New season brings higher expectations for 49ers

Posted By on September 4, 2019

FILE – In this Aug. 24, 2019, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City, Mo. After an up-and-down preseason in his recovery from ACL surgery, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo prepares for his first real game in nearly a year. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

SANTA CLARA — No more pingpong in the 49ers locker room. They finally got rid of the table that symbolized their indifference to losing the past few seasons. That’s how you know this season is different.

Since 2015, the 49ers played pingpong as a mental escape from misery. They didn’t expect to win football games — they were rebuilding — so they distracted themselves from the pain of defeat by playing a different game midweek.

Now, the 49ers expect to make the postseason. If they don’t make it, people could lose their jobs, including general manager John Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Time to focus on football.

This offseason, The Press Democrat ran a series called “Focus on the 49ers,” which posed 10 questions that could determine the success of the upcoming season. Let’s revisit those questions and examine where the 49ers stand.

Click here to read to my 49ers 2019 season preview.

This article has 304 Comments

  1. Would Vegas allow a bet on Jimmy G over/under on games played in? Or, another angle, odds on Jimmy G playing in all 16 games?

    2. 1) Will the new Wide 9 alignment improve the defense? My answer – YES, and the stack linebackers are the key here. The Niners have the coaching, with the hiring of Koceruck, and they have the personnel required to use this front effectively. The 49ers ILB core may very well be the most improved unit on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s saying something considering the 49ers added, not one, but two dynamic DE’s to the DL, during the offseason.

      2) Will Nick Bosa play a full season? My answer – PROBABLY, as I’ve seen no evidence to the contrary. Football is a rough sport, and injuries can, and do happen. However, Nick hadn’t missed a college game in his 2-plus seasons, prior to his core injury, which doesn’t register as “injury prone” to me. And I’m certainly not going to knock Nick for whatever his brother has or hasn’t done, as that seems entirely unjustified. By all accounts, Nick has been doing everything in his power to get back on the field after suffering what has been reported as an ankle sprain, and Nick wasn’t a guy who missed games due to typical bumps and bruises during his college career, so in my book, he deserves the benefit of the doubt, until proven otherwise.

      3: Can Dee Ford repeat his pass-rush production from 2018? My answer – It DEPENDS on how you define production. Will he put up the same statistics this year, as he did last season? I think it’s less about stats, and more about the kind of impact he’ll have on the 49ers defense. Ford will get his pressures, and his play on the field will have a major impact during the games, and the way in which offensive coordinators need to account for him coming off of the edge in this Wide-9 front. As for his knee, I’d be more concerned if he were 4 or more years older, and/or this was something he hasn’t been dealing with over the last few years. As it stands now, I think there is a very good chance that his tendonitis can be managed effectively over the next 4 years, and certainly through next season, at which time the team get out of his contract if they choose to do so, without taking a huge financial hit (the Niners have a potential out in Ford’s contract after next season).

      4) Will Jason Verrett improve the secondary? My answer is the same as Grant’s – PROBABLY, if he’s healthy. Of course, that’s a big IF, however an improved pass rush is the bigger story, and will likely have the biggest impact for improving the secondary this season.

      5) Do the 49ers have enough depth on their offensive line? My answer – NO, as things stand now. Losing Shon Coleman was a huge blow in terms of OL depth, as he was, by far, the team’s best backup OT. That said, I don’t think the situation on the OL is anywhere close to dire, and I expect the team to find a competent swing tackle in the coming weeks. The Niners did bring in 31 year old – Ben Garland this offseason, and that could end up being a big deal, just as the acquisition of the savvy veteran Mike Person’ was a big deal last season. The veteran Garland is, at the very least, a versatile interior lineman with a bit of a mean streak (he was originally signed by the Broncos as a defensive lineman, back in 2010, before converting to OG in 2012). He also has a history with Kyle, as he played for Kyle during the entire 2016 season (Garland was also on the Falcons’ Super Bowl roster). Additionally, Garland played in 30 games for the Falcons in 2017-2018, before coming over to the 49ers this offseason. The Niners definitely need help at swing tackle, but other than that they have a solid OL unit.

      6) Has the red-zone offense improved? My Answer – YES, MOST LIKELY. The additions of Coleman, Samuel, Hurd, and an additional receiving TE in Ross Dwelley will make for an improved redzone offense.

      7) Will George Kittle exceed his production from last season? My answer – NO, and that’s actually a good thing. The 49ers have more receiving options this season, including the outstanding pass catching RB in Tevin Coleman, so they won’t need to lean as heavily on Kittle.

      8) Will a consistent receiving threat other than Kittle emerge? My answer – YES, his name is DEEBO, and he is going to be a bully. Deebo Samuel will develop quickly this season, and will become Garooplo’s favorite WR target, and a very reliable duel threat.

      9) How many players will successfully return from season-ending leg injuries? My answer – ALL OF THEM (knock on wood), with the exception of McKinnon.

      10) Will Jimmy Garoppolo improve his decision-making? My answer – YES. Jimmy will benefit from having an additional year in Kyle’s system. His time spent with Mike Shanahan during the offseason, will also pay dividends for the Niners’ franchise QB. Is Jimmy under pressure this season? You betcha, and he’ll thrive under the pressure, and rise to the occasion, because he has champions-blood running through his veins.

      49ERS – 2019 regular season record prediction:

      10-6

        1. Nah, the hamstring was a ruse to protect him before his contract was finalized. The ankle injury, while unfortunate, happened after Bosa dominated the Niners OL through the first 10 days of camp, so I wouldn’t call it “all offseason”.

          Neither of these injuries would suggest Bosa can’t play an entire 16 game schedule, nor do any of the preseason games count against the team’s regular season record. My guess is that the ankle injury was far less serious than the team indicated, and holding Bosa out of the preseason was done over an abundance of caution. For all we know, Bosa may have been able to play a couple of weeks ago, had the games actually counted for something.

          Nobody wants to have the reputation of being injury prone, certainly not a first year player. We’ll see how many games Bosa plays this season, but I’d be willing to bet he’ll play most, if not all of them, because from what I’ve heard, he’s ultra-competitive – loves to compete, and he loves the game of football. That’s not the kind of player I’d bet against, and right now, it appears the public is with me. Nick Bosa is currently the 3rd betting favorite to win DROY among the wagering public, ahead of Josh Allen, and right behind the 2 ILB’s. The betting public is well aware of the fact that you can’t win DROY if you aren’t on the football field.

          Go NINERS!

            1. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I’m not who you appear to think I am. I’m not employed by the 49ERS, nor am I someone who used a different screen name. I am simply a humble, long time 49ERS fan who was hoping the 49ers would draft Bosa, and who likes the direction of the team.

              I’m expecting the 49ers to win at least 9 games this season, and if they get a few bounces that go their way, 10 or 11 wins wouldn’t surprise me. As much as I like Mullens, I think Garropolo has more talent, and I think the 49ers best hopes for becoming relevant again in the near term, rests on Garoppolo.

              Go NINERS!

      2. Nick Bosa the smaller bear – you obviously are part of the Niners PR or player personnel department and by design from the Niner front office portraying a foil to Grant’s observations and commentary. Spewing the organization’s rhetoric and narrative basically is “fake PR.”

        1. I’m sure the 49ers PR department has better things to do than monitor this site, mike.

          But, this news is just now breaking: It’s official, Nick Bosa WILL play on Sunday!

          Aint nothin “fake” about that, mike! Go NINERS!

          1. Nick Bosa is the smaller bear – so you deny you are part of the Niner PR department; HOWEVER, you do not deny that you are not part of the player personnel department………your ISP gives it away, too!!!!!!!!!

    3. Who ends up looking more feckless, the Raiders’ Head Coach – Jon Gruden, or General Manager – Mike Mayock?

      I’d say Gruden for the simple fact that, everyone knows Gruden is the Headmaster, and the one who makes the final decisions. Not only that, but at least Mayock stood up to AB, while Gruden has appeared meek, and ineffective throughout this ridiculous saga.

      Regardless of who looks worse, the way in which the Raiders have apparently capitulated to AB, is going to have long lasting ramifications, in a very bad way, IMO.

    1. Hey Razor….just an Indiana update, the offer fell through so no Indiana move, but I accepted an offer from a company in Tennessee, so I’m moving the family next month.

      Anyways, I think we take week 1, but we need Boas and Ford out there to do it.

      Not sure what to make of the team this year yet. Seems like they’ve got the injury issue under control, but seems like their solution was to just not practice players and have them ready for week 1. We’ll see how that strategy plays out.

      I agree with Grant O-line depth has got to be the biggest concern, if those guys stay/get healthy then we should see some big strides this year. How many wins do those big strides accumulate? No idea. If Jimmy performs well, not superstar level, but just well and helathy, then I think we can go 8-8.

      Another concern are those WR’s, a lot of potential, but also a lot of youth and inexperience. Luckily Shanny knows how to scheme guys open and I trust him on the offensive side. I’m really interested to see Richie James this season.

      Either way I’m super excited, I really hope for a healthy season, would love to see Bosa, Ford, and Jimmy play 16 each, but I know that’s asking a lot.

      1. Bummer, Leo but I hear Tennessee is awesome. Especially Nashville. Lots of cool stuff there. If I ever get down that way, I’ll have to look you up!

        James could have a breakout season. Looking like another late round steal by Lynch Inc.

  3. Don’t pressure Jimmy, Grant.
    He will have enough pressure in his face when the defenses blow by the o line.

  4. Damn Homie!! I just watched your most recent podcast and you are cruel with people/players who block you on Twitter. Pettis and Garapolo heard about your reputation from management and players, and blocked you right away……and you’ve just relentlessly trashed both of them ever since. You attack both from every angle. I think you need to see a therapist to help remove the nasty biatch-ass embedded from within you.

    That comment where you mention Jimmy says to Kyle I make way more money — is just classic Cohn thinking.

      2. Cool when JimmP gets benched you can chat him up on Twitter= he will have plenty of time on his hands

  5. Sooooo. I want to know what makes you think Dee Ford will not play as hard and doesn’t have the drive he had last season.
    What did you see or hear from him directly to give you this opinion?

    1. I was kinda upset we got Dee Ford….i remember him jumping offside in the playoffs prolonging a drive= then the other team marches onward and wins….boneheaded play cost the team= then we get him…..Not a fan sorry guys I like Houston on KC a better player.

      1. I wish they would put all of Bill Walsh’s chalkboard talks on loop, so the players can learn from a master. When he is drawing up plays, he makes it so understandable, and he hits on the salient points, describing the nuances of the game.
        .
        The players should be studying more, so the game becomes instinctual. Let them play ping pong during their free time, away from the facility.
        .
        However, I would hope they install a dartboard for the QBs. they could work on their accuracy, and it calls for making strategic decisions and mental math to play. JG would probably do well, with his flick of the wrist.

      2. “Foosball is the devil.”

        Ha! The question is, will Selah have the defense tackling like the Waterboy?

  7. Grant, I know you probably have made your win/loss prediction for the year already but could you repeat it for me?

      2. Grant Cohn

        I’ll one-up you Grant… I’m calling for 11-5…It’s a crap shoot, and I see us (niners) as one of three teams that improved, whereas I see 6-7 teams who got older and less effective….Jimmy G will excel when his stable of receivers heal…until then, lotz of 2-TE sets….

  9. Grant Cohn
    ‏@grantcohn

    Nick Mullens was the fourth-most accurate NFL QB against the blitz last season.

    Cool accomplishment, but would be more convincing with a larger sample size (many more starts/snaps), wouldn’t you agree?

    I haven’t been in a traffic accident in 10 straight days of driving, and no tickets to boot. Means I’m a perfect driver.

    1. The media is building it up for JimmyP to fail…enter Mullins with a horrible Oline= once JimmyP goes down (if he does, he will prob be a pickoff machine and get benched) and Mullins will save the season and be next to last place again? rinse and repeat or will it be different this year?

      1. By Grant’s standard for statistical confidence, my driving record is pristine–and I’m perfect. Just drove another uneventful eight miles this morning–flawless again.

    1. Monty,
      I’m sure I could find at least 20 reasons why they suck if I wanted to. But (this is just me), I’d rather find reasons as to why they can win, and umm, not suck.

      Sometimes I think that the negative Nallies enjoy a loss more than a win. Loses seem fit and feed their negative narrative much more than winning.
      But what do I know.

  11. Grant, get off your high horse on the ping pong table. It makes you sound like you’ve never played a team sport or been a member of a team that shared a locker room. A locker room is where team cohesion starts. Coaches want players to bond and care about each other. Talk to just about any former player and they will all say they miss their time with the guys almost more than playing the sport. A significant amount of time with the guys is in the locker room. A ping pong table is a way for the guys to build camaraderie. Many teams at just about every level of football from high school to the NFL have ping pong tables in the locker room. Say what you want about the number of losses over the past few years, but the team bond on the 49ers has been pretty good. Using a ping pong table as some sort of symbol for accepting losing reveals a real lack of understanding of team sports. You should drop this line asap because it says more about you than it says about the 49ers.

  12. # 11 ~Can Joe Staley keep up. After 12 years of solid play, he got injured last year and showed signs of missing a step.
    # 12 ~Will JG stay healthy. If his play does not produce, he might get reckless, lose focus and get injured again.

    I’m worried that both of them will get injured since they’ve got to prove something

  13. Grant,
    If you haven’t already made your season prediction i’m going to make a prediction of my own. After reading your current post I can’t see how you could predict the 49ers finishing any better than 5-11. You answered most of your questions with either a negative or you were noncommittal. Looking at the season through your eyes I would predict bad things for the 9ers. Personally I’m looking for a 7-9 to 9-7 season.

    1. OC,

      If I had to choose between 5-11 and 7-9, I would choose the 5-11.

      Yes I would rather win, but this is a purely business look at it.

      At 5-11 you’re pretty much guaranteed of a top 10, maybe top 5 pick. This gives the team the ability to possibly maneuver for more picks or get a good player, remember they don’t have a 2nd next year.

      Meanwhile, 7-9 puts them around the middle of the pack.

      I think Grant has predicted something around 6-10.

      1. Jack,
        You are correct sir between 5-11 and 7-9 it would be better if they were the former but at this point in the year i’m still holding out hope for 9-7 and an outside chance at the playoffs.

  14. So now onto Tampa Bay. The last time the 49ers opened the season in Tampa Bay was 22 years ago. It was 1997 and the Bucs defense was on the rise. Jerry Rice tore his ACL in that game. Steve Young got a concussion on a sack by Warren Sapp and Hardy Nickerson. I still contend Nickerson purposefully slid into the back of Steve Young’s head and caused that concussion. That game was almost as shocking as the 1987 playoff loss to the Vikings. More than any other game I can remember, the 1997 season opener in Tampa really was the final sign of the end of the 49er dynasty. At any rate, Tampa Bay has some bad juju for the 49ers. I’d love to see them sit Jimmy G, Bosa, Kwon, Verrett, Ward, and every other injury prone player. I say that jokingly obviously. IMO, even with those guys the 49ers have a 50/50 shot at winning this game. Evans and Godwin are horrendous matchups for the 49ers secondary. Last time Evans faced Richard Sherman, Evans had over 100 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Can you imagine Witherspoon trying to tackle Evans. Thats like a flea trying to bring down a St Bernard. If I’m the Bucs, I’m matching up Godwin with Sherman and Evans with Witherspoon. Sherman can’t keep up with Godwin and Evans will manhandle Witherspoon. The only way those receivers don’t end up with combined 200+ yards receiving with multiple TDs is if Winston spends his day on his back looking at the sky. Hopefully the defense is able to come up with some and Jimmy finds his rhythm on offense. Bucs defense is bad so this could be a high scoring game.

    2. This is how I handle the Buccaneers receivers. Put Sherman on Godwin and Witherspoon/Safety over the top on Evans.

      1. Godwin will have 125 yards and 2 TD’s if the game plan has Sherman go 1v1 all day. Sherman can’t keep up with Godwin. Either that or Sherman will have 5 PI’s in this game.

          1. “I’m so ready to see Godwin play a full game for Bruce Arians, and this is an amazing matchup against the 49ers at home. Godwin is headed for a third-year breakout campaign, and it should start this week. The 49ers allowed the most touchdowns to opposing receivers last season, and Godwin and Mike Evans should feast in Week 1.”

            Jamey Eisenberg, Fantasy Start’em/Sit’em

            1. I could see them each getting a TD, but that may be all they get if our pressure packages are as advertised. 24-17 49ers open up the season 1-0, and head to Youngstown to set up base camp….

              2. I’m going 28-27 49ers in honor of Dwight Clark. 49ers front 7 will be much better but the secondary is the achilles heel that will give up easy pass yards on any play Winston can get off a pass cleanly. I expect Evans and Godwin to have good games. One of them will have a huge day – it all depends on which receiver gets the double coverage. Even though Todd Bowles is a very good DC, the Bucs defense is bad. Shanahan will exploit their defense with excellent play calling. I expect a strong showing from the rush offense and Jimmy G will do just enough to get the win.

              4. Niners 26-23..Bucs hang around, 49ers pull ahead w/a few minutes left. JG little rusty but has 2 td’s/1 int, too many penalties again. They need 4-5 sacks this game. Ward out w/rice paper broken bone. Hopefully front DL has no injuries this year, DB’s need it. Ford will play w/bad knee, Bosa too better watch it so they can play lots of games. Probably 7-8 wins this year, playoffs in ’20.

            2. Eisenberg is literally showing how little he looks at when it comes to potential fantasy roadblocks. Anybody looking at the 49ers and thinking opposing WRs will feast on the secondary simply because the secondary has not really changed is literally ignoring that Ford, Bosa, and Alexander are now on the 49ers defense.

              1. You could be right. I don’t really know anything about Eisenberg. Let’s just say the 49ers end up with 4 sacks and 12 QB pressures in this game. What are the 49ers going to do the other 22 pass attempts they have to defend? I highly doubt Ford, Bosa, and Alexander will be covering Godwin or Evans. That leaves the same historically bad secondary from last year to cover those guys. That’s not such a great recipe for success.

              2. A strong pass rush will help any secondary Houston. All the 49ers need to do is make Winston uncomfortable. Whether that comes from sacks, QB pressures, hitting him, or forcing him to hurry up a throw does not matter. The OL for the Buccaneers is very suspect right now, and I am expecting the 49ers to exploit that problem.

              3. I don’t disagree. It’s like a good economy lifts all boats. Everyone benefits from a good pass rush. Just saying, Arians + Godwin + Evans has the potential to torch the 49ers secondary. What is Einstein’s definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. The 49ers secondary was historically bad last year. The 49ers have the same secondary this year. They are doing the exact same thing and expecting a different result. Our saving grace is that Winston is massively inconsistent and the Bucs o-line is below average. That’s why I picked the 49ers to win. But I expect the Bucs to exploit the weaknesses in the secondary and score some points

              4. Mid,
                I think the reason for Houston’s pessimism is that hes not sure that an improved pass rush will help.

                Contrary to popular belief qb’s did not hold the ball forever against SF last year. This was not by design, but rather because the first read was almost always open. Basically this means that even if we had a reincarnated Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor, it wouldn’t matter because the ball would be gone too quickly.

      2. What they need to do and I hope they do is, get up on that line and get physical. Do not let them off of the line cleanly.
        Give the pass rushers time to disrupt.
        Word was this is what they were going to do this season instead of playing 4 years off as usual.
        The greatest receivers hated that kind of physicality when running routes.
        I remember the eay you stopped Walsh and the 49ers were to get physical and kill their timing.
        They need to get nasty.

      1. MWD, you’d think. It seems more like all that pent up offseason negativity is being released in a category 5 (there’s such a thing?) outburst.

  16. I can’t help seeing an 0-3 record at the bye. Bad road team (especially on east coast); they start slow (lotsa mistakes and flubs while feeling out the talent) and the Pittsburgh game has the home field disadvantage. Also, I still believe that Kyle is a good OC but HC/GM not close. (Lynch is a pretty face who keeps the Levi’s food service apps running and Gatorade in the locker rooms, among other public relations duties IMHO) Kyle has set himself up so that if there is success he gets credit and if there is failure Lynch gets the blame. He needs to mature under a more experienced HC/GM before he’s ready to be a competent HC and I think he is too close to the player picks to ever have final say over the roster. (He drafts to build his offense and leaves the rest up to a committee that includes Paarag.) Negative – NO WAY. The way I see it. AFAIC the NFL ruined the game when they guaranteed huge profits to incompetent owners who lose. Good players (are supposed to) get high salaries. Bad players get cut. But owners prosper year after year while putting out a chitty product. Jed excels at that and the fish rots from the head.

    1. Couldn’t agree more…WC at least you have the balls to call out KS and Jed and his crew of giddiots.. hard to call out the team when you have homers on this blog…thanks for that

    2. Lord knows, I have been hard on Jed. I hope he grows up, and am happy he is keeping a low profile.
      .
      However, I love the Niners so much, I want them to win despite Jed.
      .
      Maybe if Jed wins a SB, the stench of Baalke will be ameliorated.
      .
      I miss Eddie. He was the best owner the Niners ever had.

      1. Yes indeed= Eddie was a great owner and Jed pales in comparison….not even close…when Jed screwed over the long term season ticket holders .. it was very niggerly of him …if not for the fans what have you?

        We all love the team but it has taken a turn for the worst since Jed took over the reigns..

          1. shut up…..why are you so incorrigible?…was it a developed skill or were you born that way?

          1. It looks to be the case of the missing “D”. Not surprising as that’s one of the things he thinks is wrong with the Niners too.

        3. WTF? Dude, that deserves a lifetime ban. Hopefully the PressDem has a zero tolerance policy on that kind of nonsense.

  17. Yes, there are high expectations for this team, but at least they are not delusional, and saying it is the SB or bust. Sure am glad the 23-0 mantra is dead, so they can just concentrate on winning each game individually.
    .
    Sure, JG is expected to lead the team, and he will have pressure on him just like every starting QB will have in the league. However, they may be putting undue pressure on him, telling him he has to start strong, instead of telling him to relax, and play with confidence.
    .
    I think the Bucs will be aggressive, and blitz to rattle JG, so the Niners should anticipate the blitz, even invite the blitz, and do plays like screens, draws and half back swing passes to negate the blitz. The Bucs will think JG is going to hand off the ball, and make some easy passes first to get into a rhythm, so maybe they should do a play action pass, with a long strike down field to begin a drive.
    .
    The Niners have a lot of question marks, but until they play the game, we will not know how it will turn out. The O line has continuity, but they also struggled last season. They have added to the pass rush, but until Bosa and Ford play, we will not know if they are healthy enough. The secondary is in flux, and we do not know who Woods will play in what position.
    .
    Thankfully, the injuries have been minimized, although several players did not practice.
    .
    The biggest questions for me are how the coaching does. Will KS manage the game properly? Will he be able to finish with a win? Are they putting the best players into the best positions to succeed? Can he improve the Red Zone offense? Will the play calling be innovative, unpredictable and effective? Would having an OC help them win? Will having the defense, play aggressively, in control with focused force, instead of with violence, in order to reduce the amount of injuries? How are the trainers doing, and what are they doing to keep the players healthy? Will they be able to make quick assessments, and timely adjustments?
    .
    I would like to see the Niners play cohesively, with every player doing his job. I hope they play smart, and reduce the unforced errors. I want to see the defense shut down the running game, to make them one dimensional, then get after JW for sacks, and pressure him into making bad throws, that can get picked off.
    .
    I want to see the offense operate with quick, crisp, efficient and effective execution. I hope they are deceptive and unpredictable. I hope they do not put too much pressure on JG. In fact, I hope JG can build a 2 score lead, then let Mullens finish out the game in the second half. JG is coming back from an ACL injury, so I hope he does not have to play all 60 minutes.
    .
    GO NINERS !!!!!!

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      Suspendisse mollis vel est vitae rutrum. Quisque nec posuere ipsum. Nam ultricies ante ut luctus faucibus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Pellentesque gravida scelerisque eros ut tincidunt. Cras vitae consequat felis. Mauris dignissim tempor odio, ac lacinia ligula aliquam ut.

  18. I had been saying 8-8, which will be good, since they will have doubled their win total from last season.
    .
    However. the 3-1 preseason record gives me hope. That showed the Niner second string being able to defeat the other team’s second string, so the Niners have depth.
    .
    I think JL has assembled a strong team. I think the coaching has improved. Last season, the ACL injury to JM on the last play of TC, and the early ACL injury to JG, doomed their season. They have kinda avoided the injury bug. No devastating ACL or Achilles injuries, so there is hope.
    .
    Now, I am hoping for a 9-7 season, and if the stars and planets align, maybe 10-6 and a shot at a Wild Card.
    .
    Hope springs eternal. They are on year 3 of the rebuild, and I see major improvements.

  19. If York butchers the Niners after this season, no matter what the record, that will mean the Niners will never be a winning team, and the problem is the Yorks. This team needs another year of rebuild, it does not make any difference if some fans don’t like it. The problem is the offensive line, which is weak – if a major unit is weak the rebuild is just not over. There is no magic solution.

    1. Yes there is a solution…draft the right players and bolster the roster…..it didn’t happen again this year

  20. It would be glorious for the Niners to do well,
    For several reasons personally for me.
    But 1 would really make me happy.
    The reason is so these new faces on here that have been nothing but negative and claiming they’re “keeping it real” WITH PREDICTIONS for this season will shut up and jump back on the bandwagon.
    Where I can personally call them out daily on their negativity.
    Let’s make this happen SF.

  21. All season 49er predictions assume health.

    The Niners are thin in the O-Line and Def. Backfield—an injury away from last place.

    ‘IF’ they are healthy, they are a playoff team, meaning Buster (above) is correct. The 49ers need another year to supplement their O-Line and Def Backfield.

    It is apparent Shanny/Lynch are using the full length of that 6 year contract and are taking their sweet time.

      2. Didn’t realize that average DB’s give up completions 70% of the times the receiver they’re covering is targeted.

    2. Jack,
      What do you see?
      Sherman was coming back from a major injury that takes a few years to fully heal.
      I doubt that he was playing with a 100%
      attitude in preseason.
      I’ll wait until the real play begins with Sherman.

        1. Wait, I didn’t know we were projecting how good Sherman was! Not everyone comes back from those injuries either so the only thing one can look at are the actual stats and performance.

          1. SY,
            Yes, your right in regards to the stats. And while stats can give us a projection to future play, projections are not always 100% correct.

            Until I see an obvious decline with Sherman’ play in a game (not preseason), I won’t write his epitaph.

      2. I see a guy who was slow to begin with coming off an Achilles injury which will further slow him down. I see a guy who has benefited from having a guy like Witherspoon on the other side so teams don’t feel the need to go after him. And when they do, they’re successful. I see a guy who is clearly in decline, but his reputation is carrying him.

        1. Someone once said…
          “Beauty is in the eye of beholder.”

          I happen to agree on your take except for one caveat – I believe that our F7 is going to be much stronger than what we’ve had since the Harbaugh era.

          During the Harbaugh years players like Rogers, Whitner, Goldston became stars because of strong play from the front 7.
          I believe that this year (and beyond) our secondary will benefit from a strong F7 as well.

          Sherman was never a speed guy even during his glory years. Lack of speed can be somewhat offset when a QB is under pressure, and that’s what I see happening this season.

          If Sherman becomes a liability than he should be replaced. But that hasn’t happened yet.

  25. 49ers ‘Secret Weapon’ will be a factor vs. Tampa:

    Prediction: WR Richie James will run a kickoff back for a TD and be a factor offensively….Some stats below

    PFF SF 49ers
    @PFF_49ers
    Richie James and Mike McGlinchey both had outstanding preseasons.

    James was the highest-graded receiver with at least 14 targets. McGlinchey did not allow a pressure. Does that carry over to the regular season?

    James:
    Receiving: 86.3

    McGlinchey:
    Pass: 82.5

  26. Insider Takes for Every Team Before Kickoff
    NFL scouts don’t hold back

    SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

    49ers:
    That offensive line is a problem. It was a problem all during their preseason, and I’m guessing it will continue to be. If they don’t figure things out, that entire offense could dramatically slow down.

    Buccaneers:
    One of the worst defenses in the NFL. That means more pressure will be put on [quarterback] Jameis Winston. He already has the problem of [trying] to do everything by himself, and he’s not capable of doing that. He’s not Mahomes. He’s not a savior. … They will also badly miss the deep threat [wide receiver] DeSean Jackson
    gave them.

    https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2851960-mike-freemans-10-point-stance-nfl-insiders-takes-on-every-team-before-kickoff

  28. My optimism for the season has two parts; one rational and one irrational.

    The irrational optimism is about Jimmy G’s return to form and leading the Niners to a 11-5 or 10-6 season with the Niners offense playing relatively penalty-free and clicking on all cylinders. Considering Jimmy G’s lack of game experience and the team’s record over the past two years, such high optimism is probably unwarranted.

    My rational optimism is based on the improvement of the coaching staff, especially with the arrival of Woods and Kocurek on D. The talent on D has also considerably improved. It’s reasonable to expect the young players to improve and commit fewer penalties. Despite the lack of depth on O line (common feature among most NFL teams) 9-7 record seems achievable.

    2. A lot of drama for sure, but if Brown is suspended or cut, the Raiders will only be out $1 million. I wouldn’t have taken on that “experiment”, but at least they can get out of it at minimal cost. Not sure if there are any other lasting effects, though. I wouldn’t think the locker room would be much affected since AB is a diva.

      2. I’d have taken him before the price tag came out. Dodged that bullet.
        But then again he put it out there he really wanted to play for this team.
        Maybe things would have been a bit different. But the defensive signings were a bigger need.

      1. Check the many comments on the following topic from January 2019…
        https://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/rice-says-antonio-brown-49ers-a-perfect-fit/

        A sample…

        sebnynah says:
        January 15, 2019 at 11:38 am

        Hmmmm, Maybe you have not read the scathing denunciations I have been subject to, yet here I am.
        .
        Like a duck in a deluge, it just rolls off my back. I do not let it get to me, and I can take it, smile, and come back for more.
        .
        Usually, I do not defend Razor, but your dumbest comment just begged for a riposte.
        .
        No, it did not go too far. JG needs a number one receiver, so it is not dumb at all. AB is a thousand yard wide receiver, something the Niners have not had for years. I think Boldin was the last one in 2014.

        1. Read further.
          .
          ‘The Niners should just wait, and see if Brown is waived, then pick him up for free……Both AB and BR were unprofessional, But JL may not want that type of behavior to come the the Niners.’
          .
          ‘I hope they sign Tyrell Williams and draft N’Keal Harry.’
          .
          ‘ However, before they trade for him(AB), they would have to make sure he understands about proper locker room protocols and expectations.’
          .
          ‘On NN, they had a mock, with the Niners trading back with the Jags. I wonder where they saw that scenario before? ;p
          .
          Looking at the top draft picks in the first round, the first 7 could be, with a Niner trade back-
          .
          Cards- Nick Bosa DE
          Jags- Kyler Murray QB
          Jets- Greg Little OT
          Raiders- Quinnen Williams DT
          TB- Jonah Williams OT
          Giants – Dwayne Haskins (Jones) QB
          Niners- Josh Allen DE.’

  30. A nugget from Sheil Kapadia’s column on The Athletic that I found interesting: the Patriots have gone 13 straight seasons without fielding a defense that’s ranked in the top 10 in efficiency.

    1. Do they have a ping pong table in the locker room? It could be the source of their lack of defensive efficiency.

    1. Razor….. looks like my conspiracy theory of Bosa’ ankle want as bad as they made it out to be.
      I still believe they sat him so he would t get injured before the season.

      2. That dude is just like a piece of china that aims to run into the bull.

    3. Ward’s bones must be brittle. So many breaks and all in different places. If I was him I would think about changing careers.

    4. It’s just a finger. Wrap that puppy up and go. He’s a 49ers DB, not like he’ll need to catch the ball anyway.

      1. Yeah what Jack said. It’s a finger if he doesn’t play because of that, he’s got to go.
        Just hope it doesn’t hurt his tackling after balls are caught on him all day.

  33. Why I had Al-Shaair on the team when I made my 53 man prediction, and why I am glad the Niners kept him (copied from The Athletic):

    When Azeez Al-Shaair arrived for Florida Atlantic’s pro day on March 26, some of the NFL scouts on hand tried to talk him out of participating.

    The linebacker, after all, had surgery Nov. 6 to repair a torn ACL and damaged meniscus. Unless your name is Adrian Peterson, going full bore in a workout four and a half months after such a serious procedure wasn’t just risky, it was considered close to impossible.

    Al-Shaair, however, had been running for weeks, had clearance from the Birmingham, Ala. doctor who performed the surgery and decided he would not — could not — deny himself a chance to impress NFL teams.

    “I think people were nervous because, to my knowledge, there was only one other person in football who was able to do stuff like that that early,” Al-Shaair recalled this week. “To me, it was like, ‘OK, Adrian Peterson is Adrian Peterson. He’s a freak and everything like that.’ But at the end of the day, it came from his mind, from his work ethic. So I just believed, ‘Why can’t I do that, too? Why can’t it be me?’”

    “Teams were trying to steer me away from doing it, saying, ‘You don’t have anything to prove,’” he continued. “To me, I had everything to prove.”

    Al-Shaair didn’t run the 40-yard dash or take part in the broad jump, but he performed linebacker drills, and to the surprise of the scouts, looked fluid and comfortable.

    Some of the teams that had scratched Al-Shaair from their draft list — they were certain he’d have to sit out his rookie season — began to reassess. The most optimistic thought he might be a candidate for an injury designation that would allow him to begin playing at midseason.

    It turns out even those teams were underestimating Al-Shaair.

    Five months after the workout, the Tampa native made the 49ers’ 53-man roster, and on Sunday he’ll suit up for a game being played just four miles from his alma mater, Hillsborough High School.

    How does an undrafted rookie, one who played for a lightly regarded football program and who was coming off an autumn ACL tear, make it into an NFL Week 1 lineup?

    For one, he had a dedicated advocate inside 49ers headquarters.

    Chris Kiffin, the team’s pass-rush coach, worked closely with Al-Shaair at Florida Atlantic in 2017, the linebacker’s best season. Kiffin had been an assistant at Ole Miss for five years before becoming the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Florida Atlantic where his brother, Lane, was the head coach and their father, Monte, was an advisor.

    One of the first things he noted at his new job was that his inside linebacker clearly was superior to the ones he had watched at Ole Miss, an SEC school.

    “He had all the physical traits, obviously,” Kiffin said of Al-Shaair. “At that level he was night-and-day better than everybody else. But what really stuck out — not just to me but my brother, my dad — was the leadership.”

    Kiffin recalled the first game of the season, a loss to Navy. A lightning storm in South Florida caused a delay so long that the fourth quarter lasted more than three hours. The contest didn’t end until 1:47 a.m. When it was over, the crowd, the band — even the cheerleaders — had gone home. The only people in the stands were the cleaning crew.

    “And we take the bus back to the office and we walk upstairs to get our laptops, and he’s already sitting up there watching film,” Kiffin said. “For him at that age to have the leadership and the want-to and drive that he did — it was just remarkable.”

    Al-Shaair has exceptional maturity because he was forced to grow up faster than his peers.

    His parents divorced when he was in second grade. When he was 15 and living at his grandmother’s home, a kitchen fire started when an older sister, running late for work, forgot to turn off the stove. Al-Shaair smelled the burning grease, gathered up his two younger brothers and a two-year-old niece, then watched from outside as black smoke rose to the heavens and the home burned to the ground.

    After that, Al-Shaair and his seven siblings began a nomadic lifestyle, at one point sharing a $370-a-week extended-stay hotel room on the outskirts of Tampa. Al-Shaair took a city bus to Hillsborough High, a trip that would take up to two hours because he had to drop off his little brothers at their school first.

    Al-Shaair strikes a unique balance between supreme confidence and humility. Many rookies treat themselves to new rides upon reaching the NFL. Al-Shaair’s only ride: A silver bicycle he pedals from the Santa Clara Marriott to the 49ers facility each morning at 6 a.m. He’s always ridden a bike, he says, so why stop now?

    On the field, he’s anything but quiet. Al-Shaair is the type of player you notice almost immediately. He’s fast and aggressive, and he delivered such a big hit in the 49ers’ preseason opener — cutting down Cowboys running back Mike Weber for a 5-yard loss — that the starters on the 49ers sideline sprang to their feet in appreciation during what had been a dull and meaningless game.

    That’s what Al-Shaair did weekly at Florida Atlantic. He plays and practices with a passion and a ferocity so great that it initially turned off his college teammates because they thought he was too serious, too intense. The reason he worked so hard, the reason he watched game film at 3 a.m., the reason he took things so seriously — and so personally — was that he was working for his family. His younger brothers lived with him in his apartment during college.

    By the time Kiffin arrived on campus for the start of Al-Shaair’s junior season, the linebacker had won over teammates. It was clear he was the defense’s central figure. Everyone gravitated around him.

    “People can see that it’s all real. It’s not for show. That’s who he is,” Kiffin said. “He’s the alpha male of his family. Raising his brothers and things like that — it’s all he knows. He’s the one in charge. His role now, to be the fifth linebacker — it’s probably hard for him not to be the alpha male of the entire team, but I think that’s what helps him make it.”

    Al-Shaair led his team with 14 tackles in that 2017 opening loss to Navy and he had 10 more against Wisconsin the second week. A torn ligament in his elbow in the third game forced him to sit out the fourth and he played the rest of the season with a bulky brace on his left arm.

    Still, he ranked third in the nation in tackles that season and by the end of his junior year had become Florida Atlantic’s all-time leading tackler. He was considered a third- or fourth-round pick going into his final season. Then he tore his ACL during a bye-week practice in mid October.

    Despite the injury, Kiffin was pushing for the 49ers to draft Al-Shaair in April. When they took another linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, in the fifth round, Kiffin knew that wasn’t going to happen, and he spent the final two rounds worrying that another team would snatch his former pupil away.

    None of the other teams did, which has become Al-Shaair’s new, great motivation.

    When players return to their hometowns, they invariably say they are on a business trip, that they are wary of being distracted by family and the trappings of home. For Al-Shaair, the trip to Tampa is extremely personal. After all, the Buccaneers passed on him in the draft. So did the Bengals in Week 2, the Steelers in Week 3, etc.

    “Every game is like that,” he said. “When I get up in the morning it’s something I have attached to me. I’ll have it for the rest of my career. ‘Undrafted free agent’ will be before anything I do. That’s something I hate seeing. I hate hearing that name, that word, that phrase. Because I know who I am. I know my worth. I know the player I am and the player I want to be.”

    1. This is a GREAT piece! Wish Grant would do write ups like this.
      I have a new player I’ll be rooting for on Sundays. Him and Greenlaw too, who also has an amazing personal story. Hopefully players like Pettis will take notice. If not, hopefully players like Al-Shaair and Greenlaw will call him out.
      Speaking of which, can I just ask, WTF Jimmie “Hospital” Ward?? Is this guy made of fricken’ glass!? Regardless, the idea that he (and Garnett, a daggum offensive lineman for Pete’s sake!) can’t play with a broken finger?? What happened to players like Ronnie Lott who would rather chop it off than miss a single game?? If this is the new norm we can expect of millenials, our future–and this country–is going to crap. We need more Al-Shaairs and Greenlaws.

    3. Great story. Sounds like a great addition to the team and I hope he has a superb career. That said, having seven kids and not being able to afford them is just outright stupid and socially irresponsible.

  34. In the news today I’ve read speculations that BB might be interested in AB if he’s released. BB is such a stickler for details and focused buy-in that it seems incongruous, but who knows? Pats could use help at WR even with Josh’s return. If AB is late to meetings or skips practices or walk-throughs I’m sure Bill would drop him like a bad habit a week after signing him.
    Too bad because the guy can really play!

  35. Lowell Cohn
    ‏@LowellCohn

    Nathan, call me curious but I wonder how you arrive at your assertions. Not disagreeing but asking how you know Bosa’s a great young man, is coachable, loves the game, is a terrific teammate. What research have you done and whom do you know?

    For the complete thread….
    https://twitter.com/LowellCohn

    1. Nathan, do not, I repeat do not reveal your sources, Anonymous is something the Cohns use quite a bit.

  36. And 6-10, 5-7 here we go. Off to the right start with Ward injury. Who’s next? Taylor out already. Hurd, Bosa, Goodwin, …. ?

  37. Trubisky is truly dreadful. Dude can not see the field. Doesn’t help that his ball velocity is laughable. Bears will dump him after the 2020 season.

    2. Yeah, the Bears continue to call “half-field” reads for Trubisky to cover up his lack of field vision.

  38. Niners would have to work really hard on Sunday to stink up the field more than these two teams tonight.

  39. Man watching this game just keeps reminding me how the NFL is literally going to kill itself.Players want more money and less practice,NFL installs rule after rule and this is the result you get..And people want less pre season games?This is garbage football and hos gotten worse every year…Just my opinion

  40. Nah. First games of the season are always a little out of sync. This is nothing new. The sky isn’t falling. R -E -L – A – X

    1. Disagree ,gets worse every year.I been watching football a long time and ive seen the drop off each and every year

          1. I am not saying it is getting worse and is unwatchable.
            .
            I am eagerly anticipating this upcoming season, and want to root for Niner success.

  41. Chicago offense didn’t look good. Maybe Chicago should have played their starters in the 3rd preseason!

    SF 23 TB 9. First of 12 wins this season

  42. The defense is always ahead of the offense, in the beginning of the year. This game proves that point. The offense needs to get more in sync, while the defense just reacts, and plays fast.
    .
    Yes, the game of football is changing, but if it means more safety for the players, I am all for it. Steve Young said he would have loved to play in this era. He would not have taken those massive hits, that ended his career. He mentioned talking with Brady, and Brady said the receivers can go over the middle without fear of being blown up.

  43. Good lord what a snoozer.

    Packers offense was a bit rusty but also very uninspiring. Plays felt unoriginal and their offensive line looks like they’d rather just sit back and pass protect all day. Sure they were playing a fierce front 7 but they looked like a finesse group, no maulers on that line.

    The Bears are screwed. This was just a preview of what most of the season is going to be like for them. They’re going to lose a lot of games where the combined score is less than 20. Trubisky is in full regress mode. The play calling from Chicago was equally bad. If it wasn’t for that defense this would have been 27 -3 blowout.

    Packers wisely grabbed two of the better safety options in the off season when they signed Adrian Amos and drafted Darnell Savage. Two players I heavily petitioned for us to try and get. Both showed why tonight.

  44. 1. The highly touted Trubisky did not look good tonight.
    2. Davante needs more targets
    3. Former Niner, Mike Davis is on the Bears and did nothing
    4. Despite some unsubstantiated reports, Alabama was not in the path of the hurricane and was spared any damage.

      1. They drafted Montgomery to replace JH. They should give him more than 5 carries. He had a nice leaping 32 yd catch.

  46. Grant asked if Wards injury is a milk issue? Yeah not enough milk cause his bones are weak Grant?
    Easily the dumbest question a reporter asked in a while

          1. Raz,
            I’m now a recovering Vegetarian. I had to get rid of my number one drink (milk) and go Almond Milk. I thought I was going to slash my wrist (Jk) having to use that awful drink as a substitute?.
            Needless to say, nothing beats the real thing.
            Remember, “milk does a body good” ??

  47. Wow, Mr. Biscuit was pretty atrocious tonight. Nagy’s play calling blew. Not sold on Valdez-Scantling or Allison. It’s early and both teams might figure some things out, but Chicago could have a very long season.

  48. This is going to be a very weird season for the NFL. There was something strange and slightly ominous about Luck’s quitting during the last pre-season game. Not the look you want at season 100. Then you’ve got the Brown drama, which in and of itself is completely disturbing. The total score of tonight’s game was 13.

    1. It may not be what the league wants to hear, but Luck and AB may have something in common.
      .
      I think Luck just could not take all the beating. They paid him his full bonus because they sent him back on the field, even though he was suffering from concussive effects. Luck realized that it was not only his body that was giving out, it was his mind, too. He looked at Buoniconti, and did not want to go there.
      .
      AB was never the same after he was destroyed by a vicious hit by Burflict. AB is demonstrating erratic behavior, and those outbursts are signs of classic concussion/PTSD symptoms. Basically, his brain is short circuiting.

      1. Who is Burflict? Is he related to Jake “show your” Butt?

        Didn’t know you were also an expert in medicine?

        Scout/PR/GM/medical doctor. Seb, the Renaissance Man!

          1. Willie,
            Hard to say. With the 49ers, for many fans they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

            With drafted or FA players, you sign them on the premise that they will deliver and play to the teams expectations.
            Obviously, that’s not always the case.

      2. Logically, that makes sense Seb, but Luck was perceived and then marketed as the next great QB to become a face of the NFL. He had the right bloodlines and college pedigree. His retirement and timing is unusual by any standard. It wasn’t in the off-season, it wasn’t at the start of training camp, but during the last pre-season game. I think the Colts knew and leaked it to Schefter, which led to Indy’s semi-riotous response. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Luck was supposed to build from strength to strength and be a key figure in year 100 but it was almost like this weird glitch in the Matrix. In essence, I see this as meta-event, aka “Bad Luck.”

        The combined score of last nights game was 13.

        I predict more bad luck for the league including a few more marquee players going down.

        The Super Bowl will feature two teams that aren’t going to fit the glitzy profile of their marquee event.

        Think something like Bills and the Falcons or even our own Niners.

        1. Captain, I hate to say this, but the Seahawks may be a good candidate for the SB. They fleeced the Texans to grab Clowney for a couple nobodies and a third, and to add insult to injury, made them pay half of his salary.
          .
          They have improved and will be a formidable opponent, and the Ravens may be poised to return. Jackson is a multi-faceted weapon, and their defense is stout.
          .
          However, if JG can stay healthy, the Niners have a shot at the Wild Card, and once in the playoffs, anything is possible.

          1. Seb,
            “Captain, I hate to say this, but the Seahawks may be a good candidate for the SB.”

            The Hags do look good, but if Russell goes down are they still considered SB contenders?
            Can Brett Hundley lead them to the mountain?

            1. No, any team that loses its franchise QB will probably struggle.
              .
              I am mainly talking about how their defense just got a lot better with Clowney. He was the first pick of the draft in 2014.

  49. The best part about this game is knowing we didn’t draft Trubisky. Not to defend the Solomon Thomas pic, but whiffing on a qb is normally far worse than doing so at any other position.

    1. Bears fans are talking about their move up to get Trubisky, and missing out on Mahomes and Watson.
      .
      They are not happy campers.

        1. Some likely will… He is still an unknown at this point.
          However, if he doesn’t show well this year they should be looking at drafting a qb and there are several intriguing prospects that should be available in the upcoming draft.

        2. One game performance won’t dictate how Garoppolo will play the whole season.

              1. Sure and the sample size is definitely smaller on JG but that is the point, many see him as the savior of the franchise and he has yet to play a full season and he’s almost 28 years old.

    2. I don’t know. On one hand I’d loved to have seen Grants coverage and the boards commentary of this ongoing debacle. It would have been epic. On the other hand HELL YES, I’m glad we didn’t trade for that disaster.

      1. Grant covering Antonio Bryant and his actics would be periscope gold,Id bet ya he would have threatened to punch Grant already!

    3. Willie,
      Hard to say. With the 49ers, for many fans they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

      With drafted or FA players, you sign them on the premise that they will deliver and play to the teams expectations.
      Obviously, that’s not always the case.
      Football sports blogs make their living on Monday morning Quarterbacks, and the “I told you so’s.”

  52. Solmon Thomas taken 3 overall while Trubisky was taken 2nd overall. S Thomas is a better QB then Trubisky. God he is awful. Absolutely pathetic that he mustered 3 points at home against an average defense. Thank God the Niners didn’t draft that clown.

    2. Rebuild a winner – Nagy’s game play calling of 52 passes and only 13 runs did not do anything to help Trubisky either. The entire game was just a 1 score differential, and then on 3rd and inches, after two successful runs, Nagy calls a pass play, and with protection breaking down, Trubisky has to scramble and gets sacked for a 1 yard loss.

      Once again, we are witnessing a head coach/play caller who lost sight of the game score, the overall play of the QB and his offensive line, overlooked the struggle the Packer offense was having and never made any adjustments with his play calling to change the tempo of his offense or to help his offensive players.

      Another game of bad game management by a head coach who saddles himself with an offensive coordinator/play caller role, and the head coach hat is sitting on an empty head!!!!

      I will guarantee if Nagy were just the head coach and another coach was the OC/play caller, Nagy, as head coach, would have told the OC/play caller to make some adjustments.

      Does this not sound all too familiar???????????

      1. Goes to show that some QB’s have brain-lock. They aren’t flexible enough to go to the open man because they’re locked in on throwing to the planned receiver even when he’s covered.

        Trubiski (like CFC said) was very Kaepernick like last night.

    2. RU trolling me?
      .
      Kaep is being blackballed, that has nothing to do with his talents. He is a SB QB that has set playoff rushing records. Only he and JM has passed for over 300 yards and run for over 50 yards in a SB.

        1. Yup, posters on this site usually bring up Kaep just to troll me.
          .
          I do not mind, because then I get to talk about Kaep. Most other posters would try to ignore Kaep, but since he brought up the subject, and you seem to want to prolong this, here goes.
          .
          Kaep is being unfairly persecuted for his social justice protests. He was just silently and respectfully exercising his first amendment rights to protest against injustices that others would just want to ignore. His protest created a firestorm of controversy, and succeeded to start a dialogue. Even the NFL is now addressing social concerns.
          .
          The pushback and continued blackballing is unAmerican. This is like Rosa Parks being assailed and denigrated because she stood tall, and refused to be put in the back of the bus.
          .
          Of course, his detractors like to couch their screeds as only relating to football, then saying Kaep is not good enough to play. After watching the drek QBs playing this offseason, Kaep is far superior to most of the backups, and many of the starters.
          .
          The blackballing is proven when teams will not even give him a tryout. I wonder if the NFL is violating the terms of the agreement, because Kaep probably would not have settled if he knew they would continue the blackballing. Voiding the CBA will make Kaep a hero to the players, because the owners are treating the players as chattel. The NFL hid the dangers of CTE, and refuse to consider any sharing of revenues to help with the former player’s medical costs.
          .
          Thanks for giving me another opportunity to talk about Kaep. I look forward to more of your posts pertaining to Kaep. I think posters who do not think Kaep is talented enough to play, have very little football knowledge. Kaep got to the SB after only 10 games. He overcame a 21 point deficit in the NFCC Game, and set a playoff rushing record by rushing for 181 yards. No other QB has ever done that before.
          .
          Keep them coming. I could talk all day about Kaep.

          2. Seb,
            When I comment on a QB who makes a bonehead play that reminds of Kaep, please know that I’m not thinking about you.

          3. Rosa Parks my ARSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Kaps last 3 years in the league, he truly sucked!

            Kap is on record saying he’s not interested in mechanics.

            John Madden once said Joe Montana was mechanically the most perfect QB in NFL history.

            Answer this, Seb…….THIS comment and not some other comment I never made………….

            “The owners are doing this and the owners are doing that…………..”

            I can talk about Kap until the end of time, and not to your liking. I will simply tell the truth.

      2. And we also know how you quickly dumped the blackball issue when Hoyer thrilled your heart that one August night in ’17……

        1. O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.

          –shakespeare

          O fortune, fortune! all men call thee fickle.

          -ibid

    3. In Trubisky’s defense, his team suddenly changing over to their white away uniforms mid-play had him totally confused. Could happen to the best of them ;)

  54. Hmmm , Grant’s new periscope should be interesting.
    .
    The AB drama. The Bears ineptitude. Ward giving his detractors the finger.
    .
    Cant wait.

    1. The AB drama. The Bears ineptitude

      I’m not sure what those have to do with Inside the 49ers, but go for it Grant. I still think Grants valuable time could be better spent on analysis of the 49ers upcoming opponent.

      1. It all pertains to football. JL was interested in AB, and Trubisky was traded up for by the Bears, with the Niners, who then took Thomas.

        1. JL was interested in AB, and Trubisky was traded up for by the Bears,

          Irrelevant hindsight. If we wanted that kind of commentary, PD could scour Bear fans twitter feeds. They might save some money, too.

          1. Although, some weird synchronicity at play here.

            After the trade was first announced, the general consensus was that the Bears would take a defensive player, but instead, they went for Trubisky, which was a surprising move considering the team had just signed Mike Glennon less than two months ago.

            And Glennon is now the Raiders backup QB who won’t be throwing to AB. LOL.

            1. Hmmm, you sound like you are following the Raiders pretty closely. I did not know you were a Raider fan.
              .
              Frankly, I think this AB drama is entertaining, and am happy JL was too wise to fall for AB’s shtick.

              1. Hmmm, you sound like you are following the Raiders pretty closely.

                Or seen a few episodes of Hard Knocks. Whats wrong seb, can’t afford HBO?

                I did not know you were a Raider fan.

                I was. In the days of Daryl Lamonica, Lester Hayes, Call me Assassin, Heidi Games and Snake Stabler. Since then? Not so much.

              3. See, I knew you are a closet Raider fan, and diss me because I am a die hard faithful Niner fan.
                .
                I could have watched, but did not want to waste my time like you do, watching HK.

              4. Not watching? Yet you offer ignorant medical diagnoses for A.Brown without a shred of knowledge about him or the subject matter? Ok, got it.

              5. AB is acting erratically, and is a total head case. Even a blind man can see he is distraction, and threatening to punch out a GM is going totally over the line.
                .
                Maybe you have a rational reason why he is behaving this way, but my opinion is that he is acting like his brains are scrambled, because he got his brain scrambled.

              6. C’mon Sebbie… I’ve been up front about being a NorCal football fan–pro and NCAA–for a long time. I followed the Raiders, early ’60s, up to their move to LA , then it waned. Been following the 9ers since the early 60s consistently. Shucks, you shared not too long ago that a key member of your family was a Raider fan back in the day. You didn’t trash that individual…………….did you?

                So much contrived drama. You must have spent time in community theater.

              7. I sure wish the stench of Baalke would leave this site. Now I know you were a Raider fan.
                .
                Now all your snark makes sense. You like to troll die hard faithful Niner fans.

              9. I knew you are a closet Raider fan,

                Do you not understand the past tense connotation of the word “was”?

              10. Art Thoms, Tom Keating, Tony Cline, Raymond Chester, Gerald Irons,…………

                The University of Mars. ? Good times!

              11. Glad you admitted that. Now, I get to bludgeon you every time you want to engage me.
                .
                Now all this pushback makes sense. You both are closet Raider fans, trolling Niner fans.

              12. Oh goodie, Seb has a new bee buzzing up in his empty bonnet.

                Next you are going to tell us you never saw all those classic Niner games on CBS because you were boycotting John Madden? Lol.

              13. Oh, Prime, I remember when you crowed about those Niner losses, just because you hated Kaep so much.
                .
                However, you are more of Eskimo fan, being from up north

              14. I like Madden, since he stopped being the HC of the Raiders and became a broadcaster.
                .
                Wow. you kinda sound desperate, just like a Raider fan.

              15. I like Madden, since he stopped being the HC of the Raiders and became a broadcaster.

                So you are familiar with the concept of past tense after all. Here’s your cookie

  55. 5 questions entering the 49er’s season:
    1. Will the pass rush be enough to save the secondary?
    2. Will Garappolo clean up the interceptions?
    3. Will the team be able to run behind this offensive line?
    4. Has Shanahan figured out how to score in the Red Zone?
    5. Can this team stay healthy?

    1. Good succinct list CFC.

      How long do we wait with our cock-sure answers to those questions? One game? One quarter? Have they been answered already? A sizeable number of posters here think so.

    3. I’d add a 6th. Will the punt team pin the Bucs well inside their 20 consistently (when opportunities arise)?

      1. FRM, that has already been answered here. If Shanahan’s offense is any good they won’t need to punt!

        New 6th question:
        Where’s that 4th round pick OL or DB?

    5. My 6th question that burns brightly:
      Will they start the season with a bunch of silly penalties?

    6. 5 Answers (in my opinion):

      1. To a certain degree. Not a complete save, but enough for there to be improvement this year.
      2. Not as much as we would like. Jimmy G will always try to squeeze in certain throws; I would suspect he will continuously be a 10-15 interceptions a year Quarterback. If his other numbers are 4,000 yards and 30-35 touchdowns, I can live with it.
      3. Yes.
      4. I think there will be improvement. Greater emphasis on Kittle, the short yard separation skills of Samuel, and the muscle of Hurd should contribute. The existence of an outside zone running scheme will always result in some deficiency in running in the red zone.
      5. Hopefully.

  56. Matt Maiocco
    ‏@MaioccoNBCS

    Kyle Shanahan on @KNBR said Jimmie Ward had surgery on his broken finger last night. It’s undetermined at this point whether they can put a cast on it for him to play on Sunday.

    1. I’m probably in the minority, but I really feel for Ward!

      Coaches really root for him and he seems like a good teammate.

      Does he have osteoporosis or something like that? SMH

  58. My pick for week 1
    TB 27
    SF 13
    Reasons why:
    #1 East coast game
    #2 Heat and humidity
    #3 Shanahan’s over protection of the starters in camp and preseason. The 9ers horrible injury issues the last 2 seasons have made Shanahan gun shy when it comes to preseason prep and I believe the team is less prepared than their early opponents.

    2. Sorry to disagree. The Niners will become road warriors. TB will also have to play in the same conditions.
      .
      KS and his coaching staff will have improved from last season. By them going out a couple days early, they are serious bout winning. Holding out players in the preseason, meant that he now has healthier players (Except Ward). They had shown that they can tackle well, but you may be right about the offense needing more time to develop timing and playing cohesively. Richberg coming back will be critical for their success.

      1. Seb,
        I certainly hope you are correct. As to both teams playing in the same conditions, that is true but the team that lives in those conditions tends to acclimate better.

  62. ‘Sometimes’ I wonder if being negative is a cover up for not being able to handle disappointment – the agony of defeat. Prepare for the bad so the emotions do not take a plunder, and of course if they are wrong and it goes right then its all :) and they will mutter the utter “I have no problems being wrong”.

    1. You may be on to something UC. I’ve read of studies claiming the endorphin low of losing is much more intense and lasting than the euphoric high from winning. Direct personal experience solidifies those claims. ?

    2. Being negative during the York’s ownership is like betting on the favorite at the horse races. You’re going to be right many more times than not. Like Sour Yeast has pointed out a time or two, the people here who are eternally optimistic are a very small minority of the general NFL fan population. When I travel around the country and have to stop into a sports bar to see the game, you wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve had to request that the management put the 49ers game on. This includes the Phoenix area where we are in the same league.

      1. There is eternal optimism then there is experienced optimism. Eternal – its great all the time. The experienced is, its great till it isn’t. Isn’t, is understood that stuff happens! One can be an optimist without being stupid. Except me, 19-0 baby 19-0.

  63. From nfl.com…

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans is under the weather ahead of the team’s season-opener versus the San Francisco 49ers.

    Evans missed practice Friday due to illness.

    Coach Bruce Arians said Evans caught a bug, but he’s hopeful it won’t impact the receiver’s availability for Sunday. Arians added guys who have caught the illness have recovered in 24 hours. If that timeline holds, Evans should be ready for Sunday.

    Evans is the key to the Bucs passing attack, and quarterback Jameis Winston would be severely hampered if the star receiver’s snaps are curtailed at all due to the illness Sunday.

    In better news for the Bucs, Arians said both linebacker Lavonte David (knee) and defensive tackle Vita Vea (knee) are good to go for Week 1

    More league info…
    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001051540/article/roundup-bucs-mike-evans-illness-misses-practice

  64. Wonder who from the greater Bay Area sports media community are making the trek to Tampa Bay….

  65. Somebody take Sebs twitter account away:

    sebnynah says:
    September 6, 2019 at 10:01 am
    See, I knew you are a closet Raider fan, and diss me because I am a die hard faithful Niner fan.
    .
    I could have watched, but did not want to waste my time like you do, watching HK.

    Franklin says:
    September 6, 2019 at 10:05 am
    Not watching? Yet you offer ignorant medical diagnoses for A.Brown without a shred of knowledge about him or the subject matter? Ok, got it.

    REPLY: Reminds me of this scene from The Cable Guy with Janeane Garofalo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKUjK96Gcig

    1. Seriously are you in love with sebnynah or something? Just come out man..Sorry if this is common knowledge on here.

      1. russ49………………….there is a long, long history of Sebby purposely saying provocative things for just and only that reason….to provoke.

        I guarantee you, Sebs loves it. This verbal fencing he does is his sport,

        1. No, Saw, I want these fools to troll me as much as I want a hole in my head.
          .
          If you will pay attention, I do absolutely nothing, but they try so desperately hard, feverishly cutting and pasting, doing everything in their power to counter my words. Too bad it just makes posters like Russ to question their motives. This obsession is unhealthy, and makes them look juvenile, mean and petty.
          .
          Some day, they will learn their lesson.
          .

  67. Trubiscuit isn’t yet comfortable under center. Remember, it takes 10,000 reps to master. That’s why he operates predominately from the shotgun, along with giving him the help he needs to see the field and(ahem), read the defense….

  69. AES:

    What probably happened is that when you filled in the Name field it was autofilled in or there were multiple selections including your name that you accidentally selected or didn’t realize you selected. Try posting a new post and check out what shows up as an “autofill” entry when you enter something in the “Name” field.

    Cheers.

    1. Yep, that’s what happens to me as well but I don’t mind if my name shows as I’ve posted it intentionally. I understand others have their valid reasons for privacy, but I have nothing to hide and provide no incentive for someone looking to usurp my identity. Cheers to you both!

      1. Thanks fellas.
        I spoke with my IT friend and he confirmed that
        I did exactly what Cubus mentioned.
        So apologies to the PD for my overreaction.

        Still, it’s never been a good idea (even though I did it myself) to expose your identity on this blog.
        So I’m giving myself a timeout.

    3. Here too, happened yesterday and that wasn’t the first time, I happened to catch it and deleted it. No big deal AES hopefully you will be back.

  74. Jennifer Lee Chan
    ‏@jenniferleechan

    #49ers status report for #SFvsTB:
    OUT
    WR Jalen Hurd (back)
    WR Trent Taylor (foot)
    CB Jimmie Ward (hand)

    QUESTIONABLE
    DE Nick Bosa (ankle)
    C Weston Richburg (knee)
    CB Jason Verrett (ankle)
    CB K’Waun Williams (knee)

    Shanahan wants to see how the long plane ride affects injuries.

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