Once Niners fire Singletary, they should call Gruden
Here are five quick-hit observations from the Rams’ huge 25-17 victory over the 49ers on Sunday.
1. There’s no way Mike Singletary can retain his job.
This was a massive win for the Rams but I have to talk about Mike Singletary first. This man continues to prove that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a head coach at this point in his career. Once again, he got into another shouting match with his starting quarterback when he and Troy Smith went at it in the third quarter. Right before the altercation, Smith had thrown an interception and Singletary told Alex Smith to start warming up. That must have angered Smith, who had been brutal but the Niners were only trailing 22-14 at the time. Singletary decided to put Troy Smith back into the game, but benched wound up benching him for the fourth quarter. Singletary clearly doesn’t know how to manage NFL quarterbacks and if I’m the 49ers’ brass, I wouldn’t wait a millisecond before firing him at the conclusion of the season. He benched Troy Smith in favor of Alex Smith a couple of weeks ago, even though Troy Smith had posted a winning record in his five starts. Then, with the team’s season on the line this weekend in St. Louis, Singletary again makes a switch, only to bench Troy Smith in the fourth quarter anyway. Granted, it doesn’t matter. The 49ers weren’t going to make the playoffs and Troy Smith was awful. But this is the NFL. This isn’t a video game where you jostle between quarterbacks every quarter in attempt to strike lightening in a bottle. Too much preparation and planning goes into a game the week before for Singletary to keep going back-and-forth between quarterbacks. It’s freaking idiotic and seeing as how this wasn’t the first time one of his players has yelled at him on the sidelines, it’s also apparent that he doesn’t have control of his team. I wouldn’t trust him to run my car at this point, let alone my football team.
2. The Niners should call Chucky.
Once San Francisco cans Singletary, the first call the front office needs to make is to Jon Gruden. Assuming he wouldn’t mind leaving the booth and coming down to the sidelines again, Gruden would be a perfect fit for the Niners. After the debacle that is Mike Singletary, San Fran will need a head coach that knows how to manage quarterbacks. Chucky won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson and won a division title with Jeff Garcia, so clearly the man knows how to do just that. Whether or not they stick with Alex Smith or Troy Smith is irrelevant. Gruden can figure that out once he comes aboard but the key is that the Niners need to hire an established coach that can help restore the order that has been lost under Singletary. The players need someone that they can follow and who they trust, not some windbag who likes to here himself talk but who doesn’t have the faintest idea about the X’s and O’s of the game.
3. Again, big win for the Rams.
Okay, now that I’m done ranting…that was a huge win for the Rams. The victory has rendered the game between the Seahawks and Bucs (which is currently in the third quarter) meaningless. Whoever wins next Sunday when the Seahawks host the Rams in Seattle will win the feeble NFC West. At this point, it would almost be a shame if the Seahawks won the division and causal fans don’t get to see Sam Bradford host his first-ever playoff game. Both teams will likely get waxed by the fifth seed (which will most likely be the Saints) anyway, so bring on the rookie.
4. The NFL needs to re-seed for the playoffs.
While we’re on the topic of the NFC West, the NFL really needs to implement re-seeding when it comes to the playoffs. It’s a shame that a team like the Giants (or Packers) will be left out of the playoffs when an 8-8 or 7-9 team from the NFC West gets in. It’s even more of a shame that the 8-8/7-9 team will get to host a playoff game when a 10 or 11-win Saints team will have to go on the road. Does a scenario likes this happen often? No. But the fact that it’s happening at all should be enough for the league to step in. I don’t have a problem with having the four division winners make the playoffs. But the Rams or Seahawks have proved this year that just because you win your division doesn’t mean you have the right to host a playoff game. (And I’ll still feel that way even if the Rams or Seahawks pull off an upset in the Wildcard Round.)
5. Bradford helps Rams shrug off recent offensive woes.
After the Rams’ offense had gone cold over the past couple of weeks, Bradford helped revive them on Sunday. He completed 28-of-37 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown to finish with a 107.0 QB Rating but more importantly, he was accurate and flashed some of his athletic ability. On a pivotal touchdown pass to receiver Laruent Robinson in the second half, Bradford scrambled to his right and threw back across his body to Robinson in the end zone. Granted, that’s usually a cardinal sin for quarterbacks but the Rams needed a big play at the time and Bradford delivered. As previously noted, it would be fun to watch the rookie play in the postseason, so here’s hoping the Rams can finish off the Seahawks next week.
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I wouldn’t feel too sorry for the Saints if I were you. They are getting an easier game as the 5 seed than the 3 seed will receive. If you’re a head coach, would you feel safer playing the Rams/Seahawks on the road or the Packers/Giants at home?
If there’s a playoff team being screwed by the seeding process it isn’t the Saints, it’s the Eagles/Bears.
Count off six years on your fingers. That’s how long the 49ers have been pissin around with Alex Smith. He must be the greatest salesman in the world, or he’s a secret billionaire and is paying the Niners to QB.
There’s enough talents on the team to win games even in play-off eliminators. Singletary was a great player but he never did have the right mentality to coach the 49ers. I like Troy Smith but he still needs a few more games to feel comfortable. Alex Smith on the other hand just can’t seem to protect the foot ball. He handles the balls like he’s still in college. Too bad he has never found a way to mature at the pro level. Oh well, next year niners.
Come on… Think a little…if it was the NY Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Greenbay Packers, etc. etc. going in as divison winners @ 8-8….You wouldn’t be saying change the playoff seedings!!!!!!!!!!!
You need to get real!!!!!!!! Gezzzzzzz!!!!!!!
Come on… Think a little…if it was the NY Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Greenbay Packers, etc. etc. going in as divison winners @ 8-8….You wouldn’t be saying change the playoff seedings!!!!!!!!!!!
You need to get real!!!!!!!! Gezzzzzzz!!!!!!!
I see where you’re going with this but you’re barking up the wrong tree, Les. I mostly definitely would be saying that if the Giants, Cowboys and Packers were sitting at 8-8.
I am a 55 year old 49er fan, since 69’ when my dad(R.I.P.) took me to Kezar for the first time,if EDDIE D. had still been running the house, A-hole Smith,would have been gone A LONNNNG! time ago, i texted the house 3 years ago, & said when Mike Vick gets out of the clink, snatch him quick,if singletary had listened, he would still be employed…thanx. i’m off my soapbox now!!!
Other sports re-seed however the division winners go to the top, followed by the wildcards. Let’s say you do give home playoff games to wildcard teams with better records than division winners. In 1987 (strike year) you would have given the #2 seed to the Saints who at 12-3 finished second to the 49ers in the division, but had a better record than the other 2 division winners who were 11-4. In 1988 you would have done the same with the Vikings who finished second to the Bears but a better record than the other 2 division winners. Same in 1990 the Dolphins would have been a 3 seed who at 12-4 finished behind the Bills but better than the AFC Central champ Bengals at 9-7. You have to reward the division winners with home field for a playoff, just like every other sport does. An amendment for situations where division winners are at or below .500 would just create even more confusion than there already is when determining the playoffs.