THE REASONS THE NINERS SHOULD BE IN THE PLAYOFFS

I share the same optimism.

The West is wide open, as is the entire NFC for that matter

NO MORE JT!!!!

You are right about one thing that will help three things. The power running game will be back in play and it will help the QB, especially if its Hill. He is Cool QB in the pocket like someone I use to watch play for us. It will come to the light this year. And the other is the defense. Imagine us with a fresh defense running free and getting after the qb. Just think about that...

PD

HIS NAME IS NATE CLEMONS!!!

an elite NFL cornerback for YOUR San Francisco 49ers!

So how come he gets beat way too often but...then recovers by popping the ball out of the WR hands from behind.

It's become Nate's trademark... gets beat, then knocks the ball from behind out of the WR hands causing a fumble.

Neat trick... but I'd like to see Nate intercept a pass at some point too!

Look I maybe too optimistic, but we are winning the West. I'm so confident Im putting $500 down on my online betting site. Mike Singletary will have these guys ready. This is no b***h team. They listen to him, most of the players look at him as a father figure. He is a straight shooter so most players like that.

Plus we have a pretty damn good football team. Yes the QB position is suspect but Shaun Hill can hold it down this season until Nate Davis takes over next season

[ Edited by 49er4eva on Jun 3, 2009 at 21:00:15 ]

Originally posted by LilMar:
HIS NAME IS NATE CLEMONS!!!

an elite NFL cornerback for YOUR San Francisco 49ers!

So how come he gets beat way too often but...then recovers by popping the ball out of the WR hands from behind.

It's become Nate's trademark... gets beat, then knocks the ball from behind out of the WR hands causing a fumble.

Neat trick... but I'd like to see Nate intercept a pass at some point too!

All Nate needs is a better pass rush. We get that and he'll have more ints.

Great reasons! I agree that we make the playoffs with a very solid team

Originally posted by PRIMETIME21:
idk we still got alot of holes . i see us barley missing playoffs again . dont know about QB play . Oline can still use a player or two . pash rusher our biggest need cause we have none. and a replacement for aging micheal lewis an walt harris

I dont know if this is necessarily true. It all depends on what happens with Bly this year, but we may already have our replacement for Harris. Bly could do well and then it all comes down to his contract. I would be willing to bet that it wouldnt take a huge deal for him to re-sign since he seems to love playing for Singletary. As far as Lewis, I think that he is still as solid as you can get at the SS position. In a few years, you could see one of our young guys replace him.

As far as pass rush, I just hope the players we have are as good as Singletary and Manusky think they will be this year.

[ Edited by TheRatMan13 on Jun 4, 2009 at 13:03:32 ]

Great post tgm808. I am most excited about the defense. I am most worried about Marvel Smith and the QB choice. If we can score 20 points a game we will be in the playoffs. If we can run the ball at will, we will be able to effectively throw the ball 15 to 20 times a game with 8 defenders in the box regardless of who plays QB. Can Baas, Hietman, and Rachal consistantly knock the d line off the ball? Yes, I think they can!

Originally posted by NickSh49:

Originally posted by TheGoldDiggerrrr:

Originally posted by jon_aztecs12:

Originally posted by NickSh49:
New offensive and defensive coordinators in Arizona.

thats not a good reason

It is when one of them is billy davis...

...It's a great reason. It means the Cards have to learn new systems, on both sides of the ball.

And it's friggin' Billy Davis.

Just as a side note, Billy Davis might do well in Arizona given that he won't have Mike Nolan "managing" his defense for him.

CAPS MAKE THINGS IMPORTANT ON THE INTERWEBS

Originally posted by tmg808:
3 games where 1 big play could have gained 3 more wins. Eagles game where they came back and scored 23 in the 4th quarter. Arizona where gore gets stopped by a hand on his back and 49ers run a dive to lose the game. Shaun Hill gets sacked around the 25 on last play of the game to lose by 5 to the dolphins. 3 or 4 plays total in those 3 games could have been 3 more wins, 10-6 team.[/quot



Great post man! I couldn't agree more it was painful to see those games that ended that way. We def improved this offseason and will have natural improvement among our young players. 11-5 this year.

Originally posted by Nabisko:

Originally posted by susweel:
7th reason

IT'S ABOUT GOD DAMN TIME THEY MAKE IT.

Originally posted by tmg808:
The optimism of this post is based on things that were proven last year and the things that will be done differently this year.

1st the 49ers defense was ranked highest of all teams in the NFC west last year. (49ers 13th.. next highest Arizona 19th.). This is after a horrible start of the season where the 49ers gave up 29 or more in 7 of the first 9 games. What's exciting about this defense is in the last 7 games the 49ers ranked 7th in points allowed and 3rd in pass defense. This defense will be returning all of its starters from the end of last year except for Walt Harris because of injury. There has been added depth to the defensive line which will help improve the run defense, and there is an upgrade at safety where Roman has lost his job to up and coming Goldson. There is no reason that there shouldn't be the same type of production as the end of the year.

2nd the 49ers offense will be more focused on a power running game which best fits the 49ers personal. Gore is coming into the season injury free and in tip top shape. The running offense installed this year is a lot like the offense where Gore had a pro bowl season. Moran Norris is back and in a blocking scheme that fits best to his abilities, that is to go and smash the guy that is in front of you. There is added depth in the backfield, Glenn Coffee, a good power runner himself, is expected to be a much better back than Foster was last year and there's a chance the 49ers may have found a 3rd down back in Sheets through free-agency. But overall its still Gore's job and because Jimmy Raye's offense is so much like Norv Turner's two years ago I believe Gore will be more comfortable knowing he will have his opportunities to do what he does best.

3rd the QB situation is better than it was last year. Even though there is a quarterback competition going into this year, its more structured than in years past. This year Shaun Hill has been taking all of the first string snaps unlike last year when Martz had 3 quarterbacks taking the first string snaps. This year only way Alex Smith will take over as starting quarterback at the beginning of the season is if he is showing to be a better quarterback than Shaun Hill was last year, not by potential. If Alex Smith starts to regain some of his form then he will obviously be a better option than JT was last year. This years offense is less about the quarterback making great timing throws and more about the play makers getting the ball in space.

4th Better play makers on offense this year compared to last. This year Vernon Davis will be used less like a WR and more like a TE. Last year he struggled with the precision in the routes that was required in Martz offense. Most people can agree that when Davis gets the ball in his hands he can be the best run after the catch player on the team. This year his routes will be routes where he does run after the catch and is able to make big plays out of short ones. He will be going out much more than last year, because Jimmy Raye's offense takes more advantage of the TE. And if he isn't able to be that pass receiver Delanie Walker is ready as the back up. There were no great play maker to improve the offense in free agency. So the 49ers brought in the best play maker in college football in the last two years. Crabtree was the best skilled offense of player hands down in this years draft. He was either 1st or 2nd best overall player on every experts draft board. He may not be in the pro bowl next year but I can guarantee that he will make at least 2 or 3 game changing plays next year ( Bryant Johnson had 0). Along with the young recievers getting another year under there belt, this years skilled players as a group compares to the best teams in the NFL.

5th No more Martz. I know he is considered a offensive genius but last year it showed that title has gone to his head. I count two games easily where he did not give the 49ers a chance to win at the end. One obvious one was Arizona where instead of maybe spiking the ball and having time to run another play or having more than one play called when you know you don't have any time outs left. Martz looked unprepared and runs a full back dive to make it the last play of the game. The next game was against the Dolphins, where he was using Vernon Davis all game to stay in and help block on pass plays. Usually on a play down the field you will see at least a RB in the backfield so there will be time for everyone to get up the field. Martz calls a play that left the third string RT alone to block the best pass rusher in the AFC last year. Joey Porter got around Sims like he was standing still, and Hill didn't even get a chance to look up field. Jimmy Raye has already been praised by the players by paying attention to detail where it counts. This should pay off in close games this season.

6th Special teams will be there like always. The special teams have been the one constant in the past and this year should be no different. Andy Lee is one of the best punters in the NFL which will show to pay off with the improved defense. Joe Nedney has made the pressure kicks and has been as accurate as any kicker since he has been a 49er. Alan Rossum added another touchdown to his resume last year and wasn't given enough credit for catching most punts rather than allowing them to roll for 15 or 20 more yards.

Being on Summer break from school has given me a chance to think this out.. And I am excited to see all this come together next year. The beginning of the season will be important for the players confidence. But one thing I know is that Coach Sing will not allow his players to pack it in on him, a la Mike Nolan. In 2006 that 7-9 season was all on Frank Gore's shoulders and expectations were on progression of other players and new starters. This year coming off of 7-9 the talent was shown last season all over the field. The 49ers returned almost every starter from last year. The only great season from any player last year was Patrick Willis who is a great player so that's expected every year. The only way the 49ers aren't a better team this season is if players performance regress.

To add to 4th - plus Josh Morgan looked really good and should be a bunch better this upcoming year along with Jason Hill and competition is a bunch better with this group also. Morgan could end up being a John Taylor type and I hope Crabtree turns into something special instead of being another JJ Stokes.

To add to 5th - I don't know if it had to do much with his play calling as Nolan was a big part of the inconsistencies on both sides of the ball. I think Martz could have put something good together, but I'm not sure that it would have been something that the current staff would want. I'm not ready to dismiss Martz just yet as a bad coach because of so much change and everything being unsettled. Its just something that didn't work out for us, and I do wish him the best.

But the most important thing that I would stress is getting the job done on a game by game basis, instead of thinking playoffs from the perspective of a team and someone being part of that team.

Heck, if the 9ers do get to the playoffs this year, we have 2 first round draft choices next year that will vastly improve us next year also. Its exciting

to add to no. two the power running game, we have coach rathman!!!