49ers face red-hot Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes next

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) plays in an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

SANTA CLARA — His name is Patrick Mahomes, he’s the hottest young quarterback in the NFL and the 49ers could have drafted him. They didn’t. Now, they have to face him Sunday, and they’re six-and-a-half-point underdogs.

Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, started only one game last season as a rookie. This season, through two games, he has thrown 10 touchdown passes, zero interceptions and his quarterback rating is 143.3. Nearly perfect. Perfect is 158.3.

Mahomes comes from a gimmick, college offense at Texas Tech — lots of quick, short passes that often don’t translate to success in the NFL. When he entered the draft in 2017, some experts thought he was a product of that offense. The 49ers still considered drafting him, even met with him before the draft. They needed a quarterback. They hadn’t yet traded for Jimmy Garoppolo and given him a five-year, $137.5 million contract. They passed on Mahomes.

Obviously, the 49ers are happy with Garoppolo. He’s talented, even though he has struggled this season. His passer rating is merely 77.4. Still, he’s only 26.

But Mahomes is 23. And he’s much cheaper than Garoppolo. Mahomes will make “just” $16.4 million through 2020. Had the 49ers known how well he would play early in his career, they might have selected him and never traded for Garoppolo.

Instead, the 49ers used the third pick in the draft on defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, who’s a bust. A part-time player who doesn’t rush the quarterback well.

With the 10th pick, the Chiefs took Mahomes.

“It is tough to evaluate,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday.

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This article has 161 Comments

  1. I’d sure like to spoil the Chiefs pow wow this Sunday. S is for strong. A is for angry. L is for lethal. E is for excellent tackling. H is for hit with extreme prejudice….

    1. If they had drafted the Chief’s qb Hrant would still find a lot of fault in him. That is Grant.

      He will.never say to much good about sny 49er plsyer.

  2. Hey Grant …
    don’t be the ‘daisy downer” …. remember … even Jimmy has a loss …
    ( It’s time to introduce Mr. Mahomes to DeFoe Buckner ) …

    Might become a shoot-out and if it does ..
    I like the Niners chances …

    (Kaep beat Brady on their turf on a wet night — and since
    Jimmy is light years better … yeah
    I like our chances !

    … “…On any Sunday….”…. remember .. ?

    1. You mean Debbie, Not Daisy. Lay off the quoted phrases for a while, okay?

      And with all the ellipses after each sentence, you’re giving Oneniner circa 2012 a run for his money.

  3. Solomon Thomas a “Bust”. Too early for that assessment bud. Go back to the drawing board. Your the same guy that raved about Pettis being soft and dirt during the preseason and made a big deal about Sherman getting burned. Yea, you lost credibility altogether in my opinion

    1. Agreed. The average pash rusher takes years to develop. What an awful perspective from a one dimensional beat writer.

      1. WRONG…..the 3# pick in the draft is not supposed to be just “an average” pass rusher. when you make that pick you are supposed to be drafting an “ELITE” player who is a “pro bowl” lock, not a reach or a projection.

        Compare King Solomon to Mack or Clowney or other top 5 defensive linemen. He is not even a blip on the radar.

    2. Solomon Thomas shows every sign of a player you’d have been very happy to get in the 3rd or 4th round, who punches way above his weight class. A pretty reliable run stopper who can get the occasional sack, even though he’s undersized and not as talented as a Dwight Freeney.

      John Lynch and the FO were given six years to get it together. While the jury is still very much out on the players they’ve taken at the top of the draft, they’ve done OK with those taken at the bottom, and have found players to plug in and replace the roster they were left with, which was worse than any other team in the league. Their FA choices have been extremely variable in quality, with a few real head scratchers, but am confident they will get better in that area as well.

  4. So much stupidity in this story…..could make the case for a number of players being picked before Solomon – doesn’t mean they didn’t want Mahomes. As the others have pointed out, you don’t appear to have much credit to stand on.

      1. Solomon has been a colossal disappointment, but I think your putting the horse ahead of the cart, and isn’t it a little early to crown Mahomes?

        Besides, hindsight is 20-20. Haven’t we determined it’s far too easy to play this time traveling game?

          1. Yes indeed Cassie. I also love some of the other tricks Grant uses, like when he claims the 49ers should put a team away before the start of the 4th QTR. It’s a beautiful way to set himself up an opportunity to criticize the team, even if they run the ball down the Lions’ throat and end up winning the game.

            Before the Lions’ game, Grant wrote: “They (the Niners) should put away the Lions before the fourth quarter even starts.”

            Well, how often is the outcome of an NFL game determined before the start of the 4th QTR?

            The answer is: NOT VERY OFTEN!

            How convenient, lol.

            In reality, the mark of a good team is being able to consistently find ways to win the close games, because in the NFL, even the best teams are involved in a lot of fairly close games.

            1. Go back and read my game story. I praised the 49ers. The rest of the Bay Area writers criticized them.

              1. OK, I got blocked out behind the paywall on this one Grant, and I’ll admit, I made an assumption that I shouldn’t have.

                I jumped the gun and I take this last post back! My bad.

                I guess you’ve got me conditioned Grant. It’s what we call conditioned behavior, lol. I guess I just kind of figured you were going there. We can agree then, that more often than not, NFL teams usually find a way to hang around into the 4th QTR?

              2. Absolutely. I was almost correct, though! Haha.

                If you get locked out behind a pay wall, open the article in an incognito window.

              3. The defense deserves most of the criticism right? The way the DL is allowing QB’s to step up into the pocket on 3rd down, and find all kinds of daylight and real estate to hang out and wait for guys to get open. It’s ridiculous. This is a product of lack of edge pressure. Saleh is forced to bring pressure using his best interior guys (Buckner, Day), because the defense can’t get home with the edge rushers!

                It’s ugly! They knew this was an issue, and it’s one area they dropped the ball this year, IMO …. just keeping it 100% real!

                And, BTW, Solomon deserves a little bit of the blame. He hasn’t really improved as a edge pass rusher. That, plus Cassius Marsh is who he is ….

                A cannot wait to see Foster, Warner develop their chemistry in the middle! Hopefully someday we’ll see Malcom Smith in uniform, he could be a great depth piece.

              4. I thought the issue was injuries? The whole thing went up in flames once McKinnon got hurt. Wasn’t that what you babbled on about all last week?

              5. This defense desperately needs Foster. A huge bonus would be Malcolm Smith, back on the field playing at his best football, or even close. No doubt, more help at ILB is going to be big for this defense, and I really think both DJ Reed and Tarvarius Moore are going to make a positive impact in this backfield at some point this season.

                But, geesh, how bad does this team need a premier “LEO” pass rusher / edge defender? Holy smokes …. they need one!

              6. Serious Jack? Let’s put it this way …… if Najee Toran starts at RG, the 49ers probably lose to the Lions. So yah! Mike Person returning to anchor the right side of the line made a world of difference, as we saw in the way they were running the ball over the right side of the OL. Most of the sacks were coverage sacks, and Jimmy just holding the ball too long.

                What we saw last week was CHAOS on the right side of the line Jack!

                Breida just might be able to transition to McKinnon’s role as we saw a little bit of last week, but it takes time to adjust.

                Kyle’s has scratched a number of the plays he was hoping to use on opening day. Just crossed off, done for now.

                So yah, the biggest difference was moving the rookie RT Mike McGlinchey back to his, you know Jack, the position he actually has played all of his life, and having an experience RG in Mike Person, who knows Kyle’s system well!

              7. You’d pretty much said McKinnon’s injury ended the season for this team, and equated it to what happened when Hearst got hurt DURING a game in Atlanta.

                You’d have thought the whole place was up in flames reading your comments last week.

                You’re a prisoner of the moment type.

              8. No, I never said that Jack. I said injuries were currently killing the team (and could very well have cost them the Vikings game) and if the injuries continue, the season will go up in smoke in a hurry. You simply cannot run out of dressed offensive linemen, forcing you to move your rookie RT to RG, and expect good results against good defenses. And I stand by that.

                The last I heard, Najee Toran was starting at RG last weekend. I did not have a good feeling about that at all. An all rookie right side of the OL, with who as the backup? Thankfully, the savvy veteran Mike Person was able to go! That was HUGE!

                As for McKinnon. It was a huge blow. It’s the kind of injury that makes an already brutal early schedule that much tougher. Breida had a great game, but are we really expecting Matt Breida to lead the league in rushing? Because I was thinking McKinnon might go for 2,000 this year – 1,300 yds rushing, 700 yds receiving. You can’t really replace that kind of production with Breida and Morris, at least, not the way Kyle had planned.

                I’ve said more than once that, Kyle and this offense will adjust to life without McKinnon, but that it was going to take some time, and time isn’t on their side schedule-wise during the first half of the season.

              9. And for the record, the Lions game was a game the 49ers should win period! I’m talking about most of the other games that sit on the first half of their schedule. Regardless of the OL, the 49ers were a 8-10 win team with McKinnon and Goodwin, and a 5-7 win team without them. Closer to 3 or 4 wins, by the way, if McGlinchey is going to be playing Guard this season! SMH!

                Never said it was a death blow. But, it was against the Vikings, that’s for sure. And it’s one of the reason this offense has looked out of sorts through the first 2 weeks. That, and missing Marquise Goodwin. In fact, If they don’t have Goodwin Sunday, I doubt they can keep up with the Chiefs high powered offense.

      2. Grant if he Mahoney played for the 49ers he would be destroyed.

        No WRs. Other than Q and Kittle

        No RB outside of Brieda

        No O line outside of Joe.

        We will contend and go even further next year.

        Also K.C. Is doing what they do and then they will implode.

  5. 200 % Agree ..Lynch wasted 3rd overall pick (he could have traded for couple of 2nd rounds plus some player) for Soloman Thomas who I am sorry to say is a BUST . He is now going against fully grown O lineman and just does not have the strength or explosiveness to get pass them. I see him getting bullied by O lineman all the time. No idea why Lynch jumped the gun so fast in the draft .Sad. He needs to play Angry if hr needs to do better ..Bring out the dawg in you solly ..You playing too soft✌️

  6. Everyone who passed on Brady was a chump. True dat.
    Everyone who passed on Montana was a chump. True dat.
    Everyone who passed on Mahomes was a chump. Perhaps.
    The blogosphere, where everyone’s hindsight is 20/20, and few can get over their own brilliance.
    Spitting on the windward rail.

  7. Thomas is a bust after 18 regular season games, Mahomes was a genius pick after playing in 3…..

    I think it’s safe to say we don’t know everything about either one.

    1. I’d love to see Solly sack Mahomes at least 3x on Sunday.
      That would make for a completely different conversation next week.

      Solomon would go from the “bust” label (as a few have called him) to looking more like a justified 3rd overall pick.

      Mahomes’ balloon would go from stratosphere to tierra firma in one game.

        1. SEA,
          Well, maybe improbable, but not impossible.
          I’ve been around long enough to remember the 1981 season when the 49ers went to Pittsburgh and play the 4 time SB champions Steelers and won in a big upset.

          Am I an optimist? Yes.
          Am I going out on a limb to believe that we can go to KC and beat arguably the best in the league? Yes.
          Why? Because we have been in this type of situation before and have come out winners.

  8. If I’m writing this screenplay, Solomon has 3 sacks and a forced QB fumble this Sunday. The team carries him off the field at the end to chants of SOLLIE! SOLLIE!

  9. Grant, it’s not that they didn’t want Mahomes, they didn’t need him. Remember, the plan for the Niners franchise QB was to arrive the next year in the person of Cousins. In that scheme of things, with all their other needs, Mahomes would have been a wasted pick.

  10. Hey all…. Go back into the Press Democrat archives from the run-up to the 2017 draft. Check Grant’s lucid assessment of the QB crop. He didn’t mercilessly trash Mahomes, nor did he hail him as the God Grant sees him as today. Check out Grant’s words.

    And Grant… What would you be writing today about Ryan Fitzpatrick if the 9ers were playing Tampa Bay this Sunday?

    So Solomon Thomas is a bust. How many games is he into his career and he’s earned the title bust (as certified by Grant)? Gee Grant, must he carry that title for the remainder of his career? Any chance he can shed it? What is your criteria–if any–for losing the title ‘bust’?

    OMG, what happens if Mahomes becomes mortal as the season wears on, and by his 3rd year of starting his numbers fall into the Cam Newton/Andy Dalton range?

  11. Imagine what Grant would be writing if the 9ers were going up against Tampa Bay and Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday….

    Fitzpatrick’s numbers are pretty darn good two weeks into the season. 9ers shoulda been able to see into the future and traded for Fitzpatrick, not Garoppolo… Shoulda! Idiot 9er GM!

  12. The PD if they were smart would put up a pay wall to post comments instead of reading the articles. That way they would rake in the green

  13. Mahomes has played well and I don’t want to take anything away from him. I expect the Chiefs to put up quite a few points against the 49ers this weekend and probably win the game. Having said that, Tyreek Hill is the main cog in that offense. He’s dynamic with the ball and he effects the defense when he doesn’t have the ball. Also, this is the MO of the Chiefs offense under Andy Reid. They start out hot and then they fizzle. I fully expect that will happen this year too. Chiefs probably make the playoffs but they won’t make the AFC Championship game. Steelers, Patriots, Jags, and maybe the Bengals are better.

    1. How do you beat the Chiefs? You hit, crash, bang, bump, rub,lean, smash, crash into Mahomes every single snap!

      1. And which of the 49ers pass rushers do you expect to actually get a hand on Mahomes? Reid’s O-lines are usually very good. Buckner will get double and triple teamed throughout this entire game. Who else is going to step up?

        1. HOU, everyone and anyone! Saleh has to devise a scheme to confuse and fluster Mahomes.
          Like any QB in the NFL, they don’t like to be banged around. Otherwise it will be a walk in the park.
          All eyes this weekend for me will be on how will our DC come up with a plan to slow down that offense.

          1. Sherman off the corner–CB blitz! #25 re-injures his Achilles while stripping Mahomes of the ball. Solomon recovers and runs 44 yards for the TD.

          2. Well what would be YOUR plan to harrass Mahomes.? Buckner is your best pass rusher so he’s automatically doubled. Who else on the d-line can beat a 1v1? I don’t see anyone. So now you need to come up with some blitz packages. Are you bringing Malcolm Smith or Fred Warner? Are you taking your best cover LB, Reuben Foster, out of coverage to rush the passer? So then are you going to be in man coverage on Kelce with Smith or Warner? Are you going to blitz a safety or CB and risk Tyreek Hill beating you deep? The options here are not good for the 49ers. They simply don’t have the personnel to have a strong rush attack this year. They need a d-lineman other than Buckner who can beat a 1v1 and they simply don’t have one.

            1. Last game, I noticed a play where Thomas got the double team treatment, which allowed Buckner to break free off the edge….

            2. All great questions HOU. Like I said it’s up to Saleh to come up with a plan to beat the Chiefs with the personnel at his disposal.
              My point is look at all the great QB’s, they all were or are neutralized by beating them up.
              How Saleh does it is up to him. I’m just suggesting that’s it’s a wise way to approach a guy like Mahomes.

      1. Hypothetical — If the Chiefs and Steelers played a 9 game series in 2018, which would win overall?

        1. Steelers aren’t as safe a bet this year as most years. To your point, Chiefs offense has been figured out late in seasons. Last year someone ( Bruschi?) said Reid showed his entire playbook in first six weeks, then teams caught up.
          Mahomes mobility may make up for that. He has as strong an arm but more accurate this year and more mobile than Stafford, and now with confidence.
          Tough challenge.

          1. The Steelers franchise has been a model of stability. They are a mess right now but I’m willing to bet they get their act together. Way too many veterans on that team to let it fall apart.

          2. Mahomes is also playing behind what appears to be arguably the best OL in the league, or at least the AFC. That certainly magnifies his already formidable talents in surveying the field, making fast decisions, and his quick release and accuracy. If that OL plays up to their capabilities, god help the Niners front line over the course of the game.

      2. The Steelers are a team in chaos.
        Bell continues to be a no-show and Antonio B, is having sideline meltdowns.

        Tomlin has lost the locker room and the respect of his big money players.
        The Steelers will be fighting to be a 500 team this season with Tomlin on the hot seat.

    2. « this is the MO of the Chiefs offense under Andy Reid. They start out hot and then they fizzle »

      Yeah I’ve been thinking the same thing

              1. If they start having success in the playoffs or even happen to win it all in a year or two he’ll get his long term deal before 2022.

              2. All great questions HOU. Like I said it’s up to Saleh to come up with a plan to beat the Chiefs with the personnel at his disposal.
                My point is look at all the great QB’s, they all were or are neutralized by beating them up.
                How Saleh does it is up to him. I’m just suggesting that’s it’s a wise way to approach a guy like Mahomes.

            1. More talented? If I’m not mistaken Mahomes overthrew like 3 wide open receivers that game. Not that much more talented. Plus niners o line sucks and chiefs have way more weapons than we do. You give jimmy tareek hill Travis Kelce Sammy Watkins and Kareem hunt and its curtains.

            2. Not sure why my comment appeared here.

              Anyways,Mahomes is good but he will come back down to earth. Hopefully this weekend.

            3. You dont know that, Grant! It is, in fact, a relatively small sample for both. He is currently the flavor of the month–at THIS moment.
              How can you possibly think Mahomes is going to stay hot like this month after month?

              You knee-jerkers remind me of the bad Eddie—you really, honestly expect the equivalent of a SB every year! Need i remind you that their are world class athletes on the OTHER side of the ball, who are desperately trying to win as well? No time or room for growth, for evolving, maturing as a team? You see no difference in talent with this team………and the team just one short year ago???? This need for immediate gratification……..I’ll stick with Grapps as long as i continue to see improvement.

          1. exactly. and that o-line is good too. Put Garoppolo with those weapons and hes an MVP candidate in my opinion.

            1. How do you separate the QB from the players around him? With that sentiment Joe Montana wasn’t anything special either considering the HoFers he was playing with.

              1. Remind me again of how many other HoFers were on offense with Montana? Especially on those 81-84 teams.

          2. True. In general, it’s tougher to afford premium weapons when the QB makes as much as Garoppolo does.

          3. It takes a good QB and some weapons. Neither can do it on their own. Alex Smith had the best year of his career with this group. Mahomes is taking them to another level.

            1. « Mahomes is taking them to another level. »

              Really? Their offense has scored only 4 points more than they did in the first two games of last season.

              The only real difference is that they are scoring TD’s through the air instead of with runs. And a couple of the TD’s in the SD game where on shovel passes I believe, I know for sure that 1 of them was.

              1. Jack Hammer why are you always referencing last year? Like you always regurgitate,new team new year. Last year was meaningless and has no bearing on this year right?

              2. They’ve scored 4 more points and the difference in yards per attempt is less than .75.

                I’m not trying to minimize his hot start, but he’s not taking that offense to another level yet.

              3. Chris,

                Simple. When someone makes a comment like taking them to “another level” you should go back and compare where they were previously.

              4. Explosive and high scoring passing offense I meant to say.

                It also wasn’t based on a statistical analysis. This is pure eyeball test.

              5. We’ve had both Chiefs games available in Nor Cal and Mahomes has received a lot of help from YAC by Hill, or wide open window throws to Kelce.

                I’m not sure I’d say he’s making them more explosive in the passing game as much as he has guys making plays. That’s a little bit of a chicken or egg question though which I get.

                Going back to the original take in this thread, the Chiefs offense is once again off to a hot start. In the past they’ve then fizzled out. It’ll be interesting to watch and see if they can keep it up.

              6. From Eric Branch –

                Richard Sherman on Steelers vs. Chiefs: “I think they made it way too complicated. (Patrick Mahomes) made great plays and great throws, but there were a lot of guys running scot-free, buck-naked wide open.”

              7. Until Mahomes proves he can do it over a long stretch I don’t think we can really know just how good he is. But he sure has looked excellent through the opening two weeks.

                As Jack says though (and Sherman), he has benefited from his receivers getting wide open. Reid has also done a good job of keeping things pretty simple for him – smart coaching. And he has also benefited from a clean pocket mostly. A couple years ago Derek Carr was being touted as the next great QB when he had the luxury of being the least pressured QB in the NFL. Now some people are questioning whether he will ever be good enough.

                As to which QB I would prefer between JG and Mahomes, I’d happily take either right now.

            2. Well said Scooter. Like everything in the NFL, the hype gets blown out of proportion. Just last week Sam Darnold was the next Joe Namath. This week he’s not.
              The league has a funny way of bringing people and the hype back down to earth.
              Let’s hope we have a good game plan and keep it competitive.

              1. “The league has a funny way of bringing people and the hype back down to earth.”

                Kinda like we’ve seen with Jimmy G? ?

              2. Yes. When there is film teams catch up. The thing is Jimmy G is winning games and will only get better. He has the intangibles, he just needs more experience.

              3. That’s just it Prime. He’s played 9 NFL games. This regime once they get him a every down back and a someone emerges as an elite WR, plus Shannys play calling, he will win many more games

              4. But I can swear all I kept reading about around here during the offseason was how much better he’d be this season than last, especially after having time to digest the full playbook, work with the receivers, etc. So far that hasn’t happened though.

                Perhaps this will be the week that he breaks out and puts up numbers like he did last year. He should be able to considering the Chiefs have allowed an average of 430 pass yards per game the first two weeks. We’ll see.

              5. I don’t think Jimmy G has been great but he hasn’t been bad either. It’s 2 games and they are 1-1 with a lot of reasons working against them. But hey, no excuses, it’s on to the Chiefs. Let’s talk Jimmy after the game.

              6. Jimmy was bad in week 1, decent in week 2. This one will be interesting. Tough environment for the second time this season. Looking forward to Sunday.

              7. 45.5 completion percentage, 3 picks (let’s say 2 though), QB rating of 45.1. Yeah that’s bad. No exaggeration.

              8. Kinda like we’ve seen with Jimmy G? ?

                Yup and Witherspoon! Remember how some believed he was a shut down corner?

              9. And Colbert too.

                Basically, until someone proves they can consistently produce at a high level they shouldn’t be anointed. Maybe all of three guys (JG, Witherspoon and Colbert) will become great players, maybe none of them will. We just don’t know yet.

              10. Scooter I need to see Witherspoon and Colbert do something this Sunday.
                Both guys need to step up their game. I would even say that our secondary entirely except for Sherman, hasn’t been very good the first two weeks of the season

              11. “I would even say that our secondary entirely except for Sherman, hasn’t been very good the first two weeks of the season”

                They’re 10th in yards per pass allowed.

              12. “I would even say that our secondary entirely except for Sherman, hasn’t been very good the first two weeks of the season”.

                Agreed. Outside of the 2nd half against the Vikings I haven’t been too impressed with how they have fared.

                Though I don’t know what you mean when you say you need to see Witherspoon and Colbert do something this Sunday. Are you saying that if they don’t you are going to write them off? Or that if you see them playing well this week you will be ready to anoint them? Or something else?

                Regardless, I don’t think what happens against the Chiefs will tell us much one way or another. Its just one game. But the 49ers chances of winning Sunday will go up immensely if those two play well.

              13. Saleh needs to have a good scheme dialed up. I know I’ve repeated this but our defense and running the ball is what wins in KC.
                29 SF
                19 KC

              14. A good game from Colbert and Witherspoon will tell me if these guys are bonadfide starters or good depth guys

              15. Well, have to say I find that pretty funny given the comments though this thread have been about how people shouldn’t be so quick to judge players. Worth keeping in mind that both Colbert and Witherspoon, like JG, each have less than 10 starts to their names. Colbert only has 6, and he barely played during college as well so he’s not gotten a lot of game experience at all. And you are saying that the game this week will determine in your mind whether they are going to be good or not.

              16. Yes big plays, play maker type plays. Both guys should be a factor Sunday. Otherwise we’ll need to see what Moore and DJ Read can do

          1. Reid hasn’t won anything with some good teams and he’s been a head coach forever. I don’t think Shanny is a comparable comparison since he’s only been a head coach for 1.5 years

            1. Andy Reid has had much more success in the NFL than Kyle Shanahan and Reid is 6 years younger than Bill Belichick. Reid has had a level of success coaching 2 different teams so he’s doing something right. I’m not a huge fan of his but his resume is much more impressive than Kyle Shanahan’s. I know tenure and age play into that but Kyle hasn’t proven he can do anything as a head coach. Reid is proven.

          2. As a head coach, Reid. As the offensive tactician, Shanahan. Though my hunch is that Shanahan wouldn’t be as good for Mahomes’ growth/development as Reid has been.

            That’s as of now. However, in a couple of years, who’s to say?

              1. I’d grant that Reid has been the best offensive tactician since Holmgren. But for the purposes of analogy only, here’s how the baton is being passed:

                Reid:Shanahan :: Gillman:Walsh

  14. Grant… Why aren’t you making a similar pitch for Ryan Fitzpatrick? 9ers coulda traded for him–likely for less than Jimmy G. After 2 games Ryan’s QBR leads the league! 151.5!

    Two games is a great benchmark point, wouldn’t you agree?

    1. « Why aren’t you making a similar pitch for Ryan Fitzpatrick? »

      Perhaps because they aren’t playing the Bucs this week? ?‍♂️

    2. Gotta say, Ryan (Z.Z.) Fitzpatrick has been lights-out so far this season, especially given the tools he’s been given to work with. Maybe he reverts to the mean going forward, but no other QB has been so exciting to watch during the Bucs’ first two McGyver episode games.

  15. Grant, gotta push back on the Thomas bust label.
    .
    Solomon Thomas is not a bust. A bust would not even get on the field. He did not have the benefit of the OTAs and Mini camp last season, and they seemed to play him out of position. However, the 2 years before, the Niner run defense was putrid. They allowed a historic amount of yards, letting third string RBs gain 200 yards. Thomas was drafted to shore up the run defense, and he did help the team.
    .
    Another factor is the depth on the D line. They did not know if Armstead could stay healthy. They acquired Day later in the season. Marsh was another player the Niners picked up on the waiver wire. Blair had always been a bubble player, so his emergence was not predicted. Thomas was chosen to help the run defense, and he has done that,
    .
    Now, they will not play him on third down plays, so he should not be expected to get a lot of sacks. Thomas is getting snaps, and has put pressure on the QB.
    .
    AJ Jenkins was a bust. Solomon Thomas is not. Expecting attrition, Solomon Thomas may emerge as a stalwart on the D line.
    .
    About Mahomes, many posters, Grant included, thought that air raid QBs never prospered in the NFL. Luckily, Mahomes got to sit behind AS and study for a season. There was a reason why Reid got rid of AS. He obviously determined that Mahomes is superior to AS, and these last 2 games showed why his assessment is correct.

    1. Seb

      Why do you bother to regurgitate the same nonsense day after day…?
      The same point(s) have been made…he’s not big enough to play the position…I don’t see why Saleh doesn’t play him at the edge…he does have the speed to occasionally beat someone…at least opponents would have to be wary of him….

      1. Ore, Grant is trolling us with the- Solomon Thomas is a bust- label.
        .
        I disagreed with Grant, and explained why I feel that he will contribute.
        .
        You are one of the peanut gallery who harp about his size. I think his quickness counters the -lacks size label.

  16. Niners should look at the Cowboys-Giants game, and see how they used stunts and twists to get to Eli. Of course, the KC O line is much better than the Giants, but those tactics resulted in 6 sacks.
    .
    I also like the delayed blitz up the middle of either Foster or Warner, with the one staying behind taking on Kelsey.
    .
    If the Niners get to Mahomes early, they may rattle him, and force him to make mistakes.

      1. I mentioned the recent contest between the Cowboys and Giants. How can that be a repetition?
        .
        Foster is returning, so I did not mention him in the first 2 games.
        .
        I Did not see – getting to Mahomes early- in previous posts.
        .
        You are trying too hard.

    1. Nick

      I’m not so sure about Mahomes being the next Kaepernick…but a combination of Jeff George and Kaepernick…I will buy into…strong arm, and stubborn…We’ll see…my money’s on Jimmy G…

    2. Speaking of Kaep, he might be signed in the next week or so.
      .
      Mahomes does have similarities to Kaep. Productive college career. Cannon for an arm. He is benefiting from being surrounded with talent, just like Kaep did in 2012.
      .
      However, Mahomes is not fleet of foot, and he would have to make it to a SB before he can be compared with Kaep. Mahomes is certainly incapable of rushing for 181 yards in a playoff game.

  17. Mahomes is nothing like Kaepernick. He reads defenses. Kaepernick reads Marx and Mao. One is in the league, the other is Nike’s fetish.

    Niners blew it by not drafting Mahomes.

    Kyle was fixated on Cousins, so much so that if it weren’t for CJ Beat-Hard getting hurt, I’m not sure Jimmy G would’ve played, because I think the plan was to trade him and sign Cousins.

    I’m not convinced that Shanahan is in love with Garapolo.

    We’ll see how this plays out long term, but Grant is righ; Mahomes is better and will be better than Jimmy G.

    1. Hey Slamd…. Question. How did you feel during the first round of the 2017 draft? Did you want Mahomes then? Several on this blog didn’t feel he’d be any good. Grant was kinda so-so, thinking he’d be taken a little later. Grant also thought Cal’s Webb was somewhat interesting. Again, did you want the 9ers to take Mahomes in the first round?

      1. Absolutely. I don’t post here often. I was posting heavily on another forum that was 49er based and had a separate draft forum and I was driving the Mahomes bus. I watched tons of film and could see that he had a skill set that was incredibly rare. I knew they wouldn’t draft Mahomes, because he’s too close to RGIII in some ways and the Shanahans had to go into therapy after that experience. Knowing they wouldn’t take Mahomes, I was hoping they would take Barnett, Adams, or Lattimore. I was high on Barnett as a pure pass rusher. Thomas–not so much.

  18. Imagine what Grant would be writing if the 9ers were going up against Tampa Bay (Fitzpatrick) on Sunday–not Mahomes and the Chiefs.

    QB numbers of Fitzpatick and Mahomes after 2 weeks follow. Yes, that’s two weeks. Grant and some others are quite happy to award All Pro and HOF honors to players after 2 weeks. Here we go….

    R. Ftitzpatrick — 48 of 61, 78.7%, 819 yds, 13.4 avg yds per comp, 409.5 yds per game, 8 TDs, 1 INT, 151.1 rating

    P. Mahomes — 38 of 55, 69.1%, 582 yds, 10.6 avg yds per comp, 291.0 yds per game, 10 TDs, 0 INT, 143.3 rating

    1. Oh, and along with doling out All Pro and HOF honors, Grant and like thinkers are lightning quick to pin bust labels on young players. Can’t wait for the Pettis-is-a-bust determination. Seems McGlinchey was close to Grant’s bust threshold just a few weeks ago. Any others? Foster was supposed to be in prison by now, but that didn’t quite play out the way it was forecasted.

  19. Mahomes throws the ball low and the receiver has to reach down. I’m sure Sherman saw that too and told Witherspoon what to do.

    1. C’mon Hammer, can you please let me enjoy a freakin’ win ?
      If the Lions did not put a defender in front of McG it’s on them not MM.

      1. “If the Lions did not put a defender in front of McG it’s on them not MM.”

        Yeah that’s pretty much what I was saying.

  20. “DNP — CB Richard Sherman (heel), G Joshua Garnett (toe), S Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder).”

    Well crap!

  21. Watching the Jets-Bengals game. In keeping with the spirit of our blog master dishing up instant hot takes–it would appear that Sam Darnold is a bust. Jets blew their #1 pick.

    Maybe the 9ers could unload Garoppolo on NY.

    1. BOOMER SOONERS!!!
      Sorry looked like Taylor wanted out of that game. He was getting murdered because his decision making was slow and horrible.
      Wonder if he thought Mayfield would wilt under that pressure.

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