SANTA CLARA – Here’s who stood out during the 10th padded practice of training camp.
DISCLAIMER: I normally don’t do this, but I’m starting with the not so good.
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. RB Jerick McKinnon. Injured his right calf during his third carry of practice. Did not return. Had an MRI, which revealed no structural damage. The 49ers said the injury is a strain, he’s out this week and the team will reassess him next week. McKinnon is the ninth player on the 49ers who has missed time with a soft-tissue injury since training camp started.
2. NT Earl Mitchell. Frequently blocked and walled out of outside zone runs to the offense’s right. Gave up huge cut-back lanes through the A gap. Didn’t play hard every hard every snap. A repeat performance of Thursday night against the Cowboys.
3. CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Burned on a go route up the sideline for a 40-yard catch by wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, who probably won’t make the team. Robinson clearly is faster than Witherspoon.
4. FS Adrian Colbert. Gave Witherspoon no help over the top when Robinson made the 40-yard catch. Colbert is a big reason why the 49ers have given up lots of deep catches near the sideline during training camp. He consistently arrives a second too late.
5. CB Tavarius Moore. Gave up a 12-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Beathard to Kendrick Bourne. Allowed Bourne to cross his face with a slant route in the red zone. A major no no. Moore is a former safety who plays cornerback like he’s a former safety. Not ready to contribute.
6. QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Threw a high-risk, low-reward short pass to a covered receiver on third-and-six from the 24-yard line while rolling to his left, and got intercepted in the red zone by Colbert. Bad decision. Also completed just 15 of 24 passes (56 percent), and frequently missed high.
THE GOOD
1. QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Threw that beautiful deep pass to Robinson, and completed two touchdown passes during a red-zone drill: One to Raheem Mostert, the other to Trent Taylor.
2. FS Adrian Colbert. Made that beautiful interception in the red zone.
3. LB Brock Coyle. Returned to team drills after missing the past two weeks with a hip injury. Played middle linebacker in the base defense.
4. LB Fred Warner. Returned to team drills after missing the past two weeks with a chest contusion. Replaced Coyle at linebacker in the nickel defense and covered tight ends man to man. Gave up no catches.
5. WR Dante Pettis. Made a 15-yard leaping catch over the middle. His best play of training camp considering how much he has struggled catching passes over the middle.
6. CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Broke up a pass from Garoppolo to Pierre Garcon in the red zone.
7. CB Jimmie Ward. Broke up a long pass from Garoppolo to Garcon near the sideline. Garcon ran a deep crossing route from the right side of the field to the left side of the field, and had a step on Ward. But when Garoppolo threw the ball, Ward accelerated, closed the gap between him and Garcon and batted the pass away. The last time Richard Sherman tried to do that, he pulled his hamstring.
The only question left is what point in the season will Jed come to his senses, fire KS and replace him with coach Kohn.
Better to replace KS with Coach Cohn rather than Coach Kohn.
Seriously though, why troll if you don’t like the commentary?
He is mad because Grant only predicted a 9-7 record, instead of 23-0.
Naw, KS just needs to hire Coach Cohn as OC.
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Hiring an OC may help them become better prepared, and help them reduce the unforced errors.
Or make the offense worse because it would have a second rate OC running it rather than one of the finest offensive minds in the game.
Like in the second half of the SB?
Because KS was the defensive coordinator too. Right Seb? Get off your knees.
Belichick had an OC, and he helped win a SB.
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Like with JG, by sustaining drives, he helps the defense, keeping them fresh. Too bad the Falcon D stayed on the field too long and got worn down.
Hey Seb,
Who’s Belichick’s Defensive Coordinator this year?
I guess he also doesn’t understand how much a Coordinator could help him. He should let a lesser mind take over that defense so he wont be so thoroughly outcoached in the future.
Brian Flores will be taking over the defensive play calling duties, even though he does not have the official DC title. Flores has worked his way up in the organization for 11 years, and it sounds like he is being promoted within the system
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Belichick also signed up Bret Bielema, the former HC of Arkansas and Wisconsin. He was a defensive lineman and former DC for Kansas St. I expect Bielema to help on the defensive side of the ball.
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KS cannot give up his offensive play calling duties, while Belichick can give up his defensive play calling duties. Belichick knows how to delegate authority. KS is still learning.
Was it the ATL offense who gave up all those points?
The Falcon offense did not help with play calling and clock management.
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Calling for a 7 step drop, which resulted in a strip sack and fumble, was not brilliant.
Typical, blame one play for the failures of an entire defense over a quarter and a half.
They gave up 19 points in the 4th. They had a 25 point lead with 3 minutes left in the 3rd.
This is a defense that gave up 25 points a game in the regular season (and gives up 34 in the SB). A defense which held their two previous opponents in the post season to 20 and 21 points, better than their season average and a whole two touchdowns better than what they gave up to the Pats.
A defense that gave up a 10 play, 91 yard touchdown that only took 2:33 seconds off the game clock. Had they held them to a FG the game is over. How does a defense give up 10 plays in 2 and a half minutes, thats damn near impossible even in a hurry up offense. Most 2 minute offenses try to get down field in 4 to 8 plays, because 2 minutes is too little time to run 10 plays.
Here we are Seb, another year older and you still are no wiser to the game.
BTW, that play was pivotal, and changed the momentum of the game.
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25 point lead with 3 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter?
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Many OCs would just run the ball to run out the clock.
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KS kept to his game plan, but he should have made calculated adjustments.
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Many say that it was an epic collapse, but you still think KS is above reproach.
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I have learned that people who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. -GS
Little Paul just bitter KS never gave kraepernick a chance to the teams qb
But the play wouldn’t have been pivotal if the defense hadn’t changed up their gameplan and let Brady pass all over them.
Lets see…what changed in the game…ohhh the defense going soft and giving up 25 points in a quarter and a half. Maybe if they had played their same game NE wouldn’t have scored 25 points in a quarter and a half when they struggled to score 3 points in 2 and a half quarters.
The irony that you would use the quote about not learning from history…
Wow. That’s a lot of soft tissue injuries in a short amount of time. Makes you wonder about the 49ers strength & conditioning coaches.
We could use the Browns model that purports to be the reason for their low soft tissue injury record, but has yet to translate into winning ball games….
Grant, I’ll start by saying I love the periscopes and reporting. Thank you.
Just an obvservation. A lot of times you have a lot of guys in the good and not so good section. Like Colbert isn’t fast enough to play cover 3 safety but then has a beautiful pick. Or Mcglinch had great block on outside run but then can’t block marsh in one on ones. Things like that. So in a word would you just call this team inconstant? Cuz it seems like a lot of the same guys end up on both good n bad from day to day. Making of an 8-8 or 9-7 team? (assuming Jimmy is more good than bad)