A season slipping away - The undisciplined and struggling 49ers

[gettlemanjack]

SI's MMQB:

Having suffered two ugly second-half collapses in the past two weeks, Jim Harbaugh‘s 49ers suddenly look like a team that lacks discipline and focus.

...

when it comes to the 49ers and their current predicament (1-2, having been outscored 38-3 in blowing halftime leads the past two weeks against the Bears and Cardinals) ... this is a team that needs to start to feel good about itself in a hurry, or the season could slip away.

...

these were (are?) not the 49ers we have been used to seeing since Jim Harbaugh took over in 2011. You could count on San Francisco to be a well-coached, disciplined defense-first team

...

In the past two weeks we’ve seen an undisciplined team that easily loses its cool and can’t recover when things go bad. That’s an indication, in my opinion, that the Niners players are no longer drawing their persona from the head coach, and are instead doing things their own way. That’s a bad sign.

...

The players’ disposition and the coach’s increasing disconnect with his team look familiar to me: The situation reminds me of Nick Saban as he coached the Dolphins during their 1-6 start to the 2006 season, when they were a preseason Super Bowl favorite. It wasn’t long before Saban started looking at other options, which led to him taking the Alabama job. The players knew he wasn’t all in, and it all ultimately collapsed.

Harbaugh is in the fourth year of his five-year contract, and both sides have tabled contract talks. With Harbaugh’s alma mater, Michigan, just 2-2 this season with blowout losses to Notre Dame and Utah, there is only going to be increased chatter of Harbaugh’s future.

[gettlemanjack]

FOX Sports:

Are the 49ers collapsing?

Lest we forget that San Francisco also opened last season 1-2 before finishing 12-4 and reaching the NFC Championship game. For a similar rebound, the 49ers must stop second-half folds like they had in consecutive losses to Chicago and Arizona. A defense that has clearly taken a step back without standout linebackers Aldon Smith (suspension) and NaVorro Bowman (knee) also faces its toughest challenge to date Sunday against visiting Philadelphia.

[gettlemanjack]

comments on a 49er forum:

I find the titles of the articles on this forum to be too negative ... I love the forum but the articles are just way too pessimistic. I know people work hard on those but seriously can't stand the negativity. It's not helping.

I think it's understandable that you or anyone around here isn't optimistic. I'm not optimistic either.

My money is on Harbs being gone after this season.

The players seem to be lacking passion... They also seem to be getting tired too quickly...Roman still has no clue... he is a moron

I don't think we'll ever win it all with Harbaugh. I'd rather let him go after this season, and bring in a REAL WCO COACH. None of this Singletary b******t. We have the perfect personnel for a real WCO, aside from a real deep threat WR. It's really sad we all bought into Harbs being a WCO coach...

we have no pass rush what so ever, Our corners are exposed, Ward is not a corner, he cant cover, culliver also gets beat on a regular basis. Eric Reid also is not playing like he did last year. Way to many bone headed penalties. Some of the penalties though are stupid touch fouls, we can't lose games because of penalties. We are averaging over 100 yards a game. Running plays need to be better, they are SO PREDICTABLE. We have the weapons to have a great offense but we're not, which falls on roman.

I'm loosing faith that this coaching staff can get this team to the next level - our 6th SB. The coaching has been figured out, and its showing.

I think the Niners are in trouble. I was hoping to be 5-2 at the bye....but right now, I'm hoping for 3-4 and if they are 4-3 I will give you all a free hand job.

It's clear our secondary is weak, especially with no pass rush. I was optimistic that the subs would step up more than they have.

This coaching staff just doesn't know how to coach all this talent on this team, its very frustrating to say the least

[gettlemanjack]

more:

no consistency. The repeated stupid penalties point to the coaching staff

The front 7 isn't getting the job done, which hangs the secondary out to dry. That said, teams are exploiting Ward, big-time. But, it's not just him...Reid got beat deep twice by rookie WR Brown.

The pass rush and the way our secondary has been playing is a concern. The other is can our offense score points to win the game.

Realistically this team has one semi explosive player in Vernon Davis. Defenses don't respect our down field passing game and can keep us in a short game. You watch guys like Cruz , Sanders, DJax, McCoy and other take a 5 yard play for 80 yards and a TD. We don't have that guy.

On defense we don't have an enforcer in the backfield and people are abusing Jimmy Ward, who looks like a bad pick or he's just not ready yet.

We are in real trouble this year IMO. We started slow last year but the problems this year are real. We could lose a lot of games.

The thing that worries me is the amount of pressure Kapernick is seeing. If he gets hurt..it's Gannett time O_O

Be as optimistic as you'd like but it don't look good right now and I'm not one to jump ship..

Our main problem is, and always has been, or quarterback isn't a full time quarterback. Doesn't anticipate enough throws. Doesn't throw receivers open. Hold the ball a tick too long. Bails the pocket too easily. Doesn't stare down the barrel of the rush enough. He'll make spectacular plays. But our offense will never be consistent. I love the kid. But he's not there.

On paper, this offense is talented and probably one of the most talented in the NFL but they can't seem to be consistent. is this team falling apart? The penalties we've seen in the last 2 games has been the most that I can even remember and these were game changing penalties. Blame the refs all you want but this starts with the coaching staff.

no T.O. type personalities in this locker room, but no doubt the players are frustrated. You could see it on their faces

[Mr. Scot]

Despite the love of some for emotional coaches, reality is a coach who's always angry, screaming and throwing fits gets tuned by players out after a while.  There were rumors even last season that Harbaugh's act was wearing thin in the locker room.

 

In a college setting (like say, Michigan) where it's all kids and you recycle players every three or four years, you can succeed with that.  In a pro team with grown men, longtime veterans and guaranteed contracts?  Well...

[gettlemanjack]

more:

The team has too many deficiencies, more than we'd like to admit. The pass-rush from the OLBs is non-existent, the new secondary is prone to coverage breakdowns. Couple that with the soul-crushing penalties that have victimized us every game, and it's very frustrating to watch this team

NFL football is a chess game. Right now, it seems like our coaching staff has forgotten how to play this game. Add to that the fact that our players easily lost their composure and their discipline, and we've got another ugly loss.

We never blitz, were playing the wrong people on the Oline and Dline and we have a garbage offensive philosophy. The frustrating part is the coaching staff. They need to fix this s**t or get out and bring in the next staff

niners need to have a player meeting and hash this s**t out

this is not the defense we've seen the past few years, but the 49ers have an offense that should be able to put up 28-30 points, and even with this flawed defense that will most often be enough points to win.

we simply cannot sustain drives by passing the ball. our short passing game is not there. our qb isnt brady or peyton, but rather a somewhat inaccurate laser thrower who gets chunk yardage or nothing. our linemen are big guys who arent great at screen blocking or zone blocking. how exactly do you expect us to get points, especially with a D that doesnt get turnovers and allows scores left and right ?

our run game is one of the worst in the league, I don't think there is any run game which gets shut down as hard as ours does on the road

Our offense can't keep up. Our offense has always been dictated by our defense holding the opponent to a low score... if our defense can't hold them, and we can't score more points, we lose...

Discipline is slipping, and our coaches are getting out-coached

the main issue is with our offensive philosophy. Add to that our D philosophy isn't working that well either.

We need to blitz, and blitz often. We're toast unless Fangio wakes up and realizes our lack of pass rush is making our secondary look BAD.

Our secondary isn't good enough to cover receivers during the blitz. If they do cover they'll definitely get called for contact.

This crap is getting ridiculous...it is most definitely a time of great concern.

Someone said before, but the problem is that we lack depth. Our defense was amazing because we had elite players and playmakers at every level. It enabled us to play fangios bend but don't break approach effectively because eventually someone made a play.. Now we have no one that can win a 1v1 pass rush battle, linebackers that can't get off blocks and a secondary that plays on their heels. Our best defensive player this year has been Parrish cox...

our pass rush is the problem..

The fall of Harbaugh's regime has begun, whether you like it or not. Time to think about who else is out there. David Shaw?! Brian Billick?! Shanahan?! Gruden?!

I think we'd hit up the college ranks again. Maybe Ault. There's just too much going on in college nowadays to stick with NFL coaches.

what we need is a chip kelly type coach

Bevell would be an excellent fit (the OC of the Seahawks)

I'd take him!

[gettlemanjack]

NFL.com back on Sept 7 (the day of the 49ers' 1st game @Dallas)

Jim Harbaugh losing San Francisco 49ers' locker room?

Is trouble brewing in San Francisco?

...

On the heels of a rocky offseason that saw Harbaugh and the 49ers fail to strike a new contract extension amid word that the team spoke with the Browns about trading the coach to Cleveland...NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport told NFL GameDay Morning on Sunday that 49ers sources believe coach Jim Harbaugh is already losing the locker room.

"There is some serious doubts about whether Harbaugh is actually all in like he professes," Rapoport told NFL Media's Rich Eisen. "He says he is about the team, the team, the team. The players now wonder, is that actually the case?"

"They have dealt with a lot over the last couple years. Some of the way he's treated them, some lack of respect. And all because they are winning, they are fine with it, but..if they lose, will it all spiral out of control?"

...

"Is this the last year for Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco?"

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000390199/article/jim-harbaugh-losing-san-francisco-49ers-locker-room

[gettlemanjack]

NBC Sports, March 2014:

“One source with inside knowledge of the team says that Harbaugh’s act has worn thin in the locker room,” Killion writes, “particularly among some key ‘face of the 49ers’ type players. While the team is winning, that’s not a problem. But a few losses could expose a widening rift.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/02/report-jim-harbaughs-act-has-worn-thin-in-the-49ers-locker-room/

[gettlemanjack]

San Francisco Chronicle, March 2014:

Harbaugh saga promises to dominate 49ers' season

(writes about how not only has Harbaugh‘s act worn thin with the front office and GM Trent Baalke, but also with the players, per "a source with inside knowledge of the team" and then predicts that Harbaugh is gone if he doesn't win the Super Bowl this year)

How exactly will this play out?

There are, I believe, three possible scenarios:

-- Come to a contract agreement in the next few months and live tensely with Harbaugh for a few more years. This would depend on Harbaugh's willingness to accept less than top dollar, which the 49ers don't want to pay him until he wins a Super Bowl. (this didn't happen: the 49ers and Harbaugh weren't able to come to an agreement)

--live tensely with Harbaugh for one more year, with an all-or-nothing proposition of winning the Super Bowl in February. If the 49ers win the Super Bowl, (the owners of the 49ers) will have to reward Harbaugh with the new mega-contract he seeks. ...

--If the 49ers don't win it all, it will make the 49ers willing to part ways with Harbaugh ... Trading him to a desperate team, like Miami or Dallas, would give the 49ers something in return.

[teeray]

I think they will be fine. They started slow last year too. Certainly not writing them off.

I also have always felt Harbaugh is a college coach because after a while he would tick off players. Not as much of a problem when players are only there 4-5 years and new players are cycling through every year

Edit to add: basically what Mr Scot said lol

[gettlemanjack]

I think they will be fine. They started slow last year too. Certainly not writing them off.

seems to be the consensus among non-49er fans. 49ers have been so dominant so long it is hard to imagine them not continuing to be so. Personally, i think it's 50/50 on whether they will be fine or not

[heel31ok]

I think they will be fine. They started slow last year too. Certainly not writing them off.

I also have always felt Harbaugh is a college coach because after a while he would tick off players. Not as much of a problem when players are only there 4-5 years and new players are cycling through every year

Edit to add: basically what Mr Scot said lol

 

agree on the college coach thing.

 

[Mother Grabber]

they don't have any true leadership.  they are imploding under the weight of too many egos and no structure.