But don't get me wrong - I still like him overall as the head coach, but I HATE the fact that he has input in the offensive gameplan. The eagles loss made me sure that he does. Let me start out by saying that Mike Johnson is a pretty bright guy - he's young, creative (to the point where he'll open up the playbook a lot more than Raye, although a lot of their plays simply suck), and knows where the offense's strengths lie. If it weren't for Singletary giving Johnson an earful about pounding the ball and shoving Gore down the throat of the defense, Johnson would be calling plays HIS way - and in case you don't know what that is, I'm guessing it's something along the lines of

- incorporating more of the spread offense, playing to Alex's strengths

- not calling run plays on second and long, so as to not face a probable third and long, making it an obvious passing situation

-running Gore to the outsides more, and not up the (stacked) middle

I don't know why Sing continues to insist on "establishing the running game." I hope Gore's pair of fumbles proved something to him (although I doubt it). The objective in football is to fool the opposing team by making it face the unexpected. If the opponent has stacked eight guys in the box, you've got to be an idiot if you decide to be stubborn and run. This is the NFL - then aim is to set up the run with the pass; doing the opposite is nearly impossible.

The only message I have for Singletary is this -

Let Mike Johnson do his thing and run the offense himself - the offensive philosophy you're trying to instill is ineffective now and always will be. Get yourself out of the offensive gameplan - stick to defense - or nothing even. Just don't touch the offense.  

Yes, Pat Burrell is strictly a National League hitter. American league pitching is to Pat Burrell what the yankees payroll is compared to the A's payroll: overwhelming. Speaking of the A's, they recently had a hitter who suffered from the same syndrome as Burrell by the name of Matt Holliday. First we thought, "oh, you never know how well he'll hit outside of Coors..." and when he became an athletic everyone said "ha, I told you he wouldn't hit well away from Colorado." Well, let me just say that for one thing, the A's ballpark is a pitcher's park. Also, Holliday had begun facing his nightmare in American League pitching. The A's end up trading him to the Cardinals at the deadline (classic Beane) for a few prospects. And when Holliday came to St. Louis, he picked up where he had left off in Colorado and became even better. And this happened for a number of reasons. Busch Stadium is more of a hitter's park than a pitcher's park, for one. Big Mac Land is an occasional landing spot for Pujols' homers. Another factor that contriubted in Holliday's success in St. Louis is the fact that he was surrounded by great hitters all around him in the lineup (Pujols, Ludwick and Yadier Molina to name a few). But, by far, the main reason he succeeded in St. Louis is because he faced what he had loved for the first five years of his career: National League pitching.

And now we look at Pat Burrell. He had a great start to his career with nine years in Philly. He never hit for average, his highest two averages being .282 in 2002 and .281 in 2005. For his career as a Philly, he was a .257 hitter. Ugly, eh? The sad part is, he played in one of the most hitter-friendly parks. After the Phillies win the World Series in 2008, he receives a two-year, 16 million dollar contract (I believe) from the Rays, opting to become a free agent than re-sign with the Phils. Bad move. He should have learned his lesson from the World Series.

His line there: One hit (an RBI double), five BB's, five K's, a .071 average and a .316 OBP. That was in a five game and 14-AB span. Pretty ugly if you ask me. The Rays did have good pitching in 2008, but the thing that made it hard for Burrell was that it was American League pitching.

So the Rays released him and I thought at first that they Giants should not get him. I thought he was a washed up 33-year old who can't play defense. Then I was told by a nice member of our McCoven that Burrell was playing defense, thus staying more fresh, in Philly than in Tampa Bay, where he was strictly a DH. I thought that was interesting. But when the Giants picked him up, I liked the thought because he had proven power, and definitely more than Bowker and Schierholtz, and would be somewhat of a weapon off the bench, sometimes receiving a start in the outfield to, as I mentioned, maintain that freshness.

In four games with the Giants ( I know it's a SSS), Burrell is hitting .417 (5-12) with two doubles, an RBI, and a K.

Burrell, after a horrific stint with the Rays (2009, when he batted .221 with minimal power, 2010 prior to his release, when he only got worse, hitting .202), is right back where he belongs: in the National League.

I was listening to Marty Lurie's postgame wrap-up on KNBR 680 (meh, it's OK, but nothing compared to that of Damon Bruce, from last season) when someone called and told Marty that the fodgers hitting coach would be a great hire for the 2011 Giants managerial position. And I began to think - this caller knows what he is talking about. Not only will the Giants have stolen a huge piece from the fodgers who knows the fodger roster very well (and who is probably in line to succeed Joe Torre when Torre leaves after this season), but they will also have someone who knows a thing or two about hitting and who will not stand for bullshit (i.e. getting shut out, not being able to move runners over/drive them in/bad situational baseball play in general).

Bochy is an OK manager, but here are his flaws:

1) He tends to stick with the "hot hitter" so when that guy turns "cold" there tends to be a bit of trouble finding the next "hot hitter," because the Giants typically need to rely on one to manufacture some runs.

2) Thus younger players are not played much and have their growth stunted, for if there is no "hot hitter" to be found, the vets get to play simply for the experience factor. The worst part is, he does not seem to learn from this and take a chance on a young, potential up-and-comer.

3) He cannot tell his minor league managers to teach the hitters to bunt. The bunt is completely out of the Giants offense, except when a pitcher does it.

4) He sometimes makes the shittiest lineups. RENT SUCKS!!! PUT HIM 8TH!!! Who else is sick of Molina hitting cleanup? Today he put Torres at leadoff. Torres is a #2 hitter. The Giants do not have a true leadoff guy but Rowand's their best option there simply because he does not feel the pressure of driving guys in (although he is in a bit of a slump right now). Also, Why had Schierholtz been hitting 8th?

5) He has not had much success in the postseason. The best record he's had in October is 7-7 (in 1998) when the beloved Pads were swept in the World Series.

6) He sometimes takes pitchers out too soon, and gives too much attention to pitch count.

If the Giants are successful in paying Mattingly more than the fodgers, the next decade of our rivalry may be one of ownage by the Giants' part. He will demand good hitters, and will also be able to teach a thing of two to the ones already here. Maybe then management will come up with a successful "Giants Way" formula, which they seriously lack.

One more thing: The Giants better sweep LOLkland in SF.

I do not understand the logic here. Bowker won the starting RF job after his great spring training performance, but Bochy is keeping him out when the opposing starting pitcher is a lefty. I'm all for giving Bowker the starting job, but I say either give him the RF job at all times or don't give it to him at all. And what's even more stupid is that Torres is getting the RF starts instead of Schierholtz when Bowker is not in the lineup. As of today, Torres is 1-14 at the plate, with his sole hit not leaving the infield. I understand he hustles and does well on defense, but is that not what late-game substitutes are for? Why is Schierholtz the late-inning substitute instead? Schierholtz plays a solid RF and has the best arm of all the OFs, and is a far better batter than Torres. Schierholtz must start over Bowker because Bowker is too inconsistent. For one thing, he receives an inconsistent amount of playing time. Also, he does not hit for average in the majors the way he does in the minors and I do not think the Giants are willing to waste this season to watch him potentially develop. Schierholtz can work the pitcher and coax a walk, and can rack up hits consistently. Bowker can hit a two-run homer one day and go 0-5 the next. Honestly, I just want to go with the most consistent player available on a daily basis, and that player is Nate Schierholtz.

Will the Giants stick to their original plans and go with Huff, or will they put Molina back in the 4-hole to do what they signed him (for three years and 16.5 million) back in 2007 to do?

The first question I ask myself is whether Molina can handle another year of hitting cleanup and taking the lion's share of the catching duties.

The second question I ask myself is where he would hit if he were to not hit cleanup. I mean, he's slow as hell...(that's an understatement if you are wondering).

The third and final question I ask myself is when Buster Posey will be ready to be a full-time major league catcher. He apparently has shown signs of fatigue in the Arizona Fall League, and will not be rushed onto the field. He will begin the season in Triple-A Fresno to continue his much-needed development, which was previously told to us was not needed, as Giants Brass indicated that it was ready to begin the season with him as the starting catcher. This was obviously a bluff and a good one on Sabean's part. The sly dog played Torrealba and all his suitors, who ended up thinking that the Giants were serious players in the Torrealba sweepstakes.     :P

So here is a poll that I hope you will all be kind enough to respond to:

Hello all,

I am actually a supporter of Brian Sabean and love how he has brought good, young pitchers to the Giants organization and has refused to trade Cain and Sanchez. But when it comes to signing hitters, as you all know, he simply has not been pushing the right buttons. When I heard that the Giants had offered Mark DeRosa a 2-year/12 million dollar contract, let's just say I was not the happiest man in the world. Come on Sabes...DeRosa? He hit 13 doubles and 13 homers in Cleveland in 71 games with a .270 average before being traded to the Cardinals, with whom he hit 10 doubles and10 homers, and sported a whopping .228 average in 68 games. Really, Sabean? This is the man we are going to play six million a season to? Imagine how much his numbers will drop in San Francisco. And I almost forgot to mention that he is 35.

Why not Nick Johnson, who went to New York, of all places, very cheaply. One year for 5.5 million? Sabean could have had him for two years and 11 million.

Why not Justin Duchscherer, who was most recently resigned by the A's? Yes, he was injured all of last season, but that is all the more reason to sign him, as he will come at a bargain price and has great upside if his injuries are truly behind him.

Anyway, here are some of my suggestions as to who Sabean can still sign that may end up being contributors for the Giants in 2010:

1) Russell Branyan: He is 34 years old in 2010. His career was practically reborn in Seattle when he signed with the Mariners last season, as the team's brass recognized his talent just before Branyan headed across the Pacific to play in Japan. And he was quite the catch. This 1st baseman/outfielder was productive far more than was expected of him, as he had 108 hits, 64 runs scored, 21 doubles, 31 homers, 58 walks, and 76 RBI. I know these numbers will not be the same in San Francisco, but he will still be productive and his veteran presence is also good for the young players, as Branyan has tons and tons of playoff experience.

2) Mike Jacobs: I know, I know. You're thinking he is not very good after seeing him fail miserably in Kansas City. Here are his numbers in KC: 99 hits, 46 runs scored, 16 doubles, one triple, 19 homers, 41 walks, 61 RBI and a .228 average in 128 games. But I am still willing to give him a chance. The man is still young at 29 years old in 2010, and the season prior to last, when he was with the Marlins, here are his numbers: 118 hits, 67 runs scored, 27 doubles, two triples, 32 homers 36 walks, 93 RBI, and a .247 average. Yes, he does not hit for average, but he sure as hell does hit for power. And, of course, he will come at a bargain. Sabean has nothing to lose with this signing. Give him an invite to spring training and see what he can do. It's similar to the Juan Uribe signing, and just look at how he turned out. This 1st baseman can be a real game-changer if he gets locked in.

3) Wily Mo Pena: Again, I know what you're thinking. Just hear me out on this one. The guy is 28 years old in 2010. Like Uribe, if the Giants sign him to a minor league contract and give him an invite to spring training, he may, with a fresh start, begin to be productive. If you look at years 2003-2007, you notice that his numbers are respectable and that he has some impressive power. He has seven MLB seasons under his belt and has been playing since he was 20. A 28-year-old with that much experience who will come, again, at such a cheap price, is worth a try for the power-lacking Giants. I know the last season he played in the majors (2008) was not one to remember from his perspective, as he was released by the Nationals only to be released again by the Mets, who signed him some time thereafter. This left fielder may be someone else's trash, but he may be the source of power the Giants are lacking. He deserves a second chance in major league baseball and a minor league contract with a spring training invite wouldn't hurt.

...I'm also thinking about the Giants potentially signing these cheap players:

Xavier Nady (31) - Bay Area product in need of a fresh start

Rick Ankiel (30) - Good power

Jack Cust (31) - Good power but strikes out a lot; was arguably the sole offensive threat on the A's last year

Raye sucks. Straight up. 'Nuff said. His screens fail (including bubble), his predictable FB handoffs on 3rd and inches fail, his passing plays to WRs (not TEs) fail, and his plays, in general, not run from the shotgun fail miserably. He will never be a playoff game-calling OC, so why keep him?

Alex Smith sucks. The reason I say this is because he wasn't set up (like Rodgers) to succeed and now it's too late. IT'S TOO LATE! We need Nate Davis out there for the rest of the season. He shows more pocket presence and poise. 

I think the Forty Niners have found their kick returner in Josh Morgan. Possibly the punt returner too?

Patrick Willis/Justin Smith needs to be more of a vocal leader and pull the D together because they just fall apart and nobody steps up (whether vocally or by example).

Isaac Bruce needs to get out of there. Crabtree, Hill, and Morgan are the future and he has no business being in there.

Dashon Goldson sucks. He has practically no range and sucks at tackling. He tackles with his shoulder rather than his arms, which end up in misses. If you look back at Greg Jennings' long TD, it was Goldson's failed shoulder tackle that resulted in the long gain.

Mark Roman is the worst DB in the league. All he does is take up space and do nothing. 'Nuff said.

So now I ask the nation: 

Which OC (unemployed or in a contract year) would best suit the Forty Niners in the 2010-2011 season and why?

I think the best bet for us at OC is Clyde Christensen of the colts. He's their WRs coach. Singletary interviewed him but probably didn't like what he saw because back then he was thinking of having a more run-oriented offense whereas now he would like a balanced attack. Right now, I bet Singletary would like to have Christensen as the OC.

The reason I say this is because it gives Singletary a feel for which of the 53 guys are the best and who belongs on the field and how to approach games if he wants to win them.

I ONLY WISH THIS GAME OCCURRED THREE GAMES AGO!!!

This is a summary of what I saw:

1) Alex Smith was given a chance to own the offense. The first drive (which lead to a field goal) included no run plays whatsoever. I noticed that there were some posts immediately after the game (fans crying), about Alex Smith's failures and about possibly bringing forth a QB rotation (which one would have to be absolutely stupid to do). 

2) Gore's officially back. He had a great game receiving-wise and rushing-wise.

3) Raye called a great game (His best since taking over as OC). Yes, I am a critic of his, but he impressed me today (sans the first play of the game...ugh). He called plays that actually worked and called them at the right times. I believe he has potential to become our OC of the future if he continues to call games like these. Unlike the last few games, Raye put the Forty Niners in position to win. Alex Smith lost it, but he's still developing (sadly). It's only his third game this season, the first of which he began at halftime. Be lenient with him. Don't expect perfection because you won't get it with Alex. Raye's his fifth OC in as many years. Continuity is extremely important for the QB position (look at Peyton Manning; he's had Tom Moore since 1998). Next year, Alex Smith will be even better. Jimmy did another thing, which I like. He allowed Jason Hill to play and it paid dividends. He led all Forty Niners WRs (WRs, not RBs and TEs) with four receptions for 50 yards and two TDs. He's a big part of the future at the WR position and Raye is giving him recognition. I noticed he was put in for Isaac Bruce, who received a reduced amount of playing time (YES!!!).

4) What's up with Brandon Jones either catching bad balls, not calling fair catch, and dancing in place instead of returning?

5) Roman is terrible as usual.

6) The Forty Niners have tackling issues.

7) Goldson has little range. We desperately need a fast safety to help out the secondary. The CBs are very solid and can be great with some safety help.

I'm done,

With Jimmy Raye and his offensive failures, relying on the defense to be the game-saver.

For not allowing A. Smith to blossom. Give him a chance, and he'll be awesome.

For playing Isaac Bruce with his alligator arms, and sitting J. Hill, causing major harm.

For using M. Norris when we don't need him. Third and short was just fine but second and long the colts beat him.

For rushing on first down almost every time. I believe not learning from mistakes in the NFL should be a crime.

For not getting the ball to VD enough. He had three catches for 20 yards; too little for a guy that tough.

For not opening up the playbook like in the texans game. Do we have to trail every time to see Alex make it rain?

For making the formations and plays so readable. I bet a 5-year-old kid can make an offense less predictable.

For setting up long third downs, giving Alex a slim chance of getting the first down.

What's the point of looking forward to the next game when Jimmy's the sheriff in town?

Here are the problems that the Forty Niners have in order of least importance to greatest importance (although they are all very important).

Pass rush (Schaub was sacked only after 3-4 seconds had passed), as usual. 

Jason Hill and Brandon Jones are not only not playing, but are inactive. They aren't even suited up. Why? So that the likes of Isaac Bruce and Josh Morgan can play...The word "inactive" pisses me off...SO MUCH!!!

Shaun Hill locking on a single target the whole way, making it super-easy for defenders to know where he's going with the ball (will he remain the starter?).

Jimmy Raye's offense is too predictable and not creative at all (I need not explain more). Until the Forty Niners were forced to throw (with Alex Smith in there) the offensive plays looked like complete and absolute crap: players catching balls only to be hit right when the ball touched their hands...predictable runs on EVERY SINGLE second down...the list goes on and on...Although I was impressed with Alex Smith and his pass plays.

The way I see it, we need to go with Smith at QB right now. He has legs that he can use to get away from pressure, shake off defenders, pick up first downs, etc. Hill's habit of locking on his target from the start of the play can lead to ugly interceptions. Now how about seeing less of the Bruce/Morgan combo and seeing more of Hill/Jones?

First off, I'd like to mention my thoughts and ideas (in order of importance) on why the Forty Niners failed so miserably on Sunday. Feel free to express your opinions as well.

1) Lack of pass rush (Matt Ryan was never touched, or at least it seemed that way). The falcons O-line is very good, but the Lawson/Haralson/Brooks combination didn't do a thing. Neither did the D-line. They went in front of Ryan, behind Ryan, to the sides of Ryan, but never got close enough to tug his jersey, giving him tons of time to throw. This was the main factor that contributed the the Forty Niners loss.

2) The plays called on offense are terrible. Yes, the plays themselves are destined to fail, namely those stupid screens where a lineman goes in front of the WR and attempts to block. They run up the gut on 1st and 2nd down, and are faced with a 3rd and ~9 and *Whadya know* Hill is in the shotgun, ready to pass. What do the falcons do? Blitz his ass, of course. The lack of creativity in the offensive play-calling sets up the Forty Niners for failure and punts. Jimmy Raye has no clue about the MEANING of offense.

3) Lack of separation between Forty Niner WRs and Falcon CBs. Josh Morgan is the best BLOCKING WR on the team, but definitely not the best receiving one. Isaac Bruce? There is no reason for him to be on the team. He's 36, misses balls often, and comes to play for a paycheck and nothing more. Morgan made one good play in the game, but failed to score the TD...I was thinking, UNBELIEVABLE...And the only reason he got so many yards after the reception is because the CB flat out couldn't tackle. Morgan had no separation. The CB was all over him, but just failed to make the play. Lack of hustle on Morgan's part also, is INEXCUSABLE. What the Forty Niners need to do is start (the only person who had good chemistry with Shaun Hill last season) Jason Hill. He's not the best blocking WR, but is, sure as hell, the fastest guy on the team (4.32 in the 40 yard dash), can get open (Look at his highlights. He has a knack for getting open by putting great moves on CBs and finding holes in zones), and has consistently reliable hands. I blame Jimmy Raye for the lack of use of Hill. Raye is the most terrible talent evaluator on the Forty Niners coaching staff. Once Crabtree starts seeing some action, hopefully he'll know more about the art of GETTING OPEN as well.

4) Did the Forty Niners get intimidated out there, or was it just that they had gotten SO USED TO LOSING due to seasons past that their inner...brain clocks, shall we say, thought it was time to lose (according to the point of the season at which they find themselves)? The defense, after Singletary rounded them up to motivate them and tell them to play THE REAL WAY, gives up a TD to a WIDE OPEN Roddy White. I thought the Forty Niners would give up at most a field goal after a Singletary pep talk, but alas, I was wrong. Goldson looked confused throughout the whole game. And speaking of intimidation, former Forty Niners practice-squader and current starter on the Falcons O-line was SO INTIMIDATING, it seems, that he EVEN DREW SINGLETARY as a target of intimidation. Singletary, after the game, assured the media that it was indeed "poor coaching etiquette" on his part. It's actually kind of funny how he feels like a player out there, but I'm pretty sure it won't happen again.

5) Stupidity. Dre Bly showboating by putting one hand on his helmet and holding the ball with the other while attempting to run toward the end zone after an interception. The result? He gets the ball stripped by Roddy White and the Falcons recover the fumble. Dre, a word of advice: If you want to showboat, do it five yards before you enter the end zone, and make sure there is NO ONE AROUND YOU to knock the ball out.

I cannot imagine how Singletary's halftime speech went...His post-game speech must have been a lot worse. This only means two things: 1) Two weeks of intense practice and 2) If the current Forty Niners don't want to be winners, Singletary will find winners elsewhere and bring them here to create the sort of team he wants. Do not worry my fellow fans, for, as long as Singletary is head coach of the San Francisco Forty Niners, we have hope that AT LEAST SOMEONE wants to win. By the end of the season, the Forty Niners will be atop the NFC West and go to the playoffs. They needed a loss like this one in order to know what it feels like to get blown out. Now that they will have a bye next week, let's see what they change (maybe nothing at all- maybe they'll just execute, although it'll be hard when Jimmy Raye plays are destined to fail).

I know that most people that visit Ninersnation also visit the Forty Niners official website. As many of you may already know, the website has been slightly altered.

Among the changes:

1) The site is now called 49ers.com as opposed to its previous name, sf49ers.com

2) At the top of the page, it reads "Official Site of the 49ers," as opposed to what it previously read, "Official Site of the Five Time World Champion San Francisco 49ers"

3) The background is black/dark instead of red and shows a picture that includes the Gold Rush, some "Faithful" drummers, and Frank Gore jumping.

The rest of the site appears to be the same, or even better than before, IMHO. But the changes mentioned aren't for the better, but for the worse. I'd rather the website be called sf49ers.com (calling it 49ers.com doesn't necessarily make it easier for idiots to get on the sire...who would want stupid fans anyway?) so people know that it is the professional football team that plays for San Francisco rather than some other team called the 49ers. The fact that at the top of the home page, it reads, "Official Site of the 49ers" is also stupid. Are we trying to forget San Francisco? How about our five rings? I understand the team got a new coach, new uniforms, a new team president and many other new things, but it's still the same five-time Super Bowl-winning franchise that's called the San Francisco Forty Niners. As for the background, why make it so dark? Why put cheerleaders on it? All it does is make it look more stupid. If they made it simply red or some kind of a mixture of red and gold, it would look much better.

These are just my opinions. Instead of necessarily judging them, I'd like to hear what the Forty Niner nation thinks. I've set up a poll so everyone can sound off on the website topic.

This topic has been discussed before, but I will give a 100% guarantee that the Forty Niners will win the division in 2009 (barring injuries to key players). Let's go through every team in the NFC West.

1) St. Louis Rams: They will be in a rebuilding year yet again. They'll get good production out of Steven Jackson but not much else. They have a bad defense and an average offense that will rely heavily on the run. But, when Bulger is allowed to throw, it will be to the likes of Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton and not Torry Holt. I expect them to go 6-10 at the most, if not 5-11. After a 2-14 season, Steve Spagnuolo should have the team improved at least a little on defense. This team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. That's the final verdict.

2) Seattle Seahawks: They have a pretty solid defense, which is especially solid at LB (Aaron Curry, Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill). Their secondary is also fairly good. The defense as a whole, though, won't be in the top 10. Their D-line will not be as productive this season as much as last season. They've lost Rocky Bernard, a huge body. Yes, the team just got Houshmandzadeh and they also have Branch, but the two are old and past their primes. So is Hasselbeck, who will be 34 on September 25th. This may be Hasselbeck's last season to actually be competitive and be a starter if he doesn't do so well. He's coming off an injury that sidelined him last year also. I see this team going 8-8 or 9-7 and no more. Replacing Mike Holmgren willl be hard, and Jim Mora Jr. will never be able to fill in that void. He will also rely on the run more but has no stud RBs (Julius Jones anyone? Maurice Morris is gone and so is Leonard Weaver).

3) Arizona Cardinals: They are coming off a Super Bowl loss with Kurt Warner ( will be 38 on the 22nd of June) will not have a repeat performance in 2009. He straight up will not. Even when he did last year, his team finished only 9-7. Take away the two victories they got against the Forty Niners (in the first one we had O'Sully and in the second Martz screwed us over) and the cards are 7-9 and don't make the postseason. They just lost Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower is only average. Chris Wells will not be a major factor in his first year as he'll back up Hightower (who knows- maybe he'll replace Hightower towards the end of the season). Boldin is complaining about his contract and will be somewhat of a distraction. Now, the main two reasons: the coordinators. Todd Haley is now the Chiefs head  coach and it will be hard for his successor to repeat his performance. He will have to learn quickly about his players. Clancy Pendergast was fired as the defensive coordinator and he was replaced by...drumroll...Billy Davis! Remember him, Forty Niner fans? He was terrible for us, and I say there's a good chance he'll be terrible for them. Losses of Antonio Smith and Travis LaBoy will also not help. I see them finishing around 6-10 and 7-9.

4) San Francisco Forty Niners: This team is the only one in the division (mark my words) that is moving forward in a positive direction. We have a starting quarterback (It's Hill, get over it) and a coach that gets this team fired up and pushes it to the limit. He wants winners and he'll get winners out of the Forty Niners. He will make this team mentally super-strong, to put it lightly. With a lot of depth at WR, a TE that will be utilised more, a healthy Gore, Coffee backing him up and an easy offense to learn (and one that is actually suited for its players) the Forty Niners will succeed at putting points on the board early in games and running out the clock (with Gore and Coffee) to end them. This team will win games partly because of lack of mistakes on offense. The defense will also be solid. Singletary will personally make sure the D is firing on all cylinders. The linebacking corps is great and I believe Lawson and Haralson will provide the pass rush needed and collect sacks as well as pressure the QB. The secondary is looking solid and Aubrayo Franklin, Kentwan Balmer and Isaac Sopoaga will be three very good NTs (Especially the first two mentioned). This team will only improve from the position it is in right now. Shaun Hill's quick release and consistency at the QB position will be unlike Forty Niner fans have seen in years. He is the leader this team seeks, and it will get that leader. The Forty Niners will pass (as much as pessimist fans hate to admit) and Shaun Hill will be the signal caller. He'll actually be able to call audibles at the line after seeing clues in the defense. He's a smart guy that just gets the job done, and he will after a strong offseason. The team will finish 10-6 or 11-5 (in a worst-case scenerio, they'll finish 9-7) but the bottom line is they'll win the division.

Fellow Forty Niner fans,

I happen to agree with coach Singletary when he says: "How far away are we from being a playoff team? We're there right now. How far are we from being a championship team? We're miles and miles away." Remember, 2009 is our year to make the playoffs, but more importantly it is the year that will determine how mentally strong the team is and how far it will go in the playoffs. My only suggestion is: instead of wishing for a playoff birth, wish for a Super Bowl birth- and a win.

Since the Giants signed Howry and Affeldt to bolster the bullpen in the offseason, I knew Howry wouldn't be very helpful to the Giants, as his numbers for the past few years had shown a decline in production. My prediction was correct. Howry is playing decent on occasion (when the situation does not call for clutch play) but when the team really needs him to get out of a jam unscathed, not only does he get hit-he gets hit bad and out of the game. He will end up destroying the Giants starters' hopes for wins and come into games in relief only to provide the exact opposite. In my humble opinion, the guy is washed up. Unlike the rest of the bullpen (Wilson, Valdez, Affeldt, Medders, Miller, Romo), Howry doesn't have a pitch that hitters are scared of. There is no place for a man like him on the Giants or any major league team, for that matter. He simply does not belong up here. I say option him down to Triple-A and leave him there the rest of the year (I doubt anyone is stupid enough to take him in a trade). This is one major risk that Sabean took during the offseason and there has been no reward-only torment. Send him down, I say, before he costs the Giants a couple dozen more games. I think I speak for the majority of Giants fans. But just to make sure, I have this poll.

It's perfect. The Giants can finally get the power bat they need at 1B. If they trade the 26-year old left-hander for Casey Kotchman, it'll be perfect. Atlanta doesn't have the best starting pitching. Sanchez can provide a solid 4th/5th starter on a staff that already features Jair Jurgens, Kenshin Kawakami and Javier Vazquez (another fellow Puerto Rican).

Now, on the other side of the deal, the Giants get Casey Kotchman (also 26). What I like about Kotchman is that he's got the tools to be great. He's fairly young as it is, he HARDLY EVER strikes out and tends to put the ball in play when needed, he's a good defender, and he can hit for power. What more can we ask for? After this season he's a free agent anyway. Before the 2009 season, he signed a 2.885 million dollar tender to stay with Atlanta. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a bargain. If the Giants can somehow get a hold of this guy (if the Braves ask for more than Sanchez, I'd add Ishikawa/Frandsen/Bowker/Rohlinger/a minor league pitching prospect/etc.

Bottom line is, Kotchman can be a Giant. I hope Brian Sabean's exploring this possibility.

There are some good free agents on the market this offseason. The Forty Niners need to look at every one of them and not only the key FAs that stand out (i.e. Haynesworth, Warner). There are two ex-49ers that are free agents right now that don't have teams. Both played for the Denver Broncos last season and have good value, even though they got released. Here's the link to the article from NFL.com about their releases:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80ec5f16&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Let's start off with John Engelberger. Yes, he's 32 years of age, but has great veteran experience and about 2-3 years left in him. He earned 2.18 million last season, and due to his release and the current state of the economy, the Forty Niners can sign him at a very cheap price. It's true that his numbers in the past four seasons with the Broncos aren't as good as we'd like them to be but in the years prior, when he was playing for San Francisco, he provided a decent pass rush along with solid run-stopping ability. He would provide good depth on the D-line.

The second and more intriguing player is Jamie Winborn. Remember him? The Forty Niners traded him to Jacksonville for a seventh round pick in the 2006 draft (probably because of Nolan's stupidity). Does anyone remember who was San Francisco drafted in the seventh round of '06? I don't. Winborn had decent seasons while with the Forty Niners. But his best season was last season in 2008! The 29 year old  started all 16 games last season and stood out on a bad defense by recording 99 tackles (74 solo). He only recorded half a sack, though, because the Broncos primarily used him to drop back. He is versatile and can do both, but is better in coverage, as he showcased with 11 passes defensed last season. He can come in on third downs and we fans won't have to worry about Manny Lawson dropping interceptions or not having good angles on TEs/WRs. Winborn is still young and I bet he'd love to play in San Francisco once more. Imagine having tackling machines in Willis, Spikes and Winborn. Then maybe the Forty Niners can actually use Lawson to rush the passer along with Haralson. Winborn earned 2.25 million last season and can also be a bargain. His and Spikes's veteran experience would greatly help the other young LBs (Willis, Haralson, Lawson).