Official 49ers Thread

[DrumNFeather]

The season over. I'm not sure what they do at this point. I guess try and develop some of their young talent.

I'm really surprised the D gave up 125 on the ground to a banged up Eagles team. Shocked, in fact. But they doubled PW a lot.

It sucks that the O-line has so many first round picks, but cannot make a play when needed - pass blocking or on the run. Gore was 18 for 52. That's never going to work.

That's it for AS as a Niner. He'll play out the season, I guess. Though it will only be as a tryout to move as a backup somewhere.

On AS: I was impressed AS told Sing to keep him it. It looked like Davis and Smith were telling him to let them open the game up. It took some balls to go back out there and drive it for two TDs – and silence his *own* crowd. It would have been an all-timer, if they could have pulled it out. As we've seen against the Saints, Falcons and now the Eagles, it's just not going to happen this season.

oh well.

In their division, the season won't be over for quite some time.

[Surfah]

In their division, the season won't be over for quite some time.

It's over now with Mad Max at the helm.

[DrumNFeather]

It's over now with Mad Max at the helm.

Not according to the 49ers owner..."we're going to win the division!"

I couldn't find the Jim Fassel clip of "this team is going to the playoffs..." but it made me think of it.

[Surfah]

I think Singletary has to go. It seems to me that he may have lost his team some.

[DrumNFeather]

I think Singletary has to go. It seems to me that he may have lost his team some.

Well, I think the owner's statement just goes to show that he (the owner) is willing to let Singletary (and Alex Smith) go down with the ship. So, if they end up 9-7, great...if they end up 3-13, then both are gone baby gone.

[Sizzle]

I think Singletary has to go. It seems to me that he may have lost his team some.

At this point I think I agree. There isn't a better option right now to take over. So I think they give him to the end of the year and if they miss the playoffs, in comes Chucky or Harbaugh.

[LA Ute]

I've been a 49er fan for a long time (hey, no team in L.A.!) and it's pretty depressing to see what they have become. I do think Alex could be very good. Even Montana or Young would struggle if they were running for their lives half the time they dropped back to pass. Kind of like Young had to do during his time with the Bucaneers. At that point in his career people thought Steve was a bust too.

[Sizzle]

I've been a 49er fan for a long time (hey, no team in L.A.!) and it's pretty depressing to see what they have become. I do think Alex could be very good. Even Montana or Young would struggle if they were running for their lives half the time they dropped back to pass. Kind of like Young had to do during his time with the Bucaneers. At that point in his career people thought Steve was a bust too.

Here is where I disagree with the Steve Young/Alex Smith comparisons.

1) Steve had two years in the NFL. Alex is in his 5th season. He's had ample opportunities and he's flashed potential, but he hasn't been consistent at all.
2) The Tampa Bay teams of those years were absolutely terrible. On both sides of the ball. Smith is playing with the best linebacker in the NFL, a top 5 TE, a top 10 RB, etc. Smith is surrounded by MUCH better talent than Young was in Tampa.
3) While Smith is not totally at fault, when he's pressured he's made horrible decisions. You can deal with it when you're learning, but by the time you're in your 5th year, you should be playing at a higher level.

I wanted to see Smith succeed. He's had chances, and he's flashed potential. I'm not sure that he is the biggest stumbling block for San Fran to succeed, and I'm not sure that he can't succeed elsewhere in the NFL. But I think last night about closed the door on the AS era in SF. It's not locked yet and I think he'll get the chance to play himself out of it, but the door is pretty much shut. In my mind, a loss against Oakland, and I think Smith starts riding the pine and SF has to see what they have in David Carr or Troy Smith.

[LA Ute]

Here is where I disagree with the Steve Young/Alex Smith comparisons.

1) Steve had two years in the NFL. Alex is in his 5th season. He's had ample opportunities and he's flashed potential, but he hasn't been consistent at all.
2) The Tampa Bay teams of those years were absolutely terrible. On both sides of the ball. Smith is playing with the best linebacker in the NFL, a top 5 TE, a top 10 RB, etc. Smith is surrounded by MUCH better talent than Young was in Tampa.
3) While Smith is not totally at fault, when he's pressured he's made horrible decisions. You can deal with it when you're learning, but by the time you're in your 5th year, you should be playing at a higher level.

I wanted to see Smith succeed. He's had chances, and he's flashed potential. I'm not sure that he is the biggest stumbling block for San Fran to succeed, and I'm not sure that he can't succeed elsewhere in the NFL. But I think last night about closed the door on the AS era in SF. It's not locked yet and I think he'll get the chance to play himself out of it, but the door is pretty much shut. In my mind, a loss against Oakland, and I think Smith starts riding the pine and SF has to see what they have in David Carr or Troy Smith.

Honestly, I don't follow the NFL much but I do hope Alex will be successful. He is no Steve Young. Still, Young was also once considered a bust. The Bucs drafted Vinny Testaverde #1 (remember him?) while Young was still on the Bucs roster, so they had clearly made a decision about Steve's future prospects. Bill Walsh liked Young and got him in a trade to be Montana's backup (that was in the days when NFL QBs actually apprenticed a bit before being given a starting job, though, so it was no knock on Young to be a backup). After a few seasons Steve got his chance to start and the rest is history.

By the way, Alex's problem is not that there is no talent on the 49ers. It's that their offensive line is pathetic. The game last night made that quite clear.

So at this point I just don't think any of us here is wise enough to decide Alex doesn't have "it." Still, I don't think we'll ever find out whether he does while he's wearing a 49ers uniform. I hear the Vikings might need a QB after this season....

[Sizzle]

Apparently Singletary wasn't ever planning on benching Smith, he was just trying to lite a fire under him, and it took some explaining to him to make it stick:

TE Vernon Davis said coach Mike Singletary told QB Alex Smith during Sunday's game that "a great quarterback doesn't give up like that. A great quarterback won't let a coach take him out of the game." Hearing this, Davis told Smith to challenge Singletary, and that was obviously what Singletary wanted Smith to do.

[8BR]

Sportsbook.com odds on the first NFL coach to be fired...

John Fox, Panthers: 5-2

Wade Phillips, Cowboys: 3-1

Chan Gailey, Bills: 3-1

Mike Singletary, 49ers: 7-2

Marvin Lewis, Bengals: 9-2

Eric Mangini, Browns: 5-1

Tom Cable, Raiders: 5-1

Jack Del Rio, Jaguars: 8-1

Jim Schwartz, Lions: 10-1

Andy Reid, Eagles: 10-1

[DrumNFeather]

Congrats to the 49ers on the win over the Raiders. Hopefully this gives the team the confidence it needs to get a few in a row. Up next is a very winnable game vs. Carolina.

Smith threw two TDs and Gore rushed for nearly 150 yards.

[8BR]

Like the Chilean miners the Niners finally see some light after being stuck under what seems like hundreds of tons of dirt.

[Sizzle]

Smith threw two TDs and Gore rushed for nearly 150 yards.

And they still barely beat a not very good Raiders team by 8 points. Yikes!

[DrumNFeather]

And they still barely beat a not very good Raiders team by 8 points. Yikes!

Hey, you got the W, don't get greedy!