Jim Tomsula: “We’ve just got to keep pounding through it and get to the other side.”

This is the transcript of Jim Tomsula’s Monday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

Opening comments:

“Injuries, I really don’t have a lot to update you on from last night. [DL] Glenn [Dorsey] is getting an MRI now and again with [S Jaquiski] Tartt and [WR Anquan] Boldin they’re in there getting some rehab, but both of those guys I think were OK. So, questions?”

 

Just looking back on that game yesterday, was there a common thread that ran through the tackling problems that your defense experienced?

“Yeah, I think it was a common thread, it was almost, I got the feeling, and again watching the tape, I use the term, ‘Don’t play not to make a mistake and don’t tackle being afraid to miss the tackle.’ Be more attacking. And I felt like that’s what our problems were. We weren’t, go get ‘em.”

 

Why do you think that attitude was missing?

“Well, just a, big game, we were pretty excited about the game going in. We were excited all week. Guys come in, just go get ‘em. I just had the sense that we were playing not to make a mistake there and not to miss and don’t do that. Just go get ‘em.”

 

I know you were asked about this after the game, but on reflection with that last punt, the 4th-and-8 and three minutes left, 3:09left, do you–?

“The two that we had discussions on on the sidelines that I was contemplating was 5:40-5:45, we punted, I think we were on the 23 and it was a two score game. Going into it we’re thinking, OK we’ve got to get two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. That’s the way we’ve got to play this right now. And then, when it got to the, I think it was three minutes, or 3:09, it was right around three minutes and we had two timeouts and at the five minute we still had the three timeouts. So, we had the two timeouts and the two minute. So, my point was if we were close, if we got that thing up there in a 4th-and-short then there was going to be a decision for me. But, after we got backed up there it was 4th-and-13 I think, we’re on the 11-yard line and we’re going to punt that ball. If you go for a 4th down right there, we are going to go make it a three point, if something happens it’s a three possession game. So, we wanted to punt it, use the two timeouts, get to the two-minute drill and onside kick and try to win the game. That’s what I thought. That’s what I still think. I would have done that in that area of the field.”

 

So, no regrets?

“No. Not for me, no.”

 

Obviously, part of that philosophy is you’ve got to stop them. The Seahawks had 500 yards and 28 first downs. What led you to believe that you would get the ball back?

“Well, that was what we needed to do to win that game. Just what I felt.”

 

Do you care how much you lose by?

“Oh god no.”

 

So, you don’t care if you lose by 23 or–?

“No, you win or you lose. No, that never, absolutely not.”

 

I think it seems unusual for a team down two scores to punt with three minutes left. Do you understand why there continue to be questions about it?

“Yeah, but my point was, I’m forgetting, it’s slipping my mind right now, we were 4th and what? It was 4th-and-8 on the 11-yard line. So, you have to throw. If it’s 4th-and-2, 4th-and-1, we’ve got a little something there. But, we’re 4th-and-8 on the 11 and defensively you’re going to pin your ears back, here we come. You’re going to be under duress and it’s a long conversion. So, if that doesn’t happen right there now you’ve got a three score game. There is no time. That’s quite frankly the way I see it.”

 

I guess, the issue is down 16 with three minutes left, you’re not in a good situation anyway.

“No, you’re not. Either way you’re not in a good situation. But, my point was they put another score on there, now we’ve got a three-score game. Now we’ve got to get the ball back three times.”

 

How do you teach a team to win? How do you give them that winning attitude?

“Well, I think that a lot of it is in your preparation. A lot of it is in your mindset. I think we have people here that have that about them, I do. And I know that we have that here. The record doesn’t do us any justice in terms of, that’s who you are in this league. So, but we’ve got to keep pushing on. There were positives in the game. Offensively, I saw a lot of positives. Special teams, I saw a lot of positives. Defensively, we were all, none of us were happy with the way we played and the way we went about it. And offensively, it’s not like we broke records, but you see things that we’re doing there that were good, things you can build on. That’s very good. Defensively, we’ve got it there. We’ve got to get, we’ve got people and we’ve got to pull together and get that thing sewed up. Run fits and tackling.”

 

It’s unusual to hear a coach in the NFL say guys were kind of tentative or, you didn’t say tentative, but kind of scared to miss a tackle, afraid to make a mistake.

“Yeah well, just go get it, you know what I mean? Don’t read your way through it. Attack.”

 

But, why do you think that is? I mean, they weren’t aggressive. It seems unusual in the NFL.

“Yeah. I mean, it was, when you watch the film, we were working to get our fit. It was almost like looking to see the play and then go get it. You’ve got to go, just go.”

 

How do you correct that? How do you correct that from now until this Sunday?

“Well, it showed up here. Two weeks ago I would have told you it was very good. So, we’ve just got to get it back on track. We’ve got to get back.”

 

What do you do to keep the morale up? You’ve had injuries, outside noise. What do you say to the guys?

“Well, you believe in the people that you have. That locker room there and the guys that are in it, there’s good, determined, good football players in there. We’ve just got to keep pounding through it and get to the other side.”

 

Were you surprised with the way things went down over the weekend with QB Colin Kaepernick? I mean, he was listed as probable Friday and then a day later he’s out for the season.

“Yeah well, I mean obviously that’s, he was checked with, they did the MRI and came back and it’s my interpretation that he had a second opinion and that was the results that came up and the action that was taken.”

 

Did you know he was injured before, the duration of the time?

“No, ma’am. No. I knew that, it was Monday he showed up it was on the injury report that his shoulder was sore and they wanted to get it checked. I knew that they had it checked, but he was in practice and practicing and all that. So, no I didn’t.”

 

So, Monday’s the first time you learned of it, after the bye week when you guys came back?

“Yeah. That’s the first time that showed up. Obviously, he’s got something there that he’s got to get fixed.”

 

So, do you have quarterbacks scheduled to come in today or tomorrow for workouts?

“Yeah.”

 

Who? How many?

“I won’t get into who, but two [one]. There’s two [one] today.”

 

Are they veteran guys?

“Yes.”

 

They’re having workouts today?

“Yeah, we’ve got some workouts today.”

 

Do you plan on keeping three quarterbacks on your 53-man roster?

“Yeah, we’re looking to add another quarterback here whether it be on the 53 or the practice squad.”

This article has 193 Comments

  1. I think the team is playing like it’s lost confidence in any answers coming soon, and terms like “Pounding through it” or “Own it and move on” no longer will suffice….

    1. With AZ this coming weekend, answers to problems 49ers s/b left on voice mail at 4949 Centennial…If fans wait until the team walk-throughs are over (due to the ThanksGiving Holiday) all messages regarding the Az loss should supercede all Hawks messages, because walk-throughs are a sign the 49ers have moved on also
      (To the next game).

      1. Did anyone notice the team bus missing? Did Jed, Paraage, and Trent leave town without using airports to avoid the press, perhaps in an announced coaching search?

        1. The bus could only take them so far, but it would save a few bucks to coach shop at the local high schools or junior colleges that they could spend on 2016 Free Agents.

      2. Arizona is going to be a good litmus test of whether Gabbert is for real or not because teams now have at least two game tapes on him from recently.

    2. He is starting to remind me of the coaches that Bill Walsh made fun of.
      Basically stating that thier view was so myopic that when thier plan failed they had no work arounds.

  2. I worked for several startup companies in the past and when money got tight (and it always did) there was always a guy like Tomsula with the catch phrases and “we’re in this together” mantra. Meanwhile those of us who weren’t delusional were looking to jump like rats from a sinking ship. But in those experiences I did notice that the more senior people (especially those who had worked at a startup or failing company before) were the ones who realized what was happening. The “rookies” tended to believe the hype more (I did when I was a startup rookie). Perhaps there is a parallel here and a reason why there’s been rumors of getting rid of veterans. IDK. Just speculating since work is slow today.

    1. So true. That’s why I’ve avoided start-ups working 20 years in the valley as an engineer for a small company. Rather make a modest living while knowing exactly how our company is doing financially, than go for the jackpot ….

        1. Been there, done that but don’t regret it because I would have taken the chance if I was meant to.

    2. Exactly why I get the feeling the retirements and free agent defections wouldn’t have been so bad if Harbs hadn’t been fired.

      Question player asks himself: Do I have a chance of winning with X, or should I bail?

      If X is Harbs, maybe the player stays and we’re ready to go.
      If X is Tomsula, maybe the player says “oh hell no, I’m out!”, and we’re screwed like we are now.

  3. “We’ve just got to keep pounding through it and get to the other side.”

    Niners badly need Tomsula back coaching the D Line.

    1. No, I hope he just gets parted with completely so he won’t stab the next good coach we get in the back.

      1. The toxicity of working for the Yorks was known well throughout the league for years. That changed when they hired Harbaugh, who was 20 miles down the road and eager to stay in the Bay Area for the right price. But that was a hiring decision the 49ers stumbled into: it is unlikely to happen again, particularly the way the Harbaugh era ended.

        The 49ers may become like the Raiders under Al Davis were: a place that only the most desperate or inexperienced candidates would consider.
        –A. Killion, SF Chron.

        1.  Damon Bruce Retweeted

          John Middlekauff ‏@JohnMiddlekauff · 20h20 hours ago
          Jed compared his team to the Warriors by the way. He actually told a massive website that. On the record. Think about that

        2. Sad but true. How the mighty have fallen. Please, someone form a well-funded partnership and buy the team–make an offer the Yorks can’t refuse…

  4. “Yeah, I think it was a common thread, it was almost, I got the feeling, and again watching the tape, I use the term, ‘Don’t play not to make a mistake and don’t tackle being afraid to miss the tackle.’ Be more attacking. And I felt like that’s what our problems were. We weren’t, go get ‘em.”

    A team mirrors it’s Coach.

  5. If it’s just one player being tentative, then he needs a heart-to-heart talk with one of the leaders of the locker room, benched, or both. But when the entire unit plays tentative, then that is a strong of a disconnect between the players and the coaching staff or the players being coached very poorly.
    Boone made the stupid statement in the offseason that Harbaugh refused to let up even when the team made it to the mountaintop –interjecting here with YA DIDN’T EVEN COME CLOSE TO DOING SO YA DILWEED! –, but it has become very clear this season that the team needs someone to do so because the players sure aren’t responding to a player – friendly coaching staff.

    1. Hey coach, we’ve been in meetings for, like, 30 min already… Can we break? I need to check Instaface…

  6. The spread was 13 — or 13.5 depending on where you looked — for a reason. The 49ers came into this game after getting outscored 147-58 in their first four road games of the season. But the team from Santa Clara flew up to Seattle with hopes of winning. Wait, no, they flew up there with dreams of keeping the score semi-respectable. Because that’s what this coaching staff is worried about — staying competitive … and employed.

    Bay Area Sports Guy.

    Damon Bruce: The 49ers had a guy out there with a torn labrum (Kap).
    that’s a sign of a dysfunctional org. and something possibly mysterious/suspicious is happening with this.

  7. “We were excited all week. Guys come in, just go get ‘em.”
    What the hell good did that do them???
    We were excited all week.

  8. Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 21h21 hours ago
    Jim Tomsula seems to be playing for point-differential almost as much wins. And yet who has the league’s worst PD? The 49ers at minus-113.

  9. Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus had an interesting article back in February ranking the team-by-team defenses that were best at not missing tackles from last season:

    Team-by-Team Defenses

    Rank Team Snaps Missed Tackles Missed Tackles/Snap
    1 Cleveland Browns 1188 102 0.086
    2 San Francisco 49ers 1072 94 0.088

  10. Wonder how the leadership of Dockett would have helped this young defense with these “days off”
    I’m sure bowman is a great leader. I don’t think he is a vocal guy though. And when playing your a** off isn’t good enough for the youngsters to want to TRY and match it a voice needs to be heard. Patrick Willis was that voice. J Smith was always playing at a high level, a Smith when not drunk and in jail was at a high level. When you have vets and studs setting the bar and forcing you to step your game up you kinda have to. It’s not a job for one guy. There’s a reason why most who left didn’t match the success they had here.
    With this free agency it’s very important for Baalke to get another vet in their to help boost confidence and set a tone to be he nastiest defense in the league. These boys are soft and bowman isn’t fully healthy.
    Draft a stud DE and GET one of those Denver LB’s! And definitely get a RG and LG!
    Assuming A Davis comes back!

    1. Um, I’m say ditch the ownership and front office, but that’s not likely to happen. We need much more than great players.

  11. And I know I said this on the other page,
    But Gabbert is going to surprise so of the doubters! Book it!

    1. As I said in an above thread, this upcoming game will be a good litmus test for Gabbert since the Cardinals will have two game films to look at and formulate a game plan against him.

      1. Mine was Seattle. Started slow but threw well. Has confidence and reads the defense good. He knew TE’s kill Seattle and went to them.
        Arizona will be a good test for his quickness in thinking. They love to load the box and bring it.
        I see some sacks and short throws. Rolling him out. And that could set up some big plays.
        I’m assuming the o-line gets better to with my prediction btw! I’m only on the train because they’re so bad and he’s making them look halfway decent. Something smith or ck couldn’t do.
        Idk gotta hunch this kid is ready and has learned a lot in jax.

        1. I thought Seattle would be where he was knocked out, but that was before Kaepernick was placed on IR. It’s a good thing I was wrong about that because Dylan Thompson imposes as much fear into a defense as a dust mite does to a vacuum.
          I didn’t consider the Seahawks to be a good litmus test because of how they have been struggling this season and teams generally need at least of couple of game tapes to ascertain how to counter a QB they haven’t seen played recently.

      2. I have a tiny suggestion. Assume they know the Niner playbook so well, they boast about knowing where the ball will be thrown, and do the unexpected. Do sweeps, fly sweeps, Read Options, end arounds, double reverses, flea flickers, third down bombs. Keep them guessing, do things not run before, like putting a man in motion and laterals.

  12. And you thought Fort Knox was hard to break into:

    Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 4h4 hours ago

    Tim Kawakami Retweeted Bryce Holman
    Eh, nobody really has good access to anyone meaningful in there. 49ers shut it all down mostly.

  13. Tim Kawakami added,

    Drea Blackwell @dreab15 @timkawakami I remember Gase wanted Fangio as DC…What do you think the front office’s reluctance was with keeping Fangio around? #49ers

    Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 7h7 hours ago

    Tim Kawakami Retweeted Drea Blackwell
    49ers mgmt was and remains scared as hell of Fangio. Like Harbaugh, he never bowed to them.

  14. This ream is just scaredto play. They were terrified on defense. This team is a shame to watch. It is now rime to fire the head coach and bring in a hard nose coach. What did JT mean about pounding though it. This team is just scared to play. I would blow this whole team up and build a real team. Wirh a coach who new how to coach.

  15. As a guy who constantly brought up Kaep’s shortcomings, I’m not going to sing his praises and support him where-ever he goes. i was listening to Kevin Lynch on KNBR. Kaep is going to do what’s right for Kaep and get the surgery. He signed a team friendly contract so they can sign guys and what does York and Company do? They screw him. Kaep is giving up 875K a game to be on IR, so he can sign elsewhere and someone will sign him.

    Granted, Kaep’s bad play had a lot to do with Kaep. He had success too soon, and he needs to work on his mechanics. I hope he takes how management scapegoated him as motivation to really get his game right, and shove it up the York’s tight you know what.

    This team doesn’t deserve us as fans or the players that play for them.

    So glad we have the Warriors and Giants.

  16. And Tomsula — that coward of a coach. He’s a player’s coach until it comes to protecting his own skin. Go for the win man. Even Cosell thought the Niners had a chance to make the game competitive. Punting at the end of the 4th quarter? That’s what cowards do.

    I’m done!

    1. I’m not as down on Jimmie Ward as many posters here, but he got schooled against the Seahawks. There were three glaring mistakes in coverage I saw him make:

      – That first TD he has to make contact near the LOS and disrupt the route, he can’t give a free release to a speedster like he did.
      – On the play that Tomsula lost the challenge regarding the spot of the ball, the TE ran into the short zone Ward should have been covering. He gave up way too much cushion and/ or was too slow coming up to make the play to prevent the first down.
      – I can’t recall when the third play occurred, but there was clearly a mix up between Ward, Bowman and Wilhoite before the snap, and once they sorted it out the ball was snapped and Ward was caught on his heels for an easy completion down the seam to I believe Kearse for around 15 yards. They need to communicate better and get themselves set well before that. But even so, that reception was far too easy as Ward just let the receiver run right on by him. Funnily enough, Wilson actually took the harder throw on that play because Wilhoite was waaaaaay out of position on the other side of the field (though perhaps that is where Ward was meant to be) and they had an unmarked receiver.

      There was also a 4th reception on Ward that was made by Baldwin on a scramble drill. He lost Baldwin on the play, but I can’t really classify it as a mistake per se as it was a busted and extended play.

      The other 3 receptions PFF are giving as being on Ward I think were more a case of he was closest in the zone coverage. I only saw him give up the above 4 catches when I watched through the game.

    2. Well, Grant, usually I will make a snide comment on your writing style and agenda, but this time i will give kudos. Nicely written. Cogent, logical, topical and poignant.
      I especially liked the Baalke whiff on RB. You did bring up Gore, and I wanted them to resign Gore because he was a team leader. He was all that 49er fans want in a player. My mantra was- Gore will Gash them.
      Too bad Baalke went cheap, and let him go. I do not think they offered him a serious contract.
      Two of Baalke’s biggest gaffs were the cutting, then benching of Hayne, and the expectation that they could grab players off their couches and think they have complete command of the playbook. If not for one 30 yard run, those replacements have not excelled.

    3. Grant

      You hit that one out of the park, but I have a question for you? Why don’t you attack Tomsula’s and Baalke’s character like you did Kaepernick? There’s plenty of reason to believe that both are not only out of their depth, but distinct cretins who gained their respective positions through sabotage and/or fraud.

      Also, I liked discussions of Ward, Reid, and Gabbert. I think you nailed those. What do you think is the answer at safety? Seems they have 3 potentially exceptional options with Ward, Tartt, and Reid. Could they keep all 3 somehow? Maybe put Ward at FS and employ Tartt and Reid as hybrid SS/ILB?

      In any case, keep up the good work. Take these clowns to the woodshed.

    4. A players coach who is incapable of administering tough love when necessary is doomed. I agree Grant on Ward. I think he’s best suited as a zone safety….

  17. To see the Patriots offense so decisive, inovative and efficient, it makes me realizehow long it’s been since we’ve had a real offense and quarterback. Last guy was Jeff Garcia. It’s been along time.
    I really hope we lose out to get the best college qb prospect. I just hope the Jed cleans house and gets us a real coaching staff.
    Our team is in a sad state and kaepernick was fools gold.
    Ok, so I’m depressed now….

  18. Justin Smith on Tomsula after he was promoted to HC:

    ““As an X’s and O’s coach, there’s nobody better,” Smith says. “But he’s not going to be doing as much of that anymore. As head coach, he has to do the stuff he hates: dealing with media, dealing with ownership.””

    http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/07/22/nfl-jim-tomsula-san-francisco-49ers

    Maybe this is a way out for Jed York so that he can save face, which is the only realistic way it happens. Tomsula agrees to go back to DL coach for the reasons Justin mentioned and York couches it as Tomsula’s decision. I seriously doubt Tomsula has much of a choice if he wants to stay in the NFL. To get rid of Baalke and save face for Jed, simply move him to what sounds like an important position but isn’t. If Baalke balks, then it’s mutually agreed upon parting or Baalke’s choice to leave the organization. I don’t think Jed wants to fire people he prefers the “mutual agreement” path to parting ways or moving people out of important positions. Sure, we’ll know what’s really going on, but this kind of thing happens all the time in corporations. Many of us have been saying that Jed runs the 49ers like a service or manufacturing corporation instead of a football operation, so…

    1. Jed should make an honest assessment after the season, and come to the conclusion that Baalke has not done his job. His draft choices were puzzling, and the FAs were busts or severely under performed. Baalke has poor judgement when analyzing players, and has gone cheap with cheap results. His style does not invoke feelings of loyalty, hence the mass exodus of talent.
      Baalke has no one to blame but himself.

      1. Any ‘honest’ assessment by Jed would show he himself has done a bad job too. Lets hope he fires himself!

        1. My only hope is that Denise finally realizes that Jed is becoming the most hated man in the Bay Area, and it is not worth any job if people are hurling expletives at him. She should bury the hatchet, and invite Eddie back as the CEO. Jed should demote himself to president of the Niners, and instantly become admired and acclaimed as a selfless hero who gave up control for the good of the team.
          Eddie should be magnanimous towards his nephew and allow Jed to make the final choice for the Niner first pick in the draft. Other than that, Jed should stay away from football operations and concentrate on running Levi Stadium.

          1. What the 49ers could really do with is a CEO and President like the Packers have. An ex player that has spent the majority of his life living and breathing football.

  19. Look how Brady is getting guys in place, even amendola who’s been there for a while. A real leader and field general. Man, we’ve been in the darkness a long time.

    1. Brady would also just throw the ball into the ground if no one was open so he would not be sacked. At times, he ran the hurry up offense and was pinpoint accurate.
      He is a 4 time SB winning QB so only Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw can compare with him.

  20. At least once a week I say, “what the hell was he(NFL official) looking at?”

    Not a catch?! He had a perfect angle too. SMH.

    1. Do you think it would help if the NFL made the refs full-time employees? It seems like the major pro is that the officials would be free from distractions of a second job. But the major cons appear to be 1) that it would be hard to terminate unqualified officials because they are no no longer contractors but employees, 2) there also seems to be concern that a number of currently qualified officials would quit because they have “second” jobs that they want to keep, 3) the regular season is only four months long, 4) having full-time officials doesn’t guarantee fewer officiating mistakes. But another pro might be that perhaps there would be a higher number of younger officials. I don’t have any statistics but it sure seems like the vast majority of the officials are over fifty. If it were a full-time salaried position with benefits, they might attract younger officials.

        1. Jack & Cubus-
          Just tossing the ideas around in my head, but just hiring head refs seems like it would be like having only the QB practice, not the rest of the team. If practice makes players better, wouldn’t it make refs better too?
          To make it worth their while there would have to be sufficient salary to cover year round expenses. So the league would have to commit something like 175k-240k per man for salary and benefits. A hefty investment.
          BUT..remember the drop-off in competence with the replacement refs?
          As to hiring & firing, why not make it an NFL Officiating Squad with competition for the spots? Making the team one year doesn’t guarantee a future spot.
          I think the idea is worth serious consideration.
          I’ve got another thought on officiating I’ll share in a seperate post.

          1. There was an idea awhile back to have a pool of full time officials available to step in if they felt a member of a crew needed to be replaced. That has merit and would force the officials to perform at a higher standard or risk being taken off the field. Right now there really is no true incentive to force these guys to focus on making sure they are on top of things every week.

            Grime posted a link on a previous topic page that laid out the differences in how crews officiate games, and the results were pretty damning in their inconsistency. There has to be some culpability when bad calls/too many fringe infractions are constantly being made. The worst part about watching a game is when you get an officiating crew that will call everything by the book without using a common sense view to determine whether a foul is egregious or not. The focus should be on calling penalties that are blatant and have a direct effect on the outcome of a play. Instead we have games where a flag is being thrown if a player breathes on another too hard.

            1. Seems like the solution is to take the human element out of officiating. With high speed cameras and blue tooth technology, you could run a program to monitor and record the entire field. It could spot the ball by using a chip in the football to determine the location on the field.
              Fouls could be identified and buzzed in by a signal light on the field of play or in the area of the play clock. Instant replay could be used as a management tool.
              Really, it would not be a difficult system to implement.

              1. I think that is the future of determining TD’s and spotting the ball Matt, but I’m not sure it would work for calling penalties. Whether it’s officials on the field or guys in a room watching cameras, someone has to determine a penalty and call it.

              2. It’s funny that we have satellites that can see a flea on a dog’s ass but we still can’t confirm if a football has crossed a solid white line.

  21. Boom! Swoosh! Punch it right through there! Ok!?!?

    I’ve got to own it ok?!?! As a head coach I’ve proven that I’m a tremendous defensive line coach.

  22. Jed York really screwed this up but then again he simply doesn’t know any better. Tomsula deserves to be fired. As a DL coach, giving up that many rushing yards is inexcusable and the way the defense came out flat against a hated rival was sad to see. This ship has sunk and Jed just sitting there looking clueless does not bode well for the future of this franchise.

    Unfortunately, Tomsula was arguably the best DL coach this team has ever had and he’ll probably wind up on the Hawks’ coaching staff after this season. Jed should just give up… His family has no idea what they’re doing when it comes to football decisions and we’ll most likely end up with another Dennis Erickson clone once Tomsula has been kicked to the curb. As long as it’s an ‘affordable’ yes man the Yorks will be all in.

  23. I don’t know about the rest of you but I had no illusions about this game. I knew we would stink going in. I was just hoping for a non-embarrassment. To be frank, I didn’t expect Tomsula to go for it late either. They were low percentage plays, and the offense wasn’t exactly taking the top off the Seattle D. If 49er defense had been able to stop anyone the game might have been a possible win, but I saw no signs of that all afternoon. Dorsey was seriously missed. For all who called to see the young buck in now we know why he did not play consistently. Guess that says something about our draft choices which never seem to be able to crack into the line up and become impact players (I know there are exceptions).

    The rest of the season looks painful too, the team just doesn’t have the juice. The coaches look as perplexed as Kap did at the line. I don’t foresee a good offseason. Who will retire or leave this year?

      1. I’d fire Tomsula at the 50 yard line after the game if they lose on Sunday. Mangini would be the interim coach, and after the season I’d dump just about all of them.

        1. After seeing the defensive ineptitude, Mangenius should be the last person in the world to be the HC, IMO.

  24. Based upon Jed’s hiring practices of only hiring people who are within his small circle of influence, with Jim Harbaugh being the one outlier. Here is my projection:

    Jed will wait too long to fire Tomsula. He will be cut lose with just a few games remaining in the season. They will promote either Sparano or Mangini as interim head coach. The team will win a few meaningless games and Jed will fall in love with the interim and then after a thorough national search the interim will be named head coach for 2016.

  25. TANK: Actually, I am kinda surprised they didn’t sign Tim Tebow so they could sell some jerseys

    49ers Paradise on Jed York, and the poster was serious…Tebow would fit the 49ers run based offense.

    1. By Jay Mariotti on November 3, 2015 10:54 pm

      facebooktwittergoogle_plusmailfacebooktwittergoogle_plusmail

      Other than finding a general manager, a head coach, two coordinators, a quarterback, an offensive line, a functioning ballcarrier, some linebackers and defensive backs, more pass-rushers, an agronomist to fix the divots, a traffic guru to ease the logjams, a security force to stop the fan brawls, a referee to break up the locker-room fights, a flashlight for Colin Kaepernick’s island and a p.r. whiz to pacify incensed consumers who pay the NFL’s highest prices for this steaming pile of feces, no, the 49ers don’t have much work ahead.

  26. Before a legitimate coach can be located, York first must part ways with Baalke. For all his credible work in assembling rosters with which Harbaugh won, we now must ask if even Baalke’s best finds succeeded only because Harbaugh developed them. Did Baalke also ride Harbaugh’s cape, only to turn on him because he lacked the savvy to get along with him? All we know is, there has been no worse GM in the league the last two years. And with so much to do, Baalke can’t possibly keep playing yes-man to York’s whims.

    Mariotti, sf Chron.

    1. What York failed to understand, sadly, is that Harbaugh is a potential Hall of Fame coach. And the successor York hired in his vision, Jim Tomsula, is some sort of goofy combination of Tommy Lasorda and Fred Flintstone with one exception — Lasorda won championships, Flintstone won bowling matches. Tomsula has lost six games, five unwatchable, and may not win again this

      Cont. from above post.

  27. 49ers had a window of opportunity to win vs. Seattle, down by 2 TD’s, but instead decided to play field position with 6.5 minutes left in the game, to avoid a blowout…..An unknown F/A running back (Thomas Rawls), who Erick Reid said, they had no idea who he was before the game–The 49ers sure know who Rawls is now…Damon Bruce on ineptness of 49ers and you can’t buy anything this team (49ers) are selling…At 11:05 min.

    http://media.957thegame.com/a/111227942/db-hour-3-11-23-15.htm

    1. Jeff ‏@Haleysdaddy0304 · 17h17 hours ago
      @timkawakami Who do the leaks leak to? Glazer, Schefter, Rapport?
      Vinnie Levine ‏@VinnieLevine29 · 17h17 hours ago

      @timkawakami I can picture Paarag using disposable cell phones to text the national crew on a group text

      Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 17h17 hours ago
      One thing I should clarify: By “49ers media lackeys” I mean the locals who are either on or want to be on the team payroll…

      Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 17h17 hours ago
      The national reporters who get the leaks from 49ers execs or those around them are doing their jobs. Quite well.

      Tim Kawakami ‏@timkawakami · 17h17 hours ago

      Tim Kawakami Retweeted KellyG
      I can’t, I’d be accused of “trolling.” By mentioning things an owner said

      1. TomD’s Response to the Avalanche of 49er Mysterious Leaker(s):

        I will use Jim Harbaugh’s response after he left: “Oh what a tangled web we weave…”

        1. Tom-
          If we want to follow TK on Twitter we can, we don’t need your constant reposting. If we want to read TK, we know where to find him. Give it a rest.

          1. I don’t need your inane views, esp. regarding football, since, you seb, and the rest of this post predicted a winner.

  28. I think one problem with officiating on the field is the way the rules are written. The catch rule is an example. On espn someone uttered the line: Nobody knows what a catch is.
    I think the lawyery folks who run the NFL have written their rules like lawyers do, but nobody else in the chain are lawyers so they have trouble interpreting the rules. Legaleze, like scientific or technical jargon, is meant to give precise and specific meanings to terms. These people choose their semantics carefully and back at HQ they nod their heads in agreement, but on the field it seems like the more clarification offered doesn’t make anything more clear but less clear. There’s all this verbiage the refs are trying to process so they look for some keys to focus on. In the catch rule, if a guy goes to the ground they tend to look for the ball coming loose at the end of the play and rule on that. Why? Because of the way the rule is written.
    WRT the Dez non-catch a former HC said “the league can’t explain it, but 50 guys in a bar know it was a catch.”
    So after the legal eagles craft the language for a rule and agree on it, they should take a lunch break, then reconvene, loosen their neckties and agree on writing an abstract of their regulation that refs and coaches and players and fans can understand. The game is fast, these are split second calls by the refs. Clearer rules can help the refs be better and more consistent.

    1. Brotha Tuna wrote, “I think the lawyery folks who run the NFL have written their rules like lawyers do, but nobody else in the chain are lawyers so they have trouble interpreting the rules.”

      As a “lawyery” type myself, I agree with this assessment. I am reminded of one of my favorite Hank Hill quotes of all time:

      “Don’t play lawyer ball, son.”

      1. Thanks, I was hoping you’d weigh in, not just because of your legal expertise, but you’re thoughtful about semantics and communication.

    2. BT,

      I think the problem is there is no true solution to the catch rule. They put it in the control to the ground portion because it was too difficult to determine if somebody actually caught the ball or trapped it etc. You’ve also got the what constitutes a catch problem in regards to how long a player has to have possession before it is determined to be a catch. If a player catches the ball turns and has it knocked out of his hands is it a catch and a fumble or incomplete? The only change to the Dez play would be ruling a fumble when he hit the ground as opposed to an incompletion imo.

      The rule is convoluted because there are no clear options to determine what is or isn’t a catch. The easiest way to deal with it would be to say possession is immediate and if the football is lost on the way down or knocked away it’s a fumble, but that would result in a ton of TO’s so I don’t think they want to go down that road.

      1. Tuna,

        I don’t need your inane views, esp. regarding football, since, you seb, and the rest of this post predicted a winner.

        1. TrollD, since you keep on mentioning me in your posts, I must conclude that I am dominating your psyche.
          I will make another prediction. I predict you will be a loser, and will continue to be a loser all your life. Now lets see how many posters run to your defense and say I am wrong.

      2. The issue is not what it a catch, but how to determine control of the football. To do this, the league should start with the presumption that the receiver has control unless evidence exists to the contrary. The problem now is that the rule has been written and interpreted in such a way that the presumption is that the receiver does not have control unless evidence exists to the contrary. Thus, a “football move” is required to rebut the non-catch presumption, which may result in catches ruled as non-catches.

        If the presumption was that the receiver had control unless evidence showed otherwise, then the referee would have to see some indicia of lack of control (bobbling the ball, trapping the ball, inability to commit a “football move”, etc.). And yes, this might increase turnovers, but that is part of the game.

        1. JPN:

          You state :”To do this, the league should start with the presumption that the receiver has control unless evidence exists to the contrary. ”

          Why? Why not the other way around as it currently is? Your statement seems to have an unstated goal, but I’m not sure what it is.

          1. Cubus,

            In rule making, it is nearly always preferable to have a presumption of a specific state rather than the presumption of the null state. For example, the law presumes a marriage is valid unless there is evidence that it is not valid. This allows people to operate under the presumption without having to show each individual marriage is valid, a more difficult task as the set of valid marriages is larger and broader than the set of invalid marriages.

            The same is true of catches. By presuming a receiver has control, we limit situations in which the presumption can be rebutted to those where some evidence of non-control is applicable. This allows the enforcement official to operate under the presumption that a catch is made unless compelling evidence shows otherwise. And since the set of what constitutes a catch is larger and more varied than what constitutes a non-catch, it is simpler for the official to be able to know what evidence rebuts the control assumption than trying to rebut a null assumption.

            1. “In rule making, it is nearly always preferable to have a presumption of a specific state rather than the presumption of the null state.”

              Agree and this logic applies to more things than just rule making.

            2. What was wrong with two feet down and control of the the ball? Wasn’t that the old standard? Now it seems like no one can really tell when it is and when it isn’t a catch. Look, if they have it and they have two feet down, it’s a catch. Simple.

      3. Good thoughts Rocket. I wonder if it can ever be defined for every situation. JPN’s comments below are an interesting way of looking at it. The length of time someone must hold on seems too open ended. In the end, I thought Dez made a catch and fumble just by the eyeball test.
        If they can define it better, they’ll still need to translate it into teachable moments for everybody.
        I don’t expect the refs to be faultless. They are human and they are a part of the sport. Refs miss calls, guys drop balls and miss blocks; sport. Technology can help.

    3. BT, here is my definition of a catch.
      A catch is made in the moment when a player has possession of the ball with 2 feet or one body part in bounds. Possession is defined as having control and making a football move such as taking a step or attempting avoid a tackle. The ground cannot cause a fumble, so if he falls to the ground and loses possession, it still is a catch.
      When players make a catch, falls out of bounds and while rolling over loses the football, I would still count that as a catch.
      Dez made that catch because he had 2 feet in bounds and took 2 steps. He fumbled afterwards, but it should have been considered a catch.
      Just my 2 cents.

      1. Also, if the player is bobbling the ball and does not have possession, it is not a catch, and if the ball hits the ground, even with 2 hands around it, it is not a catch.

        1. Clarification- If a player is bobbling the ball while going out of bounds, it is not a catch, but if a player stays in bounds, bobbles the ball but regains possession, it is a catch unless the ball hit the ground.

    4. The thing is that it goes well beyond the definition of a catch with the officiating; sometimes it isn’t confusing rules but just the sheer incompetence of the officials. Last night was a classic example with an official blowing an inadvertent whistle thus killing what would have been a long TD pass to Amendola, a penalty called against the Bills defense and the official that announced the call pointing to the Patriots offense, and a final play where Watkins was ruled as being stopped in bounds where there was indisputable evidence that he had made it out-of-bounds without being touched by a Patriots defender. You can change the rules all you want, but you’ll be just banging your head up against a brick wall if you don’t also address the incompetent officiating.

  29. Barrows – “Kaepernick out of surgery for what was described as an ‘extensive’ shoulder tear.”

    Makes me wonder if the 49ers will be on the hook for his 2016 injury guarantee.

    1. If it was still ‘just’ a labral tear then no. It’ll be mostly healed before 4/1.

    2. Maiocco is saying 4 to 6 months, so that is just prior to and overlapping the 4/1 date. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.

    3. I for one actually hope the 49ers are on the hook for his 2016 contract. Serves ’em right for being a crappy organization.

  30. Reason # 2035 to fire Trent Baalke and Jim Tomsula:

    They traded for center Nick Easton, then dealt him to the Vikings for help at ILB in Hodges. Well, Hodges does not play, Wilhoite is garbage, but we keep playing him.

    Grant, if you might know, has management, specifically Baalke ever addressed the team this year? Has Baalke once talked to the team? I know GM’s talk to teams in hockey all the time but is this standard practice in the NFL?

    1. The biggest gaff was playing Devey and Pears until their franchise QB gets injured and has to have surgery, even though they had terrible grades and fans were decrying their play.

        1. At the beginning of the season, Kaep was the franchise QB who signed for 124 million dollars. To me, that by definition is a franchise QB.
          However, right now, he is as useless as a Christmas ornament and is no longer the franchise QB because he got injured.

      1. Just for the sake of gossip, I’ve read that John and Denise are giving Eddie the cold shoulder around the team to such an extent that he’s expressed interest in obtaining a minority share in the Raiders.
        Sorry, don’t recall the source, and haven’t heard any other confirmation.

        1. Eddie may have had some unwelcome comments about Paraag and firing Harbaugh. He hasn’t been around for a long long time.

        2. Well, Denise calls the Niners ‘El Diablo’, so I do not know why she wants to keep it. It has just succeeded in making her son the most reviled person in the bay area, and fans are hurling expletives at him.
          I thought she loved her son….

  31. The latest Manziel incident has probably all but guaranteed that Goff will be off the board before our first draft selection in 2016.

      1. Yeah, with so many needs it probably isn’t the worst thing in the world to be forced to draft another position.

        1. Only problem is this is not a great draft at the top so taking a QB would be ideal in this scenario. If you are going to take a shot in a draft with no consensus blue chip player, may as well be the most important position on the field.

          1. Well, that is thoroughly debatable. No blue chip prospects so you take a tier below QB, or a QB with quite a few question marks, to be your new franchise QB? As the most important position on the team its the one position you really don’t want to get wrong… as we are painfully experiencing.

            1. Scooter,

              What I mean is, if there is a group of comparable talents on the board and one of them is a QB, then I take the QB. If there is a player at another position clearly ahead of the QB then that changes things, but in this draft I don’t seen that player so I’d take the QB.

              1. BPA makes sense for this team right now. I’m not convinced any of the QB prospects will be BPA in the top 10 at this point in time, despite there not being much in the way of top end talent available. For now, I think only need makes Goff or Lynch a top 10 pick.

              2. I guess we disagree on the talent rankings in this draft. Will be interesting to see how the rankings look after the dog and pony show leading up to the draft.

              3. Hmmm, that probably seems like I am being contradictory with my comment below about taking Goff if he is available. To clarify:

                – I am not convinced any of the QBs are bonafide top 10 talents in the upcoming draft at this time (though nor am I convinced they are not – leaning more towards them not being top 10 talents though).
                – 49ers would likely be well served going BPA given they have so many needs.
                – In saying that, if Goff is available, as they do need a QB it is probably the best option in my opinion.
                – But I understand why others would disagree.

              4. I am not convinced any of the QBs are bonafide top 10 talents in the upcoming draft at this time (though nor am I convinced they are not – leaning more towards them not being top 10 talents though).
                ———
                Heh, Grant is rubbing off on you. I guess you can’t be wrong then.

              5. The other candidates in the top ten are CB’s, DL’s and OT’s, positions we need to improve, but ones we’ve invested in greatly the previous two drafts. I highly doubt they would take a CB. Bosa will likely be gone as the first pick and there are question marks with the guys after him, along with the fact they took Armstead last year. Jaylon Smith could be a possibility, but an ILB would be tough to take with a pick that high. Worked out with Willis at #10, but I don’t know if I would go that route with a higher pick. That leaves OT and QB as the targets I think are most likely. Of course it all changes if the QB’s and OT’s are taken before the Niners pick.

                It’s all personal opinion right now and I agree with you on the needs and BPA. The part I disagree with is whether there is a top talent at QB. Goff, at least to me, is a top ten, maybe even top 5 talent in this draft. I take him if he’s there for the Niners, although as I’ve said previously, I worry about this teams ability to develop him.

          2. In saying that, if Goff is available at this point I say take him. I just don’t think it would be the that bad a thing to be forced to take another position because he is gone before the 49ers pick.

            1. Not a bad thing no, but the biggest need on this team moving forward is a QB either in the draft or trade imo so that would be the ideal pick if they don’t trade for one.

            2. Scooter, if Tunsil or Stanley are available, the Niners should grab either of them. If Jaylon Smith is available, he should be seriously considered.
              I hope the Niners bundle picks to a team that needs bodies, and try to get 3 players in the first 2 rounds.

      1. No, but the remainder of their schedule is currently not in their favor, and they would probably need to win at least two of their remaining games while the 49ers lost the rest of their games and received some help as well. It’s possible, but one of those games will be against us.

        1. They play the Ravens at home this week and Flacco is out for the season. That should be a win.

          1. Should be, but let’s face it; this season has been anything but predictable.

  32. Cleveland has two possible wins left on their schedule not including whether a team has nothing to play for late in the season: The Ravens this week and the Niners. The Niners have maybe 3 games they are capable of winning: Cleveland, Detroit and Stl. Detroit is playing better and the Rams may be playing for something on the last day of the season and even if they aren’t, are more than capable of beating the Niners at Levi, so this could work out in the Niners favor if they lose to Cleveland which is very possible.

    1. The 49ers’ offense continued to struggle to score points against Seattle, going 10 games in a row without scoring more than 19 points in the head-to-head matchup.

      M. Maiocco

    1. Fales would have given us a himmer of glope… a gimmer of slope… a glimmer of hope. Something like that.

      A few commenters said above this draft wasn’t all the great near the top. Perfect timing. For the first time since spring 2011 we have good draft position with a bunch of yawners to chose from.

    2. Dang, sorry for re-posting that. Someone must have put a quarter in the cuss jar because the posts are out of whack.

    3. What!!!!! I recommended poaching another player off a team that the Niners were going to play in order to weaken them and get intel. Is Baalke reading my posts?
      Too bad he failed, again.

    1. A brief summary of analytics:

      It all started with the Oaklland A”s, a low market team being able to compete with the powerful NY Yankees by finding players through analytics. In this way the A’s could afford to sign players with similar skills, determined by a formula, as the talented players.
      Paraage Marathe is the first crossover, taking this theory to the NFL where, through analytics, the York’s can buy players at bottom budget prices.

        1. Apparently, now Maraathe has used his formula on play calling, telling 49er coaches when the formula says to call certain plays.

    1. My 5 take aways from this team
      1. Denise idiot

      2. John idiot

      3. Jed idiot

      4. Paarge idiot

      5. Trent 2016 scapegoat

  33. Ted Robinson, the “voice of the 49ers” strongly defended the Stanford doctors on KNBR for their handling of Colin Kaepernick’s shoulder problem. He also implied that Colin was driving the situation from a selfish perspective. Ted also implied that Colin went opinion shopping to get the operation.

    This from Inman:

    “General manager Trent Baalke said surgery was advised by both the 49ers medical staff and Dr. Peter Millett, a shoulder specialist who performed Tuesday’s surgery in Vail, Colo. The surgery revealed that the tear was more significant than originally believed, a source said. …

    Kaepernick’s health did not factor into the 49ers’ decision to bench him Nov. 2 in favor of Blaine Gabbert, as the 49ers did not know the injury’s severity until last week.

  34. One good thing (to be thankful for):

    no more postgame interviews with
    some laconic loser wearing hip-hop
    outfits (think sweatshirt &cap) plus
    the symbol of his coolness – Beats.

    Cam Newton has a suit & tie ready
    just in case he wins Super Bowl MVP.

    Kaep doesn’t get it…

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