49ers Vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Woe and Three-Need Answers, Jimmy Raye Fired

But what are the questions? Well, I have a few, but let’s start with a very appropriate quote from former Indianapolis Colts (and New Orleans Saints) Head Coach, Jim Mora:

“What’s that? Ah — Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!”

Ironically enough that quote from Mora came after the 49ers had just beaten the Colts back in 2001, and sent them to a 4-6 record.

No one should be looking at the schedule right now and trying to figure out if 49ers still have a shot at making the playoffs. What the 49ers need to do is figure out how to get just one damn win.

Let’s not kid ourselves and say that the 49ers beat themselves again, they obviously made some bone-headed mistakes, but Kansas City beat their butts up and down the field.

The 49ers were out played to a man, and most definitely out coached.

The Chief’s triumvirate of Head Coach, Todd Haley, Defensive Coordinator, Romeo Crennel, and Offensive Coordinator, Charlie Weis, mapped out and executed a game plan that made the 49ers coaching staff look as if they should be coaching high school.

Which begs the first question: What the hell is wrong with 49ers’ Offensive Coordinator, Jimmy Raye?

Update: Multiple news sources are reporting that Jimmy Raye has been fired. Quarterbacks Coach Mike Johnson has been named as Raye's replacement.

Frank Gore is an outstanding runner, but he can’t carry the entire 49ers offense every week. Charlie Weiss effectively used a two headed running back attack against the once vaunted 49er run defense. The end result was a 97 yard day rushing for Jamaal Charles, and a 95 yard rushing day and a three yard touchdown for Thomas Jones.

The 49ers went out and signed free agent running back, Brian Westbrook to add depth to the running back core with the sudden retirement of Glenn Coffee. But they have inexplicably failed to get him involved into the game plan in a meaningful way.

At the very least, I thought we would be seeing more of him in third down situations.

The same can be said of rookie Anthony Dixon. Dixon offers a nice change of pace, is incredibly nimble for a big man, and is a load to bring down.

But Raye insists on continuing to run Gore up the middle when there is no day light. He makes no adjustments, and I can count on one hand—no make that one finger, the amount of plays he called in this game that I would consider smart or clever.

When you have weapons like Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Josh Morgan on the field, you might want to stretch the field a little more often as well.

But again, I have to give Crennel credit, his front defensive played with high intensity and easily out played their counter parts. Crennel’s youngsters in the secondary also played brilliantly, especially third year corner, Brandon Flowers.

It wasn't all bad, we did win the battle of turnovers...well at least for about 82 seconds...

Flowers learned something from watching film of Crabtree which was instrumental in his interception, perhaps Crabtree can learn something from Flowers.

"Crabtree likes to run the flats and angle it back in for a slant," Flowers said. "I just played what I saw on film."-

Okay, so Raye is an obvious and easy target. Greg Manusky’s “bend-don’t break” defense broke a number of times in this game.

Where were Manusky’s defensive adjustments?

Travis Laboy covering Dexter McCluster?

Dashon Goldson biting on play action and getting burned deep when he was the lone deep man?

What about the Tony Moeaki touchdown? Well okay, let’s give that one to the Chiefs…unbelievable catch. However, that was the rookie linebacker, Navorro Bowman in coverage.

The defense was on the field for a long time and getting pretty tired by the fourth quarter when the Chiefs drove for a 57-yard touchdown, but let’s face it; they were on their heels all day.

Weiss, and quarterback Matt Cassel, exploited match ups time and time again. That’s what a two headed rushing attack gives you. You have to account for the power of one guy, the speed of the other, and then boom, they go long on you in the passing game. 

Of course you have to have a quarterback that has the confidence to make those throws, which begs the next question:

Is Alex Smith still lacking confidence?

The short answer is yes. I know he was sacked five times, and yes he was running for his life all day, but he didn’t look like the guy that stood in there, or scrambled for positive yards, on Monday night.

He dumped off short on too many occasions, and on some of those he hung his receivers out to dry.

 But he does need some help.

What went wrong with the offensive line and its improved play that we saw last Monday?

To quote Cameron Poe from the movie Con Air, “My first guess would be… a lot.”

I really don’t want to wish pain or injury to anyone, but quite frankly the O-line played much better when Rachal had a stinger and Adam Snyder replaced him.

Oh let me just say it, Rachal sucks. In his third year, he should know enough by now to get down and get leverage, as well as not making untimely mistakes that cost his team yardage.

David Bass again managed to give up a big play, this time by getting completely bull rushed by Chief’s NT Ron Edwards, who recorded one of the Chief’s five sacks on the day.

OLB, Ron Studebaker, also had a sack, and the Chiefs other OLB, Tamba Hali, who will now be known to Alex Smith as the “Liberian Nightmare” had three sacks and was a harassing Smith all day.

I can’t imagine what is going to happen to this group when they travel to Green Bay and face Clay Matthews and company.

Iupati couldn’t seem to open the holes for Gore as he was able to last week. But still, I don’t think he did anything to hurt his team. But let me ask another question:

Starting with preseason, how many times have you heard announcers say that the offensive line isn’t getting a push, there losing the battle of position, they aren’t getting leverage…shall I go on?

Anthony Davis? Believe me, I am getting there.

Why didn’t Singletary bench him?

Davis is a rookie and he is only twenty years of age, so he will have some tough days and tough games ahead. Today was certainly one of them as he got beat like a drum on multiple occasions. On one such occasion he was forced to recover an Alex Smith fumble from a sack that was the result of his missed  block.

But that isn’t why he should have been benched. Davis engaged in trash talking all day with Chief’s NT Shaun Smith. At the end of one play, Davis could be seen punching Smith in the Ribs and was flagged for a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty, and in effect, killed a promising drive which had been highlighted by a beautiful 19 yard pass reception by WR Dominique Zeigler, just a play earlier.  

But the bizarre thing is that after the game Davis claimed that Smith had grabbed his jewels in the pile up.

"He tried to feel me," Davis said. "That's weird, right?" from David Fucillo and NinersNation.com

Now look, players have sacrificed their bodies for years for the game, Ronnie Lott even gave up part of his little finger to keep playing, couldn’t Davis had sacrificed his nuts for just one play?

All kidding aside, there did seem to be something else going on between the two that the viewer couldn’t see as Haley pulled Smith out of the game and was visibly up set with him on the sideline.

But Davis needs to learn to keep his emotions in check; a benching by Singletary may have gone a long way in teaching him that lesson a la Vernon Davis.

I just have one last question for “Iron Mike:

Will there be changes?

"Right now, what we are going to do is get back and look at the film and hold off on making any changes until we look at the film and go from there," he said. "We will look at the film and see what is there and make decisions accordingly."-from SI.com

There needs to be changes and they need to happen in a hurry. This team has too much talent to waste.

Playoffs? I would settle for just a win.