Well, all I can say is thank God that one didn’t count. Even if the Niners did win the battle of the scrubs. They won the battle but lost the war. In a game that looked eerily reminiscent of the old regime, the 49ers laid a pretty big egg in the high altitude of Denver, Colorado. Peyton Manning got little pressure put upon him, and Willis McGehee ran untouched through the line, and thus shredded the Niner defense like it was a block of swiss cheese. Manning hit a couple of long passes, and lots of short ones on the way to his first 2 scores of the preseason. Still and all, the Niners were not stunting or blitzing. They were as vanilla as can be. It was base defense all first half. Plus, they were missing their biggest weapon. One Aldon Smith.
Offenseively, well, not much good to say there as well. Crabs caught a couple passes. A slant, for God’s sake, and Crabs did work his was back toward Alex on a play where Smith broke contain, and Smith hit Crabs for a 1st down. See what a little preseason can do? Of course that was followed by a botched center/QB exchange that seemingly everyone on the offense couldn’t gather in, which resulted in a quick Denver score. Smith did throw a perfect wheel route pass to Randy Moss, oh yeah, I’m sorry, Vernon Davis, for a score, but the rest was fairly forgettable. The O line did little to nothing. The play calling was bland, and the WRs were once again pretty much ignored by the first team offense. Smith did throw a pass for Randy Moss. However, he was triple covered. If that’s how the teams play him in the regular season, well, I guess he’s worth it. But he ain’t going to like being a decoy 4/5ths of the time.
All and all, this WAS a preseason game. It was disconcerting to me to see Denver march up and down the field early on. But, again, the defense was vanilla. A Smith wasn’t playing. This one didn’t count. I think a steady diet of blitzes will get to Manning over the course of a game, and a season. Some folks are ready to annoint Manning the league MVP based on one preseason game. If that was the case, then Ryan Leaf would share that award with him. In other words, I’m not going to truly worry until it is truly warranted. Could this be a wake-up call to the defense? Are they merely riding their accolades to a big letdown? I don’t think so. But the importance of a healthy Aldon Smith in the lineup cannot be understated. Offensively? Well, that is to be determined. The Niners were awfully bland in their play calling yesterday. But I think they still have to work in their new weapons. This may take the better part of September (or more) to accomplish. For all the glowing accolades regarding practices, I have yet to see anything resembling consistency on the field. Worrisome? Sure. But, when the real bullets fly, we’ll see what we got.
Forty Niners Forever 
I don’t put much stock in games like that. When the defense doesn’t run much of anything they would run in a real game, all the game amounts to is exercise, and video study for the coaches to see which bubble players showed well or showed poorly, so they can make cuts. Harbaugh is not showing any cards, offense or D. At least the punt return team didn’t fumble, I think, but I didn’t see that much of the game…
Well, don;t expect a huge offensive explosion going into Green Bay. This year is going to be a variation on last year’s theme. keep it close, and hope to win the turnover battle. Frankly, I’d like to see a more aggressive offense, but I don’t think Harbaugh is leaning that way.
The 1st round of cuts is in. Surprising to me is Tremaine Brock isn’t on the list.
Our 6th round pick (OL Slowey) is.
WR Hannula
WR Tyms
S Nelms
K Tavecchio
DL Masifilo
CB Purvis
TE Sawyer
DL Butrym
WR Hastings
OL Slowey
I hope you guys keep drinking. To many health types now around. I’m way too dry.
Send Dennis out for some more beer, Nip.
Ok, the usual “it’s only preseason” disclaimer aside, I never get tired of seeing AS toss TD’s to VD. But if he doesn’t find a way to throw em to the other receivers on the team, it’s gonna be a long season. Point being that if I was game planning against us, I’d throw everyone at VD until someone else beats me. Now that we have someone to do that (MM, RM, etc). I can surely wait until GB to see it, but it better be there or more meh.
Yup. The encouraging thing to see was the triple coverage on Moss when he went deep. But, as last week showed, when he’s singled up, you HAVE to throw it to him for the big play. 3 or 4 of those a game, and Randy will be happy.
There’s the rub, the play call was most likely RM on a go route, our boy Alex had enough time to air one out and in this case overthrows RM in triple coverage. if RM is drawing triple coverage, or double coverage as the ball is thrown someone else has to be open.
Its not a matter of if he throws deep I complain and if he throws underneath I complain as I am very likely to hear. Alex needs to see the field, not the pre-determined receiver and adjust the playcall/decision accordingly.
Thats been his issue from day 1 in my opinion, less so now than prior years but still there. Read and react appropriately and he will move the chains including 3rd down and redzone.
The point being, if VD and Moss gather so much attention, manningham and Crabs should be open a lot. If Smith gets time, that is.
It’s disconcerting to see Manning get so much time, while our line blocking is not doing very well.
Yeah line play can make or break a team.
Let’s get Aldon back and a real defensive game plan installed. Fine playing vanilla on D (O as well; Scoring will be the concern) -during Nipper’s favorite time of year- pre-season- but enough already with the ‘not showing ’em anything’. Fangio will have these guys primed to unleash some havoc on Rodgers head. I think the DL will be playing pissed and our DBs looking to make the GB WRs and TE pay for this current restrained approach. Our starters will be raring to go. The D I’m not worried about. They will answer the bell.
Otherwise we’re fucked
Sick of Vanilla D yet? From Maiocco:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/Fangio-Great-learning-experience-for-49e?blockID=763859&feedID=2800
The 49ers’ No. 1 defense has forced a punt on just one of their seven series in the exhibition season. The opposition has scored 26 points with four field goals and two touchdowns.
Drives vs. 49ers first-team defense
Minnesota
6 plays, 59 yards, field goal
13 plays, 63 yards, field goal
Houston
7 plays, 37 yards, field goal
3 plays, 9 yards, punt
Denver
8 plays, 45 yards, field goal
9 plays, 83 yards, touchdown
4 plays, 24 yards, touchdown
BTW Dobbs hobbling around on crutches Monday. Injuries, injuries…
I hope you guys don’t head for the Golden Gate Bridge if the Niners start 0-2 this season. I know Dennis will be crying like a cut pig if this occurs. Most likely it will be a 1-1 start after two.
Yeah crying for Alex’s head. Maybe we start slow and build up a head of steam like last year. Chuck has said it may take a month or so to get the O rolling
Those are two good teams the first two weeks. I don’t think 0-2 is impossible. It also is not the end of the world – but it matters what KIND of 0-2 we are talking about. 0-2 with two close losses, played competitively but came up short is a world of difference from 0-2 and got blown out of our socks and bent over. We cannot come out flat like we did this past Sunday.
Yep we have to see some fire on both O and D…
I ain’t too worried about Dobbs. He’s a backup.
The more disconcerting thing is going to be watching Kyle Williams returning punts come September 9th.
Yikes, Williams… Ginn is kinda fragile, more like a track guy. Guess we were lucky he held up as long as he did. There has to be life after Ginn…
Gin in a bottle is okay.
…..when watching Williams trying to play mistake free ball.
Owusu is a burner, haven’t heard much from camp about him but he can fly, ran in the 4.2’s. not many have that kind of speed.
Read on Niners Nation that Williams, the two horrible mistakes last year aside, might make Ginn expendable especially if Ginn is hobbled. I didn’t see it but the writer referred to a punt return where KW carried a defender for some yards on his back. Could that open the door for Owusu?
I thought KW showed good promise as a WR and up until the Giants game was mostly doing well in the return game. He was a rookie in a huge game under pressure and made 2 terrible decisions.
I don’t get why they even put Ginn at WR. Why don’t they fucking listen to me?
Ginn’s value is strictly as a KR/PR. Now that he’s fucked, that means they need another WR on the roster. Owusu, according to 12th, is fast as shit, so sure. Owusu did return KRs (78 2132 3 TDs) for Snodfart, so he’s good for that.
Cox can back up for KW (gulp) on PRs.
BLEEP!
All I know is that I wanted to see us crush Peyton. Then I wanted to see our defense stuff that below average run game. Then I thought OK Gore will make a couple of good runs and that A. Smith surely has our passing game down at this point because our above average OL is one of the best in the business. So much for what I want. I am just glad that Harbaugh is there because we looked a lot like Singletary.
I agree, Phil. Why wait till a possible 0-2 to cry for Alex’s head?
Yep exactly, times a wasting
I dunno, i would kinda like to see both Moss and Ginn out there and see what the defense will do. I doubt they would triple team him again. Oh wait, it still comes down to Alex, I am totally behind Smith this year and hope he can find his touch on some of those deep routes.
Alex is the man! …….Dennis can suck a lemon.
Just a squeeze or a twist of lemon for my drinks, Nipper. I’ll leave the sucking to you and Alex. You two saps have cornered the market and sucked dry that lemonade stand.
I’m going across the street and check out Lucy’s psychiatric help for 5 cents. Improve your mental acuity for just a nickel? You can’t beat that with a stick. I sure hope the good doctor is “IN.”
I guess I’m posting with two different names, I will see what I can do about that
See if this works.
How about winnie the pooh?
ok
For what it’s worth, Smith doesn’t seem to have a problem hitting VD on deeper routes. If he could ever get synched up with any of his myriad WRs, well, we’d be on to something.
Exactly.