49ers vs. Chargers preseason live blog

SANTA CLARA — This is the live blog for the 49ers’ preseason game against the Chargers. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.

10:44 I’m looking down at the new field and I see faint lines in the grass about a yard apart. It looks like the 49ers laid down the new sod in strips.

11:28 I’m standing ten feet away from the new field. Chunks of sod and sand are flying into the air as players plant and cut.  Footing does not look good.

11:33 Anquan Boldin just cut hard and almost fell. The grass gave out under his feet. Now there’s a big divot.  Boldin walked over to Kaepernick and pointed to the divot. Kaepernick shook his head.

12:23 I passed Jed York when I was walking to the field. Janie McCauley asked him how the field is. York said, “Awesome!” and gave a thumbs up.

12:33 Patrick Willis, Tramaine Brock and Aldon Smith are in uniform and warming up with the starting defense.

12:37 Anthony Davis is not in uniform.

12:38 Patrick Willis is the starting Jack and Michael Wilhoite is the starting Mike.

12:39 Chris Borland is the backup Jack and Nick Moody is the backup Mike.

12:54 There’s an ice cream sundae station in the press box. I repeat: There’s an ice cream sundae station in the press box.

1:08 Brandon Lloyd is not in uniform.

1:09 The 49ers’ captains today are Ray McDonald, Mike Iupati and Kassim Osgood.

1:09 The 49ers win the toss and choose to receive the opening kickoff.

1:11 LaMichael slips and falls on the opening kickoff. His left foot slipped on the grass. Bruce Miller returns the kickoff to the 21.

1:14 The 49ers’ go three-and-out.  Frank Gore loses two yards on a sweep to the left side on first down. Kaepernick throws high and behind Vance McDonald down the middle of the field on second down. Kaepernick scrambles and fumbles and the Chargers recover on third-and-12. The officials rule Kaepernick down by contact and the Chargers challenge.

1:17 The officials rule that it was a fumble but there was no clear evidence of which team recovered the ball, so the 49ers punt. Eddie Royal returns it to the Chargers’ 24.

1:21 Eric Reid makes a nice tackle on third-and-two. Ryan Matthews caught a pass in the flat and Reid tackled him after gaining only one yard. Chris Culliver gave up a catch to Keenan Allen and missed a tackle on the same play during that drive. The 49ers’ offense will start drive No.2 from their own 15.

1:26 Kaepernick drops back on second-and-nine, gets blind-sided, fumbles and the Chargers recover at the 49ers’ 14. Mike Iupati got beat by Corey Liuget who forced the fumble. That’s Kaepernick’s second fumble in two drives.

1:29 Philip Rivers hands off to Ryan Matthews on fourth-and-1 and Michael Wilhoite tackles him for no gain. 49ers’ ball at their 5.

1:32 Kaepernick drops back on first down and takes a hit as he throws downfield for Vernon Davis. The passes misses him by 20 yards and falls incomplete. Joe Staley gave up the pressure. Kaepernick has taken three big hits already in this game.

1:33 The 49ers are trying to run Carlos Hyde up the middle and getting nowhere. Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney are getting no push against the Chargers’ starting defensive line.

1:34 The Chargers’ starting nose tackle, Kwame Geathers, is injured. He’s about to get carted off but he’s not on a stretcher. Third-and-8 from the 49ers’ 7 yard line when play resumes.

1:37 Kaepernick hits Boldin on a slant for a 10-yard gain. First down.

1:38 Kaepernick drops back on third-and-nine and gets blasted again by Liuget mid-throw. Iupati gave up the pressure. Chargers’ ball at their 29 after the punt.

1:45 Rivers completes an 11-yard pass to Antonio Gates on third-and-five. Michael Wilhoite got beat. The 49ers are challenging because they feel Gates dropped the ball.

1:46 Aldon Smith has missed two tackles so far.

1:46 Chris Culliver broke up a deep pass intended for backup tight end Ladarius Green on this drive.

1:47 The officials uphold the catch and charge the 49ers with their first timeout.

1:50 Philip Rivers calmly rolls out of the pocket to his left and throws a 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Ryan Matthews, but Keenan Allen was flagged for a block in the back at the goal line so the Chargers face first-and-goal at the 10.

1:53 Next play, Rivers hits Gates who was wide open in the end zone. Easy. Craig Dahl got beat on the play. 7-0 Chargers. Rivers threw two TD passes on that drive.

1:54 Now the 49ers have been outscored by 61 points in the preseason.

1:55 James slips on the grass during the kick return and is tagged down at the 24.

1:56 James gains three yards up the middle and the first quarter ends.

1:58 Adam Snyder replaced Joe Looney at RG.

2:05 Kaepernick gets his pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage on first-and-10 from the 18 and then two plays later on third-and-14 from the 22. Phil Dawson makes the field goal and the score is 7-3 Chargers. Kaepernick was 5-for-5 on the drive before he got to the red zone. In the red zone he was 0-for-2.

2:07 Daniel Kilgore got beat by Corey Liuget on second-and-10 from the Chargers’ 18. Liuget tackled James for a loss of four.

2:10 Kaepernick completed two passes to running backs on that drive.

2:11 The 49ers’ second-string defense is on the field. Chargers ball at their 20.

2:14 Mike Purcell tackles Donald Brown for a one-yard loss on third-and-1 and the Chargers go three-and-out. 49ers’ ball at their 21 after the punt.

2:15 Blaine Gabbert is in the game with the starting offensive line minus Iupati. Gabbert’s receivers are Stevie Johnson and Quinton Patton.

2:19 Gabbert throws to Patton on third-and-1 and Patton isn’t looking. Incomplete. Craig Dahl downs Andy Lee’s punt at the Chargers’ 21.

2:23 Perrish Cox breaks up a pass intended for Dontrelle Inman and the Chargers go three-and-out again. Corey Lemonier beat King Dunlap around the edge and hit Kellen Clemens’ arm on first-and-10.

2:26 Gabbert throws a pass behind Vance McDonald on third-and-2 from the 49ers’ 40. McDonald spins around and catches the pass for a 6-yard gain.

2:28 Iupati and Looney are in at guard and Marcus Martin is in at center.

2:33 Gabbert throws a 6-yard TD pass to Vance McDonald. 10-7 Niners. McDonald caught three passes on that drive, and Gabbert completed 6 of 7 pass attempts.

2:35 Bubba Ventrone has a hamstring injury and is out for the rest of the game.

2:36 End of the first half.

2:38 Kaepernick’s passer rating was 64.2. He completed 6 of 12 pass attempts. Rivers’ rating was 135.4. He completed 9 of 10 pass attempts.

2:40 According to Joe Buck, Phil Dawson started limping after his plant foot slipped on the grass.

2:47 About 26 people give or take remain in the stands.

2:48 Dawson is on the field taking practice kicks. Does not seem injured.

2:51 Colton Schmidt kicks a touchback.

2:54 Chris Borland blitzes and sacks Brad Sorensen on third-and-6 from the Chargers’ 34. The 49ers’ four-man rush has generated very little pressure today.

2:56 49ers’ ball at their 25 after the punt.

2:57 Gabbert still is the QB.

3:00 The 49ers go three-and-out. Both of Gabbert’s pass attempts get batted down by defensive backs. Chargers’ ball at their 28 after the punt.

3:03 Aaron Lynch bats down a pass on second-and-7.

3:04 Sorensen overthrows an open Ladarius Green on third down. Moody was covering him. Who is this Sorensen guy? He’s awful. 49ers’ ball at their 40 after the punt.

3:05 Gabbert’s still in.

3:08 Gabbert fumbles the snap and recovers it for a loss of five on first-and-15.

3:09 Gabbert completes a 3-yard pass to Kassim Osgood on third-and-18. The Chargers get the ball at their 20 after the punt.

3:11 Sorensen throws a pass 5 yards over Inman’s head on third-and-two.

3:12 Kenneth Acker is flagged for holding on the punt return. 49ers’ ball at their 9.

3:13 Josh Johnson is in the game.

3:19 Johnson stares down David Reed and throws him a pass that is too high on third-and-6. Chargers’ ball at their 11 after the punt.

3:24 Jimmie Ward picks off a pass that was tipped first by Aaron Lynch and then by Dontae Johnson. 49ers’ ball at the Chargers’ 23. The officials are reviewing the previous play.

3:26 Will Tukuafu is being evaluated for a possible concussion.

3:27 The officials confirm that the pass was intercepted.

3:30 The 49ers face second-and-goal from the 10 when the fourth quarter begins. Johnson completed an eight-yard pass to Bruce Ellington on third-and-4 from the 17.

3:31 Lynch has batted down two passes at the line of scrimmage in this game.

3:33 Crezdon Butler knocks away a pass intended for David Reed in the end zone on third-and-goal from the 10. Dawson makes the short field goal. 13-7 Niners.

3:37 Sorensen holds the ball forever in the pocket and Lynch slaps the ball out of his hands as he’s throwing on third-and-7. The officials are reviewing the play to see if the ball was coming out of Sorensen’s hand before his arm started to move forward. Looks like a fumble to me.

3:40 Not a fumble. The 49ers have no more challenges.

3:48 Marcus Martin is down on the field after a six-yard run up the middle by Glenn Winston.

3:50 He’s getting carted off. He appears to have injured his left knee.

3:55 The call is Sprint Right Option. Johnson hits Lance Lewis to convert the 2-point attempt. 21-7 Niners.

3:53 Glenn Winston bursts threw the line and runs untouched into the end zone for a 27-yard TD. He rushed 6 times for 57 yards on that drive. 19-7 Niners and they’re going for 2.

3:59 Martin has a knee injury and is out for the game.

4:00 On first-and-10, Lynch bats down his fourth pass of the game.

4:00 Tukuafu has a concussion and is out.

4:03 Lynch sacks Sorensen on second-and-6. The Chargers punt two plays later. Lynch is having an excellent game.

4:04 McLeod Bethel-Thompson is in.

4:08 Bethel-Thompson throws deep for David Reed and Reed runs a comeback route on third-and-four. Chargers ball at their 15. I’m heading down to the locker room. Back at you shortly.

This article has 185 Comments

  1. Love from the East Coast! I hope you all are okay in the Bay area. The media in my market aren’t treating this earthquake as a big deal, so I’m hoping that’s because it’s not too devastating and just left people a little startled.

  2. Grant – As a member of the media are you not allowed down on the field prior to pre-game warm-ups? If so, you could test out the sod and check out the footing.

  3. Everyone is waiting for Harbaugh to state that he is satisfied with the condition of the field number two and that they have no plans to bring in another one. lol.

  4. I expect to see Carlos Hyde hit 120 yards rushing against this D. 2 TDs. It will be a good test for our pass rush to build some confidence as well. 4 sacks.
    Final Score SF27 SD17

  5. Grant,
    From your description it doesn’t sound like the field is in ideal playing condition.
    The 1st string starters may only play a couple series if the sod is shoddy.
    Neither team will take any chances of having their key players jeopardize their health on a bad playing field.

    Just thinking ahead a little here: Who would be liable if a player was injured because of poor field conditions?
    1. Levi’s Stadium
    2. NFL
    3. 49ers Org
    4. Contractor that installed sod

  6. Just saw that the Bay area was shook by a 6.0 earthquake earlier. I hope everybody is okay out there.

      1. I dont want to panic
        But…
        CK missed wide open mcdonald.
        N then fumbles on 3rd down..
        Hawks destroyed these guys last week…

  7. Kaep was dumb to run on a field like this. Should have thrown it away if no one was open. Definitely has issues managing a game.

  8. Kaep has to drop that pass in there. Also he needs to throw the ball away. No need to run now

  9. If we have to rely on this offense to save a defense in flux we are in real trouble.
    The line is really bad right now… they cant generate any push on running plays and struggle in pass protection.

  10. Wilhoite looks like he is asleep out there. He isnt anywhere close to the ball and sulks around like a 5 year old after being pushed around. Not a good look.

    And kaepernick is not showing any progress- the guy doesnt anticipate anything. On that fumble he made- boldin was open on the post.

  11. it this really possible?… first three series…
    3 downs and “out”….!!! my, my my.

    Talk to us, Coach Harbaw.
    Say something, willya…..?

  12. Niers offense looks like hot garbage. Harbaugh has got to stop babying Kaepernic. How come Manning played more last week than Kaep? A 5 time MVP needs more practice than the guy with the sub 60% completion rate.

  13. Boone or no Boone the O-line as a whole is looking confused. Did they change the blocking schemes when the made changes to the offense.

  14. Gabbert couldn’t so any worse than Kap right now. Can’t run, can’t throw, can’t win.

  15. I wonder if there is something wrong with Lupati. He usually plays much better. maybe he needs to change his cleats

  16. Here in Sonoma County when the dairies spread manure it gets malodorous. The offense is stinking things up there in Santa Clara today.

  17. Just noticed this: a little bit of photoshop and you can change San Diego’s lightning bolt into a Santa Cruz Banana Slug

  18. Geez!!!!! Someone should teach these guys who to break down in the backfield and make the tackle. Controlled Recklessness

  19. The offense looks awful.
    no blocking and horrible throws. Need to try some more quick, short passes.

  20. note to Jed York:
    Niner fans are not paying to see
    Coach Harbaw throw his CS challenge flag.
    We are paying to see Colin Kaepernick
    throw (and run) for touchdowns, okay….???

    1. You are right about that guy. He must be a good person bc as a safety he’s terrible. He should have seen Gates the whole way

  21. Biggest issues so far.
    Offensive line – its bad, they cant run the ball and they cant pass protect.
    Defensive line – Our pass rush is non existent.
    QB- Collin has been very inaccurate for 3 straight games, this is now a trend.

  22. Niners seem to rely on the slant pass – dangerous going forward if we don’t mix it up more

  23. Right now it looks like the niners should resign Boone and let Iupatti go next year. He has been bad so far… I wonder how he grades out on the Profootball outsiders.

    1. Boone isn’t going to fix all the problems on that line. He’s one man. The line as a whole looks out of sync. Looks like they are not communicating or don’t know what they are supposed to do.

      1. It would help quite a bit, it would put someone who knows what he is doing next to the inexperienced center. Right now with two newbies on the line its created a big hole that constantly blows up our plays.

  24. a whopping three points.
    Okay, so now we matched our first half total
    for last week. Oops, I mean our game total.
    Question: Will the Niners score again today?

    Talk to us, Mister Harbaw. This is on you, fella.

    The Super Bowl monkey (on your back) is listening….

  25. Ive been talking so much crap to all my buddys(cowboys fans)even made like 5 bets…lol…i hope i dont eat crow
    N lose 300

  26. Kaep clearly refused to improve on his footwork or the trajectory of his throws in the offseason. We will absolutely be cutting him before April 1 of 2015, paying out only $13 mil of his $61 mil guaranteed (unless he gets injured–then we’ll be on the hook for the whole $61 mil guaranteed).

  27. Don’t understand why Kaep plays so little in the pre season. Wilson, Manning and Brady played into the 3rd qtr. He needs the practice

  28. Nice to see Gabbert getting some success… hopefully he can clear his head and learn to just play. It would be nice if he could salvage his career somewhat.

  29. Sidenote: the rams may be done before the season even begins. Sam Bradford is done for the yr

  30. What impressed me that last drive. Gabbert looked confident in the pocket. He got the ball out on time and his passes were somewhat accurate. McDonald is actually catching the ball. James is making some solid blocks. Finally an offensive drive to talk about.

  31. Gabbert crammed in an Alex smith course it looks like. Looked far better than previously seen.
    V McDonald is balling.

    1. …still obsessed with Alex Smith i see…….your life keeps dulling while his keeps getting brighter

      1. Lol not as obsessed as you are with me. I give the guy a compliment and you still get your cape in a wad.
        Get off my sack onelame. You’re still pathetic brah.

    1. I bet you’re right, Ghost …

      Now that Bradford is done .. what are the chances the Lambs
      make the playoffs with Shaun Hill ?

      I think they have two chances …

      (slim and NONE )

    2. So why then can’t CK demonstrate some touch on his throws, game management organization, and protecting the football?
      In 3 preseason games, CK has regressed in the areas he was suppose to improve this offseason.

  32. Question to the find minds out there: Has the problem with our OL always been that not enough of them pass protect better than run block? Stating the obvious: If Kaep had the time, we’d have a much better passing game and by extension a more dependable running game since the box wouldn’t be stacked. Is it as simple as that? Someone please answer.

    1. Every QB in the NFL would like more time. It’s just not realistic with the type of athletes now on the d-line.
      The QB has to be able to read the defense and make split second decisions. That’s not happening with CK.

      1. Kaep had little time. Then Kaep nerves becomes a probably. No QB likes to get hit. Once they realize the line can’t hold up they get ansi.

    2. That is actually a good question. Majority of o-lineman are only good a pass blocking or run blocking. Their either better leaning forward or backward. You’re a gem if you do both well

    3. Yes, this is true. This has always been my gripe with analysts saying they were the best oline in the NFL. You cant be below average at 50% of your job and be the best at what you do. Especially when the unit has traditionally struggled moving a pile in short yardage situations.

      While I dont like Roman as an offensive coordinator, I think the argument could be made that he is the one most responsible for how well our offensive line is thought of.

      1. Yes, I’ve also never understood why they are so highly regarded. A case in point: Iupati.

        1. George— It’s mostly reputation. It takes at least a couple seasons for that to change. The media talking heads just read their crib notes during the game. Those that actually watched the games knew that the line sucked. All it takes is one lineman to miss a block for protection to break down. Watch the time the successful QB’s get in the pocket. The game against Denver last week was a good example all three of their QB had super high rankings because the had a pocket to throw from. Everyone used to blame the sacks on Alex as well. Kaep does far better outside the pocket because at least their he can buy time with his legs. It takes far more evidence to change an individuals perspective once they have come to a conclusion than it takes someone who has not. Gabbert had time this game and he did much better. As for Kaep some of you need watch the games. The passes he threw with out being hit while throwing or which were tipped were on the money.

    4. George:

      I haven’t seen the numbers for this preseason, but Kaepernick had plenty of time last season.

      1. Claude- If he had the time it was because he bought it by rolling out or scrambling. He did not have much time. They ran quick hit one read plays for a reason. To protect him from getting killed in the pocket. The fumble against Seattle in the forth quarter came because he was stripped while passing as he was rolling left. The defender came all the way from the right and got behind him Kaep didn’t even see him. Check when that unblocked guy come through on that forth down play in the superbowl. Stop the action when the defender gets in Kaeps face– all the receivers were still being engaged by the defense at the line of scrimmage and he didn’t even have time to escape using his legs. How much time did he have on that play Claude? This sort of thing happened all last year. Claude you didn’t see it because you didn’t want to see it.

  33. Hopefully Gabbert is righting the ship. That was the best series of the preseason so far.
    Starters still look like their stuck in the mud. Kap needs to put together some good series next week or his confidence may take a hit.

  34. Gabbert didn’t look bad on that drive either… his receivers just didn’t help him out.

    1. Yep, he put together a good series following the TD series as well.
      Gabb’ passes were on target but the defenders had tight coverage on the receivers.

      Gabbert has definitely separated himself from J.Johnson so far in this game, but JJ has the offense inside the redzone at the moment.

  35. Another note: Stands are empty because that place is a hot sumbitch in the sun. People are leaving in droves for the concourse or home…

  36. Note to Coach Harbaw:
    wake up & ditch the khaki pants.
    Anything to get yourself and this team
    operating on some new ground [mentally]
    (which is not the same as new sod, okay?)

    What you are telling us is that
    Colin is now ready for the season? since…
    (we do not expect to see him next week)
    …but we have not “seen him” the past 3 weeks
    anyway. Get it..? He has not shown up yet this year.

    1. You can decorate it all you want, but we can all tell that you’re spewing the same bull@$#/ every time that you post Monkey.

    1. Brotha Tuna —- you can say that again. I wonder who gives him the call to make those challenges. Or perhaps he is just watching the big screen and making them on his own. He is horrible. It’s a good thing he didn’t decide to be an official.

  37. They pulled Colin because they know the OL in its present configuration sucks. Boone will get some serious calls this week. There will be face saving, a few restructured contracts and he’ll be in the fold by Wednesday…

  38. As many suspected, Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL and will probably miss the entire season, making former 49er Shaun Hill the presumptive starter. The NFC West just become a horse race between the Niners and Seahawks with the Cards lurking.

  39. I honestly have no idea who this Winston is, but I already like him better than Jewel Hampton

  40. I’m hoping C.Martin just hyper-extended his knee, but that’s pretty much looks like a Best Case scenario.

    1. Razor,
      Not to take anything away from Winston, but you and I may have run for at least 10 yrds through that gapping hole before being caught from behind.
      I give much of the credit to good run blocking on the TD run.

      1. Yea, I know, but he hits the hole quicker, and he’s built better. James is a waste of a roster spot imho…..

        1. Razor,
          Ok, maybe I get 3 yrds running through that hole (lol).

          Winston shows a good burst and runs with good balance as well. I think that Harbaugh will take a longer look at him in the next game.
          Harbaugh already knows what he has in Hampton – if Winston looks good next game Hampton might be in a tough fight to make the team.

          Lost in all this: I wonder what the team will do with Lattimore. He has yet to play and I don’t see him receiving any playing for the next game either.
          Latt will likely be on the NFI going into the start of the season.
          What’s your take on Lattimore, Razor?

          1. AES: Hampton has been in the PS for the past 2 years. Thus far, he hasn’t shown anything.

            Winston comes out playing like he did today in the next game,and I would think that Hampton is gone.

          2. I think he ends up on the NFI, and ultimately the team may decide they don’t need him this year…..

  41. Kilgore is not very good,he is a big part of the problem with the OL issue.Hope MM injury is nothing serious… He was coming around of late and OL looked better when he was playing.

  42. Smith is the third back. What’s-his-name from Oregon is gone. That rookie center from New Mexico looked real good.

  43. Lynch and Winston are stealing the show.
    Kilgore is a back up. 3 pre-season games and I grow more worried with each game.

  44. So it looks like our backups are better than their backups but there starters had a better game than out starters. Our o-line struggled. Martin doesn’t look good. CK hasn’t improved his footwork in the least. George Whitfield needs a different approach with CK. He actually looks worse than last season.

      1. Then you must think Kaepernick looks like a HOFer right now… Sorensen is 11/21 for 84 yards and 2 picks haha.

        1. Wouldn’t you know it? The moment I press “post comment” he throws a second pick. I though he did Ok considering he was under constant pressure by Lynch and Lemmonier.

    1. Houston,
      I understand your concerns regarding CK, but he is running a generic offense and really hasn’t received the best pass blocking from Iupati and Kilgore up to this time.
      Kilgore is new as a starter, but Iupati is a seasoned veteran who should not be getting pushed around.

      Kap does need to pick up his game and show improvement but I feel he will play his best football once the season starts.
      I can say that I suddenly feel much better about Gabbert after today then I’ve felt the last couple of weeks.

      I seen some good things today that give me confidence going into the new season.
      Our defense looks very good with most of our starters back on the field. Wilhoite played very well and so did Cully.
      Aaron Lynch is looking like a steal for a 5th rd pick.

      VMac was my choice a couple of months ago for the surprise player of 2014-15 and (although having some drops early in TC) he is showing very good improvement.

      All and all, I have a very good feeling leading into this season – no major injuries and the emergence of young players will catapult us to the playoffs and hopefully beyond this season.

    2. Houston. Footwork doesn’t mean a thing when you are being knocked backwards as you are passing the ball and have you arm hit during your follow through.

  45. M&M had a knee injury against UCLA, and I’m wondering if it’s the same knee he injured. God I pray he’s alright, Kilgore is exactly who I thought he was….

    1. I missed the re-play on Martin’s injury. Did it look like ACL or something manageable?

      Lets hope for “dodged a bullet.”

      1. By the way Martin was responding after the injury, he thinks it’s an ACL. He was pissed and he was in pain. He got too many pats on the shoulder for me to believe it was a sprain. Man these injuries are killing us.

  46. Roster moves:
    Cut James, Keep Winston
    Cut Alfonso Smith
    Ellington is now the #3 WR
    Lynch is Aldon’s replacement on passing downs
    Cut Cook, keep Acker

    Most of all: bring back Boone!!!
    Face it his leverage has gone way up.

    1. I am starting to think that Boone’s agents know what they are talking about. Boone is indispensable for the O-line, and neither Looney nor Kilgore are quality starters. That’s becoming evident with each game.

      I would hate to see Kilgore and Looney holding down the Rams, Seahawks and even the Cards’ D-line. The Niners have to pay Boone and get him playing asap.

  47. Ellington, Vmac and Hyde are going to be big surprises for the offense this year.
    No need to rehash Colin. Hopefully he turns it on during the regular season. If you loved him last year, that love remains in the same. If you had issues, he’s shown nothing in the preseason to calm those fears. Thankfully Seattle shows up later in the schedule. And the rams lost Bradford.

  48. @ninermdumb – your boy shaun hill is leading the rams…….bet you are excited your fav QB is starting…..ha ha ha

    …….ha ha ha ha…rams are done!!!!

  49. A couple of points. Kaep needs to calm down to start games. He’s too amped up. Note to Colin, you are not a linebacker, you are a QB. And you have to hit the wide open McDonald on the first drive.
    Borland is a wrecking ball. He looks good.

    Looking forward to McDonald growing in our offense this year.

    LaMichael James deserves more touches. When he hits the second wave, he’s gone.

    Hyde is the best running back on the team RIGHT NOW.

    Did Iupati have a bad game, or is he just that bad. He is responsible for a QB hit, a fumble and RB’s getting blown up in the backfield. Dang….

    Culliver looks good.

    1. Iupati was bad last year, I think the Niners will be looking to draft a guard early next year.

      1. Milleneum- Yes Lupati was bad last year but most people didn’t realize it because the talking heads were telling them that he was a pro bowl lineman. Goodman and lupati were bad early on and Davis joined them after he was playing injured late in the season. One of them was usually getting beat by their man on pass protection.

  50. Man oh man, the Great Wheel keeps on turning. I don’t think I ever thought I’d see the day when Ricky Waters was co-hosting a Niners’ Post Game show.

  51. Bad
    – Martin’s injury
    – Iupati’s pass blocking
    – Everyone’s pass blocking
    – Colin’s accuracy and decision making.
    – LMJ’s traditional negative yardage plays. (for comparison Hyde had 3 neg yardage plays in 183 carries last season)
    – Lack of first unit cohesion.

    Good
    – Hyde’s toughness
    – McDonald’s hands and improved quickness
    – Ellington’s everything
    – Borland on SS
    – Lynch’s 3 bat downs, 1 sack, 2 drive stopping pressures
    – Ian Williams able to get snaps
    – Ward’s quickness
    – Gabbert almost looked like a quarterback

    Summary: If Martin is OK I’ll be very happy with the result.

  52. Well, kap needs to get things together. You can tell the limited snaps showed and going into week one soon it’s kinda scary. Our defense help up some but overall the concern is our offense of line and kap making the right throw accurately. Guess we will see how this turns out, just hope we don’t come out slow and get off to a bad start

  53. I’m skeptical about so many elements of this Niner team.

    1. Our offensive line is not good right now. Pressure up the middle is killing us. Clearly, Boone knew more about this line suffering without him than Balke did.

    2. Kap looks the same as last year. No touch and still thinks his fastball will fit anywhere. He still overlooks receivers right in front of him while looking for his favorites. Hit the open man Kap!!!!!

    3. Hyde is definitely the best running back on the roster right now. However, I need to see him pass block and pick up that blitzer. Gore is the best in the NFL at that.

    4. Gabbert looked a bit better tonight but his passes were still a bit inaccurate. He did play better though. Josh Johnson has had an opening to make a difference in all three of these playoff games. He just can’t seem to get it done. He looks like the ideal fit to run our offense as a backup, however, he just can’t get over the hump. The overthrow in the end zone was bad. He’s gotta make that throw for 6. He can’t separate himself from Gabbert, he’s done!

    5. Dahl shouldn’t be in the NFL. Give cook his walking papers. Acker is a keeper. Our #1 pick is ready to start at Nickel. Give Boreland the job at LB. He is a playmaker. Cully knows how to find the football now!

    6. I’m starting a new fan club for this blog. It’s called the “Lynchmob!!” Lynch was the player of the game. The man pressures the QB constantly and when he gets his conditioning right, he could start on this team or rotate with Brooks right away!

    7. Last but not least. We have to get some better turf on that field. We already have enough players injured as it is. Harbaugh lied to the Chargers. That field was horrific. We’re gonna lose Kap on that turf with this offensive line and then this blog is gonna explode!!!

    1. 23Jordan: “3. Hyde is definitely the best running back on the roster right now. However, I need to see him pass block and pick up that blitzer. Gore is the best in the NFL at that.”

      He did just that in the TD pass to V-Mac. He blasted the on rushing LB, and laid him down.
      He also had a nice block on the pass play to Ellington. Kilgore was doing who knows what, blocking his own shadow–looking right, and Hyde blocked the LB who came right up the center.

      1. Chess,

        I saw that play but I’m talking about Hyee doing it consistently. I want Hyde to start. We need is juice. Gore is just entirely too slow. I love Gore but it’s over for him if Hyde can consistently pick up that blitz.

        1. 23 Jordan:

          Yes, consistency is key and I think you are on to something here.Considering the awful shape of the O-line, the Niners will come to depend/count on the blocking of the RB’s more than ever, to give CK a couple more seconds to find the open receiver.

    1. When Hyde gets a step and some momentum he is very hard to bring down. He makes cuts really well for a big guy.

      1. Will,

        I’m really concerned about this line. It’s in bad shape. Kilgore is not the answer at center. I’ve been saying that for weeks. He’s just not big and strong enough. Unfortunately, it looks like Martin may be done for the season. I hope not. He was playing better and better. He was dominating in the trenches before that injury. Leading the running game and blowing guys away. Kilgore is getting pushed around every week.

  54. “….Did you see Hyde go BEASTMODE…”

    u-mmm ..
    Mary might b he only one disagreeing with you, here… Bay

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