Unless you’re a fan of the Cardinals, Seahawks or Rams, chances are, you’re pulling for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West this year. Why? Simple––you love their head coach. Mike Singletary is a consummate throwback; an old-school purist who played the game at a Hall of Fame level and teaches football with a passion and fire that would make even John Madden blush. Singletary’s brutal honesty and steadfast commitment to his beliefs give him the type of noble character that is usually associated with small town patriarchs and men with firm handshakes.

And Singletary’s elocution is second to none. Remember his Vernon Davis rant last season? Barely established as the team’s interim head coach, Singletary booted the young first-round tight end off the field in a Week 8 loss and afterwards vented fervidly about his intolerance for selfish players. It was the type of cutting honesty and public finger-pointing that shows up once every other generation in the closed-lip world of professional football. And it just so happened that the tactic worked. Not only did Davis respect his head coach and become less of an underachiever for the remainder of the season, but the 49ers started to show a semblance of identity. They wound up winning four of their final five games, convincing next-generation owner Jed York to lock up his charismatic coach in a four-year contract.

Because Singletary has oratory skills that could inspire PETA to throw a barbecue, the temptation is to believe in his team in 2009. But, true to form, Singletary has, at times, sprinkled harsh caution on any bubbling excitement. He’s acknowledged concern about the leadership of his offense. Because Kurt Warner turned down their two-year, $30 million offer, the Niners are a team plagued with an unsightly quarterback competition. In one corner is Alex Smith, who has been slightly less successful than General Motors the past few years. Shoulder injuries have hounded the former No. 1 overall pick, though even when healthy, Smith has been uninspiring at best. He had to agree to a cheaper two-year, $6.5 million deal in order to return in 2009. In the other corner is Smith’s close friend, Shaun Hill. The former seventh-round pick is 7-3 as a starter, though his decision-making can be iffy, and he doesn’t offer premium measurables.

Whoever wins the job––likely Hill––will be operating behind a makeshift offensive line that has surrendered a franchise-worst 55 sacks in each of the past two seasons. On the plus side, the quarterback will be throwing to what should be an improved group of receivers, headlined by first-round stallion Michael Crabtree (assuming he can fully recover from the stress fracture in his left foot that sidelined him the entire offseason).

Of course, per Singletary’s M.O., the passing game will take a backseat to a hard nosed, nail-spitting ground attack. The grossly overrated Mike Martz was fired from his offensive coordinator position almost immediately after last season. After reportedly being rejected by his first three targets, Singletary finally found Martz’s replacement in Jimmy Raye, a 33-year assistant making his sixth stop as a coordinator. In a stunning symbol of instability, Raye is the seventh different offensive coordinator employed by this franchise in the last seven years.

The optimism surrounding the Niners pertains primarily to a defense that gave up 10 fewer points per game last season after Mike Nolan and his complicated hybrid scheme were shown the door. New defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is employing a traditional 3-4 base, which is likely only to flourish if San Francisco can get a 10-sack season from one of its pass-rushers (something that hasn’t happened since 2002). With a superstar inside linebacker in Patrick Willis, a decent front line headlined by high-motor end Justin Smith and a secondary that’s pretty good when pricey corner Nate Clements plays up to par, a viable pass-rush could be all that’s needed to push this defense into the upper echelons in football.

So maybe there is reason beyond Singletary to be excited about this team. It’s not like the NFC West is the tallest mountain to climb. And it’s not like bigger NFL miracles haven’t happened before. Heck, this is why future Hall of Fame receiver Isaac Bruce delayed retirement for one more year. Asked why he returned, Bruce said, “To play in the playoffs again and win a Super Bowl.” Go ahead and snicker, but as the former Ram added, “I was 4-12 one year (’98) and the following year (’99) I won a Super Bowl.”

Click here to continue reading…