Dorsey is NOT that bad. Honest. Would I lie to you?
Seriously, I'm a little concerned about Erickson and York meeting today. The article in today's Bee doesn't say much of anything...
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/football/sf_49ers/story/11754743p-12639640c.html
Nice win - but let's talk
Coach, owner have other issues
By Matthew Barrows -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 13, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - Dennis Erickson got his second win of the season Sunday, but the victory celebration may be short-lived.
The 49ers coach will meet today with owner John York at team headquarters, where the two are expected to clash over the fate of Erickson's assistant coaches. Erickson, who has been with some of his assistants for two decades, repeatedly has said he has no plans to shuffle his staff at season's end.
York had remained silent on the subject, but he spoke up following the team's 31-28 overtime win against Arizona, saying he didn't "think it would be possible to have all (the coaches) back."
"I think we need to evaluate some things in a season that has been disappointing," he said in a parking-lot interview. "We knew it was going to be a tough season, but nobody expected to be 2-11."
The looming showdown comes amid a steady flow of rumors that Erickson, who has three years left on a $12.5 million contract, will coach elsewhere next season. An ESPN report Sunday morning called Erickson the "secret leading candidate" for the vacant coaching position at the University of Mississippi. Reports out of that state said a new coach could be named as early as Thursday.
Meanwhile, York shot down a Fox Sports report that said he either would ask Erickson to resign today or fire him outright.
"I have no plans to ask him that," York said, adding that the two regularly meet the day after games. York said he doesn't intend to raise the issue of assistant coaches with Erickson but said that if Erickson brings up the matter, he will discuss it.
Erickson led off his postgame interview Sunday saying he wouldn't address any of the speculation swirling around him.
"I'm not going to waste your time and my time talking about rumors," he said.
The gridiron gossip overshadowed the team's second victory of the season, an overtime thriller that practically mirrored their first win over the Cardinals.
In that Oct. 10 game, the 49ers overcame a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.
They eventually won it on a 32-yard field goal by kicker Todd Peterson.
This time, it was the Cardinals who nearly stole the show.
The 49ers built a 25-point lead early in the third quarter only to watch Arizona roar back with three straight touchdown drives, a two-point conversion and a field goal to tie the score with 59 seconds remaining.
San Francisco quarterback Ken Dorsey, who threw his first three NFL touchdown passes earlier in the game, led the team to the 49ers' 39-yard line at the end of regulation. But with 28 seconds remaining and one timeout left, Erickson decided to let those seconds elapse and hope for a favorable coin toss in overtime.
"If you throw it up, you get sacked, the ball could get tipped," he explained afterward. "I just wanted to get it into overtime."
The 49ers won the toss as Erickson had hoped, but when the drive stalled at the Arizona 37, he again was faced with a tough decision: Punt and try to pin the Cardinals in the shadow of their own end zone, or let Peterson try a 55-yard field goal, the outer limit of his range.
Erickson played it safe, and Andy Lee's punt was downed at the 3-yard line. The Cardinals could move the ball only three yards before punting, giving Dorsey another chance at overtime heroics in Tempe.
Two years earlier, Dorsey's Miami Hurricanes lost a national title in double overtime on the same field. This time, the lanky quarterback made the key throw to win the game.
Having just been sacked for the first time all game, Dorsey faced a third and 17 on his own 44. With the Cardinals blitzing and the crowd making up for thousands of empty seats, Dorsey laced a pass among three defenders to receiver Cedrick Wilson for the first down.
After going winless in his first three starts, Dorsey had the finest performance of his brief NFL career. He finished the day 18 of 31 for 191 yards and three touchdowns but, more importantly, did not commit a fourth-quarter turnover - something that has killed San Francisco in recent losses.
Tailback Maurice Hicks, meanwhile, ran for a season-high 139 yards in relief of Kevan Barlow, who was out with a concussion. Hicks' longest run of the day - a 17-yard scamper around the right side - also was his last, and it set up Peterson for another game-winner from 31 yards away.
"We had discussions if we wanted to move it closer," said Erickson, who chose to kick the field goal on first down. "I said, 'No, that's close enough.' "
The win was just Erickson's ninth overall as 49ers coach and his second victory on the road. It also removed the prospect of this team finishing with just one win and the worst record in franchise history; three other 49ers teams have had just two wins.
But the victory did not mollify York, who, when asked whether Erickson would return for a third season, responded, "There's a lot of things we need to look at.
"We need to sit down and talk about everything going on in the organization," he said. "This has been a totally unacceptable season, and we need to get it turned around, and we need to get it turned around quickly."
Game ball
Forget about Ken Dorsey's three touchdown passes, the first of his NFL career. The quarterback's biggest throw was a third-and-17 strike to Cedrick Wilson in overtime.
Penalty flag
Cornerback Dwaine Carpenter allowed Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin (109 receiving yards) to catch fire. Carpenter also whiffed trying to tackle Emmitt Smith on a late touchdown.
Game ball
Maurice Hicks gives the 49ers' gutsiest rushing performance of the season by far. Hicks' toughest runs came late in the game when he was dealing with a rib injury.
The Bee's Matthew Barrows can be reached at mbarrows@sacbee.com. 
