B.Y. makes a promise to 49ers fans
Bryant Young, certainly one of the most respected players to grace the 49ers' locker room, said he would be sure to let 49ers fans know before next week's game so there can be a proper send-off.
It appears as if the 49ers' game next week against the Buccaneers will be the final chance to see Young put on No. 97 and play a home game.
He spoke tonight like a man who plans to retire. In fact, he came real close to announcing it after the game.
Then, he decided against it. Young said he has not made up his mind, 100 percent, but he sure sounded like a man who has decided he will not be back in 2008.
"It's tough, man," Young said. "It seems like the last few weeks I have really been thinking about my future and really listening to my body and thinking if this is the right time to walk away.
"I'll just say . . . it's nearing the end. My days are numbered. I'm just trying to enjoy it if this is my last year and the last moments of being a Niner."
* * *
Coach Mike Nolan announced after the game that, of course, Shaun Hill will start for the 49ers in the final two games of the season. The 49ers don't want to take the risk of playing Trent Dilfer again after his bad concussion and, frankly, Hill earned the starting job with the best play the 49ers have seen from a QB this season.
"I think Shaun's strengths are his instincts and his ability to make plays," Nolan said.
Said Hill, "A lot has to do with the training I received. I give a lot of credit to Coach (Jim) Hostler, Coach (Frank) Cignetti and what I learned last year from Coach (Norv) Turner. Tonight it came down to successful execution of the game play. We haven't always been able to do that this season. So accomplishing that tonight was huge. The defense did a great job. As an offense, we've had confidence in them all along. They continued to do that tonight, and fortunately, we were able to step up our level of performance. Having no turnovers was also important."
Of course, the question was asked of Nolan: What took you so long? Why wasn't Hill playing before Dilfer got injured.
"You can always second-guess," Nolan said. "He didn't have any experience to this point. I thought how he played today was very good for our football team."
Hill is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
* * *
In case you're wondering why Nolan went for it on fourth-and-2 instead of kicking a 41-yard FG with more than six minutes remaining that would've given the 49ers a 10-point lead, well, just blame it on Larry Allen.
"I thought we had great momentum on offense," Nolan said. "Our offense was moving the ball. As a matter of fact, the time before, it was fourth-and-4 and we kicked the field goal. Larry Allen came to me and said he wanted to go for it. I said, 'Larry, it's fourth-and-4.' To Larry, it doesn't matter. I said, 'If it's fourth-and-1, I'll go' I had confidence, since our guys were playing well."
* * *
INJURY REPORT: RB Michael Robinson (left shoulder stinger) and S Dashon Goldson (leg cramps) left the game in the second half. Neither returned, but both are listed as probable for the 49ers' game next Sunday against the Buccaneers.
* * *
CB Nate Clements had good coverage on the Bengals' fourth-down play in which Carson Palmer tried to hit Chad Johnson in the end zone. The pass was incomplete. The replay held up to a referee challenge.
"I had a feeling it was coming," Clements said. "I thought they'd find a way to get him the ball. It was me and him, and I won the battle."
That was the good part for Clements. The play he was still agonizing over came earlier in the fourth quarter when he tried to jump an out route and was in perfect position. However the pass went over his hands and Johnson caught it and turned upfield for a 25-yard gain.
"That hurts so bad I want to cry," Clements said. "I don't get too many of those. I was thinking six (points) al the way. That hurts. I didn't look it all the way in. I was looking at the end zone."
Bryant Young, certainly one of the most respected players to grace the 49ers' locker room, said he would be sure to let 49ers fans know before next week's game so there can be a proper send-off.
It appears as if the 49ers' game next week against the Buccaneers will be the final chance to see Young put on No. 97 and play a home game.
He spoke tonight like a man who plans to retire. In fact, he came real close to announcing it after the game.
Then, he decided against it. Young said he has not made up his mind, 100 percent, but he sure sounded like a man who has decided he will not be back in 2008.
"It's tough, man," Young said. "It seems like the last few weeks I have really been thinking about my future and really listening to my body and thinking if this is the right time to walk away.
"I'll just say . . . it's nearing the end. My days are numbered. I'm just trying to enjoy it if this is my last year and the last moments of being a Niner."
* * *
Coach Mike Nolan announced after the game that, of course, Shaun Hill will start for the 49ers in the final two games of the season. The 49ers don't want to take the risk of playing Trent Dilfer again after his bad concussion and, frankly, Hill earned the starting job with the best play the 49ers have seen from a QB this season.
"I think Shaun's strengths are his instincts and his ability to make plays," Nolan said.
Said Hill, "A lot has to do with the training I received. I give a lot of credit to Coach (Jim) Hostler, Coach (Frank) Cignetti and what I learned last year from Coach (Norv) Turner. Tonight it came down to successful execution of the game play. We haven't always been able to do that this season. So accomplishing that tonight was huge. The defense did a great job. As an offense, we've had confidence in them all along. They continued to do that tonight, and fortunately, we were able to step up our level of performance. Having no turnovers was also important."
Of course, the question was asked of Nolan: What took you so long? Why wasn't Hill playing before Dilfer got injured.
"You can always second-guess," Nolan said. "He didn't have any experience to this point. I thought how he played today was very good for our football team."
Hill is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
* * *
In case you're wondering why Nolan went for it on fourth-and-2 instead of kicking a 41-yard FG with more than six minutes remaining that would've given the 49ers a 10-point lead, well, just blame it on Larry Allen.
"I thought we had great momentum on offense," Nolan said. "Our offense was moving the ball. As a matter of fact, the time before, it was fourth-and-4 and we kicked the field goal. Larry Allen came to me and said he wanted to go for it. I said, 'Larry, it's fourth-and-4.' To Larry, it doesn't matter. I said, 'If it's fourth-and-1, I'll go' I had confidence, since our guys were playing well."
* * *
INJURY REPORT: RB Michael Robinson (left shoulder stinger) and S Dashon Goldson (leg cramps) left the game in the second half. Neither returned, but both are listed as probable for the 49ers' game next Sunday against the Buccaneers.
* * *
CB Nate Clements had good coverage on the Bengals' fourth-down play in which Carson Palmer tried to hit Chad Johnson in the end zone. The pass was incomplete. The replay held up to a referee challenge.
"I had a feeling it was coming," Clements said. "I thought they'd find a way to get him the ball. It was me and him, and I won the battle."
That was the good part for Clements. The play he was still agonizing over came earlier in the fourth quarter when he tried to jump an out route and was in perfect position. However the pass went over his hands and Johnson caught it and turned upfield for a 25-yard gain.
"That hurts so bad I want to cry," Clements said. "I don't get too many of those. I was thinking six (points) al the way. That hurts. I didn't look it all the way in. I was looking at the end zone."
