Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Full 2016 Report-Card Grades for Every Position

By Peter Panacy

Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) prepares to pass the football against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) prepares to pass the football against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly addresses the media after the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levis Stadium Seahawks defeated the 49ers 25-23. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly addresses the media after the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levis Stadium Seahawks defeated the 49ers 25-23. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

F. . Coaching. San Francisco 49ers.

So much for the Chip Kelly era in San Francisco.

The one-and-done head coach won’t have a chance to see if his system would have worked over the long run. And, in many ways, Kelly was doomed from the start. He inherited a mess of a roster and wasn’t able to formulate much of an effective staff either.

Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s scheme led to franchise lows in nearly every area, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee pointed out in Week 17:

While Kelly should get some credit for improving the team in some areas — he did — the 2-14 record speaks for itself.

Biggest Standout: Chip Kelly

Kelly kind of gets this by default. But it’s far from a solid grade for the former head coach.

If it weren’t for Kelly’s noted improvements with an anemic roster, the Niners would have been even more of a laughingstock than they are now.

Kelly’s offense was responsible for generating the league’s fourth-best rushing offense. And one could make the argument he made something useful out of quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

But those second-half meltdowns on offense won’t give the 49ers coaching staff anything better than an F.

Biggest Bust: Jim O’Neil

The 49ers should have realized this was coming. O’Neil’s run defenses with the Cleveland Browns ranked Nos. 32 and 30 in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

We’re pretty sure you know where the Niners ranked in this same category in 2016.

O’Neil’s read-and-react schemes were not what San Francisco’s defense needed. Techniques were wrong, and his soft-zone approaches frequently left defensive backs out of position. Additionally, the players on roster simply couldn’t adjust to what he was asking them to do when O’Neil wanted to get things more aggressive.

It was a disaster in the making.

More from Niner Noise

So now the 49ers can start focusing on putting this dreadful year behind them and truly begin the rebuild process in earnest.

Maybe this is going to be a valuable learning process for this franchise — one having to start from the top.

At last there area  few pieces on both sides of the ball that give a bit of a foundation to move forward.

Next: 49ers CEO Jed York Made the Right Move in Firing Chip Kelly

And yet there are still so many holes to fill.