Through the first 23 games of his NFL career, 49ers receiver Jason Hill - and
All that changed in the second half of last season when Arnaz Battle's foot injury gave him the opportunity to get significant playing time as the 49ers' No. 3 receiver. Hill seemingly took advantage of the situation, catching 30 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns.
So much for carrying momentum from one year to the next. Hill thought he might be among the team's final cuts. Well, he made the 49ers' 53-man roster, but he has been a healthy scratch for each of the first three games.
Coach Mike Singletary said Hill's inability to practice during a good portion of the 49ers' offseason program with injuries put him at a disadvantage at the beginning of training camp.
"Jason Hill was injured with a hamstring, a groin, a this, a that and missed a lot of time," Singletary said. "The thing in the National Football League is the things you did the year before is outstanding, it's great, but it only counts last year. Going forward, everybody has to earn that spot."
It looks as if Hill will be in uniform on Sunday, though. He said he is listed on a lot of the 49ers' special teams, which is a clear indication that he figures to play on against the Rams. I spoke with Hill today about his situation:
Question: Have you been told what you need to do to be "up" on game days?
Hill: "Coach Singletary and I talked about practicing how I play in the games on Sunday. He wants me to make the plays in practice that I make in games. That's a pretty simple rule, I guess. I would've liked to have known that before."
Question: Isn't that the way it should be?
Hill: "I agreed with him 100 percent. But sometimes in the games it brings a little extra out of you."
Question: Do you consider yourself a bad practice player?
Hill: "No, I'm a great practice player. That's why it was surprising to hear him say that. I thought I was making plays when I had an opportunity."
Question: What does that mean, more energy and enthusiasm in practice?
Hill: "I want to make sure when they watch the defensive film or the offensive film, they see me. Whether it's scout team, regular team, special teams, whatever, make sure I stand out like I do in the games."
Question: Has this been frustrating for you?
Hill: "It's the most frustrating time I've had so far in my career because I thought last year I earned something. Not being able to suit up, not be out there with my guys getting that big opening win in
Question: Was there a point that you wish the 49ers would just trade you?
Hill: "I thought every possible thought you could think, whether it be here or somewhere else. But it's part of the game. Sometimes you play for two or three teams."
Question: Did you ever express a desire to get traded?
Hill: "Not to anybody here, just among my friends and family - just talking about the possibilities. I told people, 'It's possible I won't be here, so get ready for it. Any tailgate you might have planned, get ready for it.' "
Question: With the situation here, the 49ers never use four wideouts, and there's Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan, Arnaz Battle, Micheal Spurlock, you and now Brandon Jones, how do you get your opportunities?
Hill: "It's tough. You have to battle, whether it's special teams or the one or two opportunities you might get in a game try to make the best of it. I think as the offense evolves we'll use the wideouts a little more. When teams start keying on
Question: Do you ever think ahead of what happens if Michael Crabtree signs?
Hill: "I do. I look at the numbers just about every day, especially not being up. Now that I'll be up, I don't think I'll worry about the numbers at all. I think I'll just worry about making plays like I've been doing. Yeah, you think about the numbers. It's part of it. It's a numbers game most of the time."
* * *
Earlier today I asked 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye on whether he believes in using four-receiver sets. The 49ers have not put four wideouts on the field at the same time this season. And they use three receivers sparingly.
"It would stress us tremendously to have double open edges and four wide receivers and no threat to run the ball and put that kind of pass-rush burden on our offensive line and on the quarterback," Raye said. "I think we would be entering into foreign territory at a point where we don't need to.
"Now if it's for some cosmetic purpose, to make somebody feel better, we could go spread out everybody and throw it all over the lot, but that's not what we do. We have the ability to do that if for some reason -- injury or a situation dictated that -- we have that package."
* * *
49ERS INJURY REPORT
Did not practice: RB Frank Gore (ankle, foot) and S Reggie Smith (groin) will not play. DT Aubrayo Franklin (not injury related) was given a rest and will start Sunday against the Rams.
Limited participation in practice: LT Joe Staley (thigh), LG David Baas (ankle) and LB Jeff Ulbrich (thigh). Each is expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Rams.
Full participation in practice: TE Vernon Davis (shin), RS Allen Rossum (illness), RT Adam Snyder (thumb) and LB Takeo Spikes (shin).
RAMS INJURY REPORT
Did not practice: QB Marc Bulger (right shoulder), T Jason Smith (knee) and S James Butler (knee). It looks as if Kyle Boller will start at QB for the Rams on Sunday.
Limited practice: CB Ron Bartell (thigh), T Alex Barron (thigh).
* * *
..i feel J.Hill's pain.....but why even bother...its not like the current QB can get him the ball....
""The thing in the National Football League is the things you did the year before is outstanding, it's great, but it only counts last year. Going forward, everybody has to earn that spot.""
----i call B.S
Alex Smith played better than Hill during the preseason......the only reason Hill is QB is because of his play last season
"It would stress us tremendously to have double open edges and four wide receivers and no threat to run the ball and put that kind of pass-rush burden on our offensive line and on the quarterback," Raye said.
Hmmmmm...I'm not sure how I feel about that.
I think his first and second answers say it all. Man up Jason and quit yer whining! Either prove yourself and earn your playing time, or STFU.
...Alex had his chance to prove himself in OTA's and TC.....he reinforced what we all knew and that is he's a bust.....maybe he has a shot in the UFL....this is probably his last year with us since Nate Davis is > than Bust Smith...have a great day....
I wanted/want to see Hill step his game up and be a good wide out for the 9ers. Mostly because he is from my City. But I see Morgan being a better wide out in the long run.
I wanted/want to see Hill step his game up and be a good wide out for the 9ers. Mostly because he is from my City. But I see Morgan being a better wide out in the long run.
Ya blind homie, ya blind to the facts! S-Dot-Hill is the ONLY QB responsible for J.Hill's 30 catches, 317 yards and 2 TDs at the end of last season. La la la la all up on that! Go Niners! Go Shaun Hill era!
Matt, you finally did a write up on Hill. Folks on this blog have been itching for an official Hill conversation.
Personally, I don't care one way or the other. I don't think we throw the ball enough to allow Hill to make significant contributions. With that said we really need to evaluate him.
I think the receiving roster should go like this:
Dressed during game:
1. Morgan - Is he special or just an average WR. A good #2 or #3. We should see if this guy can be a threat down field and after the catch.
2. Bruce - The ageless one. He just keeps making plays for us every game. Did have a couple drops, but a reliable #2. You go Fort Licky.
3. Jones - apparently he was having a good camp. But I'm in the belief, "What have you done for me lately." He needs to prove himself useful at the latest one or two games after the bye week.
4. Battle - Up until last week he used to make third down catches for us. He really made himself useful when folks went down or didn't sign during camp. This is something A. Smith DID NOT DO in five years. STEP UP AND EARN A SPOT.
5. NOTHING, NADDA, we don't dress anybody else b/c we BRING UP SHEETS to provide RB depth. We never ego more than 3 WRs, 4 is possible but com'on... If someone goes down the nyou put sheets/coffee/VD in the slot. If we had to go 5 then bring in Hill. target him at least twice during a game.
Practice Squad:
5. The questionable 5th from above. Hill
6. Spurlock - not sure what the obsession is with him. Play him is the taser and see if he can pass again. If he misses two more times... cut him. We need winners, not projects. This is professional football and when you get a chance to shine, you step up and shine,.. like Lewis, the WR from Minn that one the game.
7. Zeig - a project. Probably will go the route of Hill.
If Craba$$ ever gets signed then all kinds of folks start dropping off. No matter how much Sing says he has to earn PT.
Maybe there is a reason Sing didn't want Raye to talk... he's like watching water boil. I'm excited about the team but this guy doesn't exactly PUMP me up
Wow!...I am sure how I feel about that. Does any other team not use 4-wides and rarely 3-wides? Is it a complete lack of confidence in O-line? Or is it really that Neanderthal? I sure hope the D stays healthy and improves because they aren't counting on the O to win games but rather just not lose them.
Receivers? We have those? I know we have guys that line up wide that block people, but I know of no wide "receivers." I know we're 2-1, and that's better than the 1-2 I thought we'd be at this point, but it SUCKS to watch them run straight into 9 man fronts for 1 yard per. Gee, scoring drives late in the game in AZ and Minny were mostly passing, no? I'm not saying to go shotgun spread all the time, but SOME variety might help us with those 3 & outs... And how will oneniner react when A. Smith is dumped in favor of Nate Davis? Will we have some sort of hostage situation or Falling Down scenario at the Santa Clara facility?
I'm sorry... As much as I would normally love to engage in the usual banter, I saw this, and I just want to say.... keep losing Carolina!!!!!!!
My Christmas wish for next year...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLD33s7V7EU
The more I read quotes from Raye the more irritated I become. He's basically saying the 9ers are a power running team. Thats who we are regardless of the defense we face. Even with the game on the line we are going to run straight up the middle 3 times in a row. Here's a stat for you. The 9ers are tied for 14th in the league at 4.2 yards per carry. If you take away the 2 very long runs for Gore against Seattle, the 9ers average 2.2 yards per carry. That stat is the exact reason the 9ers are leading the league in 3 & outs. Raye is the anti-Walsh. Walsh passed to set up the run. Raye runs to set up the run as evidenced by his play calling at the end of the Vikes game. It makes ABSOLUTELY no sense.
matt thanks for covering this issue...i think jason hill has a lot of untouched potential that the coaches are overseeing...i knew this would happen to him once the 49ers got rid of martz and drafted crabtree...unfortunately, i think his best days are ahead of him on another team...:(
Thank you so much for doing the J Hill article. he really wasn't pulling any shots after how he's been treated by the coaching staff. i don't see how he practices, but if last year didn't mean anything, it's hard to argue that s hill really won the job in the offseason either.
jimmy raye is pretty astute about the offensive line this year. Being in passing situations is a bit rough right now. Yes, s hill has a high completion rate, but look at how SMALL the pocket is. every time it's a passing situation he ahs to walk a fine tightrope to dodge a defender. I don't remember a time when he's been able to really square his shoulders step up and get a good throw out. if he slides left or right, he'll just get grabbed by a defender. As abysmal as our ypc for rushing is this year, if we don't cheat the defense into playing that way, s hill is going to have his sack totals rise exponentially.
DARREN (aka oneniner): "Alex Smith played better than Hill during the preseason......the only reason Hill is QB is because of his play last season"
go122: You are such a moron. Even if we are to believe that Smith outplayed Hill in preseason (highly debatable), regular season games is what counts. You make a great argument for the opposition because you are basically admitting that Hill played like a solid QB last year when given the chance.
Way to go, idiot.
I'd like to see Jason Hill remain on this team thru next year. I think they'll need him when Bruce retires, I don't get the Spurlock experiment either.
P.S. I'm getting tired of sifting thru Alex Smith fanboy's comments on this blog...
Raye really should not speak. If we go 360 degrees...no its 180 degrees. This guy is as fun as watching paint dry. For next year I hope they fire this guy and promote old #44 to the OC. I think he learned a few things from a guy named Bill and another named Joe. Damn Raye just seems hard headed and to me that means terrible. At this rate the Rams are going to play nine in the box and this dumb ass will still try to run.
So far this season the Niners have run the ball 80 times and have passed 83 times...I guess we are a passing team !
The offense should get better as it matures,remembner,it is a newly installed offense and new offenses and new OC's don't usually hit their stride until mid seeason at the earliest.
Maybe Raye is ahead of schedule,since they are winning already ? Or maybe he will not change as the O line gets better at pass protecting ,but I think he will ? We don't know. As Sing always says,watch and we will show you . We should at least give Raye until mid season to see if the O is progressing and evolving . Some problems ,sure,but lets watch and see if they get fixed. After all,that is all we ,as fans,can do anyway. One thing I know is that S. Hill can handle the load if Raye puts it on his shoulders !
The only BS on this blog is from you oneniner! How many passes did Alex the bust Smith throw to J.Hill? As a true niner fan i would wish and hope for all niner players to have a successful career, however Alex has not proven anything yet despite his physical attributes!
The pass protection seems to be the big problem with the passing offense. It's not like Martz's system with all the deep dropbacks but opponents are still getting pressue on the QB. I see no imagination with this offense and I didn't notice any adjustments after halftime in last week's game, Minnesota spent the entire day in the Niners's backfield. After halftime, it still seemed like Jared Allen was across the line of scrimmage before the ball was even snapped!
Mike in Sac. St louis' run defense is worse than Seattle's. If they put nine in the box we can still run all over them.
This game wont be an eye opener for Raye it will just further justify his thought process in his mind. If you don't believe me just ask oneniner he told me he agrees with me on this.
i usually agree with patience and the fact i Love sing and what he is doing here is why Im tryin to give Raye till mid year. However i have to agree with the majority on this one... this guy is killing me. everytime he talks i like him less. i wld be able to have a lot more patience if the guy just didnt talk. The guy is scared to death to throw the ball. It shows that he was once a Cord in what....1937? Im not saying we have to go all NE and play a spread offense but what team in 2009 refuses to use a 4 WR at some point? fact of the matter is its our PASSING that has lead to good play and what shld be a 3-0 record. and its raye that has a big hand in us being 2-1. This pound pound pound the rock up the middle style is leading to a 2.2 yard per carry average. open this thing up a little bit.........
Its ironic cuz they want this to be a running team, and ppl say well we pass more than we run. Thats cuz thats what the gameplan is putting us in situations to do. If we throw the ball more early and jump out to a lead the offense will be more balanced and teams wont stack the box and we will have the lead and run more. Thats the irony. if we passed more at the beginning of games we would have more runs at the end like every other team that runs well.
yea... but jared allen IS a good player, so it's not so surprising that he'd be getting such good penetration. the biggest difference in the play of the oline from this year and last year is... not even from the oline it's form vernon davis going out. yes he's making amazing plays now that he's free, but the oline is REALLY missing him in pass protection. It's most definitely a tradeoff that's affecting the rest of the receiving core, but hey, 2 wins and a close loss, looks like the tradeoff is worth it for now.
you guys just are not happy with anything are you? its not good enough for them to win, but they have to win YOUR way? "raye doesnt know what he is doing"....he has only been employed in the nfl for 20+ years.
"we tell them we are gonna run and we just run right up the middle"...thats how we get a play action pass to be effective, just ask vernon davis. plus if you tell a team you are gonna ram it down thier throat and then you actaully do it, it makes the next team take note. they take note that we can do whatever we want and they cant do anything to stop us. that gets into peoples minds, makes them question what they can and cannot do.
"our passing game can come back from 2 or 3 scores down".....guess what. no offense's has yet to able to get 2 or 3 scores up on us. thats because much like our offense, our defense inpose's its will too.
"we need a qb with a rocket arm to win a superbowl" no we dont. a qb with a rocket arm goes to alot of pro bowls not super bowls. we need a qb that the rest of the offense believes in.
"raye and coach sing do not believe in s hill" he is the starting qb. it took all 1 half of a game to put s hill in there. and since then the guy has won twice as many games as he has lost.
1/3 of you are idiots,1/3 of you are morons, i just wish the other 1/3 of the real fans would speak up more.{the other 1/10th is devoted to oneniner and his and his many alex smith life size blow up dolls with a the kung fu grip}
Hill is the better QB of the two! hands down
Our offense needs to support Gore and Davis at this point and yes, we must sign Crabs.
Davis is the future, but not next year, and A. Smith is a bust in the NFL, just another Ryan Leaf.
Carolina needs to keep losing, so we can get a decent tackle opposite of pashos next year, we'll need to extend him.
Kory will be on the roster next season, just too quick not to be... with ample play time
yes we need to allow hill more opportunities to succeed or fail, that what you do with QB's at this level
the other things thats frustrating is the tragedy that is Jason Hill. i guess its still just all about the passing game but here is the point. playing football i always believed you never look ahead, one game at a time BUT thats for playin games. a smart teams looks at the future. next year Bruce will be gone, battle is not getting better with time, spurlock... well i have said my piece on him, and i have come to the reality that Crabs wont be a 49er, ever. so with that being said why wouldnt you play Hill. he is a young talent that has actually played well when called upon. this is the biggest mystery in 49er nation! this guy will actually be with us next year and plays well. Men, thats a GOOD things. Its too bad we dont know what we have with any of our WRs. Morgan is suppose to be a stud. how do we know if we throw him the ball 3-4 times a game. Jones the guy runs a great verticle route, will we ever know in this offense? Hill just doesnt play. Guys Morgan Hill and Jones will be our WRs next year lets see what they got. we even have a Qb now that can get them the ball... just let him do it!! we should be dominate right now
i assume you mean opposite staley, i dont think he is going anywhere
i cldnt disagree more. i cant say that 2/3rds of 49ers fans are idoits and morons. and i dont really think ppl are all unhappy although we are winning. Ill be the first to admit that I am gving rayes offense a hard time right now. it has nothing to do with HOW we win. i dont care if we win games 7-3 and win the SB i would love it. Im giving the guy a hard time cuz i like winning and want it to continue! i just dont see that happening with his style ball. there are times to be stubborn (example dont give up on the run) and times to be intelligent (example we need a first down to win, there are 9 almost ten guys in the box throw a quick out or a slant, not an HB dive) Frankly we have been a little bit lucky so far and our D has stepped up (minus Roman cuz he blows) but at some point this offense needs to open up or we will be 4-7 in a hurry wondering what went wrong, meanwhile our running average will be 1.8. i think thats what ppl are really saying but ill just speak for myself
Let's not lose sight that the Niners went on the road to an early game against a playoff caliber team - we got behind by 10 - lost our best offensive player - and still fought to take the lead in the fourth quarter. It took a "miracle" to steal that win away.
I think Raye is working to improve the offense each week. I'm hoping to see improvement each game. Keep in mind, Shaun Hill is not an experienced starter, and he's getting better. It's great to see V Davis coming through as a receiver. Winning will be plenty exciting enough for me, I don't care if they run or pass.
Thx for the reply! Yeah Jared Allen is a superstar pass-rusher but he wasn't the only guy in the backfield, there were a lot of people jerseys busting through the line. They say Coffee is a one-cut and go runner, I'm hoping Jimmy Raye has something up his sleeve to take advantage of his running style. I also recognize that Staley miss some time during the game but he was back in on those failed plays to run out the clock. Man I wish Raye called a fake handoff and a bootleg w/ Hill on 3rd down! That loss is gonna sting for a long time...
The team is definitely more fun to watch with Vernon Davis actually getting the ball too!
TO EVERYONE: (please read!)
i really mean this, it is fun comming on here and talking 9ers football with ppl, i love it. i have respect for all different opinions. i think its cool that ppl can agree and disagree with each other. hell i just disagreed with someone. i respect his opinion but i just have my own so i commented thats what its all about. But im going to attempt to solve this Oneniner problem once and for all... GUYS DONT RESPOND.... EVER! we all know every single blog there will be an anti-hill comment. we can be 15-1 and week 17 he will talk bout how Hill will blow it in the playoffs. who cares. there have been too many comment sections ruined by ppl taking up so much space fighting with this idiot. its obvious why its done and its just to get a rise outta ppl. lets just stick to the good 9ers discussions. read laugh and skip over his nonsense comments and move on. NO MORE repsonding to this guy about hill. the dude wants to comment about something else that is actually a fair fact or opinion awesome! otherwise lets not cluttler the comment sections with arguments with this simpleton.
I know its gonna be hard! just read it laugh skip it and post your comment
Go 9ers!!
J. Hill gets a sort of raw deal but he doesn't excel on special teams and he can't get a spot w/o playing special teams...B. Jones is a good slot reciever but really seems like a waste of a signing because I thin J. Hill could have done the same thing. B. Jones is the highest paid reciever on the team and I got to watch him the past few years in Nashville and he shows flashes but is really injury prone. He does not need to be highest paid reciever on any team. It also makes me scratch my head on our first round pick too...doesn't match philosophy and Battle and Bruce were question marks heading into this year I guess but still...oh well it is done now and while I like the rest of our draft it would have been perfect with Oher and been better with a WR like Harvin or Maclin who could contribute on special teams...
You all just don't get Raye's vision. What you have to realize about his offense is that studies have shown that 60% of the time it works every time.
If you don't believe me ask oneniner. He agrees with me.
misunderstanding here....
as you were shane, Pashos should make the easy switch and replace a guard we have (adam snyder) that currently allows more QB sacks than any other lineman in the league. 3.5 already this year and 16.5 more over the previous 2 years.
staley should be next to him. opposite him we'll need to consider chilo's play this year for next, but B. sims needs to move across the bay or something, he's allowed 20 sacks himself over the past 2 seasons
pashos/staley rt side
chilo/baas left side
Oneniner and I were talking about that same thing just the other day . He agreed with my ideas that were similar to yours. We shouldn't have gone for Jones. Hill could've easily filled that spot and he has more years left than some other receivers we kept as well.
As much as I like battle for what he has done for us when we had absolutely zero receivers I think he is close to done and its time for a younger guy to step in and step up and I think hill could've been that guy if given the chance.
After I mentioned these things to oneniner he completely agreed with me.
whatever Alex Smith is paying these guys, its not worth it.
Not being privy to training camp at large, it is hard for a fan to glean what process lead to J Hill's troubles. But from the comments above,J Hill hasn't responded to the "Show Me" dictum. Unfortunate, he and S Hill really seemed to click on the field(at least in past situations).Perhaps the last few weeks have stoked the flames? Shield Battery your comments about Coach Raye's utilization of our present roster is on target from my perspective. Winning is the thing ,a few more and maybe some of the grumbling will mitigate.I am confidant in Coffee's abilities ,he runs strong and sure -I looking forward to seeing him in the end zone this weekend!(What the hay lets see Vernon there too and maybe B Jones with a nice long gainer!) Go Niners!
This is actually a really interesting idea having your two guards on the left side and having 2 tackles on the right. This might be a pretty smart way to do a small unbalanced line, which I think is a much more solid way to run than to run that hokey wildcat.
Gore was a monster when he ran over left guard in 2006... with this formation we have 2!
seriously I love the unbalanced line idea, the ravens run it really well. caught my eye in the bal vs ten AFC playoff game last year.
shane i want the winning to continue as well. but your projecting what you "think" will happen. we are in for a very long season and believe the time to be critical will come, but at the moment this team has showed more heart, gumption and intensity then they have in a long long time.
we were within 2 secs of beating a team no one thought we could even compete in, much less win. we didnt lose the game on bad play calling, we lost to a hall of fame qb with a grove of shamrock's hidden away in his colon. sure we could have passed on 3rd down. and hill coulda been sacked, he coulda thrown a pick or an incomplete pass, hell heitman coulda stepped on his foot backing up for pass protection.
if we stick to our game plan and not get cocky we should beat the rams and have a good chance against the falcons who are not very good agaisnt the run.
thats 4-1 at the bye week. thats a helluva start.
now i respect your viewpoint,but we just cant give up on our game plan 3 weeks into the season. would i like to see the offense open up....not at the expense of winning. not at the expense of deflating our players who are performing above a level anyone expected at this point.
and to all the idiots and morons, i applogize for inflating your numbers to 1/3. but as a lifelong fan it drives me crazy that people who call themselves fans spend more time tearing down what we do right, to build up thier arguements. so please people get behind OUR team, our players and our game-plan. forget about walsh,rice,montana and our greatness of the 80's and 90's and start focusing on our greatness to come.
I hate to say it but the last few times Raye has spoken, he sounds like a guy that is not sure what to say. In other words he sounds like he is speaking, all the time knowing someone with more power (MS) is listening reading his every word. That causes him to say what he thinks MS wants to hear instead of saying what he really means.
That's exactly what Nolan did when that goof ball was here! His totally confusing statements were meant for the big guys upstairs to hear. They weren't his own thoughts. So instead of saying what he really wanted to say, he was trying to impress the bigs wigs with his answers. That's why answers were always confusing to the ordinary listener. It's kind of like when you don't want your wife to know something, you answer her questions by telling her what you think she wants to hear, not what you know. You married guys know what I'm trying to say here!
I think that's why there was the blackout on asking questions of the coaches earlier in the season. They had to learn the script, or in other words, the answers MS's system expects them to give.
I'm not being negative here. I just think the system MS has set up is tight. And that means tight lipped, also. Even Walsh and Seifert were that way to some extent. Their systems kept all the cards tightly together, not laying all over the table.
Best comment of the day. Still smiling.
My Christmas wish for next year...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLD33s7V7EU
GET THAT GUY
Will someone tell this idiot Raye that you can also "spread them out" AND run the ball?????
at least then there would be some space and they wouldn't be running into a brick wall with 9-10 guys in the box. at least run a couple delayed hand offs to freeze the linebackers from run blitzing (like the Cowboys do).
right now Jimmy "3 and out" Raye is essentially running a goal line offense as his base offense - of course they're only going to pick up like 1 or 2 yards. i shudder to think what the running game's stats would look like had the Seahawks not completely blown gap control.
so far "3 & Out" Raye looks like the 49ers version of Tom Walsh..... just like Walsh (w/ the Raiders under Shell), it definitely looks like the game has passed him by some. some say to give him time, but those people probably wanted to give Hostler time. it's pretty obvious when a coordinator is in over their head.
Hi Matt, When was the last time we had too much talent anywhere? Given some PT I'm sure Hill would produce but the only player I see him passing is Battle. Tough call, Battle has a knack for coming through in crucial situations. The way the Crabtree situation is playing out it seems there are some buyers out there that don't care for the rules or make them up as they go along. If we can get a #1 from this mess - job done.
A grove of shamrocks? ...where?
That Taylor Mays is a monster, I like it...... Hopefully Carolina's pick will be high enough to get him.
Seconded. It's starting to make the comments section totally redundant on an otherwise quality blog.
Dude.... that was awesome!!!
Change the name from Taser to Sex Panther NOW!!!
60% of the time it works.... EVERY TIME!!!
Raye is working with what we have. Hill is definitely playing the best with this offense but we just don't have the tools for a more wide open offense. Gore's running is what we are best at. VD is finally showing improvement ! That's our offense.
Singletary said exactly who we are for a reason. He knows what we have. He plans to win on defense and ball control. 2-1 is the proof.
Has Jimmy Raye ever met Scott McCloughan? How did we become a run, run, run, "physical with an F" team after spending the last offseason upgrading our receiving corps and doing NOTHING to upgrade the OL?
How does this team reconcile it's gameplan with everything it did NOT do to make this gameplan work in the off-season?
Raye sucks. So does McCloughan. Singletary is Anthony Robbins with a HOF jacket, and 2-1 is nothing but a dead cat bounce. All that could change if we fire Raye asap and bring in a real OC with autonomy. Let Singletary be the figurehead personality, but let a talented OC put our WRs to work, including Hill.
And please, God almighty, if McCoy or Bradford are there with Carolina's pick, TAKE THEM. If not, I think you lose a LOT of 49er fans around the nation who thought the heritage and tradition of offense still mattered. Personally, I'd have to cut my losses at that point. Raye's ideas BORE me.
OK, I'm convinced now. Raye is an idiot!!! As I've said previously, I LOVE "5 yards in a cloud of dust" football. But his reasoning for 4 wide is DEAD WRONG!!! You can still run from a 4 wide set. The defense is spread out. They can't put 8 men in the box to stop the run that way. There's only 11 guys on the field, that would mean one receiver is uncovered. So they need to keep at least on safety back, meaning a 6 man front at most. This means all the receivers are one on one. At least one of our receivers is capable of quick move for a 3-5 step drop quick/high percentage throw for 5-7 yards. Potentially even a touchdown as he only has to beat one man.
Gore could handle running without a fullback in that situation.
That is why Raye has never been successful. He's single minded, unimaginative and has no idea how to create mismatches.
By the way, BennyBlanco, that was funny.
Matt,
I am amazed and disappointed that Mike Singletary keeps shouting his mantra, "we will continue to be a running team" whether it works or not. Is this his way of imposing his will or feeding his ego? He made a comment last week that in effect stated that he didn't want to depend on his quarterback. Why? Would you rather win or impose your will? If running 20 end-arounds or flea-flicker plays a week won ballgames who would care? The opposing coaches must smile each week knowing that it's easy to defense this offense. Good thing Bill Walsh isn't around to see what's going on.
Although I agree with some of what you say, I don't think Sing is capable of having an OC with autonomy. Also, why would a talented OC want to come to the 9ers with Sing saying, "let's turn the clock back to the 40's. This forward pass thing is just a fad." Let's give Raye some time but through 3 games it looks as though the game has passed him by. We are 2-1 and these guys are professionals so they deserve time to show more.
My guess is Sing is going down with Raye if the offense is unsuccessful. Nolan's undoing was his inability to find an OC. That may also be Sing's undoing. This is the exact reason I always like the HC to be an offensive guy. Sing can only be successful if Raye is successful. It's not like he can pull the play calling from Raye and do it himself.
Bad Karma,
You're making too much sense my man! I'm with you on everything you posted. First off as Sings has said before "we're not the team we'll be in week 10" meaning this football team is evovling & the last time I checked Playoff teams don't arrive in week #3 for the most part. Yes Raye should not talk at all, he's not very good at that evidently BUT fans need to remember he's new here as the OC so he's still learning about his player & what they're capable of doing specifically his QB. I believe as the 49ers continue to play games Raye will feel more confident about what his offense can do so fans need to have patience. Hey as long the 49ers keep winning most of their games I'm certainly not going to complain that's for damn sure considering where the 49ers have been the last several years. Agreed?
...studies have shown that 60% of the time it works every time.
Game over. You have won the blog.
Heard on knbr this morning; none other that the great Jim Brown said that his legacy is based on his reputation on the field, and that he would never sacrifice his legacy by trying to get a few more million dollars. Not worth to him. His message to Crabtree - get your ass on the field!
Nothing else needs to be said - the man has spoken.
I posted this on Facebook, but I'll repeat it here:
...I wonder if the Niners could work over senile Al Davis in the same way that Belichick has? Crabs for Asomugha? Crabs for McFaddon or Bush? Crabs for their first round pick next year?
This would truly be "win-win" for the Niners. We get some loot from senile Davis and Crabs is punished severely with banishment to Oakland.
http://www.zazzle.com/we_dont_have_crabs_but_we_still_got_vd_tshirt-235991829406029765
everyone on this blog should buy this shirt...
HAHAHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious/awesome!!
Did Brown also advise Craptree to throw his women off the balcony of his apartments? When I lived in Cleveland in the years Brown played, he was arrested um teen times for doing this. But in those days the rich and famous got away with those kind of things.
Sounds like Crap's would be open to this kind of behavior. After all, he's in the process of throwing his career over the balcony!
One who?????
on to a more serious topic:
all the Niner fans really want to hear from the coaching staff is this:
"we have made mistakes, and we will learn from them". that's it.
Run or pass, who the heck cares, but what did you learn from the 8 or 9 defenders in the box, don't run it every time, right? how about something more creative?? Like a QB sneak or reverse. How about 60% run, and not 100% run.
this the reason why the niner fans are so frustrated with this Raye guy, and to some extend, Coach Sing. Be a little more flexible and change with the situation.
The niners have passed more than they have run the ball... raye's comments about having a stacked box is true though. just because there are 8 or 9 people in the box doesn't mean the niners can't get more blockers to pick up that 8th or 9th man. however, josh morgan behind the left tackle doesn't quite fit that criteria. hopefully next week he comes up with a better base formation.
Matt:
the other thing that I don't quite get is this. if Coach Sing wants to run the ball and play smash mouth football, why didn't Scott M. draft either Offensive Lineman or RB in first round. why draft a receiver when you know there are not many passes to go around?
are they are the same page? do they talk to each other about the plan?
We all know that Sims is shaky, Rachal is unproven and raw, Staley is above average, Snyder & Wragge are ok, Heitmann is the only stud. How about adding a 1st rounder OL?
I wonder if Sing and Raye were coaching the New Orleans Saints if they would employ a power running game up the middle philosophy. I'm leaning toward saying that they would pound the rock straight at the heart of the defense even if they were leading the league in negative rushing plays. I can hear Raye now, "We dont want to score all those touchdowns. It would put a tremendous strain on our defense and special teams to continuously ask them to play their positions. Also, It would be disingenuous to our philosophy to ask our kicker to kick off several times per game. We just can't afford the strain on Nedney's leg at this point in his career. We'd much rather have Andy Lee punting since he's younger and has been to the Pro Bowl. Our goal is to lead the league in 3 & Outs and by that standard we are a very successful team."
they did not pass at all on the last two possessions of the Vikings game. I think it was a total of 6 runs out of 6 plays. we know what that lead to? a lot of broken flat screens. you think Coach Raye owns stock in Best Buys?
Hi. My name is Jimmy Raye and I am The Most Boring Man Alive. I don't always drink water but when I do, I mix in Dos Tierra so I can be as exciting as dirt. Live well my friends and remember my motto-- TAKE NO RISK -- and you too can become boring.
Actually Nolan's undoing was finding too many OC's.
:-)
I love idiots on here ripping Jimmy Raye!! He has you at 2-1 and really he had you at 3-0 if not for an unfortunate special teams and defensive breakdown. As for Jason Hill, THIS GUY IS A JOURNEYMAN whose career numbers are a 2 game stretch for the elite receivers in the NFL. This guy isn't playing because he FLAT OUT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH! He hasn't been traded because NOBODY will trade for him. If he isn't a 49er he will be washing cars next week. Be glad you still have a NFL Paycheck Jason Hill.
Why don't you educate all of us idiots who think Raye's offense is lacking in creativity and his play calling is suspect since we can't see what is so obvious to you - oh wise one. Throw out some stats or facts that backup your point and use very small words since you are so much smarter than everyone else.
Matt, good insightful questions to Hill. It will be interesting to see how the offense adjusts over the next several weeks. Telling everyone in the league you are playing smash mouth football and will run majority of the time is not a strategy. Whatever happened to finding the weakness in the opponents defense and attacking it with your offense whether it is 4 receivers or whichever offensive package attacks the other teams weakness??!!! The best coaches know how to make game time adjustments as well...we'll see how it goes.
How is it that Oneniner is always the first or second to post? Is he refreshing his browser over and over again until a new blog comes up? Or is oneniner just Matt Maiocco, who wants to create some controversy to liven up the discussion? So basically what I am trying to say is that oneniner is an incredible loser, or he is Matt.
There is one other person who makes Alex Smith look good, though-- JaBustus Russell. Hey oneniner, why don't you take up his cause too? You are obviously the patron saint of Top Pick Busts. St. Aubustus.
"For next year I hope they fire this guy and promote old #44 to the OC. I think he learned a few things from a guy named Bill and another named Joe. Damn Raye just seems hard headed and to me that means terrible. " (Mike in Sac)
I agree. I sent 5 messages to 49ers staffers to plop onto RAYE's desk; don't know if my voice got through or not, but I tried.
I also feel for Jason Hill; he is SO GOOD and we just don't give him the opportunity to play. I've watched him in TC since he arrived. (Maybe when Bruce is injured or gone, he will get his chance again.) Of course JH is going to be frustrated; if I were he, I'd feel the same way! It's his career that is being squashed by not even suiting him up. The man has great hands and jumps high. And he plays and trains hard.
I guess I'm a TWO-HILL fan!
Niner Mom
If OneNiner is really DARREN from the 49ers Message Board, this blog is really in deep doodoo. He is nothing but a CANCER on every MB he has ever crashed.
MATT M. should really SHUT HIM OUT from commenting on this blog; he is nothing but BAD NEWS to any public sounding board. I know from experience on the 49ers MB over the years what a troublemaker he is. He gets banished from every MB he gets on before too long.
Brekkon: If you listen to OneNiner and you agree with him, you're in trouble, big time!
Bad Karma: "Raye doesn't know what he is doing"....he has only been employed in the nfl for 20+ years."
Yes, but as the OC? I doubt that...I don't have much faith in him.
ShaneO: "A smart teams looks at the future. next year Bruce will be gone, battle is not getting better with time, spurlock... well i have said my piece on him, and i have come to the reality that Crabs wont be a 49e..."
Good thinking, ShaneO; good planning. I agree. We'll never develop our good WR's if we don't throw them the ball enough. I'm about fed up with this repetitive running up the middle antic.
Niner Mom
But Hoferfan,you do understand that the Niners are passing more than they are running,don't you? Actually they are very well balanced,with a bit more passing than running,so far.
So ,do as Sing says,don't tell me,show me. If we look at what Raye is SHOWING us.he is passing more than running.
And the offense is in it's baby stage now,wait a while until it matures a bit. It usually takes at least until mid season for a new offense to be digested and for a new OC and his new offense to hit it's stride. (maybe by playoff time the O will catch up to the D ? !!!!! ).