But here is another thing Nolan really needs to do: Root like crazy for the Raiders to keep losing under new interim coach Tom Cable. Why? Because if Cable is a big success over the next several weeks after replacing the fired Lane Kiffin, and Cable is having that success right across the bay, it might convince 49ers management that a midseason coaching move can actually succeed.

Almost always, it doesn't. History proves this. Fans don't like to hear that. But facts are facts.

Football isn't like baseball, where a team can switch managers halfway through a season, see a big turnaround, and wind up in the World Series. That doesn't happen in the NFL. There are so many more moving parts — bigger rosters, more complicated X's and O's, more assistant coaches to coordinate.

That doesn't mean Nolan should get a free pass the rest of the way. It just means that if the 49ers were going to make a change, they should have done so last winter. And if they want to make a change soon ... well, they should probably just wait until next January, as well.

People want to believe a new head coach in October or November can work miracles overnight. Usually, it just results in a lousy losing team finishing up the season as ... a lousy losing team.

Since 1930, there have been 85 cases of an NFL team changing coaches in midseason. Guess how many of those changes resulted in that team making the playoffs?

The answer: three times. But zero times since 1961.

News flash: Belichick knows his stuff

You think the Patriots are going to be prepared to face the 49ers on Sunday?

Patriots Bill Belichick has an incredible football mind. He demonstrated on Wednesday when the Boston-area media asked about . . . whether it's one of those things where they have to see [the 49ers] on the field to accurately be able to judge their speed and quickness.

. . .

"To a certain extent. Also the scheme and how they are going to play us . . . You can certainly prepare for it and that is a good part of the preparation. But until you see it live, it's a little different.

"We have seen a lot of these players -- defensively, the whole secondary. Donald Strickland was in Indianapolis. Michael Lewis was at Philadelphia and Mark Roman was in Cincinnati. Nate Clements, we saw a lot of in Buffalo. Walt Harris was at Indianapolis and Chicago. We have seen Justin Smith. We have certainly seen Takeo Spikes and (Aubrayo) Franklin.

. . .

Belichick mentioned 15 players on the 49ers roster. And, furthermore, he did it all without notes.

. . .

Meanwhile, Mike Nolan mentioned one Patriots player by name today. Well, he said "Wesley Walker," but I'm pretty sure he meant Wes Welker.

The San Francisco 49ers announced Thursday that former 49ers quarterback Steve Young will have his #8 jersey retired in a halftime ceremony at the team’s game against the New England Patriots on October 5. Game time is set for 1:15 p.m.

Young will become the 11th player in team history to receive this prestigious accolade.