Thursday Night Showdown
by: Bryan Hersh
The 49ers are set for another prime time match up, this time against the Chargers. The Niners are still in the playoff hunt despite a miserable season - they need a win against an underrated Chargers team to keep their hopes alive. It will not be an easy thing to do. The 49ers have struggled playing away from home and outside their division. They are also playing without Frank Gore and with injuries to Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis. Meanwhile the Chargers are on a hot streak.
The real question for me though is what if the team wins? What if it makes the playoffs at 8-8 or sheesh 7-9? Does Jed York get applauded? Mike Singletary keep his job? Alex Smith a new contract? My personal opinion is "heck no", but stranger things have happened (Jimmy Raye keeping his job as an example). Shy of a Super Bowl win (and the odds of that are somewhere between getting eaten by a shark and hit by a following meteor) I think a major overhaul to the team is in order.
Singletary has proved time and time again that he is not ready to be a NFL coach. The team has been brutal in the talent evaluation and development department over the last 8 years (as evidenced by plays like Jason Hill thriving elsewhere). The 49ers need someone at the top who knows football, knows coaching, and knows how to evaluate talent. That does not mean he has to do all 3 jobs, but he has to be uber qualified. Once that man is in place an honest evaluation of the talent on the coaching staff and roster needs to be completed. Action must be taken to set this team on the right path. Playoffs or no playoffs.
BH