ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Your mailbag submissions and comments have piled up by the hundreds since Mike Singletary's postgame rant struck me as bizarre and possibly inappropriate for a head coach. This is a conversation worth having. And so it continues, followed by at least one mailbag item for every team in the division ...

SFkling from Kalamazoo, Mich., writes: Do you mean bizarre, unique, or bizarre out of place? Maybe the man is trying to get his team's attention. It startles me when observers of football, an extremely violent game, want their characters to display erudition and control. Niner fans just want to see their team do well.

Mike Sando: Some long-suffering 49ers fans seemed to view Mike Singletary's postgame tirade as cathartic. I viewed it as a coach whose emotions seemed slightly beyond his control, and I questioned whether that was appropriate for a head coach. His behavior struck me as bizarre -- out of place -- by established coaching standards. And I think some of those standards are established for a reason. They have worked over time.

As noted, Singletary needs to be himself. Plenty of coaches have lost their tempers without losing the team. This first postgame session was unlike anything I had seen in terms of an NFL head coach attacking players and letting his emotions flow so freely.

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Corey from Sacramento writes: Hey Mike, love this blog... read it every day practically. I usually agree with you on pretty much every assessment you make about the 49ers, however, I have to wonder why you find Coach Singletary's postgame conference bizzare.

I love that the 49ers finally have a coach willing to call out the sub-par effort from his players (O'Sullivan, Davis) and the stubborn nature of his coaches (Martz). As a fan, I think it's about time someone apologized for the shoddy product on the field week after week. If I can believe in anything with the 49ers, I can believe in Singletary.

Maybe he can at least get the team to compete only against the team they are facing instead of themselves AND the team they are facing. I just want to hear your opinion and why you find his comments bizarre.

Also, Shaun Hill has been called a "game player" and a bad "practice player". He seems to succeed really well in a West Coast system and has a quicker release and is (so far) less mistake prone. I will take a long, methodical drive that results in points over a flashy, quick drive that results in turnovers any day. What are your thoughts on Hill and his potential in the offense?

Mike Sando: Thanks, Corey. I do think Singletary's postgame comments were good for the fans, but Singletary doesn't need to win over the fans. He needs to field a defense that doesn't make Leonard Weaver look like a Hall of Famer.

I questioned whether that Singletary's reaction would be good for the team. Fans are going to love it when the head coach says what the fans are thinking. But there's a reason teams don't hire fans as head coaches.

As a one-time thing, Singletary's rant might be fine. It might even be helpful in getting the players' attention. I questioned whether that type of approach would be any more sustainable than the way the team has been playing offensively, and I have my doubts. Let's see how Singletary handles his emotions in the future.

As for Hill, he can't be worse than O'Sullivan from a turnover standpoint. Clearly, a more conservative approach offensively will help the 49ers avoid mistakes. I think Hill fits that mold better than O'Sullivan.

In fairness to O'Sullivan, though, he was playing the game the way Martz wanted him to play the game. The rules are different for Hill -- thanks to Singletary -- and so we shouldn't judge both quarterbacks by the same standard.

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Joe from Eugene, Ore., writes: Sando-- Watching the highlights of Mike Singletary's post-game "rant," I, too, had some fleeting thoughts of Denny Green and other famous meltdowns. But by the end of it, for whatever reason, I had a totally different perspective.

I guess the whole of the press conference was better than the sum of its parts. I was left with a feeling of confidence in a guy who was willing to call out his players and was not afraid to discipline them in whatever fashion he needed to.

I've been a Niners fan since the cradle, and I haven't been this excited about a head coach since Bill Walsh (and believe you me, I loved Mooch). And if he truly benched O'Sullivan in favor of Hill over Martz's objections, he's even more savvy than I thought.

I'm not dreaming of any deep playoff run, but I like the team's chances for the rest of the season, running on pure chutzpah.

Mike Sando: We will see if the 49ers can improve upon 2-6 over the second half. They do not play like a well-coached team. The penalties and turnovers are out of hand. I think it's key for Singletary to be consistent in how he approaches things. That means controlling his emotions instead of having his emotions control him. We all get frustrated, but we can't react like a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears unless we are playing middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, if that makes any sense.

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Jess from La Quinta, Calif., writes: Mora Jr. @ UW? The Dawgs (huskies) could pay him a lot more and job security would be far better at that University than anywhere in the NFL. I don't see Holmgren back on the Seattle sideline next year either, unfortunately.

My curiosity kills me knowing that our offense is sputtering at best and alas a few defensive plays (against the hapless 9ers) may have given the "D" a little spark going forward. Would there be any potential offensive genius out there that could right our sinking ship by next year?

Mike Sando: I expect Mora to coach the Seahawks next season until we hear something beyond speculation to the contrary. As for the offense, I think injuries at quarterback and receiver explain a lot of the issues. That is obvious.

The Seahawks' efforts to upgrade their running game also obscured the reality that Holmgren and this offense seemingly can't succeed if the passing game isn't functioning well. We hear about other teams using the run to set up the pass. Holmgren has usually set up the run with the pass. Doing it the other way isn't natural to him, particularly when the passing game is such a mess.

Perhaps that changes in the post-Holmgren era. I'll believe it when I see it.

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Jacob from St. Louis writes: How many wins do you project the Rams finishing the season with after 3 strong performances against 3 top ten teams?

Mike Sando: I think we're looking at six victories this season. The home games are against Arizona, Chicago, Miami, Seattle and San Francisco. I see the Rams winning three or four of those games. The road games are against the Jets, 49ers, Cardinals and Falcons. We might expect one victory in those games. Getting to 6-10 from 0-4 would be pretty good.

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Michael from Seattle writes: I think Leonard Weaver is a great runner. His blocking skills are horrid however. He cannot pick up the blitz, he is useless in a blitzing situation. I also think having Koren Robinson on the field is a game changer. I watched him make some dominating blocks during the Packers game. His ability to battle for position and then get the quick slant over
the middle is as good as it was in 2003. If the Seahawks are going to make a run, Koren Robinson is going to have to develop back to where he once was in the Seahawks offensive plans.

Mike Sando: Robinson's block on Walt Harris during Weaver's reception up the left sideline was exactly what you're talking about. I also laud what Robinson brings to the offense.

Lead blocking is Weaver's primary role. I haven't found him terribly deficient in that area. Which blitz pickups have you seen him miss? I didn't have anything in my notes from the San Francisco game.

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Doyle from Harrisburg, Pa., writes: Is there any chance that former Penn State QB Michael Robinson could see any time at QB for the 49ers this season?

Mike Sando: He took a snap and handed off to Frank Gore in the Seattle game. We could see that sort of thing, but if he is lining up under center regularly, that is probably a bad sign for the 49ers' offense.

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KC from Wenatchee, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, I know that someone has already asked this and that you've already responded but I wanted to point out that people are beginning to speculate that Mora may not be with the Seahawks next year. In a Rivals.com article about coach Ty Willingham leaving UW at the end of the season, Tom Dienhart had this to say:

"With Tyrone Willingham on the way out at Washington, speculation now begins as to his replacement. The first two calls Washington president Mark Emmert should make are to Seattle Seahawks secondary coach Jim Mora and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel."

Just wanted to see if you had any thoughts on the situation with these new developments.

Mike Sando: "Speculate" is the key word. We don't really have new developments, other than the Huskies firing Ty Willingham. No one would be shocked if Mora wound up coaching at his alma mater at some point, but my sense is that the Washington job would be there for him in the future. NFL head coaching jobs might not be there.

We don't know the specifics of Mora's contract with the Seahawks. However, I can't imagine the organization signing him to a deal that would allow Mora to leave on his own terms and coach somewhere else for the 2009 season.

By the way, thanks to Michael Steffes of Seahawks Addicts for calling my attention to this list of Mora-to-UW doubters.

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Rio from Bellingham, Wash., writes: So, ever since the first Baptismal, I've been a huge supporter of the movement that is Leonard Weaver. It's safe to say he's one of the best dual-threat fullbacks in the league, especially after this weekend.

My question is, (if I remember correctly) Weaver is going to be a free agent after this year. How highly touted is he to the Seahawks? Especially having someone like Owen Schmitt waiting in the wings. Are we likely to see Weaver in a Seattle jersey after this?

Mike Sando: Drafting Schmitt does give the Seahawks some insurance at the position. Re-signing a fullback generally is not prohibitive from a cost standpoint. The Seahawks would have some flexibility. I see no reason why they couldn't bring him back and develop Schmitt, too.

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Kevin from Turnersville writes: Okay, at the end of last season Shaun Hill went 2-0 before leaving the game in his 3rd start with a back injury. In the offseason, I really figured he would win the job and become the starter but I guess Martz wanted to push O'Sullivan as the starter. So tell me, what were your thoughts about Hill during training camp and going into the season and, also, what are your thoughts now as you reflect on the good overall performance he showed [Sunday]?

Mike Sando: Martz gave O'Sullivan a long leash for a first-year starter. That ended when Singletary yanked it away. Hill looked like a quality backup when the 49ers gave him a chance last season. He has been a late bloomer throughout his career. The 49ers have made no efforts to groom him for this position and I think that makes it tougher for Hill to succeed.

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Mike from Utah writes: Hey Mike, who are you giving the advantage to this week, Cards or Rams? I think it mostly depends on health of Steven Jackson and whether he will play and be 100 percent. But it is a Edwards Jones Dome and everybody knows what they did to the Cowboys in the Dome.

Ya, you could say the Cowboys are a worse team than the Cardinals, BUT the Rams played like they could beat any team that Sunday. Yet, the Cards have arguably more talent in QB, WR's, and defense. Who do you pick to win with S Jack? How about without? Thanks.

Mike Sando: I lean toward the Cardinals because Kurt Warner appears to be on top of his game right now and I'm not sure the Rams' secondary can hold up. But I do think the Rams' ability to strike downfield with Donnie Avery gives them a chance to make big plays.

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MJ from Atlanta writes: Hey Mike, I was wondering if the coaching change and awful quarterback play changes any of Alex Smith's fortunes with the Niners. He may have had his ups and downs as the starting QB, but his play was never, EVER, this bad!

My thinking is that with Nolan gone and an obvious need for some QB, the Niners can't afford for Smith to just walk out the door. What is your take on this?

Mike Sando: Smith seems amenable to sticking around based on his level of engagement on the sideline and in his desire to remain around the team while on injured reserve. Smith and Nolan weren't going to coexist beyond this season. That seemed clear. I do think the door is open for Smith to return if the sides can work out an agreement on a salary reduction.

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Hyman from Rochester, N.Y., writes: Sando, Your thoughts on the following statement -- Seattle's defense has looked it's best this year in the game and a half that Lofa Tatupu has not played.

Mike Sando: Send your full name, address and phone number to me and I'll pass along the statement to Tatupu on your behalf.

Seriously, a healthy Tatupu gives the Seahawks their best chance to win on defense. He has not been healthy this season. He has not been as good this season. I don't think there's any mystery there or evidence we should anticipate any long-range implications.