traded to SD seems very unlikely and Smith is a drastic change in philosophy for the Saints. I can’t see Payton leaving NO one year into a new deal.

      I still don’t see Saban going to the NFL, but if he was going to go anywhere, Indy would be an attractive option with the franchise QB already in place.

            1. Best match out there. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won a conference championship in short order together….

              1. Saban won’t take kindly to multiple Int’s from Luck in a game, but yea, I’d say it would remind me more of Harbaugh/Luck while at Stanford than BB/Brady….

            2. Rivers is already a HOF caliber QB who is putting up great numbers in McCoy’s system. Payton isn’t going to get much more out of that offense and can’t seem to find a DC who can run a decent defense. What San Diego needs is better health. They seem to lose OL and WR’s every season.

              1. Payton may look at the competition. AFC West is tough with the Raiders, Chiefs and Broncos.

                NFC West has the Seahawks, but the Cards are under performing, and he knows how to beat the Niners

              2. I wasn’t comparing Payton and McCoy as HC’s. Just pointing out that offense is not a problem in SD and that is what you bring in Payton for.

              3. That would probably be the best situation for Kizer.

                Yep, perfect situation. He’s got the arm to push it downfield and the pocket manipulation. He should have the intelligence to grasp the entire offense, and perfect his mechanics during that time. With Johnson plus the receivers, I would anticipate a virtual seamless transition….

      1. Makes sense for those and the fact that he’s an east-coast guy. But Kroenke can outbid the Bills easily.

      1. I know, but it is still disheartening to hear the team I love does not care about being the laughing stock of the league.

  20. Baalke,Kelly,Gabbert and Kaepernick have one big thing in common they all suck and there is only one solution:
    CLEAN HOUSE
    This franchise has lowered her standard huge.

    Its time for York to act like a man and give us some solutions and explanations.

      1. If they’d take Armstead and next years 2nd, I’d do it. Keep in mind, the Patriots probably have the 2nd best offensive line in the league. The 49ers not so much. The Patriots have skill players. The 49ers not so much. I’m worried an investment like Garoppolo might be too early unless they can address those problems through free agency/draft. You want to make sure he has a supporting cast to give him the best chance at success….

        1. If they’d take Armstead and next years 2nd, I’d do it.

          The Patriots run a 4-3 defense, so they would probably pass on Armstead. Maybe Smith or Ward. ?

          1. I think they’d like to move to a 3-4 if they could. Armstead might help them facilitate that. They’re mostly in Nickel and run a very flexible front anyway. Not sure they’d be interested in Armstead. I wonder if Smith combined with Reid would do it….

            1. BB likes to have a speed receiver to stretch the field. Torrey Smith might be of interest to them. Smith would be incentivized to re-sign with them after the season in order to catch a ring. Not sure how much Jimmy G would like having to sign with SF after ’17.

              1. Good point, Brotha. I’d do that trade in a heartbeat. Then if the Browns do indeed take Garrett, and we select Allen, we could then trade Armstead and regain a 2nd next year….

              2. I am not sure Armstead could garner a second round pick Razor. He had a good but not great rookie season, then followed it up with an unspectacular and injury plagued season.

              3. I am not sure Armstead could garner a second round pick Razor.

                I think he could, but as I stated yesterday, you’d have to get him back on the field and he’d need to showcase his skills prior to the trade deadline….

        2. Why next year’s second? If I am the Patriots I’m demanding a pick this year. Armstead and a 2nd this year for Garoppolo works for me. I think the patriots would be interested in Armstead. They like versatile defensive players.

            1. Sorry, I meant from the POV of the Patriots. For the 49ers it is a no brainer, less they give up the better and next years 2nd is less than this years. But I don’t think the Patriots would accept a trade that doesn’t give them a draft pick this year.

              1. So do I, but I think 2nd pick in the 2nd round + Armstead would be something they would be interested in to.

          1. Has BB ever lost on any trade he’s made? That’s why if he agrees to the trade, you have to wonder what’s up. If he doesn’t do that trade, he’s a believer….

          2. Sure they will. Getting a 1st round DL + the 2nd pick in the 2nd round is a great return on an unknown QB that has really only played 6 qtrs of NFL. Especially when they still have a top notch QB playing great football.

            Patriots will likely be losing some key players this offseason – can’t afford to pay everyone. They need to replace them. Adding Armstead to the DL helps solidify the unit and add some extra pass rush. With a late 1st and early 2nd they can add an edge rusher and TE to replace Bennett. They can then draft a QB at the end of round 2 or round 3 to compete with Brissett as the next heir apparent.

            1. Trading away Garoppolo would be trading away the Patriots’ future. Belichick absolutely positively won’t do it. Period.

              1. Belichick absolutely positively won’t do it. Period.

                Never say never. It’s the NFL, baby!

              2. Trading Garappolo makes more sense than letting him walk after next season. Brady is in the twilight of his career, but he has yet to show any signs of being in decline.

              3. They won’t let him walk. They’ll clear enough space to keep both quarterbacks. I guarantee it.

              4. The Patriots will have plenty of capital space, but they also have a few impending free agents, so Garappolo is expendable unless Belichick is willing to gut the team on offense and defense.

              5. Three key defensive pieces and one offensive piece that has kept the Patriots from missing the Gronk are less important than keeping a QB who may not play until he is 30? Okay.

              6. I’m thinking Pats could go either way, Grant. It will depend how they view Brissett, of course. You advised the Niners to go hard and early after Jimmy G. Bears and Browns are very interested too, and who knows who else?
                If there’s a bidding war, you never know.

              7. Hightower is considered one of the best at his position, Sheard a key piece since they traded Jones and now Collins, Butler is important in the secondary, and Bennett is reportedly already in talks for a new contract. Exactly which one is expendable over Garappolo?

              8. Collins is considered one of the best at his position and the Pats traded him. All non-QBs are expendable in a QB-driven league.

              9. Pure fantasy.

                I will make you a deal Grant. If Garappolo is traded, then you have to change your avatar to one with you wearing a Seahawks jersey for a year. If not, then I will change my avatar to Russell Wilson for one year.

              10. Pats drafted Brissett for a reason. They were already looking ahead to this very scenario. They’ll let Garoppolo go, just like they let Mallett go. But this time they’ll get more in return.

              1. Yep, I’ve thought the same thing in the past cubus. Let Falk sit behind Brady for a couple of years. Look out.

        1. Scooter
          Assuming they would let him go, how does the ‘buyer’ deal with the one year contract? Sign & trade? Permission to talk to agent for wink-wink agreement? A one and done QB would warrant less trade value, yes?
          Anyone?

          1. Contract extension would be negotiated prior to the trade being completed, Brotha. If Garoppolo doesn’t want to sign an extension with a team trying to trade for him, they won’t trade for him. I would find that very unlikely though.

          2. I would have to believe any deal would involve the acquiring team being able to negotiate an extension with Garoppolo, if for no other reason than the compensation being larger for a player signed long term. I guess a team could gamble and try to sign him after trading for him and franchising him if they can’t work something out.

              1. To the Niners?!? Giselle would drive right over to BB’s house and shoot him down like Stagger Lee shot Billy!

              2. And in the news today, Tom Brady has mysteriously disappeared shortly after the Patriots agreed to trade the future Hall of Famer to the 49ers for an arm, a leg, Noah’s Ark, and the lost city of Atlantis.

              3. Brady left his heart in San Francisco, maybe he’d like to restore them to their greatness…or not;>)

              4. Razor! Wait, I’ve got it!
                Tom & Giselle BUY the Niners. They liberate The Faithful and begin the resurrection. The day Jed clears out his office Tom instantly becomes as popular as Montana, Rice, Lott, all the dudes.

              5. Fantastic idea, Brotha! That’s after he wins us another Super Bowl. THEN “Tom instantly becomes as popular as Montana, Rice, Lott, all the dudes”. Ha!

      1. I agree. Brady may want to play another 5 years but Belichick may have other ideas if he feels he has the heir apparent on the roster right now. They can keep Garoppolo and get a 3rd round compensatory pick if the leaves as a FA, so unless they get a great offer, I don’t think they’ll trade him.

        1. Belichick won’t trade Brady’s heir apparent. That would stupid. Good QBs are hard to find.

          1. Brissett might be the wild card. If he’s shown any semblance of potential, they might do the trade….

              1. Garoppolo will be special.

                Ok, but what will he be with this team? Will he still be special and make our scrubs sparkle?

      2. I think the Browns trade their second 1st Round pick straight up for Garoppolo, and they take Garrett number one….

          1. Sample size too small. Couple that with the previous Patriot quarterbacks traded, and the fact he operated behind the 2nd best offensive line in the NFL, proven weapons and scheme….

              1. TB’s conditioning and nutrition regime make him quite different than most athletes. I think he’ll last longer and better than most suspect.
                I haven’t forgotten about Revis falling off the edge this year though.
                When BB see “We’ll….we might consider trading him for a king’s ransom…..but probably not.”
                Then we’ll know.

              2. Ideally, Bellichick wins another SB and rides off into the sunset a winner. That means McDaniels stays.

                Brady might want to hang them up if he wins another SB, so Garoppolo stays, too.

              3. Yes, TB does have a great conditioning program. IMO, injury is the most likely thing to knock Brady out over the next season or so, especially if it is a concussion.

              4. Like Brotha said, and I would add that Brady is still full of vim and vigor. Dude’s still got the fire….

              5. Belichick has never been the sentimental type. He’s traded some big name guys before, so I could even see him trading Brady if he got a good enough offer. It all comes down to how much he values Garoppalo as a potential franchise QB. As has been mentioned, there is little to go on as far as actual game action so nobody knows better than Belichick right now.

              6. Not about sentiment. It’s about having a special QB to succeed a special QB who will be 40 next season. It’s a quarterback-driven league.

      3. I agree. Bellichick will want a kings’ ransom for him, but the Niners may be stupid enough to pay it.

        Brady is 39 and cannot play forever. If Brissett had done well, then maybe BB would have a decent back up. However, he will look at the Romo and the Cowboys, and see what not having a QB will do to a team.

          1. Yup.

            And he will pass on this years’ QB class and concentrate on 2018 QBs.

            BB is shrewd enough to make a trade, targeting another team who he feels will fail spectacularly, so he can ninja their first round pick.

            Imagine Lamar Jackson on a BB team…..

    1. It never was the election that sapped NFL market share. Football was one of the few refuges from that stuff. Fig leaf.
      My anecdotal observation is fewer women watching, and some lame prime time match-ups, awareness of the long term effects of injuries, questionable officiating sometimes, the avarice of the league and owners, too many ad breaks during broadcasts, and the randomness of in-league punishments for infractions all have contributed to the product losing favor. These have with me, just not enough to break my addiction yet (although Jed’s taking a good run at it!)

      This makes me feel like there could be some effectiveness to a boycott of the stupid Thursday night games. The NFLPA doesn’t have the cajones or power to get rid of TNF in 2020 CBA, but if enough viewers agreed that TNF is a sub- standard, unacceptable product and stayed away, the Golden Geese would notice and bring pressure on revenue. THAT gets attention.
      For me, I’ll not renew my NFL Network cable gig, ignore TNF, and bark about a TNF Boycott on blogs and social media.
      Sure, it’s like a dog behind a fence barking at traffic, but me and the dog will feel better.
      : >)

      1. I think the main reason ratings are down is that a lot of people aren’t watching in traditional ways anymore. There are so many options out there that the old style ratings system can’t measure as effectively as it once did. TV ratings are down in general, not just the NFL which is why I see this as the biggest reason for the drop.

        I have to ask BT: why are you so against the Thursday Night games? You are certainly not the only one, in fact there seems to be a ground swell of support to get rid of them, but I truly have no idea why football fans would want to get rid of games on TV? Sure some of the matchups are garbage but so are a lot of the Sunday afternoon and Monday night games. There is no data backing up the idea that playing on Thursday puts any extra risk on a players health. Some of the games have actually been pretty good. Thanksgiving games have always been popular and nobody is advocating getting rid of them. So why is there such a concerted effort to do away with games on Thursdays?

        1. Rocket
          Your point about more platforms is a part of it.

          I think the Thursday games usually aren’t that good. Yeah, doggy matchups can happen any time, but often some players aren’t in top form without any major injury, just not ready to bring their A Game that soon. The older vets experience that more. Some guys rush back from an injury too soon and risk re-injury. Others who might be Probable for Sunday can’t go Thursday night.
          Remember the Harbaugh vs Harbaugh game? 49ers got jobbed on coast to coast away Thursday game.
          Yes until now I’ve liked having the extra game on to watch, and I’ve watched but there are drawbacks for the players, and I’m coming to where I think the bad outweighs the good and I would prefer to let them go away. No chance they will as there’s too much money involved. Unless a boycott could change that dynamic. Since there are a lot of folks like you who wouldn’t or might not be inclined to participate and many viewers would remain, a boycott might have baby teeth. Or it might just be me yapping!
          Don’t get me started on the 9ers-Rams in China. That’s not racial, nor political nor xenophobic. It’s geographical reasoning; it’s too damned far!

          1. I am a confessed football junky BT but I understand your point. The way I see it is if the Lions and Cowboys have had to play on a Thursday for the past 60 years, asking the rest of the league to take a turn is justified.

            If they could come up with a better schedule maybe that would solve the problem.

  21. Scary that Baalke is still making signings like Ray Ray & Mcdonald. Hope this doesn’t mean he’s staying.
    If he is leaving we’re falling behind the Rams in this search and with them being in LA now if they hit on their Coach we’ll be miles behind them and Seattle.

  22. One theory: Blow up the 49ers
    By: Rob Lowder | December 21, 2016 3:38 pm ET

    TomD’s and 49er Fans Xmas Wish List. How to Fix the 49ers:

    It’s safe to say things haven’t gone to plan for the 49ers in Chip Kelly’s first season. They find themselves trying to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history…

    Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller recently expressed his thoughts on bad teams this week, why they stay bad and what he would do to fix them.

    Not surprisingly, the 49ers were on Matt’s list

    Miller’s fix? Blow it up.

    The York family should take a step back and assess the direction this team is headed. General manager Trent Baalke is a good scout but hasn’t cultivated the young talent needed to continually succeed in the NFL. Head coach Chip Kelly is an offensive mastermind whose teams break down on the field and in the locker room. Erase it all and start fresh by bringing in a football operations department that has a plan to
    rebuild—not reload—the roster. A general manager who will take chances on more than rebuilt ACLs and a head coach who can be the CEO a good franchise needs are atop the list in San Francisco.

    http://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2016/12/21/one-theory-blow-up-the-49ers/

  23. D
    ‏@Six4ThreeDP
    @timkawakami does niners pr send out cards with various leaks/secrets/false information?
    0:48 AM – 22 Dec 2016

    D ‏@Six4ThreeDP · 5h5 hours ago

    @timkawakami good to know one part of the organization is doing their jobs with care then.

    Danielle ‏@dannieann14 · 3h3 hours ago

    @timkawakami I just don’t understand how Jed still has a job? Even John was taken off the job after showing incompetence.

    mcrosari ‏@mcrosari1 · 4h4 hours ago

    @timkawakami any idea how many cronies are in the PR dept? Not sure that job is a resume-builder

    Kawakami Retweeted D

    I wholly exempt those who officially work in the 49ers PR dept from my criticism of the team. They’re just doing their jobs. Professionals.

    Tim Kawakami Verified account 
    ‏@timkawakami
    The 49ers PR job that is such a corrupt part of this small-time operation is the unofficial stuff by Jed, Trent & their unpaid cronies.

  24. Warning to the York Family:

    TomD’s Response to continual leaking by Jed’s PR Cronies, the latest by York sycophant, Trent Dilfer and ESPN.

    Reasoning:

    (1) Possible proof that if Jed’s still leaking and Trent Baalke is still extending contracts and signing free agents like the O-lineman yesterday, in addition to Dr. York’s recent comment that Jed’s not being reassigned, it means walk-outs and a Bait-and-switch lawsuit by their own PSL holders, a first in NFL history.

    1. Dear York Family,

      As part of my public duty to all Niner fans, I will be udating your family, free of charge, of the pending lawsuit for bait and switch.

      PSL holders will make an appearance, al-la-York end of year press conferences on the state of the 49ers..

      Changes made in the organization will play a large part of our press conference, which will be national, like the plane advertisements periodically flying over Levi’s offering fans support. At that time more information will be made available.

      Thank you!

    1. Jim Bob Cooter should become a HC just because of his name…..

      Bet he would fit right in New Orleans if they traded away Payton.

  25. I think Grant is right with this one caveat. I don’t the the Patriots will make a trade for anything less than the Browns second 1st Rounder….

    1. Grant is saying he will not be traded at all. I am willing to bet he is wrong.

            1. And have some of my dumb blunders on here risk the career goal I am aiming for? Thanks but no thanks.

              1. Thanks. I want to open a non-profit aimed at helping people after I finish my online university’s coursework. The black marks of some bad netiquette could derail that, which I wish to avoid.

              2. I want to open a non-profit aimed at helping people after I finish my online university’s coursework.

                Good. I could use all the help I can get. Thank you for your kind heart….

              3. Thanks for that Mid. I thought your comment was a joke at first, but applaud your goals. Best of luck.

      1. They’re worth two in the bush.

        Was just saying this to myself earlier today about something.

  26. Grant – You might want to check what the Patriots just did with Brissett, used him as the 1 person designated to return from IR. Tea leaves suggest they are going to trade Jimmy G (and it makes sense given Brady’s eastern mysticism has him looking 28).

      1. I agree if the Patriots are 100% convinced Garoppolo will be great they will hold onto him. Even to the point of letting Brady go to keep him if need be. But they have no real way of knowing right now, and I disagree they have shown signs of fully believing in him. If Garoppolo had a full season or even half a season starting experience under his belt and had looked good over that period this would be a different conversation. But he has 6 quarters. If they fully believed in Garoppolo they don’t take Brissett in the 3rd last draft. And they don’t bring Brisset back from IR.

          1. I agree with Grant. IF the Pats think Garoppolo is the future, then he is not going anywhere. Brady is one good hit away from retirement. That exceptional quickness in sliding around in the pocket, like many other physical tools, take a downward dip for most folks somewhere in the age range of 40-43. If they have to pay JG $10M per year for 2-3 years just to hold the clip board, it’s well worth it if he’s the designated QBOTF.

            As to why the Pats drafted a third QB, IMO, all smart F.O.s with an offensive system in place should draft a BPA QB on the third day of the draft, if they have an aging franchise QB and a solid backup, for insurance and trade investment.

            1. The Browns take Garrett number one and trade their 7th to the Patriots for Garoppolo. That’s my best prediction….

        1. Tom Brady just was put on the injury report with a knee issue.

          Lets see how the season plays out and the Playoff ends before speculating too much. If Brady is slowing down, Bellichick will not gamble on Brissett, especially if Brissett is injured, too.

    1. “….Brady’s eastern mysticism…..”
      Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga have no particular theocratic or mystical imperatives. He’s in to intense stretching for maximum flexibility, and a science based nutrition regime.
      His eastern mysticism is that he lives close to his work on the east coast.

      1. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika written by Swatmarama in the 15th Century in northern India, he introduced his asanas as preparatory stage for physical purification of the body ahead of higher meditation. In Brady’s case, these meditations would be on the playbook designed to eviscerate the next opponent’s defense :)

        1. Ha! Hoodie is his Guru and Bob Kraft the Patron of the ashram. And apparently they’re dedicated practitioners as their juju is strong!

  27. So the defense for Colon is “if he only had better receivers”! That’s it??? That’s his “skill set”? First of all, he has NEVER progressed past one chosen receiver on any play. “He is to his third progression” is beyond fantasy. He might throw to another receiver on a play by shear luck in his mad, undisciplined scramble after his designated receiver is covered. He could have Jerry Rice, Lynn Swann, or any other set of Hall of Famers and he’d still be INACCURATE. Being able to read a defense in a matter of seconds requires high intelligence. Colon’s Wonderlick score explains why he can’t. The only “gap integrity” we should be discussing around here is the one between Colon’s ears. Look, nobody hates Colon Sebby, including Greg Cosell, who by the way has forgotten more about football than, with all due respect, you will ever know. Give me a break. A hack. LOL. A blind man can see that Colon is just not a very good NFL QB. Period. As for voting, there is a lot more to voting than the presidential election. There are many measures to vote on, city wide and state wide, that may affect the very people he is trying to represent. You’ll discover this yourself when you are old enough to vote. Pay attention in your MS or HS civics class, whichever it might be.

    1. Juan, name calling defines you. You have to act like a little spoiled brat and you expect me to respect you?

      His name is Colin Kaepernick. Many call him Kap, but I spell it Kaep because it is the first 4 letters of his name.

      If you want to have a polite civil conversation, do not act like an immature dweeb. You cannot be calling him derogatory names, then say you do not hate him. Hate drips from every pore.

      Your football knowledge I put along side with Prime. You think you can spew drivel and have me applaud your acumen? Guess again. You think this condescending snarky attitude is brilliant? No it just exemplifies how unctuous you are. I will pause while you look up that word.

      If you want to try to sound smart, this is the last way you should be trying to communicate. To me, you are a bilious babbling boastful bellowing belligerent blustering bombastic babbling buffoon.

      Maybe you did not watch last game, or your memory retention is on par with Chips’, but I saw Kaep go through progressions and throw with touch. In fact, he threw for 2 TDs. Kaep does need better receivers. They have dropped 30 balls. They pay them to catch balls, not drop them.

      Granted, in the second half, the whole team regressed, but that may be more on the coaching than on the players.

      Kaep’s Wonderlic score is 38, which is higher than Tom Brady’s, which is 33. Peyton Manning, Drew Breeze and Russel Wilson’s are only 28. Terry Bradshaw, who has 4 rings, had a 15 score.

      Maybe you should take this advice- Sometimes it is better to stay quiet, and only have them think you the fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

    1. Bill Walsh’s biggest concern was making sure his players played fast, which required them to react, not think first.

      I wonder if O’Neil ever read this?

  28. It is now clear that high Wunderlic scores mean absolutely Zero. Hold on though….Maybe, based on that list, high WLic might be an indicator of unfavorable mental processing capability for a QB if Kaep and Brady are the benchmarks.

    1. Gabbert’s score is 42, and he has a 9-32 win loss record, so Wonderlic scores mean absolutely nothing when predicting SB success.

  29. Njoku has all the tools to be a star. He is only 6’4″ but he has cleared 6’11” in the high jump as a senior in HS. His track coach said, “Despite having the build of a football player, the national champion has great understanding and control of his limbs.” Bill Walsh valued body agility in a TE.

    http://archive.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/boys-track/cedar-grove-panthers-david-njoku-wins-high-jump-national-championship-1.1037320?page=all

    He says he has ran a 4.49 40. We will see at the combine. He is pretty good at pass blocking and a solid run blocker.

    This year he has 38 receptions but he is averaging 17.2 YPC with 13 broken tackles and 7 TDs. Imagine what his numbers would have been if he had a consistent QB. He doesn’t have any character issues like some Canes, Jimmy Graham is his mentor.

    I think he will be the best TE in the draft. No ifs, ands, or Jake Butts.

    1. Dang, I knew I forgot something. Njoku has lined up in the slot this year. I could see him lined up on the outside as well. His versatility in the passing game reminds me of Graham. He may not be as tall as Graham but his ability to high point a ball is unreal. He could wow the scouts at the combine. If so he could be a top 15 pick or possibly top 10.

    2. I would buck the trend and select Bucky Hodges, Butt Baalke re-signed Vance, so they should just fix the defense first.

      1. seb,

        I’m just giving my take on Njoku. I still want to take Garrett. If no Garrett we should trade down.

    3. Njoku is a better athlete than football player right now. I doubt he goes in the first round or is the first TE taken. But he is a talent with high upside.

      1. I’ve seen Njoku as high as mid 1st round in some mocks. I don’t think he will fall to the 2nd round. I think he will impress in the bowl game and the combine. Imagine that, a projected 1st rounder playing in a meaningless bowl game.

        1. Everything will change after the combine.

          Those draft prospect rankings are very preliminary……

          1. seb

            “Everything will change after the combine.” Absolutely, Njoku being the athletic freak that he is will improve his draft stock at the combine.

            1. Most scouts already know the 40 times of most players, but the drills carry weight. The interview process also is important.

              Check out Bucky Hodges. He has some good film and shows a big catching radius.

              1. Scouts like to see players run the 40 and other drills in person. Reading about it isn’t enough.

                I have no reason to believe Njoku will struggle in any of the drills or the interview process. He is a good kid and super competitive. If he is a projected 1st rounder now, he will be the same or higher after the combine.

                I like Hodges as a TE. I dislike him as a Hokie. I think Njoku has the highest ceiling of this years TE class.

  30. Watching film of the upcoming qb’s in the draft I have come away with the following conclusions.
    1. Watson – is a one read, inaccurate thrower who stares down his receiver.

    2. Kizer – Best Body of the bunch, is asked to make reads and clearly does, but he makes some bad decisions, and has accuracy issues. Clearly needs more seasoning.

    3. Trubisky – clearly the most accurate of qb’s with the best pocket presence I have seen and he is asked to make reads but not to the degree of Kizer. (note* he throws a ton of wr bubble screens which raises his accuracy percentage)

    4. Kayaa – still to be seen.

    1. Shoup,

      1. Yup
      2. Yup
      3. Yup
      4. I’ve seen enough of Kaaya. I don’t want him on the Canes or Niners. He is too inconsistent and he throws off his back foot too much. His mechanics shouldn’t be a problem as a three year starter. He often sees ghosts in the pocket leading to poor decisions.

      1. 80,
        just on the little bit I have seen of Kaaya, he seems to be a very good passer but needs a perfect pocket and doesn’t reset well. This is a troublesome trait as it almost never happens in the NFL.

          1. I don’t mind taking Kaaya. However I wouldn’t touch him until the third.
            Truth is I think he could be a solid backup with a higher floor than many of the others, but I also see him as having a low ceiling.

          2. Kaaya at 34? I don’t like it. As Shoup said a solid backup. We can get a solid backup in the middle rounds.

        1. Shoup, you are bang on about him needing a clean pocket. He needs to go somewhere that can give him an excellent OL.

  31. We have watched some miserable mismanagement of the Niners by the current regime. We do indeed need regime change. There won’t be as much change as is needed.
    Yet some of the stuff I read here are such spectacularly bad ideas that I’m amazed. There all sorts of folks who would do worse than the incumbents. Yeah, that bad.

    1. Across the street
      A neon sign
      All you can eat for
      Dollar ninety nine
      Our soul stew
      Is the baddest in the land
      But one dollar’s worth
      Was all that I could stand
      Sometimes, sometimes
      Sometimes bad is bad
      (Do wop wop)

  32. LOL! Wow, that was an impressive barrage of linguistic aptitude. I was always a detractor of home schooling because of the lack of social interaction. Home schooled children tend to spend an inordinate amount of time playing by themselves with computers and electronic games, hence in this case the excessive amount of time spent on these blog(s). But after that incredible display of your grasp of the English language, I may have to change my view. Honestly Seb, in defending Colon you sound like a nice little boy that is upset and crying because your Christmas toy is broken and just won’t work, and everyone around you is saying “play with one of your other toy’s”, that one is done!” Your reply in a vociferous rant is, “but it was such a great toy before, and I want it to be fixed and all better.” I suggest for your own mental health that you put down the computer and broken toy, go outside, enjoy the fresh air, and play with all the other little kids on the block. Don’t talk or think about your broken toy. Life will go on, and it will be great. Good luck. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Lv, Juan

    1. Juan, Merry Christmas to you, too.

      Do not worry, I have a full life with a wife who loves me and children who actually listen to me and help me when they can. I work when I want to, and create beauty that is functional and appreciated.

      What sucks is this team that I love being dragged in the gutter by a clueless FO, and the mean nasty screeds against players who frankly do not deserve it.

      I feel like a lone voice in the wilderness, fighting against the wolves howling at the door. I think it is in the finest American tradition to defend the downtrodden, and your posts, like Prime’s, are your opinions, but if you do spew the hate, just expect some blowback.

      I am glad you note my linguistic skills, I tend to be verbose, but if you want to carry on a civil conversation, tamp down the snark and condescension. It really is not that hard to do.

      You are right, life will go on, and some day, the Niners will start acting with class, and maybe even win another ring.

      I wish you, and the Niners, a Happy New Year.

    2. Oh, and to reply to your post, Kaep is not done. He is only 29, and could play for years.

      I am still hoping that the Niners wake up and realize that Kaep is the last QB to lead them to a SB. And with a decent supporting cast, he could do it again.

      There is a saying- One may not realize the true worth of something, until the moment it leaves their hand as they throw it away.

        1. Merry Christmas to you, Prime, and all the other posters on this site.

          Someday, I will wake up from this nightmare of a season.

          Yet, hope springs eternal.

    3. Home schooled children tend to spend an inordinate amount of time playing by themselves with computers and electronic games, hence in this case the excessive amount of time spent on these blog(s).

      I would strongly suggest you look up the facts about homeschooling instead of believing the biased mythology on the topic. I speak as someone who was homeschooled and did research on the topic for more than a month where I found several scholarly and peer-reviewed articles that pounced such myths into submission.

      1. Mid, we considered home schooling, but moved to Sebastopol because they had a new Waldorf school being set up.

        We had neighbors who home schooled, and their parents did everything right. They did get social interaction with other home schooled kids, and they interacted well with my kids. Both have grown up as polite, well rounded individuals, and are attending college, so the home schooling experience was positive all around.

    1. Razor
      Weren’t you paying attention? Grant said NEVER x10.

      It’s another for our ‘Wait and see this winter List’:
      Jed replaced
      Jimmy G not traded to anyone
      Harbaugh to the Rams
      Coughlin to the Rams
      Knute Rockne to the Rams
      Newt Gingrich to the Rams
      Olivia Newton-John to the Rams

      Get your popcorn

  33. No, it’s Colon MW as in A-Hole. That my friend is not about his poor play on the field or his politics, but rather his disgusting behavior off the field betraying teammates and significant others. It’s not about hate, it’s about respect. We can all agree or disagree with his ability as an athlete and quarterback, or his his leadership qualities or inequities. I myself, simply put, without using a bunch of football jargon to try to sound “football intelligent” like some on here that throw out phrases like “gap integrity” and such, I would say he’s a good athlete who as a quarterback in the NFL does not have that special ability that only a few elite QB’s have to be able to decipher an opponents defensive scheme in a matter of a few seconds. Therefore, his coaching staffs have always designed plays with this in mind, creating plays where he is guided to throw the ball to a specific player. When this breaks down, which with all their other deficiencies is quite often, he drops his eyes and runs. This is patented Colon. Nobody with the slightest football knowledge disputes this. He has difficulty blending the game plan to the adjustments of the defense since he has really no idea what they are even doing from the beginning. This is why they flame out so quickly in games. This is also undisputed. Colon’s success at the beginning of his career was strictly built around his athleticism. He took the league by storm. No doubt about it. But this is the NFL, and it didn’t take the league long to figure out Colon’s many deficiencies. As for him personally, I think he’s garbage, and from what I gather, so does a majority of not only his current teammates, but also former.

      1. Juan

        Trashing someone on a personal level
        just because you disagree with his political
        stance .. says more about ..you …than
        it does him … besides …

        FYI … I find the backwards flag our troops
        are forced to wear .. a helluva lot more
        disconcerting than Kap’s stance …

        That isn’t the flag I defended .. !

        Oh … where’s the backlash for that ?

  34. Hey Seb, there’s two sides that that coin. Colon ( Sorry,I know that bugs you ;)) ) is the only Forty Niner QB to lose a SB. Congrats on your family and business. Very impressive. I am a retired entrepreneur, so much respect. I am also a betting man, and I would bet the house that if they do as I hope and clean house as in GM and Coach, he will be gone. If Kelly stays, I believe Colon will be back because he likes Colon (so he say’s), and knows his system. I seriously think no owner will want to touch him, and if Kelly is gone, I think he will be out of here and out of the league, 29 or not. I hope they clean house and actually agree with you (I think) that the best man for the job is Holmgren. I thought that years ago and still think that. They need to give him ALL the titles (GM, President, DFO, whatever), and let him run the show. I think he will hire someone who will bring back the WCO, which would preclude Colon obviously, and build from there. Get rid of Kelly (I don’t care if their paying 12 ex coaches) and his rudimentary system. If they hire Holmgren and clean house, I give them 2 to 3 years to a return to the playoffs. They have the resources, and can do it if they (York’s and Jeb) have the will.

    1. Juan, like I said before, name calling just defines you.

      All I want for Christmas is to see Baalke cut on the team bus. I would even accept Joan in accounting as GM. At least she knows the bottom line.

      I think many of us would like to see the Niners go back to their roots. Holmgren would provide that link to Bill Walsh, and the classic WCO may be outdated, but every team runs a variation of it. Tom Brady and the Pats do a masterful job of using the short pass to sustain drives.

      I will agree with you about Kelly. I thought he was the answer, but he has not shown that he can make those crucial in game adjustments, and keeps running into the teeth of the defense.

      Still, if he is the sole reason Kaep will stay, I want him, warts and all. With another GM actually signing decent FAs, and if they hit a home run in the draft, the Niners could improve.

  35. Since dropping to 1-12 the 49ers have placed 7 players on IR. But let’s keep making a big deal out of a couple college players skipping meaningless bowl games.

    1. Yes, the “49ers” have placed seven players on IR. That is a team decision not a player decision.

      1. A lot of these guys would be playing through the pain if these games meant anything. And guess what they’re getting paid either way.

        1. Its still a team decision. And most of these injuries aren’t minor ailments. The players aren’t pulling themselves from games. If they did they would get ripped the same way the Jets players have been ripped in recent weeks for lack of effort, despite the games being meaningless.

          1. I think you’re being a bit naive to think the guys that are “being shut down” are only doing it because the team is forcing them to sit.

            1. Not at all. I understand there are guys that would play through some of these injuries if they were a chance of heading to the post season. But they are still injured. And these decisions are being made by the team to shut them down – while the players may be happy with it and even want it, its still the team making the decision.

              I get that McCaffrey has been dealing with some injuries himself, but he also showed those injuries weren’t impacting his play whatsoever the way he finished the season. He isn’t shutting himself down because he is hurt. He just doesn’t want to play because he risks getting hurt. Plain and simple. And as I said previously, if that is his mentality I don’t understand why he played some of those regular season games at the end of the year.

              But for me the real issue here appears to be how Bowl season is perceived by the players themselves. If it is less meaningful to play the Bowl game than the game against Rice, and players don’t see it as really being part of the season, the Bowl system needs to be changed or replaced with something else.

              1. Most of these bowl games aren’t even blimp worthy.

                Didn’t know they needed to be to enjoy them and this time of year….

  36. Exactly. Home schooled childeren interact with other home schooled children. That is indisputable. We had two family’s on our block in SR that home schooled their children. They never interacted with any of the multitude of children that grew up in our neighborhood. When they were occasionally put in a situation where they had to interact, they were at the least awkward and standoffish. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary as to the success of home schooling. Anybody can cherry pick information. My wife of over 35 years was a HS teacher and would attest that some, not all, home schooled children through elementary years that attended HS were socially inadequate to be nice. My children, who attended Division 1 University’s and had friends who were home schooled, would argue the opposite in some cases. Not all. The bottom line is at the least I come on here to tease and jive and have some fun with others, stir up you guys and get a reaction. Job completed! Don’t take everything so seriously. Nobody else is reading this but the ten or so contributors. Not the Forty Niner brass, players, press (other than Grant and maybe his dad but probably not), or any other human that has the slightest thing to do. I do enjoy riling you up though. Keep them coming. Merry Christmas all!

    1. Juan, it all depends on the parents, and there are some cases of the children being isolated and awkward in social settings. However, we interacted well with the home school crowd, and all the children were just like regular school children.

      Sometimes, things go beyond ones control. We had a student in the Waldorf school actually end up in San Quentin, but his mother was one of the nicest, sweetest, most loving and caring person I knew, and it just tore her up. The father, not so much.

    2. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve herd and shows you know nothing about home schooling and their interactions. I’m deep in this community as with Charter schools where parental involvement is higher, drug tolerance is 0 and interactions go deeper than just in the classroom. While many of your kids interact on the street, the home school kids I deal
      With are building houses and working with underprivileged children in Mexico ECT.
      It’s thinking outside the box but far better than getting stuck in a sh**ty public school with drug & gang issues just because they don’t live on the right side of the tracks.

      1. Yup, it takes real dedication for parents to home school their kids. It is not easy by any means, but shows just how much they love their children, when the easy thing would be just to ship them off to a public school.

        1. Really? Now bringing this to the blog?
          Here is my best advice for you Seb. If you have friends, call them. If you don’t,make some quick.

          1. Seb was not the one who brought the discussion on homeschooling to the blog Prime; however, he is showing a stronger understanding on the subject than the one who brought it on here, who has shown a clear lack of knowledge about homeschooling.

    3. So you are basing your ignorance on homeschooled children on one family? Not only are you showing a clear bias on the subject, you are using fallacies to back it up. Your argument holds no water. Try researching non-biased articles and studies on homeschooling before you continue to bury yourself in such a shameful fashion.

    1. Thanks Hammer, the universe is filled with extrotionary people. It is important that they are celebrated.

  37. That’s very noble Bandit. Hopefully there also building homes and helping underprivileged kids right here in our own country. There’s plenty of work. That is exactly the mentality of home school parents. Public schools are a bastion of drugs and gangs. I’m gonna protect my little Johnny from all the bad people out there. Now that’s the dumbest, most naive thing I’ve ever heard. Do you know that a majority of CEO’s in this country went to public schools? Look it up. My children went to public schools right here in SR. They are successful adults with families and ton’s of friends and relationships that will last a lifetime. I have no problem with my grandchildren attending the same public schools my children attended. Don’t paint with such a broad brush.

    1. The University of California, at Berkely is the # 1 “Public University” in the United States, boasting more Nobel Laureates than Harvard University.

      Perhaps those with privatization thoughts are behind this denigration, as the call for privatized schools was pushed by the Bush family.

      Neil Bush was awarded the privatization textbook contract in the United States and made a bundle.

      However, with all recent privatization school scandals of outdated textbooks such as the ones naming Czechoslovakia a nation, when it ended in ’93; signing up students for $10,000 vouchers, only to close, mid-year, or advertising a grandiose campus, only to have students show up for the new year in the 2nd floor of an abandoned brothel (cheap rent), all show the privatization scheme works for those that want to steer public dollars their way by a conservative administration….It’s why the largest scandals and buildings that go boom, seem to occur on their watch…..

      For more info, check out Michael Moore’s “Capitalism, A Love Story,” DVD.

  38. Home Schooling, eh?
    Couldn’t we be arguing over pick-up truck brands or best BBQ grills or something?
    “Makita kicks B&D’s axe!” ‘No it doesn’t!’ “Does too”

    1. It is less arguing and more calling out the biased ignorance on a fool’s belief in the fallacies instead of actually looking into the information on the subject.

      1. No worries, Mid, I get it and I’m not scolding anyone. I get my buttons pushed some times on different issues, so not pointing fingers.
        Once in a while I can roll my eyes and scroll by. I’ve deleted a lot of typed comments rather than post; to the betterment of all.
        Then comes my “Oh no you didn’t!”

      2. Mid, since I promised not to engage the biggest troll, I will just say that I love living in America where one has the opportunity to choose however we want to raise and educate our children. No system is perfect, but neither is worse than the other. Being the product of a public education, I personally know how a bad teacher can scar and hold back a student’s growth, and I have been fortunate to experience passionate teachers who are an inspiration that helped shape students in a positive way.

        Just like voting, we have free will, and can choose to engage or not, and voting is not a prerequisite to being allowed to decry injustices.

        We chose a Waldorf education because my wife thought that it would be the best way to educate our children, and while some things I thought were lacking, I also saw how my children grew up with the proper values and beliefs. One son did just graduate from Cal, and the other son I consider to be way smarter than me. My daughter can make a quick sketch of a person that in 10 minutes looks life like, and captures the essence of her subject. I could not be prouder of the way they have become young adults. I credit my wife, and their Waldorf education.

        Home schooling is not for all. Most parents do not have the skill or aptitude to undertake such a rigorous agenda. Too them, public school may be the best choice. It is ironic, that many of the home schooled kids had parents who were teachers themselves, and although I cannot be sure, many probably thought that they could do a better job, and did not trust the public schools.

        Yes, this is a nice diversion from discussing the Niners. I gotta laugh, many former Niners would go off on wild tangents just to avoid mentioning the dysfunctional dumpster fire while on the air.

        I will not suggest any ways how the Niners could possibly improve, because I do not think they are ignoring me, they are doing the exact opposite. I wanted to see more Harris, but he has been benched. I wanted to see more Cromartie, but he has been deactivated many times. I said for the Niners to line up Hyde in the I, and then they go read option. It was almost like they discovered a new strategy when I advised the Niners to stop running into the teeth of the offense.

        I told the Niners to prepare the players for any and every contingency, but the whole team seems dumbfounded and incapable to make adjustments.

        I wanted the team to be more disciplined, but they want to jump offsides and make snow angels. I implored them to stop making the unforced errors, but they insisted on shooting off their foot.

        Some day, the Niners will get better. Until Baalke is gone, that will just be a dream.

        Some will say that I am not a true fan because I believe that the Niners should lose games to the QB they threw away. I just want the Niners to learn from their mistakes. I sure hope they do not get rid of the last QB to lead them to a SB. The Niners should have learned from these past 2 seasons that they should not have gotten rid of the last HC to lead them to a SB, too. Some who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

        This will be my last post for now, until after the game, so I want to wish you and all the other posters a Merry Christmas, and I want to thank Grant for my Christmas present.

        Peace.

        PS, I have not referenced a thesaurus in years. I do not need to.

  39. Juanhunglo,

    I agree. Seb and homeschooling go hand-in-glove. Psychologically, since they are socially awkward, the need to act out, in Seb’s case the overuse of a thesaurus to achieve verbosity, is telling.

    If not for the thesaurus, Seb would not know how to write.

    He often has accused me of attacking him as he did to you. However, Seb’s tolerance for debate is low. A disagreement is seen as a screed rather than civil debate.

    As proof, I offer his repeat of the word, “babbling.” An educated person does not miss this. One staring down the thesaurus while typing, like Kap staring down his 1st read before the interception, taken all the way to the house, is typical of the type of malaise mentioned in homeschoolers.

    In short, acting out to gain approval is a cover for social ineptitude.

    Also. I note your Colon tag given to Kap. Wasn’t Colon the inaccurate Giant’s pitcher with the tendancy for the long ball?

    1. I agree. Seb and homeschooling go hand-in-glove. Psychologically, since they are socially awkward, the need to act out, in Seb’s case the overuse of a thesaurus to achieve verbosity, is telling.

      Not to be rude TomD, but shut the mother@#$/ing @#$/ up on something you clearly have no knowledge on.

        1. Just envisioning what form ofcorporal punishment Principal, Midwest Dynasty serves up to the unfortunate who attend his campus.

          I’m envisioning drinking fountains for the colored folks on one side of campus, and for the uppidy white folk who can’t speak in a southern accent, some sort of tree branch.

          1. Congratulations, you have shown what an absolute ignorant troll you are. Stop embarrassing yourself.

            1. Midwest … isn’t it ironic that the inept
              can decipher your political leanings from
              just you .. airing your views on home-schooling ?

              Sheesh … in all the time you and I have interacted
              on these threads … I (still) have no clue
              which political wind is under your sails …

              (not that it’s relevant, of course) .. but
              you did hit the nail squarely on the head with
              your last two sentences ! .. :-]

              1. Cheers, my sentiments exactly.

                The public schools house those nasty gangbangers–it has nothing to do with the economy.

                If the greatest power on earth can’t fix this public school nightmare, we should shut them down and have you, Seb and Middynasty teach engineering to our nuclear physicists .

                Russia would cheer loudly.

                See Jaime Escalante

              2. Midwest … isn’t it ironic that the inept
                can decipher your political leanings from
                just you .. airing your views on home-schooling ?

                Weak post MWN. My political standing has absolutely nothing to do with what I have said. The fact is the two trolls are talking out of their @$$ simply because they can. Basing your belief on what one set of kids are light or merely believing they are lesser than public school kids is a fantastic example of ignorance. Look up homeschooling, and ignore articles that show a clear bias for or against it. It is that simple.
                Homeschooled children have no set race, religion, gender, or political standing. The homeschooling movement increased in the 50s and 60s due to liberal families not being happy with the type of education being taught by the public schools, but since then it has spread to every demographic imaginable.

  40. Justin Lucas just made an amazing play made possible by his outstanding eye hand coordination….

    1. “…Weak post MWN. My political standing has absolutely nothing to do with what I have said…”

      MidWest ..
      That’s exactly what I was trying to point out
      when I mentioned the relevance …

      Guess you said it better than me

      1. My apologies MWN. After looking at your post again, I have realized that I misread it. Cheers my friend.

        1. No prob .. MidWest ..

          Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas..
          and hope Grant has a Happy Hanukkah ..

          Same for all the regulars, here.. as well

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