49ers can beat Panthers in opener, and here’s why

1

I could be way off about this. If I am, please forgive me. But I’m picking the 49ers to beat the Panthers this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Let me break down the five keys to this matchup so you have a better understanding of what the Niners will be up against and why I picked them.

Click here to read my Friday column.

This article has 562 Comments

    1. Not so fast, my friend. IMO it depends on our passing game, pass rush, and secondary. I suspect they’ll smother our run game. I hope I’m wrong on that, but we’ll see. Btw I’m not worried about Hoyer, and the pass protection this offseason has been respectable. We’ll score through the air.

    2. Carolina will win simply by exploiting the weak SF secondary. They don’t need rookies to win. Cam doesn’t even need a big game. The defense should score. Special teams will be SF’s downfall. Carolina 31 SF 13

    1. Until I see Caf do in the NFL some of what he did in college, especially the first game out of the gate, I don’t think he will be the difference.

      I have the same pick as Grant, but with less fear and trembling.

      1. Respectfully disagree. He will wow his rookie year. NFL DCs will learn to limit him, but I think he’ll be versatile enough to be a continual threat.
        He’s a 1st rounder and must prove his value, but could (could) be a Sproles. With the ball in his hands, he runs “hungry”

        1. Bro,

          It’s true that every rookie in NFL cannot be judged until they actually play. But we fans who are sure a specific rookie will fail are equally certain that our favorite rookies will be surefire stars in the league. I guess it’s the armchair GM in us !!

          IMO, it’s pointless comparing a current player with some earlier player based on size, position, etc. What makes CMac special is that he’s a complete football player. I read somewhere that a scout commented that if CMac played the WR position, he’d be the best receiver in Pac-12 — definitely the best route runner. How well he does in the NFL will depend on his health and the blocking of his O line. I read that some of Carolina vet players have observed in TC that he’s special.

          1. Mood, i’m not saying he’s going to fail. Odds are he’ll be a great NFL player. And maybe from his first touch in his first game. But let’s see that first.

        2. Grant,

          It’s a good column. However, I feel Newton has been making gradual but steady improvement as a pocket QB over the last 2 seasons. Given a half-decent protection and the fact that his receivers can create separation or catch ball in traffic, I can see him standing and delivering from the pocket effectively — unless Niners can confuse him schematically which is not how Saleh prefers to operate.

      2. I ‘m that way with players. I remember winning some game in 2006 and fans being ****ed because we ‘lost the Reggie Bush Bowl.’ And all offseason and through training camp — Reggie Bush, blah, blah, blah…

        Well, he’s never been much. A couple of good years. But. mostly, the kind of guy you pick up in Round 4, like Kendall Hunter was before he blew his knee.

  1. Pretty much agree. I’m seeing 20-17, 9ers. I think one 9er TD will come from a turnover or by way of special teams. The game will be messy.

  2. Grant, I have a question: Can Gilliam plan TE in this offense? I’m not asking if he can be one of the three they already have. I’m concerned about Kittle’s injury.

      1. True, they can use him, but can he provide the blocking required of the TE for a successful outside zone run? Grant aptly described this in one of his recent Periscopes. One would assume that Paulsen can and, maybe, Kittle. Celek? The Better Rival guys say he’s a poor blocker. And Kittle has a troublesome hamstring. Thus my question about Gilliam.

  3. I hope you are right, but I honestly have no idea what to expect from the 49ers game 1. I am concerned about the D’s ability to stop the passing game though. While I don’t think much of Newton as a passer, I also don’t think much of the 49ers pass coverage. The DL had better generate some pass rush.

  4. Grant will all your reviews this year be videos?Your video reviews during the pre season we’re awesome!

  5. Naw, it’s better to see articles in print. Grant, your videos take a half hour and you constantly pause ‘n hem and haw to gather your thoughts. You look older and tougher than your pic though. Your pic looks like you’re in high school. Get a new pic, bro. Okay, I’m done picking on you. You’re a pain at times but I like your reports.

    1. I’ve been saying the same thing. His current picture looks like his HS Senior Year Book photo.

    2. I liked the part near the start where Grant scratched his chest–good locker room stuff. Good thing he wasn’t standing or he might have scratched something else…

  6. Key concerns:

    1-pass rush – to me this is the main driver of a good defense. Can the line disrupt the pass not just with sacks but with hurries and passes batted down. If the front unit struggles like it did last year and gives ample time to the opposing QB, sooner or later a WR will get open and torch the squad. This unit could be good, and then again…

    2-offensive line – inversely if the line cannot protect our QB then there is no implementation of Shanahan’s cunning plans. Additionally, the rush needs these guys to generate lanes to get skinny through. This unit resembles last year’s in many ways. Does this inspire confidence?

    3-defensive backs – specifically CBs. Without some ability to jam at the line and disrupt the timing throws. Additionally, the corners need to be able to stay on their target or the defense will inevitably be very one dimensional. Course a lot depends on 1. You have seen the preview. Didn’t lift my spirits.

    4- run defense – without making the other team one dimensional, and taking it for granted a decent bit of backfield play, the passing and tone of the game can be set by both this and 1. Here they have looked much better than last year’s unit. Hopefully this is a harbinger of good things to come.

    5- special teams – without a doubt this unit has to give the offense and defense the best field to work on. Everything here is unknown.
    6-rookies – they make mistakes. Costly ones. They cost games sometimes. We have lots starting.
    7-QB – despite everything the team only had one decent drive in preseason versus a starting defense. Let’s hope Hoyer is everything we want him to be and not a Nevadan mirage.

    With all this I can only expect a bit of disappointment this season along with some anticipation and exhilaration. Of course I hoe it is not exasperation and desperation like last year. The Yorks have done enough to bring ruination to this proud franchise. I long for Lynch and Shanahan to bring exaltation to the bay (or its nearest equivalent) again.

  7. Grant
    I don’t throw too many compliments your way, but this is a well reasoned view. I’m not sure I agree they will win, but a solid arguement.
    I will caution that in the past you have occasionally been so dazzled by speed that you overrate Super Slots. Tavon, that dude hawks brought in from Minn, Kelley as a Jet a couple years back; like that. But I do feel like Mac will be very good.
    I recall Marcus Allen’s first NFL start week one against the Niners; he lit a good Niner team up!
    My preseason guess has been 5-6 wins, but we’ll adjust as we get to know this team.
    It’s a long way up from 2-14, as The Fithful know all too well.
    “It’s a long way from Tipperary, a long way from Belfast City too.”
    (Anyone recognize that one?)

  8. This game will be about defense in that I don’t expect much of it. Both teams had bottom of the barrel defenses last year and I don’t think either have improved by a whole lot. Whichever team made the most strides in fixing their D will be the winner of this contest however I still expect it to be a relatively high scoring affair.

  9. If the 49ers are to win this game, there’s one obvious match up they can exploit. Goodwin on Darryl Worley. I expect Bradberry will lock up on Garcon, and I think the 49ers should target Worley early and often with Goodwin….

    1. The Panthers play zone about 80 percent of the time. Shanahan knows how to beat quarters coverage.

          1. You think they’ll be able to run enough to set up play action, especially against Kuechly and Davis?

            1. Yes. As long as the run plays look the same as the play-action plays, play action will be effective.

      1. I have no problem spreading CAR out and dinking and dunking down the field, just move the chains.
        Good game tonight and hope we play aggressively on Sunday- w the Giants suckingm (good call Grant, I thought you were wrong on that one), it has been a long while in having any meaningful Bay Area sports.

        Tartt or Jerome at FS Grant? Who do you think it will be and who do you think it should be?

  10. The Michael Bennettt situation reignites the selective treatment debate. It remains to be resolved.
    But in my travels out of oh-so-liberal/progressive Sonoma County, I meet folks from other parts of the country as well as foreigners. Our National Parks draw all kinds. I tend to have no trouble getting along with folks who almost surely vote differently than me. One on one, we get along famously.
    I saw a guy with an interesting t-shirt that read:
    “I stand for the flag and the anthem. I kneel for the fallen.”
    Personally, I agree with that point of view. I do not expect or require that others agree.
    I abhor flag burning, but understand and (grudgingly) respect the 1st Amendment principles behind it.

  11. Alex Smith seems to get better with age.
    Dumbest trade in 49er history. Thanks Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh! SMFH!

    1. But PT Alex doesn’t throw long passes and he only does dink and dunk.
      Hope we have a D like KC!

        1. PT, it’s called sarcasm.
          I always thought AS was let go prematurely.
          He was thriving under Harbaugh, caus he was respected AND challenged.
          With the rookie breathing down his neck, he is respected AND challenged

    2. It was a good trade to get two 2nd round picks for an average starting QB. The Niners traded Smith because they knew he couldn’t take them where they wanted to go. He hasn’t been able to do it with a better team in KC either. I realize all the Smith sympathizers are foaming at the mouth over his performance last night, but his career is that of an average and limited QB. I like Alex, but you aren’t winning SB’s with him and not winning at all unless you have a great defense and running game to support him. That is why the Niners traded him and why the Chiefs will let him go after this season to start the Mahomes era.

      1. cmon Rocket……I expect more from you

        Pro Bowl (2013, 2016)
        First-team All-American (2004)
        MWC Offensive Player of the Year (2004)

        Career NFL statistics as of Week 1, 2017
        Pass attempts: 4,143
        Pass completions: 2,564
        Percentage: 61.9
        TD–INT: 161–91
        Passing yards: 28,214
        Passer rating: 85.8

        those are not stats you associate with a career of an average and limited QB

        if Alex is average and limited QB, what is Hoyer?

        I already hear the excuses, Hoyer is great at play action……..that is code for, if the opposing defense stops our run game we might has well call it a loss.

        1. Lol. On the contrary those are average stats, some below average. There is also the cold hard fact that he has had little success in the playoffs. I am not trying to disparage Alex Smith here, but the view some of you have of him is simply not justified.

          1. dude …they lost their last 2 games last season by a combined 4points
            in 2015 playoffs

            KC 30 @ HOU 0
            KC 20 @ NE 27

            2016 playoffs
            PIT 18 @ KC 16

            and yes you are knocking him

            I think one thing most don’t understand about Alex is – there has always been the potential he would get better……its what we all saw when we drafted him.

            so far he keeps getting better and the noise against him sounds more like hating

            1. Oneniner

              Well spoken…Rocket just can’t climb over his ego to admit that HE IS WRONG…I am certainly glad that I am not him…He and Razoreater as well as a couple of others on here start making excuses for why they can rewrite history as soon as football serason ends….I really can’t see the joy in being a fan if all you can stomach is ‘wins’….I’ve found that the best way to take them is with a grain of salt….

  12. great game to start off the season!….. just hope everyone in my survivor league took NE! (I am going w whoever plays the Jets, for the most part).

  13. Mahomes seems to have brought out the inner deep ball from Alex Smith. Best game I’ve seen him have in quite some time.

      1. Yea, I thought he’d be a good fit for Shanny’s offense. Andy Reid has some impressive weaponry.

    1. He has thrown deep many times;the difference is now he has weapons who won’t drop the pass.

      1. MID,
        Great game from Alex. But l can’t get overly excited about an almost once in a lifetime great game. Alex will have a couple of these per season while Brady can have 10-12 of these games per year.
        There’s a reason why NE wins Superbowls and the Chiefs win many games during the season.

        1. Not really excited as I am pointing a fact more than anything else. I have lost count on how many passes over 20+ yards that Smith would have if he had better options to throw to. Now he has those options. It’s early, but the Chiefs may have sent a message that the road to the Super Bowl will have to go through Arrowhead Stadium.

        2. AES,

          You nailed it. Smith threw two 75+ yard TD’s last night. You know how many he had throw in his career prior to last night? 2. Last night he threw for over 300 yards; it was only the 6th time in his career he had accomplished that feat.

          Smith was great last night, but he should be when he has zero pressure to deal with and a running game averaging more than 10 yards a carry. The Chiefs dominated up front last night and that was the real key to the success they had offensively.

          1. He’s better than Kap. The guy you said was a franchise QB and who agreed with the switch.
            Smith’s game is still evolving and like I said from day one, is the better QB.
            The 49ers messed up and I was right while all you Kap lovers said it was the best decision for the 49ers at the time.

            You never ever lose your job to an injury. Kap never earned the job and it came too easy for him. That’s why he never got better. Alex is still playing at a high level.
            Sure he has better weapons but people said he could not throw deep. He always has.

            1. Kap excelled in Harbaugh’s offense when given the chance and gave them more than Smith could. That’s why Smith was traded and why I agreed with the switch. It was absolutely the best decision at the time considering they made it to the SB. Smith is who he is. He is a guy who succeeds based on not making mistakes. That works at times through the season but when you face the better teams in the playoffs you need more and Smith simply isn’t capable of it. Andy Reid knows this too which is why he drafted Smith’s replacement this year.

              1. First of all Harbaugh got greedy. He wanted out and wanted to win as soon as he could.
                That’s why he made the switch.
                You never ever earn a job based on injury.
                The 49ers had a solid QB. One that with the right personnel around him could excel. With Kap you had to draft very specific personnel. One that would require almost impossible drafting.
                You’d always be taking a certain player and not the best player. It would be virtually a migraine to build a team around Kap.

                With Alex, the 49ers had a functional QB. One that could still get them to a SB.

                You guys say it was the right decision because it got them to the SB. Are we forgetting he played awful in that game and left the 49ers in disarray cause to build a team around a limited QB cost a lot of people jobs?
                Baalke, and every other HC since JH?

                Why has no one signed Kap? Because their personnel does not meet what he does. You’d have to change everything from your oline and blocking schemes, to play calling to routes for WR etc.
                With Alex, you play a pro style offense and that’s what wins in the NFL.
                No gimmicks.

              2. Prime, that familiarity and scheme fit myth needs to be put to rest. Kaep will come to a team, just like many other QBs have come to other teams, and they will play football. Some will stink, but some will shine.
                .
                With attrition, there are many examples of a QB going down, and his replacement, who did not have the luxury of throwing passes in the OTAs, minis, TC and preseason, will be expected to know plays and perform well.
                .
                Even last game, they had Dorsett and Marsh playing for both teams, and the were acquired within the last week. It happens all the time, so it is just wishful thinking that Kaep could not go to a team and lead them to victory.

              3. Prime,

                This entire post is full of your personal agenda. Harbaugh wasn’t trying to get out; he was trying to win and felt Kap gave him the best chance. He was right and had the defense been playing even remotely close to their previous level, the Niners likely would have won #6. They didn’t lose the SB because of Kap, he played pretty well overall in fact. They lost because the defense was lousy during that run after JS went down and Aldon was playing hurt.

                As to how the system changed once they inserted Kap, it really didn’t change all that much. They incorporated more read option obviously but the system was pretty much the same as it was with Smith. What seems to get forgotten or just ignored in these anti Kap rants is that Kap played well throughout Harbaugh’s run. His numbers weren’t as good in Harbaugh’s final season, but they weren’t terrible either and that team was still playoff caliber if not for the ridiculous amount of injuries they incurred.

                I’m not getting into the why isn’t Kap signed debate. Everyone has their own opinion and I’ve already stated mine.

              4. No, Prime, I was agreeing with Rocket, not you.
                .
                You should have been smart enough to know that I am diametrically opposed to you.

              5. Seb you are opposed to me but put your tampon aside and you will see I am 100% right about Kap.
                His career is over in the NFL. Waiting for an injury to occur so he can come back is so ironic. I guess that’s the only way he can find work. Déjà vu all over again? Won’t happen. He’s done.

                Rocket,Harbaugh knew he could not work for York and Baalke any longer and went all unconventional with Kap as the starter.
                He was impatient and thought Kap could surprise everyone with the read option that would stun the NFL.
                It worked temporarily but his brother out smarted him.
                You say “They didn’t lose the SB because of Kap, he played pretty well overall in fact.
                5 yards and you throw the type of pass he did to Crabtree, yeah he lost them the game.

                That’s why QB’s get the glory in winning and the agony in defeat.

                Just like Smith last night and when Smith lost in the playoffs last year.

              6. Prime, quit arguing against yourself. You said that Kaep had no credit for going 12-4, then state that the QB will get all the credit or all the blame if they win or lose.
                .
                Your hatred clouds your judgement.

              7. Seb, Kap rode the coat tails of that defense and the play calling and the fact the read option and how to defend it was still a mystery.
                No more excuses for Kap. You want him back into the league and the only that might happen is if a team has an injury.
                Do you see the irony in that? It’s not going to happen.
                Again, the party is over for Kap and your Pom Poming is done.

              8. Rocket,Harbaugh knew he could not work for York and Baalke any longer and went all unconventional with Kap as the starter.
                He was impatient and thought Kap could surprise everyone with the read option that would stun the NFL.

                Prime this is a great work of fiction. Harbaugh was in his second year as HC and had lobbied for Kap in the draft. The change was going to be made at some point and he made it when Kap came in and played well along with giving them and element in the running game they didn’t have with Smith. Promoting Kap had nothing to do with his relationship with York or Baalke.

                It worked temporarily but his brother out smarted him.

                No he didn’t. The Niner defense was terrible, ST’s gave up a TD return and the offense led by Kap was the only reason they were in the game, along with a well timed power outage that is.

                You say “They didn’t lose the SB because of Kap, he played pretty well overall in fact. 5 yards and you throw the type of pass he did to Crabtree, yeah he lost them the game.
                That’s why QB’s get the glory in winning and the agony in defeat. Just like Smith last night and when Smith lost in the playoffs last year. Just like Smith last night and when Smith lost in the playoffs last year.

                Whatever you say Prime. Something tells me you wouldn’t be putting the same responsibility on Smith and ignoring the fact they were only in the game because of a comeback led by Kap is bias at it’s most extreme.

              9. Rocket it is whatever I say because it all unfolded as I said.
                Kap was a onetrick pony QB that could not sustain the level of play required in the NFL.
                I said he sucked from day one and you all said he didn’t and it was the right move.
                Throw everything else out. Where is he now compared to Smith? It wasn’t hindsight on my part as I convinced then as I am now that Smith was the better QB then as he is now.
                That’s the facts.

              10. Lol. No it didn’t unfold the way you said at all. Kap wound up starting and playing pretty well for two years after that run and didn’t fall off a cliff until Harbaugh was gone. This isn’t a question of who the better QB is anyway, at least not for me, because neither of them are better than average QB’s. It’s about what the best course of action was for the team at that time with the info they had. There is no question Harbaugh made the right decision based on the results. With the defense playing as bad as it was, I doubt the Niners win a playoff game with Smith starting. He just wasn’t capable of putting up the kind of offense they needed to win during that playoff run. He was completely reliant on the defense and running game.

              11. Horse sh$t!
                This is all about who is the better QB.
                One guy is out of the league the other guy still playing at a high level.
                Just as I said when Kap was gifted the job.
                I was right then as I am right now.

              12. Grant,

                No Smith is the poster boy for average. His entire career reeks of it.

                Prime,

                No it’s not about who the better QB is now. Neither of them are better than average and Kap in the right system could produce at the same rate Smith has. You want to pretend that Harbaugh made the wrong decision in going with Kap during that SB run and believe the subsequent trade of Smith was the worst trade in history. Both of those statements are wrong and have been proven so not only by the results the Niners had with Kap under Harbaugh, but Smith’s inability to win anything of substance with KC.

              13. He has been good by every statistical measure. Completion percentage, td-int ratio, yards per attempt, QB rating, winning percentage.

              14. Yes, and some day, AS may learn to run the hurry up offense without huddling.
                .
                Sounds like the KC crowd was glad they drafted Mahomes. AS did well, but he is on a short leash.

              15. If you average out his stats from 2011 to now, my guess is he is middle of the pack pretty much across the board. The most important stat: He has won 1 playoff game in 4 years with KC and it was the Hoyer meltdown game.

                He is an average talent QB who plays in a QB friendly system with a strong defense and running game, and doesn’t win big games. That is Alex Smith.

              16. Most of us would agree that Kap sucks and Smith is better, probably way better.

                I usually don’t rip Harbaugh, but here I go. Remember JH giving Kap a full series at times before Smith’s concussion? Not good for your starters confidence.

                And weeks later when Alex was cleared to return, JH risked the season by sticking with a limited gimmick QB, which caused a divide in the locker room BTW.

                Then JH pissed away our future and his own by trading Alex. I don’t agree that Smith is just average. I think the average NFL player has a 2 or 3 year career. BTW, Alex had 6 4th quarter comebacks in 2011, including The Catch 3 against the Saints. Smith was lights out in that NO game. The game manager label is false. Comparing Alex to the likes of Dilfer is slanderous.

              17. Sorry #80 but I don’t agree with anything you said here and the numbers and results don’t back you up.

              18. rocket,

                You don’t agree with anything in my post?

                You don’t agree that Smith is better than Kap?
                You don’t agree that playing Kap for full series at a time was bad for Alex’s confidence?
                JH risked the season on a gimmick QB?
                It created a divide in the locker room, Team Alex Vs team Kap?
                The trade hurt our championship window?
                Smith is better than average?
                The 6 4th qtr. comebacks in 2011?

              19. Grant,

                I’m not going to do the work to add up all the stats since 2011 and compare it to all the other QB’s, it will take way too much time that I don’t have, but all you have to do is look at the QB passing stats for each season and look at where Smith stands. He is always in the bottom half in TD’s and overall yardage – two areas where Reid QB’s have historically been near the top – and the only stat he is consistently in the top ten with is completion percentage which is entirely due to the short passing game he plays in. Combine that with his playoff record and he is an average QB who can’t elevate his game. He is completely reliant on his defense and running game keeping games close in order to have success.

              20. The stats that matter are td-int ratio, completion percentage, yards per attempt, QB rating and winning percentage. He’s above average in those key categories.

              21. You don’t agree that Smith is better than Kap?

                I think he’s a better pocket QB than Kap. Kap was better in Harbaugh’s system though.

                You don’t agree that playing Kap for full series at a time was bad for Alex’s confidence?

                No. If Smith had played at a high level consistently, he would have had nothing to worry about, but he didn’t. Harbaugh started incorporating Kap because he needed more than he was getting from Smith. Smith is one of the toughest players in the NFL from a mental standpoint anyway. Harbaugh playing Kap for a series here and there paled in comparison to his years with Nolan and SIngletary.

                JH risked the season on a gimmick QB?

                Again no. If all Kap was capable of doing was the read option at that point, I’d agree with you, but he was explosive in the passing game as well. Harbaugh is not a stupid man. He went with Kap because Kap was doing things defenses had no answer for. If the defense had played even close to the level they did in 2011, the Niners would have won the SB.

                It created a divide in the locker room, Team Alex Vs team Kap?

                There was no evidence of a divide in the locker room, not on the field anyway. Alex had his supporters I’m sure, but players want to win more than anything and they did that with Kap.

                The trade hurt our championship window?

                False. The Championship window ended when Harbaugh was essentially fired and a number of players retired. Alex Smith was not the key to keeping a Championship window open.

                Smith is better than average?

                He’s not and the overall stats and record bear that out. I’m not sure what else to tell you.

                The 6 4th qtr. comebacks in 2011?

                That’s great but comebacks are a product of a lot more than the QB and using a stat measure from 6 years ago is not a great argument for Smith being better than average. Just look at his numbers from last season for the most recent reference point #80:

                7th in Completion percentage
                16th in YPA
                27th in TD’s
                16th in rating
                22nd in total passing yards

                His numbers in the playoff game against the Steelers:

                Completion percentage: 58%
                YPA: 5.6
                1 TD, 1 Int.
                Rating of 69

                Smith is a great guy, I supported him fiercely when he was here and he is a great story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles, but he’s an average QB with limitations. Nothing wrong with that.

              22. The stats that matter are td-int ratio, completion percentage, yards per attempt, QB rating and winning percentage. He’s above average in those key categories.

                He wasn’t last year for most of these and as I said, all you have to do is look at it year by year to see he averages middle of the pack overall and below that in some areas like TD passes and yardage. He has won 1 playoff game in 4 years and was terrible in the most recent one. He is middle of the pack, average, limited, whatever other description someone wants to use for a player who relies on other facets of the team for success.

              23. I just did the math. He’s well above average in every category, including yards per attempt, since 2011.

              24. League average since 2011:
                61.8 completion percentage.
                6.7 yards per attempt.
                1.7 TD-INT ratio.
                85.6 QB rating.

                Alex Smith’s stats since 2011:
                64.5 completion percentage.
                7.1 yards per attempt.
                2.8 TD-INT ratio.
                91.8 QB rating.

              25. League average since 2011:
                61.8 completion percentage.
                6.7 yards per attempt.
                1.7 TD-INT ratio.
                85.6 QB rating.
                Alex Smith’s stats since 2011:
                64.5 completion percentage.
                7.1 yards per attempt.
                2.8 TD-INT ratio.
                91.8 QB rating.

                Grant you are using a flawed system. You can’t base it on everybody who threw a pass because it severely skews the results and you have to look at where he ranked in each particular year to get a true indication how he fared in each category. I guess I’m going to have to do the work so we can get a realistic view.

              26. Alex Smith’s statistical ranks every year since 2011.

                Completion percentage:
                2011 – 11th
                2012 – Didn’t qualify due to only playing half a season
                2013 – 20th
                2014 – 10th
                2015 – 10th
                2016 – 7th

                YPA:
                2011 – 17th
                2012 – Didn’t qualify
                2013 – 29th
                2014 – 24th
                2015 – 14th
                2016 – 16th

                TD’s:
                2011 – 17th
                2013 – 15th
                2014 – 19th
                2015 – 20th
                2016 – 27th

                Rating:
                2011 – 9th
                2013 – 14th
                2014 – 13th
                2015 – 10th
                2016 – 16th

                Not surprisingly his best numbers across the board came in 2012 where he played half a season:

                Completion percentage: 70.2
                YPA: 7.97
                TD’s: 13
                Rating: 104.1

                So looking at these numbers it’s exactly as I thought. Completion percentage and TD-Int ratio is where he excelled the most because of short passes and caution. All other stats he was average to below. The fact he is extremely cautious and throws few Ints makes the ratio and rating look good, but it also hinders the offense in scoring as well.

              27. Lol all you want. You know including non QB’s who threw passes skews the numbers along with 2nd and 3rd stringers who come in for mop up duty. It’s disingenuous to suggest otherwise. When you look at the QB passing numbers, he’s middle of the pack to below in most key areas.

              28. His average QB rating rank since 2011 is 11th, which is pretty much where he ranks among NFL QBs. Discounting 2012 is you skewing stats to fit your preconceived notion of the player.

              29. You can’t include 2012. He played half a season and it accounted for the highest rankings of his career. His other 5 years show a clear indication of what he’s capable of over a full season.

                Passer rating is also not a great way to rank QB’s due to the fact it places a huge emphasis on ints. We know Smith doesn’t throw many Ints. Problem is he doesn’t throw many TD’s either.

              30. You have to include 2012. Leaving it out doesn’t present the whole picture. And turnovers are the single biggest factor in wins and losses — not yards or touchdowns.

              31. His average QB rating rank since 2011 is 11th, which is pretty much where he ranks among NFL QBs. Discounting 2012 is you skewing stats to fit your preconceived notion of the player.

                No I’m not. The NFL doesn’t even include QB’s in the ratings who play half a season. His rating for that half season skews the numbers. He didn’t come close to any of those averages over the course of a full season at any point in his career before or after 2012.

              32. I meant overall, not just JH.
                “There was no evidence of a divide in the locker room…”
                http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1422362-vernon-davis-believes-alex-smith-not-colin-kaepernick-is-still-49ers-qb
                I guess the rest is up for interpretation.

                I missed this earlier, sorry #80.

                Overall you can say Smith has been the better QB sure, but put Smith with Tomsula or Kelly and I don’t think there would have been much of a difference in the 49ers fortunes.

                The change to Kap didn’t manifest itself on the field as far as a divide. As I mentioned, Smith would have had his supporters, but when the team is winning games, the players get over it in a hurry.

              33. You have to include 2012. Leaving it out doesn’t present the whole picture

                Including 2012 skews the numbers which is why the ratings system doesn’t include them. 5 years out of the 6 year window we are looking at included full seasons and they are pretty consistent in their averages. The one outlier is a partial season in 2012 in which his averages were way higher than they were in every full season around it. You base analysis on averages on the majority not the outlier.

                And turnovers are the single biggest factor in wins and losses — not yards or touchdowns

                I don’t disagree with that, but as we’ve clearly seen with Smith, that style of play doesn’t hold up in the playoffs. You have to be able to rely on the QB to elevate his game in the big moments and Smith hasn’t been able to do it.

              34. He’s played poorly in his last two playoff games and he’s 2-4 overall. His best game was against the Colts, other than that he’s been nothing special and not good recently.

              35. Your argument is flawed because you discount quarterback rating, and you presume a “good” quarterback has to rank in the top 10. There are at least 16 good QBs in the NFL and Smith certainly is one of them.

              36. Rocket and Prime,
                You both make good points. But nothing can change our history regarding Smith, Harbaugh and Kap.
                What we presently have is KC front office making moves during the draft to pick up Mahomes. Mahomes is the anti-thesis of Alex Smith. Drafting Mahomes says more about KC’s feelings about Alex than any of us can say.

              37. And Kap being out of the league and Alex still playing says everything I said 4 years ago when the Kap lovers said different.

                Alex then and Alex now was and is a better QB than Kap for the simple reason he was a pro style QB who can sustain quality play in the NFL.

                Guys like Rocket said Kap was a franchise QB and that the “switch” was validated.
                Not so. No SB, and the guy is out of the league, and the guy I said all along was better is still playing at a high level.
                I’m not sure what the other point is.

              38. Alex Smith’s career QB rating in the playoffs: 94.5
                Colin Kaepernick’s career QB rating in the playoffs: 87.3

              39. Kap was right behind Smith in QB rating rankings last year Grant. Most including you, would not consider Kap a good QB. It is not a good way to rank QB’s because it doesn’t account for all game situations and puts too much emphasis on Ints with no regard to how they occurred and what effect they had on the game.

              40. INTs are the most important QB statistic. No other stat has a bigger influence on the outcome of a game.
                Kap’s problem last season was he played so bad in the second half of games, his team had no chance to win.

              41. Guys like Rocket said Kap was a franchise QB and that the “switch” was validated.

                No guys like rocket said he had the talent to become a franchise QB if he improved in the pocket. The switch was validated when the offense led the team to the SB while the defense stunk. You are still trying to argue something that has already been proven.

              42. INTs are the most important QB statistic. No other stat has a bigger influence on the outcome of a game.

                That is simply not true. It can have a major influence on a game but there are times it doesn’t as well. If a game has already been decided and a QB throws a pick in garbage time it has zero influence on the outcome of the game. If a QB throws an interception he takes a major hit in QB rating even if he also threw a couple of TD’s and the Int did not lead to any points against.

                Kap’s problem last season was he was so bad in the second half of games, his team had no chance to win.

                Everything was in Smith’s favor between the two last year. Better personnel, Coaching, defense. everything and yet he only ranked one spot ahead of Kap in rating. Kap also had a better TD to Int. ratio. It’s a flawed measurement in determining the effectiveness of a QB and their impact on wins and losses. It’s why ESPN devised QBR which is also flawed.

              43. The same is true of TDs in garbage time. The fact is the odds of winning a game drop dramatically with every interception. You can look it up.

                Kap was in the perfect system for him last season and he collapsed in the second half of games.

              44. AES,

                Bingo. His former HC benched him and his current HC drafted his replacement. It’s pretty clear how he’s viewed in the NFL.

              45. The same can be true of TDs in garbage time. The fact is the odds of winning a game drop dramatically with every interception. You can look it up.

                Lol. I’m not arguing against that. I’m saying it leads to passer rating fluctuations that don’t always paint the real story. Garbage time TD’s are exactly the same. It can make the QB look better than he really was. The point is QB rating is severely flawed and is not a great way to rank QB’s. It is one stat that can be used in conjunction with a number of others to try and give an assessment with some degree of accuracy.

                Kap was in the perfect system for him last season and he collapsed in the second half of games.

                I disagree. It’s not all the QB’s fault for a drop off in the second half of games and is really more of an indictment against the Coach – which you have argued before in your criticism of Chip Kelly. The best system for Kap was the one he ran under Harbaugh.

              46. QB rating, TD-INT ratio, completion percentage and yards per attempt are much, much better stats than total touchdowns or total yards, which you keep weighing highly.

                No Kelly QB ever performed as poorly as Kap did in the second half. He folded when Kelly went deep into the playbook and stopped calling the first-half stuff Kap had practiced all week.

              47. QB rating, TD-INT ratio, completion percentage and yards per attempt are much, much better stats than total touchdowns or total yards, which you keep weighing highly.

                No they aren’t and I’m not giving any of the stats priority over the others. All of them can be manipulated and often are which is why I went through and posted where Smith ranked in each category from year to year. All we can do is look at all the stats as a whole to try and generate an accurate assessment and even then you really don’t get a clear picture unless you go through game by game and analyze each snap. In looking at year to year rankings from 2011 to 2016, Smith ranked middle of the pack or lower in the majority of QB stats in the full seasons in which he played. His best numbers came in completion percentage and Ints thrown which is great, but not an indication of him being anything other than a cautious player in a short passing system.

                No Kelly QB ever performed as poorly as Kap did in the second half. He folded when Kelly went deep into the playbook and stopped calling the first-half stuff Kap had practiced all week.

                Whatever you say Grant.

              48. So you have discounted all stats to support your erroneous perception on Smith. Remarkable.

                Jeff Garcia agrees with my take on Kap.

              49. So you have discounted all stats to support your erroneous perception on Smith. Remarkable.

                Smh. I weigh everything unlike you who is purposely putting extra significance on the stats that Smith performs best in. My view of Smith is shared by the majority of people who do this for a living so it’s pretty clear your view is the erroneous one and this is just another example of your inability to quit when you are behind.

                Jeff Garcia agrees with my take on Kap.

                Great. I disagree with both of you. How does Jeff feel about the fact you’ve already blamed this all on Kelly previously? Is he aware of how often you flip flop on opinions?

              50. Every credible football analyst weighs yards per attempt over total yards and TD-INT ratio over total TDs. You’re devaluing anything you can to make Smith look worse.

                You can go back and read my interview with Garcia. We discussed Kap and Kelly. Both were culpable in the 49ers’ second-half problems, as I’ve always said.

                I admit when I’m wrong. You never have.

              51. You didn’t include TD-INT ratio for some inane reason. And you constantly devalue completion percentage.

              52. I believe KC wants more from Alex Smith than stats that make him better than Kap.
                I for one would love to see AS play in the Superbowl and obviously the Chiefs Organization would as well, but I also believe that the Chiefs feel that they are good enough to go deep in the playoffs. But after watching Smith fall short in the playoffs (great stats and all) I believe that Mahomes is their ace in the hand.

              53. It seems the major difference Rocket and Grant have is in what they consider to be a Good QB… vs an Average QB.
                Grant is stating that there are around 16 to 20 good qb’s. While Rocket it appears has tiered them… top 10 qbs are good… qbs ranked 11-20 are average and qbs below that, are bad.
                I tend to side with rockets ranking structure, even if I disagree with him a bit on Kaep. If you look at starting Qbs Smith normally ranks at about 13 to 16.

                Also,Imho Smith is the better QB, but I don’t think he would have gotten the 49ers to the super bowl that year. As I don’t believe he would have scored enough points to beat Green Bay. Keeping in mind that the niners defense was bad at this point.

              1. If you go by passer rating alone, he ranked 9th in 2011, 3rd in 2012, 14th in 2013, 13th in 2014, 10th in 2015 and 16th in 2016. That averages out to 11th, which is about where he ranks among NFL quarterbacks — 11th. That’s good. Any given year, there are between 16-20 good quarterbacks.

                The only QBs I definitely would rank above Smith are Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson.

              2. After Week 10 2016, Smith’s ALEX* was ranked 11th at plus-1.7, but he eventually settled into a 24th-place finish at plus-0.4. That’s still the first time he ranked higher than 30th since 2007, and this might be the team with which he has the best chance to win a Super Bowl yet.

                *Air Less Expected

              3. Going by passer rating alone is severely flawed and as I pointed out, the fact he only played half a season and had his highest passer rating because of that fact skews the numbers and is an obvious outlier that flies in the face of how he fared over the course of a full season in every other year.

                Nobody other than you and a few Alex Smith fans on this site would rank him any higher than middle of the pack.

                In the most recent ESPN rankings which are based on the opinions of 50 league insiders Smith ranked 20th.

                http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/20400339/2017-nfl-qb-tier-rankings-new-england-patriots-tom-brady-green-bay-packers-aaron-rodgers

              4. Going by passer rating alone is severely flawed and as I pointed out, the fact he only played half a season and had his highest passer rating because of that fact skews the numbers and is an obvious outlier that flies in the face of how he fared over the course of a full season in every other year.

                Nobody other than you and a few Alex Smith fans on this site would rank him any higher than middle of the pack.

                In the most recent ESPN rankings which are based on the opinions of 50 league insiders Smith ranked 20th.

                I tried to link the article but it went to moderation for some reason.

              5. Only someone with an agenda would find a way to totally discount 2012. You have to find a way to factor it in, which is why I used all of his numbers since 2011 and compared them to the league averages.

              6. Should have posted this here:

                No agenda. Just common sense. You are free to rank him wherever you like, but it is not supported by most NFL observers or the overall numbers. I’ve posted the info so no need to repeat myself.

              7. Oneniner

                Well spoken…Rocket just can’t climb over his ego to admit that HE IS WRONG…I am certainly glad that I am not him…He and Razoreater as well as a couple of others on here start making excuses for why they can rewrite history as soon as football serason ends….I really can’t see the joy in being a fan if all you can stomach is ‘wins’….I’ve found that the best way to take them is with a grain of salt….

              8. Rocket doing his best to argue who’s the better QB between Kaep and Smith. Final score: League teams: 32, rocket: 1.

              9. No that isn’t what I was doing Rib. I also said this above:

                Overall you can say Smith has been the better QB sure, but put Smith with Tomsula or Kelly and I don’t think there would have been much of a difference in the 49ers fortunes.

                I was simply giving a counter view to the love affair with Alex Smith that exists in perpetuity around here. Great guy, average QB.

                Oregon,

                You don’t read what is actually being said, don’t give or listen to facts and are enamored with blonde blue eyed QB’s. You bring nothing to the table except your delusional beliefs that everything is great and players who have achieved nothing should never be criticized. You aren’t worth wasting anymore time on.

          2. The thing is that over the first 6 seasons of their career their career stats for 40+ passes are somewhat comparable. Colin has 31 and Alex has 29. Don’t know that Colin is a better deep ball passer. What Alex has is he is more accurate and puts the ball in a place where the receivers can do something with the ball. Colin cannot do this consistently.

            He has always been a compromised passer. He had some dynamic elements to his game but could not translate these to an effective passer. Alex Smith, whatever his faults, has improved with time and become a smarter football player.

            I agreed with the trade at the time and felt it was probably the right move. But in retrospect it does not look good.

    2. RAZOR !

      WHAT …Is this really you…who ballyhood that Alex could only ‘dink and dunk’..? Maybe you shouldn’t be so absolute in your predictions….It certainly makes you look foolish…write it down, folks….that’s Razoreater over in the corner eating that oversized helping of ‘Crow’. Personally, I find it amazing that our ole’ game manager just kicked the poop out of the NFL chumps’ also Houston, and Rocket and the ‘analytics crowd….’….THANKS HARBAUGH !!

      1. Ore, Alex sure surprised the TV commentators, too, who stated they did not believe Alex could throw the long ball. In fact, before the game, even you must have remembered that Alex had thrown very few deep balls.
        .
        Looks like Reid has finally gotten him some decent weapons, and the poor DB play of the Pats was shocking.
        .
        Lets see if Alex can sustain this level of play before anointing the next Len Dawson.

        1. Seb

          Whoever said that TV commentators were smart ? Do you not know that Alex and every other QB in football has to perform the play that the COACH calls for ? Otherwise that QB would find himself gathering splinters on the bench…Maybe THAT’S why Alex had thrown so few deep balls….’ever occur to you ?…..or Rocket whose credibility just went in the tank on this thread….

      2. Wow, you’d think he was still on the team by the exuberance over Alex Smith having the best game of his life. I must point out that I wished Alex Smith all the best when he left. His departure was necessary, and he couldn’t have been dealt to a better situation. I will remind you that Alex Smith had no trade value or interest prior to Harbaugh rebuilding him. The Miami visit was merely a courtesy. Many didn’t believe the 49ers could get a 2nd round pick for him, let alone two. Many fans were tired of the roll out, and throw into the sidelines, and not getting over the playoff hump. Kaepernick ignited the offense, and got them over the hump. Many factors contributed to the degradation of Alex Smith, but in the end, it all worked out for him. They drafted a gunslinger top ten, and Alex has all the weaponry and incentive to cut it loose. He’s been in the same situation before with Kaepernick, so he knows what is expected, and Andy Reid alluded to it prior to the draft….

  14. I have to admit I thought we should trade Smith at the time. When I found out we were not getting more than a couple of second round picks for a starting QB –I said they should have brought him back to compete with Kaep unless they got a couple of 1st rounders.

    Knowing now how unstable Baalke, Harbaugh & Kaep were, I think Alex could have been the stabilizing (Buster Posey like) influence that we may have needed to keep everything together. Hindsight being 20/20.

      1. True-Harbaugh should have made Kaep compete more before turning the keys to the car over. His not having to compete or learn to read defense would have forced the issue if Smith was around.

    1. You know what’s sad, Harbaugh knew Kaepernick couldn’t read defenses. But like so many, he saw the big arm, fast feet and the sandlot plays and fell in love. Even though what wins games is pocket-skills and QBing efficiency, not big plays. You just keep getting that ball out, to your playmakers, in an efficient manner and, sooner-or-later, one of them will do it for you.

      1. With hindsight I think its fair to say that the question with Kaep has always been whether he could have learned to be a first class passer if he had maybe set his priorities a little different.

  15. Hunt was a RB I thought would flourish under Shanahan; I am glad he is looking good in his first game but disappointed that it isn’t with Shanahan as his coach.

      1. I always have this vision of Roger Goodell pumping his fist when Brady is sacked and high fiving every opposing teams fan when he leaves a Patriots loss.

  16. Where is that pin head Bayareafanatic who said Alex could never go up to NE and beat Brady and lay a 40 burger on them?
    Hey Bay, where you at?

    1. And CBs that can’t stay with WRs possessing world class sprinters speed. We have one of those (the WR, that is)

  17. That’s the quietest I’ve heard New Englands home crowd since the 1st half we dominated them 4 years ago

  18. The 49ers’ offense had a 117.4 passer rating while using play action throughout the preseason, according to Pro Football Focus.

  19. Grant, nice prediction,because it is exactly the same as mine. ;p
    .
    I think Carolina may score more times, but if the Niners go bold, and do not settle for field goals, they could pull off a win.
    .
    Yes, I agree the Niners should contain Cam in the pocket. They should collapse the pocket while keeping a hand in the air to block his view and try to tip a pass.

  20. Nice game. The game turned when Hightower went down.
    .
    I have chastised Alex for not throwing a TD pass to his wide receivers for a whole season, and not throwing a pass over 20 yards in previous seasons, but Alex was lights out this game. It helped to have a stout O line, and his receivers were fast. It was shocking to see such poor pass defense from the Pats. They gave up over 500 yards.
    .
    Competition is healthy. Mahomes pushed Alex, and he responded magnificently. His completion percentage was 80%, which is leet.
    .
    The coaching was impressive. Reid learned from the SB that one does not let up on the throttle. He went bold, and went for the jugular.
    .
    Sure am glad the undefeated Pats talk is officially dead.

    1. Sebbie… You are soooo hip! Love the way you drop cool, ‘I’m with it’ terms! Today it’s ‘leet’. Very good.

      Do answer Ribico’s question about Alex “not throwing a pass over 20 yards in previous seasons.” Please name the seasons (yes, plural).

      1. Cassie, he was probably speaking in generic stereotyping terms. You know, how takes umbrage and rushes to his defense when someone does the same about Kaep.

        1. Yeah… His assertions can be mind bending. Sebbie would make a great Air Traffic Controller.

        2. Rib, I am only referring to his time with the Chiefs. He was traded for to bring competence to the QB position, and he was loathe to commit a turnover. It did not help to have few weapons. I remember in one playoff game, he was reduced to having to throw to AJ Jenkins.
          .
          It sure is telling how well a QB can look when he has the proper weapons and support, and how a QB can struggle like Kaep did when his O line was a sieve while only having cut third string FAs to throw to.
          .
          Alex did well, and he did it against the last SB champ. The Chiefs are now favorites to win the AFC West. However, I am not going to anoint him as the second coming after one game. Yes, he has improved, and Hill is the real deal, but I also remember the playoff game where he tried to run the hurry up offense while huddling up. That last NFCC Game he played in, he went 1 for 13 in third down conversions, and did not complete more than one pass to a WR. He had 2 opportunities to lead drives in the end to win the game, but kept on throwing short of the sticks. That is why they replaced him with Kaep, who did win that NFCC Game and propel the Niners into the SB.
          .
          I will wait until Alex wins a SB, before I will say that JH made a mistake. Kaep came within 5 yards of winning that SB, and one pass from returning, so he may have his detractors, but Kaep still achieved much. Alex needs to get to a SB first.

          1. Sebbie…. Your assertion re: Alex “not throwing a pass over 20 yards in previous seasons.” Please name the seasons. Yes, you said seasons so there must have been more the one, no? C’mon Sebbie, you know all about the NFL. Please name the seasons.

            Thanks in advance, I know you won’t let us down.

            1. “When Kaeppie completes a forward pass-twice in a row-to his 3rd option, my son-in-law shall cut Kaeppie into a thousand pieces and cast them to the sky……..

              and he shall make the face of Heaven so fine

              that Sebbie shall worship the moon

              and pay no thought to the garish sun”.

              You are all filled with hate!

          2. Why do you bringing up Kap. It was a conversation about AS. Thought others brought him up. Seb, you are a cyber contradiction!

            1. As usual, Sebbie found himself on very thin ice with his bogus assertion and then tried to deflect the conversation by dragging the long dead horse out into the open. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

            2. Others were talking about JH and his decision to trade away Alex. Some said it was a huge mistake.
              .
              Believe it or not, there was a controversy surrounding AS and Kaep.
              .
              Please try to keep up.

              1. Sebbie all you have to do is expound on your expansive encyclopedic knowledge of football and answer Ribico’s question. C’mon Seb. Illuminate the masses!

              2. For some its hindsight to say it was now a better option to keep Alex instead of old wind up, but I said it from day one.

                Maybe the 49ers should have read my posts 4 years ago. We would have a solid QB still.
                Now we are all hoping Hoyer can be Alex 2.0, with a deep ball. Oh wait, Alex has developed that part of his game.
                What a joke!

                Seb, smoke that!

              3. No, Prime, Baalke still would have dismantled that team, and Alex would still be toiling in obscurity.
                .
                Look at how he did in KC with good coaches, a stout defense and good running game. He came close, just like the 2011 NFCC Game, but still has not gotten to the SB. Some day, he may learn to run the hurry up offense without huddling.
                .
                Declaring AS would have won multiple SBs if he remained with the Niners is delusional, but reality for you seems impossible to attain.
                .
                I wanted the Niners to draft Rodgers instead of Alex, because I thought AR was more accurate, and he grew up a Niner fan.

              4. East, since you seem so fixated on that post, prove me wrong. I will be happy to acknowledge it if you can come up with the stats. I also said AS did not throw a TD pass to his WRs for a year. Prove me wrong on that, too, if you can.

              5. Squirm away Sebbie but you never answered the question! Your mussitatations about other topics are vain attempts at safeguarding your posterior!

              6. Seb never compare Alex to Kap. Kap had 10 good games in his career.
                Alex is still playing and would have had the 49ers in a better position today.

                The fact you change gears now about Rodgers and weapons just shows how incompetent you are!
                Stick to the facts.
                Alex was the better QB and the 49ers made a huge mistake keeping your hero!

              7. East, It is just my opinion, just like I say that Alex seemed to only throw short of the sticks. Maybe there were times that he did throw past the sticks, just like Alex may have thrown past 20 yards, but the perception is that Alex did not want to take chances, and was content to be a game manager.
                .
                This last game, Alex did throw deep balls, but it was telling to see how speedy receivers allowed him to throw deep. The O line also gave enough protection to allow the receivers to get deep.

              8. Prime, Kaep was 12-4 in 2013, with no Alex, so he had at least 22 good games. The year after, he became injured, but you like to diss injured players.

              9. 22 games? I highly doubt that. Most of those 12 wins came at the hands of a top 5 defense and stellar play calling.
                Whatever you say about the 2 comes down to this, who is still playing and who is not even in the league?
                Blame and add excuses all you want. If Kap was a decent QB, someone would have signed him.
                I was right from day one about Kap. He sucks.

              10. No. Prime, you admitted he took the league by storm. Your words, not mine. So you did not say that he was terrible from day one.
                .
                Your hate is showing.

              11. Facts were he did throw deep and you were stating that you chastised Alex for not throwing deeper than 20 yards for a whole season. Sounded a whole lot like a fact not opinon Sebbie. How convenient that you try to hide behind that rock now!

              12. Seb yes I said those words. He did take the league by storm but didn’t sustain it. Thats why he sucks.

                To be considered a great QB or any type of professional, you have to do it year in and year out.
                Christian Okoye also took the league by storm. So did Icky Woods.
                Those guys and Kap were all just a flash in the pan.

                Twist my words all you want Seb. I was right about Kap from day one. Even before your sorry self showed up on this blog!

              1. Seb you are just sour cause I’m right again.
                That’s what this is about.
                Kap sucks, I called it from day one.
                Put that in your bong!

              2. Prime, you also said that the Niners would draft Trubisky, but was way off.
                .
                Admitting Kaep took the league by storm is not the same as saying he was a terrible QB from day one.

              3. It’s sure does. He took the league by storm because he was an unknown. The read option bought him time.
                Once the Ravens showed the NFL how to beat Kap, it was over. He was done. His limitations cost him a career.

                And yes I wanted the 49ers to draft Trubisky. So what? You put out 100 mocks and thought you were smart.
                Seb, if you throw enough crap against the wall, eventually some of it will stick dummy!

              4. Prime, you just admitted you were not 100% right.
                .
                I put out so many mocks because I wanted Lynch to know of myriad trade back scenario possibilities.
                .
                Being wrong about Trubisky is not something to be ashamed out, but worming out of paying a bet over a technicality is.

              5. Sebbie… You said “I put out so many mocks because I wanted Lynch to know of myriad trade back scenario possibilities.”

                Really… You honestly believe the 9er GM read your post and did what you suggested, BECAUSE YOU SUGGESTED IT? Really?

                What would Lynch have done if you posted nothing?

              6. Sebbie!!!!!!!!!!!

                Are you STILL trying your bait-and-switch tactics to these boys? Thinking they can’t recognize how you like to change direction in your petty arguments?

                Just wait until you get home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. Can’t wait to see Foster hit him ,or run through him I mean ,Rb,Te. Defensive line play will be the biggest thing . They must get to cam . Pressure him . Disrupt the wr at the line . They need to be prepared for screen plays. And no I don’t see cam risking it, running QB run plays . Our offense will need to go deep , to loosen the top of there defense , giving us the underneath routes ,slants . Agree that they will stop the run , but if we sell the outside run . That will loosen them up . Only holding my breath that the offensive line gives us enough time to pass . Shanny should do well here. Let’s see that defensive line earn there pay . Would love to see us control the clock ,with the short pass ,and outside zone runs . Than go over the top . Alot of people overlooking our special teams . They put one score up . Defense 2 turnovers, Sf wins 24-20 .

  22. I Have the panthers winning by 10 + points with the game being much closer than that.
    In the end… I think Carolina just has a lot more talent and they are just a bad matchup for SF.
    They are extremely talented up the middle of their defense with the best DT tandem in the league and a great MLB who flows well to the ball… the niners will not run the ball against them at all and Hoyer will have people in his face all day.

    On defense we will be much better than last year if the pass rush improves greatly. The problem once again comes with the matchups. Carolina has a great scatback, TE and has big recievers that will allow Cam to take some deep shots down the field. I don’t think Cam is the type that can consistently march his team down the field due to his accuracy issues, but he will get a couple big plays from his wideouts and McCaffery will have at least 1 catch for 25 plus yards.

    1. I wish to respectfully disagree. They will force Cam to be only a pocket passer, and the Niner D line will push their O line back into Cam’s face, because their O line may be improved, but they are just as big a question mark as the Niner O line.
      .
      The deciding factor may be the Panther secondary. If the Niner O line can give Hoyer enough time, Goodwin will have a game like Hill did last night. He should employ stutter steps and double moves, and Goodwin will leave them in the dust.
      .
      Niners will employ WCO principles, avoid the Panther defense’s strengths, and attack the edges. They should send the TE up the seam, and flood the zone. If they try to run into the teeth of the defense, it will be a long day.

      1. My issues weren’t with our dline vs their oline. But their line was ranked at 12 and we still don’t have a proven edge rusher. We have 3 guys that are good interior rushers but they have very good guards with weaker tackles.
        They have the best DT combo in the game and we might have the worst guards in the NFL.
        They also have big receivers which have given us problems historically. It’s those matchups that scare me.

        1. I think Armstead and Buckner will get good push and collapse the pocket.
          .
          I concede their DTs are tough, but hope Laken Tomlinson can step up.
          .
          I hope the DBs can handle their WRs. Maybe assign Tartt to shadow Benjamin to negate his size.

  23. Love the pick but I just don’t see it happening. Panthers cover 24-14.

    It definitely will be interesting to see how Robert Saleh coaches this game. I fully expect this game to be a hot mess and giant cluster F for the defensive coaches. How can it not be? Saleh is absolutely in over his head. He’s young and inexperienced and way too emotional to manage tactics during live fire. My question about Saleh isn’t this game. My question about Saleh is this year. How will he progress as a DC? Will he improve from the beginning of the year to the end of the year? Does he really have what it takes to match wits with opposing OC’s? Think about it this way: If Saleh is coaching the best defense in the NFL and Shanahan is coaching the best offense in the NFL – who wins? Right now it’s obviously Shanny in a blowout because he has so much more experience. By the end of the year can Saleh at least compete with Shanny?

    1. Sadly I’m with you Houston but I feel it will be more due to the niners Oline being dominated by the Panthers Dline.

    2. I’m with you also Houston….for the same reason you’re with you. Saleh may be the cat’s meow down the road but he was hired because Shanny had to wait for the SB and there were no good alternatives at the time. Changing the entire scheme and type of personnel with a rookie DC who is untested is a strategic mistake IMHO. Hopefully pure blind pig luck will save the day.

      1. That’s a very good point Houston and it should have been a concern heading into the season. New coaches and inexperienced ones at that. No one doubts the abilities of the gentleman who are at the top but they are new and just because they were successful before doesn’t mean they will be successful going forward in their new roles.

        To be honest, I’m not so concerned as to whether Saleh can tackle Shanahan, but what about Carroll, Belichick, Reid or even say … Rivera?

      2. I am not as concerned as you are. Saleh is a disciple of Pete Carroll, and the Niners are vastly improved on defense. They signed Mitchell and drafted DJ Jones to anchor the middle. Armstead is finally healthy. They drafted King Solomon as a wise choice, and Buckner seems even better than last season.
        .
        Foster is light years better than Bellore, and Bow seems to be back to form. They will be finally playing players in the right position, and not play favorites. They will be utilizing them correctly, and playing to their strengths.
        .
        The most important reason why I think they will play better, is that Mangenius and O’Neil are not DCs.

        1. “The most important reason why I think they will play better, is that Mangenius and O’Neil are not DCs.”

          Which means you’d be happy with Joan in payroll.

          1. WC,
            I tend to agree with you that Saleh will be an improvement. I don’t know that there was a worse DC in the NFL than O’Neil.
            There are a lot of question marks regarding Saleh but I’m cauriously optimisticly.

  24. Niners 27-21

    The Panthers are coming off a bad year last year and I think they will continue to go down hill. The Niners are a year away from really competing through the whole season , but I think this is a good matchup for a Shanny that he will take advantage of. Niners will establish the run, get play action going and have those Panther lbs wondering who to defend. As for Cam -he’ll overthrow his new weapon and will have a couple of picks.

  25. So the game might be more in reach than I first thought. Looking like our passing game could be effective against the Panthers.

    From ninersnation:

    One of the biggest weaknesses plaguing the Panthers right now is that there are only four breathing bodies who play safety on the roster. One of those safeties is Demetrious Cox, who was added to the roster via trade with Cincinnati last weekend. Another of those safeties is Colin Jones, who is best used as a special teams gunner. The Panthers are putting a lot of faith in Kurt Coleman and Mike Adams who, for the record, is 36 years old. At cornerback, the Panthers are relying on second-year corners James Bradberry and Daryl Worley to carry the load. The depth at cornerback consists of Captain Munnerlyn (who is best used as a nickel corner), Kevon Seymour (who was traded to the Panthers last week) and Cole Luke (an undrafted rookie free agent).

    Basically, the Panthers are an injury in the secondary away from being in a pretty bad situation. If anything happens to one of the starters during the game this Sunday, the 49ers could easily steal a win from the Panthers

          1. Struggle, no, just wondering when my detractors will learn their lesson.
            .
            Speaking of stench. Baalke was a megalomaniac and paranoid, to boot.
            .
            Lynch has given more personal interviews this season, than DB Baaalke has in all his years. Lynch, by allowing a media guy in the draft war room, was a masterful stroke, and made this fan extremely happy. Lynch has almost single handedly changed the culture.
            .
            John Lynch is like a breath of fresh air, and he has turned things around. Heck, the Niners might even start to win games. With Baalke, it was like a descent into hell.

            1. Sebbie… Do you know what hot snakes are?

              Fecal matter typical of the morning after a heavy night of drinking. Resembles long thin coils of a snake and usually “hot” when coming out (think spicy food.)
              Q: That was some night last night, eh?
              A: Yeah, it was. But now I gotta drop some wicked hot snakes.

              1. Glad you are describing your bodily functions on this site, but I do not over drink, therefore, never endure your ailments.
                .
                Typical Baalke move. Get blind drunk and spew. No wonder the stench of Baalke is so strong.

            2. Haha!

              Sebs, you’ve been giving lessons for years and your sanctimonious “i’m better than you” attitudes only get you the substitute teacher treatment!

    1. Good point Wilson. I never wish injury upon any player but maybe a hamstring pull or two just for this game would be ok?

      1. ? maybe? I was thinking more that they are weak in the secondary and have several guys they picked up last week playing.

        They seem worse off than us there.

  26. I think these teams, at least on paper, are fairly evenly matched and they both have holes. The wild card is the “newness” of the rebuilt not reloaded 49ers- might be the advantage that benefits the 49ers most. The 49ers front four needs to hit Newton often because he gets happy feet after a few hits. I give the 49ers the win in a sloppily played game by both teams. I also expect an unusually high number of soft tissue injures for both teams- pulls, strains that type of unnecessary junk.

  27. I will counter Grant’s optimism by playing Devil’s advocate.
    .
    Panther had a down year, but they used their good draft position to pick up some very good weapons. This team is only 2 years removed from a SB, while the Niners descended from 5-11 to being a 2-14 team.
    .
    Their combo of Kuechly and Davis makes the defense stout up the middle, and their D line is very talented.
    .
    Niners have 64 mil in cap space. Panthers have 7 mil. Niners may have 57 mil less talent than the Panthers.
    .
    Panthers have Cam, who led them to a SB and was the MVP of the league after a 15-1 season. Niners have Hoyer, who in the biggest game of his life, threw 4 picks like the DBs were the intended receivers and fumbled once.
    .
    Hyde may not fit into the KS scheme, while the Panthers grabbed Christian McCaffrey, who is downright scary.
    .
    Panthers have Rivera, who is a solid veteran coach. Niners have a young HC who has never done it before, and a new DC, who has never been a DC before. Both the Niners and Panthers have new GMs.
    .
    Panthers have a huge chip on their shoulder and want to get back to the playoffs, maybe even all the way to the SB. Niners will struggle with a total rebuild, and will be happy to win more than 2 games, because that would be an improvement.

    1. Sebbie… Recall that you concluded KS is not interested in taking a team to the SB. With that, he doesn’t give a flyin’ one. What’s the point of rebuilding the 9ers if KS “isn’t interested in taking a team to the SB?” Guess we need a new coach, eh Sebbie? How about bringing back your buddy Chip back?

      1. Cassie, you are the one declaring that KS does not want to get to the SB, not me. I just said that Kaep wants to direct a team to the SB, but KS said he and Kaep are going in different directions. I surmise that KS has to try and justify his exclusion of Kaep, but if they sat down and discussed football, he would see that they both want to go in the same direction.

        1. Implication being KS will get to the SB with Kaep, not without Kaep. And you concluded that KS was therefore not interested in getting to the big show..

            1. Sebbie… This is your reality–Kaep and Kaep only can get the 9ers to the SB. Like you posted earlier, you will always remember the 2012 season and the drive to the SB.

              You’ve concluded KS isn’t interested in taking a team to the SB because he isn’t interested in bringing your heartthrob back.

              1. Cassie, you are trying too hard. Baalke would have given up by now, but now we know the effects of inbreeding.

        2. How do you know what Kaps thinking, Seb?

          As I have always said, you see yourself as a “Kap”, living your life vicariously thru him~and this is all what YOUR thinking.

          1. Saw, I have seen many interviews where Kaep expressed his desire to win a Super Bowl quarterbacking for his favorite team.
            .
            I think he even wrote it down at school.

            1. His favorite team was the Packers, per a source named Colin Kaepernick.
              See? Your Kap is in your mind. The real Kap would laugh you off.
              No wonder you get picked on so much.

  28. Wonder if the Panthers will overlook the 9ers… Perhaps not so much after the Patriots were BBQ’d last night. However…

  29. Seb, There’s not much time before game 1.

    Like Shanahan does, forming locker room culture with the players, I’d like to help his effort with the fans—pulling in one direction as a winner.

    Your siding with Kap (a career loser–ie, losing record at 28-30) only pontificates
    your status as a loser.

    Shanahan’s changing of culture started at the QB position in his acquisition of Brian Hoyer (statistically a career winner)…..

    Seb, it’s time you jumped on board the Brian Hoyer love train by buying his jersey, game 1.

    Love Train, by the Ojays:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyT9jTW7MHc

  30. Can’t believe AS is once again dominating this blog 4 or 5 years later. I am a huge AS fan but he is no longer a Niner so be it. I sure as heck hope that in 4 or 5 years from now we are not still talking about the fickle Kapastroni.

          1. I am just a die hard faithful Niner fan, and want the Niners to win multiple more rings. In my humble opinion, Kaep would give them the best chance to do that.
            .
            I wish Hoyer well, and will root for him to lead the Niners to win, since they are going with him as the starter, but I will just remember his last playoff game.

            1. Your opinion has no merit. If the 49ers thought Kap was good enough he would be here.
              If the league thought he was good enough he would be employed.
              Your just being a dick Seb and can’t admit that Kap is done.
              Don’t be a dick Seb.

            2. Seb, you could never say another word and we know what think. Same with some others. Some of us could write your posts for you because of your high repetition. I say move on to some new subject matter. We don’t need to discuss CK or AS anymore, ever.

              We all want the team to win except that idiot Darren5000. We have some exciting new players like Breida. Talk about them. A good new coach.

              1. If you had noticed, I have speculated on how the Niners might win, and how it will be hard for them to win.
                .
                I, too, think the Panther DBs are their Achilles heel. Wonder how they will stop Mccaffrey.
                .
                I have tried very hard to move on, but like a moth to a flame, the trolls seem to never let up.

            3. Sebbie…. Yes, letting go can be very, very hard. Watching your only QB love walk away, slowly into the gathering dusk, your heart bursting–remembering every hut, every cut, every sprint past a LB, the bicep kisses. You still have that unwashed #7 jersey hanging in your closet. Whenever his named is spoken you feel ecstasy and searing pain. The tears rush forward… “I will just remember his last playoff game.”

              As Percy Sledge sang…

              When a man (Sebbie) loves a woman (QB)
              He (Sebbie) can do her (Kaep) no wrong,
              Sebbie can never want
              Some other QB.

              And the Bee Gees…

              How can you mend a this broken man?
              How can a loser ever win?
              Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again.

              We could go one with Barbara Streisand’s ‘The Way We Were’…but we won’t, you get it. Time to let go.

          2. Because Smith is tearing it up and Kap is nowhere to be found.
            A huge mistake the organization made and one that will plague us till we find a better QB.
            Welcome to SF where it’s always QB talk 24/7. Deal with it!

    1. Well Under looking back it, its a trade in 49ers history that is very significant.
      It has set the franchise back when you think about all the coaching changes that have occurred.
      No one has been able to build around Kap the last 4 years.
      Sure Baalke made some bad decisions as did York. But that’s a moment in 49ers history that might have changed the way things eventually developed.

      1. Prime, well noted. Actually I was happy that AS got traded. I didn’t like the way he was replaced, that’s when my view of Harbaugh became suspect.

        1. Me too.
          Not to sound repetitive but you never lose a job to injury. Smith should have been given an opportunity when he was healthy.
          I keep hearing it was the best decision at the time and that without Kap the 49ers would not have made it to the SB.
          How convenient.

          Well here it is again. If Kap is so good, where is he now?

          1. Kaep is good enough. AS had the game of his life, He looked all pro, but he was benched for Kaep.
            .
            Kaep is being blackballed for his first amendment protests for social justice.
            .
            Despite being a SB QB who has set records, they will not let him play, thus giving themselves a big black eye. Too bad the owners are a bunch of gutless wonders afraid of a mean tweet.

            1. What is “social justice”, Seb?

              Is it justice that you NEVER talk about the cops who are murdered in the line of duty? And yet, you would be among the very first to call the cops if some kids started messing with your home………..

              1. Saw, what a twisted warped way of thinking.
                .
                To disabuse you of the notion, I want ALL people to be safe and happy. I do not want ANY person shot and killed. Cops included.
                .
                This is like you are accusing me of being a nazi because you say I use nazi tactics.
                .
                You are beginning to sound as sick as TrollD.

            2. Seb, the first amendment does not cover what Kaep did last season. Unless the 49ers and league became part of a branch of government that we don’t know about.

    2. UC,

      It will never end. There are so many Smith fans here that rewrite history every time he has a good game and it will just continue to take on a life of it’s own with details being changed and embellished over time like an old fish story.

      1. Rocket it’s tiresome, especially when we are on the brink of something special in the up and coming season/years. The AS and Kap stuff needs to come to a screeching halt, they are no longer Niners. Its now the Shanny and Hoyer show. We forget to learn from the past, and then we forget to embrace the present.

        1. I totally agree UC. I think it was a big deal last night and today because that was the only game on last night. I expect (hope?) that attention will now shift to this years edition of the team.

          1. You don’t trade away winning QB’s for ones that are not NFL capable.
            We keep talking about mistakes the 49ers have made every day. Why is this different?

            1. How far back do you want to go with mistakes? The OJ acquisition, the Montana trade, the hiring of Seifert, Eddie De breaking the law, at some point one has let it go and move on. It is what it is.

            2. We keep talking about mistakes the 49ers have made every day. Why is this different?

              Because it wasn’t a mistake. The trade netted two 2nd round picks and resulted in a SB trip and subsequent run to the NFCCG. Smith would not be excelling here if that is what you are trying to say. It’s been proven that he is reliant on defense and the running game and is incapable of winning games in the playoffs where he has to raise his game. KC has already drafted his replacement. What is so hard to understand here?

              1. Well the trade did not turn out so well because Baalke was clueless about drafting players. He used one of those picks for Borland, and I also think Lemonier. Hyde is the only one left from that trade.

              2. of course it was a mistake. ….We could have kept both QB’s

                and what did we get for the draft picks ?

                you keep saying KC has already drafted his replacement…..but I recall Andy Reid drafting a bunch of QB’s when he was in philly…..with a starter in place

                sure it makes easy sense to think as you are – but what if you are wrong?

              3. Oneniner,

                If I’m wrong I’m wrong, but I don’t think I will be. Reid never gave up high compensation to draft a QB in the top ten in Philly while he had McNabb. He’s had Alex for 4 years now, he knows how far he can go with him which is why he drafted a replacement.

              4. Alex Smith is pretty much a genius, and he’s athletic. Two traits that are part of what go into a star quarterback. But, he’s still a locked front leg thrower, which limits the velocity he can put on the football. He’s also overly cautious, but I think he’s ready to cut it loose this year, if this game is any example. Mahomes sent a signal that it’s time to take the bull by the horns, and utilize the weapons Andy has assembled around you. That means being aggressive downfield….

              5. Yep, he had the game of his life last night. Congratulations! I’m happy for him. Now can I have my cookie?

              6. I for one am glad to see AS light it up last night, in order for him to “light it up” he was the beneficiary of:
                — great performances by Hill, Hunt, Kelce, and Houston.
                — sub-par Pats defensive effort- really loved the tortured looks on BB and Patricia though! This was icing on the boston cream pie for me, after seeing AS do the long ball thing.

                and…Alex was able to get past some “F’ing” stupid penalties– Kelce! We’ll see how the ACL issue for Berry goes…unless I missed news on the outcome of that.

                So- feel good stories all around-
                Alex dominates,
                Pats lose,
                BB & Patricia get a case of angst-face due to 500+ yds. hung on ’em

              7. Kelce said after the game that the Patriots’ defense lined up as if they didn’t think Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith would be able to beat them downfield, and didn’t think rookie running back Kareem Hunt could beat them either.

                “I’m not sure what it was,” Kelce told Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. “It might have been the lack of respect they had for Alex’s arm, the lack of respect for our running back. The defense that they were presenting, I thought they would have gone a different way. We went out there and we executed given what they presented and we came out with a win.”

              8. also- Cooks looked great! Getting that P.I. in end zone…
                But they didn’t have an effective Edelman replacement show up last night…

              9. It was a lot closer than the score indicated. Pats just faded in the end, but BB thought he could just plug in a player and get him to play at an elite level. DBs need to play together for a while in order to sync up. The talent level let the receivers run past them, and the O line gave AS the time to throw.
                .
                Reid played it smart and now I see why Grant rated Reid so highly.
                .
                It is amazing how even a limited QB can look so good with the proper weapons, proper support, good defense and enlightened coaching.

              10. You can’t take anything away from Smith’s performance last night. It was one of the best you’ll see.

      2. But Seb…

        You NEVER talk about cops shot in the line of duty-ever.
        Arent their lives worthy of one of your crusades? They have families, children, etc……

        Is social justice only for some? Those that you select?
        Let’s see a little more objectivity………..social justice for all……….
        And yes, you are a zealot. Look up the precise definition………..where am I wrong? No stupid name calling, no childish put-downs……….Where am I wrong?

      3. It doesn’t help that we had a bell curve of SF quarterbacking since Alex was drafted to when Kaep departed – Kaep’s initial games resembling Alex’s final games and Kaep’s final games resembling Alex’s initial games.

  31. I hope George, you are doing well, and wish to send Tom Tolbert my best wishes. Guess he had a close shave, but is doing better after an emergency. I also hope all the people in Florida can survive, and wish to send kudos to JJ Watt, who is a true American hero for aiding Houston.
    .
    Even though he does not want Kaep, I still like Tom, and enjoy listening to him while I work. I liked his chemistry with the Razor, and think he has grown and evolved into a Bay Area icon.
    .
    Tom Lund is OK, but I miss the good old days. ;p
    .
    Get well soon, Tom, and I will raise a glass of Pliny in your honor this Sunday.

  32. Fans,

    West Coast Offensive Coaches get it…..This banter about Smith vs. Kap….Losing sight of fundamentals and good coaching.

    We’ve seen what happened to Smith under Andy Reid, Mike Holmgren’ s QB coach, in Green Bay.

    Now we have a coach in the magnitude, or at least in the same neighborhood as the best coaches: Bill Walsh, Mike Holmgren, Denny Green, Mike Shanahan, John Gruden, in our coach—Kyle Shanahan.

    Case in point. 49er QB drafting over the past 5 years——Grade F.

    Suddenly, Shanahan walks in off the street and drafts rookie QB in Beathard who beats out an NFL vetran for second string, and, according to Pro Football Focus, posted the 3rd highest QBR in the preseason.

    That doesn’t Happen by accident…..And this is only Shanahans 7th month on the job.

    Give him time.

  33. I’ll be on Periscope today at 2 p.m. discussing Alex Smith and previewing the Raiders-Titans game, for anyone who’s interested. I also will answer any 49ers questions you have.

  34. This is game 1 of the 1st full season of total rebuild. The 49ers are not supposed to win this game but play competitive football. Every draft choice is either on the 53 or Practice Squad plus how many UDFA’s ?
    As per the Jim Mora loudly spoken question in the long ago commercial, Playoffs ? Playoffs !!
    Vegas odds are 4.5 wins, other Prognosticators say/write 5 to possibly 6.
    Overly excited 49er fans predict 6-10 to 10-6 making a Wild Card spot.
    Realistically, 5-11 beating the Rams twice.
    Week 1 final = Panthers 27 49ers 17.

  35. Nice evaluation tomD , think your right .on QB thing . Just remember look what KS has done with all the other QBs he has worked with , cousins,mattyice ,theRG 3rd, and even made him look good ,clev Qbs including our starter ,and made hoyer a winner .// Yes safe to say he has a gift with QB ,track record shows it .Gets the most out of them in his system. The man even as a child was around QBs that were great ,from his days as a child in SF , to Denver ,to Washington, Atlanta , Cleveland,every team there became one QB that grew with him , he knows what a QB should look like . And act like. Don’t think he’s done yet in SF either. CJ looks great ,and I’m thinking he’s gonna have 3 good QBs on the rooster next year . Including 2 we have now ,well trained QBs are hard to come by. Remember Packers 3 . They become hot commoditys . Think we have the answer we have been looking for. Plus I think it will make us more active in trades ,we see how teams go after a good potential QB . And he has a habit of making them . KS is a QB maker . Yes he deserves a shot at it ,and I think we will be reaping the rewards . Track record speaks volumes all on its own . Along with being a very good oc . Your thoughts tomD

    1. 49er since 78.

      I agree with everything you posted….Interestingly, you mentioned something that rarely to ever gets mentioned and usually is completely overlooked.

      Your assertion that “plus I think it will make us more attractive in trades…”

      Yes, that feature is another interesting aspect in the really good WCO’s….They draft and develop QB’s and keep them around on the roster until that one year where a stud pass rusher–Charles Haley type is available, then use that developed QB as trade bait to move up and draft that pass rusher….It’s and added bonus to the York family that these guys find mid round QB’s , draft , develop then trade them for # 1 picks later.

  36. After his 5 TD performance against Duquesne, Taryn Christion is another quarterback I’m keeping my eye on this year.

  37. So far most in here have talked about Garcon, Goodwin, Kittle, Taylor, Hyde, Hoyer, but for the most part no one takes into account – Ah Jus.

    1. They are keeping him under wraps and will spring him on them with designed passes. He was pretty quiet all preseason.The WCO used the fullback in many ways. Hope they get some mismatches.

  38. Greetings from the road from Page, Arizona. Glenn Canyon Dam here creates huge Lake Powell. It’s fed, of course, by the mighty Colorado River whose massive hydraulic flow rate is dwarfed by the overwhelming volume of nonsense flowing from certain posters here.

          1. Too bad. I am finally leaving Monday, I have a hot spot and my laptop so if I have phone service I can monitor the Niners. Had to replace my steering column, couldn’t find one except in NY, it got here yesterday I put it in already, a little shopping watch the game on Sunday then gone. Looks like I am going to miss the Hawks game, that is causing me all kinds of consternation.

      1. Shorter trip. We did Zion and Bryce Canyons. Floating Colorado mañana, some hiking in the red rock canyons. A few days in sunny Sedona and home. I’ll miss the Opener, but the national parks are a bit less crowded after Labor Day. I’ve caught several openers from Hawaii (7am!), but how bad is that?
        Um, for mine, Zion and Bryce are bucket list trips. A couple of those Zion hikes kicked my butt!

          1. Bro Tuna and Undercenter

            Between the two of you, you’ve visited a very large portion of “God’s country” for real….I just found a new house and am in the final throes of moving in…hopefully, next year will be my turn to return to the Canyon country….Good traveling!!…

    1. Enjoy your trip. We did a road trip of the southwest back in the summer of 2015: Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Anaheim (Disneyland), Joshua Tree NP, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Las Vegas and back to Bay Area. Great memories. We plan to a do a week of camping in Northern Utah early next summer. We spent the Labor Day weekend camping in Pinecrest Lake — hiking and fishing. Now I am ready for football!!

  39. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article172082902.html

    As season opens, Panthers have 10 questions they must answer for fans – and themselves.

    1. Is Cam Newton’s arm sound?
    2. Is the offensive line sturdy?
    3. Does the defensive backfield still have big issues?
    4. Christian McCaffrey isn’t all hype, is he?
    5. Can James Bradberry really have a breakout year?
    6. Can the old guys can still do it?
    7. Can Graham Gano still make a big field goal?
    8. Can Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess get open?
    9. Can someone on defense get to the quarterback?
    10. Can the Panthers win the close games?

    1. Question 9 comes to mind. So I guess the Panthers don’t know if they can get pressure and the secondary may have issues – that’s a recipe for disaster.

    2. Number 4.
      McCaffrey is all hype until he can actually prove he can be a game changer.
      While some here have made mention that Bowman cannot cover McCaffrey it should be considered that Saleh will not put Bowman in one on one situations.
      Stopping McCaffrey could be a team effort rather than a one man job.
      Here is where having good coaching comes into play. A good D-Cord avoids putting his players in position lose.

      At the moment, Carolina just has more weapons to stop.
      With Olsen, Benjamin, Funchess and add Curtis Samuel to the WR corps going up against our porous secondary things could get ugly fast. Carolina could beat us without McCaffrey having to touch the ball.
      Hate to say it, but: Panthers 31, 49ers 13

  40. I liked the demeanor of Mike Patricia on the side lines. Kept his emotions under control and kept an even keel. He did not look happy, but he must have been thinking about how to correct the mistakes.
    .
    Wonder what he said in the locker room.
    .
    Belichick in the presser kept it short and sweet. He was honest and truthful, did not try to sugar coat it. Gave credit to Reid and said they need to work on things. Hope the Niners can learn from them how to perform in front of the press in defeat, but hope that does not occur too often.

    1. Maybe your hero / man crush Kap can give them some pointers on talking to the press, he was so damn good at it.

      1. It was interesting to see the drop in ratings, and having the haters blame it on Kaep. The funny thing is, he is not even on a roster, yet.
        .
        The NFL should partly blame the drop in ratings, because of the internet. More options.
        .
        They should also look at the rap sheet. 16 players have been accused of Domestic Violence since 2014, and there were 145 total arrests from drugs to assault. The egregious behavior has turned off many Americans that abhor violence. No wonder ratings are down.
        .
        The biggest reason why ratings are down if because of CTE, and the vile way the NFL has dealt with the problem. First they denied it existed, then they actively thwarted research. What was worse was their use of quack doctors to deny the relationship or impact, and the way they refused to help former players deal with the repercussions.
        .
        The dangers of CTE has resulted in parents refusing to allow their boys to play the game, thus drying up the pool of adherents, which has resulted in lower ratings. No longer will parents and fans deny that it is a blood sport, with gladiatorial consequences.
        .
        Kaep learned from JH, who acted like he was being best by an inquisition. Yes, he did not start out well. I posted that he should be open, honest, calm, civil, polite and answer all the questions fully, yet keep it short and sweet. I wanted him to look more professional, ditch the earphones and put on a suit. He had lots to learn, but near the end of his time starting in 2015, he ditched the earphones, and put on a suit.
        .
        The NFL thinks that by blackballing Kaep, they will stop the protests. Too bad Marcus Peters protested in that first game, so the protesting continues. I hope the entire Seahawk team kneels with Michael Bennett, since he had a gun put to his head by a cop who threatened to blow his head off. The NFL is giving itself a big black eye to appear like they are unfairly ostracizing and persecuting a player who is exercising his first amendment rights, while coddling women beaters. Kaep is striving for social justice, and wants all Americans to be free from harrassment and persecution. No cop should be allowed to be judge, jury and executioner with no accountability or repercussions. Kaep is striving for a noble cause, while the NFL looks mean and petty, protecting wrongdoers.
        .
        Many of Kaep’s detractors say he is not good enough, but that is laughable when he is compared to some of the scrubs the league employs. If some one says that the Butt Fumbler deserves a roster spot over Kaep, that just proves their lack of football knowledge.
        .
        The only way to prove he cannot play, is to let him play. However, they are terrified that he would be allowed to play, then Kaep plays well enough to lead his team to victory. Thus disproving all their slights and making themselves look foolish and clueless. It would expose their hate and generate more mean tweets from the Twit.
        .
        With attrition, the QBs will be sifted through, and soon they will run out of bodies, and excuses.
        .
        With losing, some teams will be so desperate, they will welcome Kaep with open arms, especially to stop a 5 game skid. I fully expect a team with only 7 wins will want Kaep to get them into the playoffs. Kaep will play, but we do not know when he will play.
        .
        Thanks for bringing up Kaep, so I can expound some more on the subject. That probably was not your intention, but thanks again.

          1. Prime, mentally weak posters may stick their fingers in their ears and close their eyes, but I have a better opinion of the intelligence of the other posters.

              1. My bad, I did not mean to include Moses with the mentally weak crowd. Even though we may not agree, at least he can formulate a good argument and back up his opinion with facts.
                .
                I would consider Moses as a worthy opponent. ;p

              2. prime-
                I have to admit, I love Seb’s stuff.

                Here’s why….ever notice after almost every single instance where someone calls the Sebs on his California Psycho-Babble, they get some kind of an insult, some kind of a put-down……..I can not deny, the consistency of his insults is HUGELY amusing, just kills me!

                I’ve seen guys who were not as funny make a living at it……

              3. Great stuff! Look who he chooses as his friends and admirers!
                Fabulous. We hear him yapping like the poodle next door. We skewer him with comments and he uses us as references. Can’t make this stuff up. I guess being the Piñata is ok with him, it’s the only attention he gets.
                Goodell, Pete Carroll, Lynch, Shanahan…..they never call, they never write….

              1. What Sebbie really feels about blackballing…

                sebnynah says:
                August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
                If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

              1. Sebbie… Your like the cat that can’t get enough of the laser pointer dot…even if it results in you upsetting the bookshelf.

              2. Sebbie’s anthem… ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ (The Who)…

                No one knows what it’s like
                To be the bad man
                To be the sad man
                Behind blue eyes

              3. Cassie’s song-
                .
                ‘Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth
                You’re an idiot babe
                It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe.’

        1. Thing is, despite your constant pretending it’s black-balling, the writing was on the wall for Kaepernick and RGIII years ago. It’s just people got stuck on the big plays and failed to see that neither one of them could do anything more than sandlot football. And that dog don’t hunt for long in the NFL.

          October 2015: Discusses why some spread QBs make it and others don’t.

          “Colin Kaepernick/Robert Griffin III woes: A spread QB quandary

          Kap never had the ability to do it, and RGIII never had the mental makeup,” one AFC personnel exec said. “Those are traits, and it’s different with those two. Now, I don’t think Mariota will fail. He’s accurate, he has touch, he has a good arm, he has the makeup. … He came from the spread. But the kid, he was accurate in college, and he’s still accurate.”

          http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000553197/article/colin-kaepernickrobert-griffin-iii-woes-a-spread-qb-quandary

        2. March, 2016:

          The End is Near for Flawed QBs Griffin and Kaepernick

          But it’s also a system built on quick decision-making, which is far from Kaepernick’s forte. Kaepernick is slow to process coverages (when he processes them at all) and doesn’t have a great feel for moving around in the pocket. Kaepernick can be hard to catch when he runs around, but too many of his run-around plays are fruitless because they never should have been run-around plays to start.

          Too often Kaepernick will look to abandon the pocket the instant he reaches the top of his dropback. Coaches hate this because it nullifies the play’s route designs. It can also create pressure where none existed. If you’re breaking down and moving at the top of your drop, the primary place to move is up in a pocket that hasn’t fully formed, putting you closer to interior pass rushers and compromising the room you have for stepping into throws. Or, you can move laterally, out of the pocket, which puts defensive ends in play. Remember, offensive tackles can’t see the quarterback; they’re blocking under the assumption that he’ll be in the pocket. When the quarterback flees, his technique and his blockers’ techniques are likely to break down. Also, the throwing windows and angles are altered, which often leads to minus results.

          And then there is Kaepernick’s poor understanding for why certain plays are called. Case in point: multiple times in recent years, the Niners have opened a game with a simple fullback flare pass to the flat. It’s a play you call to get your QB comfortable and to put yourself in at least second-down-and-medium right out of the gates. There isn’t a more basic concept in pro football. Unfortunately, Kaepernick, several times, has failed to pull the trigger on these throws, opting instead to kick off the game with a randomized, sandlot throw. That he’s repeated this mistake more than once is baffling, especially considering that he threw an interception in this scenario on the first play of the Raiders game two years ago. (The Niners went on to lose that one.)

          https://www.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/02/colin-kaepernick-robert-griffin-rg3-trade-future

        3. November 2015:

          Colin Kaepernick doesn’t deserve a second chance as an NFL starter

          A large part of Kaepernick’s struggles is his inability to deal with pressure. His passer rating has dropped from 93.6 to 44.3 under pressure this season and is the worse it has ever been since he has been a starting quarterback.

          Kaepernick’s accuracy — after accounting for dropped passes, throwaways, spiked balls, batted passes, and passes where the quarterback was hit while they threw the ball — is a different story. That has regressed significantly under pressure this season.

          So even if Kaepernick was given a better offensive line, his inability to either read the field or get the ball to his receivers is an issue. And this is true whether he is under pressure or not: according to the game charters at Pro Football Focus, his 68.4 percent accuracy ranks him 26th out of 29 qualified quarterbacks. Only Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles and Andrew Luck are worse.

          (Winston’s not that accurate. Luck had a bad shoulder. Bortles is just bad)

          https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2015/11/03/colin-kaepernick-doesnt-deserve-a-second-chance-as-an-nfl-starter/

          And so it goes. Lots and lots of articles describing how Kaepernick can’t read defenses, lacks accuracy, lacks the ability to handle pressure, has little, if any , feel for the game, etc., etc., etc.

          Just move on. It’s not a grand conspiracy because he kneeled. He’s a fundamentally flawed QB, just like RGIII who is also out of the NFL.

  41. I’ll one up your 9-7 I think they go 10-6 and maybe even win a playoff game.
    This was a .500 team talent wise the last 2 years….they were horribly coached.
    Panthers -W
    Seahawks -L
    Rams -W
    Cardinals -W
    Colts -W
    Redskins -W
    Cowboys -L
    Eagles -W
    Cardinals -L
    Giants -L
    Seahawks -W
    Bears -W
    Texans -L
    Titans -L
    Jaguars -W
    Rams -W

    1. Do not curb your enthusiasm, but uh, don’t trade the cow for a bet on that magic bean.
      : -)
      I’d love for you to be right

  42. Already had it marked as a win.
    The 49ers although they’ve been horrible look like world beaters in their home openers for some reason. They will do it again. and it won’t be as close as you call. I’m thinking 27-17.

  43. I think we’ll win tomorrow, but man looking at that 10-6 prediction above–that mid season streach-Colts, Skins, Cowboys, Eagles,Cardinals, Giants & Seahawks streach could be tough. Pending Andrew Luck at the beginning of course.

  44. Just watched the periscope. Grant had only needed to assert they should not sheathe their weapons, and he would have made my day. ;p
    .
    However, I will respectfully disagree with him about Kaep. Grant asserts Kaep has never been good. Au contraire, Kaep was elite his first 2 seasons he played. One cannot assert that bad play allowed him to reach the SB after only 10 games, and he led the team to a 12-4 record the next year, and was one pass from returning to the SB.
    .
    I will concede the he did not play well in 2015, but he also was so injured, he had to have 3 surgeries. 2016 he had a 90.7 QBR, with a 16-4 TD to pick ratio, so he did play OK, but he was also bereft of talent and support, both on and off the field.
    .
    Another of Grant’s assertions that I will strongly disagree with, is his claim that Alex would have done just as well as Kaep in the playoff games. No, Alex would not have done as well as Kaep on the hostile Lambeau field, and he never would have come back from being down 17 points in the NFCC Game in Atlanta. Grant’s claim is just revisionist thinking.
    .
    Sure, Alex did what many thought he could not do at the Patriots, but that is one game, and he needs to show that same level of performance throughout the season. According to many, they have crowned Alex as the next coming, while burying Belichick as washed up and no longer relevant. Alex finally threw the ball downfield, but teams will scheme and gameplan against that, and they will not be able to surprise anyone, anymore. The Chiefs still have 6 games against the AFC West, and those team’s pass rush are way better than the Patriots.
    .
    Tyreek Hill may get tons of praise for his performance, but he choked and beat his preg gf, so he is scum in my book. KC may sell their soul to allow him to play, but they have destroyed all their karma, and I will root for them to fail.
    .
    Teams will allow scum like Hill to play, but ban Kaep? No wonder ratings are down.

    1. Sebbie… Never lose sight of the fact that you’re two-faced. Recall your take on Kaep being blackballed… The characterization of blackballed didn’t matter to you when Hoyer was playing well. You ditched it, and your heartthrob Kaep. A fine revolutionary you are–only when it’s convenient for you.

      sebnynah says:
      August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
      If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

    2. More stupidity. Trying to squeeze facts to fit a narrative. Ratings are down because of streaming mostly. The turn-off for others is not the black balling but the kneeling.
      Saw a guy with a t-shirt that said:
      I stand for the flag. I kneel for the fallen.
      Many feel that way.
      For me, CK’s protest was like a bad odor; wrinkle your nose and move on. This Kap bs is boring by the media, the far Left, black activists (not without reason) and goof balls like Seb with mental/emotional self gratification issues.
      JFC!!!
      This is the forty Niners! Phukabuncha Kaepernick and Smith and Cody freaking Pinkett!

      1. I can’t even gage his footballs skill (Kap) I cant get past how much I detest this poor excuse of a man to even fairly evaluate him as a football player. Choices have consequences some good some bad. If he wants to disrespect the police, Trump, Clinton, congress, white people, Latin people, black people, eh its quite okay with me, but when he disrespects the constitution of the US and its symbols he becomes my enemy. His cause goes flying out the window wont listen to any of the BS that spews from his mouth. By the way if he was not allowed by law to sit, squat, kneel I would be standing by his side not because of his cause but for his right. That’s because I believe in the Constitution. His freedom to do that supersedes anything, doesn’t mean I like it, I don’t he is my enemy. This is the last I ever speak of him. Choices have consequences some good and some bad.

  45. Seb, as I have said too many times to count, Kaep is unemployed because his mediocre talent combined with his sideline activism doesn’t overcome the inevitable media, fan, and community in general backlash that would occur upon his signing. Of course he’s better than the lousy QB’s that have been signed, mostly as backups, and he’s as good as the bushel of mediocre starting QB’s populating the NFL. But that is all he is. MEDIOCRE!!! No owner is going to take on that baggage. It’s breast very simple. His career is most likely over. Get over it. His dillema is of his own making.

    On a positive note, Scooby had been brought up from the Arizona PS! I wish him well! The fan base there is very familiar with him and should welcome him with open arms!

    1. Juan, I will just have to agree to disagree with you. I cannot change your mind, just like you cannot change my mind.
      .
      Now that other players are still protesting, the justification to blackball Kaep is disappearing. Even Goodell is saying that Kaep will play. He wants him on a team so the league will stop looking so mean and vindictive. He probably wants Kaep to fail, but he is trying to put out lots of fires, and the blackballing of Kaep now has people calling for boycotts. That might turn into a firestorm of controversy.
      .
      Yes, I noted the Cards picked up Scooby. Maybe if they cut him, the Niners can pick him up and get some intel, like the Cards have done by picking up so many former Niners. I wonder how much intel Bouleware has divulged.
      .
      ‘It’s breast very simple’. Huh?

      1. Oh Sebbie…. Remember??

        sebnynah says:
        August 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm
        If Hoyer can play like that, I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed. Looks like the defense is playing NINER FOOTBALL.

        Blackballing means zip to you.

        1. If Hoyer plays like he did, and shows that he is superior to Kaep, I will not mind if he is blackballed by the Niners, because I want the Niners to win. Kaep will not be blackballed forever, and I expect he will get to play once attrition sets in.
          .
          Blackballing will be seen as blacklisting was during the 50’s in Hollywood. The NFL will be stained as oppressive, vindictive and persecutorial. History will not be kind.
          .
          Blackballing means zip? Yes, since it is about to backfire on the NFL. I cannot stop them from blackballing a player, but I sure can call them out for it.

          1. A whole lot of people won’t pay to see him play, Seb. He hasn’t grown as a football QB, and consequently hasn’t done anything for, what, 3 years?

            What incentive is their to watch someone play exactly as they did in College? It wont work in the NFL. And of course their is HIS statement…….”I’m not much into mechanics”……………
            And you would have us believe that Walsh would love this guy?
            No objectivity………just delusional.

          2. When the ego maniacs are wrong what do they do? Double down on stupidity! Sorros is looking to hire folks like you seb.heard it pays well, and you are protected by other idiots with masks on. And if you hurry there is a huge march for Kap in southern Florida tomorrow morning.

      2. Kap should get a chance to play this year….it’ll be the quickest way for all of us to move on, once we see him exposed yet again as a mediocre pro set/pocket qb.
        Seeing Kap struggle on another team will shut the book on his NFL career, and will shift the protest focus away from him– as his continued NFL hiatus just continues to feed the s**t storm of media focus on him.
        His bad protest decisions (pig socks, Castro shirt, etc.)– whomever is giving him protest direction– GF, etc., have missed the mark from a mass appeal standpoint.

        If he’d done something like a black arm band (even with “BLM” printed on them- instead of pig socks), along with anthem kneeling, and been more media savvy about his message, he’d have a better shot at playing…then failing– but at least his message would have been far more effective for the majority of NFL fans.
        He might have convinced more players to join him too….of any race. You can say being more savvy about his message dilutes the message– but media firestorm due to pigs and Castro dilutes his desired message far worse.
        Anyway– I say sign him, play him, pull him, cut him….s**t storm will finally pass…
        And IF Seb is right, and Kap plays well….then it’s just further evidence that our reality is questionable…

        1. Your reality is questionable already. You think a SB QB who has set playoff records is a mediocre player.

          1. Basing his career on one game. Lame.
            The blueprint was established on Kap by the Ravens and he never evolved.
            We’ve been through this but you are too moronic to get it.
            This must be your needling hobby.

            1. Prime, I am basing my opinion on 10 games to get to a SB, setting a playoff rushing record, overcoming a 17 point deficit in the NFCC Game, equaling a Joe Montana record by throwing for 300 while rushing for over 50 yards in a SB, his 12-4 record in 2013, and his 4-2 road playoff record.
              .
              That is not one game.
              .
              Even last season, you said he was horrible, but he still had a 59.2 completion percentage, 90.7 QBR and a 16-4 TD to pick ratio. Instead you will blame him for allowing 165 yards rushing per game.
              .
              You seem to want to continue this thread, but your arguments are unraveling, so you degenerate into hurling insults.

              1. Why are you continually defending Kap when he isn’t even in the NFL’s radar?

                Why don’t we talk about Jamarcus Russell? Giovanni Carmazzi? Ken Dorsey cause all those guys are in the same conversation as Kap.
                DONE!

                Move on dummy!

              2. No objectivity in you, Seb-none. Nada. To say that your judgements are seriously skewed is not lost on anyone.

              3. Seb says…
                Prime, I am basing my opinion on 10 games to get to a SB, setting a playoff rushing record, overcoming a 17 point deficit in the NFCC Game, equaling a Joe Montana record by throwing for 300 while rushing for over 50 yards in a SB, his 12-4 record in 2013, and his 4-2 road playoff record.
                .

                Montana hit Taylor with one shot to win. Kaep couldn’t hit hands with hebsame throw 3 straight times.

                Pretty pathetic calling a player elite with one good season and one good playoff game.
                Seb if I can name 5 other nobody qb’ who had one great season and never did squat after that and is now forgotten will you just leave?

              4. 80, what other QB has gotten to the SB after starting only 10 games?
                .
                Ninermd maybe you should try to say something intelligent like predicting the Niners would sign Xavier Cooper before claiming to have superior football knowledge.

              1. Prime, whenever I get you so upset that you degenerate into spewing expletives, I get to declare victory.
                .
                You should try to control your temper. You are too easy.
                .
                Conversely, you will never get to declare victory against me because I do not need to resort to an expletive to make you look foolish and an object of pity.
                .
                Since I am verbose, I have a million ways of describing your imbecilic rants and moronic outlook, and just use the King’s English.

          2. no, I know he’s a bad NFL qb by observing his play over the last 3 seasons…and you’ve zero credibility to determine whether reality is questionable or not– particularly where Kap is involved.
            I would enjoy seeing your twisted logic respond to Kap being signed to a team, play, fail, get cut, and then… the intellectual dysentery that would follow from you: excuses, alternate scenarios where he’d have been a “better fit”, etc., etc., etc. and further Kap victimization tropes….

            1. tjf, when Kaep opted out, I said I was wrong and wished him well wherever he landed. I also wished Alex well when he was traded to KC, but did not become a Chief’s fan.
              .
              Wonder if you will be man enough to admit you were wrong if Kaep is allowed to play and leads his team to a Championship.

              1. IF that ever happens…I’ll admit my error…
                …and then wonder why the NFL had suddenly decreed all franchise offenses to switch to read option or spread formations exclusively– in other words– the alternate “Seb-verse” where Chip and Kap go to the SB!!

              2. …………..”leads his team to a Championship”.

                You live in an alternate reality, Seb. And it defies the laws of physics.

              3. I am just repeating what Pete Carroll said. He said Kaep was a starter in the league, and was a championship guy.
                .
                Guess you need to argue against Pete Carroll.

            2. If you want to know what kind of QB Kaep turned out to be, just find a reply of that Thanksgiving 2015 game. And that’s when Kaep was “good”.

          3. Seb–
            That’s such a crappy argument………..his disdain for his craft, his track record for the last 3-4 years……….here you go with your “good is bad, sweet is sour” logic again…………..

    2. sebnynah says:
      September 9, 2017 at 8:47 am
      Juan, I will just have to agree to disagree with you. I cannot change your mind, just like you cannot change my mind.

      You’ve set yourself out on this course that anything and everything Kap is set. You’ve decided the script, the reasoning and the outcomes.

      Problem is life has already decided it all, and all you are doing is stuck holding the idiot bag.

      Wake up dummy.

  46. Remember Seb, in one swoop Kaep denigrated the 1.5 million law abiding law enforcement officers that go to work every day and put their lives on the line to protect the law abiding citizens of this country by wearing “pig socks” at a workout. Maybe if he also wore a t-shirt that said “I’m only referring to less than a tenth of one percent” it wouldn’t have had such a negative impact. Everyone knows there are bad cops, just as there are bad people in every walk of life. They should be dealt with harshly. I notice that those like you that speak negatively of law enforcement never mention crime and the criminals the effect our communities. It’s like their all members of the “Little sisters of the poor”. He also denigrated the close to 2 million active and reserve military with his kneeling during the national anthem. These are also people who put their lives on the line everyday to protect the very freedom that Kaep uses to protest. They consider the Flag and the national anthem sacred. Many of us do. This is why he is not signed and others are that have committed DV and other awful offenses. Neither is right but I think Kaeps hits much deeper and widespread. And he’s also mediocre!
    ;>)

    And as Forrest would say, “That’s all I have to say about that”!

    1. Kaep may have been talking about all the police who will not cross that thin blue line. Those are the ones who allow the rogue cops to get away with murder.
      .
      Police killing of unarmed civilians will not be stopped until police are held accountable. Allowing police to escape justice just means there is no justice.
      .
      2 mil, really? I think many who fought for this country do not mind him PEACEFULLY, SILENTLY AND NON VIOLENTLY exercising his first amendment rights. Many have stated that. They actually have said that they fought for his right to do that. The haters said the same thing about the Vietnam War protesters, but the protests ended the War, saving thousands of lives.
      .
      Wow, just wow. You think what Kaep is doing is worse than beating and choking a pregnant gf? I feel sorry for you.

      1. More static noise from the obsessive loser.
        A new season is upon us and Sebnnoying still trying defend the has been.

        Kap is done. All your storm dreams lost.

        1. Kap is done. The only way he gets back in the league is through injury.
          How ironic and pathetic.
          Just like you Seb!

      2. Remember Sebbie… Hoyer played well and you burst out “I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed.”

        Spoken by you, your words on social justice are hollow–cynical at best. Hoyer shines and your brotherhood with Kaep vanishes. Says a lot about you and your convictions. You are a sad, sad man.

        1. Cassie, my whole premise is that Kaep is a superior QB to Hoyer. Kaep is bigger, can run circles around Hoyer, is strong enough to shrug off arm tackles, can put his foot on the half yard line then sprint upfield untouched for a TD, and has won playoff games. People who think Hoyer has a strong arm will have to admit that Kaep’s arm is way stronger since he can throw the ball the length of the field.
          .
          You think I am against social justice. No, I will continue to champion for freedom and justice for all.
          .
          I am hoping that Hoyer does well, but expect he will pull a Gabbert. Tomorrow is a big test. We will see.
          .
          I will not mind if Hoyer pulls an Alex, and I will not mind if Kaep is blackballed by the Niners, because I expect Kaep to play again, somewhere, sometime this season.

          1. Seb says “I expect Kaep to play again, somewhere, sometime this season.

            Dream on. Or should I say smoke some more weed.

            But Seb why don’t you jump in your Ford Pinto and head on up to Union Square and meet me?

              1. Lots of things to see and do around Union Square and plenty to talk about.

                Don’t be a needle di$k and coward Seb

              2. Seb,

                I doubt Prime is going to ruin his NFL game one weekend by bitch slapping a coward and spending NFL Sunday in jail.

                Union Square is basically the Cable Car Hub, because it turns around a block down the street to head back North to Aliotos and Ghirardelli Sqare with the majestic views of the GG.

                ie, so many people are their with those shops and the famous St. Francis Hotel, where most NFL teams stay when they visit SF.

                Lightne up Seb and go meet Prime and enjoy your weekend….Weather should be beautiful as Septembers usually are the best month in SF !

          2. Sebbie… I wouldn’t be surprised if Kaep is picked up somewhere this season–I’ve been consistent with that, check my past posts. He is a QB with a narrow skill set. Any team which signs him will be aware of that and the system challenges which stem from that.

            I do agree with Shanahan’s assessment of Kaep’s skills and weaknesses, and Grant’s too. And that of many others who point out his skill limitations. He needs a system highly tailored to sand lot football–coupled with a very good defense. Those teams with very good defenses that he’d face would bottle him up. The NFL figured Kaep and RGIII out. The 2012 season and the run to the SB is closing in on 5 years ago. It’s over.

            Of those players across the league who say Kaep is a top tier QB, are they going to their GMs and HCs today and openly advocating signing Kaep–and pretty much dissing their starting QB?

            Your arguments are heavily weighted on Kaep being a victim–full of woulda, coulda, shouldas. Kaep is never held responsible for his uneven play–it’s always other factors with you. And blackballing? Well, you dismissed that as being unimportant on 8/27.

          3. You wont even define Social Justice..you just throw it around to make Kap..and therefore you……. sound like some kind of sanctimonious, social warrior-trying to recreate ’68.

            Stay away from the QB position-you don’t know anything about it. You talk about some highlights….”he can throw the ball the length of the field”……….your talking only about his athletic skills, NOT his QB skills.

            You have OCD, Seb……..take your medicine!

            1. Saw, social justice is very easy to define. It amounts to fighting against injustices like cops shooting unarmed civilians with no accountability. Social justice includes reproductive rights, voting rights, universal health care from the cradle to the grave, freedom from profiling and discrimination and many other worthy causes, and rectifying social ills.
              .
              With today’s present political climate, there may be a need to get back in the streets, because every right seems to be under attack. In 68, we protested to stop a war. Now we need to fight for social justice and work for peace.
              .
              I brought up the arm strength because people were making a big deal about how far Hoyer could throw. They were very impressed, and did not know he could throw it that far, Kaep has a connon for an arm, so there is no question about how far he can throw. Please pay attention. I was comparing Kaep to Hoyer’s physical ability when I state that he can run faster and throw farther.
              .
              If you want to get into comparing the Quarterbacking abilities, Kaep has played for less years, but has accomplished so much more. Kaep is a SB quarterback who has set records, and has a 4-2 road playoff record. Hoyer, in his sole playoff game, threw the ball like the DBs were the intended receivers, with 4 interceptions and a fumble. Hoyer has been a journeyman QB who now has been handed the job with no competition. Maybe that was done to boost his confidence, but KS did not designate him to be a team leader.
              .
              Before you question my expertise, maybe you should try to say something intelligent, first.
              .
              Obsessing about my posts seems kinda OCD. Maybe you should follow your own advice.

      3. Kap MAY have been talking…………………No, Seb-he made it plain what he was talking about, as he promoted his stolen girlfriends agenda…………

        More of your alternate reality stuff.

      4. Seb-

        You live in an alternate reality…………there’s injustice throughout the world, on every continent….you keep striving to make Kap out to be some kind of new MLK………….with you as the avante garde……….

        Prime is right-you need to smoke more…..and then, even more from your bong.

        1. Kaep has started a movement, and it is getting stronger. More players are protesting, so the blackballing has failed to cow players into being meek and submissive.
          .
          The blackballing has failed, and now the persecution of Kaep is generating calls for a boycott. The NFL is giving itself a black eye, and it will not go away until Kaep is allowed to play, because he is better than almost all of the backup QBs, and almost half of the present starters.

  47. We need the Panthers game to begin sooner than later! I want to see Grant’s grades so we can argue about them!

      1. Not from me, Seb declared himself the winner so the debate is over. That is sarcasm for your benefit Seb.

        1. Just, it is a game I play. Whenever I succeed to upset a poster so much, he devolves into spewing expletives, I declare victory, because it ticks them off even more.
          .
          The debate will continue, and get stronger, especially after attrition proceeds and teams start losing with their mediocre QBs.

  48. Seb,

    By now you/ve heard Grant’s Kap vs. Smith QB Comparison on up periscope.

    I have to agree, to disagree with you Seb, as a ‘Ute’ fan in the Wasatch Valley.

    You always cite Kap’s superiority over Smith via their NFL careers, but nothing little to nothing about their college playing days.

    As a Ute fan I can tell you that Ute players are always schooled in the fundamentals.
    Bill Walsh cites the fundamentals as does Andy Reid, Steve Marriucci, Denny Green, Mike Holmgren, John Guden, Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan………The only one of this group who doesn’t cite the fundamentals is Kap himself:

    Colin Kaepernick says he’s “not huge” on mechanics, Posted By Grant Cohn on October 14, 2015

    Well, what are mechanics ?………..Mechanics are fundamentals. Something that should be practiced on a daily basis. How else do you think “Smith put up the most yard ever vs. a Belichick defense—Reid drilled him, that’s how.

    Since Smith could careless about fundamentals, his game never evolved; in fact, an arguement could be made that while Smith’s game has evolved, Kap’s devolved, and that’s exactly what we witnessed vs. the Chiefs…..A QB who willed himself to become better; practiced at it in Smith, vs Kap, a QB who doesn’t care about fundamentals.

  49. Have 49ers plugged leaky run defense? Panthers provide early test

    Their new defensive scheme essentially places five players along the line of scrimmage and sticks a strong safety, Eric Reid, closer to the ball on running downs so that he acts as a quasi linebacker.

    We have (plays) where he’s (Reid) able to come down and make it an eight-man box. And teams will still try to run the ball against an eight-man box because it opens up their passing game. And if we stop the run, then they’ll have only one way to go, and that’s to pass the ball.”
    The defense is modeled after the one used by the Seattle Seahawks, who have finished in the Top 10 in run defense for the last six seasons.
    Linebacker Brock Coyle spent the last three seasons with Seattle.

    But Coyle said the overarching quality — its aggressive nature — has carried over. With so many players on the line of scrimmage, most defensive linemen are able to attack one gap in the offensive line as opposed to last year when they were responsible for two gaps and had to analyze a play as it developed.

    Saleh has described the style as “all gas, no brakes.” Coyle called it “trying to be a violent professional.”

    “I think about the Minnesota game in the preseason where you really saw our defense really bring to life what Saleh’s been emphasizing,” Coyle said. “And that’s running and hitting, all gas no brakes. Arik Armstead gets a sack, Reuben hitting (opponents), Bowman being the great leader he is. That’s a great start for what we want to build. And it’s exciting to see what it’s going to continue to be.”

    http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article172253527.html

  50. And Seb,

    My above commentary about the Utes schooling Alex Smith in the fundamentals also extends to their High School football programs.

    Yes, Utah football in Salt Lake City may be overlooked by you, but we can play…….Case in point, our victory over California power house, De La Salle of Concord:

    Football: De La Salle stunned in final seconds by Utah power

    http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/16/high-school-football-de-la-salle-stunned-in-final-seconds/

  51. FOR SALE: 1/2 price tix to the game tomorrow.

    My wife has a baby shower and I have exhausted invites to all of my 49er fan friend and have just listed them on NFL Ticketexchange- if anyone on the forum wants them at 1/2 price, let me know (4 seats, section 124, $65 each- 1/2 the game shade). PayPal and email transfer.
    Cell is 415-226-8955

  52. “Don’t look to any parallels from what we did last season to this season,” 11th-year left tackle Joe Staley said. “Complete new team, complete new staff, complete new everything. Beside the jersey on our back, it’s a completely different team.”

    This pretty much sums up what I have been saying. My optimism stems from that thought process. Once again 31-17 Niners over Panthers and 12-4 at seasons end.

    http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/09/five-areas-to-watch-in-49ers-panthers-opener/

  53. Ok guys n gals , Has anyone been picking up on the fact that some players are a little mad ,sick n tired ,that there not good enough ,or that they can’t do that . I think someone is going to get hit very hard this game . Leaders and vets alike are playing angry . Hope they keep talking crap about them . All that’s going to do is bring more motivation . And I hope to see some monster hits . Hope they destroy that offensive line of the Panthers , hope they play this game as if it were a fight of gladiators , and hope they realize there is no second place . Just the first loser . Run through them . Run over them . I hope Foster n Bowman hit like a truck . And set the pace for the game . Sick of hearing that them boys ( our defense ) can’t keep up with Carolina . Hope our guys , change some people’s mind . Some bone jarring hits ,the cracks of pads ,and the enjoyable sudden stop ,crush them . Hope they play as mad as some have said . A mad defense ,is kinda nice after last year . Looking forward to seeing them hit . Seeing who our leaders are , and how much fight they bring to the table . Love the fire I’m seeing ,hope it shows up on the field . Now for my first question for all to think about . Who causes the first fumble , and who recovers . Your thoughts guys ,and who is the maddest player on the team .

  54. Same with me Cassie. I’ve always thrown in a “most likely” in front of my prediction that Kaep’s NFL is over. He can scroll back to any of my posts. Desperate times call for desperate measures and anything is possible, though I highly doubt it. Proof is teams signing players like McNown and Sanchez, just to name two. Kaep is in the same hat as those mediocre QB’s, so talent wise they are the same except Kaep brings the activism baggage. But remember, Seb only sees what he wants to see. If you disagree with his perspective, your a hater, a nazi, and other silly names. Prime, you have it right with the weed but wrong with the car. Ford Pinto. No. I’d put money that it’s either a Subaru or a Vanagon, with a peace sign and a Jill Stein for president bumper sticker. Ya gotta love him though!! I wish he would meet you just to get some “intel”. I picture Seb being about 5’6″, 140 lb.’s, ponytail, long peppered beard, tie dye shirt with cutoff jeans shorts and birkenstock’s, or in other words the common West County middle aged male. I bet you guys would have a nice time. Too bad. I would meet him for a beer but I generally don’t hang out with anyone who uses the word “snarky” in a sentence. If I ever in my life uttered that word my older male siblings would have tackled me, stripped me and made me wear a dress for a day! LOL!

    1. Yeah…not a Pinto, although maybe in the late 70s… I see Sebbie in a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. Some rust and dings, and a mangled right rear quarter panel–tail light duct-tapped to the body. Tailgate is stuck closed and the engine loses a tablespoon of oil daily. Cracked dashboard is heaped with old Cheetos bags, a few crumpled parking tickets, Taco Bell hot sauce packets…a few of them ruptured, and a dog-eared copy of Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’. Sebbie does love using 10 cent words and phrases. I think he wants to impress people–to the point of desperation.

      By this time tomorrow we should have a sense for where we’re headed as a franchise–at least early in the season.

      1. The Tacoma would be his Sunday Go To Meeting truck. His beater would be his original ’72 Datsun quarter ton, dribbling unburnt gas from the tailpipe.
        Che Guevara decal in the rear window. Michael Moore ‘Capitalism Sucks’ & ‘I ❤️ Ganga’ bumper stickers, and a paisley cotton bedspread covering the worn bench seat. Wire coat hanger for radio antenna. Duct tape and plastic for shotgun side window, bungi-cord hood latch.
        (What? If Sebulon Pot can post fantasies about Kap, NFL football, Niners, Aldon, Hoyer, Barkley, BAALKE, Jed, Paraag, BAALKE, Chip, Tomsula, BAALKE, Lynch, Shanahan, Harbaugh, BAALKE, Harbaw, Goodell, BB, and, oh yeah, BAALKE, Baalke, and BAALKE,………..why not??)

        1. All of the old hippies in Sebastopol wear tie dye, have long gray hair and beards, smell like pachouli oil and drive Prius’s. They all have obama stickers, most have sanders stickers also.

  55. http://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2017/09/09/49ers-week-1-preview-5-things-to-know-when-panthers-come-to-town/

    49ers quarterbacks using play action in the preseason completed 21-31 (68 percent) for 394 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. They averaged 12.7 yards per attempt and had a 142.9 passer rating, per scouting service Pro Football Focus.

    On regular drop-back plays: 46-77 (60 percent) for 530 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. They averaged 6.9 yards per attempt and registered a 77.3 rating.

    San Francisco’s third phase allowed a blocked field goal and punt, muffed a punt and allowed a kickoff return touchdown throughout the four exhibition games.

  56. I can’t stick with my earlier 12-4 prediction. My official guess is 11-5.

    I think between Hyde and Breida we will have enough of a run game to set up play action passes.

    The OL is weak in the middle, but our HBs can make plays. Hyde after contact, Breida’s agility. Hoyer gets rid of the ball quickly (he might have to).

    Garcon is a reception machine. Goodwin is a legit deep threat. Taylor can get seperation, has reliable hands, is shifty, and can take a hit.

    Juice can line up anywhere and make plays, the ultimate Swiss Army Knife. Kittle can get open and catch. His blocking will improve.

    Our front 7 will mask some of the deficiencies of our secondary. Buckner and Armstead will get pressure. Dumervil, Thomas, and Lynch gives us fresh and viable pass rushing options.

    Foster and Bowman will be dynamite together. Harold will hold his own in the 4-3.

    Robinson will settle in and become a solid coverage guy, but still not a great tackler. Jerome or whoever is FS will be able to shade to Johnson’s side.

  57. Lol Razor! Thanks for the link!! My favorite quote from the bloggers there!

    lemmetalkwouldya says:
    September 9, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    Some people will protest anything.

    Has it occurred to any of these bleeding hearts that in an NFL where Hitler could get signed if he can catch, run, or throw, that maybe Kaepernick simply sucks too much to get signed???

    That’s what I’ve been saying. If he were even nearly as good as Seb thinks he is in his little fantasy, Kaep would have been signed long ago. Unfortunately, he isn’t. And the more people protest, the more unlikely he will EVER be signed. Name one owner who is going to give in to extortion.

    1. how about this idea: if Kap’s supporters really start messing with crowds outside of games, bad images on tv news, blowback from social media, bad PR for the league….

      Sooooooo, NFL mgmt. finds team to sign him at min. $$ contract– HEAVY incentive $$ though…
      and the drumroll…..

      Kap plays on sub-par rebuild team– that team’s ownership gets a “take one for the team” $$ incentive, Kap washes out, gets cut, de-linking him from NFL — his political stuff will be attributed to “retired” or “former NFL QB Kap…

      1. If protesters are successful in making a NFL team sign Kap, can they also demand how much he has to be paid and how much he has to play? A mighty slippery slope!

        1. there are few ways this ends with good PR for the league….just a what if….
          It might even be worth it for the league to kick-down xtra $ to team to cover a “respectable” 1 year contract w/incentive.
          The Kap issue’s gonna stay sighted right on the NFL shield until he’s given his shot…

          1. in my concept, he needs to play until it’s clear it’s bad for team– which I’m sure won’t take more than 5-6 games …benched, ostracized, cut at end ‘o year…
            and slippery slopes seem to be an ongoing theme in these “Interesting Times”, as the curse goes…

            1. Our society is full of noise. Let’s wait and see how much actual effect these protests make. As I said to an Aussie tourist today, we Americans over react to everything. Let it play out for a while and see if it has legs.
              Are you mad at the 49ers about Kap? Would you let Sebnoxious talk you out of watching or going to a Niners game to support his love affair?
              Would Joe Sixpack in Pittsburgh or Longneck Roy in Dallas or the Fireman dude for the Jets join a boycott of the NFL over Kap?
              Are these really football fans? Spike Lee? Really?
              Concerns are real, but football is an escape from socio-economic and political wrangling and the culture wars.
              We had a bunch of animal rights vegelante protesters chain themselves to the fence of the Fulton Valley (chicken) Processors a few years ago with signs saying “Save the chickens!”. I am not making this up. I still eat chicken, and they’re still a running joke 15 years later.
              #Bunchahooey

        2. Football may seem like an escape, but that is similar to why the Romans had gladiator battles. They handed out bread to get people to come, and the carnage was entertainment. It was an escape from the misery of real life. Life was hard back then.
          .
          Sports in general have been instrumental in advancing race relations. Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier was a seminal event. Kenny Washington broke the color barrier for football.
          .
          In football, Blacks were excluded by a collusion among the teams. Their excuse? Black players were not good enough. They said they were mediocre players. History tends to repeat itself.
          .
          For quarterbacking, discrimination was even more pronounced. They said black QBs were not smart enough, and no one thought they could be good leaders. Doug Williams was the first black QB to win a SB. Took until 2007 for the NY Giants to finally start a black QB.’
          .
          Nowadays, the league is 70% black, and whites are becoming the token players, just like basketball.
          .
          In those earlier days, owners were very aware of the backlash of starting a controversial player. Now we have the Ravens owner polling the fans to get any excuse not to sign Kaep. History tends to repeat itself.
          .
          Slippery slope? That is what they said about the idea of letting black people vote.

          1. As smart as you claim to be, the slippery slope comment went right over your head. If protests are successful in getting a team to sign Kap, could protesters demand who (black or white) plays and how much they get paid?

            1. I used your own words to drive my narrative. I did not think much of your arguments, so I basically ignored the gist of your post.
              .
              Please keep up.

    2. Mara admits he is being extorted. He says haters have threatened to never attend a game or buy merchandise if they sign Kaep.

      1. So? People say that all the time. For ever clown that gives up his season’s tickets, someone will swoop in to get them.

    3. Vick got signed. People hated him more than than they hate Kaepernick. Vick was polled, at 60%, the most hated player in the NFL. Kaepernick only came in at 29% when he became ‘the most hated player’ leaving plenty of room for challengers.

      OTOH, while nobody really hates RGIII, Kaepernicks’ QBing clone, nobody is interested in signing him either. Unemployed Peas in a Pod. One elevated to ‘victim’ the other is ‘just a bad QB…’

  58. Cassie and Tom, those were classic car descriptions. I was laughing so hard that my wife looked over and said, “what the hell are you laughing at”?? My guess is his weekend (of course everyday is the weekend for a grower I guess) go to car is a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle with four different tires, one missing hub cap, open headers, a rope tying an old surf board to the rusted out roof, and a sunflower sticker in the rear window. The license plate frame says “My other car is a plow”!

    1. Juan
      If he has a surfboard, he got it at the Sebastopol Flea Market. People who always cry victim haven’t got what it takes to be surfers on the Sonoma coast.

  59. Brotha, that’s why I said “old”. He tied it on there years ago in an effort to impress people (Gee, does that sound familiar?) where it has remained. The only water it has seen is when it rains!

  60. Yeah. Juanhunglo . I hope Bowman . Plays as mad as he can . I think he’s right . They looking past him quite regular . Stats say something different . They being Luke kec . Guess when they tried to say that Carolinas lbs where better ,he didn’t care for that much . And found that he was offended . Guess he’s going to lead by example again . Sure hope he sticks someone . For justice sake. Hope our defense outshines there’s . Got a feeling it’s going to be a good one . Hope this defense hits. Sure would be a site for sore eyes . Hope the rest of you noticed how mad he got .

    1. Is there any chance you could construct a cogent sentence or two and punctuate it properly so that somebody could follow your ramblings? You post gibberish with a few thoughts barely perceptible at times through the fog of your writing.

  61. Final Season Prediction: Same as it has been, 9-7
    Niner Wins: Carolina, Rams, at Redskins, at Eagles, Cardinals, at Bears, Titans, Jaguars, at Rams
    Niner Loses: at Seattle, at Cardinals, at Colts, Cowboys, Giants, Seattle, at Texans

    NFC Playoffs: Wild Card Weekend
    Niners win at Atlanta
    Giants win at Green Bay

    Divisional Round:
    Niners lose at Dallas
    Giants lose at Seattle

    Championship Game:
    Dallas wins vs Seattle

    AFC Wild Card Weekend:
    Kansas City wins vs Pittsburg
    Houston wins vs Baltimore

    Divisional Round:
    Oakland wins vs Houston
    Kansas City loses at New England

    Championship Game:
    Oakland wins at New England

    Super Bowl:
    Dallas wins vs Oakland

  62. Good lord people! Alex Smith NEVER had decent receivers until KC. Kap was a run first gimmick QB and I hated losing Smith for the “new wildcat.” Last year I watched Alex lead on earlier of the greatest comebacks I’ve EVER seen. It required Two TDs and Two 2 point conversations if I remember correctly. Alex has been on the uptick for quite a while now. Kap went 8/8 when they tried him in the pocket and Harbaugh lost his job. Trading Smith for a quickie shot with a gimmick offense was ridiculous, and that one’s on Harbaugh.

    1. Since 1994, the Niners have toiled in obscurity. Only after JH arrived, did the Niners go to 3 straight NFCC Games. JH made the Niners relevant again, and actually got them back to the SB.
      .
      JH was not the problem. York was and is the problem.
      .
      Alex had a good game. He still has not led a team to the SB, even though he has had a good defense, good O line and good running game. Glad AS is finally throwing the ball downfield. Maybe he will some day learn to run the hurry up offense without huddling up.

    2. Some say the read option and pistol offense is just a gimmick. They said the same thing about the WCO.
      .
      Interesting, Alex ran the pistol in that last game. Guess he is a gimmick QB.

      1. The Chiefs run the WCO with an occasional read option/pistol formation play.
        Running the pistol offense primarily, is very risky because DE’s can regularly tee off on the QB. I think It’s fine to use it as a part of your offensive package, if that’s what you’re arguing. If you’re arguing it should be used as the offensive philosophy I strongly disagree.

        1. No, I am being facetious to declare AS as being a gimmick QB because he does use the read option and the pistol.
          .
          No, those strategies should not be used every play. They should be used sparingly, and used at the proper time to maximize their effectiveness.
          .
          I agree, they should implement WCO principles and have every play available, depending on which ones would be the most effective against certain defensive alignments.

            1. Ryan just said the Niners should do a bunch of short, quick passes to help build up Hoyer’s confidence and get into a rhythm. I agree.

  63. Back to the upcoming game. The Niners have improved, but could improve even more.
    .
    Carolina has better talent, but it is the job of the coaching staff, and sign of competence to win over a more talented team. Hope the coaches have prepared the team thoroughly and have contingency plans in place to counter adversity.
    .
    I hope the coaches can make quick assessments and implement adjustments in a timely manner.
    .
    I hope they learn from watching the Stanford -USC game. They should see how lining up improperly may cost them a TD. They should consider time outs to be precious, and not wasted.
    .
    The Niners could win if they minimize the unforced errors.

  64. If the 9ers can play competitive for a full 60 minutes,if they can show mental engagement the entire game, and during the season if they can beat somebody other than Rams…..thats a big improvement.

    The thing to see is how the post game pressers go after losses, especially if losses stack up. The ShannyLynch fan base love affair will be tested.

    1. Tx, sounds like you are trolling me. I would be happy to discuss Kaep, but right now, we should be focusing on the upcoming game.

  65. Headed off to hike through some red rock canyons, so will have to wait for later to hear the outcome of today’s game.
    This is a game I won’t bother to try and call due to too many unknowns. Some guesses about the Panthers can be made, but new Niners are a new commodity. Staley’s remarks to that effect are on point. After the last few years I’d just hope for consistent effort, resilience and poise under pressure.
    Oh, but in the spirit of certain folks here, my 2 calls is that the 49ers will wear helmets on the field, and that they will kick-off at least once in the game.
    I’ll take credit for those calls later.

    1. Glad you made those calls. Sounds like you are elevating your game knowledge.
      .
      Your brilliance is shining from every orifice.

  66. Great points Seb. Let’s see, have a contingency plan to counter adversity, make quick assessments to implement adjustments in a timely manner, don’t waste timeouts and minimize unforced errors. Wow. Prolific advise. Having posted those unbelievably obvious suggestions at 1:31 am, I would imagine they came to you in your sleep and you had to rush to the laptop while they were still fresh in your mind. Really? This is the best you can come up with? I hope you were able to get back to sleep. I had to read it twice because, seriously, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. You need to throw the “Football for Dummies” book away NOW!!! Only one word describes those thoughts. DUH!

    Hey, enjoy the opening day today.

    1. Juan, I mention those things because for years, I have been saying they should do things like that, but I rarely see them.
      .
      Maybe if you watched the Stanford-USC game, you would have seen Stanford waste time and time outs. The disorganization of not being able to line up properly was too apparent, when they were flagged, and had to settle for a FG, instead of a TD, even though they had the ball on the goal line.
      .
      Sure, they are simple concepts, but somehow, they do not seem to assimilate those strategies and tactics..
      .
      I now know you have read the Football for Dummies book, and now know why you do not like Kaep. Try reading some books Building a Champion, Finding the Winning Edge, and to respond to your last thought, The Score Takes Care of Itself.

  67. Juan’s key to the game inspired by Seb.

    1. Score more points than the other team

    That should do it.

    Go Niner’s!!

  68. Is Grant the laziest beat reporter ever????

    3 or 4 posts a week and two of them are PC transcripts!!!!

    And in the week before game 1???

    I guess he’s not paid by the word. I wonder if he’s paid at all.

  69. Niners should utilize Hyde properly. They should not force him to do things he is weak at. They should accentuate his strengths.
    .
    Hyde is a thousand yard rusher (-12), so they should just line him up deep in the I, and let him find the weakness in the defense. He should be set deep in the I so he can build up a head of steam before he hits the line of scrimmage. The play can go either left or right, and they can line up quickly in a basic set, so they can run the hurry up easily and morph into many other options with Juice as the FB.
    .
    I hope to see WRs in motion for end arounds, and fake reverses that deceives the defense, and takes advantage of the defensive speed. They should put Goodwin in motion so he can avoid the check at the line of scrimmage, and he will be at full speed at the snap of the ball. I will jump for joy if they invite the blitz, and flawlessly execute a screen.

  70. Seb, the score takes care of itself? What does that mean? Is that like “it depends on what the meaning of “is” is”? Please though, unlike others on this site, I really do enjoy reading your posts. In fact, I look forward to them. I could pay top dollar to see a top flight comedian at the Wells Fargo Center and not get the entertainment value I get from your comedic, sarcastic posts. At least I hope it’s sarcasm. Otherwise, I would seriously consider putting down the pipe, stop the drinking and make an appointment out there at Campobello. Otherwise, keep them coming, they are priceless!! As for the Stanford/USC game, I saw parts of the game but my wife is a former three sport athlete and Cal grad, so basically Stanford is not allowed in our house, so I catch moments in the man cave when I can. I can be sarcastic too occasionally. Enjoy your day.

    1. Juan, I know John Lynch was watching that game, and since Prime claims that he reads these posts, I kinda directed those comments at him.
      .
      Stanford lost, so your wife should be happy. My Father was a Cal Alum, and my son graduated from Cal. I was an eye witness to The Play in ’82, but will admit I did not see the whole play unfold because I was so annoyed at the Stanford band running on the field, and there were so many bodies on the field. I did see the Cal player hit the trombone player, so I saw Moen score.
      .
      Glad Cal has a new HC. Sonny Dykes, like Chip, was weak on defense. Looks like Wilcox has them heading in the right direction.

        1. Prime, instead of hurling insults, maybe you should talk football instead of talking like a bombastic, belligerent, bellicose bloviating blowhard.

  71. The start of the season…
    Every year I wait until the beginning of the season, though I have enjoyed all the posts during the winter , spring and summer , to make my hopes /wins for the season …
    If all goes well for the team, considering a new coaching staff, a 50% turning over in personnel and new offence and defense systems…
    4 more wins than last year , they go six and ten.
    Let the games begin!

      1. R,
        Thanks for all of you football knowledge during the year, always great to hear other perspectives. Just makes for a more complete understanding of the game.

  72. My super early thoughts-no thanks to Cousins. Watching the 1st 2 weeks of college & CJB I think I’d rather take my chances next year with youth at QB than a 30 year old expensive option that may be 5% better than Hoyer.

  73. Peabody , I will continue to write and speak ,the way I choose , don’t like it ,don’t read it . It’s what I do with you . Have a nice day ?. Your opinion means nothing to me. Figure I needed to write it down for you . Some of us are here to enjoy the conversation and the open opinions they have ( about football) not grammar . You have a nice day ,you should loosen up a bit . Be more human . Fun .

  74. My draft crush looks like a beast, maybe the hamstring was a ruse? The way COREY DAVIS went up and attacked the football to make the catch a long the sideline, was pure #1 WR quality. 4 catches on 4 targets for 48 yards. Great first half for the rookie. This kid’s going to be special!

    1. Tomlinson probably doesn’t know enough of the playbook yet. The rest don’t surprise me. In fact, Kittle not being inactive surprises me more.

  75. Niners need to attack their biggest weakness, which is their defensive backs. That whole area is in flux, and I expect Adams to be switched out on third downs.
    .
    Niners should do what Billick said. The Niners need to do post snap reads. The multiple option approach just means the defense has to consider multiple schemes. Deception is the key.
    .
    Niners need to be competent, but they should go the extra step and be efficient. I hope they are prepared enough to avoid all procedural penalties.
    .
    The Panthers will come out and stack the box, and dare the Niners to throw. Niners need to spread them wide and attack the edges. They should flood a zone, and Hoyer just needs to find the open receiver.
    .
    I expect a good game from Celek. I think he can go deep in the seam.
    .
    The Niners could win if they use Juszczyck like they did with Woody.

  76. I guess Mostert will be the kickoff returner, but wonder who else they might use.
    .
    Wish Bolden was active, but he is not needed on STs if they do not use him as a returner.

  77. I am not a fan of the Raiders but I have to say they look pretty good today. I hope the Niners can do as well.

    1. I do not care about the Raiders, but I expected them to win because they are a 12-4 team going against a 9-7 team. I also do not think their defense is as bad as Grant says.
      .
      Still, they might have a good season, and end up in 3rd place in their division. Then I will be happy.

    2. The Raiders scored 26 points and limited the Titans offense to just nine possessions all game. That’s the formula for the Raiders to win.

Comments are closed.