After the 49ers’ thumping of the Jets, here are my thoughts on the futures of Mike Singletary and Shaun Hill.
I blogged last week that the win-loss record is not as important for Singletary than his plan for the future. We saw the plan. The 49ers are a running team that best implements its talent on offense when it uses the threat of the run to set up screens and play-action passes.
If Mike Martz leaves as offensive coordinator, Singletary must find someone who can carry out that vision.
“I’m not just so gung-ho on running the ball,” Singletary said. “I want to run the ball. I think that is the game of football. But when it comes down to it, I believe that you have to do whatever it is that helps you win the game. To me, that’s smart football.”
After a rough beginning, Singletary is really settling into his job. We’ll give him a mulligan on that first game, and consider his record 3-2 as 49ers coach.
On the quarterback situation . . . what else can Shaun Hill do?
He should be the starter next season, unless Donovan McNabb falls in the team’s lap. (And the odds of that happening are not good.)
The 49ers can use a mid-round draft pick on a quarterback, but there is no question Hill should head into next season as the man.
J.T. O’Sullivan’s future with the team is in serious doubt. Alex Smith would be wise to return. If Smith goes to another team, he’ll be fighting for a roster spot. If he returns to the 49ers, he should be competing with a rookie for the No. 2 job.
Hill deserves the job. And he deserves to get the bulk of the offseason reps to improve himself – rather than compete for the job.
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And, now, from the pages of today’s Press Democrat . . . “49ers stifle Favre, improve to 3-3 under Singletary” . . . “Staley gets down on it for first TD” . . . and columnist Lowell Cohn says “Singletary earns right to shed interim title.”
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