Is the problem the coaching?

[pepe]

If we've heard it once we've heard it a thousand times. Coaches coach and the players play. But when I look at the Niner personnel, especially on the O and D lines, I wonder what kind of quality coaching the players are getting, if any. Take the O line for instance. Niners got some fairly impressive big boys coming out of college with Baas and Snyder. Smiley isn't chump change either. Yet I've been consistently disappointed on the return for these players. I think the coaching's to blame. The late Bob McKitrick used to work magic with the offensive lines on those great teams during the championship years. Those teams had the same problems with injuries. The personnel who manned the O lines of those teams except for Bubba Paris, weren't top draft choices either. Somehow, Coach McKitrick would piece a line together and make it work. I think it's high time the assistant coaches in general were held accountable and Niner fans should stop with the knee jerk excuse that the team simply doesn't have the talent. I mean coaching proper technique and implimenting proper schemes and playcalling should count for something. If a team can't even tackle something has got to be wrong beyond the players. I think it's the coaching, maybe not so much Nolan, but his assistants.

[Mark7]

If we've heard it once we've heard it a thousand times. Coaches coach and the players play. But when I look at the Niner personnel, especially on the O and D lines, I wonder what kind of quality coaching the players are getting, if any. Take the O line for instance. Niners got some fairly impressive big boys coming out of college with Baas and Snyder. Smiley isn't chump change either. Yet I've been consistently disappointed on the return for these players. I think the coaching's to blame. The late Bob McKitrick used to work magic with the offensive lines on those great teams during the championship years. Those teams had the same problems with injuries. The personnel who manned the O lines of those teams except for Bubba Paris, weren't top draft choices either. Somehow, Coach McKitrick would piece a line together and make it work. I think it's high time the assistant coaches in general were held accountable and Niner fans should stop with the knee jerk excuse that the team simply doesn't have the talent. I mean coaching proper technique and implimenting proper schemes and playcalling should count for something. If a team can't even tackle something has got to be wrong beyond the players. I think it's the coaching, maybe not so much Nolan, but his assistants.

I think Norv Turner is doing well, but the defensive and head coaching does appear poor. Too many times the team is getting blown off the field in the first half, where is the game planning? Who is instructing the dbs not to turn around? The 49ers are lacking in talent, make no doubt, but Nolan/Billy Davis are doing nothing bring out any potential that may be hiding.

[49ermanic1]

WE GOT OUR A**'S HANDED TO US AT HOME. Someone needs to be gone.
I Vote Billy Davis! Promote Mike Singletary to Defensive Cord. Or rather have Mike start at MLB. hehe:doubleup:

[llslindy]

some examples: who thought it was a good idea to put a young lb on gates? that was a 7 pt mistake. also when hudson had to go into the game, he was put one on one with no deep help. didn't the coaching staff think s.d. wouldn't notice and go deep? just two examples of poor coaching.

[Porterjoh]

some examples: who thought it was a good idea to put a young lb on gates? that was a 7 pt mistake. also when hudson had to go into the game, he was put one on one with no deep help. didn't the coaching staff think s.d. wouldn't notice and go deep? just two examples of poor coaching.

I agree on the first one, but on the 2nd, the safety didn't go where he was supposed to go (helping Hudson deep), and that's what cost us - that's not coaching, that's a dumbass Safety...

[verbicide]

some examples: who thought it was a good idea to put a young lb on gates? that was a 7 pt mistake. also when hudson had to go into the game, he was put one on one with no deep help. didn't the coaching staff think s.d. wouldn't notice and go deep? just two examples of poor coaching.
The first touchdown was poor positioning which lead to poor tackling, it was like the Boldin thing all over again. We had Gates covered, just no one stopped him. I blame the players for that.

[DraconisRex]

If we've heard it once we've heard it a thousand times. Coaches coach and the players play. But when I look at the Niner personnel, especially on the O and D lines, I wonder what kind of quality coaching the players are getting, if any. Take the O line for instance. Niners got some fairly impressive big boys coming out of college with Baas and Snyder. Smiley isn't chump change either. Yet I've been consistently disappointed on the return for these players. I think the coaching's to blame. The late Bob McKitrick used to work magic with the offensive lines on those great teams during the championship years. Those teams had the same problems with injuries. The personnel who manned the O lines of those teams except for Bubba Paris, weren't top draft choices either. Somehow, Coach McKitrick would piece a line together and make it work. I think it's high time the assistant coaches in general were held accountable and Niner fans should stop with the knee jerk excuse that the team simply doesn't have the talent. I mean coaching proper technique and implimenting proper schemes and playcalling should count for something. If a team can't even tackle something has got to be wrong beyond the players. I think it's the coaching, maybe not so much Nolan, but his assistants.

The problem is the fans who clearly have forgotten how bad our team was in 2004 and have delusional expectations of how fast it can grow and be rebuilt, especially considering that the defense, which they've had to neglect due to the way the draft has fallen, plus how bankrupt our offense was, has only grown older and slower over time. Not particularly better.

As far as the o-line comments, you're kidding yourself. We were playing with TWO BACKUPS and had to deal with a jail-break pass rush with too much 5-man protection because the defense couldn't stop the Chargers and we were down so far in the second half.

As for the rest, if we actually had talent on the defense, some of these comments might make sense. But surely the whining crowd could see the abject difference in talent level between our defense and their defense. They were faster, stronger and more talented at every position. And that's how it should be. They never fell as far as us in their down times and they've been heavily drafting (good) defensive players for their defense for FIVE YEARS while most of our Day 1 talent was on offense or lousy defenders that did nothing, like Mike Rumph.

[Flaninerfan]

Last year our Linebacking corp was considered to be our strongest part of the defense. So, we let Petersen and Carter go and now our linebacking corp is as invisible as the rest of our defense.

Thats coaching and management not wanting to pony up to the money. And, by the way coaching and management are pretty much the same thing.

This past off season we were in position to go after some better than average FA cornerbacks. We got Walt Harris. Don't get me wrong, he's okay. But, he is not anywhere near elite. When you trade your dud player for another teams dud player and he becomes your first guy off the bench you got problems.

Problem is who to blame for it all. Can't really blame the players. All we have heard since Nolan took the reigns is that he only wants Nolan type players around him. Character, moral fiber etc... I wonder how happy Singletary is with all the character type players he has to work with. Don't you think more realisticly was when Petersen, Carter and oh... that other guy who left town Singletary saw his headcoaching options dwindle just a little further down the street. He probably more than anybody would like to see Davis get canned. It would mean a promotion into the light of the world of recognition. Where if he can get the defense pointed into the right direction then in a few years he will be more elligible for a head coaching job. It wouldn't take very much to get a 28th ranked defense down into the low 20's and then in another year get it down into the mid teens. And, then he would be gone.

So, who do we blame? Is Davis constantly being bombarded by Nolan to make the defense this way or that way. I mean if you take a bunch of young players and have them running a zillion different defenses then how are they to be able to play very well. Most of the time the just look confused. Wrong place wrong time. They went that way and we went this way. In the end we end up being the team every offense wants to play. We have become the stat makers. We can make just about any opposing QB have a QB rating of over 100.

Only so much of this can be attributed to the players. All I have heard about is the character thing. About how we need a team of character players. Well, look how this team did it with a bunch of no names and look how that team did with a bunch of no names... So, what we need are a bunch of Nolan type players... we need character players. Well, its been a while, don't we now have a bunch of Nolan type players? Where are the results. He canned this guy and that guy and now what do we have? Do we even have a foundation for a defense of the future? You could dump every guy from our defense and start over and do almost as well as we are doing now. We are 28th in the league on defense. It doesn't get much worse than that. They just signed Spencer to a big deal and I watched him getting beaten all over the field yesterday. Is he the man? What about our D-line. The only time our front 3 or 4 or 5 whatever type of defense we are running, gets into the area of the QB is when we are blitzing and even then we rarely make there. Our blitz packages are about as mysterious as a semi truck.

So, once again is it our DC or our HC? When he left the Ravens did their defense fall into oblivion? Or, are they as tough as ever?

I really don't know who is to blame. Its not the players. Perhaps its the push and pull of the coaching staff always trying to figure which hole to stick their fingers into to stop the most water from escaping. No wonder that Petersen was glad to be gone.... Carter too.

Problem is that maybe Davis is easier for Nolan to push around. Which might be a reason Davis sticks. Perhaps, Singletary would be the better man for the defense offering instant stability but he would not offer to Nolan the bending he requires from his DC.

Its a book. Funny, you start typing these things and then you post them and go... oh boy.

[49erfaninkansas]

I would say much of the blame lies with Nolan (unfortunately -otherwise seems to be a good coach). His indecision about going with the 3-4, then back to the 4-3, and back again depending on his personnel is not good decision making. You go with a defensive scheme and then plug the players in that will best make that system work. He decided 2 years ago that we were going with the 3-4, but has done little in getting players that can make it work. His 2nd mistake was letting go of some quality players for some marginal players. His 3rd mistake (and many coaches are guilty of this to some extent), is that coordinators who become head coaches tend to go away from what made them a good/great coordinator (Lovie Smith is an example of what to do, a defensive coordinator who is building his team around his strong points - and look at his success so far). Nolans been so focused on rebuilding the offense, with both draft and free-agency, that it seem's he's neglecting the defense (his stong suit as far as coaching). I think he needs to turn a little more of the offensive control over to Turner, and he needs to take control of the defense. Part of the job as head coach is recognizing weaknesses and doing something about correcting them.

[goldblood]

I agree. At some point players have to play. It's up to the coaches to bring out their strenths and motivate them. I get so tired of hearing about lack of talent, THEY'RE NFL PLAYERS...THEY ALL HAVE TALENT! How long do we have to here excuses? I just think at this point it seems Nolan isn't connecting, maybe Barlow was right.

[euronimous]

The problem is the fans who clearly have forgotten how bad our team was in 2004 and have delusional expectations of how fast it can grow and be rebuilt, especially considering that the defense, which they've had to neglect due to the way the draft has fallen, plus how bankrupt our offense was, has only grown older and slower over time. Not particularly better.

As far as the o-line comments, you're kidding yourself. We were playing with TWO BACKUPS and had to deal with a jail-break pass rush with too much 5-man protection because the defense couldn't stop the Chargers and we were down so far in the second half.

As for the rest, if we actually had talent on the defense, some of these comments might make sense. But surely the whining crowd could see the abject difference in talent level between our defense and their defense. They were faster, stronger and more talented at every position. And that's how it should be. They never fell as far as us in their down times and they've been heavily drafting (good) defensive players for their defense for FIVE YEARS while most of our Day 1 talent was on offense or lousy defenders that did nothing, like Mike Rumph.

I agree wtih Drac here! Especially on the O line. Those guys palyed very well and put up 178 yards on that defense in the first half!! Our defense just plain sucks. From the line on back. Especially the secondary. I am not puting all the blame on the players either. I also agree that some has to fall with the coaches. The db's not playing the ball, and the defensive play calling IMO isnt quite cutting it. We play too aggressive, we play too soft, we give too much cushion, we get burnt deep. Nothing seems to work so its hard to put much blame on the coaches. WE NEED PLAYMAKERS ON DEFENSE!!

[Glider]

I agree. At some point players have to play. It's up to the coaches to bring out their strenths and motivate them. I get so tired of hearing about lack of talent, THEY'RE NFL PLAYERS...THEY ALL HAVE TALENT! How long do we have to here excuses? I just think at this point it seems Nolan isn't connecting, maybe Barlow was right.


Just because you put them into the NFL that doesn't necessarily make them NFL players. Unfortunately Nolan thinks the way you do. Let's take some guy in the 6th or 7th round who's got character and call him an NFL player. I believe that Nolan's expectations for some of these guys were too high. I guess he thought he was such a good coach that he could turn 6th & 7th rounders into NFL starters

We all knew coming into this season that, given the subtractions and the additions, that we would be weaker this year than last when we gave up 6259 yards to the bad guys. I know our expectations were higher with the addition of Manny but he hasn't progressed giving the flip-flop nature of our defense.

Ultimately, I believe the problem is having players who aren't up to the job and the 2007 draft will have to be entirely devoted to drafting defensive players. If he drafts an offensive player, given our dire needs, I think he should be impeached...

[DSDAMAGED]

there is no doubt that talent wise, we are lacking on defense. however i am dismayed at the inability of alot of these players to fundamentaly tackle. it could be that the focus is on turnovers and that they are trying more to dislodge the ball than bring the player down. if this is true than would this not be a coaching decision? i have no problem with this philosophy if it was extended to the whole scheme and not just on the ball carrier. by that i mean if you are going to focus on turnovers, then bring the ranch on third downs, leave one on one coverage of their WR,s bring the safeties up to pop the receivers from the line of scrimmage, then let them rush the QB . i understand the risk of the long ball in this situation, and it appears we are keeping alot of defenders back to prevent alot of scoring, but it aint working anyway. if we dont have the talent on defense to match up , as many believe, and i agree. then playing conventionaly is never going to work until we do aquire more talent. taking risks on defense especially on 3rd downs, is the only way we are going to level the playing field this year. this current batch of players on defense cannot stop a drive cannot stop a third down conversion, cannot stop the opposing offense from scoring. the only way we stop them from scoring is to take the ball away, and for that we are going to have to take risks. and that is a coaching decision

[goldblood]

It's Nolans job to get the most out of his players. Sometimes you have to deal with what you have been dealt. Maybe the team is lacking a real leader for the guys to follow..again, Nolans' job to find that player, push his buttons and inspire him to be the leader. He is NOT getting through to them at this point. It's obvious by the way they play, and by the way he interacts with them.