49ers vs. Panthers live blog

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:

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 article has 416 Comments

    1. 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…

  1. Damnit! Lynch and Ward is out!
    Reid and Solomon need to have a good for us to come out win a win!

  2. Addison threw down the glove for Staley. Bowman threw down the glove to Kuechly. Time to see who picks them up. Go Niners!

  3. 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.

  4. Cold beers are flowing over here & loud classic rock blaring!…Get it done Niners!!! I want to see some Foster monster hits! Punish Cam!

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Ok, I’m now done with yoga and meditation and other game prep! Now it’s beer, chips and salsa! Let’s roll!

  9. How can the refs not call that unnecessary roughness on #99. He shoved Hyde to the ground after the play. That was BS!

  10. That should have been a catch but Hoyer under threw that one. He did the same thing in the pre-season game.

    1. 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.

  11. Seriously Goodwin? WTF, you got butter smeared all over your arms? World-class speed, junior varsity ball skills!

  12. 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?

    1. 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????????

  13. Oh football, thou art a HEARTLESS bitch!

    Please, oh please not a knee!!!!!

    How about an injury update?

    1. He’s on my fantasy team… sick to my stomach after watching him drop that right in his bread basket. Ugh.

  14. 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.

  15. Well this team is beating itself..Guess that’s the consequence of going young…Good thing looks like we missed a bullet with Foster

  16. It does appear that we won’t be last in run defense this year. Still waiting for the pass rush though.

  17. Baalke continues to haunt this team…A second round pick who looks like he doesn’t belong in the league…Put in Jerome

  18. 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.

    1. 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.

  19. Punt the ball please…………. otherwise, you are looking desperate. Defense is playing well but Lynch and Ward will help- not enough pressure.

    1. I think Cam got the benefit of the doubt. He’s not a precise passer. He’s missed some wide open receivers today

  20. 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.

    1. 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.

  21. 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

  22. 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.

  23. Horrendous. This OL cannot handle the offensive design. The offense is getting whipped up front! WHIPPED!

  24. Because of terrible decisions by Jed and Baalke this is the first year of a rebuilding, not the third.

  25. 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.

    1. 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.

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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!

    1. 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!!!

  30. 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?

  31. 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?

  32. 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.

    1. No surprise there. We need two stud guards and a center. Hopefully we have 2 of the 3 in Garnett and Tomlinson.

        1. 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….

  33. 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.

  34. I expected a lot of problems the first game. I hope they can pull it together. the ol is getting beat like girls,

    1. Yeah there was some serious cherry picking going in his assessment and reporting on this blog earlier this summer.

  35. 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

  36. Remind me again Grant how you thought they could beat Carolina? I’m still not seeing it yet. Go 9ers!

  37. That’s what happens when you draft 3 busts three years in a row..no pressure..this team might be worse than last year

    1. 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.

    1. Agreed. No way Hoyer is starting after 5 games. However, obviously we need another draft or two-to shore up a few things!

  38. 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

  39. 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.

  40. 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…

  41. 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.

  42. 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…

  43. 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!

    1. 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.

  44. 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.

    1. 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).

  45. 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.

  46. 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..

  47. 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.

  48. 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

  49. We seriously might get shut out today.

    Can’t wait for Seb to tell us how CK would have won the game.

    1. 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.

  50. We may do better the second half of the season with a weaker schedule and time for the rookies to learn their positions.

  51. 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.

  52. 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!

  53. 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?

  54. 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.

    1. The game plan, grasshopper, is to secure one of the top 3 picks in the 2018 draft. That is all.

  55. 9ers are officially the front runners in darnold sweepstakes or the “get plowed for Dar-nold championship”

    1. Darnold? God, I hope not. The history of success for USC QBs in the NFL is about the same as for USC offensive linemen.

      1. 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.

      2. Ah Grant getting his line ready for the rest of the season:

        Playoff roster but lousy coach,

        who could have seen that coming.

      3. 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!

        1. 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!

  56. 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!!

  57. 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.

  58. 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!

  59. 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.

  60. After all my Kaep bashing, I miss the guy. Even with this flaws he was interesting to watch. The team is boring.

    1. Yes, I miss Kaep getting bent over by the Seachickens time and time again. Those good old days…sighh

  61. 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.

  62. 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.”

  63. 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

        1. 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.

  64. 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.

  65. 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?

  66. 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!

  67. 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.

      1. 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.

            1. I forgot more about football before i took my morning piss then you’ll ever learn.

          1. 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.

        1. 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.

  68. 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.

  69. 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!

  70. 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…….

  71. 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

  72. 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.

    1. 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.

    2. No. Hoyer, when he had time, threw some passes with touch. Those were passes Kaep could never make.

  73. Still lots of homeschool to fill

    Reality as to why Kyle & Lynch got 6 year deals

    Did Brooks do anything with packers today?

    1. Six wins. Grant said nine wins, but I think that was so he could bash them when they don’t reach his mark,?

  74. 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

  75. I look forward to Grant’s press conference questions. Grant, can we get a preview of at least one now? Come on buddy!

    1. 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?

        1. 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.

          1. 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!

  76. 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.

    1. Didn’t even notice him today. Again, why draft a undersized DL when the need was safety, corner and QB?

  77. 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.

      1. 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!

      2. Seb………..

        from the safety of your seat, you harass other posters with old, even ancient, blather…………

        1. Even at this age, Seb is richly deserving of some serious wedgies…………..lifters……….whatever they’re called now.

          1. Seb talks about all his exploits like marching with MLK but I believe he is really a teenager sitting in his Mom’s basement.

            1. Just, since you write screeds about my posts, you will have noticed that I stressed reducing the unforced errors.
              .
              Mission accomplished?

  78. 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.

    1. 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.

  79. 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……

    1. 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.

      1. 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.

  80. I think we did well for an expansion team, the future is bright. Best thing about today? Our Head Coach is fearless.

  81. 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.

  82. 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.

  83. 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.

  84. 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

        1. 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?

          1. Cause it makes him feel like a man when in reality, he does not know what gender he is.

            Guys like him are demented.

          1. 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.

          2. You….are…so….CLEVER!!!!!

            Nobody ever said Hoyer is the man. But nearly everybody-but you-knew Kap was not.

            1. 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……………………

              1. 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.

  85. 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

  86. 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..

  87. 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).

  88. 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-

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