Mike Nolan, you're fired.
The San Francisco 49ers have played eight football games this season, and they have played well in exactly zero of them.
Your composure, classiness, and ability to develop individual players have been very strong at times. But you have fallen well short of expectations when it comes to developing a cohesive team.
On the bright side, Coach Nolan, people give you credit for overseeing the rise of so many promising stars—and they're correct to do so.
Frank Gore is one of the most talented running backs in the league, and you deserve credit for giving him the opportunity to prove it. Patrick Willis was a fantastic draft pick. Vernon Davis was an obvious selection at the time—and you aren't at fault for his injuries, just as you shouldn't be blamed for Norv Turner's abandonment of Alex Smith.
But your careless mistakes far outnumber the bright spots for which you are praised:
1. Let's begin with the one that is probably most painful for Niner fans today...
In every team sport, in every professional league, there's a golden rule. It's a very obvious and clear rule. It's one that's occasionally ignored, and bites one team after another in the ass:
Never, ever, ever trade next year's first round draft pick.
Ever.
Trading away future first-rounders turns losing seasons into wasted seasons.
This season is a complete and utter waste, because the unbeatable New England Patriots will enjoy our Top Five draft pick.
This was a combination of carelessness and cockiness. You gambled a big part of your team's future because you thought that you were a shoo-in for the playoffs.
If only you'd been able to accurately assess your team's prospects...
2. You ignored a lot of blind spots on this team, and assumed that last year's good health would carry over to this year.
You were wrong.
Just as the Bleacher Report's own Kevan Lee predicted, the 49ers were forced to learn how to deal with injuries, and they could not have performed worse.
And in this particular instance, the coach could not be more responsible.
You had no contingency plan at QB. For over a year, pundits complimented you for the seemingly-wise decision to put the ever-so-smart Trent Dilfer at backup. They pointed out that he was a good mentor and tutor.
But guess what? He was never able to do his real job: throwing the football.
Dilfer was a lousy quarterback many years ago when he rode the Ravens to a title, and he clearly hasn't aged well.
This was just a matter of time. Anyone could have told you that.
One also has to wonder about your handling of the offensive line. Did you think that Larry Allen and Jonas Jennings were immune to the ravages of age?
Both of these guys were as physically vulnerable as they were talented.
3. When many 49er fans think of you as a coach, they&
Mike Nolan, You're Fired!
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9 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Erick Blasco about 1 year ago
I remember Lee getting absolutely massacred after his San Francisco prediction, but everything he's said has been right on. I'll give him props for making a bold prediction which is coming through.
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Dave Finocchio about 1 year ago
You mean this article....
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1451-NFL-San_Francisco_49ers-Not_So_Fast_49ers_Alex_Smith_Primed_to_Disappoint-280707
New England has to licking its chops.
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Zander Freund about 1 year ago
Hahaha...man did Kevan show us Niner fans.
I can't believe I actually thought this team could go 9-7...they're lucky to be 2-6. I close my eyes every time the offense takes the field...
Obviously there is quite a bit of season left to play. I'm not holding my breathe though...
Revised prediction: 4-12. Major props to Mr. Lee for getting it right the first time.
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Ron Johnson about 1 year ago
If anyone needs to be fired, it's Cam Cameron. Any objections?
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Dave Finocchio about 1 year ago
Definitely not...the guy's a moron. Through and through.
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Tristan Holmes about 1 year ago
The defense is actually much improved from when Nolan arrived, but the offense has backslid since last year, as has team unity and composure. They need offensive linemen and go to receivers, and they need to start executing at a higher level. All those things come down to the coach and front office. I say give Nolan one more year to get this team to 8-8, otherwise it's time for someone new. All very good arguments though Beezer.
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Patrick Reid about 1 year ago
What do you suggest Nolan should have done in the off-season to address the backup QB situation? Spend 15 Mil on Byron Leftwich? Coax Steve Young out of retirement? Bring Vinny Testaverde in to throw passes to players half his age?
It's easy to point the finger at someone if something doesn't go right. Up until a few weeks ago, Trent Dilfer was the consensus "best backup QB" in the league. He has a Super Bowl ring and brings leadership skills to a young locker room. In practice, Dilfer has performed well and nobody could have predicted it wouldn't translate to the game field. Not even so-called football geniuses like you.
To say he was lousy 7 years ago when he took on the Ravens starting QB job (nearly half way through the season I might add...remember, Tony Banks started that year) shows you no very little about the game. He threw for over 1500 yards and 12 TDs in 8 games and finished with a QB rating over 75....hardly "lousy" by any stretch of the imagination. (He then followed that up with a 92.0 QB rating the next year in Seattle).
Nolan also did not mishandle the management of the offensive line. As a matter of fact the 49ers have two quality backups at both left tackle and left guard positions (Adam Snyder & David Baas). Allen played great last year, and looked good coming into training camp as well. The problem with Allen is that he has been playing injured all season and Jennings has given up mentally on the team (just listen to Ronnie Lott's comments on the Jennings fiasco last week). Both these guys helped pave the way for Frank Gore to have a record setting season last year.....why NOT bring them back? Snyder and Baas were both drafted in 2005 along with Smith & Gore to become eventual starters at some point (that time has come for Snyder who now starts in place of Jonas Jennings, David Baas will take over once the under-sized Justin Smiley goes on injured reserve later this week). Baas was taken in Round 2, proving that Nolan DOES in fact have a plan to develop this young offense.
Again.....another point you've made without doing your research.
As for Nolan feeling as if he's not the reason........"This teams record starts and ends with me" (an exact quote by Nolan made last week.)
It's not really a matter of making Jim Hostler a scapegoat....if the man can't call plays, then he can't call plays....period. Norv Turner took this off-season at a point where the Niners couldn't search and hire a valued replacement. They were forced to stay in-house and promote Hostler to OC due to his familiarity with Turner's system and his rapport with Alex Smith.
But then again....I suppose Nolan should have hired Bill Walsh to call the plays right??? Gimme a break.
Marv Lewis is in his 6th year as head coach of the Bengals....they've made the playoffs twice and haven't done anything much.....YET HE'S IN HIS 6TH SEASON!
Jeff Fisher's Titans haven't done much of anything since losing the Super Bowl 8 years ago but he gets anoother 3-year extension.........hmmmm
When Nolan took on the job the Niners were 34 million over the salary cap.....they had no talent at every position on the team. No general manager, no scouting department....NOTHING.
He drafted a solid, successful college QB. Drafted a young, talented running back. Drafted 3 young offensive lineman to eventually start (Adam Snyder, David Baas, Joe Staley). Built the defense from scratch (Bryant Young and Derek Smith are the only starters he didn't hand pick). I could go on and on........it's 2 and a half years into the rebuilding process and you want his head already? It doesn't take 2.5 years to win a Super Bowl.....especially not with the financial situation the team had as well as lack of talent. It will take about 6 years for this young team to hoist a trophy over it's head. But you've sipped on the Kool-aid I can tell....you bought into the pre-season media hype that this team would be better off than reality would suggest.
The defense has underperformed for 3 weeks in a row. They played well the other games.
Do you watch football or read stats?
You should stick to what you know and stop trying to claim as if you know enough about the game that you would make a decision to fire a head coach.
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Beezer McBeeze about 1 year ago
I did give Nolan credit for improving the level of talent at many positions. While it's true that he had nowhere to go but up, he does deserve a pat on the back for improving virtually every player at every position. That said, the team isn't performing. Frank Gore is a talented running back, but he isn't performing. Alex Smith is a talented QB, but he's not peforming. We have two fantastic CB's, but we're giving up big passing yards.
Look, his job is not just to assemble a good team. His job is to make it win. He's had a ton of top draft picks and a ton of salary cap space to work with, and the results haven't been bad. But that's only part of the job.
The rest of the job is to make them play well as a unit. He has failed at doing this, because he is not able to do much beyond office work. And he definately does not feel comfortable taking command of his offense.
Three strikes and you're out in baseball. Three years and you're out in football. Either he gives us reason to think that the last three years have been worth a damn, or he should be fired.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I hate Jim Hostler he's a bum!!!! I love the 9ers and I've been watching them since I was a kid. It's very simple u give Gore the ball 20+ times a game and u win. They have a 8-1 record when Gore gets the ball 20+ times. I even know that and this guy is getting paid major bucks...for what??? He sucks!!! This guys shouldn't be thrown under a bus he should be tied to 2 trains heading in different directions.
Breezer I've been waiting to hear someone rip them a new one, so I thank you very much (all r very valid points), but I have to agree with Tristan on this one give Nolan 1 more year. But ditch Jim Hostler on ur next road game, is what the plan should be. A monkey could do a better job (I hear they have them doing amazing things these days).
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