Posted By: BrodietoParks (18/08/2008 4:48:29 PM)
Comment: For all you people who have attacked JJ manhood - he broke his hand and is having surgery today. So as usuall the small minority of Niner fans dont know what they are talking about.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 3:42:39 PM)
Comment: Rosstradamus - That's true as well - I don't think anyone is arguing that Frank Gore has had some mysterious loss of skill (the way people think Smith has) from 2006 to now. But Gore has also show the ability to excel in a Smith-led offense - and struggled last year when a healthy Smith was no longer present. Should this be seen as something in Smith's favor? jb - If we make it out of the first eight games at .500, we WILL make the playoffs - but even a good team could go 2-6 through the first eight games of our season.

Posted By: jb (18/08/2008 3:31:43 PM)
Comment: -Mike in Glendale-I see your point and agree that there is no hope in the division for a wild card! But..I this is like 80%hope and 20%logic but I don't think seattle has made that much progress this offseason, in fact i just think they have gotten older. I think we can make a run at the division. If we can get out of the first 7-8 games at least .500 and make a late push, if nolans team actually starts to peak. I think the whole season depends on those two games against seattle. I think we have an outside chance. The QB situation is tuff. But let's face it we are not gonna find another Joe or Steve, so lets just find a game manager that doesn't make mistakes and gets the ball to our playmakers, thats all we need.

Posted By: Rosstradamus (18/08/2008 3:28:42 PM)
Comment: jb- that's the old chicken and the egg comment. Does a good running game set up the passing game, or does the good passing game set up the running game. It really differs from team to team. It goes without saying that a lot is needed and expected from Frank Gore, he's our most viable offensive weapon. However if we see 8 and even 9 men in the box like we did last year it really doesn't matter. IMO Gore's slip in numbers last year was due more to inconsistent QB play, and stacked boxes than anything that Gore did wrong. I think part of the idea with bringing in Martz was relieving some of the stress put on Gore by having the stacked boxes. This is why the QB competition is important, if you can't throw the ball down the field, it makes it much more difficult to run.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 3:25:21 PM)
Comment: jb - Interesting analysis, but I don't think anyone should be thinking playoffs this year. One thing's for sure - the wild card isn't coming out of the NFC West this season - the double whammy of the NFC East and AFC East is a killer. If an NFC West team wants in on the January action, they're going to have to win the division - and I don't know if the Niners can do that just yet, regardless of their QBs. Much like TT earlier, I'd love to be wrong about that.

Posted By: sd_ninersfan (18/08/2008 3:16:18 PM)
Comment: JErsey - The media wont address this because then they wont be "drinking the kool-aid". I find it laughable that most ignore the statistical misery that is O'Sullivan, while acknowledging the statistical misery that Alex had this past game. MM has done a semi-decent job of acknowledging JTO's worst being worse than Alex's worse (quite a few worst's in there), but overall the majority are ignoring that JTO's bad play has been HORRIBLE. Nobody points out that Alex has led the team to 13 points in almost half as many drives/quarters as JTO has led the team to 14 points.

Posted By: ska (18/08/2008 3:14:49 PM)
Comment: Why would you say that Razoreater? JJ has been playing excellent . . . Simms is Kwame Harris with his name spelled differently.

Posted By: jb (18/08/2008 3:09:22 PM)
Comment: you know i think the biggest factor that never gets brought to light (with the QB's)is the running game! When frank gore had his best season ('06) I think it greatly improved the QB play. Look that's just what a good run game does. I think that is what made Farve look so great last year was the the onset of Ryan Grant and the running game. Look everyone is all worked up about the QB which they should be, but what im crossing my fingers for is a healthy good o-line and a healthy gore/foster combo. Martz is way to smart to let what happened last year happen again. If you look at the formations and play calls last year it was so obvious, and I'm a dude on a coach not a defense coach. He'll make it so you can't tell what formation is what and we will have success. If gore reaches 1300 yards and 60+ receptions, its the playoffs.

Posted By: Razoreater (18/08/2008 3:06:58 PM)
Comment: JJ will be lucky to get back into the starting lineup now that Sims is in.

Posted By: Jon in Socal (18/08/2008 3:03:33 PM)
Comment: It will be interesting to see what the coaches say about Hill's route and what he was supposed to do on that play. Matt, could you follow-up with him? Nolan was kind enough to let us know about Spikes' assignment, so I am interested. It seems he should continue in the route if the QB is supposed to throw him open. I can see about settling into the open area though. That seems to be a chemistry thing that would be worked out when they play together more. But seriously, jump.

Posted By: Jersey9er (18/08/2008 3:02:06 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt, just wondering when is anyone going to really talk about the JT situation. Like alex, JT only makes noise in the second quarter against opposing teams DBacks. The pass to morgan on saturday was a nice throw and he does have glimpses. But so far we've had to wait almost and entire quarter and a half for things to click, and they always do, just when some 2nd string cbs and other parts of opposing defenses come in the game. Why is no one talking about this.

Posted By: Man Page (18/08/2008 2:55:22 PM)
Comment: OK, Barry Zito, Alex Smith and the Georgian Army are getting ready to... Well, there's a joke in there somewhere. I mean, what if Zito and Alex are in the same room at the same time? I do believe that it would wreck havoc with cosmic forces. The cosmic forces that create busts, that is.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 2:53:44 PM)
Comment: TT - Heh - this offseason, I probably would have taken the bet. But I'm becoming pessimistic about Alex's chances for success with this team. If he starts, great - but I'm deeply concerned about all that lost practice time. Floyd Reese was on ESPN earlier, and he emphasized that it was a terrible thing for Vikes QB Tarvaris Jackson to lose any snaps with the first team (he hurt his knee a bit) because he's a young guy, and young guys need as many reps as possible in order to develop. Well, Jackson and Smith have the same number of full seasons as starters under their belts, and Jackson is 25 years old - a full year OLDER than Alex Smith, with a superior offense surrounding him. If a few missed reps are a problem for Jackson, I can't see how they wouldn't be a problem for Smith. I'm a Niners fan to the core, but I think they failed to develop Smith in every possible way, and this preseason has merely compounded everything they've ever done. Unless he's able to overcome everything that's been thrown in his way over the career, from his own tendency towards caution to the injury to the oft-cited team consistency and supporting cast issues, #11 looks like a sunk cost.

Posted By: Rosstradamus (18/08/2008 2:41:25 PM)
Comment: Sandip- we're all aware of this. Some people have voiced displeasure, while others have pointed out this is often common practice during the preseason. You don't want to take a minor injury and make it worse in the preseason. If he was held out of the regular season with this type of injury, people would have a legitimate gripe. I wouldn't read to much into this, as Jennings has had a very solid camp, and looks to be, when healthy, our best O-lineman

Posted By: Darth (18/08/2008 2:41:12 PM)
Comment: Hey anyone see the hightlight thing on 49ers.com. The last hightlight shows Justin Smiths sack. Dude had the OT practically riding his back the whole time (HOLDING) and still drops the QB. This front four front 7 is alot better.

Posted By: Rosstradamus (18/08/2008 2:38:02 PM)
Comment: Rathman I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think any QB has done enough to win the job or disqualify them from the competition. However, JTO has been taking all the first team reps for the better part of 2 weeks. Essentially if you're having a true competition the QBs will take equal reps with the first team, and its apparent to all of us that this isn't happening. The 49ers invested a lot in Smith and though this isn't a reason to start him, it is a reason so give him a chance, especially when you consider that over the last 2 years when he has been a HEALTHY starter he's 9-9, meanwhile JTO has never started a game in 8 NFL seasons and has a tendancy to show it with some shaky decision making at times.

Posted By: TT (18/08/2008 2:32:34 PM)
Comment: Mike in Glendale - I have never said Alex will not be good - I said he won't be great. I'll be the first to admit Alex has had a difficult start. But even if he recieves good coaching (and has good receivers) from here on, he won't be great because he doesn't hit his receivers in stride very often. They can't do their best, even when they Alex gets them the ball, because they have to worry about just catching the ball. Hey, I'll buy you couple of pints if Alex ever makes the Pro Bowl with the niners. There's a bet I would love to lose.

Posted By: sandip (18/08/2008 2:31:27 PM)
Comment: Did anyone miss the fact that Jennings is missing yet another game due to a pu$y injury? This time, it's a knuckle on his hand.

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 2:26:17 PM)
Comment: I respectfully disagree with you Rosstradamus. Nolan has seen plenty of Alex Smith to evaluate and he has been going up against the second team defense with poor results. Its not as if he was having second stringers against first teamers. Furthermore due to injuries at Wider receiver he had the same ones as O'Sullivan, so I find your argument unpersuasive. Not that I dont think JTo isnt a second rate quarterback, I just think Alex Smith is a more expensive one and has done liitle to win the starting job over a journeyman.

Posted By: Utah9erFan (18/08/2008 2:23:18 PM)
Comment: Matt, afternoon practice has started? Who's taking first team snaps?!?!?!

Posted By: Rosstradamus (18/08/2008 2:21:04 PM)
Comment: Fake Rathman, you're pretty far off base with your comments. I really think 49er fans could care less who starts at QB as long as the team wins. Last year was really not a fair year to evaluate Smith because he came back from an injury when pretty much everyone has admitted he shouldn't have. Before that he was 2-1 and while he did not look great in those games, I tend to believe that having a first time coordinator played a little into that. It seems that you are so against Smith that you might in fact not be the "trure 49er fan," which in my opinion is nonesense. Any one who takes time out of their day to post their opinions must really care about the team. It seems like what most people want is a fair competition, not Nolan telling us it's a fair competition while JTO takes all the first team reps

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 2:20:14 PM)
Comment: Mike in MD - Yeah, I'm always happy for those types of guys - Estes (backup LT for Buffalo), Dahl (starting RG for Atlanta), Maxwell, etc. - who find success elsewhere. It would have been better if that success had come with us, but I don't begrudge any success to the guys we kick to the curb - we had the good sense to identify their talent in the first place!

Posted By: oneniner (18/08/2008 2:19:10 PM)
Comment: Da Funk - was that really necessary...you must be feeling really good about yourself after that comment.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 2:18:34 PM)
Comment: TT - Were Alex's performances as a 22/23-year-old on a terrible team really enough to convince you he'll never be good? Would you have given up on Aikman? (I wish the 'Boys had been that shortsighted - it would have made the '90s much easier for the Niners...and Bills.)

Posted By: mike in MD (18/08/2008 2:18:26 PM)
Comment: ..on a sidenote, I saw Marcus Maxwell get the start for the Bengals in pre-season. He looked GOOD, made some nice plays. I tip my hat because that guy busted his tail here on the PS & went overseas to work on his game. Even turned down a spot from another team who tried to pluck him but stayed with us. Glad to see his hard work paid off. Way to go Maxwell! Other sidenote...Matt Ryan for Atlanta looks like he's going to be for real.

Posted By: http:// (18/08/2008 2:18:11 PM)
Comment: Da Funk SHOULD BE BANNED!!!

Posted By: TT (18/08/2008 2:15:39 PM)
Comment: Darren, Alex Smith is not being set up by Nolan to look bad. It makes Nolan look bad when Alex Smith plays bad -- he drafted him!! The perfect scenario for Nolan is Smith plays well and the 49ers have a winning record - that would save Nolan's job. Maybe Alex spends some time on the bench learning from JT and Martz (it's Martz by the way who is picking JT over Alex - Nolan will do whatever it takes to save his job) and then comes in later in the season when JT gets hurt or plays poorly. The only problem is Smith will never be a great QB, he is not accurate enough.

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (18/08/2008 2:15:24 PM)
Comment: Great read on Josh Morgan (our secret is out on this kid): http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest

Posted By: Houston 9er (18/08/2008 2:14:59 PM)
Comment: WOW! I certainly hope the 9ers win this year. A terrible team and lack of a true leader at the qb spot has really dragged this blog down in the gutter. I'm definitely not an Alex Smith fan. As far as I can tell he has all the physical tools to be good but he just can't put it together. Having said that, saying the Smith apologists are not real 9er fans is ridiculous. Bring something intelligent with stats or observations. Attacking another poster simply reveals your ignorance and inability to put forth a cogent argument.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 2:14:21 PM)
Comment: That was some cold stuff guy. I was just joking around. Not trying to bring mothers and sisters into it. And the job is great. It really is. It's something to aspire to. I'm not a lawyer or a doctor, but I do pretty well. Well enough to not have to work hard, and pretty much whenever I want. Did I miss something? Who's not a niners fan here? Can people not debate? Question a persons logic, not his ethics. Don't tell him to have intercourse with his mother either. That's just messed up.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 2:12:49 PM)
Comment: Darren - I'm not arguing with you. You and I disagree on Nolan, but both of us think Smith should start. But Savage and Limbaugh are not debaters - they're blowhards who helped lower the standards of discourse in this country. I love radio, but most hosts today are difficult to take seriously.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 2:07:41 PM)
Comment: Rathman is right again. It's a cult. We all worship Alex Smith. The Prophecy predicted that the 49ers would draft him, so we jumped on the bandwagon like so many others in the 80's, waiting patiently. Now our day has come. The day when we can split the 9er fanbase in two! The only thing standing in our way is a Journeyman QB, and Tom Rathman! MATT DAMON!!

Posted By: Utah9erFan (18/08/2008 2:07:00 PM)
Comment: Being in Utah I had the opportunity to watch all of Smith's games when he was here. I don't believe we have seen even a quarter of his potential. Having said that, I still trust Martz and his plan regardless of the QB outcome. I just want to see the W's. Darren - the outOfMemory error you are getting is your PC not the website.

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 2:04:46 PM)
Comment: Hey Tom Rathman who is not the real Tom Rathman: You are mean. And wrong. TOM RATHMAN!!!

Posted By: Dan (18/08/2008 2:04:20 PM)
Comment: Hill's comment is a little cryptic, but isn't he saying that he was running a route, but stopped short because he was open and Smith was feeling pressure? Smith saw him open but missed the throw. Simple enough. Regarding Smith's accuracy.....he used to be accurate, maybe not always leading receivers perfectly but hitting guys in the numbers when they stopped. Hopefully its mental, and not effects of the injury.

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (18/08/2008 2:03:51 PM)
Comment: Anyone notice how most of these fickle fans only post negative crap, but you never see them post anything remotely positive? Seriously, you Debbie Downers are too much. Support the team, or STFU already.

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 1:57:44 PM)
Comment: Utah9erfan-No there has been an Alex Smith Schism within the 49er community-A cult like following for Alex Smith that root for him regardless of his play and make excuses for his poor play. They would rather have Alex Smith play than the 49ers win.

Posted By: Darren (18/08/2008 1:57:19 PM)
Comment: Mike in Glendale, there is nothing at all wrong with a little debate. Do you listen to any talk radio with Savage, Limbaugh, sport radio with Damon Bruce, Gary Radnich, Razor, Mr. T? That's called a DEBATE and we can have disagreements. Much as it was a good win, the debate is WHy is Alex Smith on the 2nd string team and being set up unfairly by Nolan to look bad? Just suppose say the Jets manager were to do that to Bret Favre, make him play on 2nd string. I can assure you Favre would want out just like Smith should ask to be traded to another team if Nolan continues to BS him. And Matt, please check on this annoying 'out of memory error that keeps popping up, I had to restart my computer for it kept crashing!

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:56:01 PM)
Comment: Hey, Funk. Some of us work at desks, or even at home, in comfortable cushy jobs. It takes about thirteen or fourteen seconds to post a comment, and it's fun. You might want to take a Keyboarding class if this takes too much time for you. Or maybe you're right, and I've forgotten the stimulating conversations I used to have when I was 15. Hey Tom, you and this guy need to talk. MATT DAMON!!!

Posted By: Jed (18/08/2008 1:54:30 PM)
Comment: Only thing more silly than today's "you're a super booger - infinity" and the apt "infinity, plus one" is talk of "good fans" and "bad fans." Leave that for the repressed costume crowd in Oakland.

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 1:52:59 PM)
Comment: DCAlexsmither--you really suck at being funny. Please stop trying.

Posted By: Darren (18/08/2008 1:51:29 PM)
Comment: Look, Da Funk, the only thing I want on the 49ers is to beat some big teams before we even think of retaining Nolan. But I'm so glad that you think I give a damn for what you say, as I do my Stone Cold Steve Austin What right at you. I'm just trying to educate you son as you go to school that if Nolan says we are to have a QB competition, and you have JT on 1st string, Alex on 2nd string, and Hill on 3rd string how in the world can Alex get better starting ona team of scrubs? Good grief man, be like saying to Peyton Manning he should just play on the 2nd string and then name Jim Sorgi as your QB, please!

Posted By: Utah9erFan (18/08/2008 1:50:51 PM)
Comment: Aren't fans suppose to talk trash to other team fans. There is a lot of hate towards each other here. Aren't we all on the same side?

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 1:49:47 PM)
Comment: MMMMM KOOOL-AID!!! THIS STUFF IS AWESOME!!!! I LOVE KOOL AID!!! MATT DAMON!!!

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:49:24 PM)
Comment: Damnit, he figured me out. It's true everyone. I am a developmentally disabled person. But he's wrong about the lobotomy thing. I'm on my fifth. I clicked submit like four times when my browser showed no progress, I meant to click just once, but I get these tremors since number 4. But "DCAlexsmither" are you a linguist? I'm not even sure how to take it. MATT DAMON!!!!

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 1:48:20 PM)
Comment: Mike in SF#2 - You make a very good point, sir. Although Alex Smith doesn't blame his teammates for a bad play, either. He could have been honest or honorable in that instance, same with Hill. It's just one of those you'd like to have back, I guess.

Posted By: Da Funk (18/08/2008 1:47:35 PM)
Comment: Darren--------I never said anything about Alex Smith you big loser. Img oing to be a Junior in High school and am just amused by the grown men with out lives like you posting and arguing about sports Topics. I guess you really can't stop thinking about Alex Smith because you think I wrote about him when I didn't. Where did I say anything about Alex Smith? I'm sorry you are so obsessed with another grown man that your insulting other people over him and imagining things. Its sad. Maybe you should write him a letter and tell him how awsome you think he is. Good luck Man! Thumbs Up!

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 1:41:40 PM)
Comment: Way to know how to post DC9er you retard. You can't get a Lobotomy if you already have had one. Learn how to post correctly and then come talk to me DCAlexsmither.

Posted By: Darren (18/08/2008 1:41:32 PM)
Comment: Hey Da Funk, how come the arguing gets to you? I listen to Savage/Limbaugh/Stern/ and other talk shows. The only arguing I see is fans on koolaid calling for O Suck to start, whereas if you do a job, you do it right or you get fired. Alex Smith has more experience so start Alex Smith. Sad to see fans like you on the koolaid.

Posted By: Darren (18/08/2008 1:38:34 PM)
Comment: Hey Tom Rathman, please enlighten me on how I should be a 49er fan. You mean I should watch the team lose and say nothing about it? Then I should jump for joy when we beat the Rams/Cards/Lions for our 5 win season when we start O Suck? Gosh, that's BRILLIANT. Now, let me educate you on the real world: Alex Smith has played with the 2nd string, so how is that a fair evaluation and practice. Alex Smith has gone through 4 OCs, no Oline, no WRs, we cut A Bryant for no reason at all to destroy any good WR for him to rely on, and he questioned Nolan's coaching. Hello, if you have a coach that is losing to the big teams, beating Bengal teams and others that suck, or Bucs giving you the game, don't you have a right to speak out about the ship that just hit the iceberg? So far, O Sullivan has not done the job to me so put the crack pipe and kool aid away as Alex smith should be the rightful starter. Otherwise, say hello to 8 49er home blackouts. Personally, I hope the 49ers will black out home games so I can see more quality football like Eagles and Dallas, or Colts and Pats. You know how sad it is in my region to get fine quality crap in the Raiders/49er due to the NFL's silly old rule? So again, Tom Rathman, enlighten me.

Posted By: Da Funk (18/08/2008 1:37:58 PM)
Comment: Hey im 16 years old and can't believe the losers that post on this thing all day. I am on my Summer and have nothing to do you guys are even bigger losers than me. Loser pride! Lets argue about 49er stuff as if someone really cares what we think! It makes us feel important! Kepp insulting eachother too, its entertaining me.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:36:44 PM)
Comment: Sorry for the quadruple post down there guys. Tommy, baby boy, I think you're oversimplifying things here. Jim is a 9ers fan, but not a fan of management right now. What you are saying is a little bit like that whole calling someone "Unpatriotic" for speaking their minds about the President. Jim just thinks (like many other FANS) that Smith gives us a better long term option. I agree. You don't. Cool. Fine. This is something about which reasonable people can disagree. Questioning someones devotion as a fan is not something a reasonable person would do. Plain and Simple.

Posted By: http:// (18/08/2008 1:36:24 PM)
Comment: No, Indiana Jim wants his team to win and can't see it happening with JTO in. Simple as that.

Posted By: oneniner (18/08/2008 1:34:05 PM)
Comment: thank you - Os (from Jersey)....that was my point also.

Posted By: oneniner (18/08/2008 1:32:53 PM)
Comment: I was only commentin on Hill's response....this guy has not done anything to warrant a "I was open comment".....i bet you Morgan wouldn't have said that.....

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 1:30:33 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim-Your an Alex Smith Fan, not a 49er fan. plain and simple.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:28:39 PM)
Comment: Wow Rathman. better leave town? Seperatists? Really? okay.. maybe your're right. Hey Jim, Lobotomies on me, lets go down to training camp and hit our heads on kegs for little while. Like Real Fans.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:28:35 PM)
Comment: Wow Rathman. better leave town? Seperatists? Really? okay.. maybe your're right. Hey Jim, Lobotomies on me, lets go down to training camp and hit our heads on kegs for little while. Like Real Fans.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:28:35 PM)
Comment: Wow Rathman. better leave town? Seperatists? Really? okay.. maybe your're right. Hey Jim, Lobotomies on me, lets go down to training camp and hit our heads on kegs for little while. Like Real Fans.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 1:28:29 PM)
Comment: Mike in SF - I agree - I didn't think a competition was necessary, especially since it was likely to devolve into a clusterfudge. I thought they should have named Smith the starter out of the gate and given him every chance to learn the offense because - let's face it - the franchise has more invested in him than in Hill or O'Sullivan. But I'm not a head coach - just an observer who thinks this whole thing could be handled better.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:28:23 PM)
Comment: Wow Rathman. better leave town? Seperatists? Really? okay.. maybe your're right. Hey Jim, Lobotomies on me, lets go down to training camp and hit our heads on kegs for little while. Like Real Fans.

Posted By: Os (from Jersey) (18/08/2008 1:27:07 PM)
Comment: While I put the blame on both Alex and J.Hill, you don't point the finger and throw your QB under the bus like that! Jason has a LOT to learn.

Posted By: Houston 9er (18/08/2008 1:26:57 PM)
Comment: That registration thing is looking better and better. As usual the minority of idiots is ruining it for the majority of ppl that can handle debate and disagreement with intelligence and respect.

Posted By: TT (18/08/2008 1:26:34 PM)
Comment: Alex Smith has everything he needs to be a great QB except one thing - accuracy. He may eventually be an average NFL QB when he learns the offense but that's his max. He can't hit guys in stride to save his life. Otherwise lesser QB's have done very well in the NFL, think Kurt Warner and Jeff Garcia, because they are very accurate. Accuracy is and always has been the most underrated aspect being a QB.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 1:25:39 PM)
Comment: Why are we even fighting about this? The Niners won. We should be happy. You wouldn't even know we blew the second-best team in last year's NFC out of the water from reading the comments here.

Posted By: Mike in SF #2 (18/08/2008 1:23:46 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim /Oneniner - I encourage you to read exactly what Jason Hill is saying (I also realize you are giving Smith a backhanded compliment by trying to blame the mis-connect on Hill, not Smith). Hill was reading a zone defense and thought he was supposed to "sit" in the open spot between the safety and the CB. Therefore you do NOT finish running the slant. Instead, Alex threw the ball as if we was supposed to run the slant. I'm guessing based on Alex's post game comments "I missed that one, that is a throw I have to make" its Hill that in fact did exactly what he is supposed to do. Unfortunately, the result of a QB competition is that the receivers and QBs will never get on the same page and they are not able to read each other's body language. So for that, blame Martz and Nolan not Jason Hill or Smith With experience this stuff doesn't happen. )

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 1:23:06 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim: Did you see that play? I think Smith hits Morgan on the deep ball if he has the wind at his back, but that end-zone play is on Smith, not Hill. A better throw would have been six points.

Posted By: DC9er (18/08/2008 1:22:31 PM)
Comment: Um, didn't you guys see Morgan Scooping that ball up off the turf? I'm glad he made an adjustment for the pass, or else there's no TD. Alex did not have a perfect throw, but it was a catchable ball. More useless Smith bashing. You people are so tired of losing you're seeing the faces of saints in Potato chips.

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 1:21:42 PM)
Comment: Tom Rathman - Um. No. How 'bout that?

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 1:21:28 PM)
Comment: I wonder how much work it would take to institute a real login system on the comments...since some people clearly aren't responsible enough to enjoy the freedom of expression the blog provides.

Posted By: Holland (18/08/2008 1:20:39 PM)
Comment: If this was a regular season game I would be all over JJ for not playing but since it's just preseason it's better just to sit it out and let it heal some and not make it worse. Granted it's never good to miss reps but JJ has been around long enough that he should be fine missing a preseason game.

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 1:20:15 PM)
Comment: RE: Hill - I was only asking. If you guys want to make excuses for him, that's fine. ;) Actually I just want to see him finishing routes. I've heard this comment about him repeatedly during training camp, and I'm very disappointed in his effort. It showed on that pattern. If he's admitting that "maybe he should have continued his route?" That classifies as a big ol' DUH. I guess even when Alex leads his receivers they give up then?

Posted By: Dirk (18/08/2008 1:18:01 PM)
Comment: Place JJ on IR now! No, I mean, I can understand resting injured players during an exhibition game. No matter how minor the injury might be. We are awfully thin at Tackle now. Guess we require Wragge at LG once RG Baas is healthy so Snyder can back up at T.

Posted By: TX Niner (18/08/2008 1:14:12 PM)
Comment: Jon in SoCal, that is hilarious and perfect. An O-lineman not playing because of a sore finger?! Are you kidding? And we're concerned about the QB situation? Maybe it isn't the QB play but the women we have on the o-line that is the real issue.

Posted By: AF (18/08/2008 1:13:34 PM)
Comment: wow, its turning into 2nd grade here, with people being needlessly insulting, people pretending to be others and people not knowing how to post correctly. Its embarrassing to see and quite frankly is rude to MM, to the people being impersonated, and to the rest of us just trying to enjoy some Niners news on the best blog out there!

Posted By: Tom Rathman (18/08/2008 1:09:18 PM)
Comment: Ry in SC-Don't worry about Indiana Jim and oneincher, they are not 49er Fans they are Alex Smith fans. When Smith is gone they will be gone to the Smith Seperatists are not concerned with 49er success, only with Alex Smith plaing in the game. If Alex Smith Plays and the 49ers lose they are content and when Alex Smith plays poorly they have an asortment of excuses stating why. Alex Smith Playing time, no matter how wretched is the most important thing to the Alex Smith Supporters, not 49er success and are therefoire Alex Smith fans, not 49er fans. They better leave town when Alex does cause they are not welcome back.

Posted By: Craig in CO (18/08/2008 1:08:48 PM)
Comment: Any other NFL quarterback including Kyle Boller could have hit Hill in the back of the endzone! He was wide wide open. Smith leans more toward BUST than Hill!

Posted By: JBG (18/08/2008 1:05:59 PM)
Comment: The Smith->Hill pass in the endzone was a combination of too high and too hard for Hill to have a reasonable shot at it from where he was positioned. If he had extended himself further, it might have been a tip-INT. Frankly, arguing about it is senseless, as only Mike Martz will be the judge as to who ran the play incorrectly (they're all his plays). Now it could be that both players did the right thing: Alex made the throw where it was supposed to go with the defense in play at the snap, and Hill was supposed to react to how the DBs were adjusting in the endzone. Probably we'll never know unless Martz goes into detail about that play, which would be out of character for him.

Posted By: Ry in SC (18/08/2008 1:01:19 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim: Jason Hill is NOT a bust. A bust is a person who plays in the game and fails miserably while playing the game. Not to mention they need to be playing more than just ONE FULL SEASON! He has been hurt. He has had a bit of a history being hurt (Final Year at WSU). The 49ers knew that going in. He obviously has talent. He reeled in a HIGH pass from Alex Smith earlier in the game, and also made a reverse that looked like nothing into a 14 yard game. Maybe Alex smith should put it on the money for once. YOU are a bust Indiana Jim...You....

Posted By: oneniner (18/08/2008 1:01:02 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim - i am with you on this one.....this hill guy does not sound smart at all....i hate it when WR's say things like "That's what it felt like."......moron its not freaking about only you, you have to help your QB too....

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (18/08/2008 12:51:21 PM)
Comment: Indiana Jim: Don't overreact; Hill should have tried harder for that ball, but Alex shouldn't have missed him. And Jon in SoCal: Classic!

Posted By: Indiana Jim (18/08/2008 12:49:42 PM)
Comment: "Maybe I should've kept running my route?" MAYBE???!!! He ran a frickin' slant/post! Yeah, maybe you should have. Howcome no one is applying "BUST" to him?

Posted By: AF (18/08/2008 12:45:54 PM)
Comment: JJ is sitting it out with a bad finger??? Is this some kind of joke? When did we start signing baseball players for our offensive line?

Posted By: jb (18/08/2008 12:45:03 PM)
Comment: ya but according to him, the injury was taken out of context and nobody understands him, he can only do what he can do, not that he cares what people think about him or anything! Next week he will sneeze wrong and pull a hammy.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (18/08/2008 12:44:23 PM)
Comment: I can just see Ronnie Lott rolling his eyes right now as he rubs the stump on his hand