It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Not that Rice, who holds every major receiving record in NFL history, hated Trestman. It's just he hated the things Trestman made him do:

Run 2-yard crossing routes.

Take a physical beating.

And eventually, even consider retirement.

''That was a nightmare for me,'' said Rice, who caught 108 passes last season, but for ''only'' eight touchdowns and 1,254 yards, an 11.6-yards-per-reception average, 4 yards below his career average.

Those feelings went away withTrestman, and the hiring of new head coach Steve Mariucci, who replaced George Seifert.

''I caught a lot of balls, but it was not a fun year for me,'' said Rice, the NFL's all-time leader in touchdowns, yards receiving and career receptions, who is expected to play extensively in the first half tomorrow night when the Jaguars play the 49ers at 3Com Park in San Francisco in a preseason game. ''I had some doubts in my mind. I was saying, 'Jerry, you've been here for a long time. Maybe it's time to leave, move on.' ''

The main problem was how Trestman used Rice, as a possession receiver, an inexplicable tactic for one of the NFL's top deep threats. Trestman's explanation was the 49ers' running game was suspect, and he needed Rice for first downs in what had become a possession offense.

The strategy worked enough to get the 49ers to the playoffs, but the result was an unhappy Rice, who was so weary by season's end that in one critical goal-line situation against Carolina, he had to leave the field. Quarterback Steve Young threw into triple coverage to rookie Terrell Owens, and the pass was intercepted, killing any chance of a comeback.

In six of the last nine games, Rice averaged under 10 yards a catch. His three 100-yard games and eight touchdowns both were the lowest totals since his rookie year, and, for the first time in his career, he didn't have a catch as long as 40 yards.

''I'm used to stretching downfield, making the big plays,'' Rice said. ''After you get the defense off you, you've got the underneath routes, and that's something we didn't do. I took a lot of blows, and I took a beating.

''I was very depressed, because we didn't really attack people. We didn't run that 49er offense. Not saying anything against Marc Trestman, but it was not enjoyable.''

Marriuci said this won't be a problem. In Mariucci's offense, instead of lining up strictly as a flanker, Rice will be moved around to different spots, especially in three- and four-wideout sets, so defenses can't key on him so easily. The 49ers also will throw to him downfield more often.

He and Emery need to go. There is no reason for confidence in either one of them.

You are getting warmer!

sitting on the ball going into the half yesterday with all 3 timeouts and a minute left,

You are getting warmer!

Or just call a TO to force them to punt.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Don't leave out sweaty Teddy.

Need an actual NFL guy running the show.

If you hate Laurence, then don't listen - don't comment. When he co-hosts the B&B show, take that day off ... listen to an old podcast of a Bernstein solo show and jerk off all day.

I've lost faith in the whole damn team. Everyone stinks.

Let's not get crazy and start blaming the accountants.

Miller just reminded me on that bubble screen lateral, too.

They just screwed that up last week or the week before. How do you make the same damn mistake again? That can't be a lateral. That's on Cutler, too, but they obviously didn't drill it into him to get that right.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Or just call a TO to force them to punt.

I still can't figure out why Philbin ended up punting that or even calling timeout with :08 left to run one play to get into FG position. Even if they didn't get it, the Bears would only be able to run 1 play at most from their own 40.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

Don't leave out sweaty Teddy.

Need an actual NFL guy running the show.

This, to me, is the real virus in the organization with everything else being infected by the position he holds.

This, to me, is the real virus in the organization with everything else being infected by the position he holds.

I find it very amusing and depressing that a small market team to the North is a dominant force while the giant market Bears are a perennial also-ran.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

I've lost faith in the whole damn team. Everyone stinks.