The San Francisco 49ers will take the field nine more times this season. During those games, there will inevitably be some bright spots that will have you wondering if things are finally starting to click. The team may even be able to put enough of these magic moments together to get them back into the win column one, two...maybe even three more times. When this exemplary display of football happens, please promise me you'll think rationally and take it for what it is: Fool's gold.
The 49ers are an awful organization right now. Notice I didn't say an awful team, that's giving them too much credit. This is a total disgrace from the highest peak right down to the lowest valley. Their utter lack of competence start's at the top with the owner and his cronies, drips down to the general manager, seeps into the coaching staff, and plops down right in-between the lines on game day.
There's no fixing it either, at least not with what's currently in place. The only way to right this ship is to tear it all down and start from scratch. Yes, the situation is that dire.
To the dismay of many fans, Jed York isn't going anywhere. It's his team, for better or worse, and we can only hope he begins to put his ego aside and see what he really has to do, which is admit he made a mistake.
I'm not even talking about Jim Harbaugh here. Maybe that situation was too toxic to move forward with. Maybe it was time to part ways. Sometimes that happens in life, and Harbaugh is notorious for being difficult and wearing out his welcome. But it wasn't the fact that Harbaugh was let go, but more the way the organization moved forward without him.
York's first mistake, and the one he has to immediately rectify, was putting too much faith in general manager Trent Baalke. You see, Baalke is another example of fool's gold, largely living off of a roster that was built by his predecessor, not him. Sure, he hit on players like Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver, Bruce Miller and Colin Kaepernick (to an extent) in 2011, but his draft's have been a dumpster fire ever since, and are a large reason why the team is so devoid of talent right now. He did have the right idea in selecting the likes of A.J. Jenkins, Tank Carradine, Vance McDonald, Marcus Martin, etc. to eventually take over for aging veterans, he just took the wrong players.
While Baalke has drafted a number of current "starters," he hasn't hit on many impact performers. You can make an argument for Eric Reid (although he seems to be regressing) and both Aaron Lynch and Carlos Hyde do look like cornerstone pieces. After that?
Well look at this way, as bad as the offense has been, it could get worse because there's no one to come in and take the place of Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis, Alex Boone, etc. all of whom will probably be elsewhere next season.
York's second mistake was thinking that Jim Tomsula's reputation as a solid defense line coach and overall good guy could somehow translate into a winning head coach. It hasn't, and I don't think it ever will. Tomsula looks like he's drowning, and has no idea how to get himself back to the surface. His coaching staff, while filled with familiar names, appears to be a who's who of has beens and never-will-bes. For examples of this, look no further than defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, who's unit looks lost and confused, and offensive coordinator Geep Cryst, who's actually made what was already a sputtering attack worse. Proof? The 49ers have three games this season with 10 or fewer first downs. The rest of the NFL combined has ONE.
So what should our friend Jed do here? What's the only answer to get the 49ers out of this lowly state? Clean house. Fire them. All of them. Start from scratch. I know it's scary to use that R-word, but there's no other way around it. York has to hit the reset button and start rebuilding. Baalke, Tomsula, Mangini, Cryst...all of them...gone.
While it's not common to fire a head coach after one season, it's not unheard of either. Also, it's not like the York's will have to eat a massive contract, as Tomsula is the lowest paid head coach in the NFL. Seriously, I think he makes like $18.00 per hour or something like that. The guy's lived in his car before, he'll be fine.
The new general manager, whoever that may be, would obviously have a hand in selecting the replacement, but in an offensive era of football, it's about time the 49ers got with the times. Harbaugh was a terrific all-around coach, but some of his offensive philosophies were prehistoric. The Niners need a bright, young, forward thinking offensive-minded head man, who can mold the most important position on the team: The quarterback.
Personally, I would love to see San Francisco go all in on someone like Sean Payton, but the odds him being let go by the New Orleans Saints AND actually wanting any part of the dumpster fire that is the 49ers are slim. The latter might be said for any big time coach actually, so York may have to hope someone's looking for a challenge.
While this process won't be easy, make no mistake, it HAS to happen. This is the defining moment in York's legacy. Will he be the type of owner who sees the writing on the wall and takes swift action to fix things, or will he continue to be a perceived egomaniac, shrouded in denial and seeing his team through Baalke-colored glasses?
It's your move, Jed. Do the right thing. Push the button.
Al Sacco has covered the 49ers for various sites over the years. He's been a guest on multiple podcasts and had his work used by ESPN NFL Insiders and USA TODAY. Follow Al on Twitter @AlSacco49