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Well, they haven’t done much else all season. 

I’ve always claimed to be a big picture kind of person, and the big pitcure is that while eight more points separates this team from wins over Baltimore and Atlanta and a 4-4 record, six less points this season makes the 49ers 0-8.  The NFL, especially this season, is a game where the team who makes the least mistakes can win the game.  But all the grandstanding in the world cannot hide the fact that the 49ers just have not executed on the field like they know how.

Is it rookie Offensive Coordinator Jim Hostler?  Maybe the players really get the play in the huddle and say, “you know, I don’t think this will work,” and then go out lazy on the play.  Is it Head Coach Mike Nolan?  Perhaps his players are trading junior-high caliber insults about his tie or goatee–you know, focusing on the important things.  Is it quarterback Alex Smith?  Perhaps he feared playing for this team so much that he intentionally turned his shoulder so that it would become separated.  Is it the defense?  I’ll bet Nate Clements said, “Hey guys let’s play 40 minutes on defense and see how tired we can get!”

I know precisely who to blame for this mess, and most fans and media people will hate me for saying it.

Everybody.

Putting the blame on Everybody means people don’t get to isolate their pet peeve on the team and demand its demotion, removal, or complete destruction.  It means Mike Nolan will not be fired.  Heck, it even means that the favorite whipping boy Jim Hostler won’t be fired.  Even the media admit he’s getting better, and that’s hard for them to do.  It means that we probably won’t see wholesale changes on the Offensive Line, or in the Wide Receiver corps (probably need one really good player), or at <gasp!> the Quarterback position.  It means that even the stalwart Special Teams unit must pay the piper for yielding the kickoff return TD to Allen Rossum of the Steelers.

Putting the blame on Everybody admits the following:

• Mike Nolan must grow more cajones and go for the jugular early
• Jim Hostler must mix it up ala his first drive of the game
• Greg Manusky has to get a pass rush going
• Alex Smith has to trust his line and his mechanics
• Frank Gore must relax and be patient for the running game to improve
• The Wide Receivers have to catch the balls thrown their way
• Larry Allen must step up or step down
• Adam Snyder and David Baas have to prove their worth
• Vernon Davis must keep it up, because he’s getting better quickly
• Patrick Willis is a machine, but might want to speak up more.

The overall reason that this team is 2-6 is because Everybody has failed to play their best at the same time.  When the Line struggles, Smith struggles to get the ball out.  When receivers drop the ball, Smith struggeles to get a rhythm.  When the passing game sputters, the running game sputters.  When the Defense is getting beaten like a drum, ala New Orleans, the offense has to force it through the air, and they’re just not ready to do that.

There have been absolutely no games where Everybody went out and executed as one.  This is especially true offensively.  When the line has a good game, Frank Gore is injured.  When Alex hits open guys, the receivers drop the ball.  When receivers break free, Alex misses the open guy.  When Trent Dilfer plays decent enough to win and the defense yields zero touchdowns, Joe Nedney misses a kick in his range, or Frank gets tripped up on a draw.  When Alex plays well enough to move the ball, a receiver screws up a timing route on a zone coverage.  When the team comes home 2-1, Smiley and Heitmann miss Rocky Bernard and Smith goes down.

I refuse to make excuses.  But there are lots of reasons things have gone badly.  Ultimately, the great teams overcome adversity.  We know what this team is capable of doing, that’s why expectations were so high.  We understand they are still capable of doing it, but we scratch our heads and wonder why they haven’t.  Ultimately it’s all about opportunity and what you do with it.  When the defense gives the ball back to the offense, the offense has failed to capitalize.  When the offense has given the defense a lead, the defense has failed to hold.  When Smith and Davis get the ball to the one, the offensive line and Michael Robinson can’t get one yard into the end zone against the Falcons.

I will never lose my belief and faith in this team, but I expect them to lose because they haven’t shown that they can capitalize on opportunities.  Invariably, in some way, shape or form, one part of this team underperforms to cost them the game.  I expect them to lose because Seattle is still on a mission after getting swept by the 49ers.  I expect them to lose because Frank Gore is still not 100%.  I expect them to lose because they lost to Atlanta. 

Since I’ve only given reasons why they could win every game past, I present legitimate reasons why they will lose.

Because maybe this time they can fail to live up to my expectations… and win.