San Francisco 49ers: A Poor Record and Even Worse Front Office
By Kelsey Ross
With a 1-9 record, fuming fans, and a severely questionable front office, the San Francisco 49ers have plenty of problems.
In fact, only the Cleveland Browns have managed worse thus far at an 0-11 record. The Chicago Bears are faring better this season (2-8), just to put things in perspective. Yes, it is that bad for the San Francisco 49ers, and the losses are still coming.
With the Dolphins, Bears (that will be a barn burner), Jets, Falcons, Rams, and Seahawks on the horizon there is a very real possibility the team comes away with a 1-15 or 2-14 record. That hurts. With nine straight losses, they have equaled the franchise record.
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The 49ers are third to last in total offense and last in passing yards per game. Defensively, the team might be even worse. They’re second-to-last in total defense, dead last in yards allowed per game, last in points allowed per game, and last in rushing yards allowed per game.
Watching this team is hard, but watching the front office is downright pathetic. Fans are angry, embarrassed, and hungry for change because they should be. The organization in general is an insult to their fan base. They lack direction, trustworthy leadership, and continue to make decisions that push fans further and further away. Many are calling for the organization to clean house, and that wouldn’t be the worst idea. However, with Jed York driving this ship, don’t get your hopes up on any massive overhauls.
York is seen, rightfully so, as money hungry and unwilling to make the necessary changes to his staff as long as he gets his cabana. Case in point: Trent Baalke, current General Manager. How he has managed to slip by through all the Niners’ turbulence is astonishing.
Baalke has clashed with numerous coaches, including Mike Singletary and Jim Harbaugh. Guess who got the boot in those two situations and who got promoted? What’s worse is Baalke, and the rest of the front office, continues to ignore key areas for the 49ers:
Quarterback.As Colin Kaepernick started his decline when Harbaugh was fired, the best talent Baalke could think of was Blaine Gabbert?
Wide Reciever. They picked up Torrey Smith, who hasn’t succeeded with the offense in San Francisco. Baalke brought in nobody else notable to help plug the hole, and the Niners are last in passing yards per game.
Inside Linebacker. Patrick Willis retired in 2015 and NaVorro Bowman has been dealing with a multitude of injuries for years now. Long term fixes were not going to come from Michael Wilhoite or Gerald Hodges. This unit has been unimpressive, to say the least, this year.
And that’s just to name a few of the disastrous positions. The point is this wasn’t simply a one-season screw up. These player situations were a long time coming, and something a capable GM should have been able to foresee.
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This is also the group that fired Harbaugh after going 8-8, fired Jim Tomsula after going 5-11, and now has a coach that will fare far worse. Firing current coach Chip Kelly means bringing in the fourth coach in four years. It’s not a great look, but representative of the catastrophe taking place in San Francisco.
Fans are tired of the same answers, the same “Super Bowl or bust” mantra with lackluster results, the same uninspired front office. In short, the fans deserve better. Perhaps this year will change the myopic mind of York, but until then expect to see a half empty stadium filled with mostly the visiting team’s fans.