SANTA CLARA – The 49ers lost 27-23 to the New York Giants Monday night. Here are the 49ers grades.
MULLENS: C. He’s small and doesn’t throw hard. Has obvious physical limitations. Not great at throwing deep or outside the numbers. But, he’s smart and accurate. He completed 69 percent of his passes against the Giants. Also threw two interceptions, but I don’t blame Mullens for the second pick, although Shanahan did. Shanahan heaped blame on Mullens after the loss, even though Mullens played well enough to win. More on Shanahan below. Mullens should remain the starting quarterback the rest of the season. He’s better than C.J. Beathard.
RUNNING BACKS: A-minus. Shanahan finally followed my advice and used Kyle Juszczyk as the third-down back. Juszczyk blocked well in this role. Matt Breida had one of the best games of his career. He rushed 17 times for 101 yards and scored two touchdowns – one on the ground and one through the air. He should be the 49ers starting running back next season. He’s that good. His backup, Alfred Morris, should not be in the NFL. He rushed nine times for 19 yards. The Giants should have sent Shanahan a thank-you note every time he called a play for Morris.
WIDE RECEIVERS: D. Marquise Goodwin was OK. He caught four passes for 69 yards. But, he caused Mullens’ second interception, because he ran a bad route. Kendrick Bourne was not good. He caught four passes for 33 yards. And Dante Pettis was awful. He caught four passes for 12 yards. The 49ers traded up to get Pettis in the second round. Big mistake. He does nothing well.
TIGHT ENDS: A-MINUS. George Kittle led the 49ers with 83 receiving yards, but didn’t score. The 49ers don’t feature him in the red zone. They should. He has only three touchdown catches this season.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: A. Granted, they faced a terrible defensive line. But, they dominated and deserve credit. They helped Matt Breida average 5.9 yards per carry, and kept Nick Mullens’ jersey pristine. The Giants never sacked him.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: F. They sacked Eli Manning just once, and provided no pass rush in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.
LINEBACKERS: C. Reuben Foster didn’t play and no one could tell. Fred Warner broke up two passes and made four tackles. He is the second-best player on the 49ers defense after DeForest Buckner. Malcolm Smith committed a holding penalty on third and 12 during the Giants final drive. He is the worst player on the 49ers defense. He cannot cover anyone. He and Cassius Marsh double covered running back Saquon Barkley on New York’s third-to-last play, and still got beat for a 23-yard gain.
SAFETIES: C. Jaquiski Tartt missed the 13th game of his four-season career. He always seems injured. The 49ers had to play both backup safeties – Jimmie Ward and Antone Exum Jr. One of them was late to help cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon when Witherspoon gave up a 20-yard touchdown catch to Odell Beckham Jr.
CORNERBACKS: C. Richard Sherman made a few tackles. Witherspoon gave up at least his fifth touchdown catch of the season. And he committed a pass-interference penalty on second and 20 during the Giants game-winning drive. He has no confidence. Teams should target him 15 times per game.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C. Robbie Gould was perfect as usual. But, the kickoff coverage unit gave up a 47-yard return early in the third quarter with the 49ers leading by 10 points, and allowed the Giants back in the game.
COACHES: F. They choked again. They had a 10-point second-half lead at home against a one-win team and lost. Neither Kyle Shanahan nor Robert Saleh had any answers down the stretch, although I don’t blame Saleh for the collapse as much as I blame Shanahan. Saleh has no pass rushers. That’s not his fault. Shanahan has plenty of talent on offense. Breida and Kittle are outstanding players. Shanahan is the problem. He gets too cute under pressure. All game, he featured Breida and Kittle. Then, as soon as the 49ers reached the red zone with three minutes remaining in the game, Shanahan benched Breida, called back-to-back runs for Morris and then a pass for Bourne. Maybe Shanahan thought he would outsmart the Giants, but he only outsmarted himself. All three plays failed. Instead of scoring a touchdown, the 49ers kicked a field goal and lost by four points. Shanahan STILL doesn’t know how to finish. He says he need “closers,” but he has two and doesn’t use them when it’s closing time. He’s the one who can’t close. The 49ers should prohibit Shanahan from drinking any coffee the rest of the season. Coffee is for closers only.
How many offensive snaps for Richie James last night?
is Shanny just a tad more bull-headed than his dad .. ? … but. yeah.. Jack
I was wondering the same thing …
Grant –
I give you an A for your perfect grades and spot-on game summary. The CFC conclusion was brilliant and it bumped you up to an A plus plus! ?
Thanks, man.
Ha ha ha ha! Oh boy….
Solomon Thomas is a bust! Lynch/Shanny need to draft some meaner nastier players. No more nice guy softies like Solomon.
Read on a few other sites that Thomas, Buckner, and Armstead were the reason why Barkley was not as effective on the ground as he was in the passing game.
Yeah, the DL did a good job in the run game. Whole team did really. Pity they couldn’t do much in the passing game.
Yep, a far cry from where they were in 2016.
Well I watched the game and then I checked the stats. Solomon Thomas did not make one play the entire game! In fact, check the stat sheets, he didn’t even make it onto the list. He had ZERO tackles…He had zero’s in every single category! Zero’s!!
They’ve had 2017 NFL redrafts and he wasn’t even drafted in the first round! He’s been embarrassingly bad. A total bust! He’d make a great neighbor though.
Sorry Crab, but your argument is coming across more as you being upset that Shanahan and Lynch bypassed a prospect you liked for Thomas than anything.
Wrong
Prove it.
Disagree. He’s right, Thomas is a bust. In fact, the Bears are looking like the team that got the better end of that trade. What’s crazier, we have to draft another DL in this draft (Oliver). Not sure you can pass on someone that talented.
Weird how you can give multiple offensive position groups A range grades and then say a young QB in his 2nd start played well enough to win but then give Shanahan absolutely no credit whatsoever for coaching them to those performances. Your hatred of Shanahan is killing your credibility.
No, I explained my grades.
+++++
Of course you blame Kyle Shanahan. Not sure why he hates you so much and why the exchange of questions is so awkward?
I also don’t understand why he gets the blame for his defense blowing the lead? He did his part with the exceptional play calling and putting up enough points to win. At some point you cannot put it all on the head coach. The defense lost that game and more importantly, Saleh didn’t adjust once again late in the game. In fact, the defense looked confused all game.
The 49ers scored 23 points. The league average is 24.1. They lost the game in the red zone in the fourth quarter. They don’t have the pass rush to win close games with defense.
So they scored enough points having a 10 point lead and the defense doesn’t do their job closing it out. This happened against AZ, GB and last night.
Sure wins and loses always fall on the HC and QB. But when you look at how the Niners have lost this year, it hasn’t been the fault of anyone other then the defense not capitalizing on their opportunity to end the game.
The easy blame is on Shanny but there is something deeper with you and him in the press conferences Exchanges seem very unprofessional on his end and maybe that’s affecting your analysis. I am not blaming you for the record.
Perhaps Shanahan wants to be the smartest guy in the room and doesn’t take his decisions being questioned very well?
Maybe you are right. Or maybe Shanny feels Grant doesn’t have the credentials to question his coaching ability.
Its just strange that KS doesn’t have the same attitude towards other reporters who question him.
I don’t think the other reporters really go after Shanahan with much other than softball questions.
I don’t believe that to be true.
Hammer, are you saying Grant Cohn is the Jim Acosta of Bay Area Sports reporters??
“are you saying Grant Cohn is the Jim Acosta of Bay Area Sports reporters?”
Is he doing a good job asking the tough questions? Yes
If Shanahan is like Donny and can’t take the heat maybe he needs to get out of the kitchen.
Oh, Donny’s taken more heat than anyone I can remember. Heat doesn’t phase him, however, maybe the press conferences aren’t about Grant/Jimmy….
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KS is the one being the petulant child. He should grow up, and become more professional.
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Grant is just doing his job, and doing it well.
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KS should read what BW said about interviews.
Of course the head coach should get a big part of the blame. But since you mentioned what a bad play caller Shanahan is in the Red Zone, you should also point out that Goodwin was wide open in the end zone on the play the Mullens held the ball forever and threw it to Bourne short of the first down. In other words, a play that schemed Goodwin wide-open was called. They panned to Shanahan right after the play and I it looked like he was reacting to Mullens not throwing the ball to Goodwin. And yet it is ONLY Shanahan’s fault. Isn’t it possible that Mullens made the wrong read? A rookie type mistake? A mistake that an experienced QB wouldn’t make? Again, I am trying to look at the broader picture instead of basically saying Shanahan sucks.
And it was far from the first time his offense didn’t get it done while ahead. Easy to blame the players. But Shanahan needs to be held responsible to some degree too.
Team needs to commit to three new edge players between free agency and the end of the third round of the draft. They can’t close games. Team has bizarrely ignored edge for years.
On defense, they also need a veteran corner and two safeties. They will have lots of money when they let Jimmie Ward walk and cut Pierre Garcon. They need to be aggressive in free agency and get second contract, young guys.
“At some point you cannot put it all on the head coach.”
Everything that happens falls directly under the duties of the head coach: offense, defense, special teams, along with every position group.
“The defense lost that game”
Yes, in the end the defense was on the field for the game winning TD but the offense also once again turned the ball over inside their own 20. As Mullens himself said after the game, that 7 points was the difference in a game lost by 4 points.
Week in and week out the little things that this team does not take care of costs them games.
I would not give the D line an F. How many exotic blitzes did Saleh dial up? They also kept Barkley in check, he had only 67 yards rushing. I would give them a D+ or C-.
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I will agree with your grade on the coaches. KS needs to swallow his ego, and hire an OC.
You are such an idiot!
Prime, did you know that you once admitted that Kaep took the league by storm? If you were smart enough to admit that, why are you boot licking for a 2-8 HC? Saleh is not to blame. He was a LB coach. KS is to blame for thinking a LB coach is a DC, then ignoring him and not helping the defense as the HC.
I told you yesterday I admitted to saying old wind up took the league by the storm. You must be developing memory loss and truly are an idiot!
BTW, position coaches eventually evolve into coordinator positions moron! You would know that if you knew the game, but you don’t!
I know the Rams DC, Wade Philips, used to be a HC, and DC for a SB champ. His team is 9-1.
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I know Saleh used to be a LB coach, and KS used to be an OC, and their team is 2-8.
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Yup, you admitted that, but I like to keep reminding you, because that may be the only smart thing you have said.
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Usually an OC will become a HC after he had won a SB. KS imploded during the SB, and he is doing the same thing with the Niners. At least Saleh is better than Mangenius and O’Neil, but they would not be hard to exceed.
“Yup, you admitted that, but I like to keep reminding you, because that may be the only smart thing you have said.
And you predicted he would be playing again? You look stupid saying that and continuing on with that. Oh wait, blame the black ball theory. Lets go with that.
You are blaming the Falcons for losing the SB because they scored 28 points and the defense gave up 31 after half. So Shanny should have scored 60 while Dan Quinn the HC and DC by trade gets no blame?
You truly are an idiot!
Prime, if you had watched the game, all KS had to do was run the ball. Instead he got cute, and tried to pass. After 3 failures, they moved back out of field goal range.
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That, and dialing up a 7 step drop that resulted in a sack fumble, KS deserves a lot of blame for that loss. KS imploded in the end, just like he is doing with the Niners.
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Since you keep mentioning Kaep, he will play again. Now that the Dems control the House, change is a’ coming. Hope he wins his collusion case and voids the CBA. Then the players will hail him as a hero, because it will diminish the owner’s power. If they try to black ball another player, they will pay an even bigger price.
Cant even have a football discussion with you because you have no idea how this game is played.
The best thing to do instead of reasoning with you is tell you how stupid you are and how fake a fan you are. So that’s what Ill do!
Moron!
Prime, you are starting to hurl insults? Maybe I can get you to start swearing at me. ;p
F’ing idiot! DA!
Does that work?
I win again. TY.
You are welcome dip stick! More to come!
Tell us how you really feel about Kyle. He’s hurt you deeply, and that’s uncalled for. Kyle’s gross ineptitude has caused you to not be your normal, gentle, mild self. Snif.
I just want KS to improve. Actually, I am jumping for joy that Baalke was fired. If he were still here, I might have stopped being a fan, because they may not have won a game.
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Still, with you here, the stench of Baalke lingers.
Passing methane….
Maybe they should hire Baalke back then!
Sebber, did you miss Saleh having the LDE running behind and around the entire defensive line to rush around the RDE?
Did KS prevent that? No, he was playing only with his shiny toy.
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KS, as HC, should at least show an interest in the defense.
Wait…what?! You want Shanny to hire an OC so he can be the DC too??
No, Saleh, the former LB coach needs all the help he can get. KS, as HC should prepare them better.
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It is part of KS’s job description.
This is year two for Saleh as a DC. The only help he needs is through the door so it doesn’t hit him on the way out!
Psst, Razor, Fangio is not coming back. Sorry to break the news to you.
Disagree Razor. There have been several flashes that his defense can be good, but it needs some pass rushers and a capable FS. Every time I have seen the Seattle style defense utilized in the league, it tends to struggle without those necessary components. If anyone needs to go, it is Hafley. The secondary showed signs of improvement last season, but it has largely regressed this season. Several fans say the team should have reupped with Reid, but I believe he would have regressed with the rest of the secondary. Hafley will have three years of being the 49ers secondary coach on his resume, but he has not improved the unit. Enough is enough.
Mid, I advocated for Reid, and thought they needed veteran leadership. Reid might have held the DBs together so they are not whiffing on assignments.
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I agree on your take on Hafley.
Mid:
Is it KS’ responsibility or Saleh’s responsibility to fire a position coach, like Hafley?
Not sure Cubus. I think both can fire Hafley.
They have veteran leadership in Sherman, a player who knows the system in and out Seb. Reid would have been only on his second year in the system, so I believe he would be struggling as well if he was still with the team.
FS and Edge yes. Hafley yes but who’s Hafley’s boss? Saleh. Sack ’em both!
As Jack recently stated, firing Saleh would set the rebuild back 2-3 years.
How would it set the rebuild back? Bring in a veteran DC and let him run a system that is not too complex.
Ed Donatell comes to mind.
It’s pretty clear this scheme needs a lot of parts but the most telling is the players do not even know their assignments.
It would be a new system that needs to be learned Prime and potentially require a retooling of the player personnel Prime.
I do not see Donatell leaving Fangio’s staff any time soon.
MWD, not if you can get someone that knows the system and knows what the hell they’re doing.
Can you name one off the top of your head?
Mid:
How about Kris Richard. From Wikipedia:
Kris Richard is a former American football cornerback who is the Defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Richard was instrumental to the formation of the Legion of Boom defensive secondary. He helped coach and develop players such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner, Byron Maxwell and for his rookie season, Shaquill Griffin.
So hire the guy fired by Seattle after last season who is now a defensive backs/passing game coordinator for a defense that gives up more yards per attempt than the 49ers?
Brilliant!
^
MWD/Hammer, what do you know about Richard Smith?
I know he is a hard pass.
Jack:
“One of the staples of the Seahawks/Pete Carroll defenses has been their success against big plays…….The 2018 Cowboys are living up to Carroll’s directive. So far this season, the defense has allowed just 28 big passing plays, the lowest total of any team in the league.”
“A defense built to defend the big play will not always look good on the stat sheet…….But by forcing the opponent to dink-and-dunk the ball up the field, this defense achieves its ultimate goal, preventing the other team from scoring. And in the end, that’s all that counts.”
Points given up are more important than yards given up. Funny how you cite points as the important gauge for the offense (as opposed to yards), but then switch when it comes to defense.
“The focus on defending the big play has obviously worked so far, as the Cowboys defense is allowing just 17.6 points per game, the second-best value in the league. ”
“The Cowboys will continue to defend the big play, and while that may not always look great on the stat sheet, it should be effective in preventing opposing offenses from scoring. ”
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2018/11/1/18050254/cowboys-defense-shutting-down-big-plays-like-its-nobodys-business
“Points given up are more important than yards given up.”
You are absolutely correct. A big reason for the 49ers being 27th in points allowed has been the 20 turnovers committed by the offense, many of which have been in SF territory. That the 49ers defense has the second to worst average starting field position in the league also is a direct result of the turnovers by the offense.
They don’t need a OC, they need a Wade Phillips type of DC, and a pass rush and a capable corner would help.
They need an OC, because KS is neglecting the defense and ST.
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With an OC, they may have been prepared better, and reduced the unforced errors.
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With an OC, they might have converted that third down, so they could have bled the clock and scored, then the Giants could not have mounted a comeback.
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Wade Phillips quality DCs do not grow on trees, they are as rare as hen’s teeth.
Let’s not forget, Grant has very high standards…and when they are not met…
Grant should be the new HC, he thinks he knows more about running an Offense than KS.
Grant…
What’s the word on Foster…injury, passive/aggressive punishment, other?
During the Raiders game, I noticed that Mullens relied quite a bit on simple curl, slant, and post routes to rip apart the defense. Did you notice any changes on the route choices Shanahan went with against the Giants? I get the feeling that the team is auditioning for next year’s back-up QB job, and I’d be curious to see how the Offensive script evolves (or doesn’t) to stretch and test Mullens potential.
Solomon and Foster=two more first round busts. The Niners have drafted poorly in the first round for many years. The only exception is Buckner. Poor overall draft this year.
Um….allie, what about McGlinchey?
Everyone loves to say Solomon Thomas is a bust or not a bust, but what are people defining as a bust and in what timeframe can someone be considered a bust? I’m thinking it’s likely a sliding scale depending on performance over a period of time with regard to where that player was selected.
I would certainly say at this point that Solomon Thomas is not looking like a good pick at #3, but he is showing a 66.5 grade on PFF today which falls into “Above Average” scale (I know many knock PFF but at least they have put some objective criteria in place to grade players where others haven’t). Some would argue that’s not exactly a bust, but maybe it is for a #3 pick who should be elite. I’m not necessarily arguing one way or another, but more interested in everyone’s thoughts with regard to who is or isn’t a bust…
He’s ok as a player. Looking more and more like he is heading towards bust label but he has time as of yet.
Additionally, he has been mal used which isn’t his fault (see Armstead and Ward). However, picking him was a mistake in the first place and the fact he hasn’t lived up to the expectations of what some believe he could/should be is underscoring this.
The fault is organizational and trying to put a an inside run blocker to be an Outside one. He was never built for this.
Many of us saw this which is why we wanted another player.
Thanks for the response East, certainly a disappointment so far
Hi Allie.
Boy does he hate you. I doubt he watches you periscopes or reads your grades but if he does then it makes sense why.
No, no, no! Grant believes Shanny finally followed his advise, and that Seb is a legend!
Yup, and Paraag has sicced his sycophants to attack me.
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But legends never die…..;p
Right, they just hang there from the cobwebs of like minds.
Okay Sebbie! Now you’re working Paraag into your pain and suffering equation! C’mon, go bold and add the Yorks as well!
Oh the humanity!
Coffee’s for posers that sip with pinky on high if you really believe Shanny deserves a F. The only F he deserves is if he doesn’t sink Saleh with a pink slip….
“The only F he deserves is if he doesn’t sink Saleh with a pink slip….”
These comments are quite amusing, especially from folks that routinely give Shanahan a pass.
Going into this past offseason the clear needs were pass rush, and help in the secondary. They did nothing there in free agency outside of Sherman and then spent their top 2 picks on offense for a very good tackle and what has so far been a terrible wide receiver. Not only that, they then draft a DB who’s biggest contribution so far this season was a personal foul in punt coverage last night.
Yes the defense has struggled to close out games, so has the offense.
When your best pass rusher from the edge is Cassius Marsh and you’re starting Malcolm Smith you’re like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
That’s a lie. Pretty sure they attempted to get Mack. Sherman was a great pick up. McGlinchey opened up Shanny’s playbook. They’ve hit on McGlinchey, Kittle, Warner, and Breida. It’s time to see what Moore can do at FS and/or RCB….
“Pretty sure they attempted to get Mack.”
Yes they tried. But they didn’t.
“Sherman was a great pick up.”
And I gave them credit for that.
They can’t generate a pass rush because they’ve not added anyone to the position. Saying they tried to add Mack or Irvin is nice but doesn’t change anything.
“They’ve hit on McGlinchey, Kittle, Warner, and Breida.”
Right. 1 defensive player to 3 on offense. Thanks for helping to make my point. Warner is a mess in coverage too.
Your point seems to suggest that they can fix 82% of the roster in one or two offseasons which isn’t very sharp….
You can’t fix the roster when you use 2 first round picks on defense and neither of them are difference makers or a 3rd round pick on a defensive back who can’t get onto the field over udfa’s off other practice squads and a 3rd round pick the year before on a CB who routinely gets burned.
The run defense was atrocious in 2016. Thomas was the best run stuffer in the country. You can’t hit on every draft pick. It’s impossible.
“The run defense was atrocious in 2016”
And a lot of that was scheme.
“You can’t hit on every draft pick. It’s impossible.”
If you’re going to turn over your roster you can’t afford to miss on them either.
And with many key holes still to fill they face a draft with only 5 picks available to them.
I wouldn’t be too quick to say they missed on a player just yet. After 2 years, that’s a bit premature for mine.
Does Gruden get a pass for imploding a team that wasn’t going to go over the hump? Nope. Why does Shanahan?
He got rid of some decent players and replaced them with players who in some cases are only marginally better. I get he has a big vision, but the missteps can and should be scrutinized.
The decent players that Shanahan has gotten rid of are Brown and Reid, with the former not being a fit for the run scheme and the latter being replaced by a player who has just as well at SS.
Meanwhile, Gruden got rid of Mack because he did not want to pay him what he rightfully deserved, and then he got rid of Cooper because he is intending to blow up the team; there also is a good possibility that Gruden will cut Carr after the season.
Attempting to compare Shanahan with Gruden is ridiculous at this point.
“Warner is a mess in coverage too”
For a rookie to come in a run the defense in his first year is pretty remarkable. Coverage assignments, that’s on Saleh.
Like Razor said, and what Jason Witten pointed out last night during the telecast. 82% roster turnover in 2 years, it takes time.
“For a rookie to come in a run the defense in his first year is pretty remarkable. Coverage assignments, that’s on Saleh.”
Wasn’t Warner under the gun earlier in this season for some of the communication issues. As for coverage assignments, they often will change after breaking the huddle depending on how the offense aligns. The communication among the players is lacking, and yeah Saleh carries that blame just as Shanahan does on the offensive side.
All things considered, backup QB’s, 2nd string RB’s, no legit WR, the offense looks pretty good to me.
13th in points and 9th total yards.
They’re 18th in points per game, 16th in yards per game which are both decent. They are also 28th in turnovers with 20. Not so decent.
Those 20 turnovers have cost the 49ers a lot of points because in a number of instances they’ve set up the opposition in scoring position or just outside.
The 49ers defense has the 31st worst starting field position in the league as a result.
The no legit WR thing falls directly on Shanahan and Lynch. Their 2nd round pick had 12 yards last night on 6 targets. One of those was an 8 yard gain leaving him with less than a yard per target on the other 5.
McGlinchey allowed a huge hit on the QB, was a foul driving QB into ground but still…he needs more work on pass protection.
Name one rookie OL who doesn’t in the NFL dude? Run blocking is natural, you attack. Pass blocking is a different animal. Mcglinchey is better than I even hoped he would be. Already better than Anthony Davis ever was. Guy will be a All Pro next year
He’s as close to a Staley as you can find in today’s game.
If the 49ers didn’t have a 100 million man under center, I doubt they would have drafted the best young tackle coming out. ..Minkah Fitzpatrick has been sensational and probably wouldve been the Niners pick…Your comments lack perspective and frankly originality…
KS showed confidence in Mullins, throwing the ball with his back to the goal line. The kid failed him miserably and I bet KS wishes he had that back
The kid faced the 2 worst pass rushes in the league but the QB gurus Grant and Seb anoint him
My real problem was why was Cassius Marsh in coverage???
Makes absolutely no sense on any level, and to call that repeatedly…I was out of my seat yelling…Why not put an extra safety or cb in the game, and take Malcolm Smith out, rush Marsh?? I mean the Giants used the same tactics the 49ers do to beat them, and it was maddening…Iso the RB or TE on the opposing LB…Simple..How or why there weren’t adjustments on that, that’s what I need answers on
Of course these bay area writers are ‘writers’, not football analysts. It’s now the trend for every no name paper and no name writer to ‘grade’ a performance…Its meaningless and your grades are off, as usual. Honestly just my opinion
Grant said, “And Dante Pettis was awful. He caught four passes for 12 yards. The 49ers traded up to get Pettis in the second round. Big mistake. He does nothing well”.
Then there is Anthony Miller WR for the Bears whom the 49ers passed over for Dante Pettis. Miller now has 24 receptions, 4 TD’s nearly 14 yards per reception. An NFL front office cannot afford to make many of these mistakes and last very long.
Yup, another unforced error. They could have saved that draft pick and selected a pass rusher.
This regime has put some pieces in place to build around. McGlinchey, Breida, Kittle and Warner. If we have anymore, they’ll likely reveal themselves moving forward to close out the year….
Funny how the expectation is that the offense should bail out poor defensive performance (which happen practically every game especially in the 4th quarter), but the thought that the defense should hold their own and help an offense that is missing their starting QB is anathema for some around here.
KS does have a problem. He needs to “man up” and jettison Saleh. Hire Kris Richard.
Shanny was the only reason we were in that game.
Agree. I expect Saleh will stick around the rest of the season, but we’ll see if KS can bring himself to replace Saleh. It’s possible he’s never had to do that before and it might be difficult for him, but it’s part of the job description of the head coach. He should not expect John Lynch to do it for him.
“but the thought that the defense should hold their own and help an offense that is missing their starting QB is anathema for some around here.”
Strange, isn’t it?
“He needs to “man up” and jettison Saleh. Hire Kris Richard.”
Yup.
I don’t know what everybody is complaining about. It was an exciting close game and we lost, thus keeping us on track for a high draft choice.
I have accepted that this is a lost season. All I want the rest of the way is to see close games, see progress from key players who are in our future, and lose enough games to be in position to draft a game changing edge rusher. Not too much to ask for is it?
Rick, quit being so reasonable. Bombast and hyperbole rule the day, especially after another crushing loss.
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Then we can say we are not intentionally tanking. This is an elegant tank.
perhaps appropriate that this game came right after Veterans Day, because the team is a MASH unit with all its injuries. when much of your top line talent is injured or in a never ending process of injury and instant rehabilitation – Goodwin? – and your talent wasnt great to begin with, and your coaches are having to adjust on the fly…or not…then it makes for a team with limited aspirations. hey, Mullins, Kittle et al made it entertaining, and i remain a huge believer in the Shanahan system. growing pains amidst the injury carnage.
Breida has to be a #2 RB, a great #2 albeit still a #2. I don’t believe KS benched Breida in the RZ but he came up injured. I think I saw Breida remove himself from the lineup at least 4 times last night because of either fatigue or injury. If McKinnon can return next year or as a #2 to Mosert next year I love him but he needs to be the teams second choice in the RZ because you just can’t depend on him to be there.
Yep, Breida was used up at that point in the game. Grant’s writing with pinky on high.
Yes, He removed himself several times. It’s obvious he is still dealing with an ankle injury and has to pull himself from time to time. I’m not a huge fan of Alfred Morris, but he is running in the red zone now. Wasn’t that the big knock on him a few weeks ago?
Once again…asinine! Just like your asinine questions at the post game conference. Shanahan “finally followed your advice”? Seriously? You think very highly of yourself, don’t you? Who do you think you are? You have this job because of your father. You know nothing about football but think that you know a lot.
It’s the Sebnynah Syndrome….believing with all your heart that a professional ‘finally’ sees the light and takes ‘your’ advice.
He is a rookie and still learning the game so I will not give up on him this early, but am I the only one who thinks that Dante Pettus looks and plays soft?
Cassius Marsh seems to be a complete bust. With the pass rush push our defensive tackles generate there out to be some pressure from the edge. We have no players who can provide that rush. Certainly not Marsh. I admit that I was predisposed against him when he came to the niners bashing the locker room of the Patriots and the coaching BB. No news here, but we must have outside pressure and it does not look like we will get it this year.
The 49ers don’t have any starting calibre edge pass rushers. Plain and simple. And the only guy I think is worth keeping as a rotational guy is Watson, and only because he can play STs also.
They need to completely overhaul the position this offseason. Not just add one guy. They need two starters and another rotational guy. And one of those additions has to be a 1st round draft pick. Don’t mess about trying to out-smart everyone by taking a guy in the 2nd round because it is a deep class – go get one of the elite guys available in the draft. Then get another one in the mid rounds. The only question should be whether they take one at their pick or trade back to get some more picks before taking their guy.
A-freaking-men.
Rocket, got my pit tickets for the Indy show, August 24th! Up the Irons!
Who the hell is Witherspoon throwing his hands in the air after getting burnt???man up and actually cover someone for once. I watch him all the time , he’s constantly looking for help no matter the coverage . Get Moore in there , AW sucks !!!
A few quibbles:
1. Mullens held onto the ball for too long at different points in the game, and several other reviews on other sites pointed this out, yet you omitted it in your grade.
2. A minor quibble, but Kittle was called for a false start. As for featuring Kittle in the red zone, it appeared that he was well covered at those points. Play-calling probably did play a role, but credit to the Giants secondary for shutting him down as a red zone option.
3. The DL deserves a D. While they did not do much in the pass rushing department, Buckner did pressure Manning quite a bit, and the DL did manage to keep Barkley from having a good night running against them.
4. Williams should have been mentioned in the CB grade. He failed to have tighter coverage on Beckham, and giving Beckham the space that he did is what led to the Giants getting a TD. It also needed to be mentioned that Witherspoon failed to turn his head and track the ball on what was Beckham’s second TD. Sure Exum should have helped him out, but Witherspoon would have helped out if he had tracked the ball.
5. The coaching staff also deserves a D. As Razor put it, Shanahan’s play-calling was the reason the 49ers were in the game. It faltered at some points, but that is a common thing in any game. Saleh and Hightower were the ones who did not call a very effective game, which drags down the grade for the coaching staff. With that said, I felt the players were primarily at fault for the loss, with most of the fault falling into the laps of the secondary. A better grasp on the assignments and simple fundamentals were the difference in the game. However, it is up to the coaching staff to make sure that the players in the secondary have this grasp.
I’d also quibble with the “He also threw two interceptions, but I don’t blame Mullens for the second pick, although Shanahan did.”
While Shanahan stated he needed to watch it again, he stated he thought the ball was a bit behind but that he EXPECTED the wr to make that catch.
Hmmm if you expect a wr to make a catch, how can you be blaming the qb for throwing the interception? Next week maybe we will hear how Kyle blamed the intended receiver for throwing the interception.
wow Grant sure is arrogant. He actually believes he is smarter and more knowledgeable than Shanhan. How funny and sad.
Sorry for the double post but accidentally posted this in the wrong location…
Everyone loves to say Solomon Thomas is a bust or not a bust, but what are people defining as a bust and in what timeframe can someone be considered a bust? I’m thinking it’s likely a sliding scale depending on performance over a period of time with regard to where that player was selected.
I would certainly say at this point that Solomon Thomas is not looking like a good pick at #3, but he is showing a 66.5 grade on PFF today which falls into “Above Average” scale (I know many knock PFF but at least they have put some objective criteria in place to grade players where others haven’t). Some would argue that’s not exactly a bust, but maybe it is for a #3 pick who should be elite. I’m not necessarily arguing one way or another, but more interested in everyone’s thoughts with regard to who is or isn’t a bust…
Good post.
The reason many fans call him a bust is simple – as the #3 overall pick there is an expectation that a DL will generate a lot of sacks, as that is the big highlight reel play that fans can identify.
As it is, Thomas is a below average pass rusher, particularly from the edge where he is most commonly deployed. His PFF grade is boosted by having a good run defense grade – his pass rush grade and metrics are not good. A run stuffing DE is not what fans want from the #3 pick. Its not what the 49ers FO want either. So he gets labelled a bust.
A better term would be a bad pick. He wasn’t worth the 3rd overall pick. However, he is a capable starting DE in base and has a useful role as a rotational DL. So while he was a bad pick at that spot, he’s worth having. That’s what most fans don’t accept – they can’t see past what they expected to see from the 3rd overall pick and those lofty expectations not being met.
Well said Scooter.
A run stuffing DE for a defense in 2016 that could not stop the opponents rushing attack, with the upside to provide disruption from the interior on obvious passing downs….
Yeah, He is not a bust… just a bad pick. Run stuffing DE’s are easy to find. You can get decent ones in rounds 3 through 5. I argued Blair, who was already on the roster, could have easily filled the same role.
Even as run defender, he would have more value if he didn’t always bite on the inside handoff and give the qb the edge everytime a rollout is called.
Thanks Scooter, and agree with Mid, well said
Thanks Razor & Shoup, appreciate the input and sounds like at this point the sentiment is not a bust but definitely wish we would have gone a different direction. Have to say I agree
Didn’t see your post before adding mine. We both highlighted similar aspects. Of course mine was a day late and a dollar short. ?♂️
You’re applying objectivity based on the NFL experience–demonstrated experience–over the decades. Good for you!
It’s a bit early in Solomon’s career to judge whether he’s a true bust or not. Upsetting to many, we just won’t know for sure until his career plays out. Chances are he’ll end up playing for another team or two before he retires–if he continues to play for the next 8-10 years. Scheme has a lot to do with his performance as well. It may turn out that he was a reach at #3. Perhaps he’s closer to a 3rd or 4th round talent when all is said and done.
Another way to gain perspective regarding Thomas is to check at the end of the 2019 season and look at all the other 1st round picks in the 2017 draft–how are they doing? Then check again in 2022…. There will be some true busts in the mix, and some stellar players picked in 6th and 7th rounds of ’17. We’re dealing with humans and the draft process isn’t perfect. At all.
Can anyone find true busts in the first 5 picks over the course of NFL history? Yup…
Thanks Cassie, makes sense. A 3 year and 6 year benchmarking among the available options seems reasonable and certainly would provide a solid body of work to compare against
” The 49ers traded up to get Pettis in the second round. Big mistake. ”
Add it to the list.
Kittle in the 5th round. Big correction. Add it to the list.
When you only get 3 out of 19 correct it’s not called getting it right it’s called getting lucky.
Not to mention that they got extra points off for trading up for the dud.
Maybe things will be different next year or maybe not.
Your personal beef with Shanahan is obvious and seems to be affecting you… Saleh getting a “it’s not his fault” pass says it all. The defensive players are poorly coached and the play-calling is usually atrocious. Outside of run D it is plain horrible unless you consider giving up the most 29th most points in the league acceptable (or even close to average). Fortunately for Saleh playing the college-level Raiduhs boosted that number a bit. Regardless, unless you want to declare the defensive cast a bust (ya know, that D ‘loaded’ with 5 first round picks), then what’s Saleh’s excuse? 3 of those first rounders are on that DL that couldn’t take advantage of the second worst OL in the league and a statue of a QB who’s nearing his exit….
As for Breida, reports say he got knicked for a bit (surprise!) which gave Morris those carries towards the end. And how many times can one go to the well with Kittle when the Giants finally woke up became determined to take him away in crunch time? I know Saleh is nice to you and Shanahan is a big meanie but try to keep it real at least… Shanahan being able to produce the 13th best scoring offense in the NFL with a 2nd and now 3rd string QB, a 2nd string RB and receivers that can’t stay healthy proves his coaching isn’t an issue…. Now if he decides to stick with Saleh for the long haul then he and I will have an issue :^}
Good post red.
“Shanahan being able to produce the 13th best scoring offense”
18th
And it again turned the ball over deep inside it’s own territory again last night.
Try again…. You’re going by points per game. I referenced total points scored (same for D) but whatevs….
Considering that the 49ers haven’t had their bye week and other teams have points per game would be the correct measure.
I’m not sure where you are coming from with your Twitter posts Grant.
Sir, Your incessant criticism of the head coach is tiresome to say nothing of ill informed and mean spirited. I suggest anyone interested in an in depth assessment listen to what Colin Cowherd said about Coach Shanahan on his Fox radio show this morning (opening of hour two).
Clearly sir, you have an ego of monumental proportions when you snarkily proclaim he “finally took my advice”. Small minds seem often to believe that belittling those in charge is the only way to appear knowledgeable. It’s not.
Let’s recall we are on our third qb, have no back up running back and our receivers are not being as useful as we all had hoped. Perhaps Pettis will become a player one day but I agree that the signs so far are not encouraging. I agree with your belief that our most recent drafts have been lest than exemplary. Serious improvement in the process is essential. I suspect even John Lynch would reluctantly agree. Legitimate criticism is certainly warranted but I suggest that wholesale assault on Kyle Shanahan is unjustified.
Sir, ANY coach who is 2-8 is not above reproach. If he was 8-2, I could see your point.
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Any coach who has consistently lost leads in the 4th quarter, deserves criticism.
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Let us recall that the present team did lead most of the game, so a win was possible.
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It is certainly legitimate to criticize a 2-8 coach. Petrino was even fired for it.
You can always argue about the choices a Head Coach made after a defeat, and a season not too good, but there are so ridiculous things that are written above. Grant Cohn is really insane when he writes that Shanahan “finally took my advice”.
The fact is that even though we say, we play the season without our # 1 QB, and our # 1 RB
most of the comments, are radical or kind of idiot, and it is to desperate to read the boards in English. a little moderation would do the greatest good to all.
I use that term, too, but it is just a literary device.
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However, considering the tension between KS and Grant, there may be something to that.
For Grant, sure, he uses it as a euphemism. But you use it for self adulation. Self delusion is NOT a literary device. It is a sickness of the mind and spirit!
So you should stay away from that.
Considering this statement…
“Legitimate criticism is certainly warranted but I suggest that wholesale assault on Kyle Shanahan is unjustified.”
I would say it’s fairly obvious he is not saying Kyle is above reproach.
QB = well said, only that I’d like to see CJ back out there at some point t o see how he bounces back. Mullens are is a noodle that’s a problem
RB = Breida can’t start, the dude can’t take a beating. He is always going to get hurt. We need another back. L. Bell perhaps.
WR = Pettis is only in his first year, but yeah I agree he should at least be a threat on punts. Reverse, screen something. But again first year he will need time to develop.
OL = sure
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DL = Did Solomon play? Man we must acquire 2-3 edge guys through FA and draft to compete
LB = The SAM was the weak link on base downs. Also that play to Barkley where both LBs over ran to the flat killed us.
Safeties = They played ok, it would be nice to have 1-2 explosive plays from them a game, a sack or turnover.
Corner = I didn’t think Witherspoon played that bad. The PI was suspect. The hold by Sherman was suspect as well.
Coaches = should have blitz Manning a lot more then they did. He gets flustered when hit. Man we need a pass rush
“Shanahan finally followed my advice and used Kyle Juszczyk as the third-down back. Juszczyk blocked well in this role.”
He’s been doing that all year at times.
“And Dante Pettis was awful.”
True, but he had nowhere to go on those screen passes.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: A.
Too high. Huge penalties on McG and Richburg late in the game.
“although I don’t blame Saleh for the collapse as much as I blame Shanahan.”
Of course you don’t. You’ve had it out for Kyle since the 2017 preseason. KS is getting production from an undrafted QB and HB, and our TE wasn’t a high pick. The D has given up four 4th quarter leads this year with Saleh looking clueless each time.
“Shanahan benched Breida,”
1. Breida has been dealing with an injury.
2. Bobby Turner decides which HB gets the carries. KS could override him, but he trusts Turner.
If Shanahan gets credit for Mullens good play does he get the same for CJB? What about the poor WR core? That’s his wheelhouse!
Isn’t he the head coach and should get on his DC to tighten up the ship?
“If Shanahan gets credit for Mullens good play does he get the same for CJB?”
I gave KS some credit for what he managed to get with a CJ led offense.
“What about the poor WR core?”
Incomplete due to multiple missed games by our #1 and #2 WRs. Same with Pettis, plus he’s a rookie. Goodwin went from mostly a decoy in Buffalo to an all around WR (when healthy).
Garcon was on pace for 1000 Yds last year, his reliable hands and veteran presence were needed. Sadly Garcon looks done now, but we have a team option on him after this season. I assume Garcon will be let go, we did shop him at the deadline. In the end, we only paid him for two seasons and his contract didn’t keep us from pursuing someone like Mack.
“Isn’t he the head coach and should get on his DC to tighten up the ship?”
See my post on down in the thread. KS said he would have liked to see Thomas on the final drive. If he questioned Saleh in public, I’m pretty sure he already did it in private.
Once again, the grades sting; and are accurate:
Can’t close out a game without the ability to maintain the run, and we gave up on the running back that can win.
Can’t close out a game without consistently good receivers, and Kittle didn’t get the last call.
Can’t close out a game without strong DBs and linebackers; and an edge rusher.
Next year the Niners should be better; but waiting draft after draft is a bummer. The big question is whether Shannahan is just an OC or a real HC.
“It’s hard to look at a team without its starting quarterback, near the top of the NFL in giveaways, with obvious roster holes at key positions like edge defender and in the secondary, and conclude that changing the defensive coordinator will fix things.”
~ Chris Biederman
He’s 100% right
That’s why he’ll get another year, but I think it’s becoming quite apparent that Saleh isn’t a very good coach. I’d be interested to hear Sherman’s opinion on him….
Yep. Though just because it wouldn’t fix everything doesn’t mean it wouldn’t improve some things.
What I would like to see is how the D looks with good edge rushers.
“What I would like to see is how the D looks with good edge rushers.”
It would be a lot better I think but they’d still struggle in coverage with Witherspoon.
Witherspoon might be better served by adding an elite FS to the mix.
An upgrade at FS certainly won’t go astray. An upgrade at CB wouldn’t go astray. But the most important upgrade is edge rushers.
Plenty edge rushers in this draft, FS not so sure. Scooter, question for you. Does the organization truly see Moore as a corner or are they just getting him better at coverage for the year in anticipation of Ward’s departure and plan on him being their FS?
I honestly don’t give two sh!ts how many good edge prospects there are in the draft. It is the team’s biggest weakness and trying to be smarter than everyone else by waiting to grab one in the 2nd round just means they aren’t getting one of the best ones available. I have no issues with trading back in the first so they can get some extra picks, but that first pick has to be an edge. And another later on. Plus a F/A. The edge rush situation is a debacle and has been for a few years.
As for Moore, yes, they clearly see him as a CB. Training him to play CB this year if they saw him as a long term starter at FS would be incredibly irresponsible in developing a player. Basically sets him back a year. What a waste that would be. Kind of like the team constantly moving Ward around.
Right on Scoots
There are a couple of good options at FS in Thomas and Mathieu Razor. I agree that the position is one that needs to be addressed, but unless they can sign two of out of the group of Lawrence, Clowney, and Clark, the 49ers are better off drafting Bosa with the second pick.
Scooter, I agree that the team needs to add two or three edge rushers.
Scooter, tell me how you really feel!? Seriously though, wrt edge, if Bosa is gone I’m not sure on Ferrell because he lacks the speed. I’m thinking that might be a more advantageous component to what we already have. Your thoughts?
Yeah, I’m not as sold on Ferrell as I once was. He’s good, but I think he’s a bit like Derek Barnett – good technician with only ok athleticism. Worth a 1st round pick but I think there are better options than him in the draft imo. If they moved down and got him in the teens I’d be happy. Or Polite. Or Sweat. Or Burns.
I think Polite would be my first choice of those three. He has elite speed off the edge.
Same.
Don’t forget Kentavius Street……..
I’m not. He’s another DE/DT big end type. 280lbs and never been much of a sack artist. If they are relying on him to be anything other than a rotational guy as a pass rusher they are living on a prayer.
Yup!!
110% right.
Seb you never watched any of them play. Your an idiot
Sigh, another troll.
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I witnessed history. I have not only seen ‘The Catch’ at the Stick, I was at Cal for ‘The Play’.
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I even saw the genesis of the Glory Years. The 38-35 comeback win over the Saints in 1980.
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One thing I do not think any other Poster on this site has witnessed, is seeing Bill Walsh acting like a casual fan and typical parent to watch his son play at UCD. Poor Bill, he tried to blend in, but every person was staring at him. We all respected his privacy, so he was not mobbed with fans. Jim Sochor ran into the stands after the game to shake Bill’s hand, and he never sat in the stands again.
A few simple thoughts. I would agree with Grants perspective of Shanny and Morris. Probably because I never felt Morris was a keeper from the beginning. The guy had a fluke preseason game that was totally set up by huge holes to run through against a bad run defense. Almost everyone on fan sites was touting him as being better than Breida . But then we usually approve of someone mirroring our own perspectives.
In respect to Pettis, he is still a rookie coming of an injury. Lets give him a bit of time to get back to what he was showing before he got injured. But then some people are doing what I am doing in respect to Morris. Trying to make our predictions sound better. lol.
In respect to the team. We have a roster loaded with first and second year players who are learning to play a new system. Them you add the disruption of continuity added by injuries. Perhaps that accounts for much of the inconsistency in team play and the inability to close out games. To few veterans. People are always touting experience and veteran play, so why should it be ignored in respect to this situation.
can hardly wait until Grant,Hammer and Sebbie take over the coaching and drafting of this team and lead us to the promised land.
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GM-seb
HC-Hammer
OC-Grant
Seb furiously works the phone, desperately trying to package several of our bad players. Eventually, other GM’s quit returning his calls.
OC Cohn goes deep against Seattle early and often, resulting in 3 to 5 picks. He tries to ride Kittle and Breida. When the opposition makes adjustments, Grant continues to try to ride Kittle and Breida, because hey if it worked earlier it should work every play. Oh, and 20 screen passes a game.
Coach Hammer is overly protective of his defense. He really wants to throw his OC under the bus, but it’s his buddy. After failing to win a single game, Coach Hammer snaps and starts to call the press morons.
Cohn rides Breida like Little Blackie, basically, to death trying to close out the game.
As GM, I would have retained Kaep. I would have kept Hyde and Reid.
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First draft, I would have moved back twice and selected Malik Hooker, since Thomas was duplicative. I would have saved the third round pick and selected Kamara. With the bonus draft picks from moving back, I would have targeted players like Raekwon McMillen ILB, Zach CunninghamLB, Etan Pocic C, Dawuane Smoot DE. Cooper Kupp WR, Dan Feeney OG,and Chris Wormley DE. Of course, it would depend on whose teams they trade with.
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I would not move up in the draft to get Foster, CJB, Williams and Pettis.. Those saved picks help rebuild the roster with more players under rookie contacts. I would not have drafted Witherspoon, but selected Fabian Moreau, Rasul Douglas or Jourdan Lewis, who were all taken after Witherspoon.
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I would have promoted Bobby Turner to OC so KS can help the defense and ST.
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In 2017, it would be a rebuilding season so I would have expected 8-8, even with Kaep.
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Since JG was not needed with Kaep. JG would not be in the picture. KS may have won 3 games without Kaep and JG. With a SB QB who has set playoff records, Niners could have been back in the playoff picture in 2018. If Kaep had started every game in 2018, they easily could have been 6-4.
FRAUD ALERT!!!!!
Grant is not a fan of Kaep, but as OC, he would know how to maximize his potential. He would play to his strengths, and disguise his weaknesses.
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Against the Seahawk, Grant would know that the Pete Carroll defense always keep everything in front of them. They take away the deep ball, and force the opposition to work their way down the field.
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Grant would get Kaep to attack the seams, work the edges, and stick to the short passing game to move the sticks. He would take advantage of the defensive speed by doing counters and misdirections.
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I do not know how Hammer would lead this team, but I bet he goes bold, and does not settle for FGs. He would send safety blitzes at Wilson because RW can run around defensive linemen. He would have them run the no huddle with quick snaps so the crowd noise cannot build to a crescendo.
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Hammer may not initially like Kaep, either, but he would play the hand dealt to him. Once Kaep storms the league, again, Hammer will appreciate a cannon armed QB who can shrug off arm tackles and run like a gazelle.
“Against the Seahawk, Grant would know that the Pete Carroll defense always keep everything in front of them. They take away the deep ball, and force the opposition to work their way down the field.”
Grant was advocating going deep against Seattle just last year! Did you forget?
“Grant would get Kaep”
Wow, how did I forget? The seb/Grant/Hammer trio all wanted Kap back. Give me a break.
“I do not know how Hammer would lead this team, but I bet he goes bold,”
I can’t speak for Jack on this, but I think he would be conservative. Both Jack and I were against going blitz heavy against KC. Plus he didn’t like us passing late against GB.
80. things change. Back then, maybe the deep ball would work once Earl Thomas went down, Now they will have installed the replacements.
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Wonder how your GM moves would pan out. Kaep is obviously better than CJB and Mullens did not shine last game. JG, with his ACL, is out of the picture. Right now, Kaep could come off his couch and lead the Niners to victory. He would be the best and healthiest QB in the building.
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Hammer would look back at this last game. The Niners should have gone bold, and gone for it on 4th and 3 yards. If they had made it, they could have bled the clock down so the Giants would not have time. Niners under new leadership, would have devised and designated a play that could get at least 3 yards. Settling for a field goal and giving them enough time, just allowed them to win. By going bold, they would be trying to win, instead of trying not to lose.
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Wonder if Hammer would have started a raw player like Nzeocha. Barkley ran right past him.
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Wonder if Hammer would have dialed up some exotic blitzes, instead of letting Eli remain almost untouched all game.
“80. things change. Back then, maybe the deep ball would work once Earl Thomas went down”
Thomas played that game. Grant wanted to target Kittle deep, which likely would have meant challenging Earl Thomas.
“Wonder how your GM moves would pan out”
I’m just a hack. I don’t think I could actually be a GM, HC, or OC, unlike you and a few others. I have my opinions and they’re not always right. As for my GM moves, I wouldn’t have a chance to succeed with the Cohn/Hammer combo. So I will project as if I was GM with KS as coach. I will only cite things I’ve said on here.
QB. Not sure if we get JG without Lynch, so I support KS’ decision to wait on Cousins.
I draft Jamal Adams.
I draft Josh Reynolds, he’s been decent this year. A RZ target as I thought he would be.
Foster was off my board after the combine incident.
Joe Williams off my board.
Free agency: No guarantees on being able to sign people. I sign Juice. I sign Garcon. I wanted Alshon. I wanted Bouye.
80, all my surmising is from you and ‘the k’ speculating about me being the GM. I do not claim I would be superior to JL, and Grant would not want to put in all the hours needed to be a Coach in the NFL.
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However, it is fun to speculate, and all our moves sound great. How they would turn out in real life are another matter.
Blah blah blah blah……
“I would have promoted Bobby Turner to OC so KS can help the defense and ST.”
Nah. You’re stuck with Grant and Hammer in this scenario.
80 that team run by that crew would fold in a matter of hours!
80, I wonder what you as GM, the k as OC and Razor as HC would do.
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Prime could be your water boy.
Who is the k?
I gave you part of my first GM run with KS up above. Here’s year 2.
Sign Cousins.
I don’t take Landry, because I know about his red flag as a GM.
I want Edmunds, but KS tells me McG is a better scheme fit than Brown and that he’s not sold on Brown. I give in to KS and try to get a good deal for Brown, not a freindly Lynch/Belichick type deal.
I draft a developmental edge, no later than the 4th.
I draft Valdez-Scantling to play WR/TE.
I sign Trumaine Johnson.
I try to trade for Gronk.
After missing on Gronk, I sign Jimmy Graham, yet another RZ target.
I let KS have Jet.
I sign Richburg.
Cousins gets a fully guaranteed contract, and goes to a playoff contender, which throws all your plans in the toilet.
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The k is the poster who started all this speculation, Scroll up.
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Missing out on Landry makes the natives restless.
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Brown does not attract much interest. Better to keep him, and move back in the draft to garner an additional second round pick. Select Minkah Fitzpatrick or Derwin James.
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Johnson does not pan out, and seems to be a waste of 72 mil, like he is on the Jets.
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Graham is old, and has no future with the Niners. He went to a possible playoff team.
Cousins would have signed with us.
“Missing out on Landry makes the natives restless.”
Actually, I would still have my early 2nd round pick if no JG deal. I take a chance on Landry there.
“Brown does not attract much interest”
He would. Brown might as well be a HOFer according to some on here.
“Select Minkah Fitzpatrick or Derwin James.”
But I already took Adams the year before.
“Johnson does not pan out, and seems to be a waste of 72 mil, like he is on the Jets.”
Johnson has missed 5 games due to injury. Injuries while unfortunate, are a part of the game.
“Graham is old, and has no future with the Niners. He went to a possible playoff team.”
I mentioned up above that there were no guarantees that I could sign whoever I wanted too. Just like Kap may not have signed with GM seb. Kittle would still be the star TE, Graham would be used in the RZ.
Hyde was given starter money and then traded by the Browns after Chubb showed that he was able to just as much at a fraction of the cost. He currently now sits on the Jaguars roster as backup to Fournette.
So the Browns…I’ll let that sink in, got a player as insurance and once their pick panned out, dealt him away. Brilliant! Why didn’t we do the same….
Like the Giants, Raiders, Bills..49ers are a bad team with no sense of direction or clue.
They cant win the big games, like last night. They need to bring back Jim Harbaugh. He can. If not, get his brother John. He sorta looks like him, with glasses
They need to run the damn ball. Bring back Jimmy Raye. He’ll run it, 3 downs he’ll run it. Then he will run it again. Right in their throat!
Then bring back CK to sling it. Bring back that magic..Catch the league by storm!
And bring back Scot Mcloughan!
Put down the drink Scotty my boy!!
Mark it down. ND will defeat Clemson in the playoffs.
Sigh, I’m a ND fan (NCSU Wolfpack first though), but I seriously doubt it.
https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/status/1062495284670881792
“#49ers Minutia Minute: Shanahan says he wishes Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas had played more in nickel situations vs. the Giants. Neither was on the field during NY’s game-winning drive.”
Rut-roh. Shanny with the blue cheese on his Saleh.
Looks like we’ll finally get a decent look at Thomas, hopefully Shanny tells Saleh to play him inside. Saleh isn’t safe.
https://mobile.twitter.com/PFF_Jeff/status/1062493159932850176?p=v
https://mobile.twitter.com/PFF_Jeff/status/1062493159932850176?p=v
“Breida dropped 6 of his 27 catchable targets last season, had the highest drop rate in NFL among RBs. This season he has 15 receptions and ZERO drops.”
Yeah, made a mention of this improvement last night in the live blog.
Shanny’s got a new crush, and who can blame him. I’m somewhat enamored myself:
“Nick Mullens is our starter until I say different,” Shanahan said Tuesday, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
We’ve been drafting d line and corners it seems like the last five drafts…
Guess the two biggest needs on this team?
Dline and corner….smh
The biggest needs are edge rusher and and free safety.
WR? I’m not sure if it’s because of the injury or not, but I’m pretty disappointed in Dante Pettis this year.
It’s definitely a position that needs someone to complement Goodwin a red zone target, but edge rusher and the lack of a good free safety have been the most glaring holes.
These clowns dont know what their talking about.
49ers hopefully get a chance to sign Kelvin Benjamin this off season…Outta 5 draft picks hopefully at least 3 are to help the pass rush.
The only reason the 49ers lost last night is their non existent pass rush…And brace yourselves when Mullens is tested, because he was horrible the few times he was under duress last night.
…. Everybody calling for the coach, does not football, or this generations players. Period
NN has an article defending Saleh. Guess it is pushback for the posters on this site.
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I like Saleh, but he needs help with better preparations, so the DBs know their assignments.
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No matter what, he has improved the run defense. He lost his starting FS and SS, so the pass defense has struggled. Witherspoon has been the biggest disappointment, and he needs to sit until he can look back and track the ball.
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Let the rookies play, with Sherman as the veteran leadership.
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Sherman has struggled with the poor hand dealt to him, but he has not caused any fire-able offenses.
* Saleh, not Sherman
Yea cause ppl actually care what the 7 ppl on this blog say. I mean the coach even gets his advice here.
Unreal
KS whined about blogs posting negative assessments of the players. He said that the players find out what is said, and it affects their play.
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Argue with KS, not me.
Your phony dude
Watch the tape, Witherspoon was actually in good position any time he was challenged. I think Beckham had one catch on him? If your expecting safety help, he did what your posed to do. Guys that never played football act like they know what’s up with their evaluations. Witherspoon has improved over the past few games, and Id like to see him keep it up…Not many CBs can cover Kenny Golloday with a bum ankle, and week 2 was his worst game by far..
Anyway watch Beckham burn CBS and than watch how Witherspoon didn’t back down… I cant wait for this thing to turn around next year, I really cant. Most of yall wont even be allowed to post, although I cant say anybody credible takes you serious now.
If you are defending Witherspoon, you lost all credibility. Even a blind man can see Witherspoon is hurting the team.
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This might turn around next season, but the way they are losing now, does not inspire me. They will keep finding ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Go ahead and post more, I could use a laugh.
I like that Shanahan has publicly put the players on notice, and called out the effort/ progress of some of the younger players. About time.
“We’ll see the guys who truly want to be a part of this,” Shanahan said. “And I see better than I hear. And I’ll always say that. And a lot of guys say the right things. I see guys work and their actions show it. … I feel we’re just getting started in finding out what our team is.”
I see better than I hear. Great way of putting it. Talk is cheap. Lots of guys have been talking about what needs fixing all season.
It also applies to the coaches, I hope!
I don’t understand why shanny went3 times to AM,
I know MB was tired but AM is you answer??? KS needs to work on his red zone offensive game plan/ execution.
Why not sign Terelle Pryor and give our QBs a big target who can outjump defenders? We need a receiver who has already produced a 1,000 yard season in a Shanahan offense. I love Garcon but he is mailing it in this season, not getting open & dropping way to many passes for his huge salary. Goodwin is awesome if he can stay healthy. We need someone who he can win on 50/50 jump balls. Pryor would be a cheap add and possibly fix our red zone issues & allow us to close out some games.