Singletary reportedly lets go of special teams coach Al Everest
by David Fucillo on Jan 5, 2010 7:36 PM PST
in San Francisco 49ers News
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PrintAnd so it begins. Matt Maiocco is reporting that a source has told him that Mike Singletary has elected to not renew the contract of special teams coach Al Everest. Everest did not have a contract past this season, so this technically wouldn't be a "firing."
At the same time, this non-renewal isn't exactly shocking. One of the biggest headaches this season was the truly awful punt return game. The rest of the special teams ranged from improving to awesome. The punting of Andy Lee was awesome. The kicking of Joe Nedney was solid enough to not require any changes. The kick return game struggled initially, but once Josh Morgan was moved in as the main return guy, it improved quite drastically.
And yet it all comes down to the punt returns. The 49ers finished dead last in punt return average, gaining 4.4 yards per punt return. Arnaz Battle finished 44th in total return yards and 75th in return average. As great as the rest of the special teams might have been, Al Everest was not able to get past the awful punt returning. The search is reportedly underway for a replacement.
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I think the reason for Al Everest's failure is simple
No MORE WEDGE. Seems simple enough; the guy coached kickoffs for 12 years utilizing the wedge. Some have adjusted with a new philosophy others have not.
Punt reverse in Seattle
Without telling Sing first that he was going to do it.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
yes, but
our ST was significantly worse this year. We all know Rossum would have made it less so, but there was still a falloff.
Exactly.
For all of his qualities, calling a reverse on a punt during an important game with playoff implications and NOT telling the head coach is pretty much asking to be fired. Add to the fact that the reverse got screwed up and resulted in a lost fumble and change of momentum makes that decision impossible to recover from.
So your saying
that one incidence cost him the job? I don’t buy that, and you can quote Miaocco all you want, but real reasons cannot fit into a news article as nicely as the Seattle meltdown can – see.
It is probably not from a single occurence
but you have to admit that that particular play might have had an outsized effect in changing the momentum of the game…if we had won we might be talking about who we would play in the playoffs. There probably were a number of other reasons but that is a very visible one.
absolutely that was a huge play
but I also think it would be a mistake for Sing to fire him because of that, he did watch them practice that play all week. Also , Sing said himself that he lets his coaches do what they do, so I find it rather contradictory for this to be the reason he was fired.
This is where the communication thing comes in
Everest thought Sing was ok with it because it was done in practice. I feel pretty confident that if Everest had asked Sing if he could do it Sing would’ve said no. Not with the playoffs riding on the game.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
Playoffs
9-7 wouldn’t do it this year. That game sucked and cost us a winning season but did not directly cost the Niners a playoff appearance.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Two muffed punts did
One in Houston that led to a TD and the one in Seattle.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
lets not forget
BRETT ****** FAVRE
DREAM DRAFT:
1a. Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
1b. CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson
2. Best CB available
3. Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green
by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 5, 2010 10:48 PM PST up reply actions
Only if AZ had still lost their finale
Which may have happened but is no guarantee. Then we go 10-6 and still fall one game short. Think about that, how things change year to year. In 2008 it took 9 wins to win the West and be a NFC wild card. This year you need 11 wins for the WC.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I think I Know Why
Terrible coverage on the OTHER team’s returns. Lost the Minnesota game for us (Harvin). Too many KRs and PRs on the other teams looked like supermen. That too me was far more damning than the fact that Sing couldn’t keep a good PR or KR on the team for us.
I bet they hire the Buffalo special teams dude let go two days ago!
I wonder what the chances of either
A) Mike Johnson promotion to OC (Raye as assistant)
B) Niners hire offensive specialist like they did a few years back.
Personally I like the first option.
I think
That after this upcoming season, Raye will step down and Johnson will walk right in. That would be the most seamless way to do it, and the most logical for all involved
"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart
That's kind of what I think too
I think that’s what Sing was implying when he said that he and Raye would have some talks about it.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
I hope you're both right
Lets not have another “Rossum” type decision. By the way, has anyone ever gotten a satisfactory, or even remotely complete, explanation of that move?
He was always injured
And could only return kicks, meaning he played no other position even on ST. Look at Cribbs in Cleveland. He’s also a gunner on their kick coverage, plus all he does on offense. That became a liability when deciding which 45 guys dress on game day.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Rossum clearly wasn't a guy they could count on going forward either.
Jason Hill is turning the corner!
yes, and may I add
Smith and Johnson seem to have a very good rapport; we might be surprised as to how well that might work out.
I keep thinking of the Seattle game where Alex threw a perfect pass that went right through VD’s hands, Alex looks to the sideline at Johnson, and Johnson is virtually mirroring Smith’s body language. Yeah, we all know, hand on the head\helmet.
How much more will Johnson be involved in sort of interiming next year is the real question.
Tim Tebow = 1,432,219 season tickets next year. Who wouldn't pick him in the 1st round with those projections?
Good point
I guess he could call plays as an assistant right? They could always use the excuse that Raye cannot walk and they need decisions from the field. I mean they could make any number of excuses.
I think you have a good point that this can be played out in many ways to the same effect, that being Raye NOT MAKING PLAY CALLS.
well
Raye is 60 and he is not getting any younger. Plus he could add a wrinkle to offense. Great move if it happens.
Merry Christmas! 49ers friends and family!
by chriscream on Jan 5, 2010 7:57 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Johnson
I found Sing’s press conference answer to the question of whether MIke Johnson would have an increased role next season to be interesting:
“I think right now we have a lot of conversation that we have to have. Right now, Jimmy is the coordinator and I think it is a matter of putting pieces in the right places and going from there.”
I think he’s being groomed to be the OC in 2011. Perhaps with Raye having some sort of administrative or offensive assistant role afterward. That may show itself behind the scenes as Johnson having a larger role in game planning and/or play design even if Raye still calls the plays on game day.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I'm not sure I agree with this.
Al Everest has been fantastic for us for years. Before this season, his units have almost always finished in the top 10, or even the top 5, in the league.
Kicking was solid this year. Punting was great. Punt coverage was phenomenal (outside of one play in Minnesota). Kickoff coverage was good. We even did well consistently getting penetration during field goals.
The ONLY weak spot of our special teams was in punt returns – and that was the direct result of a personnel decision made by Singletary himself. For Everest to get fired for being forced to work with Arnaz F’ing Battle and Brandon never-returned-a-punt-in-his-life-before-this-year Jones is absolutely ridiculous.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
by shlecko on Jan 5, 2010 8:28 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Me too..
I don’t understand this one unless the 49ers have someone better in mind.
Well, we're waiting....
B. April is available....
Just saying.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 9:04 PM PST up reply actions
I would take that
It’s gonna take someone of that caliber to replace Everest.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Would he want to come here though?
It’s a lot warmer than Buffalo.
:)
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 10:52 PM PST up reply actions
Oh is that helicopter fuel I smell?
It worked for Justin Smith, didn’t it?
Jason Hill is turning the corner!
Interesting
When do you think they’ll start looking for a replacement?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
I would hope already
Unless someone is incompetent (no) or you just can’t work together (not likely) you only fire them when you have a better hire in mind. Everest obviously wasn’t Sing’s hire and perhaps they both agreed to go separate ways but I hope Sing has one if not two guys he’s calling for interviews.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
I want B. April
If he’s not the replacement then I’ll be very mad.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
Years?
he came to us in 2007. Not saying we weren’t good in those first 2 years, but its not like he was here for a decade or anything
"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart
They were great when he was here.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 9:05 PM PST up reply actions
I am not sure I agree with you
Al Everest has been fantastic for us for years. Before this season, his units have almost always finished in the top 10, or even the top 5, in the league.
Do you really think Sing would listen to other coaches and not Everest. Obviously Everest never asked to use Spurlock. If he was so damn good, he would have gotten something out of nothing. Greenbay’s punt returner is worse but the ST got more production.
#42
Was that Spurlock....
Who was unclaimed for two months after the 49ers waived him?
by David Fucillo on Jan 5, 2010 11:21 PM PST up reply actions
How many teams make kick return specialist signings mid-season?
I’m not defending Spurlock so much as pointing out the flawed logic of saying that his free agent status has anything to do with his actual value.
32 teams, 32 return guys – the only reason any team would have a reason to sign a new one would be if their own was lost to injury.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
free agent signings
You make a good point, but Spurlock is also a guy who’s been in the league for a few years. When the 49ers cut an old Allen Rossum he was signed by the Cowboys fairly quickly. I’d buy your argument more if Spurlock were a first or second year player.
by David Fucillo on Jan 6, 2010 8:44 AM PST up reply actions
Are you implying that it is somehow Everest's fault...
that Spurlock was never made game-active and available to return punts in place of Arnaz Battle?
First of all, the final gameday roster (and the decisions on who remains inactive for the day) is completely up to Singletary. Second of all, Michael Spurlock had four career punt returns going into this season. He is, and has pretty much always been, specifically a kick return specialist. Singletary’s constant talk of special teams roster spots and overall flexibility (availability to cover kicks and punts, and not just return them) leads me to believe that, even if another coach or coordinator had suggested Spurlock be promoted, that Sing’s final number crunch would still leave him off of the active gameday roster. Since Battle has always been on coverage units, and was higher than Spurlock on the depth chart at WR, it’s pretty easy to assume that Singletary’s (in my opinion) flawed logic would give him the edge over Spurlock.
Again, this all comes down to personnel decisions made by – you guessed it – Singletary, and not Everest.
If he was so damn good, he would have gotten something out of nothing.
Your blanket statement that a good coach should be able to produce a solid punt return unit with Arnaz F’ing Battle as a returner is completely worthy of a /facedesk. I don’t know that any special teams coach on the planet, or in the history of football, could make anything good come out of that situation.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
yeah I have to agree with this
The failures on ST seemed to be clearly traced to personell decisions of which Singletary had the most control over. That seems to place the responsibility squarely on his shoulders.
SOOO… my question to you is; Do you think this was an effort by Sing to cover up his poor decisions? I don’t see that as likely, but its the only thing that makes sense.
Our coverage sucked
Every time we kicked the ball I held my breath. Too many holes their guys were running right thru.
Yes, I think Bobby April will be our new guy. A way better choice.
Battle is extremely wack at punt return and Jones is too.
Then that genius of a coach decides to run a reverse on a punt return with two bad returnmen and cost us 7 pts to the opposition. That was enough to get him fired, he was aware of the talentless returnmen he had he should have kept it extremely simple. Saying
He is, and has pretty much always been, specifically a kick return specialist. Singletary’s constant talk of special teams roster spots and overall flexibility (availability to cover kicks and punts, and not just return them) leads me to believe that, even if another coach or coordinator had suggested Spurlock be promoted, that Sing’s final number crunch would still leave him off of the active gameday roster
is pretty much a moot point as neither of us is in the locker room. Again the coach knew what he had and that bone headed reverse could have cost us the playoffs, so yeah can him.
#42
The fact that our punt return unit showed no improvement in week 17
and was actually worse in week 17 than in the middle of the season tells me that a large portion of the game rests with the coach.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
How could it have possibly gotten better without changing any of the players?
Singletary’s refusal to keep a return specialist on the roster is what led to Battle being THE ONLY OPTION back there. The fact that he had a 50% chance of muffing and/or fumbling on any given return, and would run backwards even on the punts that he handled cleanly doesn’t have much to do with the coaches.
The experiment with Brandon Jones proved futile, as he showed that he lacked the presence to know when to call for a fair catch. Since no one can call a fair catch for him, I don’t see how the coaches can be held responsible for that, either.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
Our defense improved mightily from last year to this
with almost all the same players.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
Because the players were good.
Are you trying to say that Arnaz Battle can improve?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 10:52 PM PST up reply actions
Did it?
Our defense was pretty good last year. We were near tops in the league in ypc average against, and we were actually noticably better against the pass. The fact that our defense spent far more time on the field last year than it did this year, but still managed to allow almost exactly the same yards makes me wonder if this is the case at all.
Regardless, you’re talking about the difference between years and a mid-season improvement with no attempt to cover up the one glaring weakness that causes the unit to struggle in the first place.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
yes it did
Actually depends what you consider improvement.
09- YPG 15th in the league PPG 4th
08- YPG 13th in the league PPG 22nd
#42
He's keeping as many defensive starters off of ST as he can by doing so.
There are 11 players on ST not 2 or 3. There is still no excuse for the reverse and no improvement going forward. Rossum was released before Crabs signed, and that is more than enough time to work with guys on fielding punts. That reverse cost us a division game, nuff said.
#42
He’s keeping as many defensive starters off of ST as he can by doing so.
Uh…what?
By refusing to have a return specialist on the active roster, it FORCES the team to use an offensive/defensive player in that role. Maybe you meant to say something else? Maybe the…rest of your comment was also illegible and in need of editing?
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
meaning he wanted a returner that could do more than return.
No it wasnot in need of editing. Your comprehension of what was not written in bold is the issue.
#42
Then why didn't he find a returner that could do more than return?
Why, then, did he settle for a WR that could not return at all? You’re not making sense.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
He settled for a player tat filled more than one need.
He had no idea he would totally suck. Battle does have a punt return for TD on his resume, right? I am making sense, when someone doesn’t agree with you this is what you do. Point is that Everest the window licking extremely special ST coach is not with the team anymore. That reverse call against Seattle was enough for me. Wonder why you keep ignoring the fact that, that bone headed decision without the knowledge of the coach, could solely be the reason he was let go. Geez let it go, was he that great of a ST coach, no, I don’t hear anyone ranting about the guy but you, now that he is gone. There was plenty of hate for him on the reverse play during the game thread, now we are letting great coaches go, whatever, you haven’t provided any substance that says he was a great ST coach.
#42
"Filled more than one need"
is an interesting way of saying "was 5th on the depth chart at WR – where he never saw playing time – and was literally the single worst punt returner in the NFL.
Battle’s return resume, even before this year, was unimpressive at best. Even then, expecting him to gracefully step into a role that he hasn’t played in but on an emergency basis for several years is just foolish.
That reverse call against Seattle was enough for me. Wonder why you keep ignoring the fact that, that bone headed decision without the knowledge of the coach, could solely be the reason he was let go.
I’ve never “ignored” that fact. That was a stupid call. My argument is that a lot of people here seem to be ignoring the fact that Everest’s special teams units were the strength of the team his first two years with the club. Even this year, the special teams were nothing short of great in every category except the dreadfully-handled punt return situation.
I’m arguing that it seems questionable to let a coach go based on literally one playcall when he has had a track record of general success. Especially considering the fact that his biggest deficiencies had been the direct result of a personnel decision made by the man that’s is presumably calling the shot on his release.
Would you be willing to fire Mike Singletary because of any of his multiple bone-headed decisions to go for it on 4th down this season? It seems just as rational of a decision as the idea of parting ways with a special teams coach because of ONE PLAYCALL in ONE GAME.
I’m not even saying that Al Everest was all that wonderful of a coach. I’m simply saying that, unless we’ve already got a significant improvement lined up, then the decision to let him go is very, very questionable.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
You are saying al everst is a wonderful coach, that is all that you hae been saying throughout this thread.
Finding a ST coach is not as difficult as finding and OC or DC. I’m not too worried about it. ST gave up that KR for 6 from Harvin. ST never assisted in field position for the Offense. There was something there tat apparently we don’t know. Questionable firing is ridiculous, he’s an ST coach. Where was our ST before he got here. Keep in mind that also includes FGK and Punter, last time I checked Cortez was our future……..lol
#42
That's it. I'm being trolled.
This is the only reasonable explanation.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
You're not important enough to be trolled
Please believe me. I just think you are blwing this firing way out of proportion. Way out! Very very questionable, it’s laughable.
#42
This conversation had nothing to do with you and decided to not add any insight
So you, as usual, are in here drunk and out of control. 12 steps not 1!!
#42
To clarify again:
Rossum was released before Crabs signed, and that is more than enough time to work with guys on fielding punts. That reverse cost us a division game, nuff said.
…is the part that makes absolutely no sense at all. What does the correlation of Rossum’s release and Crab’s signing have to do with anything? How does Crabtree even come into this conversation? How is the timing of Rossum’s release (mid-season) considered reasonable enough to throw another player into his old role? Where is the relevance or relation to the reverse playcall? How does mentioning this failed play by the player that you claim had a decent returning resume help your case that Everest had good enough tools to work with, and simply failed to properly coach them?
Either you forgot to mention something, your point needs to be re-phrased, or you simply threw together a bunch of completely random bits of information and called it an argument.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
How are you going to IMPROVE when you CUT the only legitimate kick returner?
Expecting a coaching staff to magically make Arnaz Battle not suck at returning punts is just as foolish as expecting an offensive coordinator wave his hand and stop Jamarcus Russell from turning the ball over.
Some people are bad at football, and no amount of coaching can change that – especially not in a 2 or 3 week span.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
Same reason you espected Raye to improve on offense with the pitiful offensive line.
It wasn’t two or three weeks, are you listening. Rossum was released BEFORE Crabtree signed (even after the timetable explanation) That was more than 3 weeks leading to the Seattle game where it all got out of hand.
#42
I assumed that by relating Rossum's release to the Crabtree signing, you were looking to match the two with the bye week.
As that would be the only reason to even bring Crabtree into the conversation. Releasing your only real kick returner is a foolish thing to do in any situation, but can only moderately be justified with a bye week to “allow for extra time to work with guys on fielding punts” – as you say. I’m stretching here just to find logic behind your phrasing.
Instead, Battle was simply thrown into the role right away, without practice time. He sucked from day one and only continued to suck as the season went on. There was never any reason to expect that to change.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
Why would you run a reverse with lackluster Punt returners.
ou have one guy that can barely field a punt execute a handoff they practiced one week. Maybe he went outside of his box, and was canned for doing so, “can’t coach with them”
#42
Spurlock
His kick coverage created the lane that was Harvin’s KO-TD return. That, along with his poor Taser play, left him useless here. That he was unemployed for ten weeks after being cut say other teams felt the same.
I do agree with your overall analysis including that Spurlock, right or wrong, and every other game day roster decision is on Sing not a coordinator.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Can't agree
punt return is more about the blocking up front than it is about your return guy. Your punt team has to be coached to create seams in the coverage that the return guy can exploit. None of that has happened this year on PRs. It’s not like Battle or Jones are extremely slow—they’ve got at least average speed but the PR game is among the worst in the league.
If it was all on the guy returning the punt we should’ve at least had an average return game.
I have to assume that Everest wasn’t too opposed to those roster moves. It’s not like Sing only listens to some of his coaches and not others.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
So the blocking is responsible for the muffed punts...
the fumbles, the ill-advised non-fair catches, the running backwards, and the poor decisions to let the ball drop? I’m sorry, but did you even watch our special teams units this season?
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
+1
I don’t think Everest was telling Battle:
“Hey, run side to side so the opposing team can tackle you for a loss”
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 9:38 PM PST up reply actions
He obviously wasn't getting his message across as what he wanted done, as far as execution.
Those guys made terrible fielding decisions throughout games and nothing was being done but putting Clements out there to get chopped.
#42
Coaches don't execute
How do you know that Everest made the decision to put Clemments back there?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 10:53 PM PST up reply actions
And it's not Everest's fault
Dude, if we end up with Bobby April (the best damn ST coach out there) I’ll be psyched.
Of course if they hire some random no-name guy I’ll be pissed.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:23 AM PST up reply actions
But there were lanes
Battle just ran sideways.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:23 AM PST up reply actions
No Kidding!
He looked like he was scared more than half the time. If he just took the ball and ran upfield you’d think he’d at least have slightly better results!
Sideways??? He ran backwards and lost yard half the time..
He struggled to get back to where he caught the ball.
by WC-Ninerhead on Jan 6, 2010 12:46 PM PST up reply actions
exactly
I thought it was telling when the announcers for the STL game said, “Battle fields the ball at the 20, running backwards looking for room, and tackled at the 15”. Instead of running up the middle looking for a seam, he would run from one side of the field, in like a backwards arc trying to outrun people. It was HORRIBLE
50/50 on your points
I don’t think Everest has as much to say regarding personnel decisions as other coaches are. The main reason being that the 53 man roster is a head coaches problem, and was repeatedly cited for the reasons why Rossum was such a burden on our Fab 53 (laughing).
Completely agree
I know even the best ST coaches tend to have many teams on their resume but you don’t get rid of excellent coordinators due to one bad season unless there was behind the scenes insubordination, an opportunity for promotion elsewhere or a better hire/system fit available. As of right now I don’t agree with this decision. An improved hire, not sure who, with better results next season is the only way Sing likely comes out ahead on this.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
'07, '08, '09
And I agree that he may not fit what Sing wanted. Or he wanted to go elsewhere and his contract being up allowed that.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
07 and 08 were
And the only part of 09 that wasn’t spectacular was the PR unit.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:24 AM PST up reply actions
Sing is covering his Ace
Everyone here at NN was scratching their heads with virtually every roster move going into the season. Bruce went from #1 to being burried on the depth charts. We cut this one dude who looked pretty good, dont remember his name.
Spurlock was kept on the team because of all of his many wonderous abilities, then cut like he was worthless. The Taser should have been run with MRob anyways.
Everest got hosed.
What's the conspiracy theory?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:25 AM PST up reply actions
Bruce
His fall down the depth chart came due to the signing of Crabtree, the need to get more reps for the younger receivers and his own ankle injury. He could only play one play last week due to his injury. I wouldn’t blame Sing for that.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Agreed..
Crabtree along with Bruce’s age pretty much sealed the deal.. As I recall his only reason coming back this year was to A) mentor the young guys including Crabtree and possible get another SB ring. He did contribute some in the first half of the season but was clear he just couldn’t play at the level he did last year..
by WC-Ninerhead on Jan 6, 2010 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
I agree too
Everest was competent and always did a good job, but the controversial call in Seattle might have been the reason to let him go.
As for PR, we were 3-2 when Rossum was cut and eventually finished last in the league for average yds returned. Let’s hope to take B. April and/or some great retuner in the same month ;)
If Andy Lee struggles next season I'll be pissed.
It’s not Al Everest’s fault that Arnaz Battle doesn’t know how to run North/South and doesn’t know what a fair catch is.
Contrary to some opinion, the punt return blocking wasn’t too bad, all Battle had to do was catch the ball cleanly and run straight.
I saw Battle run sideways too many times, allowing the opposing players to box him in.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Im Pretty Sure
That Andy Lee is more than capable of taking care of himself, as long as the line blocks
"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart
Don't be so sure
A new coach may change some stuff.
If they mess with Andy Lee/Brian Jennings they’ll seriously screw up the punt team.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 9:39 PM PST up reply actions
Hey think of it this way
If our offense can pull their heads out of their (site decorum), we wont need to rely on the punt team so much, lol
"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart
So Lee going to the pro bowl is due to the ST coach???
No way. Andy is a premier kicker the league and he will just fine..
by WC-Ninerhead on Jan 6, 2010 12:54 PM PST up reply actions
Andy Lee doesn't down punts inside the 5
Andy Lee doesn’t make clean, open field tackles to prevent returns.
Some ST coaches have different coverage styles.
Lee will struggle if he’s asked to punt towards the sidelines.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 1:51 PM PST up reply actions
He just gets the ball there so that others can do thier job
My point is that he will be able to kick the ball ok no matter who is ST coach. As for the rest of the crew, will they also know what to do to be effective.. Our ST issues were not with out punting crew. We often had opponents inside the 10. Our ST issues were on defending opposition returns on kick offs and our own KR team were we sucked big time.
Andy Lee needs his coach to kick the ball, as he did before he got there. Come on man, reach much?
#42
The coverage may be changed
Andy Lee may be asked to kick to the sidelines more (not his strength).
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
I'm sad about the news
The 49ers seemed to have very good ST play (minus PR, obviously) in recent years, especially in coverage.
Anyway, is it too much to hope that Foerster, the O-Line coach, is next?
I've been banging that drum for months.
People were always blaming Martz’s offense or what have you. But Foerster clearly hasn’t gotten enough out of his guys.
Jason Hill is turning the corner!
What about this season?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:26 AM PST up reply actions
Sure didn't look like it
Maybe Baas and Rachal got a little bit better.
Snyder regressed.
Staley was injured for like half the season.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 8:30 PM PST up reply actions
40 sacks in comparison to 55 sacks is an improvement.
Not stellar by any means but is a lot less considering teams with better O-Lines gave up more sacks.
#42
We definately need to draft a kr/pr in the morld of a desean jackson/percy harvin
"They (The 1989 A's) are the best team I ever saw"- Mike Krukow
I haven't seen him return punts regularly.
He’s a great playmaker with WR hands that would be a nice addition to the offense.
But I don’t know what he brings to special teams.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 5, 2010 9:40 PM PST up reply actions
Javier Arenas
Sharlon Schoop - de favoriete Nederlandse honkbalspeler van McCovey Chronicles.
You always have to be one step ahead of your drunk friends
--Daisy Owl
Might have a shot at him
I saw a projection showing him dropping to the third round. Jordan Shipley might also be available in the early 2nd round. Mid 2nd would be nice though.
Anybody remember Jason Hill's combine? ..
He was clocked at 4.32 in the 40. Yet they had Battle at punt returns. Hill’s in Sing’s doghouse, and is a non factor, even though he showed promise under Martz.
Well, we're waiting....
I dont know what that’s all about. He must’ve mouthed off in practice early on or something
Tim Tebow = 1,432,219 season tickets next year. Who wouldn't pick him in the 1st round with those projections?
Hmm...
weren’t all the reports out of camp that Hill did a marvelous job of “keeping his mouth shut and going about his business – continuing to work hard every day and not complaining about his role in the offense.”?
There’s something fishy about the whole situation, though.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
Right. I’m a conspiracy theorist because I reinforce the (already mentioned) idea that Hill’s limited role seems to be without explanation. I’m glad you find that amusing.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
it's funny to me. I wonder but it isn't fishy to me. he isn't doing something right. Maybe he has no return experience, maybe less than Battle.
There’s something fishy about the whole situation, though
#42
Battle has zero speed..
All you have to do in the return game is find the seam and explode through it. The return game is more speed, and Hill learned more route running under Martz than this Raye crap of running straight ahead. The best route runner on the team is Bruce, who if he had speed, would be the best return guy, but the 49er didn’t even consider that over Battle.
Well, we're waiting....
Returns aren't all about speed.
Josh Cribbs really isn’t that fast.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
You have to have speed...
So that your opening doesn’t close in on you. Battle has shiftiness, but zero burst. Guys that have speed can find the seam and at least get you more yardage than a guy who can’t get to the outside edges, or the seams.
Well, we're waiting....
Speed and burst aren't the same thing
I’m just trying to say that Battle didn’t just suck because he was slow.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 1:52 PM PST up reply actions
But even just a little burst..
can net you more yardage.
Burst and speed. I dunno how more I can explain how much that means to a return guy.
But keep at it.
Well, we're waiting....
Burst is really important
It’s what will help you get past that first level of blockers. Once you’re past that first level that’s when you can try to find the seams and break a big one.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
Not the same
Speed is as fast as you can run, burst is acceleration to get to your highest speed. That’s why madden has speed and acceleration, DUH!
#42
Battle has also been in the league for 12 years
He’s not exactly a spring chicken.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will get picked in the first round.
I don't think they know..
What to do with him. Think about it. Battle and DJax took his spot. He was one of the most intriguing picks in the draft. A lot of people who weren’t 49er fans were high on the guy. He was considered a solid pick. Now he is an aftertought.
If he is cut or traded, chalk it up to another wasted pick.
Well, we're waiting....
I just have a bad feeling that we'll let him go...
only to see him have immediate success as a slot receiver for another team that decides to actually put him on the field. I mean, he seems talented to me. What he’s shown in his limited game experience hasn’t given me any reason to believe that he’s a disappointment…and I’m pretty hard on bench players.
"It came down like a punt, Coach!" - Josh Morgan
Maybe you can tell me..
How many catches he had under Martz, than he has with Raye.
Well, we're waiting....
Never mind..
30 receptions for over 300 yards, and was good on 1st down. Hard to see this coaching staff screw this kid up.
Well, we're waiting....
Just one point...
The blocker just ahead of Battle is actually supposed to tell him whether to fair catch or not. The PR has to keep his eye on the ball while it’s in the air; the blocker estimates the height of the punt and the arrival of the opposing teams gunners; only the more experienced PRs (Rossum) do all this themselves. Not justifying Battle/Jones; just saying the immediate up-field blocker was used to not having to make that call. Everest should have realized this right away and fixed it quickly. Jones took the brunt of the criticism for not fair catching at the right time. Instead of replacing or training the blocker, he pulled Jones (with game-changing speed) and replaced him with super-slow, sideways-running Battle.
what about Bobby April
He just quit as Bills Special teams coach. My understanding (as i dont follow the bills closely) as that is usually their one consistant area of being good.
he is held in high regard around the league
from what I hear/read. I sure hope we’re going hard after him
"Vernon is going to be a great tight end one day, but he's got to put the whole package together." - Thanks Sing for echoing this.
Some guy said we better send out the helicopter.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
I've been mentioning that a few times in this post
but no one is picking up on the thread.
It’s more important to some to ramble on and on about drag queens and bore the hell out of the rest of us. (Only kidding, drag queen jokers).
I also mentioned a few times that I think our poor return COVERAGE is why he got fired, not just the bad PR and KR situation.
I also agree the offensive line coach sucks and has to go. Replacements are harder to find though. Great OLine coaches can make a heck of a big difference. Not just technique but teaching how to read coverages, etc.
We should
sign Cable as an OL coach once crazy Al fires him next week
"God tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're fucked."-Braveheart
Cable isn't going to be fired
Nnamdi Asomugha has publicly stated that he wants Cable back.
If Al Davis fires Cable Asomugha will be pissed.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 10:30 AM PST up reply actions
Al Davis drafted DHB 7th overall last season and he signed J Russell to a ridiculous deal and said he is a very capable QB.
Do you think Al Davis cares wat anyone thinks? Let alone someone he pays? Doubt that, Cable can kiss the baby!
#42
Ray Brown
another Bill’s casualty he was the ol coach there. We brought back Rathman why not another Niner alum.
Great thought
I think Sing should think hard about getting Ray Brown. He was really good when he was here.
Well the Bill's O-line was pretty bad this season
Of course, didn’t Ray Coach Andrews (before he was traded to the Eagles?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
Yes
He did coach Andrews, plus if I’m correct (haven’t looked it up yet) this year the Bills started 2 rookie tackles and I think they had some injuries as well.
Their offensive line as a unit had lees than 10 starts combined this year
I think. but I know I am close, the number is real low.
#42
They moved a lot of people around.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Jan 6, 2010 8:31 PM PST up reply actions
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