The 49ers Need a Major Overhaul

Post date: Oct 3, 2010 9:03:03 PM

The San Francisco 49ERS led for 59 minutes and 58 seconds, they are now 0-4, which begs the question, what is going on? A lot of blame for the team’s shortcomings was being placed on the 49ers' inability to get the plays into Alex Smith on time, the 49ers responded by firing offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. Mike Johnson will move from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. Offensive assistant Jason Michael will take over as quarterbacks coach. Honestly these changes are cosmetic to me. In order for the 49ers to be successful, they need to bring somebody from the outside, somebody with a similar personality and work ethic as Mike Singletary. During the 49ers' glory years in the 1990's everyone remembers Bill Walsh who left a winning legacy for George Seaford to build on. However, the 49ers' success belongs to Mike Shanahan as much as the aforementioned prestigious and distinguished gentleman. Shanahan while Offensive Coordinator with the 49ers, he had a fiery no-nonsense personality that is similar to Mike Singletary. Just as Mike Singletary changed the attitude of the defense when he was a 49ers' coordinator, Shanahan did the same for the offense whether it was Steve Young to Jerry Rice, Joe Montana to Jerry Rice, Steve Young to John Taylor and Bret Jones, or Joe Montana to John Taylor and Bret Jones no matter what the combination was, the 49ers' offense was always in sync.

That is exactly what this current incarnation of the San Francisco 49ers lacks, with the exception of Mike Singletary, and Patrick Willis on defense, the 49ers don't have the personalities in place to be a marquee team that is feared and respected. Both the team and the staff don't have the championship attitude that they need and that Singletary and Willis are trying to instill.

So what now? Perhaps the 49ers should think about making some deals for players that fit better in their system before the trade deadline. Principally for a real quarterback that can fit into the system that Singletary is trying to implement. Alex Smith has had enough opportunities to "prove" that he is the 49ers future quarterback. It is time to drop the "future" and just become the quarterback; something that I feel Alex Smith is not able to do.

There is two weeks left before the trade deadline, the same may argue that the 49ers can turn it around with the current team, and do to the strength of the NFC West winning the division is still very much in play. I would argue that even if 49ers were to win the division which is highly unlikely, they need to have a team in place that can compete in the very competitive NFL playoffs no matter how much wishful thinking there is, Alex Smith will not be the catalyst for the 49ers to be successful in the postseason. It has yet to be seen what the 49ers will do. I hope they don't misplace the blame of their failure on Mike Singletary because he is an excellent coach and the coach of the future.

-ICE