Adam Snyder, Ashley Lelie: Amid the horrors, new faces for the 49ers’ lousy offense
Was going to wait on this entry, but just saw Adam Snyder come into the game at LT for Jonas Jennings, who is having another absymal game trying to block somebody.
So the 49ers are going to lose to the Giants today. Probably by a lot. It’s 33-9 early in the fourth, and frankly, the 49ers are lucky to be that close.
The Giants, coming off a Monday night game and heading to London in a few days to play Miami, are obviously not sharp. They’re dropping passes (five so far) and Eli Manning looks only casually involved in the football activity–wild high, wild low, almost asleep.
That blocked punt for a safety was a classic sleepy team play. Go visit Harrod’s! The changing of the guard! London is fun!
So yes, with Trent Dilfer at QB and Jim Hostler at off-coor, the 49ers never had a chance to win this game.
Add in Mike Nolan’s two-year, and now three-year record in the weeks after a bye (it’s HORRID, as I’ve mentioned), and what was I thinking taking the 49ers +9.5 in the Merc contest?
Three absolute humiliations (previously: 52-17 at Washington in 2005, 41-10 at Chicagon last year) in three Nolan post-bye games. There’s something indicative of bad preparation here, folks.
So let’s take a look at what comes next:
* Snyder should be the starting LT, over Jennings, for the rest of the season.
This should’ve happened earlier, and was hinted at earlier before Jennings took the last game off (for personal reasons, though Derrick Deese, among others, has suggested Jennings left the team partly to avoid a benching).
Jennings has been awful all year. You can’t do worse with Snyder, and it’s time to see.
Maybe David Baas for Justin Smiley at RG, too. Rest of the season.
* Ashley Lelie got his first major playing time of the season, and actually made a play. A WR made a play!
He also made a stupid play immediately afterwards, getting a delay penalty after spiking the ball, but oh well, that happens. That’s probably why he’s not so popular with the coaching staff.
Lelie has to be in there, because it’s clear that Darrell Jackson and Arnaz Battle aren’t going to be making many plays.
* Coaches and GMs get fired for lesser NFL sins than having Dilfer as the back-up.
I’ve said this forever: Trent Dilfer is not an NFL QB, in anyway except when he opens his mouth and starts talking to the media and coaches, and unfortunately, defensive players don’t care how a QB sounds to the media and coaches.
For the 49ers to go into the season with only Dilfer (and the mysterious Shaun Hill) behind Smith… well, that’s almost a fire-able offense. Almost.
If Impulsive John York wanted to do some firing because of it, well, it’d be hard for me to argue.
* Good thing Nolan didn’t force Alex Smith into this game, though I think Nolan wanted to, and Smith’s agent, Tom Condon probably won out. So did logic.
If Smith played in this game, he’d have been hurt again, obviously, and surgery would’ve come soon after that, and I don’t know if Smith would’ve ever trusted Nolan to make a decision like that again. He probably shouldn’t.
It wouldn’t be totally wrong to keep Smith out of next week’s home game against New Orleans, either, but I think Nolan’s too desperate to wait that long. He gave Condon and Smith this week, but now Nolan’s job is on the line.
Might be an interesting Condon/Nolan struggle.
* The 49ers defense got swamped, but I always forgive a decent defense getting swamped when the offense can’t do anything for weeks and the defense starts to get frustrated.
Won’t happen again next Sunday against New Orleans, I’m thinking.
* Hostler upstairs calling plays from the pressbox (if he still has that responsibility) vs. Hostler on the sideline… not that much of a difference. Still lousy.
The 49ers tried a whole bunch of new stuff today–formations, personnel, roll-outs… and it was not very good. A little here, a few gainers that hadn’t happened in previous weeks… but again:
Was there ever a time you thought the Giants defense was off-balance? Really off-balance? No. The plays the Giants gave up were because they were too ON-balance and went for the kill when the 49ers slipped through.
That is not the sign of a great coordinator, by the way.
Nolan has to make a change here, unless he already made it without announcement. Hostler could get him fired. He really could.
That’d not be so good for the Nolan Era.
* 49ers: now 0-15 East of the Mississippi (except Rams games) since the end of 2003. It’s 0-11 in the Nolan Era in these games.
And the 49ers have been out-played at QB in all 11 of those Nolan/East games. Out-played badly.
Mike Nolan needs to go. There is absolutely no doubt about it now. After a bye week, the lackluster offence of our beloved 49ers could only muster up one offensive touchdown. I really felt for Dilfer, he was sacked so many times including knockdowns and hurried throws. The offensive line just is inept at blocking. What do all these problems point to? It all points to sub par coaching. I was listening to Mike Nolan on the KNBR pre game radio show. As I listened, it occured to me that he does know a lot about defense. He does not know anything about offense. In conclusion, he’s the wrong man for the job. As long as Nolan remains head coach, the 49ers will lack vision and lack of direction. How in the world will the players stay motivated now?
“Turn off the lights, the seasons over . . . ” luckily even all HORRIBLE things must end. This is a team lost in space. They lack direction, accountability, responsability and more importantly, the will from the owner down to win. Nolan’s era has destroyed Niner football for me because my son who is 12, asked me today, “Why do we follow the Niners if no one tries? My coach won’t put up with it, so why do the Forty-Niners.” Then he added, “Dad, until they can do something on a regular basis lets just not take the weekends to fly out anymore. They are a laughing joke.” Nolan’s era is/has destroyed the younger generation’s interest in the team.
I live out of state and share season tickets with my sisters who still live in the Bay Area. I informed them that I will not be renewing my season tickets for next year. I’ll take that money and apply it to the local NBA team where I live and my family and I can go there and enjoy that venue. That in the end, is the legacy of the Nolan era. Loss of hard core fans, and loss of younger fans, who in worsening economic times will not give the sacrifice when the owner and head coach arenot making the same effort to provide a highly entertaining and competitive team on the field. You’ve won Mr. York, or perhaps I have now that I am saving around $20k a year.
I like Noolans plan to leave the giants players so wide open they would freak and drop the ball. It worked for the first half.
you know your offense is in bad shape when the defense on the others side starts laughing after the first series! Saying the niners need to be able to read and pick up blitzes is getting boring.Have the moose and goose show think up something we dont know.
Hmmmm…. As many of us predicted (Blog re: York will need to fire Nolan), the Giants took care of business and the Niners mustered a pathetic lack of preparation (after a bye week???) with penalties and mistakes.
I am at ease, though. I no longer am worried about the direction which this team is heading. You see, after all the frustration and hair-pulling about all that is Niner right now, I sought a path to the truth. I visited with priests and gurus and rabbis and holy men of all sort. I even had a vision with the Dalai Lama.
The answer is so simple I kick myself for not seeing it. Its really mind over matter.
I don’t mind that Nolan is more filler than substance.
I don’t mind that Hostler still doesn’t know his play sheet is upside down.
I don’t mind that Dilfer brings nothing to the table.
I don’t mind that our O’line is still on vacation.
I don’t mind that Davis’ “click-clack” is actually the sound of the ball bricking off his “hands”
I don’t mind our receivers, etc.
You see, its mind over matter … I don’t mind anymore because the Niners don’t matter anymore…
Enjoy the rest of the season everyone… For me, the Sharks play Calgary tomorrow & the Warriors tip off in 9 days.
next year we dont have a high draft choice BUT, if things continue with nolan clueless of offense, we will be once again a non-competitive team. ( bill walsh said the first goal is to be able to compete in the NFL) In the future, do you continue to pay Smith who is unproven? its unlikely Davis will want to be around (think about all the other OC drooling to have him) and Gore hates to lose. If this continues, any progress we make in talent maybe futile because no one will want to play here. So much for the talent is the key theorists. Good players enjoy going to good teams. One suspects looking for an experienced coach to bring us to the next level with our talent is crucial. (ala shanahan, grudin , billick and dungy)
PLAY NICE? the man nolan is more interested in ironing his suit than getting his players prepared.
These guys are paid millions ,and play like women. Yuo have a 4.3 guy that cant catch ,OL that are tossed around like high schoolers men, its a real shame shame shame same shame QB surk like lollypop,
WHERE IS THE NINER PRIDE PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH TYNOLOLPM MODE EVERY SUNDAY WHATS UP.
It still all comes down to the offensive line. The coaches are hamstrung because the line can’t run block or pass block. Look at how both tackles got owned all day long. It was humiliating. All five starters have to go–even Larry Allen. He’s too old to be playing anymore and should have retired after last year. Jonas Jennings just needs to be cut, no matter what effect that has on the salary cap. He’s cancerous to the team. It is time to see what the reserves can do, if anything.
It is amazing Trent Dilfer isn’t unconscious in a hospital right now.
*playoffs or bust* any other fan remember nolan saying that last year? well we’re 2-4 and would need 7 wins out of the next 10 (dont see that happening) the problem with nolan getting fired is york is not going to pay a top tier coach hes going to a college or an assistant,and even if a quality coach does come in we’re still atleast 2-3 years away so york should sell or fans should starve him until he gives,stop buying tickets,jersey’s,ect ten maybe something will change.
agreed. don’t stop being a fan - stop supporting york’s complacence in relation to mediocrity. something needs to be done - it just doesn’t seem fair for a “professional” establishment to be run this way. is there anything more heartbreaking than rooting for a team you know deep down have no premium put on success? i will always be a 49er fan for life but these are tough times for faithful. i think we need to rebuild from scratch immediately, save for vernon davis, frank gore, david baas, joe staley, patrick willis, nate clements and moran norris. the rest needs to be shaken up in a major way. the trade for d-jack looks like an increasingly despicable move - as so much else does right now.
“playoffs or bust”. bring on the bust mike, and spare us any more. it’s pretty sad when fans can analyze things better than the “professional” can - our coach refuses all control over this team, and our owner doesn’t care too.
Where have all the 9er fans Go? I cannot believe you so called fans are so quick to jump off the bandwagon.
I have to say I do not know what happen to the offensive line from last year, is it because they are 1 year older (Allen, Jennings). I mean they were pushing people around, opening lanes for Gore. What has become of them? As far as Hostler, I cant fault his play calling, because players need to execute, and for whatever reason it is not happening. Due to the late signing of Norv Turner to San Diego, Nolan could not find a decent replacement. He tried to get Bengals QB coach, But they would not allow him to talk to him. Because they would of been stuck in the position to find someone. So here we are with Hostler. Im not ready to jump, not that I ever would. I bleed crimson red threw and threw. I will be in front of the boob tube every Sunday rooting for a win.
Hey! AJ sell me your season tickets.
i have been a niner fan for over 25 years and this is by far the worst coaching job i have ever seen. not even Erickson coached this bad. the team shows absolutely no discipline.comming off a bye week the team made mistakes that peewee football teams do not make. i am embarrassed to say i am a niner fan some thing i thought i would never say
Fans, if you care about the future of this team, the best form of control you can take is to boycott York. Stop attending, stop viewing, stop buying 49er gear (I’m sure that has come to a screeching halt anyway) and for the time being, act like you are not a fan.
York has shown that he is in it for the money, so if you won’t hit him where it hurts, give up the dream that he reads your gripes on these blogs. All we’re doing is commiserating like women here instead of solving anything.
HERE’S TO EMPTY SEATS!!!!
Baas for Larry Allen who has become a swinging door in recent weeks.