Category: San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Tomsula doesn’t deserve most of the blame York does and he admits it

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by David Zizmor

SANTA CLARA–Let’s keep in mind that every assistant coach in the NFL has dreams of being a head coach and former 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula was no exception as he was fired right after Sunday’s game. Also former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh was no exception he was also on the 49ers chopping block.

It was kind of apparent to everybody inside the 49ers organization that 49ers CEO Jed York was favorable towards Tomsula and he took advantage of that. Tomsula gets a tiny bit of blame for what went wrong in the 2015 season. Let’s be honest it’s hard to fault him that’s because every assistant coach wants the head coaches job.

So as far as what went wrong with the 49ers coaching this season you can point to Tomsula but as far as the blame is concerned York gets most of the blame, it’s not Tomsula’s job to figure out whose most qualified for the job. It’s the general manager Trent Baalke and the team CEO York.

David Zizmor did the 49ers commentary during the 2015 season and will do NFL playoff commentary right here at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Lami: York says blame rests squarely on his shoulders

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by Joe Lami

photo credit: sfgate.com 49ers CEO Jed York at press conference announcing firing of head coach Jim Tomsula

SANTA CLARA–We have rarely seen 49ers CEO Jed York step up to the podium and address the media and he’s stepped back from speaking this season. He mentioned that and in effect he doesn’t want to be a distraction to this team so what he’s deciding to do is he’s taking a step back.

He mentioned that he would step back on social media, if you remember York a few years back before this terrible season the 49ers had we saw York talk a lot. Today was the first time we got to speak to York and he addressed the fans right off the bat by apologizing that this season was unacceptable.

York takes the blame and he’s trying to get this team back to a Super Bowl winning team. York also mentioned that he’s keeping general manager Trent Baalke on as team general manager. Which raises a very interesting question why would Baalke remain on? When you look at Baalke’s draft picks and how York used this that this would be an important picks.

Listen to the rest of Joe’s podcast click on below right here at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Message to the Fans From York

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By: Joe Lami

photo credit: buschleaguesports.com 49ers CEO Jed York

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—

49ers’ owner Jed York spoke with the media for the first time in over a year on Monday morning at Levi’s Stadium. Once again, it was to discuss the termination of a head coach, as the 49ers reported late Sunday night that Jim Tomsula won’t be continuing as the head coach.

York begun the conference by thanking and apologizing to the fans for going through the difficult times, “this season was difficult on multiple levels. We took a step back towards a goal of winning a super bowl.”. York also acknowledged the criticism that he’s faced from the fans, whether it be from social media or even the banners that were being flown over the stadium.

He went on to say that he understands his role as the owner of the 49ers and that he has taken a step backwards with communicating via social media and he shouldn’t be a distraction to the team.

The most important step moving forward will be choosing a new coach for the 49ers. York confirmed on Monday that General Manager Trent Balke will remain on and will be in charge of choosing the next head coach. This seems to be different because with the initial hiring of Tomsula, it appeared to be solely York’s decision. By taking this step back, he is getting out of the way and allowing football minds make the football decisions, a criticism that hit him hard this year.

York appeared to have also shown that Balke might be on his final string by indicating how important the upcoming draft is with the seventh overall selection San Francisco will have. With Balke’s previous draft record, one has to question with he’s up for such a high task, but York is giving him on final chance mentioning that he has taken us there before and he can do it again.

While York didn’t want to tip his hand too much on what San Francisco will be looking for, he mentioned the obvious in finding a leader and a general that can lead a team to winning a Super Bowl. When it was brought up that the 49ers seemed to have a coach with these qualities in Jim Harbaugh, York danced around that question. York also mentioned that the 49ers do have a short list on possible candidates they will contact and that the media is free to speculate.

As the 49ers turn: team wins in overtime, then fires coach Jim Tomsula

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Tomsula fired

By Morris Phillips

The NFL’s lowest scoring team in overtime in Week 17 against another offensively-challenged squad in a half-empty stadium?

That’s unwatchable.

Consequently, the 49ers’ brass has opted to change the channel—again–firing head coach Jim Tomsula after one season at the helm, just hours following the team’s 19-16 win over the Rams in overtime.

“Jimmy has been a valuable member of the 49ers organization for the last nine years,” said CEO Jed York. “We all know he is a man of high character, and his contributions on the field and in our community have always been greatly appreciated. This entire organization is proud and grateful to have worked so closely alongside Jimmy. We all wish him and his family great success in the future.”

The 49ers hired Tomsula a year ago to replace Jim Harbaugh, and the former defensive line coach immediately found himself in a toxic situation. The 49ers were decimated by retirement (Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland, Anthony Davis) and free agency (Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Michael Crabtree) in the off-season, pushing the team further away from its’ Super Bowl season in 2012.

On August 7, during the pre-season, things took a depressing turn when pass rusher Aldon Smith was arrested after a driving incident outside his home in San Jose, and subsequently released by the team the next day. Tomsula gave an impassioned speech after the announcement, vowing that he and the team would continue to support Smith personally in his battle with repeated personal issues.

Then after starting the season impressively in a Monday night win over the Vikings, a four-game losing streak ensued, bringing scrutiny on Tomsula and faltering quarterback Colin Kaepernick. After the team fell to 2-6 in a lopsided loss in St. Louis, Kaepernick was benched, replaced by backup Blaine Gabbert in the next game at home against the Falcons.

Throughout, the team struggled to score points, finishing last in the NFL in scoring at 14.9 points a game. Tomsula was specifically singled out for the team’s chronic slow starts—they scored just one first quarter touchdown all season (in Week 16)—unusually high numbers of penalties, and a lackluster loss at Cleveland to the lowly Browns.

Loved by his players, but criticized for his lack of experience as a head coach, and an inability to win in-game strategic battles, Tomsula drew unanimous support in the 49ers’ locker room after Sunday’s game.

“I’ve been with Jimmy my whole career. I love Jimmy. It’s always been a good time with him,” NaVorro Bowman said after the game, and before the announcement of Tomsula’s firing.

When Tomsula took the postgame podium following the game, he was not in the mood to address his future, determined to keep the focus on the team and the overtime win.

“I have not talked to ownership,” Tomsula said. “I haven’t had any conversations of the such. I wouldn’t expect to until the season’s over. What I would like to say to everybody is, I’m not going to make this about Jim and Jim’s job status here today. Okay? And I got a group of guys here, players that just won a football game. They’ve been through a very tough season. They’ve stuck together. They went a won a game in overtime. And they fought like crazy. And today is all about those players. My job status and anything going forward there can be handled in the rest of the week.”

As recently as this week it was thought that the team would opt to bring Tomsula back for a second season, but reports surfaced over the weekend that the team would release him to pursue a higher profile coach with offensive leanings. Among the names that have been mentioned to replace Tomsula: Chip Kelly, Sean Payton, David Shaw and Mike Holmgren.

With that backdrop, the 49ers took the field on Sunday with an optimal chance to finish their season on a high note, facing the Rams with backup Case Keenum at quarterback, and without rookie sensation Todd Gurley, who was held out with a foot injury.

The game featured a spirited 49ers’ defensive effort and two exceptional plays in overtime: Dontae Johnson’s block of Greg Zuerlein’s 48-yard field goal attempt that would have won it for the Rams, and Quinton Patton’s zig-zagging catch and run that set up the 49ers for the game-winning field goal with 3:27 remaining in overtime.

Gabbert finished 28 for 44 for 354 yards and one 33-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin. DuJuan Harris led the team offensively with 154 yards running and receiving.

By winning in overtime, the 49ers finish the season 5-11, slightly lessening their draft position that could net them a franchise quarterback in Cal’s Jared Goff or Memphis’ Paxton Lynch with the fifth-to-eighth pick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomsula Focused On The Players, But His Time Seems to Be Up

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By Ben Leonard

photo credit: blackssportsonline.com 49ers are expected to be making a decision on 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula in a Monday press conference

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–After a meaningless overtime win over the St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula maintained that he wants to keep the dialogue focused on the players, not “Jim’s job status.” But with rumors that his receiving a pink slip from Jed York is imminent, it’s hard not to look forward to who will be the next puppet coach in Santa Clara.

Tomsula reiterated that he has not yet talked to ownership, something he doesn’t expect to do until “the season is over.” Additionally, there is no word yet that a meeting has been scheduled with ownership.

Tomsula kept the focus on the players in his post-game press conference: “I have a group of players that just won a football game. They’ve been through a very tough season, they’ve stuck together, they won a game in overtime and fought like crazy. Today is all about those players. My job status and anything going forward from there can be handled during the rest of the week.”

 

But to everyone else in the building, it’s painfully obvious that it’s Tomsula’s time to go. Tomsula is a well-meaning man, but never was worthy of an NFL head coaching job. That shone clear again on Sunday, when Tomsula opted to not to kick a field goal from the 37-yard line, well within 49ers’ kicker Phil Dawson’s range, in a tie game with just over a minute and a half left to play.

Tomsula blamed it on the wind that was going against him, but it appeared to be going the opposite direction, and with little force, at that. The decision was just a microcosm of a disaster of a 5-11 season for the Niners’ first-year head coach, who will likely go one-and-done. With all of the hardship Niners fans have had to endure this season, someone has to be the scapegoat for owner Jed York — and it’s not going to be his general manager, Trent Baalke, who had survived two previous firings.

But moving forward (as the 49ers overwhelmingly will), the Niners will have a plethora of options to choose from to replace Tomsula. Recently fired Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly is rumored to be an option, although it’s unclear whether his offensive style and strong-willed nature would mesh well with York’s need for control. Once again, former Broncos and Redskins’ coach Mike Shanahan has been connected with the job as well, someone who the Niners passed over previously.

In my mind, the most likely rumor would be Sean Payton, who is likely to be fired by the New Orleans Saints. He’s become a little more muted since the “Bountygate” scandal and as a defensive coach, would be a great fit with San Francisco.

In spite of all of this talk, Tomsula still believes in his the character of his team. “That’s what is exciting to me,” Tomsula said Sunday. “A lot of you aren’t there to see it in practice, but that is one really good group of players. The intangibles in that locker room are where the San Francisco 49ers want to be.” Even if the talent isn’t there, on the field or the sidelines, Tomsula still “really believes” in his coaching staff and his players.

 

For Tomsula, football is “people. For anybody who talks about football, it’s the people that make up the game. There’s a lot of good people with the San Francisco 49ers.” He said he will “miss” the games this offseason.

Miss the games he will, but probably for another reason: because he won’t be a head coach in the National Football League.

 

49ers Hope to End Season on Highnote

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By: Joe Lami

The San Francisco 49ers’ season will come to an end this Sunday as they host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Many questions are left up in the air about the future of the team, including if coach Jim Tomsula and GM Trent Balke will return in their roles. However, before the team can work on improvement for next year, they still have one more game to play.

After slow starts in every game this season, the 49ers’ offense looked alive in the first half last week in Detroit in which they were able to score 17. But a terrible second half was their demise in the 32-17 loss. They hope they can put together an entire 60-minutes of football against the Rams.

The Rams come into the contest 7-8 after stringing off three straight wins heading in and would love to finish the season with a.500 record.  Their chances look good, as the 4-11 Niners are banged up at nearly every major position. Make-shift running back Shaun Draughn has been ruled out for Sunday after he was placed on the season-ending IR. There is a question of the possibility that rookie back Mike Davis returns in his first game since early November where he broke his hand in the first game against the Rams.

St. Louis should rely heavily on rookie running back Todd Gurley, currently third in the league in rushing yards and my favorite to win the offensive rookie of the year award. In the first game against San Francisco, he ran for 133 yards on 20 carries for one score. It’s crucial for the Niners to stop him on Sunday if they want to prevent their first 0-6 division record since the league introduced the 16-week schedule.

Prediction: things won’t get better for the Niners and will need to re-examine everything in the franchise. Anquan Boldin will play in his last game in red and gold.

Rams 31 49ers 13

San Francisco 49ers podcast: Latest on 49ers coaching front ex-Eagle coach Chip Kelly could be next 49ers coach

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by David Zizmor

photo credit: inquisitor.com 49er head coach Jim Tomsula

SANTA CLARA–Will 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula return to the 49ers next season? That’s a tough question to answer that involves team CEO Jed York and team general manager Trent Baalke. Tomsula is the guy that they wanted all along and if you read enough articles and do a little digging on this it sounds like had former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh had not been available five years ago Tomsula would have been the head coach back then.

There is talk that former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly might be the next 49ers head coach and that Tomsula could get his walking papers despite inheriting a 49ers team that was roster gutted when former stars, Michael Crabtree, Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, Mike Iupati, Justin Smith, had left the club. Inspite of it all Tomsula is getting the blame and could be out and replaced by Kelly.

You might remember that former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary got fired in the end of the 2010 season and Tomsula coached the final game of that season. He won that final game and the players loved him and he was this great story as the guy who was wondering around the coaching community for years and years.

Everybody like him and he lived in his car and he kind of climbed his way up with perseverance and he became a respected line coach and here he is getting his chance to coach the 49ers in that one final game of the season and it didn’t seem like he was a long term coaching candidate but if you read into it it seems like Tomsula was on the short list to be the 49ers head coach back then.

David Zizmor did the 2015 49ers podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

49ers score early, then disappear after halftime in loss to the Lions

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MegatronBy Morris Phillips

This time–perhaps infused with holiday enthusiasm–the 49ers showed up early, bringing touchdowns for their win-starved fan base.

But the good feelings didn’t last long. The 49ers were present and alert, and at times overly enthusiastic, but ultimately, they didn’t stay long enough to make a lasting impression.

Call it more of the same, remixed.

The 49ers took an early 14-10 lead, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter for the first time this season, only to collapse, gaining a paltry 57 yards in total offense after halftime in a 32-17 loss to the Lions at Detroit’s Ford Field.   The 49ers fell to 4-11 on the season with one home game remaining, insuring their worst showing in the won-loss column since 2007.

Blaine Gabbert did what Colin Kaepernick could not, leading the 49ers on an 11-play drive to start the game, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Vance McDonald. As an answer to the team’s painfully slow starts, and repeated deficits on the scoreboard, this drive was an eye-opener.

Gabbert would go on to have his best afternoon of the season statistically, completing 22 of 33 for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Just one issue: Gabbert and the 49ers’ offense disappeared after halftime. Trailing 20-17 at the half, the 49ers ran just 20 plays in the second half, possessing the ball for less than three minutes of game time on each possession.

“We have to find a way to put a complete game together, and just execute at a higher level,” Gabbert said.

The Lions had been the 49ers’ ATM machine, losing nine straight regular season games, and 14 of 15 to San Francisco dating back to October 1988. But the Lions have made an about face after starting the season 0-5, winning five of nine coming in. That surge continued Sunday with much maligned Matthew Stafford connecting with his biggest targets, Calvin Johnson, Theo Riddick and Golden Tate, without committing his usual missteps.

Stafford finished 29 of 37 for 301 yards including touchdown passes to T.J. Jones and Johnson.

The 49ers elected to elevate Jarryd Hayne from the practice squad in a rotation with newly signed DuJuan Harris hoping the pair could bring electricity to the run game, and it also worked for a while. Harris proved to be shiftier than the injured Shaun Draughn, and Hayne put the physicality back in the run game that had missing since Carlos Hyde was felled. But that meant a couple of impressive runs for the pair, but little else.

Anquan Boldin caught five passes putting him past 1,000 catches in his career, making him only the 13th player in NFL history to amass that many catches. But Boldin didn’t catch any in the second half after his impressive start. Not surprisingly, history wasn’t what the veteran receiver was looking for.

“At this point, it doesn’t mean much. I’d much rather take the win,” Boldin said.

The 49ers committed 11 penalties for the second straight week, six of those offside calls on the defense.

Next week at Levi’s Stadium, the 49ers conclude their 2015 season against the Rams. If the 49ers lose that one, they’ll be saddled with a 0-6 record against the NFC West, a first for the club since 1977.

 

 

 

 

 

49ers Take On Lions in Last Road Game of the Year

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By: Joe Lami

The reeling San Francisco 49ers (4-10) are coming off a ten-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals having dropped four of their last five games. The road ahead won’t get any easier for San Francisco, who will have to take on the surging Detroit Lions (5-9), trying to win their fifth game in their last seven tries.

Detroit quarterback, Matthew Stafford has been a big part of the Lions’ resurgence, posting a 107.4 quarterback rating in December. He’s coming off a big game in a win over the Saints, in which he tossed for 254 yards and three touchdowns while throwing just three incomplete passes.

Stafford shouldn’t have too many problems airing out the ball on Sunday — the 49ers rank 26th in the NFL in total passing defense, and gave up 192 yards and a touchdown to Bengals’ backup quarterback AJ McCarron last week.

Despite lacking a feature back, Detroit’s running game has also been on the upswing as of late. Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Joique Bell have combined to average 5.3 yards per carry in December, leading the Lions to break the 100-yard rushing benchmark in five straight games. However, the Niners had an uncharacteristic big time performance last week locking down Cincinnati’s run game, holding the Bengals to just 68 yards on 36 carries (2.1 YPC).

The 49ers have really struggled on the road this season, winning just one of their first seven games — thankfully for them, Sunday at Ford Field will round out their road schedule.

 

 

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: 49ers can struggle with Lions defense just like they did last week with the Bengals

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by David Zizmor

photo credit: rantsports.com Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Geno Atkins

SANTA CLARA–For the San Francisco 49ers who will make their trip to Detroit this Sunday it will be crucial for 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert to stay upright after struggling with the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday at Levis Stadium. The game last Sunday was not the first time that this has been a problem for Gabbert or even 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

If the offensive line doesn’t protect the quarterback the offense is in for a long afternoon and that was a problem for the 49ers this year. When they play teams with pass rushes they’ve struggled. With Cincinnati even with quarterback Andy Dalton out right now the 49ers have no impact on the Bengals defense.

The Bengals have one of the best defenses in the league. The 49ers had particular trouble with Geno Atkins a Pro Bowl defensive lineman who was just collapsing the pocket rushing straight up the middle. There is always so much you can do when a guy like that rushing the quarterback.

David Zizmor takes you through the rest of last week’s 49ers analysis and also a preview of their game in Detroit on the on podcast. Click below at http://www.sportsradioservice.com