Khyber53

Evaluating Canales right now is like evaluating our WR corps. You can't take Bryce out of the equation, so you can't give it a fair judging. Bryce just throws the math off. And no, Andy Dalton games don't count. As good as a guy as he is, I think all the tread has worn off of his tires. Keep Canales and let him go into next season picking the QB he wants, either in the draft or free agency.

Here today it's ground lamb burritos for the feasting on the foes exercise. And changing it up a bit in hope of luck with Nacho cheese-flavored Bugles.

Oh, I agree on many things there. And Fields is mainly enjoyable because he plays on other teams. Yeah, this experiment has gone on far too long.

Sheeesh, he's a disappointment, but there are soooo many worse football players, judged by on or off field attributes.

Here's my deal. I hate the whole "Alpha" bullshit, because it has been turned into an act, a marketing ploy and a wonky set of qualifications. What I think you need as a QB for your team is the happy, smart leader that brings his teammates along rather than throwing them on his back. And they need to be a stone cold killer when they get to the field. As much as I dislike the guy, it's Brady over the Mannings. It's Montana over Marino. It's Bradshaw over Staubach. And here's the one that'll get me killed around here: It's Jake over Cam.

Canales has the problem of an amateur lifeguard. He's trying desperately to save the career of a floundering young QB, not realizing that he is being pulled underwater by the kid and that there are 52 other players who are about to be pulled under as well. Sometimes you have to let the one go to save yourself and get to the others.

I think he's been trying to prove a point and also allowing it to play out in case his team owners were right. Also, by listening to him, he doesn't give up on people and wants to keep at it until there's a breakthrough. And I think that it's come to that undeniable spot, the lynchpin of the entire exercise. This team would be playoff bound without a doubt with a QB that had been in the top 24 of the league. Not top 4, not top 10, not even top 20... but a QB that was barely better than the bottom quarter of the league as a passer. He's given everything here and we had that moment against Atlanta where Bryce shined in a desperately dark moment. But this week showed that he can't push the rock over the finish line. He just can't compete at the level needed. Canales got the defensive performance he needs as a HC to win and we've seen Evero get that out there (surprisingly) on a number of occasions this season. And Canales called his own plays against SF, called a pass heavy game like he did in Tampa and Seattle. That's his bread and butter. Bryce couldn't bake the bread, though. It's as simple as that. We have the rest of the team pretty much. We've got a good receiving corps (I'd think given better passing). We have a better o-line than we're given credit for had the QB behind them been braver, taller and more decisive. We have an excellent running backs group. Our defense is strong on the back end, needs linebackers and a better rush, but it's marginally okay and sometimes surprisingly effective. Got a first class rookie kicker and a solid punter. If you evaluate the team and put just a marginally, even average QB in the mix and we'd be two to three games ahead of where we are now. So the math is simple. The only question remains: draft QB and start at square one again, or has Canales got his next QB reclamation project already in mind?

Head coach keeps calling passing plays, even when the running game shows some promise in the face of adversity. Coach is giving the QB every, every, every chance to prove he can be the guy that is needed to fulfill what he needs from the position. And it just is disappointment after disappointment. One big game and the rest are nothing burgers except for a twinkle of light here and there. You just know Canales is looking at Bryce going, "He's just such a great kid, I'm giving him every chance, but..." Prepare for a change next season in QB. Bryce will end up as the QB2, a role he will be pretty darned good at, here or wherever. And I think his teammates are in the same boat as the coach. They love the guy but they are chained to him right now.

New one's up. It's a longer one. Tough one to do, hopefully it turned out well.

Young men playing a violent game for our enjoyment, just got to pray that he and they all make it through this. And save a prayer or two for the day to day working folks going through countless injuries and illnesses without these resources available to them.

Gochujang. You can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores now. Comes in a red plastic box with a flip top lid. Warning: Once you start using it, it's hard to stop using it.

There's just not much left to say is there? Our defense gave us every chance we needed to win that game. And we really couldn't do anything with it. Lot of folks injured for such a let down. It's time to look down the road and let him play out whatever happens.

Can't argue with that.

My biggest thing is that down the stretch we could be facing three different QBs that have revenge on their minds for us jettisoning us: Bridgewater, Mayfield (assuming they split the two due to Baker's injury) and Darnold. Add in that we have McCaffrey that we traded away for peanuts. It's bad karma. But we're also the black cats, so maybe that bad karma whips back around and works for us. Oh, who the heck knows. We're competitive and there are opportunities ahead of us if we can make it through tonight. I mean, when was the last time we were in first place in the NFCSouth past the second week?

Going with fish sandwiches on sourdough here to keep with the Feasting on the Foes tradition going. Will serve with a side of 49er fries (steak fries). And of course, Bugles during the game.