The State of the Niners

Listen. The Chiefs game was bad, we could all see that. And it wasn't just the loss of Deebo three plays in, or the loss of Aiyuk (for the season!) half way through, or any of that. Brock played terribly, the INTs were just downright bad. Bad decisions, bad throws. He was trying to force stuff. The defense played terribly. Slow, poor positioning or ended up in poor positions, seemingly easily blocked, not covering. Even Fred looked slow last week. And speaking of, the Mahomes run - clearly Winters thought he was going to go out of bounds.

(And by the way, Mahomes & Chiefs: you can't have it both ways - you can't complain when people hit you and then do that shit. Or the next time you're running, don't complain when someone hits you inbounds. And I do wish Winters had just hit him. I wish it was Dre on that play, he would have laid him the F out. Then there would have been none of the showboating in the end zone when he ran over Mustapha (who I also believe was letting up because Mahomes had already crossed the goal line.) Anyway, I digress.)

The key to the rest of this season now lies squarely in the coaches hands. Specifically Shanahan, but also Sorensen. (Let's not even entertain the thought that anything good can or will happen on special teams.)

The key is to adapt. Adapt to win. Get wins however you can. Salvage the season, and save some F'ing face. People are calling for your head, Kyle. I don't believe you should be fired, but I damn sure hope you show us all that you can coach out of this hole. It's the last thing us true believers need to see out of you. (Well, that and a Lombardi.)

Andy Reid is doing it. John Harbaugh has done it. Mike Tomlin has done it. Those are three great coaches, three Superbowl winning coaches. Show us you belong in that echelon, Kyle!

You don't have CMC. That's not an excuse for red zone problems. You also didn't have CMC in 2019 or anytime before 2022. Ever. You don't have Aiyuk. On defense, you don't have Hargrave or Greenlaw. (I'm not convinced that not having Huf right now is worse than having the Huf that was just coming back a couple games ago.) Doesn't matter that you can't run what you wanted to with all those guys in there. Run something else with the personnel you have. Great coaches find the strengths of their players and their teams and run plays to those strengths. Extremely simplified I know, but that's what this team needs now. Not just The System, but tailoring to the pieces that are left.

The Niners can still win with Brock and Deebo and JJ and Kittle. Run the tandem of Mason in the middle and Guerendo to the outside. Kittle chips at right tackle, then leaks for 8-12 yards. A couple deep shots to Deebo or Cowing. (Please no more Ronnie Bell, for god's sake let's let that ship sail.) DISCIPLINE ON THE LINE!! That goes for both offense and defense. Stop taking penalties. Want the football.

Seriously, we're all tired of excuses and we're tired of losing stupid games that we should have won (that would be the Rams and Cards). We should be 5-2 and leading the west. But we're not. And all the whiny self-appointed pundits are being proved right.

Don't take this shit, Niners. Show everyone what a good team does in the face of adversity.

Kyle Shanahan, Tortured Genius

I've nothing more to add beyond the title and a link to this article by Katie Baker on The Ringer.

Okay I'll add a bit more. I am biased, I am a lifelong Niners fan. I want the Niners to win so badly, for Kyle and for Trent Williams and Deebo and Kittle and Fred Warner and Armstead, for all the players, for Brock Purdy (knowing full well that idiots will continue to slam him even if they put up 40 points) just so he can complete the Rudy.

There's no one on the Chiefs that I can say that about. 'Cause they've already got rings! I like Andy Reid, I have since Philly; heck, I don't even dislike Patrick Mahomes, or Kelce or Chris Jones. But they have rings.

I want Kyle to get that ring, man. I feel like he needs it more than any other human on Earth right now. I want him to even the score with KC, let the universe settle back to a balanced axis. Then we can talk about legacies, and then we can talk about next year.

So go get that ring, Kyle! GET IT!

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In actuality, while obviously Shanahan and all the coaches will be instrumental in the outcome of the game, what it will boil down to, I believe, is Deebo or Kittle or CMC willing a touchdown to happen, and Fred or Bosa or that crazy ass rollercoaster Big Play Dre - or maybe poetically Mooney Ward, who won the last SB matchup between these two teams (as a Chief), making a game sealing sack or pick. It will be a player, or a couple players on either side, willing this win into existence. I'm nervous as hell. It's hard to beat Patrick Mahomes. But I feel that the team wants this so, so badly, for themselves and for each other and for Kyle.