This is my Monday column. Trent Baalke has to be swallowing hard this morning. Blaine Gabbert, the quarterback Baalke acquired to back up Colin Kaepernick, has a passer rating of 17.6 through two exhibition games. Trading for Blaine Gabbert was Baalke’s worst decision as an NFL general manager, worse than his decision to draft A.J. Jenkins or to trade for Jon Baldwin or to invest in a red-shirt draft choice…
The 49ers will beat the New York Jets 23-13 on Sunday. Here’s how it will happen: The Jets will get the ball first. Either they’ll win the toss and choose to receive the kickoff or the 49ers will win the toss and defer. Tony Sparano, the Jets’ offensive coordinator, will call a Shonn-Green run up the middle on first down, and Green will gain one yard. Sparano will call a…
Take this for what it’s worth – Alex Smith has always been bad on third down. Before I explain, let me define my terms. “Average” on third down would be a 38 percent conversion success rate and five conversions per game. In 2006, Smith’s first full season starting, the Niners offense converted 34.45 percent of third downs and averaged 4.5 third-down conversions per game. Both figures ranked 26th in the…
Look, I’m on the outside, but I can’t help but notice that Mark Sanchez just got a five-year contract extension from the Jets, $24 million guaranteed. Alex Smith is a better quarterback than Sanchez. It would be embarrassing for Smith and his agent to accept a three-year deal with less than $20 million guaranteed. The best move for them is to find out if a team like the Seahawks or…
In Matt Maiocco’s latest article he argues there are two main reasons the 49ers can’t sign an impact wide receiver like Plaxico Burress: No recent winning tradition. No proven quarterback. I agree with Matt, but here’s my question for you. Which reason plays a bigger factor in the 49ers striking out with Burress? I’m saying the second one, the one about the quarterback is the main reason. A good quarterback…
