Colin Kaepernick: “I think I’ve improved personally. I think this team’s improved.”

SANTA CLARA — This is the transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

You’ve obviously switched modes from the preseason to the regular season now, but in terms of your mindset, where are you at going into this?

“We’re just trying to prepare to make sure we’re ready to go out and get a win.”

 

You’ve had six months of preparation now. Where has this team gotten in the six months to convince you of that?

“We’re a lot farther along than where we started. So, I think this team has confidence in what we’re doing and we need to go out and execute.”

 

You guys obviously kept stuff in reserve, a lot of stuff in reserve during the preseason. Would you say you kept more hidden than in previous years or is this just typical as far as what you showed during the preseason?

“It’s not really hiding things. At the end of the day, you go out, you play football. It’s not really about what plays you’re running. It’s about the players running the plays and executing them and using their technique and getting the job done.”

 

In June, you talked about cleaning a lot of things up and you wanted to take on a greater load to carry this team. Where do you feel like you’ve come from, you know, in a matter of those three months since mini-camp?

“I think I’ve improved personally. I think this team’s improved. It’s something that everyone in here has worked everyday and tried to get better to make sure when we did get to Week 1 of this season that we’d be ready to go and ready to go out and compete.”

 

It’s a team game, obviously, but personally, you’re 4-0 on Monday Night Football. You’ve got nine touchdown passes, no interceptions. What is it about the lights of Monday Night Football that kind of makes you ramp up the game?

“Well, I really didn’t know that. But, I’ve loved playing under the lights since high school. Just kind of takes you back to the old days of being under the lights. It’s a different vibe then when you’re playing in a day game and I think everyone likes that feeling.”

 

And I know, also, you’re looking forward to a new start, new beginning. But also, looking back a little bit, what’s the biggest lesson you took from Jim Harbaugh?

“He taught me a lot. A lot about professional offenses. A lot about the defenses, how they can react, how they can change based on what you’re doing and what their game plan might be. So, I really can’t say one thing. He’s taught me a lot.”

 

How do you think the offense has adapted in camp and the preseason as far as the faster tempo that you guys are trying to implement?

“I think our players have adjusted phenomenal. It’s become second nature for us. It’s something that we don’t think about anymore. We just operate at that speed.”

 

You don’t seem like a guy that’s really worried about outside perception given everything that’s happened this offseason. As a team captain, how do you relay that message to block out all that outside noise to the rest of your teammates?

“I don’t think that’s something this team really needs to be talked to about. They come to work everyday and work their butts off. So, it’s something that this team kind of handles by itself. It just naturally comes about.”

 

How eager are you to see TE Vernon Davis turn the page? I’m sure all of you turned the page on last year, but he especially wants to get things started in a positive direction.

“I don’t really see it as turning the page. We just need Vernon to be Vernon. He’s a phenomenal player, a great talent and someone that can make great contributions to this team. So, when we step on that field, I think everyone will be excited to see what he does.”

 

Head coach Jim Tomsula was saying he wants ‘Colin to be Colin.’ How do you be yourself in this league? What do you want people to say about what kind of quarterback you are?

“To be honest, I’m really not worried about what people say about me as a quarterback. I’m worried about what my teammates think and what my coaches think about me as a quarterback. So, that’s ultimately who I give that ability to judge to.”

 

A couple years ago, you had the dual-threat. You took pride in being a dual-threat. Is that something you want people to take notice of again?

“Once again, I’m really not too concerned about peoples opinions of what they see or view me as. I mean, I was also the black quarterback with tattoos. So, once again, not something that really crosses my mind.”

 

What sticks out to you about Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer’s defense. What are you looking out for?

“They do a lot of different things and they do them well. They play fast, they play hard. Something we’re going to have to be ready for everything.”

 

Are any blitzes unusual or a lot or is that something you have to prepare for in particular, the blitzes?

“Every defense blitzes, they just do it different ways. So, we have to get ready for the way that they’re going to blitz us.”

 

Have you found the virtual reality to be valuable in preparing for opponents? How much are you using it this week, for example?

“A little bit here and there but really haven’t used it too much. Something that we have to kind of progress with as the technology progresses.”

 

Will it be special to see coach Tomsula? It’s his first real game as head coach and you know how far he’s come to do this.

“Yeah, it’d be great for his first game to be a win. So, that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

This article has 163 Comments

  1. These players are scrutinized and evaluated daily, you’ve either improved or you haven’t, which is it Colin?

    1. I think he answered.

      “I think I’ve improved personally. I think this team’s improved”

      We’ll all know after the first 4 games.

        1. What is so hard for you to understand? He personally thinks he has improved. Kinda ironic that a smart ass is a dumbass.

          1. The only irony is that you don’t see how you’re the dumbass for taking it how you did.

  2. Kaep should blot out all extraneous input and just concentrate on scoring TDs. He should be the field general and think quick on the move. I hope he has become more accurate with added touch to the ball.
    I am ecstatic that his interview skills have improved so much, I will say that he is showing leadership and making me proud of his transformation from terse to loquacious.
    I want to see the Sundance Kid- like Kaep.

      1. Smart football vs. blockhead football or (the run football offense-3yards and a cloud of dust mentality) w/o much variation/imagination.

    1. @sebnynah,

      Couldn’t agree more,

      Kaep should block out all the Noise & just let his Play do all the talking. If he shows on Monday night that he has improved then that will be the best way to Shut The Nay-Sayers up.

      1. I have read your posts on NN, but have not seen you lately. Welcome back. I consider you an astute football fan, who tells it like it is.

  3. “I was also the black quarterback with tattoos”

    Why is Colin saying this? I don’t really think anyone was judging him by his skin color or his tats. If he wants to act like people judge him for that to give him a chip on his shoulder or whatever, that’s fine I guess. Whatever works for him to get motivated, but it seems weird to me.

      1. He got loads of scrutiny for his tattoos! I’ve heard people say “the quarterback is the face of our franchise, and he has tattoos. How unprofessional.” Most of them are religious!! An. Let’s all be honest we all know the ignorant ass stereotypes about black quarterbacks. They typically aren’t successful and they don’t last (RG3, Vick, Dennis Dixon, Terrelle Pryor) the list goes on. But he isn’t wrong there are people that didn’t like him just because he is black and has tattoos. I remember the back lash he got from posing nude in the magazines! It’s because all of the old miner fans hate anything that isn’t Montana or young.

        1. I think people have forgotten all the hell he caught for having tattoos. And while no one ever really mentioned his skin color, there has always been “coded language” that was directly related to his skin color.

          1. Yes on the coded language. Most of the fussing was about supposedly gangsta tattoos, which I find hilarious since when I go to the supermarket I see 50 year old housewives and 17 year old checkers and bag boys covered in tats. It’s hot weather, I’m seeing a lot more skin and tats sometimes than I wish I was, LOL!

    1. What planet do you live on LSx? This blog has posters who are very irritated by Colin’s skin, including his religious tattoos.

      1. I’m more irritated by the immaturity that he has shown at times. I could care less about his race, tattoos, religion, what he had for breakfast, or the type of toilet paper he uses.

        1. I think Mid alludes to an important point here. While there are detractors who use the “coded language” that may indicate that race is a component of their criticism of Kap, as well as those who specifically reference Kap’s tattoos, there are also many who are critical for football related reasons. With some obvious exceptions, I think most of Kap’s vocal critics on this site are focusing on football issues, not his race or tattoos.

          1. Yeah, that Tat stuff has mostly died down, and agree most of the complaints now are related to quarterbacking. That doesn’t mean Colin has forgotten; who wouldn’t take it personally?

            1. And I think the point he was trying to make was that he couldn’t careless what people (or more specifically the Media) think about him. The question was “what do you want people to think and what do you want people to say about you???”. His response is just indicating that the media hasn’t treated him very well and often dig at his character, so why should he care what they think? He’s not doing it for them. He’s playing because he loves the game.

              1. If he means it, it’s a big step forward for CK. You don’t have to look too far in the past to see CK putting too much energy into what those outside the building thought and said.

    2. Oh boy, that caught my attention too. Big time. If anything I think of him as that handsome brown QB. Don’t even think about tats. BROWN IS BEAUTIFUL! Why does he so obviously need to act so black? There must be a big chip on that powerful shoulder. Or we don’t recognize how difficult it is not to be one or the other….

    3. I didn’t know he was black. Wasn’t sure about his ethnicity. I didn’t think too much about the tattoos because everyone has them nowadays. He’s behavior toward the media was childish and I’m sure most would prefer him to be more professional, seems ok now.

    4. He used to be judged but that, that’s what he was referencing. People called him a thug and questioned weather a man with all those tattoos was fit to be the face of a franchise. You must not remember his first year as a starter.

  4. Colin is a cool guy I guess, but he really sets himself up as arrogant and condescending. Why can he not see this? Sure, just win of course. But 4 F’s Sake get a clue would serve him well.

    1. There’s a fine line between being confident and proud vs arrogant and condescending.
      Spin it however you want.

    2. Do you know him? I don’t think you know who he really is at all.. He hasn’t had a very easy life and he is more successful then any of us.. No matter what he says in these interviews people will always scrutinize him because he is kap. Would you even believe him if he said he was confident that they were gonna have a top ten offense? No! The games are gonna show what improvements were made

  5. If we added up all african american tatted athletes, is Colin really that special?

    Thats a retrospective…

  6. Don’t forget to make your pick for tonight’s game in the Pick’em League. You’ll never believe how many people start week #1 off with a loss simply because they forgot to enter their pick.

  7. First play from scrimmage, a fake handoff to Hyde rolling right followed by the naked bootleg to the left ala Steve Bono with KC.
    80 yards to the house.

    1. I hope they not cover Vernon just as well. The announcer said they didn’t communicate fast enough when the Pats went hurry-up. But still…

        1. Vikings lost their center and tackle. Steelers look vulnerable. Niners could possibly be 2-0 in 2 weeks.

              1. I think you mean that you want Tomsula to start a win streak since one game doesn’t constitute that.

  8. I know its the Pats, and their offense can make most teams D look pretty bad, but I think the Steelers D is going to struggle in general this season. The DBs just aren’t good. Bodes well for the 49ers week 2, especially with three of the Steelers top offensive players out.

    1. That said, I hope Brock’s hammy holds up in order for us to keep up w the Steeler’s passing game

    2. They seem to stop the run pretty well. But the coverage is soft and mental errors are killing them.

        1. CK needs to get him the ball for that to happen. I think Geep needs to get VD the ball early and often.
          I have him in my fantasy and I think Vernon is gonna have a big year. It’s also a contract year I think for him.

    1. Nice. Though I disagree regarding Hayne. I think he’ll suit up and be the return man.

      Some bold predictions I have are:
      – The 49ers will have 3 sacks, none of which will be from the DL or OLBs
      – The Vikings will get more than 50% of their receiving yardage from RBs and TEs
      – The 49ers 3rd WR will play less than 20% of 49ers offensive snaps
      – 49ers will run for more yards than they pass for
      – Vikings will win by more than 10 points

      1. Also:
        – 49ers will keep it pretty close until the 4th quarter
        – Kaepernick with have a 4th quarter INT while chasing the game

          1. To be honest I can’t recall. Probably 49ers though. I was feeling pretty confident about the 49ers chances at the start of last season.

          1. The big win in 2012 in NE was a Sunday night game. Though he’s laid the turd or two under the lights (last Thanksgiving, anyone?) overall he’s been excellent after dark.

      2. Interesting..The Vikes offense will benefit with Peterson back but, it’s his first game in quite a while…also, if I am not mistaken Bridgewater’s numbers last season were not as good on the road.
        The later start for the game 7:20PM Pacific should favor the Niners especially late into the game. Both teams could have some plays in the return game. My guess a 23-20 game, could go either way.

      3. Scooter_McG I agree, the Vikings will get more than half their receiving yardage from RBs and TEs.

    2. – I was thinking otherwise, but its looking like Hayne might not suit up. I still think the 49ers will spring Hayne on some hapless victim, but maybe not this week.

      – I agree about Hyde. Despite all the New CK and new WR edge speed talk, its still about running.

      – Makes sense to limit Bowman’s snaps, injury or not. The 49ers have to fly 3,000 miles on six days rest to pay a 10am game vs a team with 10 days rest.

      The 49ers will liberally sub as many defensive players as depth and matchup situations allow.

      – Not sure about Bridgewater hitting 70%. He’s certainly capable, but it sounds like Mangini’ high risk defense is more vulnerable to chunk plays, but should be goo at disrupting rhythm.

      – CK will get sacked more than 5 times, if you count runs for a loss (no matter how small).

      Which begs the question… CK has a ton of sacks, but what is his sack loss yardage compared to other QBs?

    3. I already conceded when I made my inactive projection that Hayne is likely to sit this week but I also said that it’s only for the short term.

      I can see all of your bold predictions coming true except for Hyde getting 100 yards. He might score but he isn’t rushing for 100 yards.

    4. I say Kaep is sacked 3 times (about last year’s per game average). Which would be a major victory for our OL.

  9. I think the 49ers will finally wise-up (as opposed to running into 8-man boxes) and get Kap in space w the uncertainty with the line, and utilize a lot of screen passes and quick passes to start the game……

    I am going to remain optimistic, provided Brock plays, and go with Niners 28-17ish……. regardless, I will enjoy myself immensely at Levis Stadium on Monday!

    1. Additionally, the secondary market for the 49ers is very soft, even at AZ I got lower bowl for $135 which years past would be $250

    1. Razor is it true Hayne has been used in practice as a scout team player? Yikes, can’t be good for opening game. Good thing you chickened out of our bet!

  10. For the love of God throw a TD to Edelman already, these reception yards are meaningless in my stupid $ league.

  11. Gronk is probably the most dominant player in the NFL if you measure dominance between the best and the second best player in any position.

  12. I wouldn’t be feeling to good about the Steeler game until we see what our offense can do. The Steelers have left some points on the field and are facing a buzz-saw tonight in New England. If they were facing an average offense this would probably be a Pittsburgh leading game.

  13. Key matchup will be Bow Vs AP. I am going to assume that the O line plays decent, and the defense sacks TB 3 times. Kaep will throw 2 TDs , Hyde will score and they will kick 2 FGs. Niners 27-20.

      1. It might not even be the original lineup, they may start Easton. Niners should start out running the ball, and pass as little as possible.They should take advantage of the Viking team speed by running counters and reverses. I hope they continue to rotate players in to keep them fresh and find the best combination.
        If they just run, Kaep will not be sacked, and the play action bomb will be more effective.
        Niners will use all their weapons, so Hayne will play.

  14. There’s a chance that, after playing the NFC and AFC South divisions last year, the entire AFC North is over rated. This is not based on tonight, just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

    1. Steelers looked vulnerable in the secondary, Cincy has Dalton, Browns are the Browns, and Ravens are the only team who looks decent.

  15. I except the Niners-Vikes game to be a low scoring one. The new center of the Vikings will have problems. They may try to run AD outside more (that means Lemonier may be active). It’s Bridgewater vs. Mangini on third and long, and I expect Mangini’s disguised blitzes to make a difference.Their O line won’t be good in run blocking, and combined with Teddy’s semi-weak arm, and lack of the prototype big, dominant WR (not sold on Patterson) will handicap Norv Turner from running his combination of (power running + Air Coryell) offense. The unknown factor is whether Kyle Rudolph has recovered fully. Both sides will make mistakes. Field position will be important. Kap will show some small improvements in accuracy and won’t make any major mistakes. AD will get his yards but Niners will escape with a 16-13 victory.

    1. If Hayne returns punts, his performance will determine field position which could be the difference in the game.

  16. Bold Prediction
    I think SF loses badly week 1. I think they blow a lead week 2. Kaepernick doesn’t do well under pressure and this line couldn’t stop a pop warner pass rush.
    Against Minnesota would be a good time to discover the screen pass that has been missing the last 4 years. It may just help the line in pass protection. If that is the case, look for Reggie Bush to have his first TD as a 49er. Outside of that, I don’t see much offense for SF.
    Bridgewater throws 2 TDs and runs for 1. SF Defense gets 2 INTs and the final score SF 16 Min 34.

    1. I actually think Kaep is going to have a decent game. He usually starts well and then fades badly in the season, when teams figure out how one dimensional he is. Niners also playing at home on the crapping sod that will slow down AP. Hyde looks ready to break out and be the man. I think Niners win the opener, but will lose to Pittsburgh.

    2. I fit into that crowd somewhere. Except I think that line will break the Saints old record of sacks given up in one year…It takes time for cohesion, and the Niners are up against an NFL Mastermind of blending exotic defenses, even when they face a vetran OL.
      Also, Bridgewater’s second year in a Norv Turner offense he did well in last year. Like the OL, it takes time for cohesion on defense also. Well get picked apart, And Peterson will have a big game

  17. Bold season prediction:

    Wins – Minn, NYG, Atl, Chi, Cle, Cin, Det
    Loss – Pitt, GB, Balt, Sea (2x)
    Split – Az, StL

    Record 9-7

        1. SEA owns Kaep. Just flat own owns him like a cheap barbie doll.

          Levi’s Stadium is not a home field advantage now so they can easily get swept by another division team, like AZ.

          These are the definite wins based on schedule:

          CHI, CLE.

          Most Likely Losses:
          GB, SEA (2X), BAL

          The rest is a tossed salad. Seeing how the team doesn’t look better then last year’s team, with inferior coaching staff and loss of talent, and iffy QB play, it’s hard to see them winning more games then last year.

          1. The only games that qualify as should lose games are the two with the Seahawks and the one in Green Bay.

            I’m not all together sure why everyone holds the Ravens in such high regard. I’m not saying they’re not a good team, but they’re not elite.

  18. Could be a d line man’s dream game Monday. Kap may get sacked 5 times but there’s just as much chance Teddy will too.

    “Like the Vikings, the 49ers will enter Monday with an offensive line dotted with question marks after allowing a plethora of sacks in 2014. The 49ers allowed 52 sacks, tied for the third-most in the NFL, and the Vikings ranked fifth (51).”

  19. I will repeat my prediction from yesterday. Minn will win by quite a bit more than the spread. I am sorry to say.

    1. And I predict 27-20, but that is why they play the game. Hope to compare notes after the game, and Go Irish, it looks like they have a good team this year.

    2. They are closely matched teams, but the score won’t be close.

      Shaky O-lines = poor pass protection. The team that falls behind will be swamped. Pass rushers will stop worrying about play-action fakes.

      .

  20. Seb,

    Where are you when the NFL’s opening week real questions need to be answered…Still swilling Grog/Gruel with the bud’s

    Vegas Odds: Season win total-Over/Under

    49ers: 6.5
    Raiders: 5.5

    1. I’m happy for Aldon. One one hand I thought a new team and scenery would be better for him, but by staying in the Bay Area, he would have his sponsor and other support groups.
      This never would have happened if Kaep didn’t steal his GF.

    2. CK do you know if Smith is eligible to play right away? I wonder what Grant thinks of this signing. Grant do you think this signing makes the Raiders organization more immoral than the 9ers?

      1. Coach,

        Aldon is eligible since no punishment or suspension has been handed down yet. However, he will likely be inactive week 1 due to the lack of time in the system.

        As for Grant, I feel he would say they are on level ground. If I’m understanding Grant’s argument correctly, he perceives the teams as acting out of necessity to produce wins. Talking about excellence off the field is important for PR, but in the end if they can’t win they lose revenue.

        Am I on the right track here?

        1. Peter has there been no suspensions because the 9ers cut him loose right away and he was’nt under contract to any NFL team? Could this possibly change now that he is under contract once again?

          1. It definitely could change. I haven’t heard anything regarding the NFL investigating the issue, so I would assume it depends on how much they have covered up to now. They haven’t exactly shown the most consistency in regards to discipline, so it’s tough to tell what they do over the next week.

          2. Caveat: I’m a fan, not a journalist. So I don’t have the same access as someone like Grant. Mainly speculation here.

          3. The NFL suspended five or six players this week who weren’t under contract. They can and almost certainly will suspend Aldon at some point.

  21. Seb,

    There is a way to rectify this…Simply admit, at the top of Grant’s next post that you were wrong all along, forgetting to realize the time it takes an offensive line to develop cohesion…Then state that Vikes coaches, Zimmer and Turner have years of experience over our current staff with superior skill position players capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. What the Vikes don’t have is a 34 year old WR who can’t take it 99 yds like an A. Boldin

    1. TrollD, I have admitted I have been wrong many times, but will go to my grave believing you are a simpleton court jester who wants to trade Kaep for Tebow even with a million picks.
      Quit wasting my time, unless you are a sucker for pain and grief.

    2. I guess you could say the Vikes have players like Bill Walsh used to have in Rice and Taylor, capable of taking it the distance from anwhere on the field…Walsh also had Billy Owens, a 1976 Olympian in the 110 meter hurdles (finished 6th) returning kickoffs, and later, Renaldo Neamiah former world record holder in the 110 m hurdles and ranked #1 in the world at his craft four straight years…So Seb, while you and your hordes drool over the Patton’s and Ellington’s, just remember there’s a reason Walsh’s offenses scared the sh-t out of defenses for years.

      1. Incidentally, if you employ world class speed like an Owens or a Nehemiah, you have to have a quarterback accurate enough to complete a deep ball, something to date Kap does not have in his arsenal.

        1. And if you don’t think the Niners have enough speed to scare oponents, just type in John tayor, 49ers, click videos, and watch him return punts for toucdowns, or Dana McClemore, the Niners 3rd down corner (Nickel back) who took it the distance on punts also.

        2. Hmm. TrollD, you could fit all your football knowledge in a thimble. It is worse than pathetic. Its tragic. You want to trade Kaep for Tebow. That says it all.

      2. Tom,

        I can appreciate your dedication to the Niners, but don’t you think it’s difficult to compare a system that was successful 30 years ago to the way the NFL works today? Mostly speculation here, but we’re seeing the Niners give special athletes a shot in these times as well, but it seems most are having difficulty given how complex the game has become.

        1. Peter, Green Bay, if not for the special teams blunder would have been Superbowl champs. They still run the 49er offense. Their current head coach, Mike Mcarthy was Joe Montana’s last offensive coordinator.

          1. Mike Shannahan’s son is now Atl’s OC, and Jay Gruden just got rid of RGIII to make cousins his QB…Anyone of these or their father’s would have been preferable to the folks ruining the organization we have now.

            1. TrollD, Just spouting names and trying to sound somewhat intelligent is a lot harder than it looks. And you are failing miserably.

              1. Peter,

                Disregard (sebnynah). He’s one of the many Raider fans I/ve discovered invading this site. Any time someone posts anything intelligent that might improve the Niners he’s there to insure it doesn’t happen.
                I caught him actually advising a trade of Niner personnel to the Raiders

              2. Tom you’ve got to stop with the moronic assignment of fandom when somebody doesn’t agree with you. I don’t agree with Seb but the guy has drunk the 49er koolaid and probably has Joe Montana bed sheets. He’s hopelessly optimistic about the whole team.

                You on the other hand seem to hate everything about the current team.

              3. TrollD does not comprehend the time honored tradition of former Niners moving across the Bay. Jerry, Ronnie, Terrel, Carlos, Crab etc. I wanted Kendall Hunter to continue his career, and since the Raiders cut their RB, I thought that would be a good landing spot.
                To infer that I am a Raider fan just defines TrollD. I love the Niners and yes, I did have a poster of Joe Montana on my wall while in college.
                TrollD is such a loser for him to attack me in such a nefarious manner. To me, it is an extreme insult to call me a Raiders fan, but no one else in this blog site bothers to do so because they would be ridiculed for such an imbecilic rant. TrollD does not care. he is a troll and relishes any attention, good or bad. So sad…

          2. Have you watched Green Bay play recently? They use both shotgun and pistol formations as well as under center sets. They also use spread concepts in the passing game. It is not the same offense.

              1. ’73 and JP001
                Refresh your memories if you have one: Who has been a coordinator in this league and who has not: M. Shannahan, K. Shannahan, M. Holmgren, J. Gruden, and who has won superbowls in those positions?..They earned their way up the corporate ladder, what has the coach you both have wet dreams at night over ever done, Tomsula?

                ‘Teams run variations of the WCO. M. Shannahan ran the spread run game. As time goes on there are going to be also the Harbaugh’s of the world who ran a conservative brand of WCO
                But that’s pushing aside my point That Mike Shannahan and M Holmgren were availalble to be hired. Who was better qualified them and their sons, now coordinators in the NFL or Tomsula, whose never been a coordinator

              2. Stop assuming what we think. I have no special love for Tomsula. I frankly am skeptical of our whole coaching staff. I am reserving judgment to see how they play after the first 4 games.

                I would have preferred Zimmer and Turner hands down.

              3. Again, projection and misdirection have run amok in your post. How long you have followed football (or whatever you intended by writing ’73 to start your response) has no relationship to a query of whether you have watched the Green Bay Packers play recently.

                And, we know my memory is not at issue since over the past few month I have pointed out several inaccuracies with respect to your memories of Walsh/Seifert era 49ers.

                What is at issue is the inability of some Walsh devotees to understand that the WCO as he ran it would fail in todays NFL. The mindset you and those like you evince is akin to that Al Davis had until his passing. He continued to build NFL teams to match what worked in the 70s and somewhat in the early 80s. He did not adapt. Walsh, were he alive to coach today, would adapt and would not run the same offense he did in the late 80s. Of course, what he ran in the late 80s was different from what he ran in the early 80s because he adapted.

                A bit more history for fun. Walsh’s offense worked because NFL defenses were set up to stop the run and/or deep passes. By using a three step drop and short passes, the WCO caught defenders out of position. Further, it created mismatches at a time when most of the speed on the defensive side of the ball was placed away from the line of scrimmage in order to defend against deep passes (the Al Davis offense).

                Defensive speed increased as a way of countering the WCO, and the offenses adapted to using five and seven step drops. Eventually, it even incorporated shotgun formations (although Walsh never used the shotgun) as a way of dealing with the speed on defense.

                The modern so-called WCOs rely heavily on shotgun formations and spread passing concepts, as well as more traditional running games, than the Walsh WCO did. Because they are run by coordinators on the Walsh tree and they use WCO terminology and some WCO routes, they are labeled WCOs. However, it is a mistake to suggest that they run the 49ers offense from the Walsh/Siefert era- it is not the same offense.

                Thus, your claim now regarding the coordinators you reference above is counter to your claim that you want the 49ers to run Walsh’s offense. Further, even had the 49ers hired one of those coordinators, you still would be no happier as they would not be running Walsh’s offense and thus would not match the mental construction you have of how the 49ers should play.

                As for your cruder comment, I leave such conversations to those of your ilk.

              4. Ah – I now see you were addressing Wilsonm73 with your ’73. Well, a least that clears up why that made no sense with resect to my initial response to you.

  22. JPN001, Sep, Ck and other nom de plumes on this site:

    Okay. I get it. Any improvement to the 49ers and you’ll flock like fat pigeons in Tenderloin park to fatten up on bread crumbs this post leaves you. Raider fans using Al Davis, to detract from Walsh’s accomplishments will never end….And I know you all believe that Walsh never designe any plays despite what Joe Montana said throughout the years of him designing play to defeat a specific defense. May I also refer you to Mike Holmgren on this matter…But have it your way. .Walsh shouldn’t even be a football coach because all he did was copy somenone else…

    1. JPN001

      The only mistake here is your strategy of using sebisms to misrepresent my meaning.
      I had previously stated that Harbaugh and M. Shannahan, of course used variations on their form of the WCO, call them advancements, or updates. Obviously the Wing-T is out of vogue or the Texas veer.
      But I realize people on this site use this as a debate tactic–I can get by this…Moving on… If you type in Bill Walsh and can push the enter button on the Keyboard, the Wikipedia site will appear first. Please feel free to update and correct your historical viewpoints on this matter before ever addressing me again on this matter.

      1. I do not have to – it is obvious on the face of our comments that you have little nuanced understanding of the offense you profess to adore.

        And while it is true that I could, if it were necessary, employ some debate tactics. However, my recourse to accurate data instead of half-remembered, half-fantasized ideas of the WCO is not a debate tactic.

  23. Please re-read. Walsh created the WCO to take advantage of defenses designed to stop the type of offense Davis and others ran at the time. He adapted it as defenses changed. Others adapted it later to counter additional defensive changes. The current so-called WCO is not Walsh’s offense. These facts take nothing away from Walsh’s innovations at the time.

    1. JPN001, don’t waste your time with him. You’re answers are factual and well thought out. To him the idea of debate is a foreign concept, he lives in a world where only his myopic point of view matters even with the facts. Anything else is just a Raiders fan. He’s just here to incite, frustrate and irritate other posters.

    1. You know Mary it really hasn’t changed that much. Some people are just a bit cantankerous. Jack the voice or reason and fact is absent for a bit. I left for a while in the spring because things got ugly.

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