Jeff Garcia breaks down Colin Kaepernick

“If Colin Kaepernick were to come to you and say, ‘Jeff, I’ve topped out as an NFL quarterback, I don’t have the answers, I want to be the best I can be I and I want you to mold me,’ what would you say? What would you do with him? How good could he be with you as his coach?” These are the questions I ask.

The “Jeff” I’m asking over the phone is Jeff Garcia, the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and the last protégé of the great Bill Walsh. That Jeff.

Click here to read the rest of my Sunday column.

This article has 164 Comments

  1. This is good stuff Grant. It all starts with wanting to be coached. You have to want to adapt. It’s mental. The approach. You have to have it all. An ability to read. Garcia pointed out all of Kap’s flaws

  2. What was that sign that used to be in Harbaugh’s locker room? Oh yea, “You are getting better or you are getting worse. You never stay the same.”

    1. Jeff did parrot my analysis. He said that the coaches should play to his strengths, not his weaknesses. Kaep should roll out more, and be allowed to think quick on his feet.

      Joe Montana mentioned that Kaep should be allowed to be the field general, so he can be bold and decisive.

      Jeff does know a lot about quarterbacking. He won a Grey cup, and was poised to win a ring but the Niner DBs could not defend well enough.

      Kaep does eliminate options. When he runs the Read option, he inherently goes through at least 2 reads. He is also reading before the snap, and that is why he is shifting players, trying to gain an advantage. Too bad the defense is shifting too. This causes Kaep to counter the shift, but then the defense shifts again. Eventually, they will shift a 5 seconds, and make Kaep call an audible with less than 5 seconds on the play clock. This tactic would be rendered ineffective, if Kaep stops reading and thinking, and just snaps and reacts.

      1. lol. Defenses do that to all QBs, not just Kaepernick. And the good QBs process all that and make the defenses pay.

        Bad QBs play like Kaepernick and fail.

  3. Great interview and great read. Thanks Grant. Some cogent comments about how fast a QB should be going through progressions. Eliminating options, as Garcia puts it. By the time the QB get to his full drop he should already have eliminated 1 or 2 options. Kaep never seems to do that. Its like he doesn’t really read the D, he just follows his matchups and hopes they get open. Doesn’t work in the NFL consistently. The QB has to identify what the D is doing and based on that and the route concepts being run eliminate the options that are being taken away and quickly progress to the right matchup.

    1. Bill Walsh mentioned footwork. There are 3 step, 5 step and 7 step drops. Many times, the ball should be readied to be delivered by that last step.

      Unfortunately last year, Kaep would hit the 5th step and have a pass rusher in his face. The O line were turnstiles and he had no chance once he was injured.

      This year, they schemed to contain Kaep in the pocket, and would blitz him up the middle to overwhelm the line. They would get a hand in the air to disrupt his passing lanes. Rolling Kaep out would have rendered that strategy useless.

      Last year he had no time, this year he has no receivers. Both or either could thwart any success.

        1. I have criticized Kaep many times. I have admitted he had regressed and needs to improve. Why do you think I propose 10 ways he can improve?

          The hate is really thick on the other side, but if I try to defend him, I am dumped on, too. So be it. I will take the slings and arrows, because some one has to stick up for him. He is, after all, the starting QB of the San Francisco 49ers, and he is the last 49er QB to take them to a SB.

          1. You talk out of both sides of your mouth. You say Kaep hasn’t played well and needs to improve, but also always have a raft of excuses for him. Basically, you accept he hasn’t played well, but its everyone else’s fault.

            1. Two things can be true. He hasn’t played well enough, and the support around him isn’t good enough.

            2. Once again, I will state that he could get better. That is not blaming others, that is saying he himself could improve.

              However, there are also other factors that stop him from improving. Joe Montana wondered why they are not letting him have any flexibility to change plays. Jeff Garcia thinks they are not accentuating his strengths. The defense gives up 200 yards rushing, yet Kaep is solely blamed for the losses. Chip himself blames all the dropped balls as a factor in the offense struggling. I guess you want Kaep to throw the ball and catch it, too.

              I will state it one more time. The coaches refuse to devise plays to let him roll out. Sure, Kaep could improve, but to ignore the other factors and solely blame Kaep for things beyond his control is myopic.

      1. Not even true. Back in 2014 when ya’ll were blaming the line, Bleacher Report went over the sack/passing stats.

        The problem was Kaepernick takes 2.96 seconds to pass — THIRD LONGEST TIME TO PASS IN THE NFL (only Cutler & Bortles were worse). That extra-half-second gives defenses 5-yards of pass-rush.

        So, during that time when you were bashing the line the 49ers only gave up 5 sacks in 2.5 seconds or less. The average protection-break-down-to-sack was 3.72 seconds. So, it’s not like the line was folding.

        Rather, it was fanboys and finger-pointers who were refusing to accept Kaepernick is slow in the pocket because he sucks for he myriad of reasons we’ve talked about over the years. And, even worse, he’s slow to realize he’s going to get sacked:

        “Kaepernick was sacked 23.7 percent of the time when pressure reached him, according to Pro Football Focus. Only Blake Bortles was worse at handling pressure when it got there.”

        Seriously, Bortles was a ROOKIE. Not a 4th year player & 3rd year starter.

        1. When offensive linemen stand still and let the defenders run by them, you are blaming Kaep for not being aware he is going to be sacked? Kaep also used his mobility to escape sacks many times, but that is not figured in the statistics.

  4. GF is telling Kap “Don’t worry about those revanchist crackers. Your the best, and smarter than all those mudhenstalkers.”

  5. He’s playing poorly and he needs another chance? I say no. Distraction. Free agency will yield an ilb, nt, and depth at wr,,ol,rb. draft an olb pass rusher and qb for the future. Sign Taylor? or the backup at K.C. Do not overpay except for a premium pass rusher.

  6. When in tarnation is someone going to be smart enough to hire this guy as a QB coach at least?

    1. Jeff did coach. Once the Niners hired a DJ to coach Kaep, The Rams hired Jeff as a QB coach. Guess he did not make them better because they were so putrid, it made the Rams desperate enough to give up 6 picks to get Goff. The Rams cut him loose, and no other team wanted his services. Maybe that is a telling fact.

      1. You’re talking Jeff Fisher there. And the problem is that Garcia’s offensive philosophy (and thus what he’s going to teach the QBs) doesn’t like up with Fisher’s 1960s offensive philosophy.

        It was a bad fit. A bad fit with bad QBs to coach. Foles. Keenum. I mean, really…

        1. So why has Garcia not been hired by another team? If he is as good as you say, his services should be in high demand.

          1. Seb, why haven’t you taken a job in the NFL? You’re so brilliant. A savant really… Surely you’re not a narcissist.

            1. Nope, I am content to labor at what I love to do, create beauty. There is one flower that I grow, that when I give it to one of many women I know, they think it is not real. It looks too big and beautiful and perfect. They declare that I should enter them in the county fair, and I suppose if I were a narcissist, I would get many blue ribbons. I already did that with my children, and finally took down that wall of ribbons and certificates of good merit.

              No, I am content to post on this site, and am glad Grant does not ban me. I sure liked his present, but I felt his last blog was aimed directly at me, just to bedevil me. That is fine. Just glad to be able to (mostly) post civilly with other faithful fans, and since this season has flamed out in a calamitous conflagration, setting records in futility, I am still amazed that there are any fans left at all.
              Now, how about you? Last I heard, you were on some secret mission to dump Trump. That fared about as well as the Niners. I am feeling the Bern…..

              1. Create? Wow. A horticulturalist… If I may speak for most of us, we’re very happy Grant doesn’t ban you. It proves Grant believes in diversity of thought and behavior. Anyway, someone has to be at the end of the bell curve. Next time you pass that mirror, wave!

      2. “The Rams hired Jeff as a QB coach”

        Wrong. Fisher hired Chris Weinke as QB coach instead. Garcia was hired as an offensive assistant and assigned to work with the receivers.

        1. So Garcia is not good enough to be the QB coach, and was just an assistant. You just underscored my point.

      3. First of all, get your facts right. Jeff Garcia was not the QB coach with the Rams. He was an assistant WR coach, which did not utilize his strengths as a coach. Chris Weinke, who couldn’t compete with Garcia as a QB on the field in the NFL, had already been hired by Fisher to coach QBs because of a relationship with the offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti, when they were both with the 49ers in 2007. Garcia was hired to a one year contract and never had a chance to work with the QBs. He wasn’t let go, his contract ended and because of relationships and politics, you have coaches in the NFL coaching positions on staffs who have no reason being there other than the fact that they are ass kissers.
        As far as your knowledge about Kaepernick, you are an excuse maker. He has poor mechanics, no vision, no understanding of truly running a NFL offense, and no leadership. He’s an individual, not a teammate. He does not see the field, he predetermines his decision making and lacks the ability to go through a progression. When they went to the SB, they had a top 5 defense and top 5 running game, which takes a lot of the pressure off of the QB. Now that the pressure is on to sustain drives and make clutch plays/throws, where is he?
        The great players make the players around them better. No excuses on lack of talent, these are all professional athletes and someone drafted or signed them. They all have a job to perform and if they’re not living up to it, they need to be challenged by others or replaced. If you have no competition on the field or in your locker room to be the best, then players become stagnant and finger pointers. If you don’t have leadership on the field and in the locker room, then you have no team, if you don’t have a team, you do not have a chance to win.

        1. If you had read my post, I specifically said ‘A’ QB coach, not THE QB coach, and to assign him to the WRs and not expect to have his Quarterbacking knowledge used to help them, is specious.

          Ass kissers? Hmmm. I remember Jeff getting on KNBR and say in a wheedling tone- ‘Please please please call me’. That was some impressive hoovering.

          To the rest of your screed against Kaep, I will borrow from Ore. – Blah blah blah blah. Keep repeating it, as if it may come true. Kaep never threw any players under the bus like Chip did with the receivers.

          I will agree with you one your last thing. If you do not have a team, you do not have a chance to win.They need huge upgrades in the team, from all positions , the coaches and the FO. Until they do that, they have no team.

          1. Teams hire one QB coach and maybe a young assistant to the QB coach. You don’t have multiple guys working with one position especially the QB. I have heard Garcia on the radio and he never begs for anything. If you listen to him, he speaks with passion and knowledge. He’s been asked if he would like to coach with the 49ers or work with Kaepernick and he’s been honest with his answers in saying yes. He’s never begged for a job, he’s offered assistance which is a hell of a lot more than what you can say with most professional athletes. The guy doesn’t need money, he’s the coach of a son and wants to be around the game, which has been good to him and he has been good for the game. For a team that has hired 2 non athletic looking head coaches over the last 2 seasons, they should want coaches who represent the game which was what they had in Harbaugh. As someone who’s interested in coaching, what do you expect him to say when asked by the media, “no, I don’t want to coach with that team or coach that guy.”
            Here’s the other thing that you didn’t understand in my comments. I said that when a team becomes content and starts to struggle, the finger pointing comes out. Nothing was said about your QB pointing the finger. The locker room begins to implode when you lack leaders and a competitive environment.
            Coaching in the NFL is part of the good old boys profession. Coaches like to hire coaches who they have relationships with or who have put in the time as a coach. This is why we see so many retreads, coaches continue to be fired in one place and hired in another. There’s an immediate insecurity when you hire players who have excelled in the game because their connection is going to be more immediate and more natural with the players plus that on field experience is what many coaches and fans lack. Many coaches were not successful players and some were not even players so you can see where there can be a disconnect in the hiring process because it’s an ego driven business and no heads coach wants to be less popular than his assistant. It takes someone who’s secure and understands the value that a former player can bring to the system, work ethic, drive, commitment, knowledge, experience, which is what everyone should want as part of their staff, especially from a guy who wasn’t drafted and had to earn every cent of it. Look at his #s as a player, they don’t lie, and it was the 49ers business decision to get rid of him Garcia, not his to leave. If I’m not mistaken, he was still under contract when he got released.

  7. OMG! Pretty much everything I’ve said verbatim about Colon. Thank you Jeff. I suppose you’ll be called a hack, along with uninformed, ignorant and a Colon hater. Thank you Grant. Great interview. I cannot wait for the response. Let’s see, let me give all a preview. Garcia feels snubbed by Colon because he chose Warner to train with. Garcia must be a racist. Garcia is jealous because he never reached a Super Bowl. Garcia doesn’t like tall men. Garcia doesn’t like UNR graduates. What else?

    1. No, garcia will probably be called a racist, a hater, a phobic whatever, he shouldn’t talk to Kap. He left the 49ers. Believe me, the liberals got the excuses all ready like NFL gave us a bad schedule, bad refs, too many back to back road games, should’ve had CHicago in September, and our injuries were purposely caused by our opposition running the score on us. They’ll use injury and keep the sad sad Kelly around.

    2. This requires a response. No, I for one will not call Jeff a racist at all. However, just by your name I have always assumed you had those inclinations.

      I sure am glad you admitted what you are, and I could not have said it better myself. ‘-A hack, along with uninformed, ignorant and a Colon Hater.’ Still doing the name calling, That is the definition of a hater. Jeff is none of those. While I disagree with his assessment, I think he has been one of the best QBs after Joe and Steve.

      To some of the ignorant and uninformed, I will try to set the record straight. Jeff Garcia said some pretty harsh things about Kaep, I will not elaborate, but it is all in the archives. For that reason, Kaep chose Warner over Jeff. Jeff cannot burn bridges and expect different treatment. Jeff got so desperate, he was begging in a wheedling tone, but it was too late. Many wondered why Kaep chose Warner over Jeff. Kaep explained it as not needing the mobility coaching, he wanted to work on his weaknesses, and Warner was a HOF QB who won SBs. Warner also was a pure pocket passer.

      Interestingly, Jeff couched his criticisms, saying he did not want to sound negative, Of course, he kept right on going and said them anyways.

      Actually, Jeff was parroting what I had to say. Bill Walsh would not have forced Kaep to be only a pocket passer. He would adapt his scheme to fit the skillsets of the player. The coaches should PLAY TO HIS STRENGTHS, NOT HIS WEAKNESSES. Where have I seen that before?

      Jeff would want Kaep to roll out, and mentioned how Atlanta rolled out Ryan. I previously said that Tannehill with the Dolphins rolled out many times against the Niners and was very effective.

      I will say this once, I will say this a thousand times; Forcing Kaep to be only a pocket passer is like putting an Abrams tank in a pit.

      Jeff still wants to teach Kaep. He has a QB consulting business, yet the Niners have not contacted him. Maybe he should have not said the things he did, if he wanted a job. Jeff does have some valid points, but until Kaep is utilized properly, he will never take the league by storm again. Kaep may have to flee to another team with coaches smart enough to accentuate his skillsets, before he truly redeems himself.

  8. Umm, Garcia can’t bench press as much as Colon. Garcia never fooled around with other players wives and or girlfriends. Garcia wasn’t ridiculously overpaid. Garcia votes and hates people who politically protest but don’t vote. Garcia throws side armed. Garcia doesn’t like men with beards. What have I missed. I’m sure we’ll find out.

    1. Jeff refuted your posts, you are just reading into them what you want to hear. Kaep would be better served by turning him loose, so he can showcase his talents that very few other QBs possess. The problem is, Kaep is having to read to much and process too many things, I would call it sensory overload, and paralysis through analysis.

      If it is overcomplicated, it hinders execution. If it is too simple, that becomes too predictable.

      Grant was the one who mentioned the one read aspect, not Jeff. He also said that Walsh could take Kaep and utilize him properly, instead of trying to force him to be something he is weak at.

      The problem is, even if Kaep is going through the options, with tight coverage, there still is no one to throw to. Then they drop the ball if it does get to them.

      Just watch next game. The Niner coaches are clueless and will continue to chain Kaep in the pocket. Instead of rolling Kaep away from Aaron Donald, they will serve him up to be whacked like a pinata.

      1. Jeff also said it takes CK too long to get through his progressions. The niners have consistently called half field concepts and shot plays where Colin only had 2 reads to make but he still takes too long to go through his progressions.
        I had not heard the quote of Colin saying he was not a mechanics guy but if he did say that Walsh would have written him off right there. Walsh drilled footwork repeatedly and said he could tell how well a qb played only by watching their feet.
        At this point if Kaep asked me what he needs to do to succeed in the NFL I would tell him, move to wide receiver. Because right now he is a good runner but crap qb…. and at 29 his athletic ability is about to decline and his window for improvement is shrinking rapidly.

        1. Yes, he said that.

          “His ex-coach at Nevada, Chris Ault, recently told Fox Sports that Kaepernick’s struggles can be linked back to his throwing mechanics, saying that Kaepernick let go of his mechanics last season.”

          To which he responded:

          “Mechanics are — I’m not huge on them. You can look at Philip Rivers throw; you can look at Tom Brady throw. Looks completely different, [but] they’re both great quarterbacks.”

          And he clearly missed the point. The mechanics may be different, but they’re functional which leads to both accuracy and getting the ball out quickly. His are scatter-shot and lead to inaccuracy and a slow delivery that causes sacks.

          1. Changing mechanics is not something done on a whim. It is like Tiger changing his golf stroke, that did not turn out well for him.

            Baseball managers would be loathe to change a pitcher’s mechanics, because so much could go wrong. When Kaep threw those 2 TD passes, I saw no flaw in his mechanics.

            1. Seb, you have zero clue. In 2 months time you will be crying in your soup as Colon Kap is outta here. As someone mentioned above, you talk out both sides of your mouth.

              1. Prime, as some one who has predicted Kaep will be let go before the deadline, he would refuse to report, he would be traded, and good riddance, he would be cut, he would stay benched. he would never be the starter, he should stay benched again, maybe you should not be bloviating about cluelessness.

              2. Please do not keep embarrassing yourself. Your macho bravado schtick is wearing thin. You cannot engender an original thought so now you parrot the both sides of mouth snark.

                If you want to be a punching bag, I will be happy to oblige.

            2. Take note everyone…Seb is a master of pro QB mechanics. He saw no flaws. So, no flaws. Period.

              1. Cassie, I was referring to his TD passes. I kinda like those. They looked pretty to me. What is your criticism? Not tight enough spiral? Long windup?

              2. Seb sees what he wants to see with Old wind up. What he should look at is the O wins this year as a the starter.

      2. That’s an lol apologetics if I’ve ever read one.

        ALL NFL QBS SUFFER FROM THIS OVERLOAD. Those that are great beat it. Those that can’t beat it are crippled and don’t belong in the NFL. And, the fact is, defenses don’t do anything special to mess with Kaepernick he gets over-loaded by vanilla Cover 2 and Cover 3. Unlike the great QBs.

        Take the Buffalo game. TWO blitzes all game by the Bills. Kaepernick — 13/29. Whoopee!!! The guy just can’t beat coverage. He sucks in the pocket and teams keep him there because they know he sucks in the pocket.

        And that’s a career pattern even under Harbaugh:

        In 2013 when Kaepernick was not blitzed (324 dropbacks) — which is to say there are four or fewer pass rusher in pursuit — the third-year quarterback completes 60.3 percent of his passes, but his TD-INT rate sinks to 10-7 and he’s been sacked 26 times, a slight uptick to eight percent.

        http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2014/01/16/the-seahawks-simple-plan-for-kaepernick/

        49er fans really need to get out of their information bubble. Everyone else can see he’s got his issues. And the primary issue is he can’t read or beat defenses.

  9. I’m not trolling now:
    The 49ers need to dump this guy. That’s a fact. You keep Kap, you do more damage to your product and you turn off your fans. you keep Kelly, you again turn off your product to the fan. You do nothing in either case, like fire Baalke, nobody is going to come to your product.

    I think it’s time the NFL to get personally involved like the nBA did to the LA Clippers and made them sell the team. It’s time for Ronnie Lott to drop the pipe dream of the Raiders and buy into the 49ers. Yorks got to go, NFL is the only way to make them go.

    1. If Kelly and Kap are back, no chance am I buying the Sunday ticket next year. No chance am I going out of my way to stay home on a Sunday to watch the 49ers roll out that losing product. Sorry Jed, screw you!

      1. Feeling your pain, Prime.
        Seriously? There does come a time.
        Running out of time, Jed?
        Yes u r!
        Hey, no kidding Jed. Do you understand if you lose me and PT, you’ve lost the war, not just the battle? You get it?
        No.
        Do what you will, Jed. Your legacy rests on it; but not too much more, cuz, u know…….fugitt.

        1. Think about it. Costs me $250 to get Sunday ticket. 3.5 hours every Sunday. And for what? There is no more excitement or fun watching this franchise anymore. I cannot suddenly become a fan of another team. If it’s not fixed, time to find something new to do. Horrible!

          1. Big props to you and anyone else who buys the ticket to watch their team. Don’t blame you one bit. No way would I pay that kind of money to watch this product. It’s hard enough watching it for free.

            The only smart guy around here is Grant. He gets paid to watch this.

              1. Prime, congratulations. You have officially declared yourself about as knowledgeable about beer as you do with your football knowledge.

                Dissing Pliny just defines you.

  10. Seriously? Nothing new here, and kaep only has a few more games as a niner anyway. Pointless column but I’d expect nothing less from the great grant cohn.

    1. Whenever you can hear the opinion of an ex player I’d say it’s a win for us fans. You sir, need to add a bit more flavour to your egg nog!

  11. If my choice for qb in 2017 was between Kapernick and Gabbert I would choose Gabbert.

    Of course, if I had to make that choice I would probably kill myself.

    BTW, great interview Grant!

    1. Gabbert —

      2015: 16.1 PPG but was good for nearly a turn-over a game.
      2016: 22.2 PPG but was good for nearly a turn-over a game.

      Kaepernick —

      2015: 13.6 PPG but commits fewer turnovers. Except the AZ ***-****ing…
      2016: 17.0 PPG but commits fewer turnovers.

      Gabbert, but the turn-overs, is a better field QB. And considering that Gabbert is pretty bad… I can’t see how anyone, at this point in time, would defend Kaepernick.

      But as for choosing one of them? Do you want to die by drowning? Or die by fire? Both are painful and frightening.

      That’s why I wish they’d play Ponder these last two games. See if he could do anything to indicate he should be the back-up/bridge QB to whomever we (hopefully) draft in the 2017 NFL draft.

  12. Yea, your exactly right Jon. There is nothing new here. Anyone with a unbiased look at Colon that has even an inkling of “football knowledge” will come to the same conclusion as Jeff, and just about every other professional football analyst that has weighed in on him. It’s beyond obvious. I think you are also right, and thank God, that he will be gone after this miserable season. I do unfortunately think that if he wants to continue his career it will only be with the Niners, because I just don’t think any owner will justify signing him and have to deal with the uproar from the fan base, and prospective future teammates, over Colon’s, in my opinion, misplaced political agenda. That is the conundrum of the Kaeperstink situation. I only hope and pray that some desperate owner will sign him, and we can all move on from the Colon experiment. Prime, I feel your pain. I went through the same in the late ’70’s having had my season tickets for only a few years before the great downfall of the Joe Thomas years. Then suddenly there was a innovative coach named Bill Walsh who rode in on a white horse and saved the day. Through those remarkable years, I gladly spent tens of thousands of dollars supporting the team and was payed back with memories and experiences which will last a lifetime. Hang in there. I do believe something magical will happen with this organization and they will turn it around. I used to wear a t-shirt with an axe on the front with the words “Blame Joe Thomas” on it. I believe that was 1977. Four years later I was walking around the concourse of the Silver Dome in Pontiac, Michigan celebrating and high-fiving other Niner fans after we had won our first SB. We all know what happened after that. Those teams were a family. They had leadership. They functioned as a team. There was camaraderie. This is no longer the case. It’s currently dysfunction junction at 4949 Bill Walsh Way. No leadership. No family. No camaraderie. Only individualism. The culture must change. Stay on the lookout for a white horse ;)

  13. Here is something I missed this week.

    http://ramblinfan.com/2016/12/21/mike-shanahan-advisor-kyle-shanahan-rams-job/

    According to Jason Cole Kyle might want to bring Mike with him wherever he goes. So we are left with this. Full Shanny or bust. Nobody with other options will work for the York’s. Nobody but the Shanahan’s. This will be our only chance to get a good HC. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of big Shanny he is a million times better than Jed and Trent. And best of all he would show Kap the door. You don’t get little Shanny without Big Shanny. Full Shanny it is.

    1. lol. People like you say this crap all the time. Yet these owners often find coaches who are at the top of the coaching-hire pecking order.. Eddie finally got Walsh, two years later, though it took Al Davis to convince Walsh to interview.

      Al Davis, no peach to work for, got Shanahan, Gruden and Norv Turner despite being known as a cheap, controlling and interfering owner.

      The Bidwells got Buddy Ryan (great resume), Dennis Green (49er fan favorite), Tobin (Top-10 offenses galore), Whisenhunt (top-5 offenses!), and now Arians (Too-10 defenses).

      And I could go on. Like Pittsburgh, the ultimate in NFL futility for decades, got Chuck Noll and he forged the Steel Curtain and a dynasty. And have, since then, done pretty well in getting head coaches and winning.

      I mean, really, at what point does the reality of just 32 jobs with a score of retreads desperate for a second chance and 50+ coordinators looking for a promotion , never mind college coaches wanting to become head coaches, sink into people’s heads.

      Truth is that there are very few candidates that’d turn down the job.

      1. Moses,

        You list some good examples but the 49ers are the worst franchise in sports. Jed is the main reason for that. He surrounds himself with yes men and tries to take all the credit and none of the blame.

        You also mentioned desperate retreads, coordinators looking for a promotion, and college coaches. If they are desperate as you say then yes they would take the job like Chip or Tomsula who wasn’t even a coordinator.

        The one exception was Harbaugh. Why did Harbaugh sign? Because Jed wanted a new stadium and was willing to spend money on the team and HC.

        But then Jed became Jed. Or returned to form. He went cheap. He started to leak out BS to the media. He chose a poor GM over a good HC. He has feuded with his neighbors. He tried to screw over the Girl Scouts. He probably laundered money and violated Measure J. He stiffed a writer with a dinner bill. He tried to force Tomsula on coaches. Jed is far worse than anyone you mentioned. And how can you mention Eddie D and Davis in the same sentence. Weak.

        1. Being in a contrarian mood, i will just say that Eddie changed the game. the salary cap was put in place because the Niners might have won 10 more rings if it was not put in place.

          However, Al Davis had a huge impact, even though I would never say that I was ever a fan of the team. I will grudgingly acknowledge that Al Davis hired the first Hispanic coach, the first black coach and first female GM. He boldly challenged the NFL, and pioneered many innovations. He was also not the nicest guy in the world, but he convinced Eddie to hire Bill Walsh so one could say that Bill was part of the Al Davis tree.

              1. Smug — contentedly confident of one’s ability, superiority, or correctness. Yup, thats Seb.

              2. Cassie- Haunting my posts with constant snark because I want her daddy cut on the team bus. How predictable.

                Guess what? They rolled out Kaep just like I wanted, and he used his legs to win the game. They finally unsheathed their most potent weapon.

                Getting back to predictions, I only missed the exact score by 4 points, so I DO feel smug.

                Merry Christmas

          1. seb,

            I said how could Moses mention Eddie D and Davis in the same scentence. My point was that Davis has treated his employees like crap and was hands on in roster building and coaching. And Davis was also cheap at times. Eddie D was the exact opposite.

            I felt it was weak that Moses referenced Eddie in a post about bad owners.

            I will give Davis some credit too. His offense in the AFL looks a lot like what we see in the NFL today. As a owner he has been good, bad, and downright ugly.

            1. 80, now that you explained, I see where you are coming from.

              Yes, I agree, AD was a piece of work, and to me, Eddie walked on water.

              Polar opposites.

    1. I liked the comments. It was a list of the usual suspects, and Jack was called a pee wee coach and a troll. Grant got accused of stirring the pot for clicks and many derided his writing skills. I think there were 10 mentions of his father.

  14. Garcia’ comments all make sense.

    On the other hand, why doesn’t the guy have some kind of NFL job? He wants one badly and is from Walsh’s tree. There has to be a reason, I just don’t know what it is…

    1. It’s a virtually closed system that’s really hard to break into. Coach after coach after coach gets recycled. Look at the Ryan boys. They can fail, fail, fail, fail and fail and get hired.

      MLB is the same way. I’ve a got a distant cousin who started coaching in A-ball after washing out in AAA as a player. He’s now in his 50s and has managed multiple AA and AAA clubs (and is managing a AAA club now).

      Still hasn’t made it to the majors. But the same bad coaches in the MLB keep getting jobs. Over and over and over and over and over.

  15. Great interview Grant. Hopefully this will be the last shovel of dirt on the grave of Kaepernick’s NFL career we need to shut up the fanboys.

    Also, stop blaming Kelly. With the Eagles, he scored slightly more points in the second half of football games than in the first half of games. And his QBs, except Foles in 2014, generally played as well, or better, in the second half of games. For example, Bradford, LAST YEAR, had a 106 QB rating in the second half.

    The truth is that this whole ‘Kelly can’t adjust’ crap is a myth because people don’t understand what’s going on. I think it’s obvious that it’s pure Kaepernick who, after using up all the well rehearsed plays, just falls apart as Kelly can’t keep running the same 4 pass plays all game and opens up his playbook which Kaepernick just doesn’t understand because he’s too lazy and arrogant (we saw that last year with the issue around studying) to put in the time.

    I have to say, I really feel sorry for Kelly. Horrible QB who clearly doesn’t care, injuries galore on a talent-thin team, and a bunch of clowns calling for his head when he’s doing about the best that can be done with a team that’s worse (personnel wise) this year than last.

    Plus I bet Tomsula is having a laugh. He made $4 million this year for doing nothing and has another $8 or $12 coming to him. And he doesn’t have to sit here and be ripped by the pack of monkeys that is 49er press and fandom because he’s got a screwed up team with a crap QB (thanks Harbaugh) that’s killing the team with his ineptitude and attitude.

    1. Now you upset bc the QB you was loving years ago is not playing to your liking? You hating a coach who brought you a couple of years of happiness? Lets not mentioned he was fired bc he wanted certain players or moves to be made. Lets not mention that he was the coach who picked the QB that help continued a SB run and then helped get back to a conference title game, not to mention that the GM didn’t want. Same GM who fired the coach that brought back some glory to Niner nation.

      1. I NEVER loved Kaepernick. There were three QBs I explicitly said I don’t want the 49ers to draft:

        1. Colin Kaepernick
        2. Jeff Locker
        3. Blaine Gabbert

        There were three QBs I was interested in:

        Andy Dalton (whose turned into something like an Alex Smith clone) in Round 2.

        Christian Ponder (who was so-so with the Vikings) in Round 3 to run a WCO-type offense where his so-so arm-strength wouldn’t be as much of a problem.

        Ricky Stanzi in Round 5 (he had interesting, Tom-Brady-like metrics in college) though he lacked NFL prototype ability. He’s bounced around because he hasn’t been able to over-come (unlike Brady) his lack of physical talent.

        1. You just touted 3 QBs who are way worse than Kaep. Dalton has yet to win a playoff game. Ponder was painting his house when the Niners called. Stanzi, who is he?

    2. It just kills me how the media portrays there knowledge of what the plays and progression suppose to be. Its funny how fans run with these media comments and they have no idea of the playbook. With all the knowledge they have, one would think they are in the wrong line of work.

  16. I believe in being careful for what you ask for. Years ago fans were ready for Alex to and was outraged when he was resigned by Harbaugh. I see Kaep returning and Kelly adjusting his offense to Kaep. If Kelly the offensive genius that people say he is, then that is what genius do…they adapt. Kaep had no off season training and Kelly knows this. So all you disappointed fans, especially Grant, should just chill and accept these next rebuilding years…with or without Kaep

    1. Ah, now I get it. You’re one of the ones who still cry over the Rodgers/Smith thing…

      Yeah. Had Rodgers come to the 49ers, he’d probably be out of the NFL by now. But, instead:

      HOF QB to learn from, not Tim Rattay, Cody Pickett and Ken Dorsey.
      One of the best QB coaches in the NFL, not a man who had never coached offense.
      A stable, play-off caliber team to support him until he found his way, not clown school with revolving OCs.

      1. No, I never cried over the Rodgers\Smith debate. I thought neither were worth the top overall pick. Niners reached for Smith and would have been same for Rodgers

  17. Excellent article grant! It’s painfully obvious that kaepernick never had the mentality to be the best. He thought his physical attributes could get him by. There has never been an elite qb who could just win by their sheer abilities. The mental game is just as important as ones abilities in the qb position. Look at David Carr, he has improved each year and you can see it before your eyes. Kaep has regressed so much and always relied on coaches to have to call the perfect play or else he would struggle. Can’t wait for him to be off this team

    1. Ummm, David Carr flamed out spectacularly. Maybe you are thinking about Derek Carr, the QB who has FA Osmele blocking for him, and Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to throw to. Carr is also supported by having Kalil Mack on his defense.

  18. Great interview Grant.
    I want to wish all of the 49er blog family a Merry Christmas, and to those who do not celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy this time with your friends and loved ones.

    1. Nice job Grant!
      Funny how you speak so similarly to your father …….. can’t argue with your position for a new GM, and along with it, a new head coach.
      I wanted Gase 2 yrs ago and Shanahan last year…….. I’ll take anything now- even though I am not anti-Baalke as most, change is needed.

  19. I am doing well in a decent $ ats league and can’t decide between Chargers -6.5 and Rams -3.5…….. no Gordon and betting line has moved 2.5 points.

    49ers are decimated….. any input?

    Taking Bills, Titans, Raiders, Atlanta………

  20. Seb, I’m amazed (not really) how you glossed over Jeff’s criticism’s of Colon and basically focused in on one positive statement. I want you to take each one (critique), one by one, and explain why he is wrong. Can’t wait to read that. On a side note, my name IS Juan and I am Latino. My wife has African American heritage. Racist? Hardly. I never called you a racist or anyone else, ever. I suggested that among many other excuses you might use to defend Colon and critique Jeff’s answers, that you might say he was a racist. It was a joke, but we can now see that YOU have no problem calling someone a racist. My children also attended the most diverse school’s in SR. Just out of curiosity, what is the racial makeup of the student body at the “Waldorf” school? I think I know the answer to that. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

    1. You seem to throw that racism card around, and hate and racism go hand in hand. Maybe if you refrained from the name calling, I would be more circumspect.

    2. Joking about racism is bad form, and it appears to me to have hidden agendas.

      Declaring that I would call Garcia a racist is just a red herring.

      Read the comments following 80’s link, to gain more perspective.

      Merry Christmas to you, and all Niner fans.

  21. And also Seb, I am 100% behind Colon’s effort to help bring an end to the conflict, etc. between law enforcement and the minority community’s. However, I think he is doing more harm than good by sitting or kneeling during the National Anthem. That is just my opinion. I think he is alienating to large a group of potential supporters to his cause. I think there are other, much more effective ways to fight. It is a difficult subject. We have law enforcement in our family’s. It make’s for a interesting discussion around the dinner table, believe me. My children have endured racial bias their entire lives. It has made them stronger. Peace on.

    1. I really do not need to refute every single thing Jeff said. He is just parroting what so many others have used to attack Kaep. He is also entitled to his opinion, just like you are, but he did not call him names and joke about racism.

  22. I’m confident that Colon will find an alternative, and much more effective way to fight his cause next year when he is out of football. I wish him Godspeed. :)

  23. Not really. You can certainly hate someone and not be a racist. I hated my third grade teacher Sister Leo. She was mean. Now if I hated her because she was Irish, well then yes, the two would go hand in hand. If I was white and sent my kids to an all white school because I hated minorities, then the two would go hand in hand. Just saying.

    1. Since you are now accusing me of racism, I need to reply. I will just say that my children are bi racial, and we chose the Waldorf curriculum not to indoctrinate them into hating others, but strove to be kind, inclusive, tolerant and color blind. Yes, there were few blacks, but my kids stood up to the bullies that attacked them and put a stop to it. I could not be prouder of them.

  24. Lol razor. That was great. I’ll have to go deeper into my family tree. Maybe there is some Jamaican. I do like to partake occasionally in the natural. ;)

  25. Hey it’s been fun. Hopefully nobody really take’s these posts from anyone too seriously. You know what they say, opinions are like colons, everyone has one! ;)) enjoy time spent with your families during the Holiday’s and beyond. Life is precious and short. Family is what is important. Sports is a simple break from reality. Godspeed to all. Talk to you next year.
    SF 23 LA 16 (OK so I said they wouldn’t win again this year) even really smart people can make mistakes. ;)

  26. Nice job with Garcia Grant. He would be a good resource for a guy like Kap but that ship has sailed. Strange that a guy who really seems passionate about Coaching doesn’t have a job in that capacity.

    Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa to everybody.

    1. Garcia has been passed over at almost every stage. The guy is a fighter, and whoever gives him a real shot is going to reap the benefits.

      1. Yeah he has been under estimated most of his career and it seems as though it’s happening again in the coaching dept. Hopefully he gets a shot somewhere because you can see it’s really important to him.

  27. You know, if one phase of the Niners was good, maybe just the D, I might enjoy watching them and rooting for them even with all the losses. I wouldn’t enjoy the losing, but I could accept it better.

  28. I was flipping channels this AM and there is Grant/Lowell. Very nice. Grant you have goodTV presence. Next step? The no button collar, I might try that this evening. Still thinking about it.
    For another interesting perspective try Cosells KNBR from yesterday. All about QB’s. For those that immediatly call Cosell a hack, please, get over that. He’s just one more guy, but he has seen a lot and had some interesting observations and comparisons in the interview. If Kaep had Crab and Coop, yes he would be a lot better. But he would still be Kaep, not a leader of men, not the guy that can find a way his team will believe in in the 4th quarter. That has a huge body of work, it is what it is. He has to go, can’t win with him. Ifhe had tne charisma on the field, his off field could have really been powerful. Another lost opportunity.

  29. Nice interview. I miss Jeff Garcia… Last decent QB we had who was a leader. In regards to Kaput, I predicted he’ll be out of the league soon and his social activism will give him the excuse… He’s always relied on his physical talents but obviously that only gets you so far. If you’re not willing to give it 110% in all areas you’ll never be great (or even good in Kaput’s case)… Take a knee Kaput, you’re done.

    1. Its God’s country, Azaleas do well, and I have a 30 year old dogwood that produces vibrant pink flowers.

      Glad they can have Women in black, and flag draped veterans, stand side by side and protest respectfully and civilly.

      1. Seb is from Sebastopol? That explains everything. I swear there is something in the air or water in Sebastopol that causes the brain to deteriorate. Nuclear free, GMO free, common sense free! A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

        1. It’s the brain cooking from those tinfoil hats… Fortunately I (and many others from there) never felt the need to wear one.

  30. For those of you who remember Andy Kaufman. His strategy in Stand Up was to “die” on stage on purpose. He was deliberately awkward, unfunny and stupid, but he got some nervous laughter. On SNL he’d rehearse with the crew all week, then go way off script with dumb stuff when they were Live. It pissed off the cast and created more awkward edginess. He made a living.
    That’s just GOT to be Seb’s strategy.

    1. Hah! Well, you know me, I don’t believe in the 9ers tanking; unethical. But I do encourage the Brownies to salvage some self respect with a satisfying victory. Go Browns!

  31. Great interview, thx, Grant.

    I’ve been waiting for 49er 4,000 yard passer, and 4 X , ProBowler, Jeff Garcia to weigh in of the Kap saga.
    Why hasn’t a 2nd round QB progressed after so long in remedial reading school, etc., etc.?

    So good to hear another one of Bill Walsh’s greats comment on his progressions issue.

    I noticed Seb picked the only play where Garcia mentions Shanahan’s offense could create plays on the edge for Kap…..What for Seb ?…..Like the 49ers are going to rund edge plays for Kap every down.

    At some point, like all NFL QB’s, he’ll have to stand in the pocket like the big boys and read progressions. Until then, 2 and three 3 WR sets are a waste.

    John Taylor would have been an unknown under Kap (2nd receiver to Rice who caught the game winner from Montana in Super Bowl XXIII).

  32. Kaep does not want to win for Baalke. The cards have always been in Kaep’s hand and that’s why he is still with the team and starting. Truth be told, they both playing tug of war.

  33. Lol. Once again Seb, you sparse words and eliminate details to fit your agenda. If you read my statement, I said ” Now if I hated her because she was Irish, well then yes, the two would go hand in hand”. The operative word in that sentence being “IF”. You said that I said, “I hated her and she was Irish”. You seem to have the same problem when discussing someones analysis of Colon, such as Garcia’s. Do you understand that we all read the same posts and interviews as you? Do you understand that we are all just as intelligent as you? You look at things through a microscopic telescope. If your going to quote people, get it right. If your going to disagree with 99% of someone’s analysis, don’t just discuss the 1% you agree with. Just saying…..

    1. Juan, I was just needling you, hope you are not going to dissolve into tears.;p

      BTW, the Niners won, and Kaep made plays.

      Glad the Niners have gotten a step closer to a winning culture. Sure am glad Chip went bold, just like I wanted him to.

      Hmm, Kaep rolled out and they won the game. What an amazing coincidence.

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