What Chip Kelly doesn’t know about the LA Coliseum

SANTA CLARA

Today at his Monday press conference, I asked Chip Kelly about his upcoming opponent’s home field – the LA Coliseum.

“Is there anything unique about the setup of that stadium that you have to take into account when you game plan?”

“No,” Kelly said with a tone of absolute self-assurance. “I know the locker room’s small. But, meeting rooms and places like that, I think you have to make some adjustments from that standpoint. But, once you get out there, it’s a pretty wide open, vast area. So, there’s nothing that we’ve had to do in my past history from a standpoint and looking at different things. I don’t think weather’s going to be a big factor.

“I think every time we played there, it was a later afternoon, night game. So, I’ve never really been there for a 1:00 kick. So, you’ll always check where the sun is in the sky and if that’s going to affect you, then we make adjustments accordingly from that standpoint.”

Kelly was grossly uninformed about the field at the LA Coliseum. But before I get to that, I want to tell you this. Kelly mentioned he never has coached a one o’clock game in the LA Coliseum. Well, he will this Saturday, so I’d like to notify him of something he apparently does not know but should. I bet every serious football coach in America knows this fact about the LA Coliseum.

Almost every football field in America – including Levi’s Stadium – runs north to south. But, the LA Coliseum runs east to west. It is a well-known anomaly of that stadium. At noon today, Chip Kelly did not know this. Amazing.

At some point during the third or fourth quarter, his offense will head east – away from the setting sun. And, the sun will blind receivers on the left side of the 49ers’ formation – the north side — because the sun sets 23 degrees south of due west during December. That means receivers on the left side of the formation will be looking directly into the sun.

Kelly needs to construct a special second-half offense this week for his players when they head east in the LA coliseum. Needs to construct a second-half game plan which primarily consists of passes to the right side of the formation. That would be the south side, shielded from the setting sun. He needs to plan ahead, as in right now.

Kelly often says he doesn’t read blogs. This week, for his sake and the sake of being well prepared, I hope he reads mine.

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

This article has 215 Comments

  1. The game is Saturday and they are calling for partly cloudy skies.. So your “right side” strategy might be hit and miss..

    1. Finally something positive! I love the way Ray Ray plays the guy played with more fire then anybody on this team. He was balling before he got hurt.

      I know people might laugh at me but in my opinion Ray Ray was playing better then Bowman but I know it was just a few games. I’m good with this signing

      1. I agree Truth. Ray Ray played with heart and was all over the field. That’s what you want from an ILB. Bow wasn’t the same as he was last year and not even close to what he was before the knee injury. Ray Ray is a playmaker.

        1. Yup! But I do hope Bow comes back strong next year because we’re going to need both of them, everybody saw what a mess it was without both of them this season.

              1. And while we’re at it, maybe they can trade for Marcus Mariota and Kenjon Barner. Maybe even sign LaMichael James out of retirement.

    2. Part of me is happy because I think Armstrong deserved the extension, and the other part of me is groaning because this could signal the idiotic front office will fail (ONCE AGAIN) to address the ILB position.

        1. I’m not buying it Ore. You are saying you were making a joke when you said Kiko AND Teo then pick up Dionne Jordan. That would imply that my post about signing or drafting one ILB is some kind of pipe dream. It’s not a pipe dream it’s realistic.You weren’t telling a joke, you were serious.

          1. #80

            Your post is at best…confusing ….No, I was dead serious about Kiko who is finishing up his rookie contract, and Dionne who is rumored to be waived. Of the three, I would take Teo last. Bowman is operating on IR, so we can use 2 ‘fresh’ ILB’s….I think that Bowman and Dorsey are heading for their last round-up…You’re right…no jokes…let’s get serious

            1. Then what did you mean when you said Hey Jack I think you’re getting it. That is truly “confusing.” You do get what Jack meant don’t you, He implied that your suggestion was highly unlikely.

              No jokes, none of them will risk their careers and health to play for Kelly.

              1. Ah, I get it now. All of them are former Ducks. My mistake. You have been trolling me for weeks so I assumed you were doing it again. Since I was way off base this time I will forgive your recent troll posts. I willing to move on if you are.

              2. I named 10 FAs, and the Niners did not sign one of them. Baalke better be gone, or decent FAs will avoid the Niners like the plague.

          1. #80

            I suppose it’s the generatiion gap, but I’d appreciate your interpretation of ‘trolling’…I’m a fisherman….

            1. No problem, trolling is when someone tries to agitate another person online. Darren5000 does this to the entire blog every Sunday. I feel you have been doing that to me for several weeks. I assume it is because I have been anti Kelly. I understand that you like Chip but it is fair for me to question him. We all want our team to succeed. I wish you the best and hope you catch many fish. I used to fish myself. My friend once caught an albino trout. It had a white and yellow body with pink eyes. We couldn’t bring ourselves to eat it.

        2. I can only guess that the post underneath mine were meant to go elsewhere.

    1. We read this to get ready for Festivus.

      I’m ready to dine with the 49er family on the Airing of the Grievances. Addressing the Yorks::”I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it!”

  2. To worry about the sun you have to have capable receivers. To worry about ccapble receivers you have to have a capable QB. The 49ers have neither.
    Sounds like Kelly is a numbers guh. Spend the effort and time where it matters. No need to wprry about the sun since neother the qb or the receivers are part of any Kelly game plan.

    1. Terrible typos. The jyst is complaining about anything with the 49ers is like Arizona residents complaining about the heat or sun. Nothing outside of an act of God will change the circumstances.

    1. That’s pretty much my take on him too. I wouldn’t touch him until the top of the 3rd….

      1. He’s a game-changing playmaker, and I won’t be surprised if he goes in the 15-20 range. He has exceptional strength, balance and vision. How many snaps he plays and at what position are questions that a smart OC should salivate to address.

        1. I agree with your take, Mood, although he could drop all the way to the bottom of the 1st. I think he’ll get some snaps at RB and in the slot. He’ll have value in the return game as well. Dave Meggett, James Brooks type players.

          1. Samuel wouldn’t cost as much but could be used in the exact fashion you two are intimating….

              1. I am still pissed that the Niners let his dad sign with the Bronco’s for chump change and put their hopes on J J Stokes. In his limited time with the Niners he caught everything thrown his way. Was very clutch ,but the team was trying to save cap money (even if it was chump change ) so they could extend their future star Stokes.

                But I guess they turned out to be right because Stokes ended up being an AllStar while no one ever heard of Mc Cafferdy again. Right!

    2. He’ll be an excellent slot WR and dynamic playmaker. Better than Tavon Austin who went very high. Unlike Austin (and Harvin) he can actually run routes and get himself open.

      1. Yep. If a GM drafts McCaffrey with the expectation of being the bell cow or starter, then he is bound to be disappointed; however, if he drafts McCaffrey as an all round weapon on offense and the return game, then he will have a gold mine.

        1. I hope McCaffrey goes to the Pats, Saints, Packers, or Broncos. Scouts and GMs of a lot of teams are looking thru stereotype lens to pigeon hole prospects. “Is he a Meggett or is he a Bush or is he a Sproles?”. The other teams look for the combination of skill, athleticism, and football IQ. They will find ways to maximize a player’s impact. An example is the recent conversion by the Packers of Ty Montgomery from receiver to a member of a RB committee. It came out of necessity but I think it will work very well.

          1. Forgot to add that Montgomery had a good start to his RB career against Vic Fangio’s run D: 16 carries for for 162 yards and 2 TDs :)

          2. So you want him to go to one of three offenses where he really could really tear it up instead of coming here? Good to know. ?

            1. But, but I thought Niners needed to draft a ILB in the first round followed by more linemen, OLBs and DBs….

              1. Mid, it was a failed attempt at sarcasm. I had this interchange on an earlier thread on drafting where I proposed that the Niners should consider moving down, and if needed “overdraft”, the QB they want. I learned that the Niners should draft an ILB in round 1…

          3. Well, technically all the Packers were doing was putting Montgomery back to his old position. He was a RB at Stanford originally.

            1. No, he was a receiver and kick returner at Stanford although he had been used as a running back a few times.

              1. Mood

                I can’t see a reason to use him on ST’s…let’s extend his life and run him out of the slot…also decoy from the slot, and run fly-sweeps and 10-12 yards into the flats to back the safeties out of the box….I’m more impressed with him every time I see him…I see his dad’s attitude….and that’s GOOD…!

              2. Oregon,

                It all depends on the new GM and if Chip returns. Chip’s offense can feature mismatches that would put a speedy slot receiver (or a Sproles-like RB) in space. Niners really haven’t had an offensive philosophy since Mooch other than Harbaugh’s WCO-flavored Schembechlarian smash mouth run-first offense which probably wouldn’t take advantage of CMac’s talents. I though the Shaw-Bloomgren offense did not take full advantage of his skill set. They ran him excessively between the tackles.

          4. Mood

            I believe that we (the unwashed masses of football fans) have acclimated to the Swiss army knife player who can do it all, and shorten a players career by asking too much of them. I will never forgive ‘Bum’ Phillips for the way he ran his backs half to death, and ended their careers years before they should have. You want a slot receiver ? Either draft one or get one in FA. McCaffrey has the burst of a ‘Sproles’ type RB, but not the size….he gives up 15-20 lbs of power…I believe that he would be wasted at RB. It’s not to say that it can’t happen, but not often.

      2. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone with Brady’s accuracy throwing to him either. That would create amazing YAC.

      3. Scooter,
        I agree with your take and the others who view McCaffrey as a slot receiver. Mac’s speed as a RB would be offset and minimized by the speed in the NFL.
        Unless you have Chris Johnson type speed, the pounding in the NFL will catch up to McCaffrey in a few years as a RB.

        Christian almost has the same physical measurements as Chris Johnson and Reggie Bush and they eventually succumbed to all the pounding after 3-4 seasons.
        If Mac hopes to have longevity in the NFL he will need to play as a WR.

        1. Johnson succombed more to his own ego and lack of staying in shape in the off season. Thats what caught up to him.

    3. Receiving balls coming out of the backfield is totally different then lining up on the los and running routes especially in the NFL. I doubt he’s truly better suited as a slot receiver. Looks like a Reggie Bush clone to me. Good for the kick returns and as a change of pace back but not someone you’re going to want to run between the tackles very often.

      1. I don’t have a count, but he did line up in the slot and out wide at Stanford. He probably runs better pass patterns than the 49ers current crop of receivers. The trick is to deliver the ball a foot in front of his numbers. Whoosh!

        1. The best take I have seen on McCaffrey is he is a Brain Westbrook like player. I do not believe any coach would mind having that type of player on their offense.

          1. Mid,
            If CM can come anywhere close to playing like BW in the pros some team will be ecstatic.
            Also, I believe that Westbrook put up better overall numbers than McCaffrey in college and was still only drafted in the 3rd rd. Westbrook was a steal at rd three.
            I wouldn’t take CM until rd 3 as well.

            If we are going with a WR in the 2nd rd, I want someone that has established themselves in college as a full-fledged WR.

  3. Geez, for a supposed “genius”, he sure doesn’t know much. Maybe he can kick us down a little something for the effort, while we help get Chip sailing in the right direction….

  4. you’ve kind of moved into the direction of ridiculous pettiness at this point.

    I mean, we get it, Kelly isn’t cutting it as a head coach. But to call him out for not knowing a silly little bit of trivia off the top of his head?

    what’s the point?

    1. Harbaugh would have known. It’s a well-known fact among real coaches, not a “silly little bit of trivia.”

      1. He’s in Michigan get over it, maybe you should’ve asked Eddie D during your interview why his idiot nephew ran Harbaugh out of town.

      2. Obviously Chip didn’t read Sun Tzu. Going in the wrong Sun direction is right up there with not pissing into the wind.

      3. Grant,
        You take is insightful, but at the end of the day both teams will play facing the sun at some point.
        Our receivers have been nullified and put at a disadvantage all season (regardless of playing conditions) due to poor QB play.

        Given Kap’ penchant for throwing the ball with a low trajectory vs a throw with a high arc the WR’s may actually be ok when facing the sun – but than again, Kap’ accuracy issues and 2nd half woes won’t help him even if he had a couple of Mayans on the sidelines giving him Sun readings.

  5. The Harbaugh fiasco and ensuing morass reminded of the lines from Shakespeare from high school about seizing or missing out on an opportunity:
    “There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.”

  6. Won’t the setting sun shine into the DBs eyes as well?
    : -)
    “The future’s so bright,
    I gotta where shades!”

    Hey Cassie, ‘member dat one?

  7. The 49ers are 1-13. Do you really think anyone in that building is worried about stadium architecture? Players are on Expedia looking for a good vacation package. Coaches are on the phone with buddies making sure they have a good landing spot. Ownership is calculating revenue based on all their profit realized due to the incredibly low salary spend. Not a single person in the organization gives a damn about the direction of the LA Coliseum.

      1. Hasn’t earned a dime of that year. What is one thing Kelly has shown this year to warrant coming back next year?

        1. One thing he has shown is getting outcoached every week. Give him a good roster and we will still be at a disadvantage.

      2. Not embarrass himself at a press conference. Oh and if he can manage to not break wind while speaking into a live mic that would be one way he could distinguish himself from the last guy.

      3. Because the HC position was open and it had to be filled. With the Yorks, it really is that simple.

      4. At the beginning of the year, the 49ers were paying Kelly $6M to turn the franchise around and win a respectable number of games given the current state of the roster.

        In the middle of the year, the 49ers were paying Kelly $6M to develop players and find the best ways to turn the season around.

        Now at the end of the year, the 49ers are paying Kelly $6M to fill the Head Coach position because they have to have one. The reflection on Jed of back to back 1 and done head coaches is so extremely poor Jed can’t really fire Kelly. Jed is stuck with Kelly in the same way Jed is stuck with Jed’s horrendous organizational management. Jed has severe limitations as a leader so he’s stuck with Chip Kelly. It’s an unwinnable situation for the team, the fans, and the coaches.

        SOO, I’m back to absolutely NO ONE in the 49er organization cares about the direction of the LA Coliseum because there is not even a slight glimmer of hope for future success in a Jed York run organization.

      5. Not not be critical of Baalke in public.

        I truly believe that’s the only reason he was hired.

        To keep up the yes man tradition.

      6. Kelly’ money fits in with the FO criteria for wins and losses.
        I mean if Tomsula (the Butcher) is making millions for sitting on his arse than Kelly’ pay is about right.

        Speaking of Tommy Boy, I have never seen a coach look as deflated as he did when the team lost that last game of the season.
        It almost looked like he did something wrong, which probably did because they lost the ability to draft higher.

        At least Kelly is not bucking the plan of losing out. I mean if Kelly has already been assured of coming back next year it makes sense that he puts himself in better position to garner top tier draft
        picks.
        Everything is going exactly as planned at 4949 Centennial Way.

  8. “So, you’ll always check where the sun is in the sky and if that’s going to affect you, then we make adjustments accordingly from that standpoint.”

    I think Kelly understands the value of the sun location just from that statement.

        1. Preparing for a game in Chicago by staying in Florida easily answers that question Under.

          1. Normally they would of practiced in Cal, so I don’t see that as an important determination for victory. This team sucks and will lose no matter where they practice.

            1. Normally, but one would think a coach would try to prepare his team for the elements in an upcoming game.

              1. Exactly. Instead of staying in sunny Orlando. They could have practiced somewhere in Illinois indoors as well as outdoors to get climitized. Instead they looked completely shell shocked!
                That was a winnable game and Kelly completely looked incompetent. That’s reason enough to let him go!

              2. If they had come back to SF after the Dolphins game nobody would be questioning why he didn’t take the team to a colder location and that’s not a jab at the local weather. When it’s f’n cold outside it doesn’t matter how many days prior you were out in it, it’s still f’n cold and you feel it just as much as you did the days before.

              3. Prime
                There are two schools of thought on that in the league for years.
                1/ This late in season practice in ideal conditions to get your work in.
                2/ Practice the way you want to play.
                I subscribe to #2. I note that you and Mid, cold climate denizens, do too. More importantly, I read that BB insists on it, and his late season record is pretty good.

              4. I don’t see teams blowing fake snow on their practice field if they’re heading into such conditions. Just saying.

              5. I don’t see teams blowing fake snow on their practice field if they’re heading into such conditions. Just saying.

                No, but they have their practice in cold conditions. Just saying.

              6. I live in cold weather. Really cold weather. You get use to it after a couple days.
                If the 49ers had at least 2 practices in it, they would have been prepared. Instead, late in the game it wore on them. The play calling as well. Chip saw snow and decided they could not throw. If he practiced in it, he would have known.
                You train in the elements, you have a better chance. That’s why so many Olympians train in the country that hosts them.

              7. Such BS. Go stand outside with a football jersey and really thin sweat pants and tell me how used to it you are. You’re used to ‘living’ in cold weather which means you bundle up and run the heater constantly that’s not the same thing as being outside in thin clothing. When it’s 40 degrees outside and you aren’t bundled up it’s cold no matter how many days you’ve spent in it.

              8. No worries Coffee. I look at it as if you are playing in the elements you need to prepare accordingly. Especially when you don’t have a consistent running game or defense to rely on.
                I hate to use the CFL as an example but many games are played in very frigid temps. The teams that are use to playing in snow, wind rain usually prevail. Why? Cause they have practiced in it all week.
                My point is how is practicing in sunny warm conditions in Orlando better suited than practicing in cold weather that they were going to play in Chicago? It looked to me like Chicago knew what to expect.
                The Niners were dumbfounded.
                There is something to be said for cold weather training, altitude training and extreme heat. Why not use those things to your advantage? I think Kelly is a lazy coach and let’s his players off the grind most times. We are a soft team. That’s a reflection on him!

      1. “So, you’ll always check where the sun is in the sky and if that’s going to affect you, then we make adjustments accordingly from that standpoint.”

        this pretty much explains the chip knows about sun position. so you are wrong grant…why didn’t you ask him point blank about the stadium’s alignment? it isn’t clear if chip knows about it or not, he chose not to address that issue but he did touch on the sun position in the sky and said they make adjustments.

        grant – you are just diving into the dumpster looking for scraps here and plain wrong and maybe stupid too. you just like being a contrarian and stoke fires for more clicks and eyes. you are a mediocre sports writer who sucks as a journalist and a reporter. you have no integrity whatsoever. 49ers need better coaches, better players and even better writers. these are indeed dark times.

        1. It’s not about checking the sun that afternoon and making adjustments. It’s about knowing the details and planning ahead. I asked him if there was anything unique about the LA Coliseum. He said no. He didn’t know.

          1. Grant,

            Or he didn’t want to reveal that he knew that information. Or he figured you weren’t thinking on that level. Or some other reason he didn’t give you the answer you wanted. Or maybe he actually doesn’t know the orientation of the field at the Coliseum.

            But you have no idea if Kelly knows the orientation of the field at the Coliseum, or not. It may be that he doesn’t, but you don’t know. All you do know is that Kelly didn’t mention the orientation of the Coliseum field in his answer your very broad question about playing a game there on Saturday.

            If you wanted to know if he understood how the sun will affect Saturday’s game, why didn’t you ask him directly?

            BTW, there are many football fields in the U.S. that don’t run even close to north south. In the NFL there are seven teams which don’t play in a dome or a stadium with a retractable roof that have fields that are closer to east west than north south, the Rams, Washington, Ravens, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers and Browns. Three more have fields that are more east west than north south, but play in domed stadiums or one with a retractable roof.

            Additionally, there are only four NFL fields that run within a few degrees of north south.

        2. Once again, Grant exposes a weakness, and some poster whines and cries about it.

          This once proud franchise has really fallen into the gutter, when they are so incompetent that they cannot think ahead, and when one person mentions a salient point, some poster attacks the messenger.

          Grant is just doing his job, and to me, he is doing it well. Now we know that Chip is not the genius he claims to be, because a blogger knows more than he does. No wonder Chip tries to avoid answering Grant’s questions, because he knows that he will look clueless, again.

          Grant is so mediocre, he scooped an exclusive interview with Hall Of Famer Eddie D.

          Integrity? Jed let his emotions get the better of himself so he fires the best coach since Sieffert. Baalke likes to fire players on the team bus, and Paraag is a leak meister. Tomsula was not afforded the courtesy to finish out the season without leaks being spread that he was going to be fired. Then he was not allowed the courtesy to talk with his players, and is summarily kicked to the curb. It all starts at the top, and it is rotten to the core.

          Better writers? Yes if you do not include Grant. I read what the others write, and they are scared shirtless that they will lose their jobs, so they suck up and write mindless drivel.

          Like it or not, Grant gets to the nitty gritty, and this franchise will not get better by burying their heads in the sand. I feel like Grant is doing what Cher did to Cage in Moonstruck. Niners need a slap in the face and be told to wake up.

          Grant just told us the emperor wore no clothes, and now some shill has his panties in a twist. He obviously is some FO toady.

          Yes, these are indeed dark times. Maybe you did not know it, but the Niners are in a 13 game free fall, and now we know the results of sitting on 50 mil in cap space. Grant is just shining a spotlight on the dysfunction and ineptitude, and some posters cannot handle the truth.

          Sure, I will be accused of hoovering again, but, frankly, I do not give a damn. Attack Grant and you will get a snarky retort. Grant has a way with words, and is a chip off the old block. Grant is such a good writer, I consider myself fortunate to be allowed to read him, and learn something new each day.

              1. Seb-
                If Grant were to abruptly stop walking, your nose…………well, you get the mental picture. And it is frightening.

                Stop! Grant’s just a man-good insights, but just a man.

              2. Saw, this season is such a trainwreck, I just want to let off some steam. Grant is a big boy, and can defend himself, but I notice that there are a lot fewer screeds now that I counter the snark with similar responses.

                You do notice that I defend Kaep, too, so it just must be my contrarian nature.

          1. When you step out side of the status quo opinion box ( right or wrong ) you will always be criticized.

          2. Seb, you can stop with your BS support of Grant. I read the exclusive interview with Eddie D, and the questions were not that great. Also, one of the first things that Eddie talks about is Grant’s dad. So, Grant didn’t get this interview opportunity without mentioning he is a Cohn? you don’t have to tell me about Eddie D, my uncle worked for him and played office wager pools with him and have heard several stories about him. I know how great of a owner he was and more importantly how good of a person he was. We all agree that Jed York doesnt come close to that.

            “Maybe you did not know it, but the Niners are in a 13 game free fall” – Excuse me? Which genunine 49er fan does not know that? A 49er fan does not his/her team is losing? you are as medicore as Grant. Failure finds its own company.

            Grant makes these random conjectures – and this article was plain BS. Chip did talk about sun position and Grant makes this grand conjecture that just because he didn’t mention the stadium alignment, he wont make any adjustments. Come on.

            Seb, You can retort all you want..you have your keyboard and i have mine. If you can’t take criticism, it is your short-coming, not mine. Go ahead and be a white knight for grant, that doesn’t take away from the fact that grant is a mediocre sports writer. you should expand your range of publishers/bloggers to find better content out there.

            1. TL, I cannot take criticism? LOL

              I also read the interview, and thought that Grant did a great job. He did not hoover too much and asked probing questions that elicited thoughtful responses.

              Mediocre? I have read the other bloggers, and I think Grant is Steinbeck compared to them. Maiocco, Lynch, Inman and Barrows? Safe simple and uncontroversial. Perfect yes men. TK? I want to throw up.

              Being somewhat verbose, I can recognize good writing. I do not willy nilly praise the unremarkable.I have also criticized Grant many times,and have differed greatly with him, especially over Kaep.

              So yes, I will defend Grant against the hate, and notice that there have been very few references about nepotism since I have been posting, when before, that seemed to be an obligatory screed.

  9. We might have a lousy GM but at least we aren’t paying Brock Osweiler over $30M dollars to sit on the bench for the next season and a half.

    Can/should Rick Smith keep his job after this debacle?

    1. Not sure on Smith. That’s a mess.
      Elway looks smart in hindsight for not over-paying for Osweiler or Kaepernick, but not for solving his QB issues.

  10. ESPN previewing the Panthers offenses first shows them running through the 49ers defense. Oy.

  11. Has anyone noticed that the 49ers have cinched a draft pick no worse than fourth and no worse than third depending on tie breakers.

    My wifes comment, “What difference will that make?”

  12. The coin toss may also be pivotal. They switch sides each quarter, so they should aim to get the best conditions in the second and 4th quarters.

  13. Ya know, I must hand it to the regulars in here, the Niners have had an inordinate amount of injuries, and no one is using that as an excuse for failure – good deal.

  14. I see the whole gang at 4949 Centennial Blvd is still intact – coaching staff, front office, trainers, maintenance dudes, etc. Such a great feeling knowing Jed cares about his staff and doesn’t want to ruin their Christmas like the Rams or Jags…. In fact, rumor has it his gift to them is bringing them all back next year so they can continue stealing receiving their paychecks! Whoo hoooo!!!

    1. We should also not forget the generous Christmas gift he has already given all the Niner fans. – A Turkey.

  15. Looking like Goffy might not play. Rams thinking about starting Mannion. I liked Mannion thought he was the most pro ready QB when he came out. 6’6′ 230 lbs real strong arm.

  16. These Kelly KNBR interviews and press. conferences are becoming worse than Jimmy T’s. At least Jimmy could coach up the line on stopping the run. This is a total disaster

  17. I’m no Kelly apologist, but I’m not buying that he “didn’t know what every coach in America knows”. Just cuz he didn’t detail out his plan to deal with sun factors (and he did mention sun) doesn’t mean he didn’t have a plan. It seems this point was a bit contrived to make a case for catching him doing something wrong. We all know simply 1st half/2nd half is all we need to know. But in his defense he’s got no players, no leaders AND he’s got Kaep.

    1. Kaep may be the best player on the team. Granted, that is not saying much about the rest of the team….

  18. I think the best player on the 9ers this year is the Long Snapper. I can’t name said Snapper, but through process of elimination to find the least negative presence, I arrive at Long Snap.

  19. I think Hyde & most of our O line are our best offensive players. All the qbs & WRs could be dumped for new blood next year. Please no Tyrod Taylor either though as John Clayton is reporting. Just give me an accurate QB that can read the d

  20. The best player is Snap-Man Kyle Nelson. He’s got no interceptions, never been sacked and no fumbles. His gap integrity from the center position cannot be questioned.

  21. The east/west orientation of the stadium, the declination of the sun at in December at this latitude and its altitude at gametime, the necessity of dealing with the inevitable sundogs at a 22.5 degree angle from the sun.. I never knew there was this much to coaching a 1-11 team.

  22. San Diego at Cleveland Saturday. Could this be the Browns first win? We would be number one based on SOS.

    1. The Yorkies like to take their time as they sip fine wine and dine on the backs of the Faithful… When it’s convenient they’ll get around to it (those coffers are still overflowing)…

      By the way (per Kawakami) sources close to the Yorks think Shanahan Sr floated that rumor about him joining the Niners in an executive/FO capacity with Jed being demoted… According to those close, the Yorks won’t even think of hiring either Shanahan now (in the words of Jed “screw those Shanahans!!!”).

        1. One of the reasons I’m not so keen on the team doing a coach search this off season is that i’m not super high on any of the ‘top’ candidates. The team really chubbed it when they didn’t hire either DelRio or Koetter when they had the chance.

          With that said of the names out there the ones I like best are Harold Goodwin, Sean McDermott and Matt Patricia. I think Patricia from the Patriots is an interesting choice but I’m not sure he isn’t already being primed to be Beli’s replacement and if so good look prying him from New England.

          1. Yep, they certainly chubbed it the past couple of coaching hires. Sad.

            Goodwin is an interesting choice – what do you like about him? I’ve always just assumed he is a bit more of an assistant than OC, with Arians being the real architect of that offense…?

            1. There’s more then a couple articles from this summer detailing reports and interviews with them both that describe how Arians has been giving Goodwin more responsibility with the goal of prepping him for the next level. The offense has been very successful and if that’s mostly Arians then at least Goodwin is the one most likely to have leached that information from him. The offense has a nice blend of run/pass and I like how much they use the RB in the passing game.

              He doesn’t have a ton of exp that would make you say that he’s a perfect choice but like I said, I’m not super crazy about any of the names because none of them really stand out as great HC options. A lot of OC and DC choices mostly.

              1. I wasn’t aware of that, cheers. If he can bring an Arians type offense I’d be pretty happy with that.

              2. I only saw the reports after I did a little research on him.

                http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2016/06/07/arizona-cardinals-arians-expand-harold-goodwins-role/85566768/

                This is a quote from another article that says basically the same thing: “Goodwin says he’s ready for the job.

                “I think B.A. has groomed me, Every year he’s given me more and more responsibilities. Obviously I get to see him work every day, how he handles the team, the administrative part of it. I think it’s helped me grow a lot.

                “I think, in his mind, that’s what he’s trying to do, trying to force-feed me to know what to do, how to do it and why to do it.”

              3. And that’s how a HC attracts the best minds to work for him. He helps them grow and understands it is in everybody’s best interest to help his staff get ready for the next step. Good on Arians.

              4. Kyle Shanahan has a chance to be a really good HC. Good mind for offense and has worked under some good people.

              5. He’s been pretty successful as an OC wherever he has been too, rocket. So its not just a benefit of working with some good players in the Falcons offense. I’d be shocked if he isn’t an NFL HC next season.

              6. Kyle Shanahan, sure why not. Right now there’s about half a dozen candidates that are all pretty equal in qualification. Equally void of past head coaching experience and all very qualified to continue being coordinators.

                Good thing we wont be looking for a head coach anytime soon.

    1. Bellichick would take one look at Jed, grab him by the ear, throw him out, and tell him that 4949 is for MEN only.

  23. This feels like last year when at first we were keeping Jimmy T after the Bears game then Jed & the gang changed their mind at week 16. These guys have no forsite and their little comfortable group of Paraag and Jed and Trent are the death of this franchise. Wait and see if the Raiders win the SB on top of everything how pissed we’ll be at these dillweeds.

  24. Chip Kelly has to go along with the entire FO…. Not only have the players quit on him for the most part but who in their right mind will want to take over DC for this team led by Chip Kelly and his college offense?? It’s career suicide… Sadly, I can see Jed thinking O’Neil is the problem (he is part of the problem) thus retaining Chip and telling him to get a new DC because that will fix it. Good luck with that!!

    1. Our defense is in shambles and Rush could not even make it to the 53 man squad and picked up by the Jaguars. I do not see it as a big deal. But then again talent evaluation does not seem to be a strong suit of the Niners. Talent deprived will always fail.

    2. I’d be interested to see if Rush can turn the corner against starter-caliber tackles — I know he could get around those tackles now moving Christmas packages for UPS.

    3. Meh, I really don’t get the angst about losing Rush. Just another preseason hero that looked good against 3rd stringers. Two years ago it was Purcell, now most fans can’t wait to get rid of him.

      1. Interesting that the defensive coordinator has no say in what players should be helping the team.

        1. Yeah. It may be long-standing policy. I remember Baalke signed a DB mid season, and when asked about the newcomer at a Presser, Fangio said
          (Paraphrased) – No, I don’t know the guy. They just sent him down to us.

  25. Well, Baalke took my advice and signed Brandon Chubb, who used to be on the Rams, the next Niner opponent, but he was released Sept 12, so he was not on their team long. Do not know if he could provide any actionable intelligence.

    The Niners should poach Kenny Lawler off the Seahawk PS. He has been with the team all year, and could provide good intel.

    But of course, that is only if they want to win……

      1. I did not comment on his skills, just the intel he could have provided. Sounds like he is pedestrian, at best.

  26. Too bad McCaffrey is skipping the Sun Bowl. A blown out ACL would have guaranteed that he’d stay in the Bay Area as a pro.

    1. Raiders could draft him. Baalke will take his daft “draft & develop torn ACL” program to the Rockies.

  27. These are our starters back in the first game against the Rams. Trent Brown and Carlos Hyde are the only players that started against the rams and currently at their same positions. Hyde missed a game or two earlier in the season.

    WR Torry Smith
    WR Jeremy Kerley
    WR Quinton Patton
    LT Joe Staley
    LG Zane Beadles
    C Daniel Kilgore
    RG Andrew Tiller
    RT Trent Brown
    TE Vance McDonald
    RB Carlos Hyde
    GB Blaine Gabbert

  28. “East / West”
    Excellent recording track. Excellent album. Epic band.

    What? Grasping desperately for anything not negative……

    1. You are referring to East-West, right? Great guitar work by Mike Bloomfield! It reminded me of the Supersession album with Al Kooper ….

      1. I’ve got both on vinyl, but in pretty rough shape. My house was the party house, and later in the evening those surfers weren’t too respectful of the vinyl. I’d get up in the morning and they were out of the covers laying on the floor underneath passed out folks, Labrador retrievers and beach sand. Scratchy as an old Billy Holiday track.
        (Elvin Bishop on rhythm no slouch either.)

      2. A milestone album, one of the first ,if not first song /tune longer than 21/2 min on a popular disk. Wore mine out in the 60’s.

  29. At this time of year there are always some discussions in the media and fandom about Muy Macho Men not wearing sleeves in cold weather. Shawn Merriman talked the other day about how he was instilled with that ethic in HS and he stayed with it throughout his career. He now says he was completely stupid for thinking that way.
    It turns out there’s some science to debunk that machismo. A good part of the body’s energy use has to due with,metabolic thermal control; keeping the body temp within optimum parameters. We all note this when it’s hot, especially when it’s hot and humid. The humidity slows evaporative skin cooling, putting more stress on the blood system to keep up with demand. We forget that the inverse stresses are put on us in cold weather, and that we’re burning calories to stay warm as well as to drive heavy cardio activity.
    These guys going sleeveless are encouraging heat loss through skin exposure, which increases demand to regulate and unnecessarily saps energy. Self defeating.
    The shirtless fans in the stands have a different problem.

    1. “The shirtless fans in the stands have a different problem.”

      You mean the too drunk to know any better problem?

  30. If Jed had a gun for every ace he had drawn,
    He could arm everyone in Levi’s stadium.
    Dont you push him baby, cause he’s all alone,
    And you know he is only in it for the gold.

    Jed is only asking for 10k gold dollars,
    And he could pay you back with one good hand.
    You can look around the wide world over,
    And you’ll never find a more honest man.

    Last fair deal in the country,
    Last fair deal in Levi’s.
    Put your gold money where your love is, baby.
    Before you let Jed’s deal go down.

    Every one is praying, and drinking that whine,
    Jed can tell the queen of diamonds, by the way she shines.
    Come to daddy York, on an inside straight,
    Well Jed has got no chance of losing, this time.

  31. Last I checked, Autzen Stadium is also a East-West Configuration just like LA Coliseum. He didn’t have any problems winning games there when the sun was in his players eyes

    1. Makes sense if you’re only looking at this year. But long term……

      With Floyd the team could potentially part ways with Torrey Smith and perhaps get something for him. Of course, I have to assume that changes will be made at QB.

      Maiocco makes a good point about the alcohol-related incidents which the 49ers have had all too many of.

      1. Given that the 49ers receivers probably lead the league in dropped passes, exploring all options are mandatory. However, the culture surrounding this franchise is not conducive to troubled players. Not only is there no enforcer in the secondary, the locker room lacks one as well….

      2. Claiming Floyd off waivers would not have guaranteed anything regarding Floyd’s future beyond this season. He’d still be a FA at the end of the year. So there really wouldn’t have been any benefit to adding him, and it might actually have made a bad impression of the organisation on him.

        1. I believe the Patriots are now in position to gain a comp pick should Floyd leave in free agency.

          Despite his alcohol trouble he’s not really what the 49ers like at wide receiver anyway.

        2. Why would any FA-WR come here after what both Kap and Kelly have shown?
          Where are all those fans who said they would be a great fit together? That each one would save each other’s career? I’d say the complete opposite has happened.

    2. I thought Maiocco’s response was perfectly on point. We don’t have a QB that can take advantage of what he brings. He’d have only a couple days to prepare for this week’s game so basically we’d be claiming him for one weeks play with very limited knowledge of the playbook. Zero likelihood that he’s going to have any interest in signing with the team as a FA.

      Let him go help a playoff team no sense wasting his time here.

  32. Off subject but does anyone know what happened to Ricky Waters?He’s no longer on the post game c.s.n. shows..he was getting pretty blunt about how bad this team was then dissapeared..Anyone know where he went?

  33. You guys are trying too hard with finding ways to criticize Kelly at this point. He has done a poor job but he’s just one small part of a broken franchise. Trying for a gotcha moment on something as trivial as the stadium coordinates is silly. There really isn’t anything left but piling on out of frustration or an attempt to single out one area of dysfunction.

    1. Has Kelly shown anything. I mean the slightest bit of pro coaching that says, he deserves another year?
      Yes the roster is bad but they are still NFL pro players. In your mind have you seen Kelly show any promise since his days in Philly?

      1. Prime, I have, even with the receivers we have are getting open and lots of times wide open. That is something I have not seen since the TO days. That is due to scheme and not quality of the receivers.

          1. Yes I am. That includes the TE. I am not saying he improved the positions only that his scheme has them getting open. He can’t help it if the QB doesn’t see them or throws the ball inaccurately or the receivers drop it or fumble it.

              1. I would, however I wouldn’t draft a QB with the intent of making him a franchise QB unless the Niners go to more of a traditional offense. I can’t make a case for Kelly, I mean 1-13, who can.

      2. What I’m saying is the level of complaints have reached a new low. Questioning the mans Coaching acumen is fair game during a season this bad, but its over the top when he gets criticized for not answering a question to the satisfaction of the one who asked it.

        1. Fair enough Rocket. I’m just upset because I thought Kelly would adapt after being fired from Philly. He hasn’t. In fact, I think he has regressed further.
          I just met a guy on my holidays from Portland who is a huge OU Ducks fan. Out of curiosity I asked him what he thought of Kelly. He laughed and said, he’s a college coach. Everyone who followed the Ducks knew he would not be successful in the NFL.

        2. No, sometimes one needs to read between the lines, and a non response may speak volumes.

          It is also telling to see their response in the face of negativity. Chip seems to get rattled, so it must manifest itself in the game, too.

          I want a coach to be unflappable, calm, measured and honest.

          I want thorough, succinct complete and thoughtful responses.

          This-‘I wont answer your question’ snark is not an admirable quality.

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