Are the 49ers a "MISSED WINDOW" team?

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by merm49:
My main worry--and what's making this so tough to deal with--is that the defense began to slip up the last several weeks of the season and playoffs. Smith is only getting older, and was obviously crucial to the entire efficacy of the D. Aldon Smith seems largely ineffective without J Smith, though I'm willing to bet his injury was much worse than the team let on. The LBs are the best in the league and still young, but the DBs, particularly the safties, were exposed for what they are: hard hitters who at times struggle in coverage.

We can't keep squandering opportunities like this. We're likely built to be a perennial playoff contender, but that's no guarantee. Tons of teams over the years have been in the playoffs year after year, only to never win the big one. I fear we're that team. We've let two great chances for a championship slip through our fingers the past two years, and shockingly, this year, we were even closer than last year. Until proven otherwise--by winning a SB with this team and this coach--I fear we'll go down like Marino's dolphins, Kelley's Bills, the post 2004 Pats, or the myriad other teams who came oh-so-close but could never seal the deal. With the NFC improving substantially, particularly within our own division, it'll be a challenge to make the playoffs let alone advance all the way to another SB.

You make a lot of good points and I agree with a lot of what you are saying here.

marino was the wonderboy of the nfl in 84 like ck is today but never got back to the super bowl mainly because the dolphins were either unable or unwilling to fix the problems on the team. Jh knows where the problems are on this team. they have been here all year long, pass rush, poor secondary coverage, keystone cops special ed teams and one of the most penalized teams in the nfl. fix the f**king problems coach and admit jenkins was a mistake for gods sake. for three playoff games we had people here proclaiming jenkins would be our secret weapon and would make plays in the big games.. ok

Special teams coverage cost us all year and it was a dagger in the Super Bowl.

Baalke cutting Blake Constanzo and Colin Jones to sign Brandon Jacobs destroyed our special teams; 70% of our success last year came from Special teams (field position on both sides of the ball).

That was an absolute disaster. Cost us big in the Super Bowl.

Baalke and the rest of the scouting department has, on the whole, been great. That said, they did have a couple of obvious misses in the 2012 draft and FA. I remember really not liking the moves to not resign Costanzo or trade Jones...

id love to punch you in the face right now. the niners entire offense is young, frank is older but he has shown no signs of slowing down and had one of his best years this year. the defense has been great but needs some help at Corner and dline. we have a million draft picks and were in good cap standing. if we get one big fast WR in the draft or FA, and get some depth/potential future starters on defense in the draft, were back in the superbowl next year. this team is not the buffalo bills, Jim Harbaugh will not let this happen again.

Wait arnt we one of the youngest if not the youngest team in the league? Our window is just opening

Why question whether or not we'll be back? What's to stop us? Atlanta is going to be worse a lesser team losing Tony Gonzalez and they have a long way to go to improve their defense. Green Bay also has a ton of work on the defensive side and their receivers are older or retiring. Washington will be better if RG III can come back 100% from his injury. The Seahawks will be more formidable, but Russell Wilson was playing way above his ability. Dallas? Nah, Giants? Nope, New Orleans, Uh Uh. We have a few holes to fix, shore up the DB's by getting a lockdown corner (Revis???) Get some backup for JS and a bookend for Aldon. With Manningham and Kendall healthy, this offense was no where near 100%. I am disappointed how yesterday turned out, but barring injuries, we will still be the team to beat in the NFC.

A team that lost in the Super Bowl hasn't gone back since the Buffalo Bills lost 4 straight from 90-93. Eagles got to the Super Bowl with a 28 yr old McNabb, lost and after only made one more conference title game in 5 years. Steve McNair & Eddie George were both 26 when they lost in the Super Bowl and never got close to the Super Bowl again. Green Bay won the Super Bowl with a young team and since have been unable to get past the divisional round.

Originally posted by fryet:
This coming year, our starting QB will only be making 1 million dollars. So we can afford to keep our entire team together if we want. After that, he will probably be making 20 million a year, unless he regresses (which for a young QB can happen). Once we have so much tied into the QB position, other parts of the team will start to atrophy due to the salary cap.

So in short, I think our window is wide open for next year, and we could be even better, if we can draft a good DL to work with Justin Smith. Kaepernick "should" be better as well.

After next year, the window will start to close, as we start to have to let talented players go. Our hope at that point is that Kaepernick's play can make up for a weaker team in other areas.

Indeed, window is probably next year since Kaepernick will be renegotiating his contract after next season.

I sure hope not but the odds on us making it to these situations over and over are daunting.

Stuff happens like: players moving in FA, retireing vets, draft picks not panning out, other teams catching up to the pistol, and other teams getting better in our very own division.

We are talanted but that does not always equal Superbowls let alone playoffs.

Just look at our D without a 100% Justin Smith next to Aldon! We look and play totally different and teams can attack us instead of fearing our rush.

Look at the Packers almost missing the playoffs cause of a blown call?

Crap happens but I will say that this loss should put another fire in the bellies for a huge push next year!

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

1) The 49ers winning the game in the 4th quarter last year in the NFC Championship fumble 2 punts. One in the 4th quarter and one in overtime to lose a narrow game. Miss the Super Bowl. (2011)

Result = Come up short. Lost year.

2) The following year the 49ers advance 1 step further but fall hugely behind 28 - 6 by the 3rd quarter. They didn't even play the 1st two quarters. Simply horrible. Then fight all the way back and have 1st and goal at the 7 with minutes left for a chance to win the Super Bowl. They then blow all 4 plays and questionable calls. (2012)

Result = Come up short. Lost year.

A top flight team that comes up short year after year. We have seen this before. It's the BUFFALO BILLS SYNDROME. Can't close the deal.

You only have so much window and I fear we are wasting it. Justin Smith is not getting younger and already is starting to show signs of injury and wear and tear. Frank Gore is getting older and has taken a pounding over the years. Dashon Goldson is a FA again. Do we Franchise him again? Will we let him go to save money?

Everybody thought Dan Marino would be in Super Bowl after Super Bowl. But he made it only once and never again. There is no guarantee we will be back.

Take a look at the roster and pay attention to the ages of the starters. You will feel better. The window of opportunity just opened and should be open for quite awhile.
The future is bright!!!

Originally posted by drakan:

Indeed, window is probably next year since Kaepernick will be renegotiating his contract after next season.

He cannot renegotiate his contract for a few more years.

Originally posted by Jcool:
A team that lost in the Super Bowl hasn't gone back since the Buffalo Bills lost 4 straight from 90-93. Eagles got to the Super Bowl with a 28 yr old McNabb, lost and after only made one more conference title game in 5 years. Steve McNair & Eddie George were both 26 when they lost in the Super Bowl and never got close to the Super Bowl again. Green Bay won the Super Bowl with a young team and since have been unable to get past the divisional round.

It's a fair point. But while the odds are long, it's hardly a foregone conclusion. That's why you play the season.

The important thing remains that the nucleus of the team remains young, is largely under contract, and we have no more salary cap issues than any other team. Moreover, this season marked the final transitional year in the Harbaugh turn around project. Yes, it was a transition year. How else are you going to describe a season in which you benched your long-term starter and replaced him with what was for all intents and purposes a rookie? Kaep and the coaching staff will, for the first time, have the benefit of running a full off season program that is tailored to Kaep's unique skill set. When you consider how ragged and unpolished the offense frequently looked this season, you've got to admit that a chance to smooth the rough edges and optimize the scheme for Kaep is likely to yield a marked improvement. No, that isn't going to fix the defense, but it will make their jobs a lot easier.

Finally, the areas where the team needs to improve are very obvious. We have a capable front office that is pretty good at FA and the draft, so the roster stuff isn't a huge concern. Besides, the team remains deep and talented. The one area where we can make a massive improvement doesn't require roster moves, nor is it dependent upon the age of the team: the team and the coaching staff has to commit itself to learning to play polished, mistake-free football. Throughout the season we were dogged by dumb penalties, sophomoric clock management, drops, and blown assignments. If they can clean those mistakes up and learn how to come out of the locker room and play 3rd quarter football in the first quarter, this team is going to bury teams in the first half and pillage their way back to the Super Bowl. We saw flashes of just how terrifying this offense can be in the latter part of the season, if they can learn to get it firing on all cylinders throughout the game, they will be the best offense in the league, bar none.

When you take into consideration that this was indeed a transition year, and you think about the sort of improvements that are likely to be made in the off season, it seems to be perfectly reasonable to suggest that the Niners are the odds on favorites to win the NFC next season. Sure, the track record for losing Super Bowl teams isn't great. But that's what other teams have done. I'm not interested in what other teams have done, I'm interested in what the Niners can do. If they can learn to play quality football over the off season, I think it's clear that we're better positioned than anyone else to get over the hump.

our star QB has only made 10 starts in his whole career. Kaep is the main window for the Niners or any NFL team--your QB is your window. I see a 4-5 year window with kaep being a great runner, then another 4-5 years where he will be a good runner and all those years he will get smarter and wiser and he will always have the great arm.

The Niner defense--this may be the worst year it will see for a while with the injuries and poor secondary---if the team drafts well and can rebuild a defense to play in this now very offense oriented national football league the Niners will be just fine.

The Niners window will remain open for the next ten years--now it is up to the owner, GM, scouts, coaches and players to make something of it.

Originally posted by BrianGO:

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:
Baalke cutting Blake Constanzo and Colin Jones to sign Brandon Jacobs destroyed our special teams; 70% of our success last year came from Special teams (field position on both sides of the ball).

That's actually a very good point.

very good point. The offenses problem was QB as we all now know and Baalke weakened the special teams. With all these draft picks the special teams should be back to being special in 2013. And I don't mean to demean Alex Smith, he is a pretty good QB but he isn't a Super Bowl type QB in my opinion.

Hell no. Even after FA, this team will be the most complete in the NFL. We'll be back.

If you we're in the shoes of the other 31 teams which team would be the last team you'd want to face? I would think us.

If John Freaking Elway can be humiliated in his first three superbowls....and come back win his last two, then damn it the answer is no the window is not closing. I will refuse to believe that our window is closing!

Fap for Kap!

Originally posted by lazy:
If John Freaking Elway can be humiliated in his first three superbowls....and come back win his last two, then damn it the answer is no the window is not closing. I will refuse to believe that our window is closing!

Fap for Kap!

I already did....twice