The 49ers were as atrocious as an NFL team could be last year. They had far and away the worst defense in the league last year and still had no answer at quarterback. Calling them a hot mess would be an understatement.
However, not all hope is lost here in the Bay Area. As we’ve seen in the past, it is much better to bottom out than to stay mediocre for all of eternity like the 2012-2015 Rams. Getting a franchise in a new direction and getting top level talent in the draft is a recipe for building a future fans can believe in.
2002 Cincinnati Bengals: 3 years
The 2002 Bengals were an abomination to NFL football. Led by John Kitna at quarterback, the Bengals went 2-14, their worst record ever. They finished with a bottom 5 offense and the league’s worst defense to add insult to injury.
However, changing coaches and drafting Carson Palmer #1 overall immediately changed the fortunes of the Bengals. They followed their miserable 2002 season with back to back 8-8 seasons. Carson Palmer had a breakout season in 2005, leading the Bengals to an 11-5 record and their first winning record since 1990.
2007 Miami Dolphins: 1 year
Those 2007 Dolphins were a special kind of terrible. They signed the longtime Chiefs quarterback Trent Green in an attempt to improve off of a 6-10 campaign in 2006. Needless to say, it didn’t work as they went 1-15 with their only win coming in overtime.
Things were not looking bright for the Dolphins in 2008 either. However, they signed longtime Jets quarterback Chad Pennington and he was actually healthy for an entire season for once. After an 2-4 start, the Dolphins went 9-1 the rest of the way, clinching the only non-Patriots AFC East title since 2003.
2008 Detroit Lions: 3 years
Come on! If this team can do it, any team can. The 2008 Lions pulled off what the 2007 Dolphins barel
y avoided, becoming the only team in NFL history to finish winless in a 16 game season, with 10 of those losses coming by double digits.
Getting their way out of the ultimate cellar was a process, but they started by drafting Matthew Stafford with the first pick in the 2009 draft, followed by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2010. They only won 2 games in 2009 and got 6 wins in 2010. However, they broke through in 2011, winning their first 5 games en route to finishing 10-6 and earning their first playoff birth since 1999.
2010 Carolina Panthers: 3 years
The 2010 Panthers were almost as bad as bad gets, especially on offense. They bumbled their way to 2-14, were outscored by 212 points on the season and averaged a paltry 12 points per game.
They had no hope and then…….. SUPERMAN came to the rescue!
Cam Newton set several records as a rookie as the Panthers improved by 4 games in 2011. They added Luke Kuechly and Star Lotuleilei in the following couple drafts. By 2013, they were a legitimate Super Bowl contender, finishing 12-4 and clinching the NFC South title.
2012 Kansas City Chiefs: 1 year
The 2012 Chiefs started the amazing duo of Matt Cassell and Brady Quinn, which combined for 8 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and the crowd CHEERING when Cassell got hurt. They finished 2-14 and to top it off, one of their players also committed a murder-suicide during the season. Things couldn’t get any worse for Kansas City.
However, 2013 was a new year. They brought in longtime Eagles head coach Andy Reid, traded for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and improved 9 games to 11-5. They have not had a losing record since.
Where does this leave the 49ers?
The 49ers have John Lynch, Stanford alumni and 16 year NFL veteran managing their front office decisions and Kyle Shanahan, the son of longtime and well respected head coach Mike, calling plays on the field. That fixes two of the major problems the 49ers have had over the last 2 years.
Ultimately, the 49ers primary goal over the next few seasons has to be getting a franchise quarterback. All of the above teams improved dramatically by fixing their problems at the most important position. Kirk Cousins is not a terrible option, and the 2018 draft will have a lot of good quarterbacks to pick from as well.
In the end, it is not unrealistic to think the 49ers can be a playoff team by 2018 or 2019. In fact, it is completely realistic if we use examples from the past. The 49ers just need to make sure they play their cards right, get a franchise quarterback and continue to build. The future is bright.
