Tag: San Francisco 49ers (Page 13 of 34)

      Pete Carroll + Mike Williams = Mike Singletary hates his life

      September 12, 2010 /
      San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary takes the field for his team's preseason NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers in San Francisco, California September 2, 2010. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      It’s pretty unfortunate when a Mike Singletary-coached team can’t tackle, isn’t focused and decides to give up after one half of football.

      In the past, I’ve been guilty (and I’m not the only one) of making default statements such as, “You know the 49ers will come to play against so-and-so because of Singletary,” and “You know the 49ers are always going to play hard under Singletary.”

      But after watching the Seahawks completely embarrass the Niners in a 31-6 rout on Sunday afternoon, I won’t be making those statements again any time soon.

      The 49ers’ performance was reminiscent of their game in San Francisco last year against the Falcons (a 45-10 loss). They didn’t tackle today, they didn’t play hard and when they got down 21-6 early in the third quarter, they should have just got onto the team bus and headed back to San Francisco because they displayed zero fight in the last 27 minutes and change.

      Granted, it’s only Week 1 and the Niners are a good football team. But this is a game they have to win if they expect to compete for a division title. Or at the very least, show up for four quarters. Can you imagine what the post-game speech was like in the locker room afterwards? If Singletary didn’t eat someone’s face off I’d be shocked.

      On the other side, Pete Carroll’s squad played inspired football. They held the Niners to only 49 yards rushing (granted, San Fran had to throw the ball the entire second half), forced two turnovers and were 3-of-4 in the red zone offensively.

      Amazingly, Mike Williams (yes, that Mike Williams) led the team in catches with four. He racked up 64 receiving yards, which included a 35-yard grab that helped set up a touchdown in the first half, and also finished with a 16-yard-per-catch average.

      If anyone would have told me back in January that the Seahawks’ first win wound come with Pete Carroll as their head coach and Mike Williams as their leading receiver, I would have totally bought it. I would have said, “Given what they did at USC together, I could see that. I could also see a Mike Singletary-led team not being able to tackle and Arian Foster single-handily beating the Colts. Also, I can totally see LeBron James staying in Cleveland. He loves it there.”

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Preview: NFC West Predictions

      September 3, 2010 /
      MIAMI - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers looks at a replay while taking on the Miami Dolphins at Dolphin Stadium on December 14, 2008 in Miami, Florida. The Dolphins defeated the 49ers 14-9. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

      While it’s counterpart in the AFC is likely in store for a rough year as well, the NFC West is by far the worst division in football. The Cardinals are going through a major transition year, the Rams will be rebuilding for a couple of years and nobody quite knows what to make of Pete Carroll’s Seahawks.

      That leaves the 49ers, who don’t come without their weaknesses but is definitely the team to beat this year in the West. Now it’s just up to Mike Singletary’s squad to execute.

      Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC West in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.

      1. 49ers

      What to Like: As you would expect from a Mike Singletary-led team, the 49ers can play a little defense. They finished a very average 15th in total defense last season, but stats don’t tell the whole story. The Niners finished sixth against the run last year by allowing just 97 yards per game, largely due to the play of inside linebacker Patrick Willis, who led the league in tackles. Takeo Spikes continues to be a steady veteran presence and nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin is highly underrated. Staying on that side of the ball, Justin Smith may not put up flashy numbers, but he’s easily one of the best 3-4 ends in the league. Offensively, the Niners have a solid core in Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and second-year player Michael Crabtree. With more consistency at quarterback, this won’t be the dreadful unit it was at times last season.
      What Not to Like: The offensive line is still a concern, although removing Adam Snyder from the starting right guard spot is a plus. There are high hopes for Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis, but it’s usually not wise to rely on one rookie lineman, nevertheless two rookie linemen. There have also been mixed reviews on Alex Smith this offseason. Some think he’s ready to turn the corner, while others believe he’ll probably be just as inconsistent as ever. OC Jimmy Raye will try to balance the pass more with the run this year, which is a good thing because the team’s strengths is at running back. But Smith still has to step up and make plays when opponents successfully take away the run. Defensively, this is a unit that gave up 229.4 yards per game through the air last season, which means it needs better production out of Nate Clements, Shawntae Spencer and especially, free safety Dashon Goldson (who struggled in coverage last season).
      Keep Your Eye On: The two rookie O-linemen
      Iupati and Davis might be the difference between this team challenging for a division title and it failing to deliver on high expectations. Both players are excellent prospects but they’re going to have to grow up in a hurry because this team expects to compete this season.
      The Final Word: If the Niners played in a more competitive division I’d be saying something along the lines of, “Improving team, but will probably come up just short of making the postseason.” But since they’ll be able to feast on the trash that is the NFC West, there’s little to no excuse for San Fran to win a division title this year. I’m not completely sold on Smith turning a new leaf, but there’s enough talent on both sides of the ball for this team to produce a 9-7 or 10-6 record. I don’t foresee them advancing in the playoffs unless a couple of players overachieve, but I still think this is a solid football team and you know they’re going to compete every week under Singletary. Plus, don’t forget that the year the Cardinals went to the Super Bowl, they were highly average in the regular season, only to turn it on during the playoffs. I’m not saying…I’m just saying.

      San Francisco 49ers 2010 Question Mark: Offensive Line

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL News: 49ers trade AWOL Kentwan Balmer to Seahawks

      August 16, 2010 /

      The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the 49ers have traded defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer to the Seahawks, although the details are unavailable as of this moment.

      Balmer quickly fell out of favor in San Francisco after he failed to show up for practice last week. Head coach Mike Singletary had granted Balmer a couple of days off to deal with “personal issues,” although nobody knows what those issues were. He was expected to show up on Wednesday, but he didn’t and also decided to skip Thursday and Friday as well. He also ripped the organization by saying, “People are making a big deal about nothing,” and “I feel like ht 49ers could do a better job of saying that, but it’s not my place to say.”

      The 2008 first round pick was on the bubble to make the 49ers’ roster heading into his third season. After barely playing as a rookie, he didn’t show much improvement in his second season before tearing his labrum. He would have had to outplay Demetric Evans to keep his job as a backup at the defensive end position.

      In Seattle, Balmer provides the Seahawks with depth and is versatile enough to fill in as a backup at either the end of tackle position. Of course, he has to show up first.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      Figuring out the “why” shouldn’t be important when it comes to Glen Coffee

      August 15, 2010 /

      Many people enjoy movies that end by leaving something up to the imagination. They like it when the final scene ends and it makes them think.

      Me, I hate that. I didn’t fork over $74.95 on a flick so I could draw my own conclusions at the end. I’m almost convinced that directors sometimes throw up their hands after they’re done writing a script and go, “F**k it, I don’t know how to end this sh*t, so I’ll just go with the ol’ leave-it-up-to-the-imagination bit.”

      Finish the movie, Mr. Director. You tell me what to think – that’s what I’m paying you for.

      But when it comes to the mysterious case of Glen Coffee and his decision to suddenly retire on Friday, I don’t need to be given the why. Why does it matter?

      I get why people are interested: it was a shocking move. Most players would give their left ear to have a roster spot on a NFL team. Coffee wasn’t a starter, but he was a key backup on an up-and-coming team. He also showed enough promise last year to prove that he does have what it takes to sustain a career in a very fickle profession.

      But obviously he wasn’t into football anymore. Whether he lost his passion at Alabama or lost it after getting pancaked by a linebacker at a recent 49ers’ practice, the key is that he did lose his passion. He didn’t want to play football anymore and that’s that.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      The curious case of Glen Coffee

      August 13, 2010 /
      SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 22: Glen Coffee #29 of the San Francisco 49ers runs against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game on August 22, 2009 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

      A little over a year ago, Glen Coffee put together an eye-catching performance in preseason and some pundits believed that he could emerge as a solid complement to Frank Gore in the 49ers’ backfield.

      That, of course, was before Coffee unexpectedly announced his retirement on Friday.

      The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Coffee is calling it quits despite this being just his second year in the league. He was battling with rookie Anthony Dixon in camp, but head coach Mike Singletary noted that Dixon still had a long ways to go to leapfrog Coffee on the depth chart. Plus, Singletary has given Coffee high marks thus far, making his decision to retire/quit even stranger.

      Singletary has developed a reputation over the last couple of years for running a tough camp, but that can’t be the only reason Coffee decided to pull the plug on his career this soon. After all, he got through Singletary’s camp as a rookie last year just fine.

      That said, you never know what a person is going through until you’ve walked a mile in his or her shoes. Maybe Coffee has lost the passion to play or maybe he’ll regret his decision in a day and return to the practice field. Many young players struggle with being away from their friends and family and maybe Coffee is just going through a rocky time right now. Relatively speaking, he’s still just a kid.

      Whatever the reason, it’s certainly a surprising development. The 49ers are still in good shape at running back with Gore, Dixon and Michael Robinson, but that doesn’t mean make Coffee’s decision any less shocking.

      External Sports, NFL

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