49er implosion continues

[jmt]

Wow. St. Louis is going to kill them.

I really doubt that. The Rams win one game and now they're back? Gimme a bread, they stink too, especially on grass. IMO, Niners will stay close in this one and could win.

 

[Russ Smith]

Dilfer is starting Sunday.

What I was saying and what he was hearing might have been different?

That's classic, he basically said I already told him I was hurt but he didn't believe me.

I also agree with the comment an injured QB might have bought Nolan more time with the hey my QB is hurt excuse. I'd like to think Nolan really didn't know he was hurt but come on they've been speculating on this ever since he came back. THe first game they even said during the game that Smith told a sideline reporter his shoulder was too "loose" and his throws were sailing. So they taped it up, it hurt, but his throws stopped sailing(instead they were diving into the ground).

I do like Nolan but I think he wants to do everything and be in control of everything it's not possible and when things go wrong, he blames someone else. You don't throw your QB to the wolves like that.

 

[Ronin]

I really doubt that. The Rams win one game and now they're back? Gimme a bread, they stink too, especially on grass. IMO, Niners will stay close in this one and could win.

...I hope so, but the way that this offense has been playing, i wouldn't count on it. Last years Raiders offense team averaged 28 more yards than this years 49ers offense.

 

[Buckybird]

Ah yes. I suppose it would be cool to see Singletary on the sidelines. But that offense is terrible. Why did VD disappear in that game?

Has Vernon Davis ever appeared in a game? All the scouts thought he was the next great TE. Davis has pretty much sucked his whole career. Why am I talking about the Niners? They blow!!!

 

[Redheart]

The Football Jinx Fairy just whispered in my ear, to warn me not to belittle the Niners this year until we beat them.

I was just thinking that by the time they play us, everyone will be happy and there will be rumors that Nolan and Smith may move in together because their offense looks like NE's...

 

[Totally_Red]

Any idea on "possible openings" in the HC ranks ?

I hope there are more decent candidates available than openings so that we can keep Grimm for at least another year. Kinda selfish I know but he's been really great for our OL.

Baltimore and San Francisco. Possibly Seattle if Mike Holmgren decides to leave. Right now, I don't see any others. Cleveland was a possibility before they caught fire, now Crennel has bought himself another year. I suppose Cincy is a possibility, but their issue is more selfish players IMO.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Has Vernon Davis ever appeared in a game? All the scouts thought he was the next great TE. Davis has pretty much sucked his whole career. Why am I talking about the Niners? They blow!!!

He was a stud in his very 1st NFL game...Against the Cards.

 

[football karma]

He was a stud in his very 1st NFL game...Against the Cards.

well-- at least for his first pass completion

but after that, he fumbled the ball in 49er territory on his next completion and wasnt heard from again

 

[Renz]

The hits just keep coming for S.F.

Ex-Baylor star Singletary expresses interest in Baylor job

Friday, November 9, 2007
By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

Mike Singletary said Friday that he has not had formal talks with Baylor officials about a potential coaching vacancy. But the school icon and NFL legend said he would be interested in leading his alma mater.

"I'm interested, if that's where the Lord is leading me," Singletary said. "But I'm going to go wherever the Lord is sending us. My wife and I are continuing to be in prayer about it, and if that's where the Lord is sending us, we're open.

"I don't know if it makes a lot of sense when I tell people that," he added. "I get a lot of blank stares in my face when I say that. They think, 'Why don't you just answer the question?' But it's the honest answer. It's truly the answer."

Current Baylor coach Guy Morriss, 56, will not be retained after this season, two high-ranking university sources have told The Dallas Morning News. Morriss is 18-38 in five seasons and has failed to lead the Bears (3-7, 0-6 Big 12) to a bowl game. He has one year remaining on his contract.

The Bears have endured 12 straight losing seasons and have lost 10 consecutive Big 12 games. Baylor is a 38-point underdog in today's game at No. 4 Oklahoma.

University president John Lilley declined an interview request Friday. Athletic director Ian McCaw declined to answer questions about Morriss or the future of the head coaching position. McCaw for weeks has said the program will be evaluated at the end of the season.

Morriss and the Bears had a five-hour bus ride to Norman, Okla., on Friday. Morriss was not speaking to reporters and would not issue a statement, Baylor spokesman Nick Joos said.

Sources told The News that Morriss is expected to coach the final two games of the season. An official announcement will probably come after the Oklahoma State game on Nov. 17.

Singletary, 49, is expected to be a top candidate to take over at Baylor, but he's not the only one. The school is expected to look at other current Bowl Subdivision head coaches.

Singletary, an assistant head coach with the San Francisco 49ers, said he can't worry about what's happening in Waco. The 49ers are 2-6 heading into Monday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

"For me, it's just a matter of continuing to stay focused on what I'm doing here in San Francisco," Singletary said. "Whatever happened at Baylor, if there are any formal talks or whatever, I guess we'll just cross that bridge when it gets there."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...es/stories/111007dnspobaylorlede.283d4e7.html

 

[ajcardfan]

If Singletary can get Baylor to a bowl game, heck, if he can get them to .500, he'll land an NFL head coaching gig for sure.

 

[Skkorpion]

Singletary is part of SF's problem. He's getting out fast before being fired. What, pray tell, has he demonstrated as a coach to merit a head coaching job?

 

[bratwurst]

Wow Dilfer hit a couple recievers in the hands in the endzone today to win, and they just couldn't make the catches.

 

[Ronin]

The 49ers announced late Monday that Smith will have season-ending surgery.
A month ago, after a 24-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the quarterback volunteered that his separated right shoulder was "killing him." Nolan had repeatedly said Smith's health was fine, setting off a brief dust-up between the coach and quarterback.


Smith said Monday that he had no problem with the public controversy, but said Nolan pushed it too far by making it an issue in the locker room.

"He came out and said some things to the team," Smith said. "It was like he was telling his side of it and
I didn't want to get into it. ... That was my biggest concern when he did that: I felt it was trying to undermine me with my teammates." Blaming poor performance on injury is a cardinal sin of the athlete's code -- especially in the ferocious warrior culture of the NFL. 49ers running back Frank Gore runs weekly on a sprained ankle; offensive lineman Justin Smiley made no mention of a torn labrum last season until after the season;

Nolan even refused to answer questions about the death of his father, who died a day before the Seattle game, rather than risk it being interpreted as an excuse for a lopsided loss.
Smith, 23, understands.

"I think if (my teammates) would have heard what I actually said out there that day, it wouldn't have been an issue," he said. "But all of a sudden Nolan spins it as if I was making excuses for an injury. What I really felt like was, 'Yeah, I tried to play on it. And that was my decision and obviously I wasn't playing well enough.'

"But at that point my arm wasn't getting any better. In fact, it was getting worse and I was going to go get a second opinion. (Nolan) can spin it however he wants to, but the first thing Dr. (James) Andrews told me when he saw me was 'This is much worse than I thought.'"

Nolan acknowledged at the time that there was a miscommunication, but since said his relationship with Smith had been patched up. He has, however, grown increasingly dismissive of questions about his quarterback's health status and has made no secret of his disdain for Smith's agent, Tom Condon, who interjected himself into the controversy when he suggested the 49ers botched the handling of Smith's injury.

Last week, Nolan said he remains surprised that Smith pulled himself out of action. He has said repeatedly that the diagnosis of Smith's injury, by both an outside doctor and team medical staff, has not deviated from a Grade III separation. And he has further described Smith's separation as "not very severe" for a Grade III.

Nolan also has continued to heap praise on Trent Dilfer not only for his strong play, but also for his toughness and passion. "I believe that Trent, as far as playing quarterback, puts his heart and soul into everything he does," Nolan said after a recent game. "It's evident every time he goes on the field. I admire that, and I think that he's given us the chance to win the games that he's played in."

Smith has all but become persona non grata in the 49ers locker room after his injury controversy. Winning teammates back might be the hardest part of his rehabilitation.
Last week, Nolan was approached by a reporter and asked whether the tougher battle Smith faced was restoring his teammates' trust and confidence.

"You didn't ask me that question," Nolan said. "And I'm not going to answer it. I can't answer it."
No player was willing to go on the record when asked about the quarterback's leadership status, but no player rushed to his defense, either. "I'm not touching that one," one veteran said.
Another player recently refused to discuss the extent of his injury with a reporter because, he said, "I don't want it to be like Alex's interview where I'm blaming my production on it." Another acknowledged that certain members of the team have derisively referred to Smith as "The Lion," as in the one without courage in "The Wizard of Oz."

One assistant coach said Smith "made a mistake" when he went public about his ailing shoulder and now clearly is paying a price for his honesty. Another player said that Smith had to expect that there would be "consequences" for failing to keep his injury-related struggles in-house.

Told of the mounting criticism, Smith sounded only mildly surprised "Well, no, I haven't noticed it -- especially the guys around me -- but like I said, Nolan is spinning it toward his direction," he said.

Smith demonstrated more durability a year ago when he became the first quarterback in 49ers history to take every snap over the course of the season. Only four other NFL quarterbacks did that in 2006, including Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

Smith's struggles this season began Sept. 30 against Seattle when he suffered a separation of his throwing shoulder on an opening-drive sack. A month later, during his first game back, he clutched at his ailing shoulder so often that the game-day broadcasters repeatedly said the 49ers "had to get him out of there."

Smith finished that game -- as well as the next two -- and looked woeful, missing open receivers by several yards on errant throws. After his last game, Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson said Smith was grimacing after every throw and clearly wasn't right.
Told that comment the next day, Nolan quipped, "That might mean something to me if Julian was a doctor."

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Good God!

How did we lose to this guys...TWICE!

 

[Russ Smith]

Yeah the SJ Mercury News today has 2 huge articles about the Smith and Nolan situation. The Cowardly Lion thing apparently has been going around the team for weeks because Nolan was openly questioning how injured Smith really was.

Then he goes and gets the second opinion which supports Smith, and Nolan apparently started bashing him in the locker room for that basically saying he just paid to get a diagnosis that he wanted.

I really now feel one of them won't be back next year and it's a lot harder to trade Smith with his contract than to fire Nolan.

 

[D-Dogg]

I really now feel one of them won't be back next year and it's a lot harder to trade Smith with his contract than to fire Nolan.

Well, it sounds to me like Nolan is a grade a jackass so I don't think the choice should be too difficult. Seriously, what a sissyfight quarrel to get into with your starting QB. Grow up and be a head coach, ffs. About the only guy who can get away with that stuff is Phil Jackson, and he says his digs half in jest..and doesn't ride a guy with them.

And then to be so obtuse to drop smack on Julian Peterson as well? Is Nolan spinning far out of control, or is it just me?

 

[Russ Smith]

Well, it sounds to me like Nolan is a grade a jackass so I don't think the choice should be too difficult. Seriously, what a sissyfight quarrel to get into with your starting QB. Grow up and be a head coach, ffs. About the only guy who can get away with that stuff is Phil Jackson, and he says his digs half in jest..and doesn't ride a guy with them.

And then to be so obtuse to drop smack on Julian Peterson as well? Is Nolan spinning far out of control, or is it just me?

I still blame Ann Killion!

(reference to a Bay Area writer who got Nolan so mad with her negative questions that Nolan suggested her questions were getting the team down and causing them to lose games. He was joking but I think it was the first clear sign that Nolan was trying to do too much and had failed at it. When you start getting annoyed that someone dares to question your authority, you probably have too much of it).

 

[D-Dogg]

I still blame Ann Killion!

Yeah, that was in my head too...getting in flame wars with members of the media also is not a sign of a coach with a firm grip on a) his team or b) reality.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Bummer about Nolan... I don't like to read this stuff... I actually thought he had a lot of promise and potential after his first season. In some interviews I have seen with him, I actually liked the guy. But based on all of this stuff with Smith and how he's managed (or not) the situation, along with his outburst at the media, it seems Nolan has some serious issues... Too bad...

 

[CardLogic]

Just assumption and guessing on my part, but I would say the problems within the 49er's organization go way above and beyond the head coach. They have got FO problems...

 

[Russ Smith]

Just assumption and guessing on my part, but I would say the problems within the 49er's organization go way above and beyond the head coach. They have got FO problems...

Absolutely, but one of their problems is they gave Nolan almost total control and failed to oversee and make sure he was qualified to have such control.

Very bad situation when you have a coach dividing a team over a player with so much invested in that player.

Note, Smith is not totally clean here he has not played well even when healthy, but I think in this situation I tend to side with him over Nolan.

 

[Mulli]

Singletary is part of SF's problem. He's getting out fast before being fired. What, pray tell, has he demonstrated as a coach to merit a head coaching job?

Good job Skkorp!!!

 

[Ronin]

Nolan needs to get over Alex Smith already...yeesh.