San Francisco 49ers: Stick a Fork in Them, They're Done

The San Francisco 49ers are now ensconced at the bottom of the league after a widely-predicted Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, 34 to 16 on Sunday.  Any predictions of the 49ers winning the division now border on the silly.

To be honest Sunday’s game was too awful to watch past the halfway mark.  Even a radio rendition of the second half caused winces and pain so severe that household chores rose in priority over the game. 

People tend to avoid pain when possible, and I am no exception to the rule. For a long-time 49er fan it was a moment of full realization: the San Francisco 49ers are not a fun team to watch anymore.

The 53 players are not a team, but a mob.  The offense is predictable and easy to game plan against. 

The coaching is non-responsive to the opposition and not creative in play calling.  The impression left with me is that the game plan is set by Monday for Sunday’s game and does not change even in the face of evidence that shows the plan is not working.  There appear to be no play adjustments during halftime or, for that matter, at any other time during the game.

The defense gets tired of being beaten up without any progress coming from the offense.  The offense quits partway through almost every game because success eludes them and they simply get discouraged. 

I have seen no change in pace throughout games.  Not even an unexpected hurry up offense designed take the game over and to put the opponent's defense off its timing.  Not even one trick play to jazz up the crowd.

The talent on the team flashes for a drive or two then relaxes to avoid career ending injuries because it is just not worth the risk to body and soul for a club that is not a team.  Frank Gore was the exception to this rule, but he has been seriously injured and may not return to NFL football.

The owners sit in the box and make predictions of success that are ridiculous on the face of them and appear to be designed for advertising purposes only.

The Red and Gold is in major trouble and denial of that fact will do nothing to change the reality on the turf.

It is time for the owners to man up and make major and radical changes in the coaching staff.  The 49ers need a thinker as well as a leader at the helm and all the way down the coaching staff.  I hope the search began long before now, but even if that is not so, now is the time to pull the trigger and make the changes.

Or it's time put the team up for sale to someone who will make those changes.