In fairness to Chip Kelly, don’t read this column

SANTA CLARA

This is about weather reports, the history of gloves and fairness in football. But before we get into all that, let me take you back to Chip Kelly’s postgame press conference after the Chicago Bears massacred the 49ers 26-6 in cold, wet, football-unfriendly weather.

This wasn’t one of Kelly’s best games, to be sure. His offense gained only 6 net passing yards, and his quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, completed just one pass on five attempts, one of which bounced off the back of a defender’s helmet, before Kelly benched him at the end of the third quarter.

I wasn’t at this game. I was at home watching on television when a reporter asked Kelly why he benched his starting quarterback.

 “I was just watching how the ball was coming out of his hands and what our chances were of completing it,” Kelly said at the visitor’s podium. “Didn’t look like we were doing much in the passing game.”

Immediately, a question popped into my head: “Why not try a glove on Kaepernick’s throwing hand to help him overcome the bad weather conditions?”

Remember, though, I wasn’t at the press conference. I couldn’t ask my question. And, I wondered if it even was fair to ask. Kelly might not know what gloves are.

Click here to read the rest of my Friday column.

This article has 337 Comments

              1. Exactly. It’s up to Kap to decide if he wants to wear one, not the coach. Grant, Kelly deserves a few years to get things right. Chill out. Baalke still needs to be let go and replaced with an outsider.

              2. Funny so basically a grown man needs to tell another grown man to wear gloves in inclement weather that he knew days before the game lol

                Grant just come out of the closet and say you hate Chip Kelly because he had an exchange with your daddy lol

              3. When teams do not know how to defend against him. It is an entirely different story when they do know.

            1. It’s differentials. Of the 78,000 kids who go to play college football every year, just 6,000 get Division I scholarships. The rest play a Div II, III & JUCO for the love of it, not because they’re legitimate NFL prospects.

              Of the 6000 who go, 256 get drafted. One-third of the elites will fail to make it in the NFL. Four-in-ten of the high-quality players (Round 2) will fail to make in the NFL. Of the 3rd rounders one-half will fail to make it in the NFL.

              By Round 4 you’re getting a success rate of under 10%.

              So someone athletic enough to be drafted in Round 1 or 2 is usually so far ahead of the average college player (never mind the crap players Kaepernick was playing against) that it’s easy for them to succeed in college.

              But in the NFL, they’re all good. Even the ‘bad’ players would be outstanding college players even though, in the NFL, they’re not so hot.

      1. Why do people think it was Kaps inability to grip the ball lol??? It was clearly the fact kap has ZERO touch zoomin balls in 3 yards away that’s why he pulled him not bc he couldn’t grip the ball…..

      2. Ah – I remember that game well. Given the prior few Nevada vs Boise State games, I was quite sure it was going to be a close and exciting game, but I thought that Boise State would win in the end (they were undefeated and ranked top-five in the country). Further, Boise State fans were rather an insufferable lot at that time (and probably still are) and the forecast was for it to be bitterly cold, so I opted not to attend in person. In hindsight, I really wish I had gone to the game.

        1. It was a great game, JPN001. I think that was the one where I thought to myself, Kaepernick might just be able to play on Sundays….

          1. I only skipped two home games that year – the Cal game and the Boise State game. As it turns out, they were the two signature wins of a great season. I chose poorly in not attending those two.

            I also bought Nevada gear as Christmas presents for a lot of people that year. The university book store gave 5% off of school merchandise for every touchdown scored each weak, up to 40%. There were a couple of weeks that hit that 40% off mark.

          2. Kaep beat them with an inferior squad, but seemed to will his team to win. Of course, their Kicker helped by having the yips.

            1. Too bad he has not done anything to help his team this year get a W. Then again, its not Kaps fault. Baalke is to blame for the frauds play the last 2 years.

              1. Glad Baalke fully admitted he takes the blame and this season’s failures are all on his shoulders.

                You need to blame Baalke more than Kaep.

    1. Seems like it fit like a glove too. Chip Kelly, “It’s the most fertile creative part of the country. You smell the air around here & you get smarter.” I’ve come to the conclusion that Chip breathes through his mouth….

        1. See Seb, always awkward with you. Razor was funny, you made it dull. You just don’t fit. Stick to pruning!

          1. Prime, Razor knew exactly what I was talking about. He is an expert on the subject.

            Obviously, it went right over your head.

  1. Gee…

    the way the ball came off his handfs ..
    I woulda thunk Kap was wearing …

    boxing gloves !!

  2. According to Damon Bruce, as was the case in Philly, the Bears coach, Vic Fangio, had his defense calling out the 49ers snap and new what plays were coming.

    Fangio exposed the whole coaching staff, and worse, held a mirror to the arrogant, York family, demonstrating who really is the dunce organization in all of sports.

    “Colin Kaepernick was 1 for 2 for 4 yards…I’m going to say this again. He was 1-2 for 4 yards. This is professional football. He can not go fast enough…There is not a single player of consequence on this roster. This whole thing is not just replaceable, it’s disposable, and when released, you won’t find a single player on any NFL Roster.

    Comments heard at the 11:42 min mark
    http://media.957thegame.com/a/117669915/db-show-live-from-oracle-arena-hour-3-12-5-16.htm?

    1. And don’t forget Kaepernick was also benched last year for his horrible play and he still looks ten times better this year then he did last year ha

    2. tumd

      just who the hell is Damon Bruce, and why does he spend so much time on this blog ?

    1. Has anyone covered the coming Class action sued for Bait and switch by the York’s own customers.

      According to Bruce, the fans were guaranteed a Sony Big screen TV but got the Blue Light Special at KMART.

      1. Or the Cabana that the York’s agreed not to block their own neighbors view, only to build it for….Hold on…the same amount of money saved on Salary Cap spending….$48 million?

    2. Considering it may rain, this is a very salient post.

      Wonder if the Niner coaches can make any preparations ahead of time, instead of dithering during the game.

  3. Update:

    Somewhere in the conversation, D-Bruce called the York owned 49ers a “fraud” perpetrated on their fans.

    1. Seb, Kap said that represents his homage to one of his favorite entertainers, Michael Jackson;>)

  4. Kaep is probably allergic to latex. Oh right this is football not brain surgery wrong glove. What an odd discussion typical 49er fodder these bleak days of fall.

  5. Alex Smith can’t throw a further than 10 yards. ?

    OH PLEASE!

    1. Arm strength never has been Smith’s issue. His issue has been his (un)willingness to take chances.

          1. Agreed! That clown the 9ers have under center now is somewhat of a has been….it only took the NFL one season to get wise to his ‘game’..once that happened, he wasn’t as good as he has been…

              1. I was just thinking about that Grant. So how do scouts determine that ahead of drafting players with Kap’s attitude towards not improving his craft?

              2. That was lip service to the critics. Warner isn’t a coach and he barely worked with Kaepernick.

          2. Amen, Prime. I think Kap has taught us that not all that glitters (at least at first) is gold applies to QBs as well.

            1. As true as that all is, selecting him has held us back and will set us back further for another 2-3 years until we develop and or find the next one!

      1. Arm strength is an issue. He struggles throwing outside the numbers. He lost some zip with all the shoulder issues.

        1. Rocket,
          This seems strange to me… he lost zip on his throws due to injuries to his non throwing shoulder?

    2. Sounds like a little sellers remorse when bringing up Alex. I’ve got 5 words:
      He’s gone, get over it.

      1. Then you completely missed the point in my post due to your incorrect conclusion about it.

      2. It’s sad that the Niners are so bad people are still pining for Alex Smith. The Raiders defense stinks and they held KC to 14 points on offense while shutting them out in the second half. We saw a lot of the same when he was here. Why does anyone miss that?

          1. Steve Deberg from back in the day was better than these guys. We’ve got ourselves a couple of Bobby Douglas clones.

              1. That made me laugh. Do you know his work? He was a ramblin’ wreck and the loosest of cannons. Also for a laugh, find some tape of Joe Kapp. He is peerless as the worst passer I’ve ever seen in the pros. But he was a fiery guy who lead the Vikes to the SB.

              2. I interviewed him for a feature I did a couple years ago on lefty QBs. Wonderful guy. No one ever developed him. Different era.

              3. I’ll bet that was an interesting conversation. Didn’t he and some other 65-70 year old get into a punch out on stage in the last few years? I have a foggy memory of reading about it….
                I recall him in a pro game scrambling to his left and heaving an end-over-end ruptured duck pass for a short TD. But hey, 6 points however you can get them.

        1. How easy is it to find that next great QB? Every year it seems harder and harder and the college system isn’t producing the quality pocket passers that it used to (yes, I realize that is not the true function of the higher education system). A good strategy as shown by Seattle and Denver is to build a stifling defense and a passable offense. It works in this era of professional football and with GM/HCs who know what they are doing, a very good team can be field within a couple of years. Contrast that with trying to put together an explosive offense.

        2. It’s sad that the Niners are so bad people are still pining for Alex Smith.

          Again, that was not the point of my post at all, so why is it being assumed that it is?

          1. Just talking in general mid. A lot of people on here have been thinking back to Smiths time here. While there is no question he is better than we currently have, I don’t miss him. I want more from the next Niners QB.

            1. I think everyone does Rocket. Who do you see that could meet that?

            2. Rocket

              In what you are saying, I think that you may be (part of) the problem. Quit pining (your term) for the second coming of Montana….Young wasn’t it; Garcia wasn’t it; Rattay wasn’t it nor was DeBerg, Smith, and for sure not Kaepernick. I think that your focus is too narrow…play the cards you are dealt. So our ownership sucks…big deal….all the talk of ‘firing’ Jed is nothing more than comedic chat at the York dinner table….AIN’T HAPPENIN’.All of the statistical charts and maps aren’t of any interest to them. Agree or disagree all you want….they will do as they want.

              I am reminded of the Senior E.Howard Hunt when asked about Howard (Jr) losinrg a million dollars in his first year of operations as the Houston Colt 45’s….He replied “He should be careful…he can only keep that up for another 115 years…

    3. Never said he couldn’t mid. Just pointed out that’s not his game to throw down the field often. He’s a dink and dunker first and foremost.

  6. This team plays without passion.
    This team reflects it’s HC ,a coach who stands on the side lines and expresses no passion.
    This team,according to T.Smith loves playing for this coach. The coach without passion…Hmmmm

    1. Del rio is an average HC coaching a very talented team. If Reggie McKenzie doesn’t get GM of the year then nobody should and as 49ers fan it kills me to say that.

  7. As Mark Purdy discussed; is there any debate the Niners made a mistake trading Smith and keeping Kap?

    1. HEY UNDERCENTER

      Can you believe it…? Our old ‘Game manager’ managed another win….Who’d a’ believed it…..Hah…!

  8. Does it mean anything, to anyone, that Kelly lost his father before the game?

    Very classy, Grant, et al.

              1. No doubt about that. The difference from last year is a listless attitude from Chip and the players.

              2. At the end of the day losing is losing and until Baalke is gone it will continue no matter who the coach is

              3. You want O’Neil fired? But, but, how can you judge a coach that has a Baalke roster? No DC could have success here. You can’t judge his scheme until he gets 2 or 3 years to get the right players. And the defense was bad last year. And what about continuity?
                :-)

              4. Also what post is there of me defending O’Neil? One of the problems with his philosophy on defense is he leaves the CBs on an island out there and there just not good enough to play man to man but for some reason he try’s to believe in them.

              5. The only thing I have ever defended Chip Kelly about is that it’s not all his fault but of course he has his share of the blame. Grant thinks he’s the sole reason the 49ers are bad almost as if he’s trying to get York and Baalke of the hook, maybe part of his agreement to get an interview with Eddie D was to lay off his nephew Jed???

              6. Truth,

                Vrabel didn’t sign because of Kellys reputation of wearing out the defense. A defensive coordinator would be commiting career suicide if he hitched his wagon to Chip. Same with any potential defensive FAs.

                I never said you defended O’Neil. You correctly pointed out one of the flaws in his philosophy. I point out flaws in Kelly’s philosophy, no second half adjustments and predictable play calling.

                seb,

                My post was meant to be taken in jest. Whenever I or anybody else says that Chip should be fired we are met with the excuses I listed above. I even said about Chip a couple of days ago “What about continuity? Continual crap, no thanks. IMO Chip is every bit as bad as O’Neil, Baalke and the Yorks. We have to clean house.

              7. To clarify, I think that Kelly is just as bad in his specific role as York and Baalke are in their specific roles. Ultimately I put most of the blame on Jed, then Trent, then Chip.

                Even though the roster is bad it is easy to see that Chip has flaws. For his system to work we would have to get a bunch of speed burners. The speed gap is much smaller in the pros. Also, most of the really fast WRs are flawed. They either have poor hands or poor route running skills. They also tend to lack a NFL build which makes them injury prone. Kelly’s offense worked when it was something new. The Dolphins had success with the wildcat for one year. A gimmick offense will never have long term success. It is not a good long term plan.

              8. 80, I saw that smiley face after your post and was just trying to keep it light. Sorry you were offended.

                Guess my post was directed more at O’Neil. I wanted him fired about 6 weeks ago, I do not want Chip fired.

                However, he is leading a 1-11 team, so he should be on shaky ground.

              9. #80,

                As far as defensive free agents not wanting to sign here because of Chip Kelly? So when did they? Last season nobody wanted to come here either we had to overpay for Torry Smith because nobody was going to pay him 8 million a year but us, clearly this is an organizational problem

              10. seb,

                I wasn’t offended. I wanted to make sure you knew that I was pointing out the hypocrisy of people who want O’Neil after one year but not Kelly because of continuity, needing a better roster etc.

              11. #80
                I honestly think Chip is not the right guy. But I do understand those that want to give Chip another year… and those that want O’Neil gone. The argument for this is O’Neil’s defenses have routinely been terrible at stopping the run… and the defense has regressed quite a bit. His D seems like a terrible marriage for Chip’s offense as well. It allows the other team to completely control the clock… but more importantly it doesn’t get the ball back for the offense.

              12. Shoup,

                Kelly’s offense doesn’t keep the D off the field either. It goes both ways. You said you don’t think Chip is the right so I don’t have to go down the list of reasons to fire him. Instead I will repost this link.

                http://www.knbr.com/2016/12/09/is-chip-kelly-capable-of-hiring-a-quality-defensive-coordinator/

                Can Kelly hire a quality defensive coordinator? The answer is no. We got O’Neil because Vrabel didn’t want to work for Chip. And why would he. Kelly will never get a quality defensive coordinator and quality defensive FAs. That makes it harder to build a championship team. On offense I mentioned in an above post that Kelly needs a specific kind of WR. He also needs a specific kind of QB and HB. It’s harder to find specific kinds of players because they are rare and highly coveted. Beyond the X’s and O’s, Kelly’s offense is the hardest offense to build, and it’s been figured out already.

        1. What Grant said a year ago, is irrelevant. Kelly’s dad died last week. It’s shockingly callous for this piece to appear now.

          1. Once I found out that his father passed away, I apologized for my harsh rhetoric, and expressed my condolences. I also have been muted with my criticism about Chip, directing more of my Ire at Baalke and Jed, or the other coaches.

            I wish the Niner players could have shown more class. The coach’s father dies, and they are goofing off celebrating, which may have cost them the game. I hope to not see another celebration the rest of the year.

            Chip said it best when he mentioned that life goes on, and he is not the only one processing grief. Other Niners have lost loved ones, and it should be noted that they still give 100% on the field.

            Paul Kelly ,having been a fine upstanding individual, would have been the last person in the world to try and use his passing to deflect blame or criticism from his son, especially if he deserves it, and Chip is leading a 1-11 team.

            He would have said that they should- let the Chips fall as they may, getting in one last amusing quote.

    1. He’s been on a mission lately, almost every negative article is about Chip Kelly but yet crickets for Baalke and York the architects for this dumpster fire

    2. Yes. It’s a terrible loss for the man.

      As someone who once coached a game the day following his mother passing away I also know it’s not an excuse.

      1. First off my condolences to you Hammer for your loss my wife lost her mother in 2014 and she’s still taking it hard till this day.

        True there’s no excuses for Chip Kelly and I’ve said before I was shock when he took this job when he had better opportunities in college but also let’s not lose track for the real men(York&Baalke) responsible for how bad our 49ers have been the last 3 years

      2. Good god, Jack, where did I say it was an excuse? There a chasm between excusing poor performance and laying off a public figure for a week after having a parent pass away.

        1. Good God Ex,

          Kelly is terrible. He’s hired terrible assistants. None of this is new. He doesn’t deserve anyone laying off.

          1. We can fire a coach every year. That will prevent us from getting good free agents and pretty soon there will be nobody left to hire as HC except a defensive line coach. Oh wait, we already did that.

            1. Oh please. The ownership and front office keeps the free agents from becoming part of the team. Keeping the current coaching staff will just add to the reason.

  9. Yes, a glove that can teach Kaencerprick how to understand and read a defense, learn how to go through his progressions, stop him from dropping his eyes, teaching him throwing mechanics and footwork, being able to throw to the left side of the field, how to get a play called on time, and the list goes on. That would be one magic glove!

    1. The Chiefs did enough in all three phases of the game tonight. They are built to be a Super Bowl contender, which the 49ers used to be.

      1. Chiefs offense got shut out for the last 3 quarters by a mediocre defense and they also gave the Raiders 3 points potentially 6(bad snap) or could’ve easily been 14 points if it weren’t for the Chiefs defense and that’s the Truth

          1. Big deal? Well yeah I guess some people forgot how the 49ers used to win games from 2011 to 2013

            1. I miss and would love to relive those days of the team actually being a contender.

      2. It’s an amazing run the Chiefs are on but not sustainable. Almost half of their points scored have come from defense and ST’s. It’s going to catch up with them eventually.

        1. Which means what exactly Rocket? It is time to stop doubting the Chiefs because they are showing that they can win in any situation right now.

          1. It means they are relying heavily on non traditional ways to score which isn’t sustainable. At some point they will have to get more scoring from the offense.

            1. And what exactly was that TD pass to Hill? A non-traditional way of getting a TD? Personally, I think it is a good thing if your defense and special teams can score for you. That is something the team we root for desperately needs to have.

              1. Don’t confuse the Raiders defense to the Chiefs defense lol They would’ve lost last week to the Falcons if it weren’t for Eric Berry’s pick 6 and 2 point return that sealed the win

              2. Yeah, through no fault of the offense which played better than the Falcons offense.

              3. I’m sure the Chiefs defense had something to do with that no? Falcons defense has always been bad

              4. Did you see the stat I put up in the above post?

                Almost half of KCs points have been scored by the defense and STs. That is not sustainable

                At some point they will need their offense to do more.

              5. Not buying your reasoning Rocket since the offense has shown in the past that it can do more if need be. The AFC crown is wide open this season due to each team having an apparent weakness or a key playmaker missing on one side of the ball.

            2. At what point do you say they have been able to sustain it, rocket? This is no longer a short term run.

            1. If the 49ers had the Chiefs defense, they would still have a losing record because of the terrible offense.

              1. The Raiders defense YES the Chiefs defense NO there special Peters and Berry are big time playmakers Collinsworth even mention they both have a combined 9 INTs, but yet our DBs can’t even get ONE freaking INT! Smh

              2. The Raiders offense is one of the best in the NFL Derek Carr is even mention as an MVP candidate and today the Chiefs defense made him look like Kaepernick. His worst game as a pro

              3. Yes and no. It is true the Chiefs defense did not make things easy for Carr, but the combination of an injured pinky on his throwing hand and dropped passes hurt the Raiders more tonight.

              4. And just think 7 points was really the only drive the Raiders offense could muster on the Chiefs defense while the other 6 points were of Hills fumble and Alex Smiths INT which the Chiefs defense held the Raiders to FGs.

              5. Excuses? Funny Derek Carrs injured pinky looked pretty good while he was torching the Bills secondary, but now all of the sudden it’s injured lol

                Not to mention the Chiefs had 3 turnovers(2 by the offense) and the Raiders had none. Usually the team that wins the turnover battle wins the game so that makes it even more impressive what the Chiefs defense did enough said.

              6. Chiefs defense has won several games. It is amazing how well a team plays when the defense comes to the rescue all the time.

                They might go all the way because they have not had too many injuries.

                Pats lost Gronk, and Seahawks lost Thomas, so they are vulnerable. Dallas has stayed pretty healthy, too, so it might be a Chiefs- Cowboys SB. Then I will be rooting hard for Alex to do well.

              7. Those are not excuses. Anybody with a biased or non-biased outlook could see something was up with Carr, and there were at least two instances where the NBC crew showed that Carr was gripping the ball in a way that it would not bother his pinky. Also, several examples of the WR drops were replayed during the post game show.

              8. Yup, do not rip Carr, but Kaep needed 3 surgeries, one on his shoulder, and one on his right thumb, and you along with others, dissed Kaep right and left.

              9. Your post does not deserve a response because I know how easily you will twist and contort it to suit your preferences Seb.

              10. Again, explain how he torched the Bills with his injured pinkie in the second half last week after he injured it?

              11. What was the temperature at the Bills game as opposed to the Chiefs game?

              12. Oh I see so the Chiefs players were playing under an umbrella of sunny beautiful weather lol Your Derek Carr excuses are hilarious you should come on Sportstalk Live show where all the Bay Area bias media show there homerism for the Raiders

              13. For someone who has the screen name The Truth, the actual truth seems to missed by you quite often. First, Carr has struggled in cold weather. Second, having the air make the football feel like a cold, hard rock probably did little favors on his injured pinky finger. Third, cold weather and injuries of any nature typically do not mesh.

              14. The Truth is your trying to make excuses for a guy that had a bad game why don’t you just say he had a bad game but you continue to make excuses about inclement weather that every player on both teams played in lol

  10. All I heard years was get rid get rid of Alex Smith as Kap. is the savior. Both Grant and Lowell were so anti Smith it got to be obnoxious and so pro Kap. you would think they were engaged. To night against Oakland Smith threw for over 200 yards in the first half. All I remember about Kap. is that he blew the Super Bowl and chokes every time the pressure is on. So now it is get rid of Kap., who I hated from the get go, and get rid of Gabbert and let us play Ponder. I think that Ponder would probably be far superior than either of the above. I wonder why Kelly won’t play him. Could it be politics? All that could happen is that we lose another game and we are going to do that anyway.

      1. I have been a 49er fan from the inception of the team in the 1940s when Frankie Albert ran the team. I have seen the ups and downs over these 60 plus years. So don’t give me any crap about being a fan. You newbies have no idea of what it was like during all these years from the Moribito’s to this messed up management. Soif one can’t express an honest opinion without being ridiculed. what good is this blog? I still feel that smith should have been given back his job. I still feel that if that would have happened we would have won the super bowl.

        1. It is OK to be upset, but the tone of your post is totally defeatist. Yes, I am a young whippersnapper who only watched games with Brody and Washington, but started attending games in the late 70’s when the stadium was not quite as empty as Levis.
          My bro in law would take me because no one else wanted to go, so I saw the Bill Walsh inception, and had a front row seat (actually sec10) to the Glory Years. Eventually, I took over those tickets because he was more into basketball, and I got them from my sister who let him have his basketball season tix. They stayed in his name because of the lottery, but I faithfully attended for years, even through the Nolan Singletary drek.

          Sorry you are so thin skinned. I am used to being insulted with expletives hurled at me, so pardon me if I sound jaded, and hope you can post without whining too much.

          We need new blood on this site, and even old blood, because I would like to hear some pearls of wisdom to help this team get back to being the envy of the league, instead of the laughingstock.

        2. Maven 1
          Many of us here know you through your posts over the years. Your cred is well established. Pay no attention to Seb, he speaks for no one; he’s one of our village idiots.

        3. Maven,
          There are a few of us old timers here from time to time.
          Welcome to the party.
          Seb. He is blessed, he was born with the irritation gene, he can not help himself.

  11. The Chiefs have Carr’s number. I don’t see the Raiders beating KC or NE on the road in the playoffs. They have to win their division and that’s not likely after tonight.

  12. While I agree that Chip is in over his head and needs to go.

    Harping on him for Kelly for Kaep choosing not to wear a glove is kind of not salient.
    It’s like blaming Obama if his press secretary shows up to a conference in a white shirt with a coffee stain on it. Even if you have any real arguments against him, blaming him for something like that would be petty and detract from any real complaints/arguments you might have.

  13. I predict the league will announce dual MVP winners this year; Brady and Elliott.

    1. Will they give the MVP award to a guy who missed a quarter of the season while serving a suspension?

      1. It’ll come down to how he finishes the season without Gronk. If he can maintain the TD/Int ratio while the team continues to win then he absolutely deserves consideration. It’s clear that in the spirit of the award that Elliott is a clear winner as he is far and away the most valuable player to that teams success this season. Brady’s suspension will be a subjective issue to those voting. I think there will be voting members that don’t think he deserved to be suspended and won’t count it against him.

        I also think that when you look at the other candidates that he(Brady) and Elliott are likely the most deserving. If anyone from the Raiders wins the award it should be Mack before Carr.

        1. On a side note. After watching the video of the snap that injured Carr’s finger and video of him throwing his center under the bus for the incident I’m not so sure that Carr is the great leader that he’s being made out to be. I’m sure he’s still loved in that locker room but if he continues to blame his mistakes on his teammates that’s not going to last.

  14. We all know the 49ers will replace Baalke with Gamble but who will they replace O’Neil with?

    Candidates I’d consider would be: Rocky Seto-Seahawks defensive assistant coach. Joe Cullen – ravens defensive line coach. Josh Boyer-patriots cornerbacks coach. Jim Leavitt-UoC defensive coordinator and was the LB coach under Harbaugh with the 49ers.

    Who will they likely hire? Jason Tarver-current OLB coach.

  15. Just like Bill Walsh back in the day, Kelly needs at least three years before he is judged a failure. Imagine what the 49ers history would be if Eddie has listened to the carping media types and fired Bill Walsh after he posted a 2-14 record his first year.

    Of course, Bill Walsh had complete control over personnel. He did not have a Trent Baalke making draft decisions. If Baalke was around in 1980 he would have found reasons not to draft Lott, Wright, and Williamson and would have probably picked three ACL players instead.

    If Baalke is fired and we get Kelly’s pal Gamble in as the GM it would be close to a Bill Walsh / John McVey situation which set the team up for the incredible run of success in the 80s.

  16. How does an offensive lineman tweak his hammy? Was he sprinting to the door to get the pizza?

    1. My question after watching that video is this:

      When did Gregg Popovich turn into Christopher Lee?

      Maybe it is the camera angle, but give him black robes and a red light saber, and he would be the spitting image of Lee as Count Dooku.

      1. That’s pretty funny and not at all far off. :) I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone else see’s it and some great memes will come of it.

  17. The poll question – is Kelly tanking?

    Are you kidding me!! If anyone thinks a player or coach is tanking really needs to sit back and think of the question WHY? You don’t replace your QB, that is playing as a pathetic of a game as I have seen in the beginning of the fourth quarter knowing they are going to have to pass to catch up. If he was tanking then he would of left the QB in as that would of ensured a loss.

    Tank for a draft pick, nooooo, Kelly has way too much integrity and pride.

    1. The better question is if the 49ers will win another game this season.

      1. Probably not, if the Bears backup defensive lineman can destroy our o-line with Staley what do you think Wilkerson, Leonard Williams and Sheldon Richardson are going to do to our o-line without Staley

  18. In fairness to Chip..He doesn’t have the quarterback he needs to compete…
    But I will say…if you don’t plan on playing Ponder…what was the point of keeping him over Driskell?..
    I rather lose like this with a rookie….letting him taking his lumps and gaining experience..
    ..Audition for the job next year..or at least compete with next years highly drafted Qb..with another year in the system..
    Going all in with Gabbert,Kap and Ponder as your qbs…was a bad decision..
    No future qb..
    Jim Oneil doesn’t have a pass rush to put his cbs on an island..to stop the pass..and no nose tackle to plug up the middle to stop the run.. .
    His problem is more personel issue related than Chip’s…..

    Chip needs a good qb to make his system work…and offense work better.
    So since it appears we’re sticking with
    him…Get him “his Qb”…and see what
    happens…

  19. I think you’re making way too much out of the glove. Mountain meet mole hill. It’s up to the individual player to decide to wear a glove or not. Kaepernick could have made the decision to put the glove on since he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn in that game. Kaepernick was playing poorly and he got benched. The likelihood a glove would have made any difference whatsoever is slim and none. Plus, it seems like Chip should get a bit of a pass for his in-game thinking in Chicago considering his personal situation. If you want to pursue why the 49ers didn’t prepare Kaepernick by having him throw with a glove during the week maybe you should ask Curtis Modkins or Ryan Day.

    1. I agree. The glove thing is a complete overreaction. If Kaepernick thought the glove would help him, he would have put one on. There is not a glove in the world which would have made Kap a better QB last Sunday. He played bad pure and simple. Does anybody really think the pass to a wide open Harris which was so badly underthrown that it hit the defender in the head would have been better with a glove?

      It looks like the game plan starting off was to run run run for both teams. Kaepernick and Barkley had only attempted two passes between them at the two minute warning in the first half. That’s when Chicago realized that the run run game plan was not working for them so they decided to let Barkley pass with two minutes to go. To their delight they found that the lousy 49er DBs were not able to keep up with their receivers. They drove down and got a TD, then got the ball first in the second half and scored another TD. Basically Chicago got the ball with two minutes to go in the first half down 6-0, and the next time the 49er offense came on the field they were down 14-6. That was when Chicago also realized that Trent Brown was slipping all over the field and was not capable of stopping their pass rush. Suddenly Kaepernick was under heavy rush. Game over.

      Carlos Hyde had a good game and it seemed he was able to get good yards on the ground. If the 49ers had scored TDs instead of Field Goals on their two scoring drives, and if Jimmy Ward and Tremaine Brock were NFL caliber corners, this could have been a win despite Kap having a bad day. But if pigs had wings they could fly…

        1. LOL…

          Lyrics from “Stronger” by Kanye West

          You know how long I’ve been on you?
          Since Prince was on Appolonia
          Since OJ had Isotoners
          Don’t act like I never told you [x6]
          Baby, you’re making it (harder, better, faster, stronger)

  20. Sympathy For The Devil

    Please allow me to introduce myself
    l’m a boy of wealth and distaste
    I’ve been around for a long, long year
    Stole many a fan’s cash and faith

    And I was round when Geep Chryst
    Had his moment of doubt and pain
    Made damn sure that Jim Harbaugh
    Washed his hands and sealed his fate

    Pleased to leak you
    Hope you guess Jed’s name

      1. Head Games(Foreigner)

        Bay plights, uptight, I just know, I just know that I scream
        No end in sight, that just ain’t right
        You must go, you must go sell this team
        So fine saving your dimes, it’s not about the winning, it’s the bottom line
        Time to fly, the banners high, end this charade, before it’s too late
        Jed Games, it’s you and Trent Baalke
        Jed Games, and we can’t take it anymore
        Jed Games, we don’t want to play the Jed games
        Agony, week after week, keeps fans hating on you, yea hating on you
        In Agony and defeat
        They keep costing me, my civility
        High time, we draw the line
        It’s like we’re in a tunnel, but there isn’t no light
        It’s always the same, and you know who’s to blame
        You hear what we’re saying? Still you keep playing
        Jed Games….

        1. To Strawberry Fields…

          Let me take you down
          ‘Cause I’m going to Levi’s Field
          Nothing is real
          And nothing to get hung about
          Levi’s Fields forever
          Jed is living with eyes closed
          Misunderstanding all he sees
          It’s getting hard to be a fan
          With it all screwed up
          It doesn’t matter much to he

          1. Y’all en fuego hahaha!
            Seriously more creative than our ordinary laments!

            There should be some blues, for sure. Maybe some Tom Waits and Mose Allison too. I’ll see if I can come up with anything; meanwhile, carry on.

          2. To…. I Am a Rock (Simon and Garfunkel)

            A winter’s day
            In a deep and dark
            December
            Jed is alone
            Gazing from his cabana to the skies above
            On banner towed slowed slowly cross the sky
            Jed is a rock
            Jed is an island
            He’s built walls
            A fortress deep and mighty
            That none may penetrate
            He has no need of winning, winning costs big bucks
            He got his last coach from the Oe’gon Ducks
            Jed is a rock
            Jed is an island

    1. I was wondering what you were up to.
      And uh, is that a shot at those of us from Petaluma (Chicken capitol)?
      Or at the by-product we’re peddling? And I don’t mean feathers.
      ; >)

  21. I see Grant tweet the Browns would likely look to trade down rather than take Garrett. Not sure if they would trade back, but it opens an interesting question. Many here think the 49ers should take Garrett if he is available at #2 (assuming they pick at #2). Should the 49ers consider trading up to #1 to make sure they get him?

    1. Depends. Cost/value.
      If he’s your crush and he’s gone at #2, who do you love? Nobody? Then maybe go up.
      Is the Bama OLT good enough that somebody wants to move to #2 to get? Is he an option if Garrett goes?
      Here we go..

    2. I wouldn’t trade up. If another team were to trade up it would probably take a QB. If it’s a team that would take Garrett we should trade down. I don’t think Allen is worth it at 2.

  22. 49ers vs. Jets:

    At this point who cares…The garage needs consolidation, leaves are falling and we all know Jed picks this time of year to twist the knife a little further into fans by picking up garbage wins against coaches who rest their players with 4 games left, thus ensuring he doesn’t pay for another top 10 pick.

    This is Jed’s Super Bowl–these last few games could wreck his Cabana windfall created from no free agency spending, so Jed’s ordering all hands on deck in Paraag’s Analytic Dept.

  23. 49ers Paradise:

    TANK: Yesterday I wrote about Jarrell Freeman, Nick Kwiatkowski and Jaquiski Tarrt in a single remark. I found that same comment lifted and posted verbatim in comments under a Grant Cohn column. And it wasn’t done by me. Who is TomD?

    Bryan_Admin: Tank that’s very odd. I don’t recall ever seeing a TomD pass through here

    Bob: I’ve always admired TomD, great insight

    1. Really too bad that Seb doesn’t see true genius when others do.

      He prefers to to tout the below average Tomsuala’s (we remember Seb’s preseason praises of this loser); and who could forget Seb’s Jarryd Hayne should be a starter comments, endured for an entire year, until he was waived and no other NFL team acquired him….There’s the most famous, Seb’s Kap over Smith rants, still continue!

    2. Who really gives a poop ? ….Just like Seb. self-appointed expert of nothing but East coast sports comic books….

        1. Yes. I like the guy and wanted them to sign him, but 5 for 35 is high. It’s only 16 guaranteed so the structure could be interesting.

        2. Hope Marathe slipped in a clause on x hours per week he needs to spend with the JUGSs machine …..

        3. 1. Graham 10,000,000
          2. Kelce 9,368,400
          3. Reed 9,350,000
          14. McDonald 7,000,000
          15. Walker 6,687,500

          I think they overpaid because of the drops. But he would got 7,000,000 or more elsewhere. I wish we could have got him cheaper but I’m OK with this deal.

          1. Career Catch %
            1. Graham 10,000,000 66.5%
            2. Kelce 9,368,400 72.7%
            3. Reed 9,350,000 75.6
            14. McDonald 7,000,000 46.4%
            15. Walker 6,687,500 <60.6%

            Yea, they overpaid.

        4. True, but it could be worth it if McDonald is ascending in terms of potential. However, you are right about the cost Razor.

        1. Ya but I think he ranks 10th overall in yards per catch in the NFL. Second only to Gronk in TEs. He is talent that I believe the arrow is pointing up.. We don’t have many of those players.. Hyde could be next.

            1. Who cares? He also doesn’t get very many opportunities either. They barely throw to the guy. He can make a big play when given the opportunity. Very versatile too… Let’s get the guy a QB and some talent around him and see what he can do.

              1. You should. Those 2 plays skew his yards per catch. Of the 41 TE’s with at least 25 targets, only 8 have a drop percentage worse than McDonald. This new deal means only 14 TE’s in the league have a higher average deal. Production doesn’t match the pay.

                I wanted them to extend him, but they’ve overpaid.

              2. Hammer there going to over pay for everyone they want the next 3-5 years. That’s where this organization is…

  24. Well this is guaranteeing Baalke is coming back..I can’t stomach this organization anymore or another Baalke draft..I can’t believe my favorite team I grew up loving is quickly becoming my worst enemy..I can’t stand the Yorks or Baalke..Baalke will completely blow this draft..watch..I can’t stomach to sit around another off season reading mock drafts and having hopes just to have what we all know is going to happen..Baalke reaching for picks ,taking the annual acl pick and picking players he could have had 2 rounds later..Vance Mcdonald is trash..I can’t belive they signed this clown to an extension…I am so done with this orginization

  25. Tony Sparano’s first three seasons in Miami when he used that Wildcat gimmick: 25-23
    Chip Kelly’s three seasons in Philly: 26-21

    1. Kelly’s getting a pass because he’s the new guy. Baalke and York are the one’s everyone hates, and they are missing Kelly’s shortcomings. This thing is a disaster and it doesn’t look like anything is really going to change.

      1. Well atleast Grant doesn’t hate Baalke or York as much as he hates Chip Kelly. Baalke is going on 3 years of getting a pass

      2. Kelly has a legion of loyal fans because he turned a 4-win team into an 10-win team and lost his only playoff game. Sparano turned a 1-win team into an 11-win team and lost his only playoff game. Where’s his legion of loyal fans?

        1. They realized it was a mirage. Kelly’s fans will realize it sooner or later too. Probably will be later because they will just blame Baalke until he’s gone.

          1. I never said I was a Chip Kelly fan I actually wanted Mike Shanahan to be the HC before they hired Chip, but I’m not going to act like Chip Kelly is the ONLY reason the 49ers are bad, anybody with half a brain knows this roster is horrible

        2. I wouldn’t call it a legion; more like a small gathering. Very few Kelly supporters on here really.

          The only reason I would be in favor of retaining Kelly is because firing a 3rd HC in 3 years is not a path to success in any sport. That tells any perspective HC that there is zero security and the FO is an unmitigated disaster.

          The only way they can part ways with Kelly and not have it affect their ability to hire the next HC is if Kelly leaves for another job.

          1. That’s the only thing that surprises me about Chip. Why stay on the titanic while it’s been sinking the last 3 years

          2. Geez, Rocket

            Between you and Grant, poor Chip doesn’t have a chance…I expect more of you, because Grant needs to generate ‘clicks’. I do believe that ‘Chip’ will get at least 2-3 more years, by which time all of you will be defending him to the death….Some will still be screaming Shannahan and Holmgren, but success does strange things to strange people….

  26. 35 million for Vance McDonald has Baalke written all over it. Well guys it looks like Baalke ain’t going nowhere smh

  27. I am conflicted. If the Niners lose out, Baalke may be fired. If they manage to win a couple games, it may be enough to save his job. I want the Niners to win, but losing may get the desired result.

    However, knowing Jed, he may be happy to lose, and Baalke will be retained no matter what.

    Therefor, I hope Kaep does so well, Jed will have to choose between Kaep or Baalke.

    Baalke is responsible for dismantling this team, and he is the architect of this present season. Baalke does not have a clue. My proof? He resigned Devey, His ACL strategy, and he whiffed on an entire draft class.

    1. I truly hope that Baalke and chip stay next year.

      I hope we lose every game next year and get the number one pick the following year to get our franchise QB, a new coach and new GM in 2018!

      Game 7 next year. I’ll look at buying season tickets and purchase someone else’s seat rights for a bag of ketchup chips from Canada.

    1. A classic example of someone not giving credit where credit is due, which is sadly something that has plagued Frank Gore since Day One.

      1. Very true.. MidWest .. however ..
        I’m still waitin’ for Roger Craig to
        get the nod as well… too !

      1. That’s who I wanted them to take. I remember Kelce had a lot of red flags coming out which led to a lot of discussion around here.

    1. I was all for re-signing McDonald but that is waaayyy too much. I can’t see anyone paying him that in FA and if they did I would have let him go.

  28. Of the picks in rounds 1-4 since 2011 only Kaepernick and McDonald have garnered a contract extension. Not good for a team that says they are draft and develop.

  29. The FO is up to its old tricks. More leaks and smears. Jed and the Niners will never win if they keep acting with no class.

    Now Baalke is acting like a dead man walking, with a brain dead signing. He is so desperate, he could not wait until the end of the year. Believe me, no other team in their right mind would have wanted a player who catches less than 50 % of his passes thrown his way. Except the Niners.

    This is not only obtuse, it it willful incompetence.

  30. Interesting concepts in the skeletal proposal by Ronnie Lott’s development group for an Oakland stadium. Supposedly no taxpayer funds, just free rent on City property with surrounding commercial development. Too few details too late in the process I think.
    City Council and County Supes would have to give prelim approval by 12-13-16 meetings for NFL to vote 12-14-16. Unless there’s yuge owner resistance to Vegas I don’t see NFL grasping at Oakland’s last straw. The Mayor can’t over promise because her county has less revenue than Santa Clara County and her taxpayers see that Jed tanked his franchise right after he got his subsidies and now weasels on payments.
    Maybe two year lease while the Taj Mahal gets built in Vegas is my guess.
    Chargers? Shoot, they don’t even have a plan. London? Mexico City? Hong Kong?
    Dubai?

  31. Niners evaluation of talent is terrible. I just heard we signed McDonald to a new contract. Yet we let Delaney Walker, the spark that made the offense go a few years back. Blake does not know talent. He really needs to go.

    1. “….Blake does not know talent. He really needs to go….”

      He wears #84 .. and plays TE … Give him a chance
      before you show him the door !

      1. MWNineVmac has had 4 years, you have it or you don’t. He shows a flicker here and there, but mostly it’s out. There is not one contested play, where he won the battle. Please show him the door!

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