49ers Blog and Q&A: Winner or non-loser? -- Sacramento Bee

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November 28, 2006

Winner or non-loser?

Question: It seems that Mike Nolan plays not to lose rather than too win at times. I for one would like to see the Niners go for the jugular. Do other teams see this as a sign of weakness?

- Alex, Shingle Springs

Answer: I think other teams see the 49ers' inability to convert short-yardage plays as a weakness. However, I think most coaches would have done exactly what Nolan did when in his situation. A lot of fans are pointing to Mike Holmgren's gutsy decision Monday night as an example of what a winning coach does. But that was an entirely different game than the one the 49ers were involved in. The final score is evidence of that.

- Matthew Barrows

Posted by Bob Rudy at 8:56 PM | Comments |

MATTHEW BARROWS

Matt was born in Blacksburg, Va., and attended the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1995, went to Northwestern for a journalism degree a year later, and got his first job at a South Carolina daily in 1997. He joined The Bee as a Metro reporter in 1999 and started covering the 49ers in 2003. His favorite player of all time is Darrell Green.