Singletary cuts back on the workload
Two-a-day practices concluded last Wednesday, and now 49ers coach Mike Singletary is scaling back on the contact as the regular season approaches.
Singletary said his biggest goal entering training camp was developing the right mindset for the team. He said the physical nature of camp served its purpose.
“They really worked their tails off, in terms of workload,” Singletary said. “This week, we’re going to cut it back a bit. . . . I thought the guys responded well and did not complain.”
When asked about the 49ers’ approach to the final exhibition game on Friday, Singletary said he will be planning ahead. He said he expects to get a lot of the injured players back for the first regular season game.
So the 49ers will use Friday’s exhibition finale against the Chargers to “look at a lot of the young guys.”
* * *
LB Ahmad Brooks underwent an arthroscopic procedure today to remove a bone fragment from his left knee. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, which means he might not be available for the season opener against the Cardinals.
The only player certain to be on the 49ers’ 53-man roster who definitely will not be available for the opener is receiver Brandon Jones, who sustained a broken right shoulder on Aug. 6. Jones is expected to be out of action through September.
The 49ers expect backup QB Alex Smith, and starting offensive linemen OL Adam Snyder and David Baas to be available for the opener. They’ll wait and see about safety Michael Lewis, who sustained his second concussion since Aug. 18.
***UPDATE: Baas saw his first work with his teammates since tearing the plantar fascia of his left foot on Aug. 4 during a “nutcracker” drill. Baas said he’s always had flat feet. He said his foot feels better now than it did before the tear. He’d like to get as much playing time as possible on Friday to help him get in football shape, but said it’s up to the team.
* * *
The pass-rush prowess of linebacker Manny Lawson is one of the keys to the 49ers’ season. Through three exhibition games, the pass rush as a whole and Lawson, in particular, have not shown much.
Singletary said part of the reason is because the 49ers have not game-planned for an opponent. In other words, they’ve mostly been lining up and going man-on-man against the player in front of them.
This has to be a concern. As I just noted with Ralph and Tom on KNBR, good teams are able to show something without trying to show something. That goes for the 49ers’ pass rush, and that goes for the 49ers’ passing offense, too.
The 49ers are 3-0 in the exhibition season, but the 49ers have scored just 15 of their 58 points in the exhibition season in the first half when the team’s best players are generally on the field.
* * *
Comments are closed.