195 years ago, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke Ellington of Wellington combined with a separate Prussian army. Napoleon had made a return to power after being exiled and this battle culminated the Waterloo campaign, his last battle before returning to a final exile.
I'm certainly not here to compare Mike Singletary to Napoleon. However, I found myself last night wondering whether this Sunday's game against the Seahawks might be his Waterloo as coach of the San Francisco 49ers. If it was, it would certainly be fitting considering his first game as head coach came in a home game against the Seahawks a little over two seasons ago.
Until recently, I was convinced Jed York was going to stick with Mike Singletary through the end of the season. I questioned whether there was a viable alternative as an interim coach, and I felt York was going to wait to get through the emotions of what has been a grueling season. Personally, I didn't want to see another interim coach catch fire to close the season and potentially force ownerships hands. This last reason for not wanting the firing to happen in season is less and less of an issue as each week passes.
However, Jed's recent comments about the team still having a chance at the playoffs got me thinking about the possibility that Singletary could be axed sooner rathe than later. Jed has made several comments following tough losses in which he indicates the team still has a chance to win the NFC West and there will be no changes. As long as the team is in the playoff race that's certainly all well and good and it probably makes sense to wait in that case.
However, what happens if the 49ers lose on Sunday and are officially eliminated from playoff contention? Does that sufficiently change the dynamic of the season in Jed's eyes? At that point, with the NFC West impossible to win, will we see a change made? It certainly would give Jed York reason to change his stance on a change given that the playoffs are no longer a possibility.
I'm certainly not here rooting for a loss at this point. However, I'm curious about the fallout of such a potential loss.