Niners receivers don't get any seperation from the DB's. On the last interception Morgan should have come back towards the QB. Why haven't we seen Hill before this?

Stick with Alex.

Enough of Frank Gore's Crap TOO! Him jawing at the end of the game at the 1st down stick with the safety was PATHETIC! Gore needs to start showing some substance. Outside of 3 plays, he has been VERY QUIET this season. You aren't killing yourselves Frank, you just aren't GOOD ENOUGH, the other team is BETTER THAN YOU! You are LOSERS until proven otherwise!

"I'm perplexed why so many people, including a few who comment on this blog, maintain that Alex was/is a bust - or, really, that his play has been a disappointment." MM Still perplexed after 0 - 7 in his last seven starts?

Excuse me PhD, Alex Smith SUCKS, thank you, continue on.

Totally agree with you - the very good teams have WR's that can see and judge the ball and they attack it. They don't wait for someone to tip it or intercept it. I see Crabtree attacking the ball but Morgan has never attacked the ball.

HUGE hole we're in right now. But, this team is still very talented and has LOTS of room for improvement. I don't think the blame should be placed on Smith. 45 Pass attempts? That is a lot to place on a guy who hadn't played in two years. There are few other QBs who are asked to pass that much, and they have a lot more time in the pocket. Could Smith have played better? YES! But it's unreasonable for him to attempt 45 passes and the fans to expect Peyton Manning or Drew Brees (the same Drew Brees who was a bust; the same Drew Brees that was playing so poorly in SD that they drafted Eli and traded for Phillip).

Season's not over by a long shot. Sing led this team to a 5-2 run at the end of last season. This team is capable of a 6-2 run if they can answer the call and play more mature football.

Hey dont say Alex Smith Sucks so loud, Matt Maiiocco might hear you.. Sorry Matt but we all know your a BIG Alex Smith fan.. LOL

Stick with Alex, after 3 picks and 2 fumbles (1 lost)? What are you smoking? You got some more? Hahaha.

BigM, whatever dude, this team is starring at 6-10! Drew Brees was NEVER as BAD as Alex Smith's very BEST! Smith airmails 75% of his passes, hence all the tip ball interceptions he throws. Nate Davis needs to audition so Coach Holmgren, Shannahan, or Gruden knows what he is working with next season.

It's pretty sad to say, but I think this season is lost. I just can't see how we can catch the Cards at this point.

Alex reverted back to his old self today. I would say start him against the Bears, but if he plays again like he did today, try out Nate Davis for the next game.

Sorry but season IS OVER.. PLAYOFFS? DID YOU SAY PLAYOFFS? HAHAHA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

A lot of people on this blog don't understand the game. The titans were 13 and 3 last year. It's so easy to be a jerk and this blog proves it.

Consider also the O line that Smith was behind today. Not a lot of time and the recievers I again say aren't getting separation and as someone else mentioned attacking the ball. Morgan appears a little lazy on his routes.

Oh and LOL, I just got banned from the message boards tonight with no reasoning provided. What a joke.

"I'm a little surprised that he hasn't fumbled more." . . . ????? . . . He really said that?

Are you kidding me? Nate Davis with the learning disability? I like that guy, but the dude is RAW and would have turned the ball over more than Smith. Davis played well against a bunch of scrubs who aren't in the NFL anymore. Quit with your knee-jerk, find a scape-goat reactions and realize that this is a young team having to go through growing pains all over again. He could have played better, but you're a joke if you're pinning this on him. Watch other QB's play and count how many seconds they have to throw.

You are a prime example of what's wrong with the way Americans treat athletics.

A-L-E-X SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS! So does Hill by the way. With the potential for two top ten picks next year, lets please, for the love of God, find our QB already. Oneniner....where are you.......

The Titans are now a 2 win ballclub John, 2 and F*ing 6, that means that 6 other teams dropped this club on their ass and the 49ers are only 2 of 8 that couldn't. Don't sugar coat it, TERRIBLE LOSS!

Oh and LOL, I just got banned from the message boards tonight with no reasoning provided. What a joke.

Consider also the O line that Smith was behind today. Not a lot of time and the recievers I again say aren't getting separation and as someone else mentioned attacking the ball. Morgan appears a little lazy on his routes.

Singletary need to watch the film and he will understand why we had those interceptions. Alex Smith waited too long to throw the ball, the DBs was able to catch up and got them. No. 15 was opened many times but Alex Smith couldn't throw to him early enough. You can have the body, the arm strength and accuracy. However, you need to know when to make the right throw or not. NFL is not about competing football technics or strength, it is about knowing when to do the right thing and win games. This is how simple it should be.

Seasons over hate to tell you. AZ has a nice lead now.. playoff run is over. Alex Smith is 0-7 in his last 7 starts and Sing and McClueless will stubbornly stick with him. I've been saying he isnt the future but these Alex lovers, (including MM) thinks he has enough talent to be a starting QB in this league which is a freaking joke! Its time to make a move next year. Just because we struck out with Alex, doesnt mean Colt, Clausen, or Locker will be BUSTS too. They got the talent and we got the 1st round picks to make things happen.

You must be an Alex fan too.. quit blaming the receivers, Alex threw too late because he still doesnt know how to throw BEFORE the WR makes his cut. Watch the tape son, Alex sucks!

id like to point out that the Titans we lost to are 2-0 since Vince Young became the starter
Not to say that this version is equivalent to last years 13-3 model but still...

Also I think its kinda funny that 4 weeks ago we were talking about how we were gonna be division champs, and how sing was leading our team in the right direction, and now 4 losses later half the people on here are calling for him to be fired at the end of the year??
Man... we are some fickle fans.

Got to find out what you have in Nate Davis BEFORE the draft to determine if they need to go QB. If Clausen declares, he is the guy, especially if he falls to late 1st round the 49ers could use the 1st two picks on O-Line and Safety, then trade back into the late 1st round for Clausen.

Needs to start showing some substance? Frank had 83 yards and a TD on only 15 carries. He also had 75 yrds receiving. I dare ask what more did you want him to do today with the 22 touches he had.

Just not good enough? Seriously???

Got to find out what you have in Nate Davis BEFORE the draft to determine if they need to go QB. If Clausen declares, he is the guy, especially if he falls to late 1st round the 49ers could use the 1st two picks on O-Line and Safety, then trade back into the late 1st round for Clausen.

Titans or not. Today reminded me why I just don't like Smith. Problem is he has tools; can run, throw on the run and has pretty good arm strength, so he makes you think he can get it done. On the other hand, he is in his fith year correct? After five freaking years you would think he would learn you have to throw the ball before a guy makes his break on a deep out. You can't lock onto a receiver in the NFL and expect to get the ball through coverage. Simth has a $100 game and a $.10 cent head. The o-line gave him adeaquate time today. Oh yeah, his body language...it smells of a loser. At the end of the game when the refs were about to restart the clock...there he is taking his sweet ass time. Hustle the troops up to the line and be prepared to snap it as soon as the ref's will let you. AAAHHHHHH!!!! This team is frustrating.

13-3 was last year. 1-7 is this year. And with guess what? A struggling qb. I would say vince young looked like a real qb in progess. Alex didnt! What do you know?

HAHAHAHAH.. Ive been saying ALEX SUCKS for as long as I can remember! But Shhhhh! Dont say it too loud.. MM might hear you! Alex is his guy.. lol.. he writes about the good plays he does, but never writes about the bad. I always have to point it out for him. Oh and if you get on his FB site.. dont say a curse word..hell remove you so fast you wont know what hit you! LOL

Jeremy Newberry said the same thing - O-line didn't sustain blocks and the defensive line didn't play well. Smith gets all of the blame but that comes with playing QB. Changing the HC, OC, QB, and the GM is the answer? We'll be the second coming of the Redskins! This is not the Now Football League. O-line is not playoff ready especially with the 2 starting OT's out.

13-3 was last year. 1-7 is this year. They had a struggling qb in his first start come out and play solid. Hmmmm

Good point, ive been saying that as well.. hes never learned to throw before the WR makes his cut.

Not it isn't, 16 of those plays are 3 yards or less, just too much talk about winning from this guy, story of his career both college and pro.

Just freakin win a game already . . . then get ready for the next game. Oh so tired of thinking draft in November.

All the week I come here and read how Alex Smith is changed. Come-on MM, you should know better. Now you know, why we fans call him the biggest bust in the history of NFL.

At least we know that Alex Smith is no Rich Ganon. HE WAS PATHETIC.

Do you guys seriously think S. Hill would have done worse than this guy?

Don't give me the damn excuses how the OL didn't blocking or somehow it’s all receivers fault. I was there and saw Alex Smith. He is nothing but Garbage.

I don't really give a damn what AS apologists have to say. He is not the savior. Not even qualified as a backup .

We are just a bad football team and as a season ticket holder I am pissed and sad at the same time.

Few Points on Singletary...
Yes, he has done a good job of getting out of the NoWin era, but you had no where to go but up.
Any other offseason after finishing this season the way it is going to finish 6-10 or 7-9, then yes bring him back, but with Holmgren, Gruden, and Shannahan all out there, all with ties to the 49ers glory days, and all of whom I think would be interested in this team with a lot of pieces in place than Singletary needs to be at his best.
Finally, if he can't recognize how bad Raye has been and admit that he made a mistake and how Hill and Smith have no future with this team as starting QBs then he isn't the right guy for the job. He needs to find out what Nate Davis has RIGHT NOW!

HERES A SUMMARY OF THE 49ERS TODAY:
-the o line isn't very good.
-the wide recievers don't attack the ball, unless you count punching it into the air like Morgan did on two of the interceptions.
-the dbs just chase the reciever around never paying attention to where the ball might be. the safeties don't scare anyone.
-vernon davis stays inbounds with under 3min left.
-the 49ers favorite play on 3rd down is a delay of game penalty.
-does brandon jones even belong on the team, or are we just going to get every penny out of him, by giving everyone a heart attack fielding punts?
-oh yeah and the o-line sucks. yeah i know i mentioned it already.

I give MM a pass on hi
s defense of Smith because he is not a fan of the team. He knows Alex personally and from what I hear Alex is a hell of a guy. But as a fan, I would rather have the ever obnoxious Phillip Rivers or the A-Hole Jay Cutler and win games than the sweetest roll model for my children. So I get Matt. But to quote our coach, "WE WANT WINNERS!" And when Smith came off the bench against Houston, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was awesome. But now to quote.... well I'm not sure who said it first..."If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Putting in a rookie QB with known slow feet with our weak o-line is the answer to success?

really? we call Alex Smith the biggest bust in the history of the NFL?

Man im glad to know the #1 choices of Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russell really paid off for the Chargers and Raiders.

I think you miscounted. I checked the play-by-play on ESPN. Frank had 16 touches that went for 4 yards or more. One of the plays that went for 3 yards was the touchdown. Not sure where you're getting your numbers from.

Lots of blame should be passed around for this loss, but Frank's play was much better than you're giving him credit for.

Gore is a great rb.Losing a game that makes our playoff run more difficult obviously sucks,but in some strange way.this defeat was the first game that gave me confidence in the talent and coaching we have.With a few impact snags in f/a and the draft,we could be great next year.Moreover,we are still very much in playoff contention.Glad to see Jason Hill finally get a chance to show why he should be a starter.

Still no oneniner!? LOL!
OK! Back to being serious! Anybody that says the 49ers don't have the players to win and make the playoffs is wrong. But it so happens that our QB's have not done the job of putting the ball in the hands of the talent we have unless they're handing off!
Yea! Our OL has some big problems, but they've played pretty well the last 2 weeks! Gore is a stud and the receiver corps looks as if it's improving! I think Bruce is just about finished and he knows it. He looks like the older Rice who didn't like hits and his foot work went out the door!
If we can just get half butt play out of one of these QB's we can still win! Our defense is stll playing well despite the numbers we give up passing! Passing is about all the opposition can do because our DL play is good! So the numbers of pass yards given up are going to be high! And the injuries to the secondary are mounting every game.
But I still think we can win!
The worst thing that happened in this game was the long play drive we had that ended up with 3 points. It was really deflating not just to the fans but to the players as well. It seemed we never recovered from it!

So you give that he is the 3rd biggest bust in the history of NFL.

If so thats a pretty good company isn't it.

May be I am little bit carried away with my disgust but he was P.A.T.H.E.T.I.C.

Excellent summary...at least you put some beef into your thought process. Others just blame the QB. It is easier that way as they would rather be "right" than admit we have holes throughout and this was never a playoff team in 2009. What is Singletary supposed to say, "we are not making the playoffs too many holes"!! Still a work in progress.

3ints 24 points caused by those turnovers. What kind of protection did Hill get? All of you Smith lovers didnt ONCE bring up the o-line when Hill was looking bad. Keep stacking the excuse pile. You guys are starving for a reason. Here it is SMITH IS A BUST! And earlier this week you all were saying Smith now has the weapons he hasnt had before. Now its the recievers fault and the o-line. Im not the type to kick people when their down, but you guys just keep breathing. Give it up.

"with known slow feet???" Are you serious dude??? SERIOUSLY???? SERIOUSLY???? Do you even know where Nate Davis played college ball???? Could you pick him out of a crowd???? His physical traits cannot be questioned, the guy is a beast with a REALLY strong arm. Seriously???

Okay first things first. Yes Alex could have done better with the ball no question about that but I have to ask some of these posters if they even saw the game for christ's sakes! If you go back to the 3rd qtr. when it was very much a game & the Titans on a 4th & 1 at the goal line VY snaps the ball on an option going wide & pitches the ball behind him to CJ who at that point is now 2-3 yards behind the line of scrimmage & Haralson takes a bad angle & can't make the tackle for a LOSS! Instead it's a TD! It's soooo easy to just lay the blame on Alex but the fact of the matter is this IS a Team game & when your defense can't make a play when they really need it then it puts alot more pressure on Alex who by the way has only played what.... 2-1/2 games in this offense? I know this a broken record but again NO PASS RUSH, NO PLAYS IN THE SECONDARY (the Cage reception). Did the 49ers even get a sack? For you idiots that just want to blame Alex I have news for you.... the 49ers have a hell of alot more problems then just him. You guys needs to re-watch that game before Alex's picks & you will see that IF the 49ers had the personnel on the front 7 to put the HEAT on a QB god knows what the 49ers record would be considering the Viking loss. Chomp on that for a little bit Alex haters!

You can make excuses for Gore all you want, but the fact is aside from 3 long TD runs this season, he play has been pedestrian. Definitely not good enough to run his mouth down 14 with 2 minutes to go and talk about winning like he wins all the time. PS-Mark Roman FEARS contact

Davis's arm was never in question...we were talking about starting him NOW with this O-line...he ran a 5.0 flat 40 at the combine. I don't see him making the same plays in a faster NFL as he did in college. He would go down as quickly as Shaun Hill.

MM,

What is going on with Josh Morgan? He has 13 more yards than I do in the past 2 weeks! He is starting to remind me or BLloyd. He's gone from the infamous "came down like a punt" comment to now a human disappearing act.

Do you see JHill passing him on the depth chart?

I feel like every week we are learning about a new guy who CAN play the game at the expense of losing game after game.

Hey wheres Skeebers, oneniner, alex smith? Their pirate buddy A.E.S is calling it a season. The playoff run is dead, but the season continues..... for REAL FANS. See you thursday night. Cant wait to hear the excuses from these guys.

so whats he supposed to say..
Man we are terrible i dont think anyone on this team cares enough and i really dont know how to win so u guys should just go cry into your bears, as the niners lose for another year.

Is that what ud rather here?

If Alex Smith doesn't throw 2 picks that set up 2 scoring drives of less than 40 yards and a pick 6 the 49ers WIN THIS GAME GOING AWAY! Chris Johnson had that corner easily, NOBODY was going to push that BEAST out of bounds (take notes Frank Gore)! This LOSS IS ON ALEX SMITH PERIOD!

Rivers i can see, but Cutler, really??what has Cutler done for the Bears. for someone who seems to dismiss Smith's potential, you jump on the Cutler bandwaggon who doesn't have a winning record in the NFL. He's proably thrown more int's than td's this year.
People are so quick to throw in the towel. let the season play out. hill is not the answer. it's to soon for N.Davis, let's be smart.
this team is getting better. we've just got to be able to get a win in these close games.

where were all these smith haters after the houston and indianapolis game? its fine to place accountability on players, especially on our number one pick, but the things that have been said here on this thread are completely thoughtless. youre an embarassment to niner nation.

Bottom line in the NFL...turnover difference. Last time I checked I think we had FOUR today. All pretty much on Smith. Don't go asking for the defense to bail out a -4 differential. Very few teams EVER win a game if they cough it up FOUR times and don't get it four times. We have a lot of problems. Stupid flags, injuries, playing the wrong guys (Bruce), not going out of bounds when necessary (#85). The list goes on....but the BIGGEST thing today -4 turnovers. These were on SMITH! Take those tunrovers away with the short fields and what did the Titans score? Yeah....blame it on the defense. Usually you make a lot of sense but this one is out there.

So Shaun Hill ONLY beats the bad teams. You know, I think I would take that right about now!

I don't know, I would give ASmith another game or two, but he CAN'T play like JTO and give the other team easy pts all game or we have no chance.

I feel bad for our defense, they seem like they are giving it their all, but the coaches are taking too long to identify who should be on the field and who shouldn't. How about next week Bruce and Morgan out, Crabtree and JHill in.

One thing that Smith still has a problem with besides releasing the ball before his front foot hits the ground that causes high throws, is he has problems hitting receivers before they make their breaks. I don't know if he's not quick enough to get the ball there or doesn't trust his accuracy? Most good QB's consistently hit their receivers before the break thus catching the DB off guard! But anywho!

Haha, child please..... Check the lbs next to the names Hill and Davis???

Haha, child please..... Check the lbs next to the names Hill and Davis???

F49er, your detailed analysis is too much to comprehend for the Smith haters. Their idea of game analysis is to say Smith is a bust and they are done. As I said before, expectations were high on a team with holes and when players go down we have even more weaknesses. How many HC's go to playoffs or Superbowl their first year? Not far away but the O-line is #1 objective to fix - can't have enough quality lineman on a team.

When did this blog degenerate into a juvenile "I told you so" fest? Alex Smith haters this week. Alex Smith fan boys last week. What are you accomplishing? You don't want Smith in there, who do you want? Maybe we can pick up Montana off waivers. Didn't think so. Smith needs to play the rest of the year. Hill is not the answer. Smith may not be either. But we better find that out this year and not next.

Two points: Our running game has struggles very much this year. If you want to put that all on Gore, fine, that's your opinion. I tend to believe that our O-line has been horrible, and that's contributed to his play this year. When Coffee started those 2 games, he didn't tear it up either. Regardless of his play all year, he played much better today.

Second, I'm not making excuses for Frank. He doesn't need me to be is publicist. I simply stated facts to contradict your statements about 16 of his touches going for 3 yards or less. If you don't want to admit you were wrong about that, so be it. It's your prerogative.

On another note, I am so disappointed with Josh Morgan. If he's not going to consistently catch the ball, play someone else. He cost Alex one of those ints.

3ints 24 points off of SMITH turnovers. 24 POINTS! And you want to bring up the harrelson play. He couldnt catch the fastest player in the league. WOW You guys are still trying the excuse button? Once again last week it was all of you Alex fans saying he was going to torch the WORST pass defense in the league, and he has all of the weapons now to show what he is made of. He is 0 for 2 now. Our defense gave up 10 points today when they werent in turnover trouble. Your a blind fan in love with a Lionel Ritchie size bust......... HELLO IS IT ME YOUR LOOKING FOR?

Something like this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_f1GzmwHo

Two points: Our running game has struggles very much this year. If you want to put that all on Gore, fine, that's your opinion. I tend to believe that our O-line has been horrible, and that's contributed to his play this year. When Coffee started those 2 games, he didn't tear it up either. Regardless of his play all year, he played much better today.

Second, I'm not making excuses for Frank. He doesn't need me to be is publicist. I simply stated facts to contradict your statements about 16 of his touches going for 3 yards or less. If you don't want to admit you were wrong about that, so be it. It's your prerogative.

On another note, I am so disappointed with Josh Morgan. If he's not going to consistently catch the ball, play someone else. He cost Alex one of those ints.

3ints 24 points off of SMITH turnovers. 24 POINTS! And you want to bring up the harrelson play. He couldnt catch the fastest player in the league. WOW You guys are still trying the excuse button? Once again last week it was all of you Alex fans saying he was going to torch the WORST pass defense in the league, and he has all of the weapons now to show what he is made of. He is 0 for 2 now. Our defense gave up 10 points today when they werent in turnover trouble. Your a blind fan in love with a Lionel Ritchie size bust......... HELLO IS IT ME YOUR LOOKING FOR?

Something like this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_f1GzmwHo

Sorry if repeat!
One thing that Smith still has a problem with besides releasing the ball before his front foot hits the ground that causes high throws, is he has problems hitting receivers before they make their breaks. I don't know if he's not quick enough to get the ball there or doesn't trust his accuracy? Most good QB's consistently hit their receivers before the break thus catching the DB off guard! But anywho!

Two points: Our running game has struggles very much this year. If you want to put that all on Gore, fine, that's your opinion. I tend to believe that our O-line has been horrible, and that's contributed to his play this year. When Coffee started those 2 games, he didn't tear it up either. Regardless of his play all year, he played much better today.

Second, I'm not making excuses for Frank. He doesn't need me to be is publicist. I simply stated facts to contradict your statements about 16 of his touches going for 3 yards or less. If you don't want to admit you were wrong about that, so be it. It's your prerogative.

On another note, I am so disappointed with Josh Morgan. If he's not going to consistently catch the ball, play someone else. He cost Alex one of those ints.

3ints 24 points off of SMITH turnovers. 24 POINTS! And you want to bring up the harrelson play. He couldnt catch the fastest player in the league. WOW You guys are still trying the excuse button? Once again last week it was all of you Alex fans saying he was going to torch the WORST pass defense in the league, and he has all of the weapons now to show what he is made of. He is 0 for 2 now. Our defense gave up 10 points today when they werent in turnover trouble. Your a blind fan in love with a Lionel Ritchie size bust......... HELLO IS IT ME YOUR LOOKING FOR?

Alex Smith = 4 turnovers at home against a 1-6 team with the 32nd ranked passing defense. Sing outta pull out his "I want winners" speech again, cause Alex sucks and IS the reason we lost today. Nuff said.

Calling Nate Davis!!!!!!!

Alex Smith = 4 turnovers at home against a 1-6 team with the 32nd ranked passing defense. Sing outta pull out his "I want winners" speech again, cause Alex sucks and IS the reason we lost today. Nuff said.

Calling Nate Davis!!!!!!!

3ints 24 points off of SMITH turnovers. 24 POINTS! And you want to bring up the harrelson play. He couldnt catch the fastest player in the league. WOW You guys are still trying the excuse button? Once again last week it was all of you Alex fans saying he was going to torch the WORST pass defense in the league, and he has all of the weapons now to show what he is made of. He is 0 for 2 now. Our defense gave up 10 points today when they werent in turnover trouble. Your a blind fan in love with a Lionel Ritchie size bust......... HELLO IS IT ME YOUR LOOKING FOR?

Two points: Our running game has struggles very much this year. If you want to put that all on Gore, fine, that's your opinion. I tend to believe that our O-line has been horrible, and that's contributed to his play this year. When Coffee started those 2 games, he didn't tear it up either. Regardless of his play all year, he played much better today.

Second, I'm not making excuses for Frank. He doesn't need me to be is publicist. I simply stated facts to contradict your statements about 16 of his touches going for 3 yards or less. If you don't want to admit you were wrong about that, so be it. It's your prerogative.

On another note, I am so disappointed with Josh Morgan. If he's not going to consistently catch the ball, play someone else. He cost Alex one of those ints.

Alex Smith = 4 turnovers at home against a 1-6 team with the 32nd ranked passing defense. Sing outta pull out his "I want winners" speech again, cause Alex sucks and IS the reason we lost today. Nuff said.

Calling Nate Davis!!!!!!!

3ints 24 points off of SMITH turnovers. 24 POINTS! And you want to bring up the harrelson play. He couldnt catch the fastest player in the league. WOW You guys are still trying the excuse button? Once again last week it was all of you Alex fans saying he was going to torch the WORST pass defense in the league, and he has all of the weapons now to show what he is made of. He is 0 for 2 now. Our defense gave up 10 points today when they werent in turnover trouble. Your a blind fan in love with a Lionel Ritchie size bust......... HELLO IS IT ME YOUR LOOKING FOR?

Apologies for the repeats.

Marvel Smith was suppose to be the FA answer at right OT but he retired. Snyder has been erratic at best and is probably a better guard. Pashos comes on board and was getting better then he goes down. Staley goes out a week later. Line is doing their best but talent isn't there especially with Pashos and Staley out. Smith takes the heat but they need to do better at the line of scrimmage.

Suggestion: Jed Jork should go to the sport bars in the Bay Area and recruit talents for the O line. There may be some tough guys there that can play better than his roster. Even with only 3 men rush, the Titans were still able to chase Alex Smith around. Also, the defense known for its speed, made Johnson looks like Usain Bolt. How pathetic!

it sounds like there always hating going on. Our team has some things that need to get fixed. and it seems like the coaching staff is doing what they can with what they have.

If you'd rather have Smith than Cutler, please introduce me to whatever it is that your buzz is coming from. I don't even have to think of that for a second. I would LOVE to have Cutler firing the ball to Crabtree & The Duke. Take out the QB's from both the Niners and Bears, and the Niners are superior. Please note I'm also considering both teams injuries i.e. Staley & Urlacher. But Cutler on the Niners would rock. That is all I'm going to say about that because it is hypothetical, and we're stayig the course with Smith, who I will root for because I love the Niners unconditionally regardless of poor play and bad decisions. sigh.

Back to the old formula...QB, LT, RB and o-playmaker. For the D; Pass rusher, stud corner and solid d-line. We are missing the QB, CB and pass rusher. Two better than average players; one at QB and Pass Rusher and EVERYONE looks better. Pick carefully next year Scott, very carefully. You could look like a superhero.

"the 49ers have a hell of alot more problems then just him".

You are so right. The right side of the O-line continues to be a major problem on offense, on defense, Haralson and Lawson continue to put no pressure on the QB, The Niners also need a better free safety and on ST they need an impact punt returner. They should bench Bruce and Morgan and play J Hill and B Jones at receiver to get more speed on the field. Jason Hill makes plays whenever he gets the chance and I wouldn't be surprised if Jones could do the same. I'm getting tired of seeing balls go through or bounce off Morgans and Bruces hands. They scare nobody on the other team!
Speaking of that, 3 of Smith's 5 INTs have bounced off receivers hands so it's not all his fault.

Agreed BigM.

It is fairly pathetic how quickly the masses turn. The Niners are not there yet, but they are on the right path.

Smith has started TWO games since Dec. '07. All things considered he looks pretty good. You cannot put all of the turnovers on him.

And yes, Breese is better than Smith JVI1979. Thanks for that insightful observation.

O- line excuse users. How is Aaron Rogers doing with his o-line? Hasn't he been sacked more than any other qb this year?

Green Bay lost to 0 - 7 Tampa Bay. BTW, GB hasn't lost both of their starting OT's.

MM,

I am sorry bro, but this blog has gone down the drain.

These people that call themselves 9er "fans" need to check who they are rooting for again. It is disgusting to think that these people have the same love I do for the red and gold. They make me sick everytime I see the comments they wright on here.

Maybe we should throw in the towel and play N. Davis. Are you kdding me? That is the stupidest thing I have heard. Let me get this right, you want to start a rookie QB in the middle of the season with a battered OL because your starting QB has lost 2 games.

Fellas (and I call you fellas out of undeserved respect), if you want instant gratification you are in the wrong sport. Go play tennis, maybe volleyball, I think that may be the sport for you.

MM, I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this is rediculous.

PS fellas, learn how to spell.

OH OF COURSE THEY ARENT HIS FAULT. THE 3 INTS. WE HAVE ROBOTIC RECIEVERS THAT CAN LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND. AND I AM SURE HIM STARING DOWN THE RECIEVER DIDNT GIVE A CLUE TO THE DEFENDER THAT HE WAS THROWING THERE. SORRY GOOD QB'S DONT THROW WHEN A DB OR FS IS RIGHT ON HIS RECIEVERS BACK.

Best post all day long! Enough said...

"MM, I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this is rediculous. PS fellas, learn how to spell." --Oregon49er

--------

Might want to learn how to spell "ridiculous" before you call out others for their spelling, huh? LOL!

WELL IS HE THE MOST SACKED QB IN THE LEAGUE? AND MAYBE HE DOES NEED TO LOSE HIS TACKLES, BECAUSE THEIR O-LINE IS STILL WORSE THAN OURS. DO YOU STILL HAVE ANY EXCUSES?

Check out Aaron Rogers's stats. AR had a worse day than Smith. So does it make AR bustier than Smith? Go to show these kind of games happen and it's only AS's 2nd full game this season.

Oregon49er, I agree with your comments, some of the post here outright insulting. Specially when you point to players with good work ethic such as Frank Gore! I think this all due to frustration of watching our beloved team of the 80's and 90's become a losing team for the past 6 years.

Anyway, this lost really put me in a bad mood. I am hoping we win on Thursday, since i am flying across the country to go to this game. GO NINERS

Add safety to that list. The best teams in the NFL have a great safety. Our group has to be among the worst in the league. Three great ones (Berry, Mays and Thomas) should be coming out next year. M. Lewis is painfully slow, Goldson is NOT the answer and why in the heck is Roman still on the team?

Also, turnovers (I believe A. Smith committed all of them) are clearly the reason we lost today. Not even oneniner can disagreee with that.

That is the stupidest thing I have heard. Let me get this right, you want to start a rookie QB in the middle of the season with a battered OL because your starting QB has lost 2 games.
--------------------------------
May you should tell that to coach Sing. He pulled Hill after two losses didn't he?

You first, "bro". "Rediculous"?

No one's asking for instant gratification like you say, but we've been asking for a winning team for 7 years now and haven't seen much. Our fans deserve better than that.

It would be encouraging to hear some substantive analysis from the negative posters - I guess it is asking too much. Jeremy Newberry, a former center for 9ers and Raiders mentioned during postgame that the game was lost at the O-line and D-line. His analysis is more respected because he has played the game at a high level. As I said before, name all of the HC's that made the playoffs their first full year?

Is it so much to ask to have a franchise QB that we know will be our starter going into each season? This franchise has been awful because it has no stability whatsoever, beginning with the most important position in sports, the NFL quarterback.

As painful as it will be to watch, A. Smith needs to play the rest of the season. We are all in with him and he does make plays. Unfortunately, it's not when the game is on the line. He's great at the end of the 1st halves and when we are behind by two scores. In fact he's the best qb in the league this season in those two senarios.

Ahhh The truth is some of you was crowning Smith as the savior. And now that he has shown he is still the same ol Alex. You don't want to hear it. Waaaaaa You guys didnt give Hill the benefit of the doubt with the O-line. Now that Smith is in there. Its O.K to make that excuse. The fans on here that simply didn't believe in the guy were called fair weather fans. Because of their opinions. And now we fire back you cant handle it. And Hopperfan Simms has played pretty damn well these last two games. And Pashios was never the starter on this team. I told you guys when Smith got the start your excuse would be the O-Line. And true to form here you all are. That goes for you to GilroyAl, skeebers, and oneniner. If you can't take it that you were wrong about your boy. Then go somewhere else. Your opinion is not better than anyone else's.

I don't think Sing. took out a vet. for a rookie. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think A. Smith was in last years draft. Maybe I missed that.

Max from BayArea wrote:

"Check out Aaron Rogers's stats. AR had a worse day than Smith. So does it make AR bustier than Smith? Go to show these kind of games happen and it's only AS's 2nd full game this season"

Great analysis with facts backing it up! Everyone on this blog wants a winner but there are those that just want instant gratification. Even the GREAT Bill Walsh took til his 3rd full year to put a winning team together.

Thats my point. He's playing worse than any rookie QB in the league.

BTW I don't want to goback to Hill again now that we know Alex Smith sucks big time. I don't believe Hill would have been as pathetic though!!!

When Smith can beat Rogers best game this year. Then come see me. 3 int 1 fumble and 300 yards isnt anything to be happy about. Oh and 80 of those yards were in garbage time. If you really think Smith is better than Rogers. Than you really need help my freind. And again Rogers has a worse O-Line than Smith does period!

Thats my point. He's playing worse than any rookie QB in the league.

BTW I don't want to goback to Hill again now that we know Alex Smith sucks big time. I don't believe Hill would have been as pathetic though!!!

Thats my point. He's playing worse than any rookie QB in the league.

BTW I don't want to goback to Hill again now that we know Alex Smith sucks big time. I don't believe Hill would have been as pathetic though!!!

Sorry for the duplicate posts. This site is having problems like our pathetic QBs

Fire singletary. Fire Mcloughan. This is no different from the last 3-4 years with multiple game loosing streaks in a season. Until that happens I am not watching no more. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!! FIND PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DO THE DAMN JOB!!!!!

I didn't know we were competing against eachother Ninermd. I thought you were a 49er fan. Maybe I am wrong, but I thought we both wanted the 9ers to succeed.

It is clear to see now, all you guys want is for A. Smith to fail and for you to be "right". You don't even care if it comes at the expense of losing the season.

I apologize Ninermd, I thought you were a fan, maybe you are Dennis Erickson writing from AZ. I will not make any excuses, win or lose. Alex had a bad game, that simple. Don't try and analyze it, as it is clear you cannot.

With the negative posters the facts get so distorted when the 9ers lose. Rant, rant, and rant...doesn't matter, Smith will be the starter the rest of the year period. We will see what the 9ers have at the end of the year and draft accordingly. Unfortunately, the O-line (as hard as they have been playing) has been the weak link with both Hill and Smith at QB.

"Professing to be wise, they became fools"

anyone who thinks that Alex Smith is the problem doesn't understand what it takes to win in football. Smith is fine, the need an O.C. with a better scheme and a better O-line. I will be pissed if the niners make the dumbest move ever and draft a QB with one of their first round picks. Anyone ever wonder why the back-up QB for the Patriots looks good no matter who he is? Thats because they have the best line, I hate the Patriots but thats the way to build a team. By the way ninermd rogers has a good line he only gets sacked so much because he holds the ball forever on every play. Smith will be ok he needs time and a better line don't give up on him he is the best QB on the team.

So far the O Line has given up 26 sacks in 8 games including four today. End of Story!! That's a season for many teams!

We are again, for the fourth year heading to or near the bottom of the NFL in pass protection, only this time we are also near the bottom third in running.

I said it at the start of the season and it is still true, our biggest problem is the O Line. I understand the injuries but so what? We stink! Coach Raye calls the game with those limitations. Smith never had time to read more than two progressions. He fell into an old habit of stare down in the 3rd quarter as the pressure got to him.

So just who have we beat? Teams from the worst divison in football. The Rams & the Seahawks are bad. Our only good win was against the Cards.

We are who we are. We will remain that way until we build an O Line.

BTW where was our pass rush again? MIA with one!

Will Singletary be a man (or is that human?) enough to admit he made a horrible mistake by replacing Hill mid game in Houston? Likely he will not be sufficiently solid in fortitude. Hill was the QB in all of our wins this season. Hill is 10 & 5 as our starter and as WE ALL KNOW, should be 12 and 3, given the events at Arizona last year and at Minnestoa this year. And, yep, Alex Smith is 0 for 7 in his current starts. My guess is Singletary’s ego demand that Smith continue to start regardless unless he is injured. All posting here know Shaun Hill is the key to our maiking the playoffs.

We are who we are!

We have one of the worst O lines in the NFL for the fourth straight year. So far we have given up 26 sacks in 8 games!

Try spinning that stat?

We are who we are!

We have one of the worst O lines in the NFL for the fourth straight year. So far we have given up 26 sacks in 8 games!

Try spinning that stat?

This is a average team with average talent. We havnt had a pass rush nor good QB in over 6 years. Singletary is a good coach with a average deck of cards. Time for a new GM!

Lots of frustration getting vented on the blog this evening. To add some more:

I think the team is in a horrible situation. Despite Sing's denials, Smith lost this game for us. Even so, to be fair, Sing will give him more games to prove himself--perhaps the whole rest of the season, unless he persists in theJTO imitation, in which case Sing will go back to Shaun Hill.

Either way, I have zero faith that we have the guy to lead SF to the promised land. I like Hill, but he is really just a good backup due to limited arm. Smith has the arm, but doesn't seem to have the the mental makeup of a winning QB. And I have a strong feeling that he will never develop this. If I am right, we will end up at the end of the season just about where we were a year ago: With nuthin but a backup QB.

Crazy as it may seem, I hope Nate Davis gets some playing time soon. We need to know whether he has a future, and the way this season is going, there is no reason not to find out now.

What a mess.

This is a average team with average talent. We havnt had a pass rush nor good QB in over 6 years. Singletary is a good coach with a average deck of cards. Time for a new GM!

Max from BayArea | November 8, 2009 8:06 PM | Reply
Check out Aaron Rogers's stats. AR had a worse day than Smith. So does it make AR bustier than Smith? Go to show these kind of games happen and it's only AS's 2nd full game this season.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$Aaron rogers 17-35 2 td 3int 266 yards. Alex Smith 29-45 286 yards 2 td 3 int oh and 80 of those were in garbage time. Rogers was in a close game till the end. Now they look pretty close to me. Except at the comp percentage. And Rogers who has the worst o-line in the game has a passer rating of 110.4. The league average 82.6 The league leader 118.8. So with the worst o-line in the league looks like this guy still gets it done. Wouldnt you say? Anymore excuses Smith fans?

MM is always on Alex's jock. lol.. no matter how bad he plays, hell find a way to say something good about him. Alex is a BUST Matt, and you will be writing about that soon.. trust me.

Sudenly OL became an issue? All I heard last week was that Hill somehow holds the ball too long and how quick our savior Smith releases the ball!!!

Give me a @#$%%^&* break.

You forgot the most important point: ALEX SMITH IS A BUST!

To all those who blame the o-line over Alex Smith:

I totally agree that the o-line is responsible for part of Alex Smith's struggles. However, the defending champion Steelers had a terrible (and much maligned) o-line last year as well. Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times, only had 2 more TDs than INTs, and the running game was mediocre at best.

All of that to say this: You can win it all in spite of a struggling o-line, so using that as an excuse seems a little lame.

Wat are you smoking guy? Alex Smith is a freaking BUST!

Alex has had way more chances than JaMarcus AND Leaf was not #1 overall.

Last week when I said the Niners were done for the playoffs. Because they were going down the same road they have been for 6 years now. Start hot, hit the oct nov wall, start getting injured and a new qb. Then finish strong againts weak teams. I wasnt a fan then. I said the O-cord and coach and qb were bad, the O-line was bad. The decisions that were made were bad. I basicly said this was a bad team from top to bottom. And I was right. I said its time for a change. Its time to get a known head coach in here. Namely Holmgren. And I wasnt a fan. Because I could see the writing on the wall. And I wasnt POSITIVE about this team. I was a REALIST about this team. So hell yeah I'm going to blast you. And tell you who is right now. Maybe you guess will learn not to bash another mans opinion. OH and by the way. I will be at the stick thursday rooting for my team. Even though I know were not that good. Can I help you with anything else? Thank you come again! And this coming from a REALIST DIE HARD NINER FAN!

Hey ninermd, I never said that I was quiting on my team. I've been a Niner fan since the days of John Brodie, Ken Willard, Roland Lakes, etc. This is a painful loss because the Titans are botton 5 team and this was a winnable game going in. Believe me, there is nothing you or anyone can say that can change my colors! If your pathetic rants make you feel better then have at it. OBTW, if we fail this year, I'll still remain hopful for next season, that's what real fans do!

As I said before, name all of the HC's that made the playoffs their first full year?$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Jim Caldwell. And do you know why? Because he has a real qb.

Believe it or not but I think the offense played a lot better than prior games. Why? Because we were moving the chains, running plays were getting yards like they're supposed to, and our receivers were catching the ball and also getting positive yards. Things are flowing better and overall play execution is up.

What needs to be done to bring it all together is to eliminate the penalties (delay of game anyone?) and reduce the turnovers and we'll start racking some wins.

I'm more optimistic at this point than anytime during the prior six games or so.

The Yorksave turnedour beloved 49ers into Mike Brown's Bengals. Ownership blows with Jed, the boy king, in charge. Our GM has blown way to many picks, and at best needs a seasoned NFL man above him, aka Mike Holmgren. Singletary is the cherry on this upside down crap-cake. Singletary does not have a clue. He keeps on repeating Mike Nolan's line about "giving us the best chance to win". This team has enough talent to win 9 or 10 games with quality coaching. As I said at the end of last year and all through the off-season and pre-season, this is a 6-10,+ or - 2, team. After we loose to the Bears on Thursday, the rest of the season should belong to Nate Davis to see what we have. All in all, another lost season under the York's belt!!

The OL was responsible for Alex's fumble today and that's about it. That still leaves 3 turnovers that were Alex's fault.

People were complaining that Raye has been too conservative. Well, he opened it up today giving the fans their wish and we saw the results. Another reason why Raye is coaching in the NFL and the rest of us are fans thinking we know better, LOL.

A.E.S. | November 8, 2009 4:47 PM | Reply
Totally inexcusable! This game should officially mark the end of any playoff talk and my interest in the rest of the season. Warriors are disfunctional, Cal Bears are sadly inconsistant, and now the Niners are done. I think i'm going to ease my pain by watching the movie 2012!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Hey. I dont have to say anything to change your colors. You said it all. LOL See ya next year BUSTER!

We have to give JEDDY a chance this offseason. To make a change. I feel he wants to win. This loss today is kind of bitter sweet. It sucks that we lost, but It should put an end to the Smith experiment and hopefuly the end of the McClueless era. I think he will bring in Holmgren and keep Sing 1 more year. Raye I think will have to be fired. I say keep Smith till he completly blows it. Roll in Davis at the end of the season for a little seasoning. Keep him away from Rayes offense so it doesnt taint his progress. Start fresh with a new O.C and QB next season.

""I saw a quarterback throwing the ball pretty effectively, for the most part..."

With that comment, I think Singletary has just lost the confidence of a lot of fans. He needs to forget the fatherly moral support, and call it like it is. This team will go 5-11 at best.

EXCACTLY!!!!!!!!

""I saw a quarterback throwing the ball pretty effectively, for the most part..."

With that comment, I think Singletary has just lost the confidence of a lot of fans. He needs to forget the fatherly moral support, and call it like it is. This team will go 5-11 at best.

What do you suggest ninermd? let me guess, draft McCoy? or Bradford? Tebow? I'm sure thats your answer and exactly why you don't hold a position on an NFL team. The o-line IS the problem and Alex Smith may not be great but he is not that bad, and has shown potential even in losses. I wll support the team no matter what and Alex Smith IS with out any doubt the best QB on the team.

Why was it that every time VY went back to pass it seemed like he had either room to roam or time to throw. And every time A.Smith went back to pass he seemed like he had no time no lanes and was under duress..

Smith played okay. There were some good throws, and there were some late throws.

JHill performance today just makes Singletary decision to keep him out until now more perplexing. What's going on behind the scene? Did Hill have attitude problems?

Why is Gore pissy the whole game today?

The linebackers, except Willis, did not play well in containing CJ today. They misjudged his speed in several crucial plays that led to points.

To give credence to the negative posters on this blog by responding to their rants is totally futile.

They would like to change everything...HC, GM, QB every year. They have that team already on the East Coast called the Redskins - root for the Skins - then you'll have the team you have always wanted!

I cant believe the D let that ghetto smurf run all over us. I hope we can turn it around on thursday against the bears.... Oh yeah doesnt MS have some history with the bears...

Why would Holmgren agree to come if he is not allowed to replace Singletary. We need a total house cleaning. McCloughan, Singletary, Raye, Manusky. Everyone of them must be shown the door.

Singletary is nothing more than a creation of the brain dead Bay Area sports media. Particularly Damon Bruce of KNBR, and Gwen Knapp of the Chronicle who acted more like Singletary's agents last year instead of objective journalists. He has never held a job even as a coordinator at any level. He was a part of the awful Nolan regime from day one.
I hope Jed now realizes that it takes more than just the ability to shout cute slogans such as "I want Winners" and "Don's tell me, show me", to be a successful head coach in the NFL.

Man, the beginning of the year was so awesome. This team completely fell apart in a hurry.

So what do you suggest we do if you dont like making changes? Keep watching Alex lose games for us? HAHAHAHA..

You call 3INT's and 2 FMBLS ok? Hahaha.. man what on earth were you watching?

Did you also see the 3 INT's and the 2 fumbles? Hahaha.

Honestly, Vince Young could have read War and Peace back there in the pocket.

It starts at the top. The owner, the GM, the HC, and the OC.
These players do not show up at candlestickand get off the bus to play sandlot ball. They are chosen by the GM and HC. They are coached in a system created by the coaches. They are prepaired by the coaches. It is time for these people to be held responsible.
No changes here= same result week after week.

waaa, waaaa, waaa....

the sky is falling, the sky is falling...

Damon Bruce didn't create anything with Singletary. Damon is a fan of Singletarys but as far as creating? The 49ers management team HIRED him. NOT the media.

recap:
Smith was late on too many throws, which was also observed by Rich Gannaon as he was calling the game. The first pick was a late throw that allowed the DB to break on the pass and tip up into the air. On the second pick Smith locked in on the WR and threw it late. The third pick was a good throw and was on time. Morgan did not attack the ball thus allowing the DB to get a hand in and tip it up. By the way, that looked like pass interference. Im not saying that Smith is the QB of the future, but his hesitation should subside when he is comfortable with the playbook and with his WRs. Now to name the players that cost us the game. 1)Adam Snyder: Gave up the sack fumble, and consistently allowed pressure on pass plays. 2)Parys Haralson: After halftime the Titans almost exclusively ran to his side, why? He bites HARD on play fakes, and he couldn't set the edge. Case in point: CJ's 41 yarder, Haralson didn't come close to setting the edge. It happened the whole second half. FYI, Lawson is a master at setting the edge. Dashon Goldson gets honorable mention for giving up long passes to Gage. VY is going to get all the credit in this game when he didn't do a whole lot. One very nice deep throw to Gage in the first quater. A cheap ass QB sneak for a TD. And a weak as hell jumpball throw that gage came down with. other than that Smith out played him save the TOs.

Hate to say it.. but as long as McClueless is our GM and Alex Smith is our starting QB, we are not going ANYWHERE.

Mile High 9er.. you talking about players that cost us the game? Number one isnt Adam Snyder.. Number one belongs to .. A L E X S M I T H

it doesn't matter if you have a strong or weak arm. if you have the smarts, the vision, you will win with one arm! i want smith to succeed, but his imitation of JTO is killing me! benching hill so prematurely in the season is coming back to haunt the niners. the last time i check, hill has 3 more WINS than smith. but with the ego like scott mc. and singletary, we'll probably not see hill back. stubbornness of these people will end our season. that's how it is. karma for disrespecting s. hill for getting a full season is the niner's downfall! i don't think hill is our long term answer, but the man deserve at least a full season. thank you singletary and scott mc!

Did your cap lock key get stuck or what? Did you even know there was one. Just for the record, I'm not an Alex Smith fan like oneniner, just a longtime Niner fan that knows Shaun Hill isn't the answer especially with the supporting cast on offense and the amazing disappearing pocket.
Snyder and Rachal are terrible in pass protection and Josh Morgan is a number 3 receiver at best. You've got an OC that really doesn't seem to know what the heck he wants to do so that's why I don't want to dump it all on the QB whoever or whomever it is. There is a reason this "O" leads the league in 3 and outs other than the QB position. That's not too hard for you to understand or does the md in ninermd stand for MENTALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL?

So now you're sticking up for Aaron Rodgers too with the lame excuse he's got the "worst O-line in the league" and not the Niners? WOW! Sounds like you're Rodger's version of oneniner. Gotta little mancrush do you? I love objective comments like yours. The guy's played the last 4 years in the same offense and started the last 2. He should have better stats because of a higher comfort level but isn't it just amazing what a little pressure on the QB will do to a "good" QBs results????????????? As good as you think he is, shouldn't he be able to overcome the poor line play with all that skill and win the game by himself? You sound like an attorney where all the facts don't matter, only the ones that you want to use.

PS: Rodgers also threw a pick 6 at the end of the game playing catchup to a team with 0 wins playing a rookie QB. Sounds like a budding superstar to me or will you admit it takes 11 guys on offense playing well for the QB to be successful?

mid-morning in germany and still feel kind of dejected from this loss....i had expressed my anxiety about this game on this blog a couple of days ago...upon reflection this game turned on two sequences...one sequence was settling for a FG to take a 20-17 lead and the other sequence was the split of a millisecond miss by haralson in pushing johnson out of bounds on 4th down but instead it is a TD.

i still remain disappointed for Smith but more so because the 9rs lost once again. I think i need to hear that "...there are inches everywhere..." speech again from "Any Given Sunday". is it a time for healing? This game was clearly a game of inches and the 9rs didn't win enough inches.

damn...A.Smith you killed me......but i still believe....

..was it all A.Smith's fault = NO....

but i expected him to play better than this...

What happened to my defense....in the beginning of the season they were all swarming to the ball.....it looked like only Willis was playing defense yesterday.....where is my TED...

I think all true 49er fans that really, truly understand the game of football have to face the facts that this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, is not as talented as many of us have lead ourselves to believe. I was thinking about the offense last night as I was digesting what happened yesterday. I took off my red and gold tinted lenses, and this is what I see:

O-Line – The truth is that even counting Staley none of the lineman is in the top 10 at their position in the league. If you think Staley is a top 10 LT I think your delusional. He could develop into that but he’s not at this point. After Staley, the rest of this O-Line rates in the lower half of the league at their positions. Now this could be offset if they played great together and out produced their talent levels as a unit, but I don’t think we can say that here.

Tight-End – Vernon Davis is having a Pro-Bowl year and is the best receiver on the team. When the TE is your big play receiver, that’s usually not a good thing. Walker is a solid player, but not exceptional. I see people lamenting the fact that he’s not a bigger part of the offense. He is what he is for a reason.

Receivers – This is the unit that is most over rated by 49er fans in general and posters here specifically. I am always hearing about all this great talent at the WR position. Really. Battle would not make most NFL rosters. Bruce at this point of his HOF career is a possession receiver. Brandon Jones was not resigned by a team not exactly flush with playmakers at the WR position. Jeff Fisher didn’t consider this guy a #1, 2 or 3 receiver. I am with Fish on this. Jason Hill was finally given an opportunity yesterday after showing real promise last season. I hope this continues, but I need to see a lot more before I am convinced he is even a solid #2 WR in this league. Morgan shows flashes, but is maddeningly inconsistent and immature. Crabtree truly does look the part of a #1 WR, but at this point he is a rookie with no training camp learning on the job. From where I sit, this group of receivers has good depth, but no proven playmakers. Although there are some guys who could develop into solid NFL players or in Crabtrees case, a star, today this group in an average NFL receiving corp, at best.

Running Back – Gore is the best player on this side of the ball, and is a top 5 NFL RB when healthy. He is held back by three things; 1-he has a hard time staying on the field. While I wouldn’t call him injury prone, he misses too many games. 2-his OL is below average and can not consistently open holes in the running game. 3-due to the lack of play makers around him he is constantly facing 8 guys in the box and there are few lanes to run in. Glenn Coffee looks like a solid backup RB, nothing more. By the way, all those who are calling for Nate Davis to play QB based on what he did in preseason may want to compare Coffee’s pre season numbers and regular season numbers. It’s a different game when the money is on the table.

QB – We can argue Smith / Hill all day and beyond, but I think the point is that NEITHER of these guys is very good. Smith has all the physical tools, but so did Ryan Leaf (remember the Leaf vs Manning arguments before the 98 draft). Playing QB in the NFL is IMO the hardest job in professional sports. You have to have the physical tools necessary to do the job, but the mental part of the game is even more important. Watching Alex Smith, I seriously doubt he will ever get this part of the game down. Some guys can do it, and some cant. Matt Ryan six games into his rookie year was doing things like looking off safeties and anticipating receivers making breaks that Alex still can’t do after 5 years in the league. Alex has had his moments, but they have been few and far between. IMO he is a below average NFL QB. Which is more that I can say for Hill, who may have some of the mental skills Alex doesn’t but does not have the arm strength or athleticism to start in the NFL. Nate Davis is the wildcard here. I like what I saw in preseason, but that was PRESEASON. You can’t take those performances and project out how Davis would fare as a starting QB today. You just can’t. I will say that if the season continues heading in the direction I think it will, it may not be a bad idea to give Davis some playing time against the Lions and the Rams at the end of the year.

So those are where things are from where I see it. I have been watching NFL football since the early 70s and have been following the 49ers since I moved to the Bay Area in 1977. I watch almost every game (I miss a few when travelling for work) and while I was really filled with hope a month ago, I have resigned myself to the fact that this team, at this time, particularly on offense, is just not that good. All the optimists can flame me now.

I think all true 49er fans that really, truly understand the game of football have to face the facts that this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, is not as talented as many of us have lead ourselves to believe. I was thinking about the offense last night as I was digesting what happened yesterday. I took off my red and gold tinted lenses, and this is what I see:

O-Line – The truth is that even counting Staley none of the lineman is in the top 10 at their position in the league. If you think Staley is a top 10 LT I think your delusional. He could develop into that but he’s not at this point. After Staley, the rest of this O-Line rates in the lower half of the league at their positions. Now this could be offset if they played great together and out produced their talent levels as a unit, but I don’t think we can say that here.

Tight-End – Vernon Davis is having a Pro-Bowl year and is the best receiver on the team. When the TE is your big play receiver, that’s usually not a good thing. Walker is a solid player, but not exceptional. I see people lamenting the fact that he’s not a bigger part of the offense. He is what he is for a reason.

Receivers – This is the unit that is most over rated by 49er fans in general and posters here specifically. I am always hearing about all this great talent at the WR position. Really. Battle would not make most NFL rosters. Bruce at this point of his HOF career is a possession receiver. Brandon Jones was not resigned by a team not exactly flush with playmakers at the WR position. Jeff Fisher didn’t consider this guy a #1, 2 or 3 receiver. I am with Fish on this. Jason Hill was finally given an opportunity yesterday after showing real promise last season. I hope this continues, but I need to see a lot more before I am convinced he is even a solid #2 WR in this league. Morgan shows flashes, but is maddeningly inconsistent and immature. Crabtree truly does look the part of a #1 WR, but at this point he is a rookie with no training camp learning on the job. From where I sit, this group of receivers has good depth, but no proven playmakers. Although there are some guys who could develop into solid NFL players or in Crabtrees case, a star, today this group in an average NFL receiving corp, at best.

Running Back – Gore is the best player on this side of the ball, and is a top 5 NFL RB when healthy. He is held back by three things; 1-he has a hard time staying on the field. While I wouldn’t call him injury prone, he misses too many games. 2-his OL is below average and can not consistently open holes in the running game. 3-due to the lack of play makers around him he is constantly facing 8 guys in the box and there are few lanes to run in. Glenn Coffee looks like a solid backup RB, nothing more. By the way, all those who are calling for Nate Davis to play QB based on what he did in preseason may want to compare Coffee’s pre season numbers and regular season numbers. It’s a different game when the money is on the table.

QB – We can argue Smith / Hill all day and beyond, but I think the point is that NEITHER of these guys is very good. Smith has all the physical tools, but so did Ryan Leaf (remember the Leaf vs Manning arguments before the 98 draft). Playing QB in the NFL is IMO the hardest job in professional sports. You have to have the physical tools necessary to do the job, but the mental part of the game is even more important. Watching Alex Smith, I seriously doubt he will ever get this part of the game down. Some guys can do it, and some cant. Matt Ryan six games into his rookie year was doing things like looking off safeties and anticipating receivers making breaks that Alex still can’t do after 5 years in the league. Alex has had his moments, but they have been few and far between. IMO he is a below average NFL QB. Which is more that I can say for Hill, who may have some of the mental skills Alex doesn’t but does not have the arm strength or athleticism to start in the NFL. Nate Davis is the wildcard here. I like what I saw in preseason, but that was PRESEASON. You can’t take those performances and project out how Davis would fare as a starting QB today. You just can’t. I will say that if the season continues heading in the direction I think it will, it may not be a bad idea to give Davis some playing time against the Lions and the Rams at the end of the year.

So those are where things are from where I see it. I have been watching NFL football since the early 70s and have been following the 49ers since I moved to the Bay Area in 1977. I watch almost every game (I miss a few when travelling for work) and while I was really filled with hope a month ago, I have resigned myself to the fact that this team, at this time, particularly on offense, is just not that good. All the optimists can flame me now.

I think all true 49er fans that really, truly understand the game of football have to face the facts that this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, is not as talented as many of us have lead ourselves to believe. I was thinking about the offense last night as I was digesting what happened yesterday. I took off my red and gold tinted lenses, and this is what I see:

O-Line – The truth is that even counting Staley none of the lineman is in the top 10 at their position in the league. If you think Staley is a top 10 LT I think your delusional. He could develop into that but he’s not at this point. After Staley, the rest of this O-Line rates in the lower half of the league at their positions. Now this could be offset if they played great together and out produced their talent levels as a unit, but I don’t think we can say that here.

Tight-End – Vernon Davis is having a Pro-Bowl year and is the best receiver on the team. When the TE is your big play receiver, that’s usually not a good thing. Walker is a solid player, but not exceptional. I see people lamenting the fact that he’s not a bigger part of the offense. He is what he is for a reason.

Receivers – This is the unit that is most over rated by 49er fans in general and posters here specifically. I am always hearing about all this great talent at the WR position. Really. Battle would not make most NFL rosters. Bruce at this point of his HOF career is a possession receiver. Brandon Jones was not resigned by a team not exactly flush with playmakers at the WR position. Jeff Fisher didn’t consider this guy a #1, 2 or 3 receiver. I am with Fish on this. Jason Hill was finally given an opportunity yesterday after showing real promise last season. I hope this continues, but I need to see a lot more before I am convinced he is even a solid #2 WR in this league. Morgan shows flashes, but is maddeningly inconsistent and immature. Crabtree truly does look the part of a #1 WR, but at this point he is a rookie with no training camp learning on the job. From where I sit, this group of receivers has good depth, but no proven playmakers. Although there are some guys who could develop into solid NFL players or in Crabtrees case, a star, today this group in an average NFL receiving corp, at best.

Running Back – Gore is the best player on this side of the ball, and is a top 5 NFL RB when healthy. He is held back by three things; 1-he has a hard time staying on the field. While I wouldn’t call him injury prone, he misses too many games. 2-his OL is below average and can not consistently open holes in the running game. 3-due to the lack of play makers around him he is constantly facing 8 guys in the box and there are few lanes to run in. Glenn Coffee looks like a solid backup RB, nothing more. By the way, all those who are calling for Nate Davis to play QB based on what he did in preseason may want to compare Coffee’s pre season numbers and regular season numbers. It’s a different game when the money is on the table.

QB – We can argue Smith / Hill all day and beyond, but I think the point is that NEITHER of these guys is very good. Smith has all the physical tools, but so did Ryan Leaf (remember the Leaf vs Manning arguments before the 98 draft). Playing QB in the NFL is IMO the hardest job in professional sports. You have to have the physical tools necessary to do the job, but the mental part of the game is even more important. Watching Alex Smith, I seriously doubt he will ever get this part of the game down. Some guys can do it, and some cant. Matt Ryan six games into his rookie year was doing things like looking off safeties and anticipating receivers making breaks that Alex still can’t do after 5 years in the league. Alex has had his moments, but they have been few and far between. IMO he is a below average NFL QB. Which is more that I can say for Hill, who may have some of the mental skills Alex doesn’t but does not have the arm strength or athleticism to start in the NFL. Nate Davis is the wildcard here. I like what I saw in preseason, but that was PRESEASON. You can’t take those performances and project out how Davis would fare as a starting QB today. You just can’t. I will say that if the season continues heading in the direction I think it will, it may not be a bad idea to give Davis some playing time against the Lions and the Rams at the end of the year.

So those are where things are from where I see it. I have been watching NFL football since the early 70s and have been following the 49ers since I moved to the Bay Area in 1977. I watch almost every game (I miss a few when travelling for work) and while I was really filled with hope a month ago, I have resigned myself to the fact that this team, at this time, particularly on offense, is just not that good. All the optimists can flame me now.

These losses are mostly attributed to the inconsistency in our line play on both sides of the ball. We have absolutely no consistent pass rush off the edges. Our offensive line can't sustain a block and sometimes totally whiff on blocks.

I've always said that Alex throws the ball entirely too high on most of his throws. Whrn you throw to the middle of the field, it's best to hit a guy lower in the body so the pass can't be defensed so easily. High passes in the middle endanger your receivers and lead to interceptions.

Lastly, alex can not win a game in crunch time. I guarentee you that he can't have more than 2 comback victories in his entire career. He is going to struggle behing this offensive line, all of our quarterback are going to struggle behind this line. We have NO OFFENSIVE LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vernon Davis is definitly turning into a player. I am concerned about a couple of things. We've always known the physical tools were there. Mentally though, I'm not so sure. The celebration play last week was just plain dumd, uncalled for. In addition to that, the 2 false start penalties yesterday were not cool. They came at areal critical time in the game. It's hard enough for this offense to get 10 yards for a first down. Getting 15 is definitely a task.

All this talk about what the offense did wrong. What about the supposed " great defense. Safeties who can't tackle, cover backs out of the backfield [or tigh ends for that matter] and constantly out of position on pass plays. How many times did #98 not contain the wide plays to his side? Why isn't Brooks out there instead. #98 hasn't had a decent game in a long time. If he is hurt, another reason to sit him down.

This season is not over....yet. The season will be over when we play our last game. Our playoff chances will be over when we are mathematically out of it. We have a big game this Thursday and then a big game every week after that. The loss was painful, but we need to move on.

Leo the Lion, well written, I have been the following the Niners just as long and I agree with everything you said about the difference between Ryan and Smith. It is a mental thing and if Smith hasnt got it by now, I dont think hell ever get it. Im thinking the same thing you are, that we are going to see alot more losses before we see some wins. Nate Davis has all the physical tools Alex has but with better accuracy (he can actually throw the ball before the receiver makes his initial cut). If he gets the chance, who knows, we might be surprised how good he is. If Alex stinks it up one more time, Sing better bench his ass or there will be alot of angry fans at the Stick. I dont agree with putting Hill back in, lets just see what Nate can do and then we can evaluate and see if we need to use our 2 1st round picks on McCoy, Clausen, or Locker.

CLAUSEN???? No thanks to Brady Quinn redux.
Colt McCoy wont be around by the time SF drafts.

LINEMEN on both sides.
An DB's LOTS OF DB's

The term 'move on" ranks right there with "it is what is" with me...