The 2010 San Francisco 49ers season

[CardiacCats]

I remember last year we were compared to like the 2008 or 2009 Packers lol

[hepcat]

Why do we always try to compare our team to other team's from random years?

Because optimism is so low with the team right now that fans are grasping at straws until the Panthers can win a game. I was just trying to compare this team to another team that pulled itself from the muck after losing a bunch of close games.

[carolina-chuck]

Beginning of this year I and many was comparing us to SF and GB. Look how it turns out.

But gotta find anyway to have a lil optimism.

[TonyN]

Good post, OP

Look at this team closely.

5 losses by 6 points or less. In 4 of those losses the defense has given up an average of 283 TOTAL yards a game. That is superb. The two exceptions? 426 yards to the Falcons and 405 yards to the Giants. Quite possibly the two best teams in football. The defense is a CB and a S away from being a real force and a top notch unit. They have quietly assembled a very, very good front 7.

The offense is a clusterfug because the decision to go read option failed.

The offensive line is not a strength, but with Kalil back it is a very young unit with some real potential...and, in any case, will be aided by a return to a more traditonal, power type attack. It is not nearly the black hole some people suggest it is.

Need I say there is talent at running back? Too much talent, really, and a piece can be moved to address needs elswhere.

Tight end? Very solid with Olsen and Hartsock

Reciever? Smitty is a hall of famer who is still very effective and Lafell has improved each season and is an effective number 2.

When you hear people say "blow this team up", laugh at them. It is not going to happen.

JR is 76 years old. He is going to bring in a GM and Coach or a combination thereof to address a few glaring needs and instill a winning attitude, a proven offensive system and LEADERSHIP.

[Newtons2ndLaw]

Great thread! I also see extreme similarities with Singletary and his former teammate. Having watched that 2010 49er season in its entirety, I can recognize a stubborn, non-adaptive, old-fashioned head coach getting outcoached every week quite easily. Although, Sing was more emotional and in-your-face with his players and the media. A major thing you didn't point out is the former drunken GM Scott Mclaughlin (I kid not, he is a recovering alcoholic, and one reason he lost his job). Mclaughlin was fired in 2010, same as Singletary. Trent Baalke was promoted to GM. In 2011 he added Aldon Smith, Carlos Rogers, Chris Culliver, Dante Whitner, Kendall Hunter. In 2012 he's added Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, Brandon Jacobs and A.J Jenkins as well.

So in order for us to get the same success we need a Harbaugh like HC and a Baalke like GM. Keep in mind Mclaughlin did put together a solid core group of guys before Baalke took over, much like this teams solid core of talented players.

It's really scary what Cam would look like if Harbaugh came here instead of SF.

[the_philosopher]

When you hear people say "blow this team up", laugh at them. It is not going to happen.

JR is 76 years old. He is going to bring in a GM and Coach or a combination thereof to address a few glaring needs and instill a winning attitude, a proven offensive system and LEADERSHIP.

Great post. And I hope you're right about this, but I'm thinking that maybe JR would have only fired the coaches and kept his GM if he was happy with the personnel.

[the_philosopher]

It's really scary what Cam would look like if Harbaugh came here instead of SF.

Yes. Ironically, I bet we went for Rivera instead out of fear that Harbaugh wouldn't help Cam transition from the college game to the pro game.

[Bj-Monster23]

If Harbaugh would have came to the Panthers Cam would not be our QB. Andrew Luck would have came out I believe.

[j2sgam]

Sooo..... Next year's our year? Are there any other ex-NFL QBs that are now a head coach of a successful NCAA football team? Or we dont necessarily need an exact replica, its more the Harbaugh-y idea?

[Zod]

So a solid coach can turn a crap team into a good team?

Amazing.

[rayzor]

moral of the story...don't hire former chicago bear linebackers who took part in the superbowl shuffle as head coaches.

[Bj-Monster23]

Are y'all crazy? Nigga please. Their is a lot more wrong with this team then just the coaching staff. I see why you guys would want to compare us to the 49ers but in many ways we are not that similar.

[hepcat]

I said the priority should be hiring a QB guru as a head coach. (Green Bay's Tom Clements is a guy worth looking at). Panthers need a head coach that can handle Cam Newton and all the baggage he comes with. That's priority #1. Period.

It's clear Ron Rivera and Cam Newton do not have a good relationship, or a relationship at all. Rivera was clear he'd be primarily working with the defense when he was hired. And behind closed doors we have no idea what kind of rapport they have. Hire a guy that can turn Cam into a consistent QB and help him grow from a sulking little boy into a man that leads the team. The head coach needs to be able to corral his players and get them in line and as this season goes from bad to worse, we've seen Rivera is unable to do that.

[nitroblast]

Hire Vic Fangio (sp)???

He was our first DC.