This could flip - here's why

Originally posted by MSteitz468:

Originally posted by 15crabtre:
will raye open the offense

He did yesterday, except for the stupid draw play on 3rd and long. Really, what other team just gives up if it's 3 and 15 or longer?

Our QB's are not ready for raye to open the offense and you saw there peformance which they failed miserably. We need to run the ball more.

Originally posted by 15crabtre:
will raye open the offense

Surprisingly, the 49ers DID open up the offense, it was out QB who still had to run it and he made mental mistakes..

- 98

anytime a team turns the babll over 4 times is heavily flavored to loss.

Originally posted by miked1978:
anytime a team turns the babll over 4 times is heavily flavored to loss.

yeah the fact that this team has been close in some of these games and all the bone head plays we have made, if we cleaned it up, we would be 6-2 or 5-3! It's just costly turnovers and penalties EVERY GAME that result in a loss!

Great post, thank you

We could easily be 6-2 or even 7-1 and people would be saying what a god Singletary is.

The fact is we played two of the best teams in the NFL (Minnesota and Indy) on the road and IMO outplayed them and gave them a heck of a game and could have easily won either game and should have won the Minnesota game.

Our team plays hard and for the most part we play disciplined, smart football. I thought the offense yesterday had their best all-around performance of the season...Passing, running blocking, etc and Raye called a good game and showed some creativety. The Alex Smith INT's and fumble obviously cost us the game but I think the fumble and two of the INT's were just a bad break.


Were going to get on track and start winning these close games.

Great post.

I've calmed a bit from yesterday, and I think that this team isn't out of it yet. Thursday is the season for the 49ers. If they lose, hopes for the playoffs are done. If they win, the live to see another day.

The goal for the 49ers should be to take it one game at a time. But looking at the big picture, the goal should be going to the MNF game against Arizona one game behind the Cards (being tied going into that game is unrealistic).

Arizona needs to go 2-2 over their next 4 games. STL is a win, and although it will be a good game, hopefully MIN can pull out a win at ARI. The Cards then either have to lose to Tennessee or Seattle - it will be tough, but I can see them falling to one of them.

The 49ers have to go 3-1. Thursday, as I said, is huge. Playoff hopes will be done if they can't win on Thursday. They also have to beat Jacksonville at home in Week 12. The 49ers need to split their road games then - GB and Seattle. Both will be tough, but the 49ers have played tough games on the road and I can see them definitely pulling out 1 of those games.

Of course, I'd like to see them win one f**king game before I get too optimistic, but this just shows that the season is not lost - yet.

I think I love you Rich.....

Originally posted by 15crabtre:
will raye open the offense

he began too, its tough when your Oline is depleted.

Originally posted by Goldtimer:

Originally posted by MSteitz468:

Originally posted by 15crabtre:
will raye open the offense

He did yesterday, except for the stupid draw play on 3rd and long. Really, what other team just gives up if it's 3 and 15 or longer?

When we had the lead to start the 2nd half, I remember 2 runs up the middle being called WTF? Leaving us at a 3rd and long, he needs to be more aggressive when we have the lead.

Thank you , despite all the bashing of Smith the O line , etc when they had a chance to put it away opening the 2nd half they went CS, I don't get the "we go out and punch people in the mouth" attitude if it only applies to D? Obviously the D is not good enough to protect a 7 point lead, so score more points!

Originally posted by PatrickJira411:
We could easily be 6-2 or even 7-1 and people would be saying what a god Singletary is.

The fact is we played two of the best teams in the NFL (Minnesota and Indy) on the road and IMO outplayed them and gave them a heck of a game and could have easily won either game and should have won the Minnesota game.

Our team plays hard and for the most part we play disciplined, smart football. I thought the offense yesterday had their best all-around performance of the season...Passing, running blocking, etc and Raye called a good game and showed some creativety. The Alex Smith INT's and fumble obviously cost us the game but I think the fumble and two of the INT's were just a bad break.


Were going to get on track and start winning these close games.

I personally do not think that as a team we are as good as Minnesota or Indiannapolis. But I believe that we can play with the big boys and scare them spitless. Both of those games were winnable by us. We are at the point that we will either fall back and give up or we will keep struggling until we make the change and decide that we want to win and not just compete.

I believe that we could indeed have been 7-1 and we could be the rising star of the football world. We are not just there yet but we are knocking on the door. I see Singletary going through his evolution as a coach as well. He is now benching Bruce and he may have to do the same with Haralson. It may be time for Brooks or Biggs to step in and do at least as well as Haralson and perhaps better. We need some more turnovers to keep us sparked and hopeful.

Now for the Chicago game. I think we are a superior team to the Bears. I do not think we were the superior team to the Vikings, Colts, or Titans. But we played them to a standstill. For Chicago I believe we are better defensively and offensively. I think with Crabtree, Hill, Morgan, Jones we have a better set of receivers. I think our TEs are better. They may have a better oline that we do. QBs are about the same, in my opinion. Gore is better than Forte. The key to the game will be whether we can get turnovers. Turnovers is what won the game for the Titans. If no turnovers we would would have won. The Titans defense was better than ours. But Chicago's defense is not. Turnovers will be the deciding factor. If even turnovers we will win.

I believe that the Chicago game should be won by us. If we can not win this game we will have a poor rest of the season. If we win we will compete for the playoffs to the very last week. I trust Arizona to choke on a couple of potential wins. Our Monday night game with them will be crucial but we can beat them and we can beat Seattle as well.

Our only loss for the rest of the season should be Philadelphia. But as we have seen if you can play equally with Indie we can play equally with Philadelphia. We may be able to get a victory that we did not predict. But all things rotate around Chicago right now.

I love the positive mind-set and I look forward to better days, but like the Coach says . . . Don't Tell me . . . Show me.

Originally posted by Knowledge:
post of the day right here.

Originally posted by RichnSanRamon:
1. Talent. Look at the margin of victory/loss. The Niners have scored 174 points and given up 174 points. They've been involved in only 2 blowouts, the first a +35 win, the second a -35 loss. Their wins are +4, +13. Their losses are -3, -3, -4, -7. The Niners aren't keeping it close because Jimmy Raye or Greg Manusky have discovered breakthrough innovations in offense or defense. So the one valid conclusion that can be drawn from the tiny margins of victory/loss is that the Niners' talent is on par with the best in the NFL - Indy, Minn, AZ.

2. Coaching tells in how a team plays on the road. The Niners have played 4 road games, three in the Central time zone. These teams have a combined record of 25-8. And yet, the Niners margin of victory/loss are +4, -3, -3, -4. In three of these games they've held a 4th quarter lead. That's good coaching.

3. Coach willing to change. He'll change little things -- notice how he's stoped using timeouts for mid-game pep talks? He'll change big things, like QB, even scheme. Remember back to 2007 when Smith was hurt and the offense was stuck in the mud? Remember Nolan's mantra? I do. It was, "I'm not going to change the problem." He wouldn't change players, he wouldn't change the style of offense, nothing. Nolan was afraid that change would only make things worse -- he lacked confidence. Singeltary is willing to change anything that doesn't work.

4. Niners can score points. The last 10 quarters of football show that Vernon Davis, Gore, Crabtree, Jason Hill, and Josh Morgan are legit playmakers if they have a QB with normal NFL-quality armstrength. When the offense is opened up under Smith it has scored 24.8 ppg (62 points divided by 2.5 games). Finally, FINALLY, the Niners can score, they have a modern NFL offense.

5. While Shaun Hill can't increase his arm strength, but Alex Smith can reduce his turnovers with more practice and more playing time.

Although it was obscured by the turnovers, I think a big offensive turn-around began in Houston and really got going yesterday. On Thursday it pays off with a win. And then the Niners will be a very dangerous team indeed.

Thanks for the reminder.... but I would still draft a QB this spring!

Originally posted by RichnSanRamon:
1. Talent. Look at the margin of victory/loss. The Niners have scored 174 points and given up 174 points. They've been involved in only 2 blowouts, the first a +35 win, the second a -35 loss. Their wins are +4, +13. Their losses are -3, -3, -4, -7. The Niners aren't keeping it close because Jimmy Raye or Greg Manusky have discovered breakthrough innovations in offense or defense. So the one valid conclusion that can be drawn from the tiny margins of victory/loss is that the Niners' talent is on par with the best in the NFL - Indy, Minn, AZ.

2. Coaching tells in how a team plays on the road. The Niners have played 4 road games, three in the Central time zone. These teams have a combined record of 25-8. And yet, the Niners margin of victory/loss are +4, -3, -3, -4. In three of these games they've held a 4th quarter lead. That's good coaching.

3. Coach willing to change. He'll change little things -- notice how he's stoped using timeouts for mid-game pep talks? He'll change big things, like QB, even scheme. Remember back to 2007 when Smith was hurt and the offense was stuck in the mud? Remember Nolan's mantra? I do. It was, "I'm not going to change the problem." He wouldn't change players, he wouldn't change the style of offense, nothing. Nolan was afraid that change would only make things worse -- he lacked confidence. Singeltary is willing to change anything that doesn't work.

4. Niners can score points. The last 10 quarters of football show that Vernon Davis, Gore, Crabtree, Jason Hill, and Josh Morgan are legit playmakers if they have a QB with normal NFL-quality armstrength. When the offense is opened up under Smith it has scored 24.8 ppg (62 points divided by 2.5 games). Finally, FINALLY, the Niners can score, they have a modern NFL offense.

5. While Shaun Hill can't increase his arm strength, but Alex Smith can reduce his turnovers with more practice and more playing time.

Although it was obscured by the turnovers, I think a big offensive turn-around began in Houston and really got going yesterday. On Thursday it pays off with a win. And then the Niners will be a very dangerous team indeed.

Great post. Although the season is turning into a disappointment so far, one thing I am pleased about is that the Niners are at least competitive again. They have been in every game minus Atlanta up until the end of the 4th quarter.

One of the points you made that really gives me hope for the future is Sings willingness to make changes. He's been quick to sit underperforming players (minus Bruce until the last game) and finally we are seeing the offense open up a bit under Raye. As expected, Gore was finally able to run for some consistant gains with the offense spread a bit wider. Smith is still a question mark at quarterback, but I'm not willing to throw in the towel with him until he has a few more bad games under his belt. OL and pass rush continue to plague the Niners for yet another year, but overall, I'm optimistic about the future, even though this doesn't look like the year the Niners finally break out. But at least they are closer than they've been in awhile.