Fact-checking Kyle Shanahan’s assessment of the 49ers’ outside-zone run game

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SANTA CLARA

Wednesday afternoon, I asked Kyle Shanahan why his outside-zone runs didn’t work against the Panthers.

Here’s what Shanahan said: “Just the same reason any one is. You don’t make the blocks. You don’t get the hole. We did have an outside zone one that I thought we had everyone blocked and we just tripped going through the line. If we would have hit that one, it would have been a 30 yarder and then we would have really messed up your outside zone stats because the one we got would have been a gash, we just tripped. All the others weren’t good ones. So, it looks like you’re averaging .5 on the outside zones and it’s just one play that changes it all for stats.”

I went back and watched the play Shanahan referred to. It occurred with 2:42 left in the second quarter. Hyde ran to the left, tripped in the hole and gained only one yard. If he hadn’t tripped, there were 20 yards between him and the next defender.

But Hyde didn’t “just trip,” as Shanahan said. Shanahan made the play sound as if Hyde tripped over his own feet or slipped on grass. Hyde actually tripped on the left leg of center Daniel Kilgore, who had gotten pushed into the backfield by defensive tackle Kawann Short.

That play had no chance for success.

Shanahan never should have called an outside-zone run that went toward Short in the first place. The Niners don’t have an offensive lineman who can block Short one on one, so they should have ran away from Short every time they ran an outside-zone play.

Shanahan made a mistake.

This article has 295 Comments

  1. Damn you’re getting deep. Fact checking is essentially calling someone stupid or a liar in my opinion.

    But your questions to the team are excellent.

      1. “and we just tripped going thru the line” sounds like he wasn’t being accurate enough for you — god you’re strict…there is an implication a lineman caused the trip– just not gonna show our OL in a bad light, there’s a lot of bad lights on OL now anyway…

            1. It wasn’t Kilgore’s fault. Everyone knows he can’t block Short. Shanahan should have called the run to go away from Short.

              1. so he should have confessed publically to improper play calling in this instance, along with admitting his starting C couldn’t handle a block assign?
                jeez….sister mary/grant with the ruler at the ready!

              2. No, he shouldn’t have ran outside zone plays toward Short. Shanahan should have aligned the tight end on the left side of the offensive line so Short would be the 3-technique, then should have ran away from Short to the right.

              3. If he makes the same mistake against the Seahawks. He almost always should run outside zone away from the three-technique.

              4. so do either of the OG’s have responsibility here for Short in this preferred scenario?
                and if so… would either G have been more effective at sealing Short? I’m tempted to say no.

              5. One thing, Grant…
                While your analysis is correct, your kind of beating on the guy who took on the Titanic–AFTER it crashed. Right now, he is not only getting a serious look at his people, Kilgore is his overall best option.
                There are serious limitations to the niners O-line, specifically the interior. He can tweak it here and there, but what he’s got is what he’s got.

          1. Sincerely hope your not one of those who call-out servers for every transgression, however minor or perceived.

            1. HA! The guy asks the coach a question based on his observations which is exactly why people go to this blog and when he finds picture evidence of an incorrect answer we bust his balls? That’s funny.
              I appreciate going the extra mile Grant. That’s excellent reporting.
              Look at the stats, you can’t argue them. We don’t have outside zone linemen. It’s a square peg round hole scenario.

      2. I trust the same level of scrutiny will be applied to every play mentioned by Shanahan from here on out–those plays Grant determines the HC is ‘incorrect’. The Press Democrat has the resources to hire a few part-timers to do much of the investigative grunt work and provide Grant with raw material.

        According to your article, Shanahan said “…we just tripped…” That’s we, not ‘Hyde just tripped’…

  2. Grant, why am I not surprised you blamed Shanahan? He has been involved full time his entire adult life and has made it to the pinnacle in his profession. I think I’ll chose to believe his explanation over yours. Especially after just one game. Success is not going to happen overnight. Let’s stick together and be supportive and not freak out. They will get better and in several years we will have reason to be proud of our team. I’m excited about the future.

    1. KS also flamed out spectacularly in the last SB, so he is not above criticism.
      .
      Grant is merely discussing strategies, and points out mistakes so they do not repeat them.
      .
      I, too, am excited about the future.

      1. No. Matt Ryan flamed out spectacularly on third downs. The Falcons converted just one all game long and that was by penalty. Not the first time Ryan choked. I’m sure it won’t be the last. For all his big stats… I don’t think he’s money.

      2. So they go to Grant for guidance, Seb? he wouldn’t go to his father? Or other resources?

        And now an OC is blamed for a SB loss-but not the HC who gives direction???????????

        You beat everything, you know that?

      3. Ah, so the 49er staff are going to read this blog, heed it, so they don’t make this mistake again or others that get criticized here….hmmm….?

    1. let’s do a “Seb-bundle”– send Armstead, Lynch, and Ray Ray out to fetch some of those vaunted DAL P.S. OLine guys…

        1. Or have found someone willing to trade for him. Though the DL they have brought in seem more like interior guys than edge guys.

          1. The niners bringing in more interior linemen makes no sense to me… unless they are not happy with Mitchell.
            Players who can play the edge for sf
            Eli, Tank, Aaron, Elvis, Pita, Eric A (kind of :/), Solomon

            Players who can play the interior
            Earl, Eric A, Deforrest, DJ, Solomon
            *Solomon and Eric are far better interior rushers than edge rushers. *

            Just looking at the talent it is heavily slanted towards interior linemen, especially when looking at the players that can play either.

  3. OK Grant we get it. You don’t think SF should run an outside zone scheme with the line men they currently have. Calling out Shanahan for every decision you think is wrong and wanting him to publically admit a mistake and claim you are a FB savant is not very professional on your part. You are starting to sound like Seb.

    Perhaps Shanny is not coaching this year to win short term, but wants to install his zone read throughout the organization, regardless if he doesn’t have the exact personnel he wants this season. Change your scheme this year only to change it again next year with certainly different OL? Don’t know if that is best long way strategy….

    1. Gotta play the cards dealt. The Niners should not try to pigeonhole players, but just play to their strengths. KS needs to be flexible, adaptable, and make quick adjustments.
      .
      Before the game, I wrote-‘ Read the poem IF, by Rudyard Kipling. Stop being so demonstrative on the side line, it seems to tick off the refs and is counter productive. Use biting humor to get your point across. (Study and) Channel Bill Walsh.
      .
      Too bad he did not take my advice, and blew up at a ref, something he regretted and said was a mistake.

      1. Sebbie… I think the 9ers should gather in the locker room, dim the lights, and listen to ‘If’, by Bread…

        If a picture paints a thousand words
        Then why can’t I paint you?
        The words will never show
        The you I’ve come to know

        If a face could launch a thousand ships
        Then where am I to go?
        There’s no one home but you
        You’re all that’s left me too
        And when my love for life is running dry
        You come and pour yourself on me

        If a man could be two places at one time
        I’d be with you
        Tomorrow and today
        Beside you all the way

        If the world should stop revolving
        Spinning slowly down to die
        I’d spend the end with you
        And when the world was through
        Then one by one the stars would all go out
        Then you and I would simply fly away

        1. no, no, no…it has to be “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts
          It must be said that Seb’s ideas and writing style are right in line with the pre-conceptions Americans in the other 49 have of Californians…

      2. And when your offensive line’s strengths don’t involve “blocking”?
        After last game, I’m not even sure Beadles strength even involves “standing around, in the way.”
        Thank you Trent Baalke.:/

        1. Actually, blame Cassie guys. Trent has dementia and Cassie has been making all calls since 2013 to cover for him. He’s moved on to NFL office cuz, you know, he’ll blend right in there. Cassie stays here as his rear guard to respond to Seb’s OCD attacks and to revel in the humor of same.

      3. So Shanny should wait till he has all the right players to install his system….his offense and the HEAD coach…you want the coach to use a “different language” while he tries to build the team he was hired specifically to build because of HIS performance?

        So you want either a second transition or Shanny to coach outside his experience, knowledge, comfort, and expertise?

        Brilliant….as Eddie Murphy once said “The best brilliance, is brilliance born of ignorance.”

    2. AZ–It seemed obvious to me that they were focusing on the defensive line this year. As you say they are not attempting to fix everything at once. For a long term rebuild that is the worst thing you could do. Opportunity certainly plays a factor in rebuilding. You take what is available now and later use your resources to fill in the spaces. Preferably through the draft first. Unfortunately most people are geared to immediate results and therefore are also geared to a process that gives that sort of result. The long term lineman they want were probably not available this season. Although I do agree with Grant that taking Thomas was probably not a good move. It seems that when it comes to lineman you want to stay away from Stanford guys.

  4. This analysis seems a shade too intense for the first game of a new coaching staff. Mid-season is a good overview of what the team will be able to achieve.

      1. Don”t mind your editorials on 49er decisions good or bad. Pressing head coaches during press conferences on what you believe are mistakes, or calling out their answers after the fact seems lame and confrontational for one’s own ego.

        1. I asked about his running game. He mentioned one play that should have worked when they had everyone blocked. I went back and watched the video and learned the Niners did not have everyone blocked on that play. Then I reported what I learned. That’s my job.

  5. Maybe just maybe shanahan was trusting his center to get just enough of a block against short to get Hyde through the hole and on to the 20 yard gain. Kilgore is in the nfl for a reason. You trust a pro to be a pro . Call the correct play and trust your guy to get it done. Don’t change the play , change the player who is not getting it done. The 49ers are not yet a playoff team and will never be one if we scheme around inferior players for the sake of getting one play in a game to work. The niners need to see what we have this year and go forward from there. We’ll never get there by scheming around bad players.

      1. Harbaugh was not in a rebuilding mode. He’s team was good enough to win now. That is the difference between ” win now” and planing for the future strategy. Most fans are locked into the “win now” mind set. I believe both coach and GM got a commitment from York that they were going to rebuild a team not only to win one Championship but to be a solid enough team to contest for quite some time after they solidified there roster. That sort of team requires a rebuild from the bottom up. Whether it works is another issue, but they seem to have a plan that they are committed and sticking too.

        I can see what they are attempting to do. It’s the difference between long term planning and short term fixes. It was obvious to me during the early part of 2013 that one effect of Baalke’s OCD was his short term focus and lack of a long term plan. Of course Baalke wasn’t even focused on any short term fixes so most gave him the benefit of assuming he was long term planning which someone like him was actually incapable of doing.

        I think someone like Lynch who was not actively involved but had the opportunity to observe and evaluate teams would be capable of recognizing what made teams successes and failures. That along with the long term commitment by an owner would allow him the opportunity to implement what he had learned by observation. That along with gleaning information from coaches like Pete. Don’t just believe that the Seattle coach was the only person he tapped for information.

      2. Harbaugh had a team full of pro-bowlers and potential HOFers. I”m not seeing that on this team…

        1. Moses not sure Jim had a team of pro bowlers and HOF’s when he showed up. They weren’t doing much of anything with a very similar roster. My point or question is would those same players have made the pro bowl without Harbaugh? Or did winning attract media attention which resulted in pro bowl votes?

          You’re correct about this roster, its not as talented as those rosters even though we have a bunch of first rounders on the field like: Staley, Armstead, Buckner, Thomas, Ward, Foster

          Mike Nolan’s teams
          2005-06
          None
          2006-07
          * Frank Gore, RB, * Larry Allen, G, Walt Harris, CB
          2007-08
          Patrick Willis, LB, * Andy Lee, P
          2008-09
          * Patrick Willis, LB
          Singletary through Harbaugh
          2009-10
          * Vernon Davis, TE, * Andy Lee, P, *# Patrick Willis, LB, Frank Gore, RB, Justin Smith, DT
          2010-11
          Justin Smith, DT, * Patrick Willis, LB
          2011-12
          David Akers, K, Dashon Goldson, S, Frank Gore, RB, Brian Jennings, LS, Andy Lee, P, Carlos Rogers, CB, * Justin Smith, DT, * Joe Staley, T, * Patrick Willis, LB
          2012-13
          # NaVorro Bowman, LB, # Dashon Goldson, S, # Frank Gore, RB, # Mike Iupati, G, # Aldon Smith, OLB, # Justin Smith, DT, # Joe Staley, T, # Donte Whitner, S, # Patrick Willis, LB
          *49ers Played in Super Bowl XLVII and Players Did Not Participate in Pro Bowl
          2013-14
          Eric Reid, S, # Frank Gore, RB, # Vernon Davis, TE, # Joe Staley, T, # Justin Smith, DT, # Ahmad Brooks, OLB, # Patrick Willis, LB, # NaVorro Bowman, LB, # Donte Whitner, S, # Mike Iupati, G

          1. Harbaugh’s staff made the diff in ’11 & ’12- with as yet untapped talent, on D especially…JH’s staff was mainly responsible for the take off after “camp Alex” — Roman, Fangio, et al- got these guys in the right direction- preparation wise. Throw in some luck in FA (C. Rogers, etc.) and we were off to races…with Alex.
            JH supplied the motivation & cheerleading…and kept the QB’s and rcvrs on their toes during practice. JH was also the main media draw to the team…he took the cameras and mics– the team had a pass on the media stuff.

  6. You don’t have to know more than the coach to realize that he’s screwing up. It’s not a matter of knowledge but rather judgement and/or stubborness

    1. The coach who called the correct play for the situation and the player who did not execute and you blame the coach? That’s like the the little league football mom blaming the coach for her son being to slow to play running back. The niners were 2-14 last year. This is not a one year fix. Call the correct plays ,find out what you have, and correct your weaknesses in the draft and free agency in 2018

        1. lol. That’s a bad argument. Think about it. You replaced 30 of 53… Do you really think that you’re suddenly going to become that much more talented? We’ll be lucky if ten of them make meaningful, multi-year contributions.

          1. No Moses that isn’t what I stated. Look at what I stated to the 2-14 argument. I think there’s a tremendous amount of excuse making for a coach who made some rookie errors. I expect as much from them. Expect more in fact.

            But it is the responsibility of those who cover them not to simply gloss over the errors and give them carte blanche.

            This is a first time coach that seems to have overreached a bit. It’s a shame because the game was a within reach. To simply say it was execution errors, or this is an evaluation year is not holding the coaches accountable.

            I know there were numerous execution errors. I also know that this year is an evaluation year but I expect a decent game on the field which is completive and not an exhibition game.

        1. So you agree that calling all those 4th down plays after not being able to execute on 3rd down repeatedly were good coaching moves? If you do then I have to wonder…

              1. Yea, I’m not feeling the self importance that you do when it comes to intrigue regarding your wonderment. So sorry. Here, have a cookie….

              2. Clever but anyone could see that those 4th down calls bordered on brazen. And if your argument is personnel then it’s doubly foolish because he knew the personnel couldn’t handle the job!

      1. Agreed.
        And even If Kyle called plays ONLY based on what a player can or can’t do, or matchups he wouldn’t keep the defense honest.
        No, he shouldn’t consistently run plays at a defenses strength, but he has to occasionally just to make them protect against it and delay their reactions for plays that he thinks can be successful.

          1. Fair enough. I honestly don’t remember the down and distance on that play.
            The play I had more of an issue with was the FB dive because it was a run that challenged Kawann and Star… which I didn’t like at all.

  7. I like this coaching analysis that Grant does. I don’t have time to review film, and it’s helpful to get ideas and explanations of why certain plays worked or did not work. I wonder if Shanahan will adapt to his players’ skills or not, or adapt his play calls. The aggressiveness last Sunday on 4th down reminds me of Super Bowl calls. In both cases it came back to bite him in the butt. While I don’t want the plodding of the last few coaches, you’d hope he’s willing to go conservative on a few occasions.

    1. Coaching analysis? When did Grant become a coach? Coaching analysis comes from coaches. When a columnist who has never coached a day in his life in the the nfl critiques a coach who has spent his whole life around nfl football, I ‘ll side with coach every time. Grant stick to your day job, speculating, because you really don’t know.

        1. I Don’t mind the analysis of coaches. As in how many games a coach has won or why the coach called particular play at a certain time in the game,but if you can make better decisions than an nfl coach on a particular play, maybe you’re in the wrong profession. Try nfl coach,I here it pays well.

        2. Additionally several writers and analysts have called out Shanahan on the first game. I don’t think he is above having his coaching moves questioned especially since he has about as much head coaching experience as Jim Tomsula.

          1. The team is still in an player evaluation phase. Much like most teams are in preseason. The Niners might be using this entire season as a training camp – preseason. That would include trying things that a team who was in a win now mode would never do.

            Of course I could be wrong, but this does fit into what Shanny and Lynch stated they were going to do. Of course they have to say they are trying to win now ( field the best team possible and win games ) or the fans would quit going to games. Logically and strategically it makes sense that they are going to be in a training camp-preseason mode for some time. No they are not tanking on purpose, but player evaluation and long term building takes precedence over wins. That’s why they will continue to install and run their system even if a different system would have better immediate results. If the players are not suited or adaptable to the system then that will be revealed by failure and the need to replace them can be addressed as the opportunities to do so become available.

      1. We have had front row seats on the effects of bad coaching. It is crucial for success. Look at Bill Belichick. He is the master and the last SB was proof of his importance.
        .
        Coaches are forbidden to be discussed? What next, Jed and the front office?

    2. Yes but your relying on Grants analysis over someone who has made to the top of his profession. Why should Shanahan change his system to fit current players. He was hired to build a winner for the future. It’s the players that need to change and they will over the next couple of years. What your asking for is for him to change his system after one game.

      1. I certainly hope he makes quick assessments and proper adjustments.
        .
        According to your philosophy, they should stick with Beadles and Fusco. I hope KS makes changes.

        1. Baloney Seb-thats YOUR subjective interpretation of Jerry’s statement…………..

          an old Seb argument trick…………..

  8. The evaluation process was extended into Week 1. You can’t make a fair evaluation in the preseason. Shanny is seeing what works and what doesn’t work.

    1. Wonder what take Grant would have had if ‘the trip’ didn’t happen–and the 9ers still lost by the same score.

      1. “Tell me again what camp and preseason were for then?”

        It’s for implementing their schemes and getting chemistry. It’s also for evaluating, but there’s nothing like the regular season. We also have a rookie HC and a lot of rookie players.

          1. Yup. It’s a work in progress. We should have signed my late round gem C/G DeyShawn Bond. He went undrafted, but he’s starting for the Colts.

            1. That’s ok. If they’re reading this, they’ll know they can get Ragnow in the 3rd round next year.

              1. I think a high second for a guard like Tyrone Crowder, OG, Clemson, and then Ragnow, C, Arkansas in the 3rd round, would be my sweet spots to address both positions. Ragnow has the sand to handle a Short or Donald, and Crowder is just a big road grater that can move….

        1. The first four of any season ALWAYS does. Panic after one is manic nonsense. Pats lost their first, they’re done for the season I guess, LOL.
          Sure, this season gonna suck, but c’mon, mofos. Y’all gonna whine all season?
          When I go to the symphony, it kills me at intermission to listen to the effete snobs posing and carrying on with their supposedly informed critiques of the string section or the Maestro. Like they know what the f they’re talking about! Folks stroking themselves to make them look self important:
          Poppycock and Balderdash. More than a little of that here. Hope it gets better.
          Do you want to watch the work in progress? No? S’okay, see ya.

          1. One way to get a sense for the nuances of self importance is to observe how people treat food servers. Next opportunity you have, watch and listen.

          2. those awesome facial expressions on BB and Patricia sure made it look like their season was being held over a dumpster– a Molotov cocktail ready to follow them into it…
            priceless….

  9. I think Shanahan made it pretty clear in TC that this is an evaluation year… Something about finding out who he could rely on in adverse times as the year progresses. And while I expect plenty more roster turnover at year’s end, I don’t expect him to publicly throw his players under the bus (like Kilgore, Fusco or Beatles getting manhandled for most of the game). Sure, the OL is a big concern but so is the DL considering the amount of ‘talent’ there. If we can’t pressure Wilson with our front 4 considering their pathetic OL, this will be another loooooooooooooooong year.

  10. for those of you analyzing running the outside zone to the 3 technique side of the defensive line imagine if you will that you are the offensive guard and the play is being run to your outside, and that the 3 technique (Short) is aligned at best with his inside eye on your outside eye. What are your odds of getting enough leverage on that defensive 3 technique so that your running back can continue to his sprint spot which is approximately 3 feet or more outside the outside leg of the TE to your side of the formation. It is a matter of gap control and leverage, and the 3 technique is a heavy “B” gap defender who is aligned outside of you the offensive guard, and your job is to “reach” or to get a big enough piece of him to walk him back off the line of scrimmage so that your running back can get to the edge of the defense. It’s all about leverage and angles and when that 3 technique penetrates or punctures the line of scrimmage it disrupts the entire play.

  11. While I don’t think the Niners will be successful running outside against Seattle I don’t think they should abandon the outside run, just limit it against teams with fast defenses at least for the first part of the season.
    The O line will limit the playbook for awhile, maybe the entire season.

    1. it may sound simple, but just don’t run the outside zone to the side of the defense where there is a 3 technique. they will not have 3 techniques to both sides of the line of scrimmage. run to the 1 technique and cut off the backside 3 technique. if you are inclined to run to the 3 technique, either trap him or odd block him with a “G” scheme.

  12. Did anyone see what Alex Smith said about his former team in the Sporting News?

    http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/alex-smith-san-francisco-49ers-news-graham-bensinger-chiefs-nfl-stats/8mjhndb5mdzv14yg2mm2z0cqb?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    “Forget the coaching changes, I’m talking just the culture of the building was not (good). Unhealthy. Completely dysfunctional. Different people on different wavelengths, not a clear communication, not a clear goal of the entire building. Very separated. And I think that trickled into the locker room. We had a very separated locker room, offense, defense, special teams. It was not a selfless unit. Not everybody put the team first. I think all of those things that come with dysfunction that are the opposite of what healthy organizations and team enviornments have.”

    Seems to imply the problem is systematic. Wonder if it persists. Not much has changed regarding the very top.

      1. East I think John Lynch is going to change all that.

        Once and if the 49ers start winning it will make the culture transformation that much easier

        1. Can’t change the top. We can hope that Lynch changes that. I will remain hopeful though I’m not optimistic.

          1. Jed will need to distract himself as he has PR issues now.
            That stadium in Santa Clara and the fan experience is a big problem.
            That might leave the football ops all up to Lynch.

    1. The fans who believe that Alex got the shaft need to recognize that he was fortunate that he was traded. He was out before the team really started to unravel. The poison was in the system and it came from the top not the players. Very reflective of the movie ” Cain Mutiny”. They even had their own Captain Queeg. ( and I am not talking about Harbaugh ). Of course some fans want to blame certain players because it suited their personal emotional agenda’s.

  13. What, are they going to completely discard the outside zone runs because the didn’t work as well in this game against this opponent as drawn up? After one whole game? That’s ridiculous. Though Grant is correct that the inside zone produced more fruit in this game, you don’t throw away a significant percentage of your running plays because you had difficulty executing the plays in one game. You practice, practice, practice. How successful would the inside zone runs be if film showed our opponents that the offense only runs those plays when running the ball? NFL (Not for long) Maybe while they’re at it they should shelve the “long bomb” because our speedy deep threat Goodwin can’t catch the ball. Moral of the story. You don’t give up on anything in your offensive arsenal after only 1/16 of your season. That itself would be poor coaching. Meh…………

  14. But East, according to Seb it was a very unified locker room. Kaep won the Eshmont award after all. That alone tells anyone with two grey cells how DIVIDED the locker room was, not how together. There were multiple factions in that locker room going all the way back to Alex’s days, and continued after he was gone. Gee, I wonder who the main instigator of that divisiveness was? I give you three guesses and the first two don’t count!! That’s why, in an effort to rebuild the togetherness and team first attitude missing in the locker room, Kaep was shown the door, the “open door” that is. I think things are much improved but only time will tell. This is why Kaep, even taking into consideration that he is nothing more than a mediocre QB, will NEVER be invited back to this team. He is a divider, and football is secondary too his agenda.

    1. Juan, this is Alex Smith. He had not been on the Niners since 2012. AS had never won the Len Eshmont Award during his 8 years with the Niners.
      .
      The divisiveness started at the top. It continued with Baalke. Kaep was stabbed in the back, so how could you blame him for not feeling wanted?
      .
      Now we have Lynch and KS, who have been working well together, and seem to be on the same page.
      .
      The encouraging thing is their willingness to listen to each other, and Lynch was convinced to change his mind about JW. KS is not too proud to admit he made an error, and I do not think he will repeat it.
      .
      So who is to blame for this divisiveness? Jed York. He is the one who has chosen a suit over a player, and I have no doubt in my mind that Jed is preventing Kaep from re-signing. He is a gutless wonder worried about a mean tweet. JL and KS are just following Jed’s lead, and these last 2 seasons were spectacular failures, because Jed was kow towing to Baalke.
      .
      Jed is a liar, because I saw him swear that he would do everything in his power to help the team win. Even Steph Curry wants Kaep back, and I will take his opinion over any poster in the peanut gallery.
      .
      What was Hoyer’s QBR? He gets an even sterner test, going to a hostile environment against a team gnashing its teeth over a crushing loss. I wish him well, but wonder if he will survive.
      .
      John Lynch told Kaep to express his desire to keep playing, and both left their last meeting on a friendly and positive note. Lynch did not want to burn bridges, so he apologized to Kaep for the continued leaks. Glad Lynch has left the door open, because attrition and poor QB play is making Kaep’s stock rise. Maybe not for this team, but JL and KS may look foolish if they let Kaep go to another team and he does well. Even with not taking a snap, I think Kaep could take a team with little practice and lead it to victory. Maybe this time he will have a team with a good running game, competent O line, and stout defense.

    2. Juanhunglo- You are an example of they type of fan I referred to in my previous posts on this thread. You create a scenario that fits your own emotional psychological need to justify your projected hate. In reality it is fans like you who played a significant role in directing Kaep into the arms of his radicalization. It gave bigotry a personal face.

      Stick with simplistic subjects that you are capable of comprehending. As I stated Alex is lucky he was replaced and traded other wise he would have been the scapegoat for the decline by many of the fans who had issues with him. The cause and poison that instigated the decline had little to do with any player. They were just caught up in what already existed.

  15. Lynch said it when he used the word “divisive” describing Kaep. I don’t care if Seb said he walked it back. That’s laughable. He said exactly what he thought and then was told to retract the comment. So obvious. I’m sorry Seb, but if Kaep were even half as good as you claim he is, he’d be signed right now. Unfortunately for him, his whole divisive act outweighs his talent.

    1. Juan, I am happy Lynch thought things through, realized that he used the wrong word, and walked it back. He was not told by Jed to do that, he did it because Lynch is a high character guy, and Jed is the one holding JL back from re-signing Kaep.
      .
      Kaep is way better than you think, and it is purely mean vindictiveness that is blackballing him, stopping him from playing.. Some player said that those protests are not effective, but now we are having a dialogue, and players are continuing to protest, despite the threats to ostracize and blackball others.

            1. Prime,

              Couldn’t that also be interpreted as S-T-I-K-E 3, YER OUT !!!

              Always wondered why the Seb never talked baseball, too many strikeouts .

      1. Sebbie… Remember what you said about blackballing… “If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed.” You will not mind….you will not mind…

        sebnynah says:
        August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
        If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

        1. As Ore would say, blah, blah blah blah etc…..
          .
          Kaep is being blackballed. I cannot force an owner to sign him.
          .
          However, I do mind that the Niners are blackballing him, if their QB throws the ball like Kuechly was the intended receiver, and generally reminds me of Gabbert.

          1. Sebbie… It took you a good 10+days to spin your blackballing caveat. Your 8/27 quote stands.

            And a Hostess cherry pie for you!

          2. If you are going to intend it, intend it to the best. Is that why you liked Kaep? He always seemed to find Richard Sherman.

    2. Juan- The “divisive” definition he gave is in relation to the situation that presently surrounds Kaep. That is an understandable reality. Kaep is so typical of people who were raised under privileged circumstances. If they care about the disadvantaged their “privileged guilt” is ripe for manipulation. His search for identity and his naive lack of experience with manipulative people made him ripe for radicalization. Much like Jane Fonda was influenced by her older french directer boyfriend. Kaeps girlfriend is a Marxist period. As I mentioned earlier, having his own teams fans vent their hate on him certainly validated the radical perspective his girlfriend wanted to promote.

      Of course it fits your never ending agenda to continue to justify your own dysfunctional need to find a target to project your internal anger against. So you use Lynch’s evaluation of the present situation to justify you perspective of Kaep in the past. It’s funny how fans never see themselves as playing a part in the divisive negativity that existed with the 49ers.

      1. Any evidence that Kaep’s girlfriend is a Marxist? I’ve looked quite a bit and only see those claims coming from scandal magazines. They’ve also said that Kaep has converted to Islam, which is not true.

  16. Give the organization some time East. Look what these guys inherited. It takes time to change a culture. It takes time to heal. They cut out the cancer early, and for that I give them credit, but it’s gonna take time. Winning does cure a lot of ills. It’s tough to have patience in this “win now” culture we live in, but it’s going to take time. Walsh didn’t turn the “Joe Thomas” era around over night. We all know the history. It took time. This will too. Have a good night.

    1. The new front office was the ones that were the replacement for the cancer. The team was under the direction of someone who was suffering from a mental illness. You can not comprehend the difference between an actual cause and its effects. The players cut were the effects of the cancer not the cause.

  17. “Duty is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do more.”  —Robert E. Lee  Commanding General Army of the Confederacy

    Walsh used this quote to begin Chapter 2, Doing What Comes Naturally. I found this paragraph quite appropriate for the situation in which we all find ourselves.

    A head coach’s philosophy also has a substantial effect on his ability to keep a proper perspective on critical matters. For example, while winning is certainly important  (given the fact that an individual can lose his job if his team doesn’t win on a regular basis), it’s certainly not the only criteria for success. In fact, all factors considered,  it should not even be the most essential factor.
    To a point, a head coach should measure success in terms of how well he is able to carry out his responsibilities relative to what he feels coaching is all about. As such,  he can place greater emphasis on developing his players to take advantage of their full potential, and on developing a proper foundation for the team to perform well in  the future, than on whatever actions might otherwise emanate from a ”win­now­or­else” approach.

    Discipline is based on pride in the profession of arms, on meticulous attention to details, and on mutual respect and confidence. Discipline must be a habit so ingrained that it is stronger than the excitement of battle or the fear of death.
    George S. Patton, Jr. “Letter of Instruction Number 1” from War as I Knew It.

    1. It is expected that a superior force should subdue an inferior force. That is not the acme of skill. A supreme commander will take an inferior force, and defeat a superior force.
      .
      KS should test his mastery next game. Perfect opportunity.

      1. Because they are and were terrible.
        If they were even average I think the niners could have won… but they are the worst guard tandem in the NFL.
        Sadly, I dont know the Garnett adds much :/

  18. http://ninerfans.com/sakamoto-49ers-dt-deforest-buckner-receives-top-grade-panthers-carradine-not-far-behind/

    On the surface it looked like the first-round pick (No. 3) had a solid rookie debut. However, that wasn’t the case. Thomas failed to maintain gap integrity resulting in a seven-yard first-quarter run, while also being penalized five yards for lining up in the neutral zone. This is not a rookie mistake. You learn that in pop warner.

    didn’t see that in the pass rush department. No quarterback hurries, quarterback hits, or sacks from the Stanford product. For the third overall pick that’s borderline unacceptable. Sorry, no longer do players get the pass for being a rookie, especially top five picks.

  19. http://ninerfans.com/sakamoto-49ers-dt-deforest-buckner-receives-top-grade-panthers-carradine-not-far-behind/

    Carradine quietly graded out as the team’s second best defensive lineman after Week 1. He didn’t miss a single assignment in the run game while finishing the game with two tackles. Lined up on the strong side of the formation (tight end side) Carradine set the edge to perfection.

    The pass rush was however was non-existent. Despite playing 46% of the snaps, Carradine didn’t bring much punch from the pass rush department.

  20. http://ninerfans.com/sakamoto-49ers-dt-deforest-buckner-receives-top-grade-panthers-carradine-not-far-behind/

    The second-year player showed why the team took a chance on him in last year’s draft. He led the team in tackles of three yards or less (3) while being disruptive in the run game. Lined up in the team’s base as the 3-technique, Buckner one-gapped to perfection in run support. He did miss one tackle but that can easily be cleaned up. 

    The same couldn’t be said of the pass rush. He was a non-factor.

  21. http://ninerfans.com/sakamoto-49ers-dt-deforest-buckner-receives-top-grade-panthers-carradine-not-far-behind/

    Mitchell was one of only three defensive lineman to miss an assignment in run support. Other than that he played admirably as the team’s run-plugger while picking up a PBU.

    Armstead failed to maintain gap integrity leading to a five-yard run while whiffing on a tackle later. This is unacceptable in my opinion. I hate to say it, but it appears that Lynch may have to move on from another GM Trent Baalke holdover, especially if the pass rush continues to be as woeful as it was last week.

    1. Thomas also gets poor grade:

      And where was the pass rush? It’s not like this Panthers offensive line is elite. When the 49ers drafted Thomas they saw something ‘special,’ this according to GM John Lynch. …I didn’t see that in the pass rush department. No quarterback hurries, quarterback hits, or sacks from the Stanford product. For the third overall pick that’s borderline unacceptable. Sorry, no longer do players get the pass for being a rookie, especially top five picks.

  22. Walsh on being prepared…

    Physical strength and speed are important advantages, but even more advantageous is having the training that permits you to respond intelligently to whatever confronts you. That means more precision, better execution, and quicker response than your opponents. Under the extreme stress of game conditions, a player must condense his intellect and focus it on thinking more quickly and clearly than the opposition.

    How do you achieve that quickness and responsiveness in your teams?

    It is all in the way you prepare. Preparation allows us to overcome the fact that we might not be the most physically talented team. During the 1980s, the 49ers may not have been as talented as the New York Giants or Chicago Bears, who had measurable advantages in speed or strength. But we were able to compensate in the way we prepared for a game.

  23. Coaches try to link to Walsh the way Republicans try to link to Reagan. I can see Jimbo Harbaugh screaming “Who’s got more condensation than us? NOBUDDY” or ” We will have condensation unknown to Mankind”

    Intellectual, Cheerleader…there’s room for everyone. What will Kyle’s legacy be?

  24. Today’s ‘Popular Tags’ — We need to get this updated, Press Democrat IT guy.

    A.J.Jenkins Ahmad Brooks Aldon Smith Alex Boone Alex Smith Anquan Boldin Anthony Davis Anthony Dixon Brandon Jacobs Bruce Miller Carlos Hyde Carlos Rogers Chris Culliver Colin Kaepernick Dashon Goldson Delanie Walker Donte Whitner Eric Reid Frank Gore Geep Chryst Greg Roman Jim Harbaugh Jim Tomsula Joe Staley Justin Smith Kendall Hunter Kyle Williams LaMichael James Mario Manningham Michael Crabtree Mike Iupati NaVorro Bowman Patrick Willis Perrish Cox Quinton Patton Randy Moss Ray McDonald Steve Young Tarell Brown Ted Ginn Jr. Tramaine Brock Trent Baalke Vance McDonald Vernon Davis Vic Fangio

  25. Grant, it seems you are correct, but were Shanahan to admit he called the wrong play it would have involved admitting it was because his player wasn’t up to the task. That would have been more damaging than just saying they tripped. Also maybe he’s seen something that makes him believe that Kilgore could make that block

    1. And not the coach ‘Bud Grant’ variety…

      I’d think Grant could catch on as an assistant to a local high school coach and begin his foray into the football coaching profession. Even when armed with good working knowledge, it’s so easy to snipe–everything is so clear. Get in there and coach. Find out what it’s really like.

        1. Yup… And, suggesting our Grant take a crack at the coaching profession. Maybe assisting an OL coach at the high school level.

  26. First Grant says that Hyde is not suited for the outside zone running game. Then Grant says that Hyde is OK but our OL is not suited for the outside running game. Then Grant says the outside zone running game is OK but KS doesn’t know which side to run it on. Excellent job of stirring the pot Grant but are your really trying to provide helpful input or just are you just Philadelphia lawyer who likes to second guess everything? It is a fact that Hyde tripped over Kilgore’s foot. (Arguably Frank Gore could have squeezed through that hole but let’s not speculate). No question that it was a difficult block regardless of the players, and Kilgore definitely will be replaced before long. But never run the play to the 3 tech side. Show us the all 22 view of the play at the snap. If Hyde somehow (Frank Gore like?) squeezes through that hole, KS is absolutely correct that there is precisely one defender some 30 yards away – and if he misses – it’s all the way to the house. Now look at the defense on the other side. The play was designed to create what KS described to Grant in his answer – a situation that could be exploited for a big gain. Grant is playing chess against KS who is playing 3 dimensional chess. And the clicks go on.

      1. Wonder what the position coaches took away from this debacle of a play? While eviscerating Shanahan, perhaps we could take a whack at the RB and OL coaches. We’ve done a workman-like job of lumping-up on the players involved.

        1. And, would be interesting to learn what the Panther’s DC was thinking as the defensive call was formulated.

          1. I disagree that making an assumption that your team cannot run at the 3 tech because of personnel is a sound decision. I suggest the proper move would be to do as Cassie suggests and have a conversation with Hyde’s and Kilgore’s position coach. When the OC calls the play, gets exactly the look he wants and the play fails, the proper conclusion is it failed because of poor execution and not because of the play call itself. On this issue we can agree to disagree.

    1. After generating 3 points on offense last game, it was as if KS had his queen/king forked by a knight.

  27. Fact Check? Uggh. That’s what partisans do to call other people liars. They are really only trying to control a narrative. Fact Checkers are people who masquerade as the arbiters of truth while lying and twisting facts to fit the narrative they are trying to push. In my grand ranking of types of human beings I have

    1. People of high character


    40. People who lie


    387. Fact Checkers

    Don’t be a fact checker Grant. It reveals a dismal character.

      1. Awwww, be careful there, Whine. That’s cliche.
        My nephew is a Philadelphia lawyer, and there isn’t a thing wrong with his personal or professional ethics, morals, words or deeds.
        Please use a finer brush to paint your point; you’re just throwing a bucket full.

        Jumping on Houston’s bandwagon when he’s talking politics can lead you down a narrow road. Fact checkers are scum? Then who’s to call out the Liar In Chief?
        Or any Pol or pundit of any persuasion?

        1. Kinda surprised at the question BT. Our entire 2 party political system has been in place for hundreds of years. There’s a purpose behind being the opposition party. Part of their job is to call out lies, corruption, or policies they dislike. If either party thinks the POTUS is lying they should yell it from the rooftops. So called fact checkers are a recent invention. My problem with them is that they portray themselves as unbias arbiters of truth but they are far from being unbias. Both sides of the aisle have Fact Checkers who do nothing more than say the other side is lying while their side is being truthful. My personal opinion is it takes a special type of snake to lie about your allegiances and then try to act as if your an impartial observer while doing the bidding of those you support. It’s deceit and lies heaped on top of deceit and lies and I find it nauseating.

          1. Houston
            OK, hoss, I see your point about agendas; way too much of that abounds. I don’t belong to a party, registered Decline To State. A Pelosi lie sucks just as bad as a McConnell lie. POTUS seems to take it to a new level imo, but maybe he just doesn’t bother to cover.
            If I’ve correctly pieced part of your resume together through fragments of comments, I’d suspect you use science in your viewpoints, personally and in business. When that’s legitimately used to challenge statements or theses, that’s the fact checking I buy into.
            When we ( you, me, anybody) seek our info from confirmation bias sources, we put blinders on ourselves.
            Clearly you and I have some different viewpoints on some stuff, but not so much different in business or football. I always notice on vacation when interacting with folks from different parts of the country and likely different political views, that inter-personally we get along famously. The disconnect is most apparent in the media, as it serves them with clicks and views. You and I would do fine over drinks or iced tea poolside.
            Ciao Bella

            1. Random thought.
              I think political parties are a lot like sports teams some times, and party members are their “fans”.
              And fans often root for their side no matter what even if they change sides.
              Anyways… enough politics.

            2. wow, we’ve devolved (thx Devo!) to discussing the morals of politicians and the “info wars” of their media lackeys, what next? — alternate revisionist Holocaust theories?

              Fact Checking- only TRULY enlightening if ALL of us become the fact checkers, individually, which is impossible, as we have to perform our tasks at work sometimes– between posting flurries, of course, so we’ve hitched our wagons of 9er curiosity to Grant…

              1. If you don’t recognize that Grant has a massive personal agenda to prove himself right and the coaches wrong then you haven’t been paying attention. Fact Checking Shanahan’s impression of a specific run fits squarely into that agenda.

              2. Grant’s agenda/ideas/arguments — are what we’re here posting about- agree with, agree to disagree, (or take your toys and go home- as some have)- it’s still driving responses- and the Fact Checking deal- Grant’s “need to correct him”, etc., just goes with the territory of opinions you think valid, invalid, or Disney-like (no names pls)
                if we can use those intellectual filters to see past the Hubris issues….we get more insight into their game prep, etc.

              3. Wow…. Hubris! Like it! In the Greek tragedy context… “Excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to nemesis.

                Hubris to nemesis! Nemesis… “A long-standing rival; an archenemy.” Voldemort comes to mind. Sauron too.

                Love our blog!!

            3. “Hoss?”

              Funny. I suddenly felt like I was on the Ponderosa trying to save Little Joe from stampeding cattle..

        2. BT – Please forgive me. I assumed that you knew that there’s a difference between a lawyer from Philadelphia and a Philadelphia lawyer. A Philadelphia lawyer is like Jody is to us vets. He’s an imaginary guy whose name could be anything but is probably not Jody.

          1. Whoa! My bad; never heard that one. Thanks for bringing me up to speed, and sorry for the huffiness. It’s just my nephew, now 40, is pretty much the guy you’d want your son or son in law or next door neighbor to be. He slaved as an underpaid PD for years, is still a defense attorney and devotes one full day and another evening each week for Pro Bono work. Good egg.
            Jody we all know about. I dropped any romantic entanglements when I shipped over; seemed unrealistic, especially in the late 60s.

    1. Where would rabid sports bloggers fall?

      Guess that depends on the definition of rabid… “Having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something.”

      1. The official ruling on Rabid Sports Blogger is that the classification is bifurcated as follows:

        9. Rabid 49er Sports Blogger

        263. Rabid Sports Blogger – All Other

    2. 1. People of high character
      .
      .
      40. People who lie/ and according to you, fact checkers.
      .
      .
      387. Mean tweeters.

  28. We’ve all said this with Grant leading the charge…I even posted during camp that the 49ers have power blocking linemen, so run more power, ala Harbaugh . I said in order to get a hat on a hat, Shanny would have to give and take–the give being, give up some out side zone for power/inside zone to suit your personnel.

    Well, if week one was a chalkboard experience, we should see different personnel–addition by subtraction, so rid yourself of PFF’s worst players. ie, Beadles and Ray Ray. Subtitute Tomlinson and Beadles.

    49ers starting 5 O-Linemen vs. Seattle S/B:

    1. LT—Staley
    2. LG–Tomlinson
    3. C—Magnuson
    4. RG–Kilgore
    5. RT—Brown

    A poster above probably stated it best:

    Shane says:
    September 13, 2017 at 8:31 pm

    I appreciate going the extra mile Grant. That’s excellent reporting.
    Look at the stats, you can’t argue them. We don’t have outside zone linemen. It’s a square peg round hole scenario.

    1. Back in the day, when that Chicago 46 Defense was unstopable in their charge to the SuperBowl and Bill Walsh’s 49er got their a$$es kicked by them, a reporter asked the coach:

      “How do you stop the 46 Defense?”

      Walsh’s answer: “Block ?”

      Years following the incident, the 49ers never lost again to that Bear 46 Defense…..As a matter of fact, the 49ers kicked the Bears a$$ so badly on Monday Night Football that Mike Ditka threw a wadded up piece of chewing gum at a rowdy fan and missed, hitting a senior citizen instead….Charges were never filed.

      Moral of the story ?…..If you want your offense to work, better to block than to rely on scheme at all costs.

      1. addendum to moral…
        Walsh is in HOF and in the “cloud”
        Ditka’s doing commercials for car warranties…

  29. Pete Carroll whined about Lynch gaining intel from him while being a sportscaster.
    .
    Pete should just realized Lynch was returning the favor. Seahawks have been gaining intel from former Niners for years.

    1. Well stated,

      49er fans will remember that Carroll was hired by the dynasty 49ers head coach, George Seifert, and runs his elephant defense currently in use in Seattle…..As a matter of fact, Seifert invented Seattle’s defense—good to see it come full circle and back home again………….What were the York’s thinking all of these years by banning ex-49er greats (coaches and players) from Levis and going to Mike Nolan, the Bear’s 46 Defensive Leader, Mike Singletary, Tomsuala , etch, running the polar opposite direction of our roots…….It’s been said before, the York’s were trying to invent their own legacy when the winning blueprint was in the Levi Stadium film archive all along (Walsh’s old videos).

  30. Why is everyone down on Philadelphia lawyers? Who gets a lawyer in Philadelphia? I mean, who even goes to Philadelphia? This is the kind of town where when asked if you’ve been there, the closest you want to be is “I had a stopover, saw the airport”.

      1. “I went to Philadelphia once. It was closed.” – W.C.Fields
        (My brother and nephew live there. I make them visit me.)

              1. True enough. Nice part of town. But technically speaking neither is Bryn Mawr which is about 2miles down the road.

  31. That’s funny. It works both ways. When someone’s narrative jives with the fact checkers, then they are putting forth the truth, but if what they say is contrary to ones beliefs, they are spewing lies to fit their agenda. Similar to polls. When a poll is negative to ones ideas, it’s slanted and bias, but when a poll is positive towards that same person, that poll is the the greatest teller of the truth. Just ask the Donald!!

  32. The last time the 49ers won a Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan’s father, Mike Shanahan, was calling plays as George Seifert’s offensive coordinator.

    A year later, Seifert hired Pete Carroll as 49ers defensive coordinator.

    As was the case during in the 1980s and ’90s, whenever the 49ers hired a coordinator from the outside, the prerequisite was that the person would not install his own playbook. He would be required to learn the system already in place.

    “When Pete Carroll came in, he basically adopted our system,” Seifert said on the latest 49ers Insider Podcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.

    http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/george-seiferts-influence-felt-49ers-new-defensive-scheme

  33. I’ve been telling all on this site not to judge a 1st time coaching staff in a 1st time real NFL game until week two……I stated that week one would be a “chalk board experince” and not to judge the Niners until after week two adjustments have been made……

    Well, guess what, now TomD has a HOFer on his side saying the same thing:

    Steve Young: 49ers will find out how they’ve actually improved in Seattle Week 2
    Josh Lander

    http://www.knbr.com/2017/09/14/steve-young-49ers-will-find-out-how-theyve-actually-improved-in-seattle-week-2/

    1. Good point Tom. Seattle will always be the measuring stick for the 49ers to see how close or how far we are to competing and being legit competitors in the NFC West.

      Although they might be declining, they are still the best team in the division and there is no better test than up in Seattle.

      Sorry faithful, this one is a blow out of epic proportions.
      Hawks 38
      49ers 6

    1. The 49ers lead the NFL with nearly $65 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com, which they could roll over into next season.

      1. Prime,

        PFF gave two 49er players the lowest score in the NFL last week—Beadles and Ray Ray.

        Do you think addition by subtraction would work vs. Seattle, ie, bench both and start Tomlinson and new Lb, Elijah Lee ?

        Bill Walsh always said get a hat on a hat and these players could certainly do that but at the expense of some of Shanny’s outside zone scheme ?….What do you think ?

  34. Its going to be a full season project on the O side of the ball and it might not get a whole lot better with the 2 G’s and the C they started last week. All of last season and during the off season I was saying that the D was far better then their stats showed, they were just exhausted in the 2nd half of games and I believe sunday’s game proved me right. I believe that our D will continue to get better and better this year. The keys are Foster’s health and getting Lynch on the field on passing downs. I don’t see Lynch as a long term solution and think they will get rid of him next off season but until then they need his outside rush capabilities . I believe we will have a top 10 D and ST by the end of the season. Then next year they can take care of the other side of the ball. They can take care of the interior line in FA, the QB position in the draft and defensive depth also through the draft. We are just going to have to live with a mediocre O this season. imho

      1. Because he has never faced the Seahawks and never played in Seattle, I think Hoyer gets rolled. It’s a tough gig for any QB. If Hoyer gets hurt and we have to start Beathard, we’ll be lucky to win 1 game this year. Which will be fine as far as positioning for the draft.

    1. OldCoach, I beg to differ. KS has led his offenses into the top 10, but it will take time. I fully expect the offense will be much better, later in the season when the schedule is easier.
      .
      The improvement on the defense will help the offense. The defense might even get some turnovers, so the offense can have a short field. The WRs are vastly improved, and the RB depth is superior to last season. The big question marks are if the QB can deliver the ball and if the O line can give him enough time to do it.

  35. Funny that Seb thinks Kap is better than Smith, but to this day, Smith is the only 49er QB to beat the Pete Carroll coached ‘Hawks in Seattle, and even with the same team, Kap couldn’t beat the birds, not even at Levis !

    1. All that Kap did was help the Seahawks to enjoy their Thanksgiving on the 49er 50 yardline the year Kap had that interception-fest vs Seattle.

  36. Grant,

    Such a lame analysis does a disservice to yourself and to fans (except for those who are sure they know more football than successful professional coaches). The job of the coach on offense is to call the right play under the circumstances, and then have the players execute it. It’s clear that most of the shortcomings of the Niners offense in this game was poor execution. The reasons are probably one or more of the following:
    1. Insufficient (not necessarily in adequate) coaching: This is a complex offense and we’ll see many more formation penalties this season. The new rules restrict padded practice and so many new players (most in a new scheme) playing together for the first time will lead to poor execution.
    2. Inadequate fit of personnel to scheme: This problem has been addressed partially through FA and draft — but many replacements are rookies not ready for prime time.
    3. Insufficient talent at some key positions: The Shanalynch team inherited a tea,m with expansion-level talent. No effective Leo pass rusher, Hoyer is who he is (plays worse as the game and the season goes on), poor interior O line, no back up free safety for this scheme after Ward, Goodwin does not have the greatest hands, etc, etc.

    Under these circumstances, I will be interested to read your analysis on what problems (and progress) the players and coaches are facing in executing this scheme, what progress Shanny is making in adjusting his offensive coordinator mindset transitioning to the HC role, etc. This sort of nitpicking on who tripped Hyde, and trying to outsmart Shanny, is just sophomoric. You know a lot of football and ask some really good questions, but trying to show up coaches is rather futile and achieves little beyond playing to the gallery.

    1. The issues were poor execution and poor play calling, not one or the other.

      I wasn’t trying to show up Shanny. But he mislead fans with his assessment, and I needed to correct him.

      1. Glad you stepped up to correct him, having felt the need and all. Wonder where your correction threshold lies? Only correct egregious transgressions? All? What triggers a correction?

        The one doing the correcting often becomes a magnet for being corrected by others. And as most can appreciate, one person’s view about correctness doesn’t always align with those of others.

        Commentary and sharing opinions are fine…asserting you “needed to correct him” comes off a bit odd. Need is an interesting word.

          1. Then we should expect nothing less than ferreting out ‘the truth’ across the full spectrum of the 9er enterprise–consistently. Given the current state of the franchise, you may need a staff of two or three to keep after it–under your direction of course.

            Hope we don’t cherry pick those elements we uncover–only illuminating a subset and ignoring others.

            Might be useful to distinguish between conjecture/opinion and lead-pipe-lock gotchas.

              1. I’m confident the video shows what’s been described. Just tickled with the notion of need-to-correct and how it’s applied (consistently?) across all on-field/game activity.

          2. The fact (ooh, there’s that word) that this was the result of a direct interchange between coach and Grant has more than a lot to do with it. It’s almost as if one couldn’t abide being shown up by the other. We see that a lot here with Seb/prime , Seb/Tom, prime/razor etc etc.

        1. “The one doing the correcting often becomes a magnet for being corrected by others.”

          Indubitably.
          :-)

  37. I think they need to get the ball out and dink and dunk a bit due to the noise up there, and maybe roll out and take shots to Kittle down the seams, Garcon crosses and Goodwin deep- I would like to see Hyde get 5-8 catches out of the backfield…….. gotta get the DL from going full-on assault 100% of the time………..

    Evaluations on Harold and Dumervil- anyone watch 22 tape? I know the balance of the DL rated well against the run, but the lack of pressure hurt, and it was surprising Saleh didn’t try and generate any.

    49ers need to have a good game or the already disenchanted fan base may walk ……………

  38. Grant, just out of curiosity, when u got cut from DLS football and joined Yearbook, did you question coach L as tough as you do KS? ;>)

  39. Evidently no intention (yet) of signing anyone from the four defensive players brought in for tryouts yesterday?

      1. Tartt: Tartt isn’t a starter and never should be as he has no feel for coverage.
        Beadles: He needs to sit.
        Hyde: Nobody could run outside and Brieda was worse.
        Hoyer: Someday. But Bethard is a rookie coming into one of the most complex offenses in the NFL. I doubt he’s ready before mid-season.

        1. Agree that Beadles isn’t good but who is the replacement? Tomlinson? What if he isn’t ready and makes a mistake that gets Hoyer killed. Beadles, you know what you’ve got. You can scheme for him for the time being.

          You are absolutely spot on regarding Breida and Hyde.

          And I think the rookie should sit and learn for a while and come into safe game situations.

          1. Tomlinson is incredibly smart, but whether that translates to football acumen remains to be seen. I wouldn’t think he’d be quite ready, not to mention it wouldn’t be prudent in such a loud venue. I’d venture to guess next week, or no later than week 4….

  40. https://www.sbnation.com/2017/9/14/16306476/andrew-luck-trade-rumors-colts-shoulder-injury

    Nor should there have been. The rumors were pretty low level to begin with, but they made it onto the air via ESPN’s Mike and Mike show.

    Irsay talked optimistically about Luck’s recovery, talking about how well he was progressing and that he’d be ready to start the season even if he wasn’t ready to play in the season opener against the Rams. Wait? What?
    Then, Irsay made a cloudy allusion that Luck’s problems may all be in his head.
    “It’s been said before all sports is played on a four-inch field between your ears. … It’s really important that we continue to help Andrew emotionally, mentally, get his confidence and his endorsement, deep down his rubber stamp (in) his heart of hearts because in the end that carries the biggest weight.”

      1. sounds like Luck has run out in IND
        after a statement like that…Luck needs to move on– to another team.

        1. Yeah, like Phoenix. In Indy, Luck’s run is about over, and he’s about to be pooped out…

  41. Regarding this blog… We should begin collecting all the great quotes this blog spawns–not the ones posters find via Google and regurgitate–but original material.

      1. Well now, let’s begin with that! Perfect! I’ll start dropping quotes into a word doc–can get more sophisticated later. Quotes will be fully attributed to the poster.

        Quotes need to be original–created by a poster (not the result of a Google search or some twisted form of plagerism)–and must be found within the 49ers.pressdemocrat.com domain. I’ll announce which quotes are captured.

        Yeah, I’m biased–feel free to call me out. I won’t be gathering extreme insults unless they’re really funny or diabolically clever. For those who find comfort in over-the-top use of lame cliches, we won’t be considering those…unless used more broadly in a diabolically clever manner.

        1. hmmmmm….diabolically clever extreme insults vs. over top lame cliches…
          can you guess which posters belong to these groups kids?

  42. “Just trying to lure Seb out of that rusted out, run down garden shed in his backyard where he’s holding his water pipe hostage”

    There ya go Cass!
    That’s a genuine Juan!

  43. As a coach ,your first priority should be that each player is educated in his job ,what the ideal way is ,and what he is to expect to do. The coach should know What each player does or doesn’t do well .that is the coaches job. Right after protecting them ,on the field not allowing the consistent butt wuppen to be given to the same person / postion. Adapt . Overcome. Now in defense of shanny , 1st real game ,with a hole new team , hole new offensive system . And to boot like all of us on this site have pointed out , inferior personal . ( Not for this system) taking a look at the answer shanny gave grant , protect your team . I would of Said some thing similar . But also acknowledged the fact that the guard was having problems with his assignment . And said something along the lines of ,we’re working on it,or it’s fluid and evolving , changes are made from game plan to game plan. Week to week . Alright that being said ,and keeping in mind He ( shanny) has the team first attitude . Bill Walsh always put the team first . EASY to see that . (Walsh would put the team before the player )Now imo work on the players to fill that role . Try to replace the personal first,but don’t change the game plan / or offense. Stay true to what your trying to do. What your offensive system is . Why your a head coach right now . Why you were hired. Grant love the fact that your passion for finding the truth out for us ,and how hard you punch , to get the answer. But maybe try wording your questions to him to be more specific ,ie name personal,or name the play ,or ask why in his opinion does he see it like that . I believe the term is to paint him into a corner, so you hear the answer your looking to get . ( And us too ) he did trip , because he got pushed back into his lap . ( If I’m viewing the right play ) and if you call that a block). thinking ahead , do we see improvement when the change comes , or do we give it a week / or two . I can say this as a player ,high school and collegiately ,if you or anyone attacked my teammates , I’d attack you . Press,or other players (on other teams) . You attack my family you get the same thing . Be careful when attacking the bull , you might end up getting the horns . Ouch .

  44. Your analysis is completely incorrect. Running backs slip through holes smaller than that on a daily basis. Based on the picture you posted and the way its blocked that play actually had a pretty decent chance of success. Thanks for proving you know nothing about coaching

    1. It was impossible for Hyde to avoid Kilgore’s leg on that play. Kilgore was getting pushed backward into the hole.

  45. There might be a couple of backs that could of , Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Roger Craig , Marcus Allen. But not Carlos ,not yet anyway . Agree Grant . To far into the backfield .

  46. So that was your Q at the Presser.. I thought something smelled with Shanny’s response. I hope he doesn’t start hating you. Your assessment was correct on that play. The saddest part of last Sunday was the Panthers were ripe for the picking and Mike whiffed. Personally, I think he is having confidence issues and it’s skewing his judgement. We know he can scheme but it looks like he is struggling with HC part and it’s effecting his game time play decisions.. All the mistakes, self inflicted wounds are leadership driven. If we see the same, although we need to cut some slack at Seattle playing at nasty Century Link, we’ll know he is having a tough time getting player buy in on execution. He’s young and there is a learning curve. They could be 0-4 come next Thursday at Levi’s. I know you are not a big Goff fan. I am… He’ll shred SF and Wade Phillips already has that Ram Defense flying all over the place.

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