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Nolan Calls Loss Unacceptable Back to Homepage
Sunday, September 25, 2005
By: Chrissy Mauck
http://www.sf49ers.com/SiteImages/News/Image11951.jpg
WR Arnaz Battle scored on a 15-yard TD pass to start things off for the 49ers offense on opening drive.
After enjoying the lead over the Dallas Cowboys for 58 minutes, the 49ers allowed a 12-point margin and the game to slip away with Drew Bledsoe’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson right after the two-minute warning, a game first-year head coach Mike Nolan said the 49ers should have won and a loss he deemed unacceptable.
“In that room, it is unacceptable to lose that game,” Nolan said. “They ought to feel the same way. It’s unacceptable. We are not a 2-14 football team. When you all the sudden start thinking you are a 2-14 football team, then that’s an okay performance. I want our players to know that, that is unacceptable.”
As the Cowboys learned on Monday night when they blew a 13 point edge over the Commanders in the final minutes, an NFL football game lasts 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the 49ers were on the receiving end of that bitter lesson this weekend.
Starting with a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Rattay to Arnaz Battle on opening drive, the 49ers managed to stay on top for almost four quarters of the game. With Kevan Barlow leading the effort with 65 yards, the run game finally got off the ground and for the first time this season totaled more than 100 yards. Rattay threw for 269 yards and finished the day with three touchdown passes, including an 89-yard strike and a 13-yard fade pass to Brandon Lloyd.
But it was Bledsoe and his two daggers in the way of completions of 58 and 44 yards to Terry Glenn that set up both of the Cowboys 4th quarter touchdowns to garner the lead.
“We have to do more on offense,” said Rattay, who called the loss the most frustrating he’s ever been part of. “We have to score more points. We had opportunities and did not take advantage of them.”
One of those opportunities occurred at the end of the first half when Rattay engineered a 13-play drive and advanced to the one-yard line after a 10-yard pass to Barlow. On first down, the 49ers ran the ball and got nowhere. After fumbling the snap on 2nd and goal, Rattay spiked the ball as ordered by the coaching staff to stop the clock and come away with a 20-yard field goal by Joe Nedney.
“We should have let the clock go down and spike the ball at four seconds,” said Nolan in hindsight. “We gave them an opportunity to possibly get three points; they did not. That was an error on my part, not getting it conveyed to the quarterbacks in time. That falls on me. The first thing I thought of was, 'Let's take three and not botch this.'"
The 49ers also missed out on a chance to score early in the fourth quarter when Rattay’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and picked off by Al Singleton at the Cowboys 31. Trailing by just a field goal, the 49ers had 1:51 to work with, but another Rattay pass was deflected, this time by Terence Newman and intercepted by Dat Nguyen.
“I could not make any plays near the end and I take full responsibility for this loss on the offensive side of the ball,” said Rattay.
Defensively, safeties Mike Rumph and Tony Parrish both created turnovers. Rumph forced a Julius Jones fumble that was recovered by Marques Douglas in the first quarter, and Parrish came up with two interceptions, including one he took to the house for a 34-yard touchdown. The defense also held the Cowboys to under 100-yards rushing, but the 363 yards through the air and particularly the big pass plays to Glenn proved to be destructive.
“We didn’t play consistently on defense,” said Parrish. “They continued to execute and we didn’t. It’s a real letdown. Every time we put some points on the board – defensively we would let them back in the game. We can’t do that. They continued to execute and we didn’t.”
Following the loss, the 49ers opened the locker room prior to Nolan addressing the media, a departure from the normal routine. Despite the extra time to gather his thoughts, Nolan did not mince words, indicating that there might be roster changes this week as he weeds out players who are not buying into his team concept.
“There are an awful lot of players in that locker room who I would call champions who will be here, who will be here because they are champions and are part of exactly what I see as the vision for this football team and the target I want to hit.”
Nolan refused to name individuals, saying he’d wait until reviewing the film on Monday, but he pointed out that it boiled down to trust.
“Who believes in the things we are doing and who seems to think they have a better idea," explained Nolan. "The ones who trust, who I believe are champions will remain here. When we call defense or offense calls a play, do you do what you are supposed to do on that play or do you think you know better and kind of do what you want to do? One is called trust, one is called distrust.”
Game Injuries
Julian Peterson, hamstring strain
Ahmed Plummer, groin strain
Arnaz Battle, hamstring strain
Game Highlights
Click here for 49ers/Cowboys Highlights - 56K!
http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/op...005/nflcom/w03/cowboys_49ers_highlight_56k.rm
Click here for 49ers/Cowboys Highlights - 300K!
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Sunday, September 25, 2005
By: Chrissy Mauck
http://www.sf49ers.com/SiteImages/News/Image11951.jpg
WR Arnaz Battle scored on a 15-yard TD pass to start things off for the 49ers offense on opening drive.
After enjoying the lead over the Dallas Cowboys for 58 minutes, the 49ers allowed a 12-point margin and the game to slip away with Drew Bledsoe’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson right after the two-minute warning, a game first-year head coach Mike Nolan said the 49ers should have won and a loss he deemed unacceptable.
“In that room, it is unacceptable to lose that game,” Nolan said. “They ought to feel the same way. It’s unacceptable. We are not a 2-14 football team. When you all the sudden start thinking you are a 2-14 football team, then that’s an okay performance. I want our players to know that, that is unacceptable.”
As the Cowboys learned on Monday night when they blew a 13 point edge over the Commanders in the final minutes, an NFL football game lasts 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the 49ers were on the receiving end of that bitter lesson this weekend.
Starting with a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Rattay to Arnaz Battle on opening drive, the 49ers managed to stay on top for almost four quarters of the game. With Kevan Barlow leading the effort with 65 yards, the run game finally got off the ground and for the first time this season totaled more than 100 yards. Rattay threw for 269 yards and finished the day with three touchdown passes, including an 89-yard strike and a 13-yard fade pass to Brandon Lloyd.
But it was Bledsoe and his two daggers in the way of completions of 58 and 44 yards to Terry Glenn that set up both of the Cowboys 4th quarter touchdowns to garner the lead.
“We have to do more on offense,” said Rattay, who called the loss the most frustrating he’s ever been part of. “We have to score more points. We had opportunities and did not take advantage of them.”
One of those opportunities occurred at the end of the first half when Rattay engineered a 13-play drive and advanced to the one-yard line after a 10-yard pass to Barlow. On first down, the 49ers ran the ball and got nowhere. After fumbling the snap on 2nd and goal, Rattay spiked the ball as ordered by the coaching staff to stop the clock and come away with a 20-yard field goal by Joe Nedney.
“We should have let the clock go down and spike the ball at four seconds,” said Nolan in hindsight. “We gave them an opportunity to possibly get three points; they did not. That was an error on my part, not getting it conveyed to the quarterbacks in time. That falls on me. The first thing I thought of was, 'Let's take three and not botch this.'"
The 49ers also missed out on a chance to score early in the fourth quarter when Rattay’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and picked off by Al Singleton at the Cowboys 31. Trailing by just a field goal, the 49ers had 1:51 to work with, but another Rattay pass was deflected, this time by Terence Newman and intercepted by Dat Nguyen.
“I could not make any plays near the end and I take full responsibility for this loss on the offensive side of the ball,” said Rattay.
Defensively, safeties Mike Rumph and Tony Parrish both created turnovers. Rumph forced a Julius Jones fumble that was recovered by Marques Douglas in the first quarter, and Parrish came up with two interceptions, including one he took to the house for a 34-yard touchdown. The defense also held the Cowboys to under 100-yards rushing, but the 363 yards through the air and particularly the big pass plays to Glenn proved to be destructive.
“We didn’t play consistently on defense,” said Parrish. “They continued to execute and we didn’t. It’s a real letdown. Every time we put some points on the board – defensively we would let them back in the game. We can’t do that. They continued to execute and we didn’t.”
Following the loss, the 49ers opened the locker room prior to Nolan addressing the media, a departure from the normal routine. Despite the extra time to gather his thoughts, Nolan did not mince words, indicating that there might be roster changes this week as he weeds out players who are not buying into his team concept.
“There are an awful lot of players in that locker room who I would call champions who will be here, who will be here because they are champions and are part of exactly what I see as the vision for this football team and the target I want to hit.”
Nolan refused to name individuals, saying he’d wait until reviewing the film on Monday, but he pointed out that it boiled down to trust.
“Who believes in the things we are doing and who seems to think they have a better idea," explained Nolan. "The ones who trust, who I believe are champions will remain here. When we call defense or offense calls a play, do you do what you are supposed to do on that play or do you think you know better and kind of do what you want to do? One is called trust, one is called distrust.”
Game Injuries
Julian Peterson, hamstring strain
Ahmed Plummer, groin strain
Arnaz Battle, hamstring strain
Game Highlights
Click here for 49ers/Cowboys Highlights - 56K!
http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/op...005/nflcom/w03/cowboys_49ers_highlight_56k.rm
Click here for 49ers/Cowboys Highlights - 300K!
http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/op...05/nflcom/w03/cowboys_49ers_highlight_300k.rm
