| Subject: Bye, bye Mora... |
Author:
David Pallas
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Date Posted: 17:02:12 01/12/03 Sun
If Bill Walsh, Terry Donahue and Steve Mariucci (if he is still around after the season) are committed to winning, Jim Mora Jr. would not be the defensive coordinator next season. His continuous "bend but do not break defense" simply does not work. He has no understanding of when to blitz, when to play zone, or when to play man-to-man defense. Thus, the 49ers third down scheme is horrible and usually results in first down for the opposing offense. The term "attack" is not in his defensive vocabulary and his style lost games in New Orleans and St. Louis and nearly games against Seattle, Arizona and Kansas City. They do not attack weaker offenses, allowing all-world quarterbacks like Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Plummer, Trent Dilfer, Drew Brees, and Kerry Collins look like future Hall of Famers.
The 49ers are as talented defensively as Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, arguably the top two defenses in the league. Although the pass rush is horrible and non-existent, Andre Carter consistently gets to the quarterback and Bryant Young is still solid despite constantly being double teamed. The linebackers are athletic and fast yet they miss too many tackles. Additionally, there is no disguising of or creativity in blitz packages which usually allows the offense to prepare and audible at the line. Julian Peterson is becoming a star and Derek Smith solidifies the middle. However, the weakest link is Jeff Ulbrich. At best, a decent reserve on most teams, he somehow amazes me with the playing time and four year contract extension he received. He takes himself out of the play, gets overpowered in the running game, and simply cannot cover anyone. The secondary, although getting torched this season, is the strongest part of the team. At safety, Zack Bronson and Tony Parrish form one of the best safety duos in the league. Ahmed Plummer is a solid cornerback and will be in the Pro-Bowl in a couple of years. Jason Webster, although small, is solid cover corner although he does get overpowered by bigger wide receivers. Both are strong tacklers and provide solid run support. Mike Rumph was drafted for his physical play against bigger receivers. However, Jim Mora Jr., being the defensive genius he is, opts to play Rumph in a read and react scheme, something he is not suitable to play at this point in his career. Think it’s a lack of talent? Mike Rumph gave up ONE touchdown reception in FOUR years at the University of Miami.
I don't know how many more free agent signings and defensive drafts the 49ers must endure before they realize it isn't the players, but the philosophy. It is simply not working. Dave Campo, although not a successful pro coach, had no talent in Dallas, yet had a strong defense. Ray Rhodes, who resigned in Denver, had an attacking top-ten defense. Should the 49ers let go Mariucci, Marvin Lewis would be an excellent fit. He is a defensive wizard and would drastically improve the defense. If you think that the problem lies within the 49ers talent, look no further than the Indianapolis Colts. With no talent on defense, but a solid scheme, the Colts soared from 29th in 2001 and 21st in 2000 to 8th this past year. The problem lies within the coach, not the players.
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