SANTA CLARA
This is the live blog for the 49ers season opener against the Panthers. I will update this with information and analysis from the press box.
12:48 Check out my Periscope pregame report below:
49ers-Panthers pregame report https://t.co/GV7BuWobiI
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) September 10, 2017
12:49 Here are the 49ers inactives:
- FS Jimmie Ward
- WR Victor Bolden Jr.
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon
- DL Aaron Lynch
- DL Pita Taumoepenu
- OT John Theus
- OG Laken Tomlison
1:10 The Cardinals are losing 35-17 to the Lions with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, and Carson Palmer has thrown three interceptions. His passer rating is 35.6. Bad quarterback on a bad team.
1:23 The 49ers win the toss and defer. The Panthers will receive the opening kickoff.
1:30 On third-and-12 from the Panthers 38-yard line, Arik Armstead flushed Cam Newton out of the pocket and Elvis Dumervil chases Newton to the sideline. Newton throws the ball away. Panthers punt. Newton threw two passes to Christian McCaffrey on that drive — one was a gain of 7, the other was tipped at the line.
1:39 On third and 3 from the Panthers 47, Hoyer throws a perfect deep pass down the right sideline to Marquise Goodwin, who drops the ball at the 5-yard line. Panthers will start at their 14-yard line after the punt.
1:40 The 49ers committed two penalties on that drive — an illegal formation and a false start. They also used a timeout because Hoyer needed Shanahan to repeat the play call when the offense was in the huddle.
1:44 Goodwin’s eyes never tracked the ball into his hands on that deep pass. Horrible fundamentals.
1:47 On third-and-6, Reuben Foster read Cam Newton’s eyes and broke up a short pass intended for Kelvin Benjamin. Great play. Newton always stares down his first read.
1:50 On second-and-9, Wes Horton beats Zane Beadles and strips Hoyer. Panthers ball a the Niners 42.
1:52 On second-and-13, Foster injures his right knee while tackling Christian McCaffrey during a draw play. Foster still is down and his teammates are kneeling around him.
1:54 Foster is leaving the field on a cart. He had been playing very well, as expected. The issue with him always was durability.
1:55 Foster’s foot got caught in the grass and his knee twisted to the side. Could be a torn ACL. Looked bad.
1:55 Next play, Newton throws a 40-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Russell Shepard. Tartt hit him at the five-yard line and Shepard spun off him. The Niners seemed stunned after losing Foster.
1:59 Foster’s return is questionable.
2:01 On third-and-21, Daryl Worley breaks up a 15-yard pass to Pierre Garcon. The Niners have lost all their energy and passion since Foster left the game.
2:03 On the final play of the first quarter, Newton completes a four-yard pass to Devin Funchess. Second and six from the Panthers 26 when the second quarter starts.
2:07 On third-and-3 from the 29, Rashard Robinson breaks a pass intended for Benjamin, who was running a crossing route. Panthers go three and out.
2:08 On that long touchdown pass, the Niners right cornerback was playing man coverage while the rest of the defense was playing zone while the linebackers blitzed. That was a busted coverage.
2:11 Niners go three and out. Hoyer overthrew Goodwin deep on first down, Daniel Kilgore committed a holding penalty on second-and-10, Hoyer got sacked on second-and-20 and Breida rushed for three yards on second and 24.
2:12 Foster is limping on the sideline. Doesn’t seem like he will come back.
2:22 On first and 10 from the Niners 45, Newton throws deep for Benjamin, and Tartt runs over and makes a one-handed interception at the goal line. He returns the pick 37 yards.
2:29 On fourth-and-4, the Niners go for it. Thomas Davis blitzes up the middle, runs over Hyde and sacks Hoyer for a loss of eight.
2:36 Graham Gano makes a 39-yard field goal. Panthers lead 10-0 with 3:23 left in the first half.
2:45 On fourth and 1 from the Panthers 45, the Niners go for it again and Kyle Juszczyk runs for no gain.
2:51 Gano makes a 37-yard field goal before the first half ends. Niners trail 13-0. They probably would be trailing by only seven points if Shanahan hadn’t gone for it fourth down those two times.
3:07 Second play of the drive, Luke Kuechly intercepts Hoyer’s pass intended for George Kittle. Kuechly read Hoyer’s eyes all the way.
3:11 On first and goal, Newton throws a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Stewart. 20-0 Carolina.
3:17 On third and 6, no one blocks Star Lotulelei, who hits Brian Hoyer as he throws, and the pass sails incomplete. Niners go three and out.
3:29 On third and goal from the two, the Niners stop Stewart for no gain. Gano makes a 20-yard field goal and the Panthers lead 23-o.
3:31 Reuben Foster is out with an ankle injury. At least it’s not a knee injury.
3:42 On fourth-and-1, Shanahan sends out the field goal unit, then changes his mind and sends out the offense to go for the first down. The offense can’t get the play off fast enough due to Shanahan’s indecision and is flagged for delay of game. Robbie Gould makes a 44-yard field goal, and the Niners trail 23-3.
3:54 Rashard Robinson strips Christian McCaffrey and recovers the ball at the Panthers 31.
4:01 On fourth and goal from the 1, Hoyer throws a screen pass to Hyde who gains zero yards.
4:18. Panthers win 23-3. Stay tuned for my Periscope locker room report, game story and grades.
This guy has it right: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f257/4evrnyt/DJYwME8VAAAhsz6.jpg
Witherspoon inactivate? Just not playing or hurt?
Can’t it be all three?
LETS GO NINERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO NINERS !!!!!!
WOO HOO! GO NINERS!!!!!!!!!!
Watson named team captain. Interesting. Is he a gunner on STs?
Will they cut Lynch if Harold has a good game?
C4C
What did Aaron Lynch ever do to you to make you so hateful toward him ? I think you have a problem…not him…he’s our best rusher…get well…
For someone with a penchant for overreaction you’ve outdone even yourself.
Darn, Wards disappoints again. The best ability is availability.
I just stopped scrubbing the floors to watch I hope this is time well spent.
Damnit! Lynch and Ward is out!
Reid and Solomon need to have a good for us to come out win a win!
Go Niners
Addison threw down the glove for Staley. Bowman threw down the glove to Kuechly. Time to see who picks them up. Go Niners!
For the 49ers to win they have to play ball-control offense this means Hyde has to be on his A game. Maybe this year the offense will give the defense some support.
Cold beers are flowing over here & loud classic rock blaring!…Get it done Niners!!! I want to see some Foster monster hits! Punish Cam!
Garçon15! Aren’t you in SoCal? I’m down here communing with my patron saint Monica ;)
Hmmm, Gabbert may start soon.
Bold prediction- King Solomon gets a sack in the second half.
My bad. Did Thomas play in the second half?
Biggest concern on Offense is the O Line. Can they Pass protect and open holes for the running game? I have serious doubts about the Line. hope I am wrong.
Predict 6 wins this season. If the Niners win 8 gamesI will be thrilled.
GO NINERS!
Tartt’s going to the be the FS today.
Grant weren’t you just saying Arians was the next best coach after Bellachick? Palmer is probably done and the Lions are a bit of a surprise.
Arians is the next best coach after Belichick. Palmer is finished.
So just poor talent then? If so it could open up the NFCW
With the amount of inactives in the defensive backfield I am concerned about the secondary’s increasing level of porousness. This should be a good test for the new defense.
Porosity
Nice.
is reedit doing a live stream ?
Yes, using it
Link ?
Just google NFL Reddit.
I don’t know how to use it.
Ok, I’m now done with yoga and meditation and other game prep! Now it’s beer, chips and salsa! Let’s roll!
Go Niners!!!
The defensive line is quick off the ball.
Lots of empty seats. That makes me sick.
Is anybody streaming the game and can share the link with me?
stands look pretty empty for Game 1 Home Opener…but Go Niners!
Probably still fighting traffic
ah you’re probably right thanks Ribico
There’s no quarterback controversy on this team.
They have to continue to pound it out on the ground.
Hoyer playing well.
Defense looked good.
Offense looks a little ragged.
How can the refs not call that unnecessary roughness on #99. He shoved Hyde to the ground after the play. That was BS!
Marching down the field moving the chains. Oh so close.
Geeea
Lost that in the sun ;(
That should have been a catch but Hoyer under threw that one. He did the same thing in the pre-season game.
Right on both accounts
Remember when we signed him and I kind pointed out that while he’s fast, he’s not that good of a WR. That’s one of the things I was talking about. He’s not a natural receiver and even though the ball hit him in the hands, he flubbed it.
Goodwin! Have to make that catch.
Hoyer looks good.
Nice aggressive play calling.
Seriously Goodwin? WTF, you got butter smeared all over your arms? World-class speed, junior varsity ball skills!
The defense had that play sniffed out.
Good play Foster!
The question was, at least to me, could he play pass defense. It’s looking like a ‘yes.’
Hyde for 12.
Geez
Ouch they put the lumber to Hoyer.
early test for defense
Ouch, Beadles out of the lineup sooner than later
Next week, hopefully.
McCaffery… Dancing is for college.
Foster 1 McCaffery 0
There goes the season????
Seriously, don’t go overboard
That didn’t take long.
That’s what I was afraid of… their Dt’s vs our guards is a terrible matchup for us.
Oh jeez.
Ugh that looks bad… wonder if he’s done for the year?
Too bad
We hate to speculate on the injury- didn’t look good.
Hopefully it’s just a sprain.
That looked like a blown coverage.
Nice half-*ss attempt at a tackle Tartt you pos.
Wow worst tackle ever by Tartt
He was grabbing leg. High ankle sprain?
Yup Hyde looks like a bad fit for sure
OL is as promised, bad. Hyde is around 5 carries for 41yds
Foster’s injury looks bad.
D backfield looks weak.
Let’s see if the Offense can put a scoring drive together.
Who wanted to get rid of Hyde again?
Hoyer is BAD!
So does our Guards!
how can you say hoyer is bad????? goodwin dropped a perfect ball; hoyer got sacked through no fault of his own; garcon got stuck at his breaking point and could not get out of his cut and then the ball went through his hands and hit him in the chest…….what game are you watching????????
It’s a leg injury. Nice report there.
Just like that the dream is over… smh
So far no different from last year, injuries and penalties and a dropped pass already.
Except that we were winning in the opener.
Season is OVER without Foster…. Best player on the field….
Oh geez rebuild.
You forgot missed tackles.
The defense save for Tartt’s missed tackle has played well
Agree. Panthers O is not impressing.
I see that Overreaction Sunday is in full swing!
? always is
Oh football, thou art a HEARTLESS bitch!
Please, oh please not a knee!!!!!
How about an injury update?
Okay Niners lets go get seven
I think we’re seeing why Goodwin was a FA. Practice hero, gameday zero.
He’s on my fantasy team… sick to my stomach after watching him drop that right in his bread basket. Ugh.
The team needs to stop thinking they should just go out and execute.
Foster walking with a limp
Thank God dodged a bulliet.
So is the season saved?
For Now! :)
A football team is only as good as it’s weakest link, when the weak link is this weak! The interior of this OL is going to throw a wrench into Kyle’s plan’s this year and make for a long first season.
If the 49ers are going to win 7 games with this OL interior, they cannot afford to lose Foster for any length of tim. This defense is going to need to be top 5, because this offense is going to struggle.
O line is not having a good game.
Good to see Foster walking.
I was right ankle sprain
Pull is @$$ out of the game. Make a statement.
Tartt’s is playing for the wrong team today.
Appears to me that Tartt doesn’t belong in this game.
Well this team is beating itself..Guess that’s the consequence of going young…Good thing looks like we missed a bullet with Foster
It does appear that we won’t be last in run defense this year. Still waiting for the pass rush though.
Mistakes,
Has Harold done anything? He has to improve his drive.
Baalke continues to haunt this team…A second round pick who looks like he doesn’t belong in the league…Put in Jerome
Well Tartt you screw up then you redeem yourself
One handed! Bad decision by Newton
Tartt!
Great read by Tart.
Okay he’s forgiven.
Oops..spoke to soon…lol
Nice catch Tartt. Now learn how to tackle.
Way to set the tone Goodwin. If he catches that perfectly thrown ball, this start feels different. You let the ball go right through your hands, you need to get temporarily benched, and run wind sprints after the game.
That was a great play by Tartt!
a niner throw and catch beyond the 1st down marker, amazing! This really is a different team
See a lot of empty seats
Goodwin has yet to understand his job is to RUN and CATCH not one or the other.
Beadles needs to be replaced. IT may take an offseason to get the OL right
Hoyer doesn’t have that long. He’ll get injured if this keeps up.
Agreed these guards are terrible. I think they will replace him next week.
Rookie head coach decision.
You don’t have the play makers to pull that off little Shanny.
Who here expected a defensive battle?
I think this is really bad offense more so then the two defenses playing well.
If they don’t make adjustment at the point of attack they’re going to tee-off on Hoyer.
This OL simply isn’t good enough. Sorry, but those are the facts jack!
Cam’s release looks slow
It is slow.
Newton threw into double-coverage.
Cam is looking a lot like Kaep right now.
He is a lot like Kaep.
He’s very similar. The biggest difference is Cam can make half-field reads and does, to some extent, understand what he’s looking at. But he’s not an elite NFL QB despite his running.
Punt the ball please…………. otherwise, you are looking desperate. Defense is playing well but Lynch and Ward will help- not enough pressure.
Our D line gets no pressure..not a big deal only 3 first round picks..
too bad they s. canned the Kevin Lynch live blog :(
Could be wrong, but I don’t see any stunts or exotic type blitzes.
No catches for Olson or Benjamin
Shoulder? Rust? Or regression?
I think Cam got the benefit of the doubt. He’s not a precise passer. He’s missed some wide open receivers today
You watch a game like this and it’s easy to point the finger at what is such an obvious problem. We’ll see if Tomlinson can help shore things up, because the interior of the OL is not just bad, it’s HORRIFIC!
The 49ers have made some positive strides turning this roster around, but it seems pretty clear that they need to allocate a big chunk of resources into this OL next offseason.
I would love to see Bolden as PR.
Wow, is that place even half full?
You think the tickets are over priced for the NFL audience?
Was at the game. That side was empty all game because it was 90 degrees, but in the sun it feels like 110. Thank God I get shade from the tower by the middle of the second quarter. Game went as expected; defensive front seven played well (except Ray Ray when he came in for Foster), but secondary was suspect. Offense needs to learn the system; lot of confusion on plays. Beadles was on a mission to get Hoyer killed.
the D looks pretty good…well, ok
the O, well that’s another hello, is this thing on?
Hyde’s a bruising running back he’s overdue to break one give the rock to him.
We are fortunate that Cam is rusty right now. He has a lot of time in the pocket.
We lack a franchise QB. Hoyer is a slow decisionmaker and a journeyman.
Line is a serious issue especially at guard
The D backfield is losing coverage.
Need to go to man to man coverage.
Hoyer looks all right, he’s outplaying Newton for sure
an OL and some receivers would really hit the spot !
This group looks worse than last year’s
If nobody’s mentioned it, Foster came back to the sidelines and is up and walking around.
The pass defense has been, at times, entirely atrocious with multiple WRs running free by 5+ yards as defenders blow coverages.
It’s looking like some confusion between the ILB’s and FS both times guys are free.
McCafery looks good
Hoyer is in checkdown mode in 2 minute drill. ..
We need guards!
Newton looks like a pitcher after Tommy John
Dumb play. Don’t go sideways on 4th down.
They need OT’s !
Ok. That was questionable.
Horrendous. This OL cannot handle the offensive design. The offense is getting whipped up front! WHIPPED!
I like the stones, but not the call (they don’t ever run a counter, do they?)
49ers O-line may be the worst line in all the NFL. My God they are putrid.
Because of terrible decisions by Jed and Baalke this is the first year of a rebuilding, not the third.
KS is happy to get the first half under his belt. Let’s see if he can earn his money by orchestrating a comeback. This game has the same feel as the last few years.
I like it that Shanahan is not playing conservative. Sends a good message to the team.
His lack of patience in his inept offense has twice put the defense in a bad position and twice they’ve surrendered points. Lucky that it’s 13-0 instead of 21-0. That has more to do with bad Cam Newton then good defense. Nothing good about that message. He’s acting like a former offensive coordinator rookie head coach that is overly eager for his offense to produce.
KIttle has great strength & awareness
This Panther’s squad is not a good team. If the offense doesn’t come alive in the 2nd half it’s going to be a long season.
It is a good defense.
No its not. You’ll see after a couple weeks when they’ve played better offenses.
But wait, remember someone says we’re going 9-7. ?We’re a 5-7 win team.
It is going to be a long season. Good news is defense looks better this year.
Foster is walking rather gingerly probably wont be back. Veterans Reid and Harold are going to have to pick up their play to cover for the loss of Foster.
It is ok to go on 4th down. Nobody expected Niners to win or to win more than 5 games this year. We have a long rebuilding in store for us.
Boy this defense looks different without Foster.
And this defense looks nothing like Seattle’s. These CB’s are playing anything but physical in this scheme. Robinson just gave Benjamin a 12 yard cushion on 2nd and 9 from the 43, with 21 seconds left. That’s not going to get it done in the NFL, not even against a rusty QB. Very disappointing half of football. on both side of the field.
SMH! Call me dazed and confused!
This has been an eye opener for me. I thought the 49ers would be able to pressure Cam if nothing else. They haven’t even done that. And without Foster roaming the middle of the field, this “vaunted” young defense looks rather soft.
My first half grades:
QB: C-
WR: D
TE: D
OL: F
Front Seven: D
DB: C
Special Teams: B
Coaching: D-
I had a feeling this team would get off to a slow start in 2017, and boy am I right so far.
Come on man ….. let’s get it going 49ers!!!
My 1st half observations…
D line extremely disappointing
O line extremely disappointing
Hoyer is a good QB behind a decent o line
Young team…young mistakes
Defense actually looks better..they do swarm to the ball
Did I mention we don’t have an o line?
It looks like a 4-5 win season. Agree that Carolina is not the team it once was.
I think Rivera owes KS a bottle of wine for those last 3 points. Really dumb move. Did KS think Youse-Guy was going to take to the house on 4th down?
Panthers inside D line killing 49ers offensive guards. That+mistakes are the difference. No matter how intricate the new offense is, poor guard play is killing it.
No surprise there. We need two stud guards and a center. Hopefully we have 2 of the 3 in Garnett and Tomlinson.
So would you rather have Witherspoon or Elflein on this team?
Too many holes on the team to patch them all in one draft. If Witherspoon develops into a starting corner next year, you’ll have your answer. Arkansas’ Ragnow is a center that I like, and worth keeping an eye on this year….
Eric Reid is soft. That last play of the half shows why he needs to be dumped at the end of this year. Another Baalke overrated player.
That’s what you took away from the half?
Pretty bad but promising that Ruben Foster is easily the best player on this team
Kirk Cousins played poorly today.
Yeah I was wondering when someone would point that out. Maybe it will drive his value down?
Hoyer sacked four times in the first half.
Key errors by the Niners killed them
Hoyer showing why he is and was always a backup guy
Hoyer is garbage
No. I like Hoyer. He is a good place holder.
Well……
Well we know which Hoyer we have today.
Dumerville not showing much. No legitimate pass rush yet
I expected a lot of problems the first game. I hope they can pull it together. the ol is getting beat like girls,
Defense looks tentative and gassed.
Yeah, that Brian Hoyer is totally underrated.
Yeah there was some serious cherry picking going in his assessment and reporting on this blog earlier this summer.
Way too many mental errors by the Niners.
Let’s hope we don’t get shutout
Good thing we drafted Soloman Thomas..haha..he’s a real game changer..If we could only play North Carolina everygame we’d be kicking ass!hahaa
The stadium appears to be nearly empty are they waiting for Irma evacuees?
Remind me again Grant how you thought they could beat Carolina? I’m still not seeing it yet. Go 9ers!
That’s what happens when you draft 3 busts three years in a row..no pressure..this team might be worse than last year
Your an idiot! Calling a 21 year old in his first game a bust shows your football intelligence. As bad as this looks it’s suppose to look this bad with the offensive personnel they got. They have turned over the roster and lack talent across the board. Losing Foster changed the game. It’s like if the panthers lost Kuekly…. The best thing that can happen to this team is to have a 4-12 season or worse. It’s not about this year.
Hoyer might want to commit the sin of going to the audible.
You think he has it in him to call audibles?
CJB will be starting before I thought. Maybe week 4-5
Agreed. No way Hoyer is starting after 5 games. However, obviously we need another draft or two-to shore up a few things!
2 wins might be a miracle this year..Carolina is not a good team..looks like the Rams will be in first place after week one
Hoyer just is not accurate. He may be rattled by the pass rush and no protection.
This is about how I thought the game would go. Once Garnett and Beadles are back we should have a better idea of what the o line will look like. The question is will Hoyer survive this game.
Beadles is playing.
Sorry, I meant when Garnett is back and Beadles is replaced by Tomlinson.
??
Obviously the 6 other teams that Brian Hoyer was on didn’t know what they were doing when they released him. Good thing our brain trust felt like he was the answer at QB this season…
We just can’t run Shanahan’s offense with the guards we have on this team. Actually you couldn’t run anyone’s offense with the guards we have on this team.
Is hoyer sulking? Body language is awful.
2nd blatant head to head shot on Hoyer that went uncalled.
Put Beathard in
Sadly our best QB is in the game.
I think we may all have been too optimistic about this team.
Not all us.
I’m going to watch the hurricane coverage..This game is a more depressing disaster
Newton is at the point in the game where he loses interest and starts throwing pick-sixes.
Bring in Beathard!! Hoyer is a proven backup and a loser. That will not change. May as well lose with Beathard and get him some experience and determine if he has potential to be the guy or not…
Seb is that you?
Nah, I want Kaep, just like Steph.
God, what a dumb draft pick Thomas was.
With obvious glaring needs at nearly every position group, the 49ers used the 3rd pick in the draft to take a tweener defensive lineman on one of the only positions of relative strength, and the team still can’t pressure the QB.
Carolina owns the trenches today!
FWIW, Adams was my choice, even at #3. And assuming the same miracle occurred and we got Foster where we did, Elflein would have been my first 3rd round pick.
My optimism has taken a hit but still undeterred!
Haha..queen Salogirl just got put on his ass like a little kid..Good call Razor!
Hoyer is taking a beating
The 49ers have the best Dline in the league. They’re tearing it up.
Best d line with 0 sacks???
Sarcasm
Got it
The most exciting thing about this performance is that it gives one hope that we might actually have a chance at Josh Allen.
The genius of Lynch/Shanahan is that they’re tanking but nobody can tell, yet.
Better would be to sign Cousins and reunite him with Shanahan. And then go heavily for OLinemen near the top of the draft, as well as in free agency. Even then it will take two more years to build one of the better lines in the league (with some luck in the draft).
Cam Newton probably didn’t realize he was going for a STROLL IN THE PARK at Levi’s Stadium today. Has he even broken a sweat?
Soft spots everywhere you look on this defense as Carolina receivers are getting free releases off the line, while the 49ers aren’t getting any push up the gut. I think I could sit back there with Cam, sipping my latte, reading the Sunday comics, and playing catch with my TE’s, RB’s and receivers.
If Seahawks lose today. Rams will Probably be first place in the west
And that folks is what happens when you take a guy 3rd overall who had one good game in college and a good combine..I’m starting to think Seb and Razor are brothers..
No offense is exhausting for the D-line. Hoyer gets worse as the game goes on.
Putting things in perspective: we were all disappointed last year when we lost Ray Ray Armstrong for the season because he was going to be such an integral part of our defense.
Let’s over react some halfway through the 1st game:
1. 49ers are far from a winning team
2. The offensive line is shaky
3. Hoyer is not the answer at QB
4. The pass rush is nonexistent – they should have kept Brooks
5. The secondary is shaky
6. Combo of 4 and 5 is lethal
#7. There’s no home field advantage at Levi’s
good goal line stand
The jets and browns scored today. What does that say about the 9ers offense?
We seriously might get shut out today.
Can’t wait for Seb to tell us how CK would have won the game.
You can’t?
Balthazar, sarcasm my friend.
Yep, now you know why I want a mobile QB. Hoyer cannot out run a snail.
.
Looks like Hoyer is pulling a Gabbert. He is going to bench himself.
We may do better the second half of the season with a weaker schedule and time for the rookies to learn their positions.
uh, seriously doubt my prediction of 6 wins at best is in jeopardy. when harbaugh first took over, i blasted him for not taking the penalty in dallas territory and going for the win. instead, he kept the field goal which made no sense to me considering the way the team was playing. Now we have Shanahan going for it on 4th @ midfield? TWICE!! WTF!!!!! Those two decisions swung the game right there and now we have an out of hand game. NOT the progress I wanted to see. Hoyer the practice warrior freaking sucks, I hope and pray when Beathard begins to start they dont destroy his confidence. the only good i saw was the defense putting up a fight. pretty disappointing first outing.
Guess it’s safe to drop all 49ers players on my fantasy team.
Are we sure that isn’t Gabbert wearing a different number? Really hard to tell the difference.
You mean the same number right?
Ha, you’re right. Always picture him in #11 from the jags.
?
Joe Montana couldn’t play behind this O line.
No but he could hit the wide open receivers that Hoyer can’t.
This is about as bad as it gets. Things can only get better now I guess? Ain’t nowhere to go but up from here! I’ll be hoping for incremental progress throughout the season, and hope this team improves as the season goes on, but I’ll be honest, this is almost unwatchable!
Garcon=Boldin
Hoyer is a solid backup QB. We lack a starter.
1st game, lots of problems, lots of over reactions.
2/3 of the team has been changed, it will take awhile to get things together.
The injuries will not help as there is very little depth.
Is the Stadium less than half filled?
Cheerleaders look good this year
And the crowd roars!
blown call
I absolutely love the fact that Shanahan is fearless. No coach in our recent past would have gone on 4th down in his first game. Love it.
agree…nothing to lose while we rebuild
49ers should throw their game plan out the window.
And do what? Draw plays in the dirt?
The game plan, grasshopper, is to secure one of the top 3 picks in the 2018 draft. That is all.
9ers are officially the front runners in darnold sweepstakes or the “get plowed for Dar-nold championship”
Darnold? God, I hope not. The history of success for USC QBs in the NFL is about the same as for USC offensive linemen.
Grant, how well is the Shanahan advantage working for the 49ers today?
It is non-existent. He’s getting severely out-coached.
He’s a bad GM too depending on how much say he had this past Spring.
That #3 overall pick is really working out well for us among other choices.
Ah Grant getting his line ready for the rest of the season:
Playoff roster but lousy coach,
who could have seen that coming.
Yes he is. Kyle’s first game as a HC is one to forget, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, Saleh is getting outcoached as well. Yes, it’s a young team, with tons of new players, but this has been an unacceptable coaching debut!
To be fair, this OL is throwing a wrench into his game plan! Interior pressure is an offensive coordinators worst enemy! Bad things happen when the interior of your OL gets whipped this badly!
I simply cannot fathom how they dropped the ball this bad when it comes to the OL! With all their cap space, and draft resources, and this is what they gave us?
I am extremely disappointed with the OL they put together this offseason. It honestly doesn’t matter how well you skill position players play when you get absolutely dominated up front!
Ha, ha, ha
Thomas ankle bothering him.
Dude on weather channels van is floating away in Miami
Just a couple of thoughts. I’d say everyone take a deep breath and relax. Though I picked them to win this game (Wishful thinking), it’s not surprising the way it is turning out. The NFL is not that easy, and we’re coming in here with basically an expansion team against a team that was in the SB two years ago. They had to play perfect football to compete. They didn’t, and the good teams will expose all the weaknesses an inferior team has, and they did. Give the Panthers credit and go back to work. There’s plenty to work on! I was surprised to see the running game look OK compared to the preseason, and also surprised with the shoddy pass protection. I thought it would be just the opposite. Too bad Goodwin dropped that early long ball, though I don’t think in the end it would have changed much, even if they scored. Hoyer looked like a right handed Kaep. Mediocre. The league is notorious for dishing out large slices of humble pie. I suggest we grab a fork and dig in!! Looks like Foster has a sprained ankle, which is good news. As for KS going for it on 4th and 3 at mid field only down 7-0 in the second quarter, not very bright. Come on. You punt every time there, period. There’s showing faith, and then there’s also stupidity. The 4th and 1 was different and I’ll cut him some slack on that one. I think he could see by then the eventual outcome. Clock management was atrocious. Why are they huddling in the 2 minute drill? Well, its only 23-0 and were driving. It’s not over yet! Take a deep breath and relax!!
very well said. Good summary
Bow seems to be moving well. Nice to see.
the time out fiasco is a reminder that as talented as Shanahan may be, to the best of my knowledge this is his first time coaching a NFL game as head coach on the sidelines: growing pains seem to know no boundaries on our team right now.
The best of your knowledge is pretty good.
Well, you know it’s bad when you have to settle for a FG, down 23-0 late in the 3rd QTR, because you can’t even get a call in on time, or call a timeout correctly.
Right now, Kyle Shanahan is looking at final grade of F, and I mean, not a small F, a big fat F!
Never a great way to start your head coaching career with a big fat FAIL grade from me!
I am sick of the excuses. O Line sucked last year but offense moved the ball better than we are today. Hoyer is no better than Gabbert. We have better WR this year. A good FB and better players on O line. Defense is also better. This is really disappointing.
He really did look a lot like Gabbert, didn’t he?
Looking at Foxs coverage of the hurricane ..or is that the Niner game?
After all my Kaep bashing, I miss the guy. Even with this flaws he was interesting to watch. The team is boring.
Yes, I miss Kaep getting bent over by the Seachickens time and time again. Those good old days…sighh
Hyde looks good
Kevin White = injury bust. Shame.
Looks like a mistake to try making Armstead an edge defender. Get him back to 293, let him forklift guards into their own QBs. Better redundancy inside than wasted talent.
Can Beathard play? I hope he gets plenty of time to show us. Hoyer is a known backup. Not more.
How about the “king ” title goes away until Thomas actually does something impressive. I won’t even ask for a sack because who knows when or if that’ll even happen this season but the first time he actually looks like a player that should be taken in the first round let alone the top 5 then he can be called “king.”
Can’t wait for these grades..
So fat the whole draft looks better than Saloqueen..I refuse to judge Hoyer..He has 1 sec to make a decision every pass play..O line is probably the worst in the NFL
Hoyer has overthrown wide open receivers all day, judge away.
Hard to make an accurate throw when you have 1 second to make a read and throw
Stop giving a bad QB’s bad excuses. He’s had time to throw and make plays and when he’s had those opportunities he’s come up short, good QB’s will still win ugly games by making plays when they get the chance to.
Sounds like you had high expectations of Hoyer.
Razor?Where are you,you know it all?Told you your boy was a bust…Straight invisible
We actually looked better under Tomsula and he was a first time HC. The penalties are a product of the coaching staff. Unacceptable. Think about this. Under tomsula we had way less talent but we were competitive.
KS might realize it is more difficult than first expected to call plays and HC as well.
way too many busted plays today
Hydes hands are impressive
Kyle blew the SB last season and looks unprepared to be an HC this year. He has to develop quickly.
He’ll have a long time to develop. 6 years.
Next year first round pick better be a D-Lineman
Haha…yup..and another soft one from the pac 12
Kyle Shanahan = MikeMartz on going for 4th downs.
It’s laughable. I don’t think I’ve seen an offensive line get whipped this badly. Holy crap. Carolina has a stout front seven, and Kuechly is an amazing LB, but this could be a clinic on how you screw up an offensive game plan!
Houston, we have a problem. This OL is not capable of running this offense. Now what? Back to the drawing board?
No Gatorade shower for you kyle
LOL Diesel! Come on man, I’m trying to drink my beer, not cough it up out my nose!! I think the “Drought” would be a better description!
Good think Chip Kelly is gone so the offense can flourish.
No different then when everyone wanted to blame Greg Roman.
People call the NFL a team sport which is kinda true. Defense and ST is a team sport, offense is 100% QB.
Put the any QB out there with 10 of you and see if it is 100% QB.
Point is, if the QB is no good then it doesn’t matter how good the other 10 are, they can be pro bowlers and it wouldn’t matter if the QB can’t hit the broadside of a battleship.
He completed 69 percent of his throws. Accuracy isn’t the issue.
It’s ok..Coffee doesn’t seem to understand alot about football…Just let him be Grant
I forgot more about football before i took my morning piss then you’ll ever learn.
He completed 69% of his throws to check downs. I can throw 70% in the NFL to check downs. He missed the plays that teams need to move the chains and pick up first downs.
Like the one to Goodwin that was right on the money and was dropped?
The point is, if the QB has a decent O line he will look much better. I am not saying Hoyer is good or bad, I would like to see him behind a decent line before making that judgement.
Too many Baalke bad draft choices have crippled us. If we get 3-4 games this year we will be lucky. We always give up early against Seattle.
I’ve seen enough today!
I am not sure the 49ers could have played much worse. I’ll post my grades later, but I doubt it will take me long to break this debacle down. The 49ERS basically opened the 2017 with straight F’s across the board!
I did expect a slow start to the season. but it’s pretty obvious this team needs to get a lot better at many different aspects moving forward, if they are going to get this franchise turned around. What a shame!
Good night everyone.
Guess we can’t complain about the lack of a huddle : ) Well we won our last two opening games and stunk the rest of the year…….
Bright side: no first game victory to get our unrealistic season hopes up.
Meh one game ..I never expected the Niners to be a contender..This is a rebuild..the bad news is our last three draft picks don’t look like part of it at all..solid building blocks in Foster and Kittle..Garnett’s a bust ,were gonna have to draft o line heavy next season
Like I said Coffee, Hoyer looks exactly like a right handed Kaep in this game. Now this is one game for Hoyer, while Kaep made a career out of “not being able to hit water if he fell out of a boat”! The jury is still out on Hoyer, especially the way the interior offensive line played. Horrific.
Juan we had a horrible o line the last 2 years and we played better than we have today. Coach Kyle is supposed to be a genius. What I have seen today is no better than Kelly or Tomsula and we have more talent this year. So disappointing.
No. Hoyer, when he had time, threw some passes with touch. Those were passes Kaep could never make.
Keeping things in perspective: both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly won their first game.
Still lots of homeschool to fill
Reality as to why Kyle & Lynch got 6 year deals
Did Brooks do anything with packers today?
Ray Ray Armstrong is horrible.
4-12 team if Foster can stay healthy
Six wins. Grant said nine wins, but I think that was so he could bash them when they don’t reach his mark,?
Hey, look at the bright side, we only have to visit Seattle next week. Piece of cake! ;>)
and as of right now, an angry Seattle team!
Haha..brick by brick..Stadium is empty
Niners don’t look like a physical, tough team. That has been a problem in recent years
Oh you think this was bad ?Wait till next week…Thank good we drafted Mr one good game in his whole collegiate career,Mr combine warrior..Soloqueen
I look forward to Grant’s press conference questions. Grant, can we get a preview of at least one now? Come on buddy!
Here is one:
In the NFL people say it’s a QB driven league, why do you think Brian Hoyer is a starting caliber QB?
Kaepernick is a starter…..
Who’s asking you? If I wanted your opinion I’d undo my zipper!
Just can that Kap trash.
Again…. You brought him up, Seb. Don’t blame it on someone else, like an old hippie looking for his next bottle of wine……………his next bong hit that he’s already exhausted.
Saw, Seb will play this card all year. We all knew the QB position was going to struggle this year and maybe for the next 3.
Seb is just licking his chops as he knows this is his time to glorify Kap.
Hes a loser!
Actually. Stephen Curry brought him up first.
Where did he start ? Not anywhere in the NFL today!
And many QBs showed that they are not starters, either.
Chip Kelly debut > Kyle Shanahan debut
Word
Including pre-season Solomon Thomas has produced a total of 4 tackles, zero sacks. J. Adams had 4 tackles and 1 assist in just in today’s game.
Hopefully Lynch is done throwing bones to his alma mater buddies. Great way to build a team.
Didn’t even notice him today. Again, why draft a undersized DL when the need was safety, corner and QB?
Two words: Brian Hoyer
You won’t win many games without a QB in the NFL. I thought the 49ers realized that the last 5 years.
That is why Kaep should have been signed by the Niners. ;p
You are an idiot. Just be quiet in the peanut gallery.
No one asked you, no cares to hear your repetitive idiocy.
You should have met me. Then I could have straightened you out.
Instead you are a coward bipch!
Nice. Prime. you are obstinate and obstreperous.
.
I will relish haunting your posts.
Seb………..
from the safety of your seat, you harass other posters with old, even ancient, blather…………
Even at this age, Seb is richly deserving of some serious wedgies…………..lifters……….whatever they’re called now.
Seb talks about all his exploits like marching with MLK but I believe he is really a teenager sitting in his Mom’s basement.
Just, since you write screeds about my posts, you will have noticed that I stressed reducing the unforced errors.
.
Mission accomplished?
I think it’s a reality check for everyone. Sixty seven % of the roster is brand new. One cannot expect this and a brand new coaching staff to simply take the team to lofty heights right out of the gate. Like I pointed out before. There is very little pass rush and the OL is suspect. These areas need a lot of work. The DBs gave too much cushion as well. This team needs a tremendous amount of work. Carolina is a mediocre team. I stand by my 4-12 prediction. Nine wins will be very hard to come by for this young team who will have a tough time gelling and improving with tough competition in the NFL.
East, my expectation was at least a better showing offensively.
I understand there was going to be growing pains but this offense looked out of sync.
A lot of that was Hoyer. He wasn’t poised. He took himself out of the game after the sack fumble.
Hmmm, I wanted them to play with discipline and in control…..
.
I wanted them to avoid the self inflicted wounds…….
.
Guess the coaches needed to prepare them more……
a
Anybody could have made your predictions, Seb. Their problems go without saying-it was obvious.
But a lot of people hoped they wouldn’t play like what they really are-an expansion team.
You could not, because you do not have the mental capacity.
.
I will go over each and every one of my pre game posts, and detail what should have been done, and why you are so wrong.
I think we did well for an expansion team, the future is bright. Best thing about today? Our Head Coach is fearless.
we need to draft more defensive lineman. Quarterbacks are a waste of time.
I like what Stephen Curry posted.
I actually am heartened. Niners went bold, and tried to get a first down instead of punting. At least they were trying. Too bad they did not have a 4th down play that they drew up ahead of time.
.
Hoyer looked like he was trying to milk the clock. Too bad he was behind. Does he even understand why running the hurry up offense might be a good idea?
.
I posted the Niners should consider time outs to be precious, and saved until the last 2 minutes of each half. Niners squandered their time outs like they were drunken sailors.
4th down and Hoyer allows himself to get sacked? He should have called the third down bomb play. Throw it up to the 5 yard line. Maybe they could draw a PI.
Interesting. Aaron Rodgers must peruse these posts because he did exactly what I wanted the Niners to do.
.
Rodgers drew them off sides or caught them with 12 men on the field. One could see he morphed the play into a long strike down field because it was a free play. Even though it was intercepted once, it did not count because of a penalty. Smart move.
Shut it
Make me.
You had your chance but you turtled like a little candy a$$!
Now you beak. Honourable.
Guys Seb is a paid troll I just scroll on down past him..As long as you give him attention he’s gonna keep on going
He won shut up about Kap either way.
It’s important the blog put him in his place.
Hoyer just proved me right.
He won’t shut up because he loves messing with people—from the safety of his bar.
Seb, you know, it wouldn’t entirely surprise me if some guy from this blog hunted you down in Sebastopol and had you wearing your undies for a hat.
Whats the sense to provoking people?
Cause it makes him feel like a man when in reality, he does not know what gender he is.
Guys like him are demented.
The word is ………sadistic. The blog’s nazi scientist……………..
Saw, I expect you to continue engaging me, so I hope you like crow.
The crow you have left over from predicting Shanny and Lynch would take back Kap.
Yeah you had a lot I bet left over sis.
You….are…so….CLEVER!!!!!
Nobody ever said Hoyer is the man. But nearly everybody-but you-knew Kap was not.
This is what he enjoys, needling fans and promoting Kap.
Which also proves our point, Seb…it cannot be truthfully denied that its all about Kap for you. The Niners are incidental.
You are not a TRUE 9er fan………….but you are a true Kap fan. Using honesty as the benchmark, this is incontestable. You are a Kap fan……………………
Saw, I just want the Niners to win, and think Kaep gives them the best chance to win. I would be willing to let Hoyer play, but he is just benching himself.
.
Niners better make assessments and make adjustments, before it is too late. Texans may be looking hard at Kaep, and they would have a better chance to get to the playoffs than the Niners.
Steph Curry disagrees.
Man are you stupid
Remember guys Coffee said it ..Before he sits to pee in the morning he knows more about football than me..That’s why this team lost..It’s all Hoyers fault..very intelligent argument
I think this blog would be alot better if they could get rid of three guys…Seb ..he’s just laughable…Razor eator..Grant Cohn brown noser who thinks he knows it all but is always wrong..And Coffee for closers ..the Alpha male of the internet..
Coffee for closers new Indian name is squatting ignorance
Not surprised with the outcome. I had predicted CAR 31, 49ers 13 yesterday so the point total loss is still the same.
I think that many got caught up with our preseason play and hype and felt that we could beat the Panthers.
Again, I expected a loss, but what worries me most is that Cam was not at 100% and CAR still spanked us.
The team looked slow and almost disintersted after CAR scored first. It’s as if they got sucked up in all the hype themselves and were hit with the harsh reality that they have a ways to go before being competitive. But not to worry, we only play Seattle away next week (lol).
I predicted same score
Welcome back to reality folks.
49ERS VS Carolina, week 1 grades:
Offense
QB: Brian Hoyer started the game looking fairly sharp, and threw an absolute pearl on 3rd and 2 from the Panthers 42, that went right through Goodwin’s hands at the Panthers 5 yard line, and it was all downhill from there. In Hoyer’s defense, the Panthers did a great job of getting in Hoyer’s grill, and getting interior pressure all game long., and the 49ers had there fair share of drops, none bigger than Goodwin’s deep ball. GRADE: C+
OL: Uggh! The OL was a concern heading into the season and they wasted little time reinforcing the concern. Hoyer had a tough time stepping up into the pocket, thanks to Carolina’s ability to absolutely manhandle the interior of the 49ers OL. I’m honestly questioning whether any of the 49ers offensive linemen fit this scheme. They were constantly a step slow trying to execute Kyle’s running schemes, finding themselves out of position and reaching at the Panthers defenders, and the entire offense looked out of sync because of this. Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles were entirely outclassed today from start to finish. ShanaLynch will need to move mountains next offseason in order to rebuild this unit if they have any hope of executing Kyle’s offense effectively. GRADE: F
RB: Carlos certainly looks explosive and he’s hitting the holes with authority, but the running game continues to look out of sync, primarily due to the struggles on the OL. Carlos also looks like he’s really developed his ability as a receiver, but the rest of the offense gained only 11 yards on 5 carries, once again pointing to a wholly ineffective offensive line. Kyle’s offense simply cannot function effectively if they cannot run the ball consistently, and I have my doubts that there is any quick fix moving forward this season. GRADE: B-
WR: Mostly ineffective throughout the game. The speedster – Marquise Goodwin, let a perfect deep pass go right through his arms during the Niners’ opening possession, and that seemed to set the tone early. Pierre Garcon continues to be a dependable receiver hauling in 6 receptions for 81 yards, but none of the other WR’s made much noise, and Goodwin’s drop was a BRUTAL way to start the day! GRADE: C-
TE: I thought George Kittle looked good for a rookie, showing good hands and the ability to seperate. he’s a keeper. That’s about all I have to say about this group because other than Kittle’s decent debut, none of the other TE’s showed up on the stat sheet, and I was less than impressed with the group’s overall performance, including blocking and pass protection. GRADE: D+
Defense
DL: WTF? Hard to believe after today’s performance that this position group is supposed to be a strength on this team. I questioned Solomon Thomas’ selection with the #3 overall pick, but I figured at least Thomas would be the icing on the cake, giving the 49ers a young DL they could build around. Well, they definitely look better against the run, but their inability to as much as sniff a rusty Cam Newton, and rattle him early, gave him an opportunity to knock of the cobwebs and get into the flow of an offense he barely took any reps with this preseason. The 49ers got whipped in the trenches on both sides of the football, and the lack of QB pressures today has me more dejected than anything else I saw today. GRADE: D
LB: For a short stint to start the game, Reuben Foster once again looked like a man among boys, and well beyond his years, making plays all over the field. He had 3 tackles and a big pass defense before I could settle into my lazy boy chair. Unfortunately, I nearly vomited in despair with the thought of losing #56 to a season ending knee injury during the first QTR of game 1 of the 2017 season, especially after I saw the slow motion replays of his ankle injury. Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked, and Foster should be back to full strength in the very near future. They are going to need him because it looks like Bowman has lost another step.
SECONDARY: The DB’s actually played better than expected, even though they caught a few breaks when Cam Newton failed to spot blown coverage. I thought Robinson played very well, as did nickel CB K’Waun Williams. Tartt wasn’t horrible, and Reid was solid, but I am not a fan of the way Saleh is scheming this defensive backfield. The combination of no pass rush and soft spots in the coverage made today’s game an absolute Sunday WALK IN THE PARK for Cam and company. This is a recipe for failure that the 49ers have to correct if they plan on winning any games this season. GRADE: C
ST: Nothing much to say about special teams. No big runbacks, but no huge blown coverage on kick returns, so this grade is more or less inconsequential. GRADE: B
COACHING: While I realize it’s tough to run any offense if you don’t have the horses, it seems clear to me that, at this point, that the OL may be more or less incapable of running Kyle’s offense, and that’s a tough pill to swallow! While I put a lot of the blame on his OL, I was less than impressed by some of Kyle’s decision making and play calling today. We knew the interior of the OL was going to be a big problem this season, and I doubt Tomlinson (or Granett) will make much, if any, difference. However, even though much of the blame falls on the OL, Kyle failed to find a way to limit the damage the interior of the OL was doing to his offense. 2-11 on 3rd downs, on top of 3 turnovers on downs, is not going to win games in the NFL. I’m not sure how Kyle can scheme up this offense to mask the porous interior of the OL (in fact I doubt he can), but something has to change if the 49ers are going to be at all competitive in 2017. GRADE: D-