Geep Chryst on Mike Pettine: “He’s shining his star.”

SANTA CLARA

This is the transcript of Geep Chryst’s Thursday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

Opening comments:

“Good morning. We’re on the Bengals preparation, but there’s also a Browns game we probably want to talk about too.”

 

The first question I have is, when you look at nine sacks, what’s that a reflection on?

“The coaching phrase is lack of execution. You’ll hear that all the time and coaches don’t want to tip their hand as to on this play, this was our scheme and it didn’t work. But, it’s a reflection of trying to give help to those who are the blockers, the five blockers. Sometimes a person that was giving help was the one that got beat on the sack. It also is often time’s a reflection of the score of a ballgame. If you’re behind in a game, there’s a tendency to want to catch up and get through the air, caught up. But, there was a series of factors where we had an opportunity to make a play, especially in the first half, in the first portion of the third quarter and we failed in almost every instance to make a play. And that’s going to affect the outcome of the game, affect your emotions and affect the stat line.”

 

G/T Erik Pears seems to be responsible for three of those nine sacks. Are you going to give more help on his side because he’s been struggling?

“Talking about that, that’s exactly what we were trying to do. So, the second sack specifically, we had [FB] Bruce [Miller] over there and the tight end. But, the person that was beat wasn’t Erik or the tight end. So, you’re trying to give help over there. There was a third-and-three, we had run the ball, we were on the other side of midfield and then we kept the tight end next to Erik to block him. And at times, you wonder if that’s unfair to a guy like [T] Joe Staley because he’s oftentimes out on an island. And when he’s going up against good players, he’s the one that has to kind of fight the solo fight and he does a very good job of that. So, there was examples in that case. We tried to throw a screen, [QB] Blaine [Gabbert] knew the rule with the lineman downfield on the screen. You’re kind of betwixt and between. If you throw the ball away with the lineman downfield, it’s five-yards and a loss of down for a penalty. He thought he could get back to the line of scrimmage. A couple of those other ones Blaine feels bad about because he felt like the ball came out of his hand. There was a scramble where there was really no one around him. He thought that the down marker was laid down and that he got above the line of scrimmage. And then the other one that was a critical play in the game was they ran a goal line style defense to stop a fourth-and-one run. We ran a goal line style play. Like a lot of goal line plays, if they bring a guy off the edge, it’s a race to get the ball up and we didn’t get the ball up. So, I think those stats are a reflection of how the game played out. It’s unfortunate because when you watch the tape, there were some chances. The pass that we had to [WR] Bruce Ellington in the first half. We had a third-down call in the red zone after a turnover where our receiver didn’t run a slant route. I think everyone saw that. And then the fourth down play. So, we felt like we had three or four opportunities to maybe affect the momentum of the game and we didn’t.”

 

On that fourth down play, is it he just needs to get rid of the ball on that?

“It’s a goal line style play. So, we expected for them to play the goal line defense and if you think back to the Atlanta game specifically, both fourth down opportunities, we ran it. So, we were in a pretty confident level during our preparation for the game. What we repped during the week was that we were going to see that goal line front and you know, there was a lot of banging of [TE] Blake Bell as he got out. But, he did the right thing by just kind of making the lane change and getting out there. And I think that, you know, that was one play that Blaine mentioned to me if he would have had over, he would have put a little more air, just get it up early. If you think back to the [TE Garrett] Celek touchdown in the Atlanta game, it was one of those things when it works and he’s wide open, it looks great. When it doesn’t work, not only do you feel bad, you feel like was that an opportunity to run it? But, the way they played that defensive front, we felt we had an opportunity and it was one of those we didn’t convert.”

 

When you draw that up, do you know that that defender is going to be on the quarterback really fast on that play?

“Yeah, it’s just like any goal line play. There’s often times, those goal line plays that happen so quickly because you’re not using the vertical field, you can use the horizontal field. So, in the case of the Atlanta game, if you remember Celek just went out to the side and as soon as you get to the top of your drop, it’s a simple throw out. But, we went for the throw up and you know, Blaine didn’t get it out of his hand. Give credit to [Cleveland Browns LB Nate Orchard] 44. We had seen on tape where he chased down the line. He went right to the quarterback this time. It’s one of those things that, it’s a risk-reward play. And again, you don’t want to always be the type of team that it’s always fourth-and-one and you always run the ball. That would have guaranteed a first-and-10 on the plus-29. When it doesn’t work, you feel bad that it didn’t work.”

 

What about emotionally? What’s your evaluation of your team’s energy level and their emotional investment?

“Sure. I think it’s a common question to ask when you lose because you remember the game as a loss. You know, we went back and watched the line play in the Chicago game. I thought that there was a lot of intensity. I thought, when you watch the end zone copy of the line play in the Cleveland game, for example, there was drive where we got the ball near midfield after the [LB] Ahmad Brooks fumble (recovery). And again, we ran the ball for a 15-yard gain. What they chose to do was bring [Cleveland Browns S] Donte Whitner off the edge and Bruce Miller had a hell-of-a block. We get 15-yards on the play, now we’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re in the edge of field goal range.’ That’s the next play was when we threw the ball to Bruce. Good protection, good throw, we didn’t catch the ball. Bruce feels bad. He comes back, we run another run play. Bruce Ellington actually goes down and knocks Donte Whitner, we all know Donte, flat on his back. It’s probably the best block I’ve seen a receiver make this year. So, we can assign the fact that you know, is a team flat or emotionless or whatever those things are. I think in a context of a game, you forget all those little plays and you start to react to what the scoreboard says and when the scoreboard says you’re losing or when the scoreboard says at the end of the game you’ve lost, you have a passionate reaction, a disappointment. And when you come in for the postgame commentary, oftentimes, that’s what’s reflected. You think back to the Arizona game. There was some visceral reaction to the way that the referees, on both sides. That’s what the emotions and the passions of football bring out. But in terms of, were they, if you read some of the Cleveland commentary, were they the team that showed up? Were they team that competed and were they the team that won? Well, in the first half, they had a field goal blocked, they had a fumble, they had an interception and they had a punt returned to their own 32. The way I see it, again, we failed to capitalize when we had those short fields. And you think about momentum in football. Statisticians will tell you that if you’ve completed five straight passes, your chance of completing that sixth pass is no greater. But, you go to any game and you watch any game, they featured the Bills comeback against the Oilers, you feel this energy, this emotion. Fans do, coaches do, players do and football’s a great sport because of that emotion.”

 

One of the ways that you failed to capitalize on that was there were negative plays. They’re happening a lot in the first quarter. Whether it’s sacks, penalties, how is that stunting what you guys could do in the first quarter?

“Number one, we look close at what our openers will be and what is the best way to get Blaine, Blaine has done really well in situational football. Two-minute, red zone. Where he hasn’t done as good of a job as we need to as a team is third down. The other place where we’ve struggled is we’ve gone three-and-out too often at the start of games. So, you look at that. The other thing that we look closely at is, you hear oftentimes us compliment this team about how they practice, the energy and the enthusiasm that they bring. But, there’s no real way when you have an [G] Andrew Tiller, who’s really starting for the first time, or a Blake Bell who’s starting, how do you simulate game reps, how fast things happen in games. We can do our best in the practice reps, but there’s an invaluable experience that you have playing at the speed of an NFL game goes at. And I think that sometimes you watch that on tape is that we have negative plays. We don’t see something, we don’t react to something and oftentimes it’s an inexperienced player. We’re trying to give them experience, we expect them to get better, we’ve made improvement, but not for this game.”

 

Talk about openers, how many are you scripting? Former head coach Bill Walsh used to script 15.

“Fifteen is the standard. What’s at issue is, if you don’t get first downs, for example, we had six drives in the first half. The one thing we knew going in was that we were going to alternate series with [C] Marcus Martin and then [G/C] Daniel Kilgore at center. So, you kind of parse it out as to what would be good with Marcus in there, what would be good with Daniel in there. And that’s the way, but if you don’t get first downs, your 15th play is in the middle of the second quarter and that’s a killer. And again, the scoreboard is dictating stuff that may be different than what you thought going in. We thought it might be a neutral game, a zero-zero game and actually we thought that some of the plays, like the throw to Bruce Ellington might give us an opportunity to have a play to get into scoring territory.”

 

You kind of alluded to it a little earlier, but when you see or hear the comment that Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine made yesterday, that it appeared to be kind of a shot across the bow of the 49ers coaching staff and just the preparation and the energy with which you guys played. Does it anger you? Does it upset you?

“First off, you don’t pay too much attention to it. I enjoy, you know, getting onto task for the next week, but sometimes you can gather valuable information from people in the postmortem of any game. So, you try to take it in what’s the context that he was trying to say. And what was the context of them? Well, he’s shining his star, saying that, you know, even though we lost seven in a row, look how we showed up. We’re a team that fights and does not quit. He also said in the context of the quote that he praised the veteran leadership. Well, it’s ironic. I was talking to [Cleveland Browns T] Joe Thomas and [Cleveland Browns TE] Gary Barnidge and [Cleveland Browns QB] Josh McCown, all guys that I’ve coached in the past before the game. So, some coaches will try to use the media as a megaphone to praise or compliment. He also said in that context that [Seattle Seahawks QB] Russell Wilson, he did not consider an elite quarterback either. They asked him if he was an elite quarterback or a top-10 quarterback and he said no. So, you can’t overreact. Everyone has an opinion, but you can’t overreact. I do know, like I said, if they were the tens across the board in all the things that he said and we were at one across the board, then I don’t think that they would have had a field goal blocked. I don’t think they would have had a turnover, which we know is critical to the game. I don’t think they would have had a fumble. I don’t think that they would have allowed a punt to come back. So, you’re caught between having to execute plays and given opportunities, make opportunities. And I think that becomes what’s frustrating for all of us on the team and the fans included, is that it was a 10-3 game in the second half. We actually threw the exact same pattern combination that we hit in Chicago to [WR] Quinton Patton. But, what did Quinton Patton do just before the start of the snap? He was leaning forward on his motion. We’ve gone in motion a thousand times. Why did he on that one play do that? You know, is it a lack of experience in going in motion? Was he excited about making the play? We completed the play. Again, that’s a plus-23 in a 10-3 game, the way that we had been operating in the red zone and what we did at the end of the game in terms of the end zone, we could tie that game up right there. Instead, that’s a penalty. The next two plays are sacks and it materially affects how you feel about the game. I know it affected me, how I felt about the game. So, that was what happened in that game and we have to move on to Cincinnati and it takes turning the page, having a game plan and moving forward.”

 

You mentioned Joe Staley earlier. Is he, I know nobody’s 100-percent at this point in the season. Is he dealing with maybe a little bit more injury-wise then–?

“First off, I think that the battle that he had with [Chicago Bears DE] Willie Young in the Chicago game was really fun to watch. And if you watch the end zone copy, you know, Willie Young had mentioned how he told the kids he’s going up against Joe Staley and that he told the kids not to bug him. He put extra time and extra effort in. So, you’ve got motivated players going against a Pro Bowl tackle in Joe. And then like I said, because we’ve been conscious of giving some of these younger players help, whether it’s Marcus or [OL] Jordan Devey or Andrew Tiller. We’re trying to give those guys help, so often Joe is on an island. That’s a frustrating, hard thing to do and we’ve got to make sure that on any game plan, it’s balanced enough that he’s not always got the tough task on the play. But, I appreciate how hard he’s been playing. Oftentimes, when you watch those end zone copies, he probably sleeps well at the end of the day because there’s a lot of battling going on.”

 

How has Andrew Tiller been playing?

“Great. You know, again, another guy that we highlight as someone who did not have a single start coming in. He’s done a nice job and kind of settled into himself. I think the game is slowing down. I think that’s the one thing you hear. I was listening to the [Golden State] Warriors last night. Festus Ezeli, what a great name to say, but he said that the game was slowing down for him this season. Well wait a second, they won a championship last year and he was a contributor. How fast can you be an immediate contributor as a starter in the NFL? How fast can you become a productive starter? And Andrew’s done a hell-of-a job because he’s come in and continued to play well and make plays and I think the game is slowing down for him, at least from what you see on tape. He’s seeing where the linebackers are. He’s seeing where things go and he’s got a long way to go and this will be a hell-of-a challenge against a very good front seven. But, you’ve got to give him credit because he’s ramping up quickly. Just as Kilgy played well in the second half, he’s going to start his eighth NFL game coming up here. We consider him to be the veteran because he’s been around, but you know, it’s all about trying to get familiar with how fast the game goes and we’re excited to play Cincinnati.”

 

You mentioned, obviously accurately so, Ellington’s drop and Patton’s penalty and this guy missed a block and everything. Obviously, people look at the offense as a whole and it’s ranked last. A lot of people are pointing to you. You’ve had injuries, you’ve had personnel issues and all that. When you look at this season, how do you evaluate yourself? Are there things you say I wish I had that back?

“First off, what you evaluate is, we went back through the other day, we have completions to 19 different 49ers. Proud of that stat because that means there’s a lot of people that we’ve had to quickly fold into and ramp up for games. And your question, the question I ask myself is, is this a trend? Concussion protocol or injuries, is this the way that the game is going in which case the stuff that you work on in training camp as part of your core offense or the stuff that we ran off of 13-personnel or with [RB] Carlos Hyde, we can’t use that. We can’t use that because we don’t have three tight ends dressed out. We can’t use that because we don’t have Carlos Hyde. So, any analysis of the offense starts with who are the people that you have and what do they do best and then can we put them in a position to execute. You watch teams, getting ready for Cincinnati, how fun is Pittsburgh to watch as an offense? There’s [Pittsburgh Steelers QB] Ben Roethlisberger throwing to [Pittsburgh Steelers WR] Antonio Brown and there’s [Pittsburgh Steelers TE] Heath Miller. What jumps out at me are the savvy plays that they make outside of the chalk line, outside of what the scheme is. And that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get better. I thought that since Blaine has come in, how would I evaluate the offense? Blaine’s done a nice job with the offense. I thought for four games, we were making those strides. The two losses being to two pretty good, playoff caliber teams and then this was step back. But, each game is a chapter and you have to author what you can in the chapter. And at the end of the day, I feel incredibly responsible for it. I know what my preparation is. I know how hard the staff that works on the offensive side works. I know how hard [head coach Jim Tomsula] Jimmy T works at it. We would love to pour experience or playmaking ability or all of that into every player that’s out there. We want them to be successful. We want to put them in a position to be successful. But, at the end of the day, and that’s the beauty of the game, you either make a play at that point in time or you don’t. And that’s football.”

This article has 53 Comments

  1. Good to know Gabbert should have gotten more air under a ball he never did throw.

    This staff is so darn out of their element that it’s sad. How can these players look at them and listen to anything they’re saying?

  2. “Good morning. We’re on the Bengals preparation, but there’s also a Browns game we probably want to talk about too.”
    ———————-
    Well I guess if you can’t come up with anything worth while just say as little as possible.

  3. They need to stop with these colors. It’s just bad. The one time I wish I didn’t have such high definition.

    1. Nice breakdown. I agree there’s no sure thing quarterback in this draft. That spot is usually a calculated gamble, but that’s usually the case. I love Goff’s feet.

      Alot of teams need a new OT. Is this a deep draft for OTs?

    2. I agree. I wouldn’t be surprised if the drat unfolded thru six picks just like you wrote it out. I would pick Smith over Jack, but would be happy to have either.

    3. If the 49ers lose the next three,I think they will draft at 5. If the 49ers take a game they will drop way down the draft board.

      http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/12/17/10310604/nfl-draft-order-2016-remaining-schedules-ahead-and-around-the-49ers

      I consider the next 3 games as a talent evaluation opportunity. We need to see how new (and not so new) players are doing t clarify free agency and the draft. I don’t want a repeat of the Looney situation where it took 3 years and 4 training camps to figure out he wasn’t better than scrap heap OGs.

      Give Lemonier, Harold, Patton, Ellington, Carradine, White snaps. Make them fight for a job.

      McDonald, Thomas and Martin will get snaps through attrition. Keep an eye on them too.

      What ever they happens, do not win any more games. Even if the 49er aren’t crazy about these elite 6 players, they trade-back value is huge compared to drafting sound 9-12, which is what 5 wins will drop us.

    4. Grant,

      Is it more interesting to cover a team this bad with a pretty bleak outlook given ownership/management or is it better to cover a team that has more going for it?

  4. Michael Mina’s at Levi’s sucks WORSE than the team that calls this place home. Bad food. check. overpriced. dubl check. marginal service. check. overall experience….$600 for 4 light drinkers…I went to INOut on the wY home. jeez man I feel like hiring a plane And flying a banner…but I will need my $600 back to do that.

  5. Geep Chryst on Mike Pettine: “He’s shining his star.”

    Well Geep, at least he has a star to shine, however tarnished. For all your talk in this interview, how about this alliteration: “the proof of the pudding is in the taste of it thereof”.
    And the taste of your “pudding” is the bitter taste of loss. 49er fans deserve much better.

  6. These media lightweights are about as clueless and gutless as the coaches.
    How about asking- With the worst offense in the NFL and the most incompetent and futile play since the 2-14 seasons, how come you still have a job?
    Did you ever tell your QB to throw the ball before getting sacked on fourth down, or do you think that it is more important that he does not throw an interception?
    When you mentioned that Gabbert needed to get the throw up, did you think that would make the fans to want to throw up? Why do think that throwing the ball on 4th and one was the best play? Do you have so little confidence in the pathetic O line and RBs that you think the offense cannot make a yard?
    Since you think that grabbing a player off the street is going to produce results, and does not, while a talented player languishes on the bench, do you think your assessment skills are top notch?
    Do you think that waiting until your starting QB is injured before making a small change in the O line, then let the backup get sacked 9 times, is not a direct result of abysmally poor assessment skills?
    When Pettine says that his team was motivated, and your team was flat, why not admit that he was right? Are the Niner coaches in denial? Or are they just delusional?
    Do you think that revisiting this debacle and hearing your weak and lame excuses will make any Niner fan feel less sad it did not work out? Maybe you should forget all about this embarrassment and move on to the next game.
    When you stand up and give long rambling speeches that say nothing, are you learning from Tomsula?
    When the Niner fans say that you were out hustled and out coached, do you think it is an over reaction?
    Do you think that setting records in futility is acceptable?
    Should you be held accountable?

  7. Jed York’s Vision Before the Season: “We’ve hired a great Teacher.”

    TomD’s TakeAways from York Ownership’s Vision

    1. Before Harbaugh, 12 years of Bad Coaching Hires–Created a 49ers Plutonium Wasteland–No coach wanted to be here.
    2. With this latest vision, The Entire Coaching Fraternity doesn’t want to be here, in a return to the history mentioned in TakeAway #1.
    3. 49er Fans can fill in their TakeAways From this Point.

    Ann Killion ‏@annkillion · Dec 13
    Tomsula saying one thing. Smartest

     Ann Killion Retweeted

    Eric Branch ‏@Eric_Branch · Dec 13
    #49ers Joe Staley thought team overlooked #Browns; felt too good about last week’s win.

    1. Finishing Ann Killion’s Quote Above:

      Smartest Player on 49ers Saying One Thing, Coach Saying Another.

  8. From 2003 through 2010, the San Francisco 49ers went through eight dismal seasons with a record of 46-82, and no playoff appearances under Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan, and Mike Singletary.
    So, what did CEO Jed York and G.M. Trent Baalke decide to do next? They let Harbaugh walk

    In reality, the 49ers need two starters there. For some reason, Baalke gave an average player like WR Torrey Smith a five-year, $40 million deal before the season. Smith currently ranks 61st overall for PFF, just ahead of teammate Quinton Patton (69th). The difference is that Patton makes less than $700,000 per year.
    With $40 million in cap space to spend, ownership needs to take a serious look again at their decision makers before they hand them too much power, considering how things ended with Harbaugh.

      1. For 49er Fans Hoping for coaching changes next year:

        This move was applauded by almost no one, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole.
        “It’s not going to be (Mike) Shanahan. He’s not going to do that. Geep Chryst? I’m lost on this one. I really don’t know what they’re going to do at this point,” said Cole, who went on to explain why the team might be experiencing so much difficulties in filling its staff.

        “If you’re only paying Tomsula three (million dollars), that gives you an indication of where you are in paying assistants. And I heard this before they hired Tomsula, that they’re going on the cheap on the assistant coaching staff,” said Cole, who was on top of the Jim Harbaugh-to-Michigan story several hours before it was confirmed by CSN Bay Area’s Dave Feldman.

        “They don’t believe in paying coaches right now. The word around the league in talking to people who are both coaches and who represent coaches, San Francisco is not the place to go to make money.”

        Here’s more from Cole:

        “In talking to three players, including two guys on offense, basically they were dismayed by this hiring and were disgusted in certain ways because they believe that this is a sign that management has chosen to go incredibly cheap in terms of replacing the coaches that left.”

        Well, no one except Colin Kaepernick (according to Breer).

  9. The 49ers have never been in playoff contention this year, but that loss mathematically eliminates them for good. It will be interesting to see how Jim Tomsula holds the team together with nothing left to play for.

    SB Nation, Week 14 Predictions

  10. Wow, Geep should stop talking. He’s all over the board when he talks. I can’t imagine him trying to teach an entire offense how to run a play. It’s got to be confusing.

  11. Whenever I get truly disgusted with the current team, coach and staff I read or watch about Bill Walsh and the team I remember. I have been watching the A Football Life: Bill Walsh and I keep being reminded not only was he a great with Xs and Os, he was a real head coach who wanted the very best and brightest assistants, he was not threatened by excellence in other people. As a head coach he could be a total bastard, he often keep the team on edge and players played hard for him, often out of fear. We hear now that he is gone how much they loved him, but that is only after the history of Superbowl wins. When they were playing for him they produced, often because they were scared or too angry at him not to. He demanded excellence.

    I love to remember how things were. Can we recapture that magic, that moment, that sense of team? Of course not. I don’t think we can even come close with the current clown car that is leading our team.

    I’ll always be a fan of the niners. But it is getting harder.

    P.S. I have always thought that fan displays of anger were counter productive. However, I am seriously considering monetary support of the banner that will be flown over Levi’s during the Superbowl.

    1. Agree. It was Walsh and the system he implemented that put all five of those Lombardi Trophies in 9er Headquarters. Five. Seems the Yorks forgot what it takes. Really sad. Seriously. When Jed is in his late 60s he may regret kicking this circus off. May…

    2. Leo, I will always be a faithful 49er fan, because I lived through those Glory Years, and the euphoria and joy those games engendered will sustain me through these trying times.
      However, I am not going to support the incompetence. the shameful embarrassing behavior of everyone, from Jed to Joan in payroll. The major players deserve every scathing denunciation known to man. The others should have known better, and I think they enabled the problem makers. my love of the team will not make me hold back from the proper response any faithful Niner fan will deliver upon a 4-9 team.
      So I am sick of it, and will not be silent when my beloved team is dragged through the mud and made a butt of jokes. It has gotten so bad, other fans are pitying the whole situation. The Niners used to be feared and respected. Now teams are eager to play them so they can kick them while they are down and pay back for when the Niners did it to them.
      It starts with Jed. He is the problem, and he did it to himself, just like the Niners are shooting themselves in the foot on the field. He never should have said that he wants to be held accountable, then hides when the Niners are floundering. If he wants to be held accountable, he should be a man, demonstrate honesty, admit he has failed, and gracefully step down. Jed has besmirched the Honor of the San Francisco 49ers, by saying one thing, and going back on his word, and only his removal will stop the nightmare. Why does he want the job anyways? Passionate fans are hurling epithets and denunciations so he cannot go out in public. They are paying good money to fly insulting banners over his new mausoleum. His wife is not pleased.
      Jed would become a hero if he showed class and character and stepped down. He could still be involved, but another child of Denise or Eddie should assume control. Let Jed be president, and let him choose the 7th pick in the draft so he still will be involved with the team. It would give him an opportunity to look smart if his pick makes the team, with little repercussions if it fails because it it the last pick.
      Stop the madness, Stop this nightmare. Do the right thing. Emulate Bill Walsh.
      Ask yourselves; What would Bill do?

    1. I don’t know. But I really want to see one flying during Jed’s supposed coronation during the Superbowl.

      1. I think we can bank on it–the banner that is–during the run up to the Super Bowl. Security issues might expand controlled air space and nearly eliminate flying anywhere near Levis.. But still. The national media would eat it up.

    1. Never underestimate the positive effect of public humiliation on the arrogant and prideful mega-rich, including those clueless on all things football.

  12. PFF’s highest graded player on the Niners’ roster is Bruce Miller — which totally explains why he’s been underused by JimTomCo.

    1. Interesting since Chryst seems to throw Miller under the bus with this quote. If it wasn’t Erik or the TE that was beat and you put Miller “over there” then Miller must have been responsible for the sack. I wonder if PFF credited Miller with allowing that sack.

      “So, the second sack specifically, we had [FB] Bruce [Miller] over there and the tight end. But, the person that was beat wasn’t Erik or the tight end. So, you’re trying to give help over there. There was a third-and-three, we had run the ball, we were on the other side of midfield and then we kept the tight end next to Erik to block him”

      1. If you look around a bit you’ll see that Chryst is getting called out quite a bit for throwing players under the bus. I’m sure that’ll make the players want to play hard for him.

          1. Yeah he certainly doesn’t fit their TE heavy game plan. I think back to what the Cardinals were saying about this offense and Kaep. Not much has changed, the ball is going the same places with more to the RB’s. Its predictable.

  13. Chryst must know he’s dead coach walking. Reading the transcripts of his pressers brings to mind a drowning man, grasping for something to hold on to.

    1. Analytics would have sacked him weeks ago. From the O line to the RBs, he has failed miserably. A team with the worst offense in the league and a 4-9 record would sink him.
      Tomsula does have clout.

      1. He’s a nice guy but no clout. Incompetent and his core players are questioning his staff. Things are about to get messy.

        1. Fooch on NN just stated that firing Chryst would do no good because the new OC would not know the team well enough to succeed. Better to just stay the course and let him coach the remaining games.
          I disagree. Chryst is the problem with the offense. ANY other OC would be better than this futile farce. I would like Rathman to take over, since he knows the players, and have him throw out the playbook and start all over. In fact, I hope they burn the playbooks and bury their ashes.
          Chryst tried to be unpredictable when he had Gabbert throw on first down, but when it failed,he panicked until it was too late. The play calling was so obtuse, it was pathetic. It got so bad, a 3 man rush would get to the QB.

          1. “In an endeavor as complex as American football only the uninformed put blame on a single individual” … God

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