Forty Niners Forever

Yeah, preseason. Still and all, seeing Cowing sprint sideways across the field and turn up the sideline for an 83 yard punt return TD was pretty damn impressive. Very glad to see him get that spot rather than Deebo. We have enough issues keeping our WRs healthy without subjecting him to that. Especially if him getting carries in the backfield resurfaces (pleasegodno).

Kaedon Black’s emergence will also hopefully put the Deebo RB shit in the can. He had some strong runs despite iffy blocking by that bothersome LG spot, and got positive yards after initial contact. It only got muddier with Austin Pleasants injury but he was already down the chart. Really need these guys to address the LG spot with someone that is a starter and not a stiff. Make a trade. We have enough LBs. Bethune? Greenlaw’s vulnerability will likely quash any trade talk there.

Jones is still a very big trade prospect, but no one has lost their starting QB yet. Still, Minn riding with Murray is a looooooongshot for success, and the Jets are going absolutely nowhere with Geno Smith and Klubnic. Miami and Cleve also spring to mind. Pittsburgh is one COVID vaccine from losing old man Aaron Rodgers. QB for a guard may be a tough pill to swallow, but hey, throw in a WR or safety.

Speaking of safety, I did like the tighter coverage that we showed. We didn’t give up a lot of stupid screens on 3rd and whatever. Our 2’s (D line anyway) against their 1’s on O did well.

Niners have a game in Levi’s South tonight as we face the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers. A team searching for a playoff win for nearly as long as Pittsburgh’s playoff drought. 2018 to 2016. Harbaugh for whatever reason can’t stop talking about Brock Purdy and can’t wait to meet him.

As for the game, I’m sure it’ll be more vanilla than ever as we play these guys later this season for reals. But, it looks like Brock gets a series or 2, but no CMC, Kittle, and Evens was seen icing has ankle and quad, so no him, I’d think. But of all the preseason fun, this one will have the most #1s out there.

You bet your sweet bippy. Just when you thought the injury news was easing up, out comes a report from Mike Florio, and his co-hater buddy Chris Simms, is that CMC isn’t suffering from ‘muscle tightness’, he’s instead holding in for a new contract. he hasn’t practiced since last Wednesday, but given these clowns will throw any kind of chum in the water to garner clicks, who knows what is what.

If anything, this may get CMC to respond one way or the other. Other than that, the game last week was fairly satisfying. De’Zhaun Stribling looked ready for prime time as he caught 7 passes for 63 yards, including a sweet 32 yard catch on a fade route thrown by Kurtis Rourke. He looked very good as the back up to Mac Jones, and any and all good looks at Rourke only makes Jones’ trade value go up as this season wears on, and a quarterback here or there drops.

Gracon Halton looked very good as well going against the Titans #1 offensive lineman Peter Skoronski. His ankle injury is uncertain as far as status goes, but in the good news department, Nick Bosa was back at practice yesterday. Mike Evans is also back at practice.

Preseason Game Day 1 !! !! !! Tuxedos await.

No one plays. No one gets hurt.

And we are resting everyone. CMC and Nick Bosa have ‘tightness’ in their respective bodies, and all the rest are varying shades of close, except for Ricky Pearsall of course. Even Mike Evans is slated to resume practice with the upcoming joint-practice/Titans game on Thursday.

Even Shanny and his 70s porn star/Jeff Kent moustache will be back for the opening preseason game. Not sure why he thinks that’s a good look, but hey, we’ll see.

Other than the extra-caution around injuries, we have real-live football. And with the disastrous baseball season underway, and the slow death march of the GS Warriors, the 49ers are all we have now as a team that is in the mix to win it all.

You don’t win the Super Bowl in August, but apparently you can lose it then, to re-coin an old baseball adage.

The 49ers injury carousel is spinning wildly as Keadon Black and Mike Evans have both missed practices, both with muscle strains. Evans’ quad strain could be a 3 month deal, and Black’s adductor the same.

Yay!

Pearsall is out for the year as we know, and Mikail Kamara was cut after blowing out his knee. Christian Kirk has a calf injury.

ALL these injuries are nom-contact injuries. What is the fucking deal? Are they starting out too fast? If so, how many fucked up seasons do they have to endure before they understand that maybe pushing it from day one isn’t such a good idea?

They’ve wasted so many seasons with injuries it defies belief.

Deeebo’s back! 4 days into camp and we are down Pearsall and Kirk. Cowing is a ghost and Waktins is a hologram so they went and signed old friend Deebo Samuel. 1 year, $7 mill.

Hey! Maybe he can talk BA into suiting up! Be like old times.

The 49ers signed another pass rushing DE in Quinton Bell, to a one-year deal. This is great from a depth perspective, as Mykel Williams looks to be on the shelf for the first 4 games. He seems to be a perfect match for the Raheem Morris defense as he can play OLB in a 3-4 and DE in a 4-3, and even move to the line in 5 man fronts. He also can drop into coverage at 6’4″, 253 lb. Versatile at least.

Nothing much to report from camp, other than as of yesterday, Nick Martin is getting the 1st string reps as the strong-side LB, and Connor Colby is getting the 1st string LG reps. This of course means little, but it does mean something.

Saturday was the first day of camp, and aside from the head coach getting in a major accident, the first weekend is in the books and the usual suspects are still dealing with their injuries.

Here’s a camp synopsis from the weekend from the 49ers webzone.

https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/201763-training-dezhaun-stribling-impresses-another

Stribling and Evans are already getting rave reviews from Brock, and as much as I want to fix the line, getting guys open is also a high priority. Last year’s pass catching corps was fairly weak with Kittle and Pearsall being hurt for extended periods, and the lack of depth among the WRs. Purdy didn’t have the luxury of anyone really consistently open. Although Jake Tonges did a great job stepping in for Kittle.

McCaffery is in nid-season form apparently, and Kaelon Black is getting the backup reps for CMC, and has looked good in his limited work. Let’s start easing up on CMC, OK Shanny?

In what appears to be an epidemic with this 49er team, head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a serious car accident a few days ago. He suffered a broken nose, three broken ribs, broke his hand, and needed more than 40 stitches in his face. He is also in the concussion protocol for a severe concussion. He apparently collided with an SUV on July 14th.

One that matches the description of Brandon Aiyuk’s speedy SUV.

I kid, I kid. But really, no one on the team or in this front office is immune to the injury bug. It is now infecting the coaching staff. And today is veteran reporting day!