Jim O’Neil on Antoine Bethea’s blown coverage: “He took a shot.”

SANTA CLARA — This is the transcript of Jim O’Neil’s Tuesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

Opening comments:

“Obviously, not the outcome we wanted going down to Carolina, but I do think that there’s a lot of very teachable moments that came out of that game and I think it’s a great opportunity for us as a defense, us as a unit to grow and learn from those mistakes and make sure that they don’t happen again. The one thing that I’m positive about is that the mistakes we made are very correctable, and I love how our players came to work today. They came to the meeting room notebooks opened. They were very willing to learn, to be coached and very determined to make sure that whatever mistakes happened in that game weren’t going to happen to us again as a defense. Huge challenge this week going against Seattle. It’s obviously the team that’s had a lot of success in this league over the past few years. It’s going to be a great challenge for us defensively again. Division opponent, so it’ll be exciting.”

 

How big of a blow is it to lose LB Ray-Ray Armstrong?

“It sucks. But, I’ve said all along that we’re going to need [LB Michael] Wilhoite, we’re going to need [LB] Gerald [Hodges] to help us win football games and those guys will step up and they’ll do a great job in that role.”

 

How had he done the first couple games in your opinion?

“I thought he was playing his butt off. He was playing a really good game for us. He made some splash plays in that Carolina game. It’s just one of those unfortunate deals that happen in this league. You can’t worry about it. You’ve got to move on. I feel bad for the kid though, just because I know how hard he’s worked to get to this point and have the opportunity to be a starter in this league and two games in he loses his season.”

 

Obviously, huge disparity from Week 1 to Week 2. Obviously there’s a difference in opponent, but just statistically, opposite ends of the spectrum. At this point, do you have any sense of kind of what defense you have and is that still–?

“Yeah, I think that Week 1 a lot of things went our way. I thought we played good team defense. Our guys made a bunch of plays. Week 2, some things got away from us. We made some mistakes, but they made some plays too. You’ve got to tip your hat to them. [Carolina Panthers QB] Cam Newton threw some great balls. Their wide receivers went and made some plays. They had some good schematics in the run game. A lot of it we like to say was us, but some of it was them too. I don’t think that, I’d like to hope that we’re the defense that’s more towards Week 1 than we were Week 2. That’s what we all want to be. But, the thing that’s great about this league is we’ve got a chance to go out this week and do it again.”

 

How did you feel about your pass rush? Obviously Cam Newton stepped out of a couple situations where another quarterback might have been sacked. Do you feel pretty good about your pressure?

“Yeah, I thought we had a couple opportunities to sack him. We had a couple free runners on third down where we generated some rush. I thought our guys at times did a good job pushing the pocket. Part of our game plan was we wanted to keep him in the pocket and if he was going to execute and beat us on plays, we wanted to have him do that inside the pocket versus getting out on us and making those background plays that he’s done such a good job of. And again, I’ve got to give Cam credit, he threw some great balls from inside the pocket and the wideouts made some plays for him.”

 

There was a play, the long touchdown pass to Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen, where according to S Antoine Bethea and head coach Chip Kelly, they’d done one thing, they showed a tendency to do one particular route. How are these guys coached up when they’re alerted to this tendency that’s overwhelming, are they told to expect it and break on it?

“Yeah, trust your technique, trust your training. Otherwise, what are we doing here all week? We coach them up and ‘Toine took a shot. Now, do I want it to be a 78-yard touchdown? No, but that’s what happened. We’ll learn from that. We’ll grow from it. It was a good play call and Greg Olsen ran a hell-of-a route on him.”

 

So, my question is, so Antoine did what he was coached to do on that play?

“He took a shot. He gathered pre-snap information and he took a shot. We want our guys to play fearless. We don’t want our guys to play scared. So, if guys study their asses off all week and they see something formationally or something that tips them, we don’t want to be that team that never makes any plays. We want our guys to go try to make some plays. That’s what this whole league is about, is making football plays. Obviously, in that situation it didn’t work out.”

 

How do you take that though and apply it to a quarterback like Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson who’s known just from scrambling more than anything? Does he have scramble tendencies that you can see on film?

“Well, I think it’s a very similar situation. I think that Russell’s not just a scrambling quarterback. I think he proved that last year in the second half of the year with his ability to stay in the pocket and throw the football on the executed drop back pass game. But, he still has the unbelievable ability to extend plays and make you pay downfield. So, every game plan is going to be different. We’re not going to attack Russell the same way we attacked Cam, but there are definitely some similarities. It’s a great question.”

 

DB Jimmie Ward was in good coverage throughout the game. He obviously was burned for two touchdowns at the end, maybe due to a height disadvantage with Carolina Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin. As a coach, how do you coach up going against bigger receivers? Do you teach them to like hand technique as far as putting a hand in-between the guy’s arms to bring it down rather than going for the ball?

“I think one of the things that we’ve done a really good job with and I think [defensive backs coach] Jeff Hafley does a great job teaching is guys being violent at the reception point. I think where Jimmie got in a little bit of trouble was with some things leverage-wise. Jimmie is going to be, Jimmie is one of our best defensive players. He’s going to be an elite corner in this league. Every day he learns more and more and more and those are situations that he’s going to learn from, he’s going to grow from and it’s going to make him better.”

 

He was in good coverage for the most part when the ball was up in the air. It’s just a matter of high pointing the ball?

“Yeah and some of it’s being off and not being pressed and winning early instead of trying to win late against wide receivers. So, there’s a couple things that you can do to mix it up and those are things that those guys are trained to do and we’ve got to do a better job training them and continue to work it.”

 

ME: Going back to last season, this defense has given up 32 points per a game on the road and only 15 points per a game at home. How do you get the guys to play as well on the road as they have been playing at home?

“I don’t know anything about last year. I know for us, it starts with our week in practice. We’ve got to have a great week of practice. Guys have to prepare themselves to win and then we’ve just got to go out and play good team defense. The thing I was proud of is, I don’t want to say not as bad as that game went, we gave some stuff up but seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, our guys showed a lot of resiliency as far as fighting back into that game and it was a seven-point game. We caused a turnover, the offense kicks a field goal, then we get the touchdown on special teams or the fumble recovery. It’s a seven-point game with seven minutes to go in that game. And then it was on us to go three-and-out when they got the ball on our side of the field. They made a play on third down and then they ended up getting a field goal, which made it a 10-point game, but we were right there with a pretty good football team with seven minutes to go. That’s not what you want. You don’t want moral victories. You want to win football games, but I was proud of how the guys fought all game and to me that showed a lot.”

 

After watching the tape, what was your diagnosis of the run defense?

“I thought we were really good at times and there was probably six or seven plays where we didn’t play good defense. And it wasn’t just one thing. I think they, I don’t know the exact number, you guys will probably kill me if I’m wrong, but I think it was 24 or 25 rushes, they were three yards or less, which is pretty good. And then there were, I think six of their runs accounted for over 100-yards. Two of them were plays that we conceded. It was third-and-extra long or they had the field goal before half. So, we gave up two explosive runs and then there were four runs where we didn’t do a good job executing as a defense. We weren’t very assignment-sound, whether it was we lost our eyes on the play or we didn’t play to our help and those are the things that we’ve got to learn from, we’ve got to correct and we’ve got to be better this week when we play against Seattle.”

 

How did DL DeForest Buckner do in that regard against the run?

“I thought DeForest had a really good game. I thought he played really hard and I thought he chased the ball and had some great hits downfield on some second effort plays that are great to see. And that’s the first thing we preach to our guys is we’re going to play relentless. So, anytime you can pull plays out and you know, DeForest and [NT Mike] Purcell had a couple, [DT] Quinton Dial had a couple. You get those big men who are chasing the ball downfield and hitting running backs, I mean, you put that on tape, that’s good stuff. Offenses don’t like to see that.”

 

Seattle’s offensive line, is that a unit you are looking to attack? They’ve had some struggles kind of out of the gate here.

“Well, I think they’re going to get their right guard back and you know, they’re a physical group. I’m still kind of evaluating the tape. It’s been a pretty quick turnaround from Sunday to Tuesday. But, I wouldn’t say that they’re struggling as an offensive line group. I know that they haven’t scored a lot of points, but they’re moved the ball on people. So, again, I’ve got to watch it a little bit more before I can answer that question.”

 

Do you rely on LB NaVorro Bowman a little bit more this week just because of his knowledge of the Seahawks?

“Yeah. I think we have a lot of guys in our room that have played a lot of game against the Seahawks and I think that they know what this game means. They know what this game’s going to be like as far as from a physical standpoint and they know what it’s like to play up there.”

 

Back to the Olsen touchdown and Antoine. Does a guy like Antoine have even more freedom than most to make those pre-snap reads?

“I wouldn’t say he has more freedom than most. We want all of our guys to study tape. We want all of our guys to take coaching. We want all of our guys to take shots when they see something. Antoine might be able to absorb a little bit more coaching and absorb a little bit more from film study because of his experience and how smart of a football player he is, but we want all of our guys to make plays and those guys know that everybody’s going to have a chance to make plays in this system. Where you get in trouble is when guys try to make plays that they’re not supposed to. If you just play within the system, you trust your coaching, everybody will make plays. That’s how the system’s built. It’s not built for one guy to make all the plays. Everybody will have a shot.”

 

You mentioned Wilhoite and Hodges in replacing Armstrong. Could S Jaquiski Tartt be a guy that could see an increased role and increased use of that three-safety set?

“Yeah. I mean, he’s a guy that’s a hell-of-a football player and we’re going to keep trying to find ways to get him on the field. Again, each week, our game plans will be very specific as far as our personnel groups and again, we’re still in the very beginning stages of building our game plan right now. So, I don’t know. I don’t know yet.”

 

Numbers-wise, do you need another inside backer in that room or could someone like LB Marcus Rush potentially get elevated?

“No. I think at MIKE, we’re two deep. I feel great about NaVorro obviously. I feel great about [LB] Nick Bellore and then like I said it was a three-man competition for a long time to see who was going to win that WILL linebacker position. We still have two guys that we feel are NFL starters.”

This article has 135 Comments

  1. I don’t have a problem with Bethea’s miss on that play. He saw something that he’d seen in film and the numbers were on his side to make the play that he did. Like any other gamble when it pays off you look like a genius and when it doesn’t you get reporters questioning your play.

    1. Do you have any problems with Bethea’s inability to run down a tight end with a bad hip? Bethea looked old and slow. The Olsen TD wasn’t Bethea’s only bad play in that game. That was the worst game I’ve seen Bethea play. Looked to me like the Panthers game planned to expose Bethea’s diminished speed and athleticism. I was actually rooting for Bethea to sit and let Tartt come in to see if he played any better.

      1. I certainly have problem with it. Get rid of the slow aging vets. Its a rebuild! Let the young guys play. Your not winning anymore than 4 games so lets make it a development year!

      2. “Do you have any problems with Bethea’s inability to run down a tight end with a bad hip? ”

        Yes, yes I do but that’s not what the question was about. :)

        1. Yea, no problem when a player tries to make a play. That happens to great players from time to time. Just worried now that there’s film on the speed issue in the secondary.

    2. I think both of you have a point.
      Bethea gets by at this stage by being a heady vet he no longer has the wheels needed to get by if he guesses wrong.
      In this case the play was something new that Carolina had not previously show according to Greg Cosell, alluding that it was due to one of the major advantages Carolina had in this game. The extra days off allowed for them to put wrinkles in the playbook that the niners could not prepare for with the limited amount of time available to them.
      N

      1. Yeah, but Carolina really only had a few days to watch film on the 49ers since the team played its first game on the previous Monday night. There wasn’t any other good film available unless one believes that preseason film is a good indicator of what a team will do during the season.

    3. I agree CfC. It looked ugly as heck, but the D O’Neil runs is all about trying to be aggressive and make plays. When you are matched up 1-on-1 and playing in an aggressive D there will be some big plays against you.

      Just need to make sure its not a habitual thing.

      As to being old and slow, yeah, I was a bit surprised how he wasn’t able to make any ground on Olsen. Makes it harder to play aggressive football at the back if the last line of D doesn’t have the speed to make up for any musjudgement. Basically it will be a TD every time he gets one wrong.

    4. Sorry, I have a big problem with any DB who gives up 80 yard TDs. Hats off to Carolina, they executed it well.

      I also remember a preseason game when Bethea was caught flat footed. Maybe they need to make assessments and make adjustments.

  2. Coach O’Neill seems a little less enthusiastic about his scheme after last weeks 40 burger. I was never sold on his hire.

  3. Grant, why are you asking about last year’s results with the different coaching staff and scheme. That’s like us asking you why your predecessor wrote such and such.

  4. Grant and so many others here have been pissing on themselves with the excitement to point something negative out about this team. The team has already won 1 more game than any odds maker predicted.
    The entire conference is 1-1. The team has already scored more in 2 weeks that they did in any one game last season. The 94 super bowl champs got blown out by the eagles. Lost by 40.

  5. the D was smoked after halftime you could see it from the stands.It was hot and humid all game,you could tell we were on 3 days rest.Thats not an excuse but we turned the ball over alot and were sloppy all around.We kept fighting threwout game so that was my positive take.If we are going to win anymore games,got to stop turning it over especially when your playing a top 5 team.

      1. Fangio sure gets a lot of excuses when his D isn’t performing. Certainly some validity to what you guys say, but they aren’t playing well.

        1. They weren’t great by any means, but they did a pretty good job until they had to deal with the offense turning the ball over and making them defend a short field. Fangio’s defense is the least of the Bear’s problems.

          1. No question. But its still kind of funny how quickly people make excuses for him when his D isn’t playing well.

            1. Fangio still gets too much credit though, tired of hearing about how his scheme makes players better. If it was his scheme then the injuries wouldn’t have as much of an effect.

              1. I agree. The 49ers D was incredibly talented. People always point to the 2014 season as proof of how he was able to take a talent depleted D and still make it competitive. He did well that year, no doubt, but aside from that year he has historically struggled when his D lacks talented players. And it always bothered me that in the SB season a couple of injuries took a dominant D and made it a liability.

                He’s very good, but not brilliant, and relies heavily on simple schemes and fundamentals.

              2. “Prime Time September 20, 2016 at 4:22 pm
                The 3 most half a$$ backwards people on the blog having a football convo, unreal!”

                I’m dying to know, if we’re the bottom 3 posters on here who are the top 3?

              3. “Fangio is top 10”

                He wasn’t last year

                I still think he’s better than 22 DC’s in the league….

              4. Typical lame answer and of course not even poignant since Rocket is the one you have the ‘stat’ argument with.

    1. A subpar QB cannot help an offense that already has a subpar QB starting for it.

      1. MidWest ..

        yeah… I agree .. Kap .. was
        subpar … last year .. but .. I’m thinkin’ ..
        if / when Chipster makes the (possible)
        inevitable move … and .. should
        Kap redeem himself …
        (hey .. stranger things have happened, ya know)

        then .. I’ll just chalk it up to the “environment” ..
        Kap was working under …( last year ) …

        A lot of things have changed for him.. this year ..
        (Jedster and Baalke notwithstanding) … and
        it’s possible .. Kap could regain the mustard he
        had back in the SB year …

        I’m just being a little optimistic.. cuz .. Gabbert
        hasn’t shown me anything to get excited about ..
        and I’d rather see a QB competition between
        Ponder and Blake Bell … if
        Kap tanks again ..

        1. I’m starting to think Kap could have more in common with A Davis than we care to think. All the attention none of the effort.

  6. Grant is going to love this – PFF has Jack Conklin as the 3rd highest rated rookie after 2 weeks. But even better, he has the 3rd highest rookie grade through 2 weeks of any rookie OT since they began their analysis, behind only Jake Long and Joe Thomas.

    Buckner has retained his rank of 7th highest graded rookie, but only had 2 pressures this past game.

    1. Yep, was a good call. Conklin’s popularity rose sharply right before the draft and I wasn’t buying it but apparently I should have been.

      1. What’s surprising me is there are a number of rookies that have stepped right in and look pretty good across the league. Including 2 QBs. I didn’t think this past draft had that many pro ready players.

            1. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Wentz goes against the Steelers this week. He’s faced two bad teams so far. Steelers are my tip to win the SB. Wentz probably won’t have the benefit of playing from in front this week.

            2. Defenses react. Offensive schemes will be studied and countered.

              Teams are also finding out how their personnel are playing together, and maybe adjustments will be made. Attrition will also dictate how teams respond.

    1. He’s probably got a death threat or two from me on his voicemail but none of them have to do with the national anthem. Come to think of it I think most were recorded on Feb 3 2013 and January 19 2014.

    1. LOL. Dilfer admitted that he is an apologist for the FO’s. He also praised Kaep instead of calling him a remedial QB.

  7. I thought that t it was interesting former executive John McVay was at the 49ers practice today. I’ve heard of old coaches and players to stop by…..but isn’t a former executive a bit out of the ordinary?

  8. I’m a bit envious of the Panthers to be honest…. They’re big, physical, hard-nosed, smart and have a great coaching staff – many traits the Niners had under Harbaugh. I think our defense will even out over the course of this season although if they can’t take advantage of that 26th ranked OL in Seattle and harass the Maimed Midget I may have to rethink that.

    Blaine will need to find his accuracy since Seattle will be gunning for Hyde. If not it doesn’t really matter how well the defense plays… And calling for Kaep won’t do much; Seattle owns him unfortunately.

    1. That is good news Razor. We desperately need a playmaker. Thunder and lightning RBs with Hyde and McCaffrey. Plus Hyde has durability issues.

      1. I am hoping that the QB situation is settled , so the Niners do not need to draft a QB. I am also hoping the Niners do so well, they will pick last. Then I hope they bundle picks to move up and grab McCaffrey, like Bill did for Rice.

    2. I’m not one to get overly excited by RBs in the draft. But McCaffrey I’ll make an exception for. He’s a special talent. Do it all type player on offense, like Le’Veon Bell. But probably a better receiver than Bell, and also is an excellent return man. Would be a hard guy to pass up.

      1. As a feature back I’m worried that his 6’1″ 200 lb frame will have endurance issues in the NFL. If he was playing the way he is now and was in the 220+ range I’d feel better about him as your every down guy. In a dual back situation though where he can share the load with another back and act as a pass option he could be a part of a great 1-2 punch. Would love to see him and a another back in wishbone formation. Let DC’s think about how to stop that all week.

        1. Yeah I agree he could do with a bit more meat on him. He doesn’t look lanky or fragile though, so not sure how much weight he would want to add. I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he measures under 6’0″ come combine time.

          Great runner, but for me its what he brings as a receiver that makes him so good. Really does a great job setting up defenders to get open. A true dual threat that can line up in the backfield or split out.

          1. Draft Kizer with your top ten pick and then trade back into the first for McCaffrey like they did for Garnett. Then go out and sign Jamie Collins and Alshon Jeffery. Third round has to be an edge rusher, and I can’t imagine Carl Lawson would be available like Lemonier was, but if he’s there in the lower 2nd round, I would trade up for him as well….

            1. There are 3 stud pass rushers, a very good middle LB, at least 3 QBs, a couple NFL ready OTs and a couple hot WRs.

              Mccaffrey may not be a top 10 pick.

      2. As a true RB, McCaffrey is the 3rd best prospect in the draft at best imo, but he offers so much as a receiver and return man. It will be interesting to see how he tests next year. I wouldn’t be opposed to drafting him, but I think the Niners need to look at other positions first.

        1. McCaffrey is better than Darrin Nelson (now the second best RB in Cardinal history), and the latter was the 7th pick in the first round. If McCaffrey keeps this pace and stays healthy he will be a top-10 pick. He’s the best all-round college football player I’ve seen.
          “Christian is 6-foot, 205-pounds,” Shaw said. “But he runs like a guy who weighs 230. He’s physical. You don’t see him get knocked down with just one guy. He fights for yardage. He’s a big back, a tough guy to tackle.”

          1. Its a pretty good comparison. If a team tries to use him as a true RB they may end up a bit disappointed and he may end up being called something of a bust if taken really high, like Bush was.

            If a team uses him more like a slot receiver/ RB I think you have a really good player. Percy Harvin with the ability to actually get open as a receiver.

            1. Percy Harvin would be an amazing weapon in the NFL if he could stay healthy.
              If Mcaffery is Percy Harvin without the injuries he would be worthy of a top 10 pick. Harvin’s true value is that the amount attention he requires… Coaches are scared to death of him, safeties have to help to his side of the field which opens up other areas. He is not Tevon Austin, take a look at his 2010 and 2011 numbers.

              1. McCaffrey would be the best receiver on the team unless we sign Alshon. If we can’t draft a potential franchise QB we should take McCaffrey. McCaffrey and Alshon would be great fits for Chip. Alshon would be a big target, McCaffrey on screens and an occasional wheel route, and he would be our best return man since Ginn.

      1. I don’t think he has given that a thought :)

        He’s very focused and I guess he’s thinking about how to drop 200-250 yards on Grant’s Bruins on Saturday evening at the Rose Bowl.

        Last time he played there in January, he ran for over 350 yards against Iowa.

        1. Thanks Mood. Just wondering as everyone’s talking about him as being available in the upcoming draft.

  9. Couple of things in regards to the draft.

    McCaffrey, most likely is going in the second round but this will depend on his wt and what he runs the 40 in. If he runs a 4.55 or so at 200 lbs, he is not going to be a high pick as teams will look at him more as a Darren Sproles type back or slot receiver. Backs that are picked high in todays game have to be exceptional and be height, weight, speed guys… see Gurley.
    That said, there is a lot of defensive talent in this draft and the niners desperately need and edge rusher and MLB on D, in additions to a wr, and developmental qb on O.

    1. McCaffrey, most likely is going in the second round but this will depend on his wt and what he runs the 40 in.

      I would be surprised if he did Shoup. The upcoming draft is said to be weak at positions that normally have quality talent. Meanwhile, the RB position is expected to be the best it has been in the last few years.

      1. The problem he faces is their are already questions about what position he will play in the NFL. While I believe he is a running back others are saying he should be a slot receiver, regardless he is a playmaker and its a valuable skill. With that said, teams often shy away from what they deem as tweeners… couple that with the fact that their are several great backs in this draft I could easily see him being pushed down.

  10. 2nd game in and the quarterback questions begin. Somewhat surprising, and Gabbert is within earshot. It will be interesting to see how he responds….

      1. If Gabbert’s performance were better, like many predicted it would be with a Chip on his shoulder, the question of making a change at the position would have already been answered. As I stated above, I’m interested to see how he responds. Does he press?

        1. That won’t matter. Even when the team was going 13-3 there were calls for the starter to be replaced.

          1. That’s the past and the time is now for Gabbert to take advantage of his opportunity. Until he answers, the question will just get louder. How do you think he responds in this game?

            1. Razor you know that even with a good, bad or indifferent performance by Gabbert this weekend, you,me and every other soul will question the QB position in SF. The only way this will stop is if the 49ers come across the next Joe Montana equivalent in the draft at some point. Until then, there will always be doubts, no matter who it is.
              Lets just hope for a win this weekend against a team that has owned us!

              1. If Gabbert can perform well in contribution to a victory against the Seahawks, the question won’t be quite as loud. Then he follows that up with another, then another until the question subsides into just a whisper….

              2. I think Prime what some of us are reacting to was that blind confidence some people had in BG even speculating that he’d be comeback player of the year or going to the pro bowl. He’s the 30th ranked QB in the league after 2 weeks. He is what he is and isn’t really going to change or be something that he’s never been before.

                Some around here are questioning if we’re really fans because we have seen who BG is and don’t expect much from him.

              3. Prime Time

                After the embarrassing display of loyalty that we showed Alex Smith (We want Carr! ) , I’m not so sure that we deserve a ‘good’ QB in San Francisco. Then to take our #1 overall draftee QB and reward him with benching him in favor of a stiff like Kaepernick who can’t perform the duties of a QB after 5 years on the team, and still can’t find his second read….I don’t know guys…maybe we as fans have to ‘cut some slack’ or be satisfied being w/o a serious quality QB…if we’d even recognize one…

              4. Every fan base questions the QB position. It’s part of the deal even when you have a good one. The problem is we don’t have a good one, so we are left to argue over which QB will commit the fewest mistakes and cost us the least. A truly sad state of affairs imo.

              5. The only optimism regarding Gabbert right now is that he is young, has a pretty decent staff to coach him,solid oline in front of him and his athleticism. The concern and pessimism is his history in the NFL, learning and playing in a new scheme with new targets.

                I laugh when I hear people say he cant get better or he is what he is,its been 2 games and he was not great but wasn’t awful either and he certainly did not lose the game last Sunday.
                We all know what happened when JH arrived with Alex so there is still a chance for him to be a good QB. He is the bridge QB, get use to it 49er fans, REBUILD!

              6. Prime you laugh when people say he is what he is, whatever? He hasn’t just played 2 games in the NFL and if you look at the 8 games he played last season he’s the same guy making the same mistakes with a better coaching staff and OL.

                The problem with your stance on BG is that you say that our second string QB can’t improve and promote the same ideology there that you’re chastising people here for on BG. As I have said, you can’t hate one player and chastise people for making excuses for him, then use the same excuses for the player you like. He’s ranked 30th in the NFL after 2 weeks, I suspect it will be the same if he starts the whole season. Of course people can improve, but he’s not headed to the pro bowl as a few were suggesting. You didn’t suggest this but a few others did.

              7. Wilson the difference between Kap and Gabbert to me is that Gabbert has a better command and knowledge of the game. Too many times Kap tries to improvise and puts his teammates in scramble broken play mode and not letting letting the play develop. That’s not coachable.

                Gabbert works through his progressions, reads the field. Now his accuracy and delivery are as wild as Kaps but at least he plays within the offense. Kap tries to be the hero on every play, running or forcing things when they are not there.

              8. The idea that Gabbert understands the game better and works through his progressions is overblown. He really doesn’t do those things much better than Kap, and will often throw to the check down without even looking for a better option. What he does better than Kap is not forcing things downfield at the expense of a TO. He also will get rid of the ball faster. He is much better than the Kap of certain games in 2015, but he’s not even on the level of the Kap of 2014. That’s how far Kap has fallen and why BG is playing even though he isn’t very good.

              9. Prime, I think you’re projecting a bit with saying CK is trying to be the hero every play. I also think BG has run more this season because of not finding an open receiver more than we’ve seen. I don’t really think their command of the game is that much different. I think his completion percentage is padded with check down throws but his overall production suffers when there may be better options down the field. Steve Young must have said 10 times during the Rams game he wished Gabbert would be more aggressive with the ball. Can you coach that or is that innate?

                At the same time things aren’t all bad. 27 points a game is great. How many more games would we have won last year if that were that case? We’re 1-1, we have a real chance against the Seahawks and in the division. The OL is improved as is the defense. Some of our young talent is developing. Injuries haven’t ruined the team yet. We have a back up QB that will give us nearly the same production as the starter in case of injury. We don’t have calls for JT’s job, public tension with FO and coaches. I am enjoying watching this year.

            2. He’ll probably have a couple of nice
              completions .. and follow them up with
              a lot of his .. (now famous)
              “WTF” …kind of throws …

              ya know.. Razor ..

              It’ll be the ..same ‘ole Gabbert

              1. Yes for the next 12 weeks well be saying that. But the alternative guy is worse

                Don’t know that for sure, Prime. I trust you, but I’ll leave the verification to Kelly….

    1. Cooper was the most productive Cheif’s rookie in 2013 with 3 interceptions. But he had zero in the next two years and played fewer games progressively fewer games. Maybe he needs to move to a new team every year for inspiration — somewhat like many peripatetic tech workers in SV.

    1. Ahhhh, the chronic QB dilemma…….the saga continues. Blaine’s inconsistency is frustrating; can’t win close games that way, but 2016 Gabbert is better than 2015 Kap. 2016 Kap? Idk.
      Talk of signing big name free agent WRs seems futile to me. Which premium deep threat WR would come to a team with no QB to deliver the ball? I bet that privately T.Smith questions his decision in hindsight.

      1. “I bet that privately T.Smith questions his decision in hindsight.”

        And then he looks at his bank statement and smiles again.

      2. I would say Blaine is better then our 2015 version of Kaep, and totally agree with not signing a big time WR. Why? same reason you have, we don’t have anyone at this point that can get them the ball. After the Seattle game and if Gabbert does not improve I will be all for a QB change whether it be Kaep or Ponder. Grant could be right, might use all three before the season is over. Secretly, I am on the Ponder side.

        1. Receivers like Benjamin, Evans and Jeffery are the type that can help an inaccurate quarterback….

              1. Backs that are injury prone and turn it over are offense killers. He is also not a very good pass catcher of the football. The more and more I see him it looks like next years draft we will need our 1st, 3 picks to be QB, WR, and RB

              2. Hyde is an Elite talent at RB. He is the only guy worth a sh*t on our O. He struggled last game one cause its Carolina at there place.Two his QB is doing a poor job taking pressure off him. He does have a injury history which needs to improve I agree with that. To call him a liability is a stretch.

            1. Hyde a liability? Yes, just like last year. Good call Prime. You just spoke the truth about Hyde even though I don’t want to admit it.

              1. He is the only reason why are offense can move the ball. This is funny. Watch him Sunday and we can re visit this topic.

              2. Rebuild. Hyde is our best offensive weapon, that is why I hate to admit he is a liability. But I do admit it. As far as Seattle. I predict the Niners to win 31-3 because Seattle is terrible and hobbled. So if Hyde manages to get 100 yards, it will be garbage yards.

        1. No worries, Oregon. We’re all plowing the same ground.
          ; >)
          (Although a couple on here can’t seem to keep their rows straight)

  11. The list of QBs that fans wanted to be replaced is a long one, here are some of the guys that I have seen in my time as a fan: Y. A Tittle/ John Brodie.
    John Brodie/ Lamar Mchan, George Mikra, Steve Spurrier.
    Montana/Young.
    Young/Gracia.
    Smith/Kaepernick…It is a San Francisco tradition

  12. In this QB conundrum, many are forgetting that Kaep had THREE surgeries, and I could tell that he struggled because of them. Once healthy, I fully expect Kaep to return to playing well, especially within the Chip Kelly system.

    Gabbert’s problem is; he is fully healthy, yet throws the ball erratically and frenetically. He is missing wide open receivers, bounces passes, throws short of the sticks, and did not display any comeback capabilities.

    Kaep, now that he is fully healthy, just needs to get back to his playing weight, and he should be good to go.

    Gabbert does not deserve to be the starter, but the FO does not want Kaep to play. They worry if he gets injured, they will be on the hook for his salary, but when they have 49 mil in cap space, that is obtuse.
    Baalke wrote that contract, got Kaep to sign it, now they are complaining about it, and looks like they wont let him play unless he rescinds that provision. It was a very team friendly deal, but they went back on their word to try to retain veteran talent and leadership. Baalke should be fired if he wrote a bad contract that he says is flawed.

    Jed, if he wants to win, will insist on playing Kaep. However, he might be content to lose just to be rewarded with a high draft choice.

    Gabbert has shown flashes of competence, but his play is hurting the team. Gabbert should still be allowed to start, but Kaep should also be allowed to play.

    Chip should make it competitive, let Gabbert start, and as long as he leads the Niners to a score, he keeps starting. Once there is a punt or turnover, Kaep will get to lead, and will also lead as long as they score. Once he fails to score, Gabbert goes back in. It would truly be a competition, and would reward success.

    I do not hate Gabbert, and supported him initially, but I also hate losing, and Gabbert is part of the reason why they lost. The Rams game was an aberration. Gabbert, even with his sub par play, helped win the game. Last game, his flaws were exposed.

    Play Kaep, and if he bounces passes, misses wide open players and throws picks, I will concede that he is not the answer. If Kaep redeems himself, I will call Chip a genius.

    1. Seb, that QB rotation by series is the silliest thing I’ve ever read on this site. Your desperation to get Kaep in the game is affecting your sanity. If staff thinks Kaep gives them a better chance that will do so using logic such as giving the starter 1st team reps, and not subject the team to 2 wildly different QBing styles series by series.

      1. Rib, keeping Gabbert in when he is bouncing passes, missing wide open receivers and throwing picks is just a recipe for failure.

        Chip needs to think outside the box, and since he is known for his ingenuity, he should smash the old worn out traditions and try something new and innovative.

        Players are a lot more adaptable than you think. They should be able to play with either, and their styles are not radically different from each other. When a QB goes down due to injury, the backup starts and one cannot predict he will fail horribly. Look at Brady and Bledsoe. Kaep took over from AS. AJ Mccarron led the Bengals into the playoffs. Dak seems to be doing well after taking over for Romo.

      2. Chip needs to buck the pundits, and go bold.

        They gave Gabbert all the chances they could to see if he can help the Niners win. He is hurting the team, and if Gabbert were honest and forthright, he would volunteer to let Kaep play, especially after another 3 and out.

        1. How can you say Chip is innovative and leave such a clear talent like Kap on the bench? Perhaps, just perhaps Chip Kelly knows something about the job and QBs that we don’t and that Kap may not be the wunderkind you make him out to be. He had a great run, yes. But he has shown nothing that would warrant handing him the reins since. And I think that is key.

  13. 49er Faithful, and heck, the whole USA needs something to come together around. Something that we can (almost) all agree upon. How about this?
    Stephen A Smith is an ass.
    Can I get an amen?

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