Aubrayo Bristles at Being Blamed for 49ers' Slide

Coach thinks training camp holdout contributes to 49ers' decline.

The San Francisco 49ers have acquired their 0-5 record, in part, by their knack for giving up season-highlight performances to various NFL nobodies like Matt Cassel, LeSean McCoy, and Justin Forsett.

This was not supposed to be a defense over whom mediocre offensive skill players licked their chops.

49ers coach Mike Singletary has noticed the flaws and has a theory that they start up front with nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, who held out of training camp.

"Sometimes when a guy doesn't go through training camp, it shows," Singletary told the San Jose Mercury News.

Sometimes when a guy has never been a coach or a manager at any level, it shows too, coach.

Franklin bristled at the suggestion his game has fallen off because he missed all of training camp.

"I feel that my play is the same where it picked off last year," Franklin told the Merc. "I don't think there's a drop-off or anything. My body feels better missing training camp. I think I'm right where I should be."

Right where he should be? Franklin is 0-5, and getting paid $7 million this season for it.

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who blames the 49ers' decline on their lack of a corny fan-produced pop song parody.

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