While the fumbles and muffed catches on special teams no doubt raised eyebrows on the 49ers’ sideline, there was another crucial error, made by rookie Jarryd Hayne, that had just as much of an influence on the team’s decision to waive him on Sunday morning.
HAYNE DUMPED FROM 49ERS ROSTER
The 49ers announced via Twitter and their website that they had promoted running back Kendall Gaskins to the active roster. The man to make way? The story of the pre-season. One of the nation’s top jersey sellers. Jarryd Hayne.
What a fickle business this NFL is. It had only been 48 hours earlier that some news outlets were trumpeting the possibility that Hayne would be given a second chance, nay a career lifeline, against the St Louis Rams on Monday morning (AEDT).
49ers lead running back Carlos Hyde was struggling with a stress fracture in his foot and would likely miss the next two games. Finally, our Jarryd would get some consistent time with the offence and get a chance to show what he is capable of. All he needs is a chance, Australia begged. And then he was waived. Just like that.
The muffed catch against the Vikings, the only one that resulted in a turnover, the fumble against the Ravens and the mix-up against the Packers were all bad plays. No question. There were always going to be some teething problems with Hayne learning the game, but the 49ers would no doubt be getting fed up with him putting the ball on the ground. It’s inexcusable for a veteran, let alone an undrafted free-agent rookie from Minto.
But I would argue the missed block against the Ravens set off just as many alarm bells in the 49ers’ head office. With the then 1-4 49ers up 16-6 against Baltimore and driving down the field before half-time, Hayne was called in to spell Hyde on third down.
One of the main responsibilities of a third-down back is to pass block, often the situation the team is in calls for a pass to pick up big yardage and move the chains. As a result, opposition defences will often blitz, or bring several defenders at the quarterback, on third down.
So Hayne’s role on third down and long would more often than not be to stay in the backfield to provide an extra blocker. Sometimes after guys block or chip a defensive end or linebacker, they then leak out and become a receiver. It can be a really effective play, suck a bunch of defenders towards the quarterback and then quickly dump the ball off to a speedy player with open space out in front of him. But Hayne’s job on this third down play was more than likely just to pick up a blitzing defender.
He starts off on the right of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and as the ball is snapped the Ravens bring five defenders. Now Hayne’s job is to impede at least one of them, get in the guy’s way and give Kaepernick a second or two extra to evade the defenders or get rid of the ball. But Hayne looks totally confused, doesn’t take anyone, spins around and looks lost as linebacker Daryl Smith and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan get through and sack Kaepernick.
While the result of the play, a five-yard loss forcing the 49ers to punt, isn’t the end of the world, it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of Hayne’s talents as a third-down back. So when Hyde was injured, rather than promote Hayne they waived him. They didn’t trust him to protect Kaepernick, the team’s greatest asset (believe it or not).
Let’s not forget Hayne wasn’t dropped for a specialist kick or punt returner, this wasn’t about his skills returning the ball. It was about him playing on offence, picking up blitzes, learning the playbook. It’s the thing critics, including myself, thought he would struggle most with.
The 49ers appeared willing to make him a project player and develop his skills. But after six games, eight carries for 25 yards and eight punt returns for 76 yards that experiment might be over. In San Francisco, anyway.
Hayne has been placed on the waivers for 24 hours, where any of the other 31 teams can claim him. If no one does, then he can stay with the 49ers practice squad or they may release him completely.
HAYNE WAIVED: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
There is a suggestion that waiving Hayne over the weekend means the 49ers are trying to sneak him through waivers so they can sign him to the practice squad.
Either way, it might be a while before we again see Hayne in an NFL jersey.
Bruce
Guest
You poor silly bugger Bluebaggers......lol......it's an unskilled rabble.....lol......kick and giggle!!!!!
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Introduce a knock on rule in AFL and there will be no action. In sports you pay for errors, in AFL they get ignored
Bluebaggers
Guest
It is a far, far, far faster game that NRL. You get more action in 5 minutes of AFL to an entire half of NRL.
Bruce
Guest
Bluebaggers, its always good to check your facts before posting lest you look like a dill. 2 Nov. 2015 - "Aussie punter Brad Wing blamed for wild NY Giants defeat". Not only that - everyone knows that NFL punters are the least skilled, least known, lowest paid player on the roster. AFL is a low base skill game. You can fumble all day long and it dosen't matter you just play on.......hence the moniker Fumble Ball. Time to put the cap on Bluebaggers and get over to the little boys corner......lol.
Sam Rigney
Expert
Some good comments here from the team’s play-by-play radio caller Ted Robinson - “The Voice of the 49ers” - who outlined some of the difficulties with the Aussie recruit. Comments can be found here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/us-sports/jarryd-hayne-nfl-australian-san-francisco-49ers-recruits-future-decided/story-fnp542pi-1227591803676?sv=1eca5597a4d86600e591024eaf88c4c4 “This is hard because there is an argument to be made that when you bring a guy on board like Jarryd Hayne - and there was a lot of ‘feel good’ to him with good reason in pre-season - you have to accept the back side of which is suddenly there is unreal expectation, especially from the Australian media,” Robinson told KNBR. “I couldn’t help but cringe yesterday after another quite frankly non-competitive loss to a division team, the second or third question Jim Tomsula is asked by Australian media in a very belligerent manner is ‘What about Jarryd Hayne?’ “Jarryd Hayne has had zero impact on this team being 2-6. There’s a hope Jarryd Hayne can become a contributing player some day. But right now it’s such a surreal match because he’s not ready to be an NFL running back.” Robinson said Hayne had still not shown he was up to the multi-faceted task of being an NFL running back and had also struggled on punt returns. Yet for all that, he may end up back on the Niners’ active roster due to the Bush and Davis injuries. “It’s hard in this day and age to just stick to facts. Nobody wants to stick to facts, but if we try that Jarryd Hayne has fumbled three punts in his limited time. No other NFL player has had three fumbled punt returns in the first half of the season,” Robinson said. “And as a running back in the Baltimore game, which I think was the tipping point, they put him on the field for a third down play, and he could not pass protect. “Do you want your quarterback to have an injury because you’re playing a running back who really shouldn’t be playing in the situation? He doesn’t understand or is not able to employ the proper technique to pass protect and your quarterback is going to get hurt? What would be the outcry if that happened? “Tom Rathman is as credible and terrific a coach as you could ask for at the running back position, especially with pass protection for running backs. That’s something Tom excelled at. “Jarryd Hayne has a learning curve there ahead of him. And I really believe the 49ers do want him back and I think until maybe halftime yesterday the thought was to hope he clears waivers to get him on the practise squad. Now it could be clear waivers and he’s back on the active. That could well be because of the injuries.”
3 Hats
Guest
Sacked on the team bus? Did Hayne have to travel back on the Cheerleaders bus, as in the Movie with Tom Cruise, All the right moves...LMFAO
no one in particular
Roar Guru
You didn't see the ending of the New Orleans/New York game yesterday?
josh
Roar Rookie
You mean like how Ben Graham was cut from numerous teams. Punting is more cut throat.
Bluebaggers
Guest
Funny the AFL guys that go to NFL never seem to f@#$ up as much as this NRL fumbler. At least now we can get a break from the Sydney media scrum going gah gah over this story. It was pathetic whilst it lasted.
Adrian none
Roar Rookie
Colin Kaepernick been sack 25 times already this season,, blocking protection is important, but not more important then getting 1st downs which what Mike Davis and Kendall Gaskins fail to do the writing was on the wall when McGaughey blame Hayne for the fumble when he team mate run in to him before catching the ball...at any point in time, you run into your PR before he caught the ball it on you, not the PR man
G
Guest
The SMH wrote just as many overblown stories on him, although Booze talked up his achievements alongside the Don, which is ridiculous.
Mahler
Guest
I see they lost again and they can't blame Hayne this time. The sooner he gets out of that club the better.
Fiddlesticks
Guest
Other rookies don't mistakes like that because they have been playing all their lives
baz
Guest
He is a rookie so he not going to get it right every play. So one play on blocking says that all the other plays he was on where he didn't run the ball and was doing the right thing was overuled by getting beat on this particular play. Glad your not a coach. Usually when your learning something and you get beat you start to try and think to what to do and it takes longer. The Defence is always trying to do things to wrong foot people on offense and when a move works it does make the blocker look silly. Does any linemen not look silly when he is beaten by a move and goes through untouched. You suggest they should be dropped for that. He's blocking has been ok for someone so new to it.
josh
Roar Rookie
Glad the 49ers brought the NFL ready players in. 49ers are a shambles.
Sam Rigney
Expert
It's not the fact he gave up a sack, it's how. Looked completely lost out there. I do love the argument about never playing the game. Bravo! I need to play the game to understand blitzes work? Just sound logic, sir.
Sam Rigney
Expert
My favourite time the media embellished or sensationalised a story about Hayne, of course. Try to keep up. According to ESPN stats, Kaepernick has been sacked 25 times this year. How many of those were on third down or the result of a missed blocking assignment by a running back? Couldn't tell ya. But my point is the 49ers had no faith in Hayne at running back in pass blocking situations. The fumbles were bad, this was another problem altogether.
Sam Rigney
Expert
Cheers mate!!
Aaron
Guest
hayne says he's "shocked and upset" being told he was axed on the team bus..what part of that you don't understand?
pete bloor
Guest
People do get beat but then there is how and if it is a problem that was coming through in training as well. He doesn't block to the standard of a rookie with high school and college experience, which is to be expected.