NFL Week 3 - Singletary & 49ers Done?

A firey head coach, Mike Singletary brought spirit and spunk to a listless 49ers team that continued its downward spiral under Mike Nolan. A midseason promotion from assistant head coach gave Singletary the remainder of the season as an audition. After the season he won the job outright.

The years under Nolan were finally were the ones the 49ers would make the playoffs. Singletary then brought the supposed fire and brimstone needed to jump start the niners to the next level. It didn't happen in 2009. It doesn't look like it's going to happen in 2010.

Three games into the season, the 49ers fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. So the downward spiral continues.

Singletary is an inner your face, yelling kind of coach. He's old school tough. The players love him. The played inspire football for him early on. Singletary put his foot in talented but volatile TE Vernon Davis. Davis straightened out his attitude and now is one of the best and highest paid TEs. Michael Crabtree had a productive rookie year despite a lengthy hold out. Former #1 overall pick Alex Smith choose to take a pay cut and continue with the team. The defense absolutely loved Singletary.

Losing changes things. Singletary is still the same fire and brimstone coach. The problem becomes when do the players start tuning him out? Yelling and screaming can only get you so far. The bottom line in sports is winning. Players will put up with a lot if winning. Not so much if losing.

Albeit for different reasons, three players abruptly have left the team. Second year running back Glenn Coffee retire in August citing spiritual reasons. Kentwan Balmer took a leave an absence during training camp. Michael Lewis lost appears to have lost his starting job and now wants his outright release.

These only the cracks we see in the foundation. Who really knows what happens behind the scenes. Don't forget GM Scott McCloughan left suddenly with no real explanation in March.

A perfect storm might be brewing in San Francisco conspiring to the Singletary regime soon. The 49ers play in one of the weaker divisions and many already crowned them champs. The team has fallen short of expectations for years now. A few more losses and Singletary might get the boot. The schedule does no favors as they play at Atlanta and host Philadelphia. The 49ers might be 0-5 after that stretch with the Raiders coming across the Bay for a game. A loss or poor showing might just finish off Singletary.

Midseason coaching changes are rare but the 49ers have done it recently. Usually if a midseason change is coming, teams wait until the open date. Singletary might not make it that far.

Animal House Strikes, Again
Just when you think the NY Jets had things under control on and off the field, Braylon Edwards drags the team back into the spotlight again for the wrong reasons.

Police pulled Edwards over for having to dark a tint on his windows. The police ended up arresting Edwards on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The Jets decided to "punish" Edwards by benching him for a quarter in last week's game. GM Mike Tannenbaum stated the punishment wasn't for the DUI but for being out late. I think the one quarter time out made the Jets look foolish. I would have much more understood had the Jets said they will wait for the case to work through the legal system before deciding what to do with Edwards. The quarter sit down and the excuse it was for being out late make a mockery of the seriousness of the situation.

NFL Stat Line of the Week
Leon Washington - RB/KR Seattle
4 Kick off returns for a total of 253 yards, 2 TDs (101 and 99 yards) for an average of 63.3 yards per return.

NFL Player of the Week
After scoring only 10 points in each of the first two games, the Ravens finally found their offense. Anquin Bolden earns this week's award for 142 yards on 8 catches for 3 TDs to ignite a stagnated Ravens offense.

JaMarcus Russell Player of the Week
David Garrard - QB Jacksonville
A week after getting bench, Garrard responded with an anemic 13-30 passing for 105 yards. Behind Garrard's leadership, the Jags only managed a field goal.

Joe Pisarcik Player/Coach of the Week
Mike Singletary - Head Coach 49ers
I'm changing the award to make just about everybody eligible for this one...from GMs, coaches and players. Singletary wins this week due to the flat out awful performance against the Chiefs. The 49ers are a few more blow out loses away from an interim head coach.