The San Francisco 49ers lost their 10th straight game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. If they don’t get a win against a Chicago Bears teams with Matt Barkley at quarterback next week, they may not get another victory the rest of the season.
The 49ers have tumbled from being one of the best teams in football just a few years ago to a woefully barren mess that bears little resemblance to their previous success.
The person most responsible for piecing together the current mess is general manager Trent Baalke.
Baalke has been with the franchise since 2005 and has served as the team’s general manager for the last six seasons. But while the team built arguably the best roster in football during Baalke’s early days in the top job, the successes have been long forgotten. In an interview with the team’s pre-game show on KNBR on Sunday, Baalke said if the team cannot find success the failure falls on him.
“You know, they give us everything we need and I’ve said that. I’ve gone public with that. If we don’t get it done, put it on me,” Baalke said. “We’ve got all the resources necessary. Funding has never been an issue at the free agent market, or any other thing that we’ve needed. So, it falls strictly on my shoulders. I’m disappointed, I’m disappointed with the outcome up until now.”
Baalke was asked how he tries to keep things positive given a nine-game losing streak at the time.
“I don’t know if you do keep yourself up, or positive. I think you are drained. It’s a draining experience. I feel bad for the fans, I feel bad for a lot of people, the ownership in particular,” he said.
Baalke says he has the tools needed to win in San Francisco. Being unable to win with the tools required available means Baalke is at fault for the failure to win.
The 49ers are 7-25 over the last 32 games. They’ve gone from Jim Harbaugh to Jim Tomsula to Chip Kelly over that span. Baalke made the decision on installing Tomsula as head coach and in hiring Kelly last offseason. The only remaining place of blame rests with Baalke and the roster he’s constructed.
