Is Inexperience a Viable Excuse for Mike Nolan in San Francisco?

Mike Nolan got a pretty intense reaction from a statement he made after the 31-10 loss to the Saints that attempted to point the finger at the team's relatively young age. Nolan insists it wasn't an excuse, but John Crumpacker at the San Francisco Chronicle wasn't so sure.

Crumpacker rattled off a list of critical errors and poor play that have played a part in the downfall of the 49ers, all by veterans, and found some commendable work from the youngsters, debunking Nolan's "young team" theory. Nolan responded:

Yesterday, I asked about his assertion that the 49ers are a young team. I noted that the team has a veteran defense and an offense with a number of veterans interspersed with some younger players.

He did stop me before I could point out that the Colts, Packers and Cowboys are the three youngest teams in the league. He noted the "key" guys on offense are young: Vernon Davis, Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Delanie Walker, Michael Robinson, Joe Staley, Justin Smiley and Adam Snyder.

"So when you ask the question don't just pick out Larry Allen and Walt Harris, be accurate," he said.

Right, but that still doesn't explain how Robinson had the only really positive, potentially meaningful play in the loss to the Saints, nor how Davis, Gore, Staley, and Patrick Willis have been the best players on the team this season. The fact remains: the veterans aren't getting it done. The "young" excuse doesn't work.