Next two games could decide Nolan’s fate

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The 49ers have lost three consecutive games and for the first time in coach Mike Nolan’s tenure, there is talk about his job security during the season.

But Nolan has preached to his team that there is time to turn around the season. And all they have to do is look to last year’s New York Giants as an example.

The heavy underdog 49ers (2-4) face the Giants this morning in a game that could help turn around their season — or it could place them in an even deeper hole behind the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (4-2).

“It’s early in the season,” Nolan said. “We’ve got definitely winnable games coming ahead and we’ve been in the games that we’ve lost the last two weeks against two very good opponents.

“We’ve got to get back in the winning column, that’s where the focus needs to be.”

However, today might not be one of those winnable games. The Giants, defending Super Bowl champions, are again one of the top teams in the NFL. The Giants’ full attention will be on the 49ers after their 35-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.

The 49ers return home next week to face the Seattle Seahawks before the bye week. If the 49ers lose these last two games before the bye, general manager Scot McCloughan and club executives John and Jed York are expected to hold discussions on the possibility of making a midseason coaching change.

The same talk occurred last year when the Giants got off to a 0-2 start, and coach Tom Coughlin’s job appeared to be in jeopardy.

“We put together some wins,” Coughlin said. “It wasn’t as if we were able to maintain that week-in and week-out. We did have some opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. When the timing was right, we were able to put together being at our best when our best was needed.”

Now the rest of the NFL can use the Giants as a model on how to turn a season around.

“It’s a long season,” 49ers cornerback Walt Harris said. “Look at what New York did last year being able to rebound. I think we’re right on the edge of turning it around, too.”

The 49ers held a nine-point fourth-quarter lead on the Eagles last week before getting outscored 23-0 in a final-period meltdown.

Niners linebacker Takeo Spikes, who played in the NFC East last season with the Eagles, got a firsthand look at the Giants’ progression from a team in turmoil to Super Bowl champions.

“Yeah, it’s motivation. I’ve played long enough to know that you’re going to have teams that start off hot,” Spikes said. “And they are going to go through adversity and struggles. Some of those teams are going to fall off to the wayside and might not make it to the playoffs.

“The teams that win it all or go deep into the playoffs are the ones that pick up their stride toward the end of October and into November and they storm through and run the table. They stay under the radar until the end of the season.”

The 49ers have placed themselves under the radar. And, while the season is long, time is clearly running out on their quest to turn it around. Still, there is some hope, as they keep an eye on the Cardinals.

“We still have time when you take into consideration we’re a two games back of Arizona,” Spikes said.

For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@press

democrat.com.