Positives And Negatives Regarding Singletary's 1st year

                           So the 1st calender year has passed since Mike Nolan was fired and replaced by Singletary.  So i have decided to point out the positives and negatives of his tenor up to this point. Of course his "regime" started out with many positives following years of struggles,  it was followed by an even larger sense of positive vibes heading into the 2009 season and during the 1st quarter of this campaign, and now although positive in essence,  the 49ers have found themselves in the midst of a 4 game losing streak and two games behind Arizona heading into an all important do or die game against the Bears, Singletary's former tearm,  Thursday night.

                           Instead of doing a time line from when he took over for Nolan up to last weeks loss to Tennessee i will point out the positives and then follow them with the all so obvious negatives.

Positives

The entire atmosphere surrounding 4949 Centennial BLVD has changed. Gone are the negative vibes of previous regimes and front offices. Replaced by a sense that the 49ers as an organization are on the rebound and ready to become one of the leagues elite once again.  From the 53rd player on special teams to the water boy this organization has changed it's face in some many ways,  this just over the course of 1 calender year.  The 49ers now expect to compete and win every game instead of hoping to "get lucky" and win.  We all know the talent level on this team isn't up to par in comparison to others around the league, but that will change over the course of time.  The 49ers despite losing four in a row are still playing with unbridled passion and team unity we haven't seen since the Marriucci years and possibly even before.  The 49ers also had a darn good draft class in 2009,  though it may take time for this to become obvious the picks of Michael Crabtree,  Glen Coffee,  Scott Mckillop,  Nate Davis and Curtis Taylor will pan out and prove to be the best class the 49ers have had in a while.  They also have two 1st round picks in 2010,  but instead of straying away from Singletary i will just make this a brief turnabout to my point of positives.  Above all else Singletary has brought a stability to a position we have not seen in years.  Although his record is unimpressive 8-9 since taking over the 49ers have found themselves in position to win a  lot more games,  some against teams we couldn't even imagine competing against.  We lost to Minnesota and Indianapolis by a combined 7 points,  these two teams have combined for a 33-2 record over the last 35 regular season games.  As Singletary said their are no moral victories in the NFL, but it does feel good to compete against the best teams the NFL has to offer,  this in their home venues.  In previous seasons the 49ers would have folded and been blown out in these scenarios.  Singletary has also given us a coach with league wide respect and reputation. As one of the best defensive players to ever play Singletary demands respect from his players and he gets it.  The entire team has bought into his scheme and layout for the organization.  This only promises to gain traction as the success shows itself on the field.  He was right to have a QB competition heading into the 2009 season and was right in naming Shaun Hill our starting signal caller, because all he has done up to that point is prove he can win.  When things weren't working out Singletary was right in replacing Hill with Alex Smith.  Although we have gone 0-2 with Smith behind center the offense is ready to breakout and become a stable force within the team instead of the weak spot.  These are some of the myriad of positives that Singletary has brought to San Francisco

Negatives

Soon after having the "interim' tag removed Singletary made his 1st and possibly worse decision as a head coach in naming Jimmy Raye offensive coordinator,  someone that has yet to prove the decision a success.  Shortly after Scott Linahan turned down the position Singletary turned to the man we see calling plays today.  And with that has come extremely questionable game plans and calls.  Multiple times Raye has left the offense without the ability to succeed at least on the surface.  Questionable calls led us to the Minnesota loss and that has to be placed soley on Raye's shoulder.  Instead of turning to a man like Dennis Green with proven success he went the other way and it is yet to pan out.  One of the most mind numbing mistakes he has made as a coach is releasing Allen Rossum without anyone to replace him.  That has partially cost us at least one game and possibly even more chances on the special teams side.  Shortly after releasing Rossum Singletary went with Delanie Walker,  Arnaz Battle,  Glen Coffee and now Brandon Jones to return kicks/punts instead of turning to the most experienced return man on our roster at that time,  Michael Spurlock.  This also cost the 49ers a roster spot as the ladder never saw the field and was a waste.  Those are the two most glaring mistakes he has made as a head coach and decision make.  I know many more will stand out to you and feel free to list them in your comments. 

Summary

I am sure many of us as 49er fans are happy with Singletary as a coach but he has yet to prove that he can call a game and win on a consistent basis,  i do understand that 17 games isn't the benchmark in deciding if he will ever be capable of doing it.  His passion for the game,  what he expects from his players and his tough mentality are all a positive for a team that is looking to rebound.  I know 30 other NFL teams would love to have a coach with this passion and love for game,  this in short is the reason why i support Singletary and will continue to take a seat on his bandwagon.  But in the end its wins and losses that count the most not soundbites from press conferences,  antics in the locker room or passion on the sideline.  Plain and simple Singletary must prove he can win on a consistent basis.  This may come in time and when we imminently become more talented in the months and years to come.