Well, the regular season inches its way closer to the present. There’s just the formality of getting the most useless of the preseason games, game #4, out of the way. The usual way to play this is to have most of your starters sit this one out so you can evaluate the 2nd/3rd stringers that are fighting for their football futures to make one last push. Anthony Dixon, due to injuries to Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James, has risen up the charts and looks like he’s made the team. At the expense of Rock Cartwright? Probably. Tremaine Brock on the other hand, was seemingly dealt a death-blow by the constant darts that Peyton Manning threw his way that he coulsn’t stop. Perrish Cox made a nice pick after Manning left to garner praise. Praise that Vic Fangio has foisted upon him a lot lately. So, it’s not really useless, but if you are looking for some new wrinkles to the offense or some new blitzing schemes, I wouldn’t start here.
Of course there’s no word from Jimbo who is actually IS going to be the starting QB, but most would think Cappy Capperson gets the nod. I mean, how many more 6 yard passes can Smith and Crabs practice? I would like to see Manningham get on the field, but he is still out for his granfather’s funeral. Moss hopefully gets more than the one target last week. For all the press garnered by these new WR additions, they’ve caught what, 3 passes for 24 yards? Manningham hasn’t even caught a pass or played a down, but I guess he makes his debut in Green Bay. There’s playing it close to the vest, and then there’s playing it inside your chest cavity. then again, Alex’s favorite target, Vernon Davis only has one catch, albeit a 44 yard wheel route for a TD. One of 2 passing TDs in this preseason.
The defense has looked especially flat, but hey, I’m not one to worry about preseason. Really. Aldon Smith has been nursing a sore hip since the Viking game, Bowman hasn’t played much, Culliver has missed games, and our deep LB corps have sustained a lot of injuries. The good news is the Niners get 10 days to healthy up and unveil their new-found offense, and their defense won’t skip a beat from last year’s domination. Hey, it could happen . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
Now Chuck is threatening to delete my comments. That sounds like talk coming from a scared man. Even more scared than a man like myself after I learned we didn’t sign Peyton Manning.
Fuck deleting, I’m going to ban your ass.
Keep it up, skippy.
Don’t point a gun at a man’s head unless you’re willing to use it. Don’t threaten me. I expect better and wittier repartee from you.
Fuck you. Keep up your schtick and you’ll be banned.
Dennis, funny thing about that passing league, a running team was the dregs of your beer short of the superbowl. Your hatred of Smith and love of QB stats has blinded you to anything else. Smith is no great QB we agree, but he was almost enough last year and the extra weapons and second year in the system may be enough. I am not a big fan of Smith, but I am only slightly negative of center on him, in the scheme we currently run and he is efficient in it.
The biggest determining factor of getting to the superbowl is a great defense. Only a small handful of QB’s in the league are capable of making plays in sufficient number to beat a great defense and only Brady made it there, losing. Yes Manning is one of those handful, if 100% healthy, but the cost/risk factor meant the probability of losing very talented players over the next 2 years for salary cap reasons. Been there done that.
This is a team game not a QB game, QB centric, yes, but with other areas of the team being exceptional, such as the run game, defense and ST Smith can and did do enough last year.
Very well said. Dennis needs to get off his high horse about Alex, and move on!! For crying out loud, Alex did help the Niners go 13-3!! He cannot deny!! This is fact.
Kevin, I think Dennis has a point up to a point. That he isn’t willing to acknowledge all the other factors outside of Smith’s limitations and acknowledge the positive’s that Smith had that contributed to our record last year is myopic. As you say, Alex played a part in going 13-3 and was the key factor in beating NO and the Eagles where he put the team on his back in the 4th quarters. If he can build on those experiences he may yet end up being one of the better QB’s in the league. With all the weapons and coaching he has all the tools he could hope for, just about an ideal situation to showcase himself and now we will see just what he really can do. I can’t wait to see.
It’s like the old Yogi Berra saying:
“Defense wins championships. Except when it doesn’t.
RT, statistically it does. Given my druthers I would prefer an offense that took more risks. That we didn’t have that last year except for when we had nothing to lose is an indictment of the trust placed in Smith and the tendency of Harbaugh to play the safe percentage game.
It’s not sexy but it did yield results. The feeling that if we had a more talented QB we would have won the whole enchilada is hard to ignore, and may be true, but Smith deserves to start and show if he has built enough confidence in himself and his coaches to be a difference maker without being behind late in the 4th quarter.
So far I have not seen Smith improve over last season but that may be because Harb’s playing cloak and dagger. I hope that’s the case and I do trust Harb’s to know exactly how much risk he can take.
I don’t believe very much Harb’s has to say publicly but ultimately he can blow all the smoke he wants if he can keep us on the winning track.
Dennis, it ain’t my job to counter your endless blather. You want witty repartee? Talk to your fucking cat.
Final warning, pal.
Chuck, not my call and not my business but I don’t think Dennis is too far off the reservation. It’s Dennis.
I’ve never seen a fan so blind to reality. Sorry you don’t enjoy watching the 49ers anymore. There are others who can take your spot as a fan.
Take it to the Denver blogs, skippy.
I love the Niners with all my being but I just can’t let myself get too crazy about any of it. I used to do that and it just isn’t healthy.
I don’t know why that old name comes up now and again
12th you missed 6,000 posts last year regarding all things Tony Romo, killing Alex Smith, and myriad other bullshit things that, when repeated thousands of times, get old.
I saw it Chuck, I’m new to posting but not reading. Dennis is a character, speaking for myself I like his nonsense.
Yep agree but Chuck has been thru a lot of battles with him and is kinda burned out looks like
New post BTW . . .