2009 Season Must Be Season of Change For 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers last went to the playoffs in 2002. Since then they have had six losing seasons, winning as few as two games and as many as seven. This stretch of losing has featured four head coaching changes, a staggering five different offensive coordinators, a steady roulette of quarterbacks and a potential number 1 overall draft pick bust. For this once proud franchise, six consecutive losing seasons seems unfathomable for a team that had two digit win seasons 18 times between 1983 and 2002.

This year most San Fransisco fans hope will lie in new coach Mike Singletary. Singeltary performed well enough as an interim head coach (5-3) for GM Scott Mcgloughlin to offer him the full time gig. He is an extremely passionate person whom the players seem to really respect. If anyone can light a fire under this team it is Singletary. 

While the coaching staff seems to be in place, once again summer time means quarterback competition at the 49ers training facility. Whereas last year J.T. (Just Turnovers) O'Sullivan was in the mix, the competition this year is between self proclaimed buddies Sean Hill and Alex Smith.

Hill a 7-3 starter, seems to have an edge over former number 1 pick Smith who has compiled just a 11-14 record as a starter. Like most teams in the NFL, San Francisco will only go so far as Hill's play dictates. Yes, I know this is a potentially scary idea, but Hill has played well for this team and deserves a chance to be a starter.

Of course San Francisco will face numerous obstacles including a shaky offensive line which gave up a league high 55 sacks last year. The 49ers are an extremely young team and it will be interesting to see how these young players respond to adversity and how much they buy into the Singletary system.

It will take good quarterback play by Hill, good coaching, and a steady dose of running back Frank Gore to succeed this season. If the 49ers have these three elements consistently, the defense should be strong enough to finally break the curse and achieve a winning record and perhaps a playoff spot in the wild NFC West. Cue the Jim Mora playoffs soundbite and just imagine how funny this soundbite would be if it were Singletary. San Francisco fans deserve it and why not entertain the idea? After all, it's a new season and we have to turn the corner sometime.