On the offensive side, the team just has no rhythm or continuity. A couple of things really stood out to me...
1) On many third down plays, Kap would throw the ball to a guy who wasn't even past the first down marker, so even when the pass was completed, there was no first down conversion. This has been a problem the entire season.
2) I don't know what the problem is (Roman?) but the plays just take way too long to get from coach to snap. Seemingly every snap is within 4 seconds of the play clock expiring. The offense is just way too damn slow getting the plays off. This gives the defense time to rest and adjust and it throws off the focus of the offense. Also, there is no sense of urgency. After the Raiders scored their third TD and the Niners were down 11, they took at least 6 minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter, leaving them no time for another possession after the missed FG. That drive should have taken about 2 minutes.
3) In the red zone, the team just has no clue how to proceed. The QB is confused, the line is confused, no one has a sense of clock management...just a real mess. That is on the coaches. What do these guys do in practice all week?
4) The team just doesn't seem to ever even try to exploit weaknesses in the opposing teams' defense. I just don't see any real game plan nor do I see any halftime adjustments. I used to think the Niners had a great coaching staff. I do not think this any longer. They have some good coaches on defense but on offense, outside of Rathman, I'm not impressed. When they are healthy, the OL run blocks well but again, when guys are beaten up and adjustments need to be made, I'm not seeing anything.
This is as bad a loss as the NIners have had since 2010. If it results in positive changes, then it will be worth it but if the same cast of characters is around next season, then the team will continue to struggle.
Finally, to me the measure of any coach is getting the most production out of the talent he has available. That is why I believe this is primarily a coaching issue with this team right now. This is very talented team and it is an organizational embarrassment that it is now just 7-6.
[ Edited by nw9erfan on Dec 7, 2014 at 7:31 PM ]
)