San Francisco 49ers: Take the 49er Coach IQ Test!

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Want to coach for the San Francisco 49ers?

 

Well, it's not easy. It involves a lot of game planning and film study. You have to know every facet of how an NFL team is built and what exactly is required to get the edge on Sundays.

 

If you can pass the test, you have taken the first critical step into the difficult and complex world of coaching the 49ers.

 

Prove your mettle by selecting the correct answers for each of the complex football questions the pros know. Pick the correct answers to each question to see if you have the brains to coach in the NFL for the 49ers!

Question 1

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In which game did Alex Smith have his best performance last season?

 

Option 1) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 27/41, 232 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int (spread offense)

 

Option 2) at Seattle Seahawks: 27/45, 310 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int (spread offense)

 

Option 3) vs. Arizona Cardinals: 19/35, 144 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int (ball-control offense)

Question 2

Frank Gore commits a "half-fumble" against the New Orleans Saints.
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Which option causes the fewest turnovers?

 

Option 1) Smash-mouth, ball-control offense, which gives up 3-5 turnovers a game.

 

Option 2) Air-it-out, shotgun passing offense, which gives up 1-2 turnovers a game.

Question 3

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If a college quarterback is really good in a spread-shotgun offense, what is the MOST likely scenario?

 

Option 1) He is most likely to succeed in a spread-shotgun offense while in the NFL.

 

Option 2) He is most likely to succeed in a ball-control offense while in the NFL.

Question 4

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What is the most important position on an NFL team?

 

Option 1) Punter.

 

Option 2) Left guard.

 

Option 3) Quarterback.

 

Option 4) All positions on the team have equal importance.

Question 5

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How many years does it take to accurately evaluate a quarterback?

 

Option 1) About 1 year.

 

Option 2) About 2-3 years.

 

Option 3) At least 6 years.

Question 6

What is step one to building a championship-caliber football team?

 

Option 1) Find a top quarterback.

 

Option 2) Go out and hit someone in the mouth.

 

Option 3) Build a dominant defense.

 

Option 4) Find a core group of players through the draft and free agency.

Question 7

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What is a good offensive strategy?

 

Option 1) Being fysical, with an “f”. Ignore any information that might impede upon this vision.

 

Option 2) Use the strategy that has proven to score the most points and cause the fewest turnovers.

Question 8

What is an excellent motivational tool for a football team?

 

Option 1) Pulling your pants down, and telling your players that they are playing like a**.

 

Option 2) Getting your butt kicked in the first game of the season, and then thanking your opponent for the service.

 

Option 3) Having the owner promise a division championship despite having an 0-5 record.

 

Option 4) All of the above are excellent motivational tools.

Question 9

If a reporter questions the ability of one of your coaches, you:

 

Option 1) Question the reporter's motives and credentials.

 

Option 2) Tell him how you can't comprehend the question, seeing as how the coach in question is doing an excellent job.

 

Option 3) Talk about how you were “baited” into answering an impossible question by a shrewd, devious reporter.

 

Option 4) One week later, fire the same coach the reporter asked you about, for the same reasons the reporter asked.

 

Option 5) Do all of the above.

Question 10

What is 5 + 3?

 

Option 1) 53.

 

Option 2) 8.

 

Option 3) 11.

Answer Key

 

Answer Key:

1) 3

2) 1

3) 2

4) 4

5) 3

6) 2

7) 1

8) 4

9) 5

10) 2

 

Add up your correct answers. How did you do?

 

To coach for the 49ers, you have to get ALL questions correct.

 

Since the 49ers organization wants the crème de la crème, I decided to throw in a rather heady and mathematically intensive problem at the end to separate the wheat from the shaft. Football is not just complex game theory and Xs and Os, but it involves some physics as well as mathematics.

 

Don't feel bad if you didn't get all the questions correct. Remember, NFL coaches are highly trained and skilled professionals. They spend many hours going over such difficult scenarios and questions in their head.

 

It's true that some of the answers seem counterintuitive to logic and/or reason, but that is the “reason,” pun intended (ha ha), that they do what they do, and you do ... well, let's just say you're not going to quit your day job anytime soon!

 

Although Mike Singletary passed the 49ers coach IQ test with flying colors, I think what Jim Mora said many years ago, ironically, after facing the 49ers, is the only true way to describe the season the 49ers have had up to this point.