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Good morning everyone. So, what do you do after a loss like that? Call me a traditionalist, but I go with the - lock myself in my room and watch Netflix in a desperate attempt at distracting myself - approach. Seriously though, Thursday night was a devastating defeat at the hands of probably the douchiest team in the league. But the big news from this loss, at least from my vantage point, is that people are seriously on the bandwagon for drastic changes in the 49ers. Sure, there have been some people on the fire Greg Roman bandwagon for the better part of two years, but this game was different. Maybe it was Jed York's apology tweet in the closing moments of the game, but for the first time, I feel like the majority of the fan base feels that somebody needs to be fired. As much as I hate to be in favor of someone losing their job, I am with the mob on this one.
If the 49ers are going to make a change, I think we have to look at the different ways it can be done. The conclusion that most people have come to is that someone needs to be fired, Greg Roman most likely. But I think there might be another change where no one gets fired that could still result in a positive spark for the 49ers.
The 49ers have all but abandoned their pistol sets, as well as the read option part of the offense that has been successful in years past. Opting for a fully pro style offense that just hasn't worked. The Coaches wanted to turn Colin Kaepernick into a "real" QB and it just hasn't worked out as well as they probably thought it would in the off season. Personally, I have thought for years that the 49ers could run a devastating power running offense out of spread looks. Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin are excellent blockers, as well as Vernon Davis (though he has been sub par this season) and Vance McDonald. I think Colin Kaepernick would be more comfortable with the defense spread out, and the backs would presumably face less 8 man boxes.
Ultimately, I think Greg Roman loses his job. Whether it is during the season or immediately following is the question. I really feel that he gets an unfair share of the blame for the 49ers offensive struggles, But at this point, something needs to change. Changing offensive coordinators is probably the least disruptive mid season solution that teams have had success with in the past.
In 2012, the Baltimore Ravens faced a similar situation to what the 49ers are in right now. They responded by firing their offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron a few weeks before the playoffs started. Whether Cam Cameron was responsible for their problems or not, the team got a spark from Jim Caldwell running things and they ended up beating us in the Superbowl a few months later. Now, nobody can definitively say that correlation would in any way equate to causality in this case. These teams are different, but I think it is clear that something needs to change. What is the worst that will happen? The 49ers miss the playoffs? I would only be mildly surprised if the 49ers finish the season 7-9 if nothing changes. To the links.
Levi’s Stadium’s rookie season officially a disaster, causing Jed York to lash out on Twitter (BASG)
Jed York puts pressure on Jim Harbaugh, 49ers coaching staff (Gin)
Jed York’s tweet provokes fans to call for Greg Roman’s job (Inman)
Baalke releases a statement after daughter tweets frustration (Gin)
49ers' Baalke apologizes to Roman over daughter's tweet (Inman)
49ers report card vs. Seahawks in Week 13: Defense (Gin)
49ers report card vs. Seahawks in Week 13: Offense (Gin)
Thompson: 49ers might not need to win out (Thompson)
Topping 49ers’ holiday wish list: effective offense (Branch)
Seahawks' Richard Sherman: 49ers Fans Are "Mediocre" (NBC)
Extra Points: Kaepernick can't shake Sherman, Seahawks (Barrows)
Injury report: Crabtree returns from ribs, knee ailments (Maiocco)
Snap count: 49ers favor three-WR formations over two backs (Maiocco)