Posted By: StonerLab (06/10/2008 9:08:23 PM)
Comment: As some of you have stated & it's a sobering revelation. The O-line & D-line are just not very good bottom line. The O-line cannot open holes for Gore nor hold their blocks consistantly enough for JTO to throw to the open reciever. Meanwhile the D-line can't stop the run nor make a play on passing situations to save themselves & get off the field. Yes the D-line got 5 sacks but they weren't timely when the 49ers needed a crucial 3rd down stop. And this is where Nolan comes into play, a smart HC can compensate some for not having the talent by simply putting his players in the best position to make plays but we're screwed there too because of the coaching incompetence on Nolan. As for JTO, as Denny Green once said "we knew what we thought he was!" and that is a 7 year journey man at QB. Isn't this about the time during the season where the 49er go limp & spiral into a 5-6 game losing streak? If so then were right on time. What a bummer! once again another season lost.

Posted By: Jay T. (06/10/2008 6:15:53 PM)
Comment: So after getting a little false hope after that Detroit game, I have to ask: how many games until Nolan gets fired and Mike Martz becomes the head coach? I was willing to give Nolan a chance this year, but now I'm done. The guy simply doesn't have it. He needs to go.

Posted By: dan (06/10/2008 3:10:31 PM)
Comment: Oneniner, the ball thrown the Delanie walker was where it was suppose to be... It was a seam route that is suppose to be thrown over the shoulder... The problem is that Delanie Walker misread the ball when it was in the air... Instead of continuing to run, he stopped and thought he could jump up and catch it... When he turned around and realized that the ball was farther thrown than he originally thought, Delanie started to back pedal and completely missed the ball resulting in an interception... All delanie walker had to do was continue running on his route and the ball would've been right there for him to make a play... Instead he runs downfield, turns around 50 yards down field, starts to back pedal, jumps and misses... WTF? does that make sense to you now?

Posted By: ninersnerd (06/10/2008 1:54:49 PM)
Comment: Our dline just seems to be getting dominated. Two questions: 1. Who on the dline is getting pushed around the most? 2. Do you think the 49ers might try to groom Balmer into their NT to replace Franklin as a starter next year?

Posted By: oneniner (06/10/2008 1:44:18 PM)
Comment: Matt - i think you might have to re-watch the Walker interception....first the ball was not where it should have been second....it was a one-one coverage.....how could the ball have gone over his head if the ball was under thrown.....have you ever seen anyone backpedaling for a ball that went over ther head?...think about does that make any sense!!!

Posted By: Houston 9er (06/10/2008 1:27:18 PM)
Comment: IMHO the key to the Pat victory was the domination by their offensive line. I know we got 5 sacks but our D line was pushed around on the run plays. After seeing the 9er D for another dismal performance I am wondering if your still as high on Manusky as you've been in the past. Any thoughts???

Posted By: Niner-Fan (06/10/2008 12:59:05 PM)
Comment: There is no question that blitzing increases the chances of the big play. It's basic mathematics. You are bring more numbers that you have in coverage. But, how often does that happen? How often does the opposite happen? This should not be an excuse for a conservative approach. The most successful defenses in this league are the ones that bring pressure every time. The problem is not blitzing, not blitzing, or anything like that. The 49ers are not prepared for their opponents, while their opponents are, and the don't manage the game well, including making adjustments at half time, while their opponents do. In my book, that clearly falls on the head coach. Just watching Martz and Nolan on the sideline side-by-side magnifies the fact that Nolan is just not head coach material. I have been a supporter of him so far, thinking that he needs time, but I have come to the conclusion that no amount of time will turn him into a good "head" coach.

Posted By: SonocoNinerFan (06/10/2008 12:51:44 PM)
Comment: At this point everybody knows what Mike Nolan's ultimate fate will be . . . it's simply a matter of when, either Monday October 28th or Monday December 29th. At any rate it's early October and sadly it's safe to start looking at HC replacements and 2009 draft and free agent prospects . . . and oh yeah, how's that new Stadium proposal polling since our economic meltdown? Good Times.

Posted By: Scott Penrose (06/10/2008 11:21:09 AM)
Comment: Fans of the 49ers just have to realize that the 49ers are bad. This way we won't be disappointed when they lose because we all know why they lose. Matt stop doing those G.P.S. game writings because we all know that it doesn't matter. If you want why don't you do a G.P.S of how high a draft pick they will get next year. Nolan knows he is going to get fired and so does everyone else. What a good season to wait all of the those months for. Ridiculous.

Posted By: Marco from Stockton (06/10/2008 11:15:36 AM)
Comment: We just are not that good! It is that simple. McNolan, Martz, and the team. I am not a McNolan or Martz fan. I want neither next year. I am however a realistic, firing now won't do any good. The Yorks have some serious decisions ahead. First they really need a new President and they should remove themselves from any role in management including Jed. If they don't want to sell none of us can make them. But they can put competement management in place. There will be no new stadium. Santa Clara would be foolish as would any city to bankroll a new stadium now. Season Tickets sales are declining and will decline simply because of the economy. They must inject new life into their organization which despite the PR isn't getting the job done. Finding a good owner is harder to find as a great QB, it isn't goning to happen so the best we can hope for is the Yorks stay in Youngstown. Miami has shown what a change at the top will do. The Tuna has changed it immediately. We are not that bad personnel wise, we just need new leadership. We also need a young Head Coach who is brilliant. It looks like Synder finally found it with Zorn. They are out there.

Posted By: JayrocAK (06/10/2008 11:15:09 AM)
Comment: Hate to say it, but I still think this is a MUCH better product to watch than anything we've seen in the last several years. Win or lose, that first quarter was actually exciting and fun to watch. It gave me hope, we moved the ball. We were lucky to score 9 points an entire game in previous years. The drop off in defense is what baffles me.

Posted By: Joe (06/10/2008 11:06:40 AM)
Comment: I echo Dino's comments....

Posted By: Razoreater (06/10/2008 10:59:24 AM)
Comment: Mr. Holmgrem will be available for GM duties.

Posted By: Robert (06/10/2008 10:44:13 AM)
Comment: Matt- Don't you think the defense changed its philosophy after giving up the long pass? Before that, they were moving around, looking ferocious out there. There was one play where the entire D-Line was standing up, and they got a sack if I'm not mistaken. After the play to Moss, they began to allow short passes, and their run defense did not play as well. They gave up a couple of long drives. At about the middle of the third when they were giving up another extremely long drive I thought to myself that the game was over. They were tired. I thought what they had been doing was working very well save the deep ball that was given up. And on second thought you're right, Harris didn't make the play. He had deep responsibility but started the play in between the DT and DE. It was an easy read for Cassel, who most likely spotted Harris running full speed to take on his responsibility. At any rate, I think the coaches let the players down by playing scared after that play. They should've known that soft coverage doesn't work against the Pats, a prime example being the Jags-Pats game in the playoffs last season.

Posted By: Dino (06/10/2008 10:38:56 AM)
Comment: Down by 6 late in the 4th, a field goal makes the game out of reach, 3rd & 20 and Nolan sends 3 after the QB. Result was a 13 yard completion, field goal, game over. Nolan is a defensive genius! Matt, can you ask Nolan why he rushed 3 on that play or can you explain the logic of it from your perspective? I nearly went into cardiac arrest when I saw that we only rushed 3 on that play.

Posted By: nrthbay (06/10/2008 10:31:44 AM)
Comment: Some general ramblings- I was so excited when the 9ers drafted V davis. I knew now we could get those first downs by him running against dbacks or line backers over the middle. I knew we could get touch downs by him leaping in the end zone against line backers. I didn't realize their plan was to use him as a decoy or simply a blocker. Another thing- other teams seem to use multiple runners. I think the pats used 6. We only use Frank. Might different runners bring something different to the table? The offense is better than last year. So why is the defense worse? Why do we have a defensive minded head coach and 2 defensive coordinators, (assistant head coach) and defensive coordinator, and still get worse? Why do we have 2 offensive line coaches, and Martz, and still can't get a first down? By the break we will be 2 and 6, unless we can beat Seattle. But they almost beat us without any starting receivers. Look at what Parcels has brought to Miami. It starts at the top...........

Posted By: Joe P (06/10/2008 10:28:09 AM)
Comment: I still don't understand why sometimes we get doubleheaders and sometimes we don't. I know the "blackout" rule for the Raiders..but besides that sometimes we get the doublehearder game (like yesterday and Week 2) and sometimes we don't (like Week 3, Raiders on the road and NIners sold out)..I can understand why LA fans would be happy without a team. Yesterday Game 1 coverage we saw the end of three games on FOX and the end of two games on CBS....

Posted By: Joe P (06/10/2008 10:27:57 AM)
Comment: I still don't understand why sometimes we get doubleheaders and sometimes we don't. I know the "blackout" rule for the Raiders..but besides that sometimes we get the doublehearder game (like yesterday and Week 2) and sometimes we don't (like Week 3, Raiders on the road and NIners sold out)..I can understand why LA fans would be happy without a team. Yesterday Game 1 coverage we saw the end of three games on FOX and the end of two games on CBS....

Posted By: A.E.S. (06/10/2008 10:25:28 AM)
Comment: just read lowell cohn's take on this years niners vs. last years team. he essentially said that this years team is no better than last years product. yet, i had a strong sense going into yesterdays game that we had a good chance to win. had this game been played last year a n.e. win would have been a 'given' going in. unless i'm in total denial, i still feel this years product is better than last years because we've upgraded ourselves at many positions. nolan is doing his best (he knows his job is on the line) but the truth is he is being out-coached by teams that are capable of making immediate adjustments while his schemes remain inflexible and predictable. we need a 'ronnie lott' type player in the d.b. backfield ( i know, easier said than done) but opposing receivers are having family picnics in our secondary with little or no fear of paying a price for making a reception. also, our corners are generally playing 10 yards off receivers for lack of speed and still getting 'pimped' this is where a good coach can make immediate adjustments. early into his coaching nolan received a 'free-pass' for lack of players, now he has them. no more excuses. and although our record matches last years at this point, i still believe we're much better and that 7 wins is still very much within reach.

Posted By: dcsham (06/10/2008 10:12:13 AM)
Comment: The fact that the 49ers blitz/don't blitz isn't the question. It's HOW they blitz. Do they blitz in run situations with a design to stop the run? Do they disguise thier blitz packages? How much movement is there on the defensive side of the ball prior to the snap? Do they do anything to create confusion with the opponent's offensive line or quarterback? Can they make scheme adjustments during the game? I don't see them doing any of this. I listen to Manusky on the 49er coordinator shows, and he reminds me Hostler from last year. He's in over his head, and I don't know how much of a free pass that Mike Singletary should be getting in this either. Ultimately, this season is doomed to be another failure because Mike Nolan continues to make poor decisions on who he hires/fires. The excuses are getting old.

Posted By: shobbrobb (06/10/2008 9:58:43 AM)
Comment: The play of this team hinges on the play of the Offensive/Defensive lines and the play hasnt been good and we will not get any better anytime soon...Its funny how much Scott McCloughan has avoided the fire he has as much to do with this as Mike Nolan. To hell with all this 'hes a up and coming GM crap'The bottom line is this is a bad team.And i think he needs to go along with Nolan

Posted By: Mark W. (06/10/2008 9:43:00 AM)
Comment: I think this was a litmus test game for the defense. They failed to make the stops that good defenses have to make, and there has been plenty of time to build a good defense. Nolan is supposed to be a defensive expert. The Grade of "F" at this stage of the season, after the problems last week, is a huge red flag. I still think it is too early to trash the offense, and I would like to point out to JTO bashers that he is not the guy who called the plays nor one of the guys who dropped a catchable pass. He scrambles well, has an excellent arm, and his decision-making appears to have improved rapidly in less than half a season of starts. I think Martz has an eye for quarterback talent--but needs to demonstrate that he can structure an offense that can sustain a drive with short as well as long plays when it needs to. The scarcity of the short drop and the look-in pass really bothers me, as well as the early abandonment of the run. But there is still time for offensive adjustments and growth--which will be wasted if we can't stop other teams drives. So Matt, to echo what some others have asked, WHO might be available for the head coach job?? And since Martz is in my opinion worth keeping, though perhaps on probation, can a new head coach at mid-season be reasonably expected to utilize Martz and assume control without jeopardizing the gains the offense has made??

Posted By: Paul (06/10/2008 9:39:27 AM)
Comment: The guy that got the interception was infront of Walker and they got got a hand on it, if the ball would have been thrown infront of Walker there would be no reason for him to turn around.

Posted By: Razoreater (06/10/2008 9:31:06 AM)
Comment: Fire Nolan, Hire Dr. Martz, Manusky is replaced by Singletary, draft Nate Davis.

Posted By: Paul (06/10/2008 9:28:26 AM)
Comment: You say "If Delanie Walker keeps running, instead of going into that backpedal, he at least breaks up that deep pass and perhaps catches it." If he would have kept running that pass would have been underthrown. The reason for the backpedal was the have a chance at the ball. The pass to BJ was also underthrown. Jt is leading the NFL in interceptions and it is not going to get better. He was let go by all those other teams for a reason..

Response: Walker looked like an outfielder who misjudged a fly ball and started backpedaling. Then, the ball still went over his head. --Matt M.

Posted By: 49erJeff (06/10/2008 9:26:29 AM)
Comment: I'm going to have to go with play calling on this one. The difference that stands out in my mind was right before half time. We got the ball back with 5+ minutes, plenty of time to put a scoring drive together. So far in the game we had been passing the ball really well. Remind you the score was only 14-10 us at the time. So what do we do with 5+ minutes left in the game? We run the ball 3 times and get no first downs, we punt they score, we go into the half they get the ball back, score again.....and there went the wind in our sail. We needed to put point on the board with 5+ minutes left in the 1st half, and we went all vanilla on offense. Great job from an offensive coach who likes to pass the ball. Run 3 times, no first downs and punt. Great! 49er football at it's best!

Posted By: PhillyNiner (06/10/2008 9:15:27 AM)
Comment: Moss's big TD play looked a lot like the play that resulted in Clements' INT later in the game. The difference was that on the second play Clements had safety help over the top so he could make a play when the ball came underneath. On the TD play, Clements and Harris were both underneath so they couldn't make a play when the ball goes over top. I agree that Harris tripping didn't cause the bad play as he was out of it before he tripped. What I want to know is who should have had Moss in front of him and why wasn't he there?

Response: Harris needed to get deeper. In essence, he had the deep safety responsibilities on that play. --Matt M.

Posted By: Graham (06/10/2008 9:07:07 AM)
Comment: A to the F--if you "don't get" why an offense that goes ofer on its first 6 (SIX!!!) third down attempts is a disappointment, then you should pack it in. This team sucked yesterday; coaching, players, offense, defense, special teams. Sucked.

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (06/10/2008 9:05:17 AM)
Comment: A few telling quotes from Pats players on JTO. Clearly some of you fans on here have forgotten how bad the QB play has been here in San Francisco the last 5 years. Without him we would be MUCH worse this year: "It doesn't really matter on protection when you have a quarterback like that," Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "I swear, he's like a little rubber band sometimes. Jiggling around back there and when you think you have him, then he's giving ground, and then you think he's running to the line of scrimmage and he goes sideways and he is still able to throw the ball. "He has a little bit of [Brett] Favre in him as far as always trying to make a play." Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather, who picked off an ill-advised desperation deep ball from O'Sullivan to end 49ers' second possession, came away impressed. "He's a good quarterback," Meriweather said. "He was a lot better than what he looked on film. On film, you knew he was mobile, but you just didn't know how mobile. He can run the ball and throw it deep."

Posted By: 49er Rick (06/10/2008 8:52:12 AM)
Comment: Matt, You were right giving J.T.O. a D-. He continues to make terrible decisions!

Posted By: Rame (06/10/2008 8:40:31 AM)
Comment: Hi Matt, If the 49ers are 2-and-6 at the Bye, do you think Nolan gets the boot then and there? Who would be the interim head coach (Singletary?)? And who's on the list of candidates for next year's head coach?

Posted By: Transporter (06/10/2008 8:26:47 AM)
Comment: Whatever it's worth. We can not STOP the run. Teams start the run and then pick us apart with the PASS. Nolan your gesture towards your Father was great,last year. Quit worring about your look. At least you see Martz get pissed off when things were going south... The 49ers seem to have some good players however this defense scheme does not work at all. Everyone else can see it, how about the 49er Coach..

Posted By: Robert (06/10/2008 8:24:08 AM)
Comment: To me, it seemed like the 49ers were doing well on defense up until the big play to Moss. After that the coaches were dialing up a lot of soft coverage to not allow any more deep passes. Then the defense began staying on the field much longer, and that's when they started giving up first down after first down. If anything, I say the coaches should put the team in a position to win. And playing soft coverage was not the right decision. If Walt Harris doesn't slip on that pass to Moss it gets broken up. The 49ers should've stuck with their original gameplan instead of giving the Pats the win much in the same way the Jags did in the playoffs last season. I blame the coach who was making the defensive playcalls.

Response: Harris slipped because he took a bad angle to Moss and could not adjust. The slip was a symptom of a bad play, not the reason for it. --Matt M.

Posted By: NW Niner (06/10/2008 8:24:02 AM)
Comment: Matt- I still disagree with your grading, and I think the OL and DL should get Ds or Fs. How many times did JTO have to run for his life? Its hard to throw when you are being flushed out of the pocket against your throwing motion. I think this OL was built for a grind it out run first style and we don't have the talent to pass block a majority of the time.

Posted By: Joe P (06/10/2008 8:16:55 AM)
Comment: I think most of us are overreacting to things...This was New England after all..and Brady or not...they are a good football team...Did you expect O' Sullivan to become a Joe Montana in four games...We are stuck with him whether we like it or not...The play that bugged me was the one right before the field goal that put it away...a 3 man rush...Matt when you look at the tape again I'd like to know how "soft" the defense was playing...10 yard gain put that back into field goal range...I would of rushed at least five and played heads up...any completion was going to take them out of the game..and they made it wayyyyy to easy on New England on that play so they could get the field goal...

Posted By: KG (06/10/2008 8:15:26 AM)
Comment: The continued poor line play and mediocrity of both draft picks and free agents (on an overall basis, I'm not bashing Gore or Willis) just shows you how over their heads both Scot and Nolan are. We are in better shape than we were in 2004. We just really aren't. I think it is pretty fair to say that there is zero confidence that either Nolan or McCloughan knows what it takes to get out of this mess.

Posted By: A to the F (06/10/2008 7:57:30 AM)
Comment: I really don't get all the rage against JTO and the offense. We scored 21 points in 20 minutes of play time. That's three touchdowns for all of you Raiders fan reading this blog. That's better than almost every other game during the Nolan/Smith tenure. Sure Gore should have got the ball a bit more up 14-7, but what you need to be upset about is the defense. We can't stop a no name quarterback from driving the length of the field and repeatedly sticking it in. WTF?!? No one Martz thought we'd be in a shootout, with a defense so porous. JSmith and Clements get oodles of millions only to be misused at best, be a disappointment at worst. Our defensive philosophy seems to be riddled with the infamous Nolan conservative approach. We will never be a winner with Nolan. This is not something that has changed since last year, its just that some of us were in denial because of the revival of the offense. Fire Nolan now.

Posted By: Dee (06/10/2008 7:56:06 AM)
Comment: Oneniner - what game were you watching. Delanie CLEARLY stopped running. Like the annoucer said, he thought he was an outfielder instead of a pass catcher.

Posted By: GW from Santa Rosa (06/10/2008 7:41:41 AM)
Comment: Matt-Thanks for giving us a balanced view of how things went. It would be easy to blame it all on the big sub or lack of blitzing. But the problems seem to be deeper than that. Reading between the lines it sounds like Belichick was able to dictate which defense the 9ers used. If he could predict the defense based on his personnel on the field, he had a distinct advantage. I am not sure that is true, but if so it shows why Nolan won't win. If the other coaches can get the matchups that they expect, they can figure out how to beat the defense. I was in the stands yesterday and watched the defense pretty closely. I don't care how much more they blitzed this game, they still didn't look to be aggressive. Too much of what I saw was a team that was reacting, not acting on the situations. I doubt that is a way to measure that, but it would seem to explain a lot of the defensive problems. Is there any sense that the players want to be "let loose"? I recall that was an issue a couple of seasons ago.

Posted By: Cleveland Mike (06/10/2008 7:40:01 AM)
Comment: Just disgraceful....is this what the York family wants it's legacy to be? My goodness enough of this disgrace. Get JTO out of there now.....5 other teams cut him and now we know why. Get Nolan out of there....he is not a head coach...period. Just disgraceful.

Posted By: Berger (06/10/2008 7:27:57 AM)
Comment: I still would rather keep the pressure on the QB with 4, 5 and 6 mand rushes. The long play to Moss was because Harris stumbled. If he doesn't, we had the QB moving in the pocket and would've probably had a sack. Also, it was not being able to stop the run that hurt the most.

Posted By: oneniner (06/10/2008 7:10:26 AM)
Comment: -WHAT!! - "If Delanie Walker keeps running" - are you kidding, the ball was short!!!.......It is obvious JTO can't manage a game or a DRIVE....He his constantly looking for the big play, when his he going to lead a drive, wear out a defense....he does deserve the D-minus and O-line played well considering they are playing the same d-line that just went to the superbowl......

Posted By: LodiGrapePicker (06/10/2008 6:54:43 AM)
Comment: Maybe, just maybe the Niners can win 1 more game before the bye (the Chickenhawks). However, I predict they will lose all 3 games (Eagles, Giants, Chickenhawks) and enter the bye week with a 2-6 record. Matt, you said in an earlier post that if they don't start winning, then things will have to change. Can you elaborate on that statement? Thanks

Posted By: Jersey9er (06/10/2008 6:31:11 AM)
Comment: No you were not harsh on JTO. We need a qb period. He is just a patch for now, and he's showing that he cant get it done against a good team. The seattle win was luck, and we should of beat detroit they are 0and 4 or 5. but take out those two wins and we havent been able to CONSISTENTLY drive the ball. So it's just as much his fault, and we cant blame the O-line this time because he had more than ample time.

Posted By: mj (06/10/2008 6:16:36 AM)
Comment: Did anyone notice my guy UDFA LB Gary Guyton that we missed out on in the offseason? Too bad for us, because he is turning into something with the Pats.

Posted By: Steve (06/10/2008 1:38:47 AM)
Comment: Nolan needs to move Sopoaga back to Nose tackle, so they can stop the run. Nolan also has resign if we lose to Philly next week.

Posted By: Graham (06/10/2008 12:59:54 AM)
Comment: Thanks for the great breakdown. John A in HB Cali...um, did you find those zingers in your alphabet soup today? Or are you really just pointing out the rigidity and over-determinism of traditional metaphors and narrative, a la Dada? I actually really liked your post, hope you don't take offense to some good-natured ribbin'. God I love football fans from San Francisco.

Posted By: John in Taegu, S Korea (06/10/2008 12:46:45 AM)
Comment: Matt, quick question. What are they doing with Vernon Davis? Are they just using him as a primary blocker? He is killing my FFL team!! Thanks Matt!

Posted By: John A in HB Cali (05/10/2008 11:46:22 PM)
Comment: Out coached. Mr Bill's team has 8 Penalties in 4 games..It was a joke at how Mr Bill took over the game after 8 minutes. Mr Nolan, Wade Phillips is George Halas compared to you. It is clear at this point Rollin with Nolan is now "wrolling no where", go away Mike "Noland in the playoffs as long as I am coach" and there is always next year

Posted By: b otter (05/10/2008 11:42:31 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt, first time long time as they say on the radio. I'm wondering if you have stats or thoughts comparing the 3-4 to the big sub or nickle. It seems SF stops the run better with the 3-4 and maybe SF should commit a little bit more to the 3-4 instead of this sub package. Like you said NE sends 4 but you don't know which 4.