But that was simply ludicrous refereeing last night. There were a number of back-breaking calls that really could have helped them win last night had they been called correctly. That being said, at the end of the game they obviously couldn’t get their stuff together to win, and that’s on the coaching staff. I didn’t see the last 4 minutes (other than the highlights on nfl.com), but that they had no timeouts at that point goes to show the mismanagement of time goes beyond Mike Nolan. I know they used one earlier in the 4th quarter that seemed unnecessary, but I don’t know the situations in which the other two were used.

I feel very positive about Shaun Hill’s performance. That was a huge game last night with tons of pressure, and he performed admirably. He made some fantastic throws, and ultimately one very boneheaded play (the shovel pass for INT) that cost them the game. He showed a lot of heart, and that 10-yard, 3rd down draw was just fantastic. One thing that concerned me, though, is the return to the 7-step drop. I know Martz typically uses this in his offense, but one of Hill’s main strengths is his quick decision making, and I think the huge drop backs took away that strength.

And regarding Gore’s last run, did the DL on the edge that stuck his arm out supposedly be the player that tackled Gore? Because if not, that’s a TD. It’s difficult to tell on the streaming highlights on teh internets.

anyone care to comment on vernon davis and that route that he quit on to blow hill’s perfectly thrown pass leading into the end zone? great that you folks here always look for the positive, but the only way for a team to get better is to analyze the negative, also. jesus

I thought it was a great game to watch. The team played hard. I lay the loss on Martz. There was no reason for mass substitutions prior to spiking the ball. Dumb. That wasted something like twenty seconds. If they’d done it properly the Niners would have had time for another play. And I think by now that the page of the playbook with the “Michael Robinson up the middle” play should have been burned. f

The negatives? Well, can Vernon Davis be taught to think? He’s going to have to catch a lot of TDs to make up for all the bonehead penalties he gets. While Warner’s quick release makes it even harder to get to him than the average quarterback, could someone on the Niners’ staff figure out a pass rush?

I think that the biggest positive of last night was, ironically, that they lost. Going in at 2-6 they weren’t going to win the division, and that’s what they needed to do to get to the playoffs. At 2-7 there’s no excuse not to play the young guys, to see what kind of talent they have for next year. Boy, they are a couple of seniors in the defensive backfield I’d like to see sitting in favor of the youngsters.

This was actually a very entertaining game. How long has it been since anyone could say that? And I have a little hope that the team is actually going in the right direction.

We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory- In the name of Mike Nolan, Mike Martz had to keep tradition flowing.

The fighting attitude deserves some kudo’s though. I think they identified one of our problems and zapped it. The team seems to be playing with character and a purpose now. They’re finding an fighting identity. Sing is getting more play out of his players than any coach since Mooch. I know they can build on it.

I’m looking for the Niners to also zap a few more problems with thorough examination and careful planning. It’s possible to get a QB, more talent on the O-Line, a pass rusher, and help in the secondary during the off-season. Even Emmet Smith and Steve Young wants to play for Singletary! Young could add to the gray-bearded QB pool and lead us for a year while mentoring a young QB (kidding).

I think Martz was worthy as an experiment (in my minds eye) however he is old news. Unfortunately we need a new system… again. You could see it in Sing’s eyes that he was completely frustrated with Martz last night. The positive in this situation is that they can start looking for a long-term and competent OC now. Also, any new offense will be easy to learn in comparison to learning this years offense.

After watching this game, I’m still hopeful and confident that the Niners are identifying the problems and becoming more realistic on how to overcome them. We just need yet… more time. Our axe is small but it’s swinging.

Championship-caliber players want to play for Singletary. Let’s get rid of the dead weight, then approach the excellent players in the key positions we need, and ask them, “Do you want to play for Mike Singletary?” Players around the league are no doubt taking notice of his hard-nosed culture of accountability that Singletary brings to the Niners.

Unfortunate that we lost, and then lost the season

if vd isn’t sabotoging this then who else is but martz? here’s a comment from another site that i totally agree with.

Posted By: dakota_devil | November 11 2008 at 03:19 AM

MIke Martz blew this game. He doesnt want Hill to win-not his man- He doesnt want the team to win. He wants to lose so Singletay is not offered the job permanently. He is trying to do what ever he can do to undermine this team in hopes that he will be offered the HC job. The only thing that would have been more obvious about the last play is if he would have told Hill to take a knee instead of the stupid play that he called. Fire Martz HE is the cancer in the locker room.

Posted By: richardc | November 11 2008 at 05:06 AM

I thought singletary showed more connection with the players and game in one game last night than nolan showed in 3- 1/2 yrs …..big improvement
martz obviously had a changed game plan
more control ……an improvement
still no pressure on the qb ..big problem
pass defense still giving up too much
poor call on last play,martz wake up
when the big play was needed, you were fantasizing , your a large part of the problem, resign now give the team a break…there aint a coach in the league that would have tried to send robinson thru the line on the last play
grade f

Someone that happens to have the game still on TIVO or something – take a screen shot of the last play of the game, but from the overhead camera angle.

I want to see exactly HOW MANY hands were on Robinson’s facemask when his helmet was pulled off. I counted at least 3.