The 49ers Dig a Deeper Hole With Every Win: How It Goes Beyond the 2011 Draft

If the 49ers go 3-1, knocking off the Seahawks in Week 14, the Rams on the road in Week 16, and either the Chargers or the Cardinals, they could possibly earn a playoff spot.

The Rams would in turn have to go 1-3, as would the Seahawks. Since the Seahawks and Rams play each other, the lone victory for either team would have to be their head-to-head matchup in Week 17, meaning if the Rams and Seahawks go 1-2 in their next three games, the 49ers are all but done.

A more likely scenario? The 49ers falter against an opponent they are favored against and bounce themselves out of playoff contention, beyond a playoff scenario even 49er fans can create. Going 4-12 is the best case scenario for the 49ers this year, for a number of reasons.

If the 49ers go 7-9, they will either be playoff bound, or once again, narrowly miss their shot at a division title. Since 2008, the overwhelming thought has been that the 49ers could easily make a play for the division, as they have been one or two games from the playoffs every year.

Another year hovering around .500 doesn't set off the panic alarm like a 4-12 season does. While nobody wants to go 4-12, that is exactly what the 49ers need. With four wins, the 49ers would become aware that maybe winning next season won't be as simple as drafting a highly touted quarterback or a high-profile guy. They will realize it is time for a complete organizational restructuring.

49ers team owner Jed York is a class act. He receives harsh criticism from fans at times, but he has an evident desire to win football games and appears to sincerely care about fan happiness. This is a guy who can relate to the 49er Faithfuls, as he grew up around the franchise when they were dominant.

York made the mistake of prematurely firing Mike Nolan and skipping over more qualified in-house candidates to give the interim head coaching job to Mike Singletary. Singletary went on a tirade in his first press conference as head coach, kicked Vernon Davis off the field, and strung together a few wins.

The fans got sucked in to the "culture change" and so did York. He gave the job to Singletary full-time. Fast-forward to 2010. Singletary is in a much deeper hole than Nolan was with a better team. The quarterback issue remains unaddressed and Singletary appears to have a much looser grasp of NFL knowledge in general.

York has learned his lesson. Rather than hire an interim head coach like defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, he has chosen to eat this season and it appears he is going to let Singletary go, barring a miracle.

While ownership may be in question, with the new stadium being built and events like the State of the Franchise, it's evident that this York is different from the others. Nobody is going to ever run the team like Eddie DeBartolo. It's time to stop trying to turn Jed into his uncle.

So how can the 49ers racking up losses possibly lure head coaching prospects? Coaches like the opportunity to improve immediately. The 49ers are loaded with talent in a lot of areas, yet they are held back by a few glaring holes.

With a young offensive line complete with three first-round picks—four if you count tight end Vernon Davis—a group of young talented receivers and the most talented defense in the division, featuring Patrick Willis in his prime, the 49ers have a lot to like.

A head coach could come in and easily best the job that Singletary has done this season, while making the quarterback position a priority. Couple that with a collapsing division and a number of coaches are looking at home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs like it's a sure thing.

The 49ers have a roster stacked with talent, a state-of-the-art stadium on the way, one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, and happen to be in quite possibly the worst division ever. A head coach with the experience could come in and demand complete control of operations, and York would likely oblige. Somebody is going to take the bait, though it may not be the first or second choice.

The 49ers could look at game film at the end of a 4-12 season and read into who is going full tilt and who is along for the ride. Is everyone playing as hard as they possibly can or are some players going through the motions?

A coach with a legitimate body of work should have no problem coming in and seeing who deserves to be there. Like the Cowboys, the 49ers need to evaluate a number of players on the roster. They get somewhat of a pass, because the subpar coaching is having an adverse effect on their ability to play to their full potential, but effort and competitiveness need to be stressed, and there is no better test of your competitiveness than to see who is hungry, even when everything is lost.

Who is next? The media and fans. For the past few years, the 49ers have come into the season with high expectations, only to see them crumble. There was a mad scramble to make up for a slew of consecutive losses, and by that time it is too late.

"Wait until next year" is not a phrase that fans and media are likely to say, should they lose their remaining games. It's the 7-9 record that gets people wondering. The 49ers need to come into next season ready to work and prove themselves. People need to allow the 49ers to succeed before "this is our year" has any merit.

Let's get to the draft. Although not the only reason the 49ers would benefit from a few more losses, it's a big one. The Cincinnati Bengals are two games below the 49ers. If the draft happened today, Cincinnati would have the number two overall pick.

Two games ahead of the 49ers are the Miami Dolphins, who at 6-6 have the 19th pick in the draft. See what a difference a couple games makes? It is unclear whether the 49ers will go out and actively pursue a proven quarterback through free agency or trade, but if they try their "luck" at drafting a quarterback, it is obviously beneficial to have your options open.

The 49ers going 7-9 or even making the playoffs puts them out of contention for a top quarterback in the draft. They can't afford another six-year project, so it's imperative that the 49ers get this draft perfect, should they go that route.

The same applies if they want to fill the need at cornerback or pass rusher. With a solid head coach who can evaluate talent, it will be in the best interest of the football team to be among the bottom-feeders of the NFL come draft day.

While fans may continue to root for their teams, they should not be overly concerned with a loss. It's always nice to win, but the pros of a loss actually tend to outweigh the benefits of winning. Imagine if the 49ers would have had this season a year ago. What could they have accomplished being one year removed from Singletary?

You can't win for losing? Time will tell.