San Francisco 49ers

Q&A with Tracy Sandler of 49ers Fangirl on 2016 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Niner Noise sat down with Tracy Sandler, our favorite 49ers Fangirl insider and part of the Fan Girl Sports Network, to discuss everything going on with the San Francisco 49ers over what has been a putrid 2016 season. You’ll want to read her input.

If you aren’t following Tracy Sandler of 49ers Fangirl, you’re doing it wrong. Sandler has been a friend of Niner Noise for years, and we never shy away from having her be a guest of the site.

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Her opinions are top notch, and you’ll want to check out the 49ers Fangirl website for even more insight on everything San Francisco 49ers.

And, in case you didn’t notice, all that’s going on with the Niners right now is bad. Week 13’s loss to the Chicago Bears might have been rock bottom. Only that bottom was set even lower by Week 14’s disastrous 23-17 overtime loss to the lowly New York Jets.

Nevermind the fact San Francisco got out to a 14-0 start. What matters is head coach Chip Kelly and Co. coughed up the lead en route to the team’s 12th consecutive loss.

So what does Sandler think of this contest and the state of things in Santa Clara right now?

Let’s break it down.

NN: What differences do you see with the 49ers between the start of the season and now? Despite the record, are you noticing any signs of improvement fans can get behind heading into the offseason?

TS: It’s frustrating, because the 49ers seem to take two steps forward and two steps back. They played well and came close against Arizona and competed with New England for three quarters before completely falling apart. They played well in Miami and folded against Chicago.

Fans can get excited about DeForest Buckner and Rashard Robinson. Buckner, especially, is having a strong season. He has five sacks on the season and had 11 combined tackles and two of those sacks in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets.

Beyond that, this season is just a tough one for the team and the fans.

NN: Who knows if there’s a power struggle between Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke? But if there is, who do you think wins out and why? If any decision was up to you, who would you rather see stay? Or do you think it’s best to simply clean house and start afresh?

TS: If there is, I think Chip Kelly wins out. Trent Baalke has had years to prove himself and has made multiple mistakes in personnel. I don’t disagree with his philosophy, but in order for the philosophy to work, a team has to draft well, and that has not happened over the last several years.

Kelly should get more than one year and see what he can do after a strong draft and key, or at least improved, free agent signings. The team needs consistency and the players like playing for Chip. So, I would say give Chip another year and see how the team progresses.

December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium. The Jets defeated the 49ers 23-17 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

NN: Colin Kaepernick has played relatively well over the last four weeks prior to Week 13 in Chicago. Do you think it’s wise for the 49ers to try and lure him back for another season and worry about other problems? Or is it simply best to “let that ship sail” and move in a new direction in 2017?

Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) calls to teammates against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

TS: Full disclosure, I’m a big Colin Kaepernick fan, but I have a tough time with this one. On the one hand, if he continues to play well and look comfortable in Chip Kelly’s offense, it would make sense to want him back. This draft doesn’t necessarily have a franchise quarterback (though they certainly need to draft a quarterback), and the free agent pickings are slim, except maybe Kirk Cousins and even that is dicey.

On the other hand, Kaepernick has not been nearly consistent enough, having multiple games where he has a strong first half and terrible second half. Some of that is play calling and the personnel around him, but some of it is on him as well. It may be best for him and for the organization to start fresh.

NN: Name a few players on the Niners roster who have impressed you this season, despite 2016 being a forgettable year.

TS: DeForest Buckner, Rashard Robinson, Jeremy Kerley and Carlos Hyde.

NN: With San Francisco in the tank, what are some immediate goals the team can reach for outside of the cliche-type “win every game” approach? Are there certain units you’re hoping to see vast improvement/development? Is a certain player you’d like to see finish strong?

TS: I’d like to see the defense show improvement, but it’s a combination of scheme and personnel, so that may not be possible this season.

Joshua Garnett has shown a lot of promise, so I’m curious to see what he can do in these final few games. I’d also like to Jeremy Kerley can back involved in the offense, as he was a bright spot for this team this year.

Be sure to check out the 49ers Fangirl YouTube site for continuous video podcasts and breakdowns on everything Niners. And you can always check out podcasts from Sandler on iTunes.

Give her a follow on Twitter — @49ersfangirl.

And remember, San Francisco fans, we’re in this together through the good and bad.