Oct 26, 2008 - 8:44 PM
0 shoutsSAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Mike Singletary's debut as an NFL head coach got off to a rocky start both on the field and on the sideline.
In his first game since replacing the fired Mike Nolan, Singletary watched his San Francisco 49ers suffer a 34-13 beat-down at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The ugly defeat was magnified when Singletary got into a sideline argument with tight end Vernon Davis, who walked off the field waving his arms after receiving a penalty for unnecessary roughness in the final minute of the third quarter.
While Singletary's team barely made a whimper on the field, the coach sent a loud message off it, first ordering Davis to the bench and then directing him to the locker room shortly thereafter.
"It's like I told the team during the week," Singletary said. "I will not tolerate any player who thinks it's about them and not about the team.
"I'm from the old school. I would rather play with 10 guys and get a penalty on every play than play someone who doesn't want to play as part of the team."
Singletary also benched turnover-prone quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan following a 75-yard interception return by Seattle's Josh Wilson in the final minute of the first half that put the Niners in a 20-3 hole.
O'Sullivan lost two fumbles in the game, giving him 10 interceptions and eight fumbles during San Francisco's five-game skid.
"Sometimes you make a change and re-visit later," Singletary said. "But today, I thought Shaun Hill gave us a better chance of winning at that point."
With the 49ers heading into a bye week, Singletary vowed that the losing ways will not continue.
"It will change," Singletary said. "Not because of me, but because they want it to change. They want to be champions, and they will get it done."
