Or, As the Stomach Turns? Or, The Edge of Wetness? Die Nasty? Genital Hospital?
Funny, it sure didn’t take long for the narrative to shift from “wow, the 49ers re-signed Jimmy” to “by what game will the 49ers pull Trey Lance and insert Jimmy?” I even heard a question by one of the babbling nabobs yesterday on 95.7 the Game asking whether they thought Jimmy would be the #2 quarterback or not. Yeah, Purdy should be the #2.
My thought was, of course not. You don’t re-sign Jimmy and let him be the backup. You put him 3rd string so, he can, uh, well . . . knit blankets? Has the world gone mad? I swear, there is no such thing as journalism anymore. Everything is the hot take. Peter King came out and said that the Niners will make the Super Bowl. Then two days later he came out and said that Jimmy would replace Lance by the week 7 game against KC. Not really sure how that works, but hey, I don’t get paid to write drivel and spew inanities all day and night. Sure, I do it here, but I ain’t getting paid.
Lance even came out last weekend and said he was initially ‘annoyed’ by the Jimmy G signing. Well, that was ‘reported’ by SI’s Albert Breer. Lance’s reaction was ‘Huh?’
Breer immediately had to walk back his comment because it was utter fabrication, and that it was ‘presumptive’ of him to assume that Lance was annoyed. Instead, Breer said it was ‘complicated’. As in it was complicated in BREER’S head as to what Lance’s reaction may or may not have been in the immediate aftermath. But I bet he met his click quota.
I guess the deal is, write something outlandish and get ready to backpedal furiously.
Now, the big red herring on the table is that Justin Fields is pegging this as a ‘revenge’ type game because the 49ers passed him over in favor of Trey Lance. This is coming from Chicago WR Darrell Mooney. Ooooh. Wow. Are we quaking in our cleats? Oh no!! At least this came from a player, not an idiot scribe, but Fields, when asked for his thoughts, said: “I’m happy to be here. We’re here to play ball. We’re not worried about last year’s draft.”
Right you are, Justin. Another nothingburger. Of course the media points to this game being the sole determinant in who made the right choice at quarterback.
Whatevs. The 49ers will go 21-0 this season and win the Super Bowl, Lance will throw for 6,500 yards, throw 42 TDs and 1 pick, rush for 1,700 yards, and score 11 rushing touchdowns and be the Super Bowl MVP.
I’m betting my house on it.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
In-depth article re the Niners from the Athletic. Something I don’t subscribe to.
Thanks, Winder.
A little about the Oline from the Athletic
The 49ers will likely open the season on Sunday at Chicago with new starters along the entirety of their interior offensive line. Center Jake Brendel, left guard Aaron Banks, and rookie right guard Spencer Burford have seen the majority of first-team action at their respective positions throughout training camp and the preseason.
Brendel, Banks and Burford. Some might start calling them the “Law Firm,” thanks to the alliteration. The 49ers simply hope the trio can deliver competent play along a front that’s been leaky in pass protection over recent years. New starting quarterback Trey Lance’s early development might depend on it.
We’ve examined the 49ers’ hopes with Brendel (here), Banks (here) and Burford (here). Daniel Brunskill, who’s working back from a hamstring strain, should eventually serve as depth at all three of those spots, though he wasn’t back at practice Monday. Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore can also theoretically insulate the guard positions, although both have focused on bolstering San Francisco’s offensive tackle depth over the past month.
That leaves three relatively unknown newcomers to round out potentially vital depth of the 49ers’ interior O-line: Nick Zakelj, Blake Hance and Jason Poe. The first two are on the 53-man roster, while Poe signed onto the practice squad after the team waived him on cutdown day.
How’s this trio doing? General manager John Lynch spoke at length last Thursday, and Zakelj, Hance and Poe were primary discussion points.
Nick Zakelj
The 49ers drafted this rookie out of Fordham in the sixth round. (Zakelj’s Slovenian last name is correctly pronounced zah-KELL, but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan jokingly calls him “Zakel J,” according to Lynch.)
Zakelj struggled mightily early in camp and into Week 1 of the preseason but surged late to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Here’s the progression of Zakelj’s Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grades at guard over the 49ers’ three exhibition games: 22.3, 69.8 and 81.3.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
‘He just loves to take people over mentally’: The rise of 49ers draftee Nick Zakelj
“He is just a guy who kept getting better every single day, and that’s what you want in this league,” Lynch said. “He came from a smaller school, lesser competition, and so probably it was an eye-opener when he got here, just like it was at the Senior Bowl. I remember (assistant GM) Adam (Peters) talking about that at the Senior Bowl, his Day 2 was so much better than his Day 1. And he’s got a lot in his body, and he just kept looking like more and more of an NFL player with every given day.”
It turns out Zakelj also saw rapid progress after he first enrolled at Fordham as a zero-star recruit from suburban Cleveland. His quick-learner track record has now stretched to the pros.
“Speed off the ball,” Zakelj said Monday. “That’s how (offensive line) coach (Chris) Foerster likes us to play. I think that’s something that took some getting used to. I think as I kind of refined the technique and got more comfortable doing it, I was able to increase that speed more and more and to a level I was comfortable with.”
The 49ers believe Zakelj’s progress can now translate into success at the O-line’s most cerebral position.
We don’t want to throw too much (at him), but we do believe that he has center in his future,” Lynch said. “And he’ll start snapping out here. We’ll make that part of this repertoire under the thought that the more you can do, the better for him, the better for us.”
Said Zakelj: “Even today I was kind of getting more reps at it, actually I was going against the defense, trying to work that. Because it’s a lot different than getting snaps pre-practice. It’s something that I want to add to my arsenal, being able to play center, and having as much versatility and really helping the team any way I can.”
Blake Hance
Running back Trey Sermon is no longer a 49er thanks in large part to Hance, who became available after roster cutdowns when Cleveland waived him. The 49ers, facing a litany of questions across the entire front, hopped at the chance to add O-line depth. They claimed Hance off waivers and cut Sermon to make room on the 53-man roster.
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
49ers mailbag: A look at Trey Lance’s leash; what’s the depth chart at tailback?
“He brings real five-position versatility, so sometimes we talk about guys’ versatility — he’s actually done it in our league,” Lynch said. “Played five positions and has that center versatility, which is so important. We put a claim in not knowing if we’d get him, and we were pleased when we did.”
Last week, Lynch said he hoped Brunskill would return from his hamstring injury this week but that “you just never know with those things.” The 49ers, then, have been hungry for a center to back up Brendel, and Hance might immediately step into that role Sunday.
Hance played 644 total snaps for Cleveland last season at both tackle spots, with PFF grading him as a solid run blocker (70.3) and poor pass protector (36.9). But during the 2020 playoffs, Hance played his lone game of NFL action at left guard for the Browns and delivered a very good 79.2 pass-blocking score.
Perhaps that will also come in handy for the 49ers.
“He has played left tackle, he has played right tackle,” Lynch said. “He’s played both guards, so we’re excited about that. Those guys are extremely useful.”
Said Hance on Monday about his transition from Cleveland to the 49ers: “There’s a lot of overlap in the schemes. Some of the calls are different and whatnot, but as far as the schemes, there’s a lot of similarities, a lot of wide zone and whatnot. It’s just getting used to the calls and the techniques.”
Jason Poe
Poe had a legitimate shot to crack the initial 53-man roster, as evidenced by the fact that he was taking some first-team snaps at practice in place of Banks. But the 49ers ended up waiving the undrafted rookie out of Mercer and praying he’d clear waivers so they could re-sign him to their practice squad.
“Poe, that was a tough one, man, because that guy, his fight,” Lynch said. “You talk about a guy you respect and just the joy he brings to playing football, I think it’s palpable. You feel it, and we were hanging on for dear life. That was a hard call, and the guys love him — like in the locker room when he makes a play, everybody, you hear it.”
Listed at 6-foot-1 (which 49ers’ star Trent Williams recently hinted might be generous), Poe is the shortest offensive lineman in the NFL. That usually translates into a disadvantage in pass protection. But Foerster has noted that Poe is built like a “bowling ball,”and that he actually leverages his low center of gravity into a blocking advantage.
“Guys like that, despite the challenges of being a little smaller, when you have heart, fight and it’s not just that — he has ability,” Lynch said. “Those guys tend to make it.”
Poe logged a 4.9 laser-timed 40-yard dash this offseason, which would’ve ranked second among offensive linemen at the NFL scouting combine (he was not invited to the event).
Lynch said the 49ers haven’t yet considered Poe for a role away from the offensive line. But the GM’s answer to a question about the 49ers potentially shifting Poe was revelatory about the team’s affinity for the rookie. They certainly don’t want Poe poached off their practice squad.
“My worries were some of these other teams in the league,” Lynch said. “Gosh, is someone going to bring him in as a guard/fullback/tight end? So I should probably shut up right now. I really like the young man.”
Chuck, your take on Breer’s “article” is exactly what I was saying to myself as I listened to a NN podcast on my walk yesterday. They were talking about it and it struck me as obvious that it was complete bullshit and fabricated. This kind of crap has been going on for months now and is largely, in my opinion, a product of the overly-long, seemingly never ending NFL off season. It just goes on and on and on and these twats fill that time with their inane drivel .
Breer clearly had no idea what Lance’s reaction to the JG signing was and had no inside information to corroborate his stupid assertion. Pure click bait, which is tantamount to a lie.
We’ve all been ready for the season to start for some time now. At least tomorrow the season kicks off with a real game and what should be a good matchup, Bills-Rams.
I have no idea how Trey Lance is going to do as an NFL QB, it’s high time to get the season started and find out. If I have to read one more article detailing how little he has played since high school or how inexperienced he is, I’m going to shit. Maiocco released another story like that today, AGAIN. FFS. He’s little more than a shill for the front office anyway. I don’t dislike him, but he’s not the guy you turn to for searing commentary.
Let’s play some football!
Unca- I love your prediction. Especially the 21-0!
Hah! Just wish I got paid as much as Peter King does for inane bullshit.
Yeah, the 24/7/365 cycle of media hyped NFL bullshit has its downfalls. These guys latch on to stupid shit that they create and it snowballs into its own living breathing pile of shit. There has been more written about Trey Lance than any 30 other players this offseason.
I think most of the media want Lance to fail. The world seems to want to drag people down into the hole their in is stead of lifting you up. I think Dylan wrote a couple of songs about that.
It’s all about the hot-take. Getting the ‘story’ out there first. Regardless of how off-base or hyperbolic it is. As long as you can attach a timestamp that gets it to the masses first, you can crow all you want. Even if proven to be 100% wrong.
Should be a good game tonight. Be nice to see the Lambs start off with a loss.
I just love these things
I loved watching the dog protect the beer!
Yeah that was great stuff Winder Thanks!
Falstaff Beer commercial lol opening a can with a can opener hilarious 🤣! Hitch pattern call to a WR don’t hear that one muchJoe the Jet Perry what a great RB he was, RC “Alley Oop Owens the original WR leaper, Hazeltine Fumble return for a TD etc, QB YA Tittle only needed TE Kittle which would of been cool Tittle to Kittle for a TD!!
Throw in the animated ref on Tommy Davis FG was truly classic with his swinging his arms signaling its good!!
Love this! I forgot we traded John Henry Johnson to the Lions. Falstaff beer? Too cool.
Good ol’ church keys. My first game in 1968, Tommy Davis was still the kicker.
Yeah, the Niners seem to be in the news every year since they got JG. But I am excited to see Trey and hopefully Kyle uses every weapon possible. Don’t hold back because of press clippings. Go Niners
Buffalo should be ahead by 14 but have given the ball away all over the place.
Nice stiff arm by Allen there. Keep rolling Buff.
Buffalo simply outmuscling the Rams. Good to see. They are getting pushed around.
Just felt great last night watching the Bills totally destroying the feeble inept Lambs!
And what made it better was Josh Allen 32 points on my FF team ( would of been more except for the 4 turnovers, guess I’m greedy lol) and my opponent getting a Big Fat ZERO with Cam Akers!! Hell Yeah!!Dude is clearly not healthy come back from his Achilles injuries, but when he’s listed good to go, u have to start him, even if the coaches are medical staff are lying 🤥
Thught that was real weird, or maybe I didn’t hear it, but all I heard was that Akers was good to go and he didn’t touch the ball all night. Lots of fantasy players pissed at that one!! My son’s opponent last night had Akers and got 0. But he also had Cooper Kupp and got 32 points.
Yeah I forgot to mention my opponent has Diggs who had 26 points and a TD courtesy of my QB Allen. Sucks in away, but we both score points off his production..
I got both Diggs and Kupp on a couple of teams. I also got Allen on a couple but not on those. It won’t matter by week 4 players will start getting hurt and fuck everything up. I am gambling on two rookies Price on the Niners and Watson on GB.
I did have to get rid of Price on one team because Kittle’s not playing.
Kittle’s out. Man, he’s spending too much time off the field.
They haven’t said it’s 100% yet but he hasn’t practiced all week.
NEW THRead is up;