Smith May Be Finished For Year, Faithful Yawn

ESPN.com is reporting Alex Smith's shoulder isn't improving and he may be shut down for the season. Honestly, does it matter? Lost season for him and the team. He now gets through week 8 next year to prove himself otherwise look for our 2nd round pick or free agent QB signing to start getting reps.

Irrational Exuberance

The Niners just snapped an eight-game losing streak and remain the worst offense in the NFL by a wide margin. But apparently they are a trendy pick this week. Niners Nation takes a look at the Scouts Inc. preview of this week's game against the Panthers, which conveniently ignores the past two months of futility this team foisted on its fan base. And the typically down-on-the-Niners Peter King expects them to stuff the Panthers for a second straight road win.

What the hell is going on here? Has everyone just been mind-wiped or are we really that gullible. This team's offensive problems can't be swept aside with one win. Can we also forget the more than troubling 484 yards of passing the secondary, the team's supposed strong point, gave up last week?

This is a matchup of two of the NFC's biggest disappointments this season. It will be interesting to see if the offensive explosion from last week carries forward into a winnable game, or if the Dilfer-led O regresses to previous form. I'm not holding my breath at this point (there's no reason to), but am hoping for an entertaining contest. Hopefully that isn't too much to ask.

VICTORY!!! - 49ers 37, Cardinals 31

What a ridiculous game. There were at least a dozen moments on Sunday afternoon when I thought, the offensive explosion notwithstanding, the Niners were headed for their franchise-record, ninth straight loss. After Gore rumbled 35 yards to give us the lead with 1:03 left, I felt good. Then the defense came out in a prevent to let the Cards march right down the field. When Donald Strickland gave up the 30-yard pass to the 1, I was ready to call this the newest low of a trying season.

Then a funny thing happened: this team showed some resilience. Strickland bounced back on the very next play to save the game with his textbook defense. The defense shook off a career passing day from Kurt Warner to stall the Cards' first drive in OT. Patrick (21 tackles?!) Willis saved the game with his hustle by chasing down Sean Morey and forcing Neil Rackers' miss. Andy Lee continued his All-Pro year by pounding a punt inside the Cardinals' 5-yardline that helped set up the defensive sack and Tully Banta-Cain's fumble recovery to end the roller-coaster game.

I can't remember being this entertained by a Niner game in a couple years. Even when Rackers' first OT FG attempt went through the uprights, I was left thinking "Well, at least we scored some points." Hopefully Nolan learned that sometimes opening up the offense and scoring points can actually win games.

Let's not lose perspective though: the Niners season is still a disappointment. The way they celebrated at the end of the game, one would think they had just clinched the division, rather than moved to 3-8. I still think this team will finish with 4 wins for the year, Nolan should be stripped of some power, and there are gaping talent holes at certain positions. But actually winning a game for the first time in over 2 months makes it a lot easier to think about that stuff.

Changes. They Are A-Comin'.

"I see no changes. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself, 'Is life worth living? Should I blast myself?'" -Tupac

I think every 49er fan has had the same thought running through their head at the same point this season. While someone answered Tupac's question for him (he's not alive on Mars, idiots), looks like Denise DeBartolo York has finally heard the fans' cries.

It sounds like Alex Smith (out for at least 2 more games) may have longer left as a Niner than Mike Nolan. Bringing in Ted Tollner to "mentor" Hostler isn't going to help the situation for our fearless "leader". At this point Nolan isn't even rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic - he's asking more people to jump ON the ship. Amazing. Nolan's public comments over the past few weeks have been puzzling. Throwing the injured franchise QB under the bus and sticking by clearly useless assistant coaches doesn't make much sense. Maiocco points out that sometimes "coaches can talk themselves out of a job." Nolan has clearly lost control of this team. The only question now is how much it will cost him.

Bringing in a GM to take the wheel is a good start - but for God's sake, Paraag Marathe is not the answer. No offense to him, but this team needs someone with experience and a track record of (even modest) success. Paraag has been with the team through its longest stretch of futility in three decades. Train him, groom him...but don't give him the keys to the car.

In any case, whenever a back-seat owner makes public statements like this, heads will roll. As dull as this team's been on the field, looks like there's more excitement coming in the boardrooms and offices at 4949 Centennial Boulevard than on Bill Walsh Field. And who doesn't get excited about bureaucratic shuffling and corporate doublespeak? That's why I love the NFL.

Strengthen the Core

The "football is won in the trenches" cliche is a cliche for a reason. After 8 straight losses and 2 unimpressive wins, we have MASSIVE problems on both sides of the ball. But

The last three weeks, the Niners have been unable to convert pivotal short-yardage plays. While Hostler's an idiot for running the same damn play in each situation, the execution is also a problem. A decent O-line can line up, tell the D what play is coming, and laugh while pancaking LBs into the turf. Instead the middle of the Niners' O-line - Allen, Heitmann, and Smiley - gets blown up off the ball on every single play. By the time Gore (or Robinson or Norris) has the ball in his hands, the line is already moving backwards into his lap. For a north/south runner like Gore, this is death. The biggest tragedy is that the middle of the O-line was the strength of the team last year, and is now its biggest liability. On pass-protection, these three clowns have blown so many blocking assignments that I've lost count. There is no excuse since they are veterans that have played together for at least two full seasons now. This line needs wholesale changes up front.

A similar issue exists on the D-line. Sopoaga and Franklin are not going to cut it. These guys create no push up the middle and are routinely handled 1-on-1 allowing opposing guards to get to our LBs without any trouble. We have switched back to a hybrid 4-3 since this was such an issue for several weeks, but that's not the long-term solution.

This offseason, this team needs to shore up the middle to being solving its problems. Time for York to open that checkbook again...

Fracture

Team unity is officially gone. When the starting QB and head coach are sniping at each other in the press, count on one thing: this isn't the only strained relationship. Alex Smith says he's "bothered" by the coaching staff repeatedly saying that he's healthy when in fact his should and now his forearm are hurt. Nolan then proceeded to make a veiled threat to Smith's status with the team, saying that everyone is expendable.

There you have it folks. Nolan has lost the team. Part of me wishes we had someone like TO to snap on the sideline and just make an example of some position coach. That lack of fire has been the most troubling aspect of this team's collapse. In any case, mark down 11/14/07 as the beginning of the end of either Alex Smith or Mike Nolan. Place your bets now as to which of these two will be somewhere else in 4 months.

Tim Keown Article Nails It

Former Chronicle writer Tim Keown keeps an eye on the team he used to cover and thinks it's not Alex - it's everything.

Staying the Course

President Bush and Mike Nolan are clearly reading from the same leadership manual. If shit looks broke, just say it isn't. The boat is sinking and the captain will go down with it. Doesn't mean the rest of us can't run for lifeboats while we have time.

Worst. Team. Ever. - Seahawks 24, Disgraces 0

It's official. The 9th game was even worse than the previous eight and won't change this fact: this year's 49ers are one of the worst teams in NFL history according to Football Outsiders' 2007 rankings (through week 9). Needless to say, tonight's crapfest won't improve things when comparing this squad to the 2004 team (-46.5 total DVOA) and 2005 team (-65.9% total DVOA).

I started comparing the 49ers' stats from 2004 and 2005 to what this current team has put up - and then I threw up on my keyboard. In almost every single category, this team is worse. The defense is slightly better and is getting screwed week after week by having to stay on the field for close to 40 minutes a game, as they were tonight. Alex Smith's passer rating is 57.2 through tonight's game. Steve Young absolutely bashed him during the 4th quarter of tonight's game. I've made my position clear. I think the most telling stat is the number of games (five) the 49ers have lost by more than 20 points this season. In 4 of those (they were in the Steelers game through three quarters) this team has not even been competitive. Even against other awful teams (Baltimore and Atlanta) there this sense of foreboding gloom that this team will find a way to lose. The only players from this team worth keeping are Willis, Clements, Gore, Staley (since he cost us a top-5 pick) and Andy Lee. That's it. Everyone else is free to join Jonas Jennings as a forgettable part of a thoroughly forgettable era that seems like it will extend into the next decade.

Many players are quitting (see: Darrell Jackson), Nolan has his own personal struggles to get through, and the season is officially over. The only question now is where do we go from here? Each week feels like bottom - and then this team finds a new circle of hell to take its fans to. Next stop - Satan's throneroom.

R.I.P. - Dick Nolan Passes Away

3 months after the Niners mourned the loss of one former coach, another - Dick Nolan - has passed away.

Mike Nolan has taken a lot of heat recently, and I feel like a real a-hole for piling it on (see: past several posts below this) but moments like this remind us that this is just a game and behind the lightning rods that attract fans' ire, these are still people with lives beyond the few hours we see them on Sunday. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Nolan family and R.I.P. Coach.

No Longer Rollin' With Nolan

Mike Nolan no longer looks like a man in charge and certainly doesn't sound like one. See his responses from today's press conference, especially two-thirds of the way down (starting at Re: Timeout management). What in the hell is he talking about? His rambling answers don't make anything clear and it's obvious there is poor communication between QB, OC, and head coach. The defense also can't get the right personnel on the field. This is a team in complete disarray that cannot even take care of the basics. These are high school football mistakes being made by an NFL team.

Overheard Today

On KNBR's broadcast, toward the end of the game, they came back from commercials a little early and the audience heard Joe Starkey and Gary Plummer discuss who to name 49ers player of the game. Starkey clearly said, "Patrick Willis I guess, but doing that every week is just getting silly." Even he's losing it.

Gary Plummer: LOL. Hostler's playbook is written on toilet paper!!!
Joe Starkey: So's Nolan's resume....

Will It Get Worse?

All signs point to yes.

Oh...and Willis is hurt. God hates us.

Smith is a Bust - Falcons 20, 49ers 16

Well Faithful, it's Sunday. That means it's time for us to dissect another pathetic loss to a mediocre team by the Impostor Niners. While I was focused like a laser on Hostler for the first several games, and recently swiveled my sights to Nolan, I think after today I need a shotgun to effectively spray blame everywhere it is due. There is not a single member of this team that should be proud of the effort today. This is a sad day for 49ers fans everywhere as the progress of the past three years has officially been wiped out. This was the last game that could be circled as "winnable" the rest of the way. There is now a stronger than 50% chance that this team will finish somewhere between 2-14 and 4-12. And the losing isn't going to be enjoyable because as you all know, we don't have the benefit of that pick, which was traded to the Pats, who clearly need it. To quote our boy Samir from Office Space, "This is a...FUCK!"

"I break this piece of shit!"

The bigger issue today is was the peak of the Alex Smith/Mike Nolan Era last season's victory over the equally mediocre Denver Broncos. During the post-game press conference, Smith and Nolan sound like a pair that knows they may not be around much longer.

I have defended Alex Smith against all kinds of abuse and insults. But after today, I'm switching sides in the debate. When he missed a wide open Bryan Gilmore for a SURE touchdown, I couldn't even utter the obligatory expletive. There it was staring me in the face - I have seen that same play and that same shit-eating smile afterward at least a hundred times in the past three years. And I'm sick of it. Tom Brady almost got into a fist-fight with the refs today and Manning looked like someone had butchered his family after a great game where he didn't have much to be ashamed, especially since he was missing Starvin' Marvin Harrison. Alex Smith has never shown me anything remotely like that in terms of competitive fire. How many times has he said "We left a lot of plays/yards/scores on the field today"? Too many and that all falls on him. I don't care if he's 23 and I REALLY don't care that he scored high on the Wonderlic. Standardized testing doesn't mean shit in the real world and especially not in football. John Ryan makes some great points that I didn't agree with two weeks ago in the middle of Dilfergatory, but now I do. Alex Smith saw his future today and it's Joey Harrington. Hopefully we can find a Jon Kitna-type to replace him.

The Onion - "Nolan Benched"

One day this will be true. Alas...

Frustrated by the ineffectiveness of head coach Mike Nolan, the 49ers organization announced Monday that backup coach Tom Gorzynski, a journeyman the team picked up off the coaching waiver wire in August, will make his first NFL start against the Falcons Sunday. "I just need to take advantage of this opportunity to show I can coach at this level," said Gorzynski, who has been making all coaching decisions for the 49ers practice squad this season. "I'm ready to take the reins and make the players make something happen. I just need to go out to the sideline and coach my own game plan. I know it's a huge responsibility, but I'm confident in my scheduling, managing, and delegating." Although Gorzynski feels his effort will be highly scrutinized, he said coaching PATs in preseason, as well as coaching several kneel-down plays late in the fourth quarter of games during the regular season, had given him unbridled confidence.

Friday Link Dump - Week 9

The Niners have a winnable game ahead of them and Niners Nation has the breakdown. I completely agree with the last sentence - no one should consider a 1 point victory a positive in this. The Niners need to demolish the even more rudderless Falcons team to turn this season around. Otherwise prepare to throw up in your mouth when the Pats use our top-5 pick to add a franchise player to their stable.

Bigger news today is Ronnie Lott declaring war on Jonas Jennings this morning. Nolan seems to be emotionally attached to Mr. Glass, so I guess what a Hall of Fame safety thinks doesn't matter to Coach Stubborn-As-A-Mule. I respect confidence, but not foolhardiness.

The question good teams ask themselves each week is "Can we cover the spread?" or "Can we execute our game plan at will?" (see: Pats & Colts). Teams like the Niners on the other hand ask "Do we have Zak Keasey or Hannibal Navies this week?" The rest of the league yawns as Scot McCloughan names the Castrol GTX Irrelevant Sub of the Week each Friday.