A word to the wise: Don’t challenge Phillip Adams to a game of old maid, or Risk, or dominoes, unless you plan to bring your A game.
“I want to win,” Adams said this week, laughing at his own expense. “My brother’s the same way, my sister. If we’re gonna do something, even if we’re playing a game of cards, man, we want to win. Me and my brother play spades all the time, and he gets mad at me because I play the wrong hand sometimes. We’re mad at each other. I’m mad at myself, too. We’re just a whole competitive family.”
Why the 49ers must beat San Diego
First, the undeniable evidence that a solid-gold preseason record means absolutely nothing in the NFL.
The 2008 Detroit Lions went 4-0 in August, then proceeded to compile the only 0-16 record in league history. Two years earlier, Art Shell’s Raiders had started 4-0 in the preseason (they played in the Hall of Fame Game) before losing their final exhibition tilt to finish 4-1; Oakland went 2-14 that regular season and seemed even more futile than that to those of us who watched the team up close.
And now, a meek rebuttal.
Could 49ers’ entire draft class make roster?
It may be years before we know whether Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are the Pro Bowl linemen the 49ers hope they are, or whether S Taylor Mays and LB NaVorro Bowman can be long-term NFL starters.
By one measure, though, the 49ers’ 2010 draft is shaping up to be a success: It’s looking highly likely that all eight picks will make the 53-man roster.
Singletary tepid on his backup QBs
When Mike Singletary confronted the media Monday, I asked the coach if he felt comfortable with his backup quarterbacks. As is often the case, Singletary gave us more than we expected.
“When you say comfortable, I’ll put it this way,” he said. “I feel good about Alex Smith. I feel very good about where he’s at. I think we have to do a great job of protecting our starting quarterback. When it comes to David Carr, I think David Carr is a guy that I could grow to feel comfortable with. I think he’s a guy that has a good command of the offense. I think he understands, I just think that he’s still thinking a lot and he’s still having to get the rhythm and all the other things, but I think David Carr, I could grow to feel comfortable with him.”
Boiling down the response, it sounded a lot like Singletary saying, “Comfortable with my backups? Let’s just pray Alex Smith doesn’t get hurt.”
Crabtree and Vernon, together again
For the first time since Aug. 11, WR Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis were on the field together during 11-on-11 team period.
Crabtree missed nearly two weeks with a neck strain, and didn’t play against the Raiders on Saturday even though he had practiced in the week leading up to the game. Davis hurt his knee going up for a pass from Alex Smith in the first preseason game at Indianapolis, and hasn’t worked in full team drills since. Until today. Both practiced, though it’s uncertain whether either will face the Chargers on Thursday.
Still waiting for 49ers’ complete offense
Since the start of preseason games, the 49ers’ offense has been missing more parts than the Camaro permanently stashed in my neighbor’s driveway.
The regular season is just 12 days away, and we don’t really know what Jimmy Raye’s platoon will look like at full strength. RB Brian Westbrook joined the team late and finally saw some action against the Raiders on Saturday. TE Vernon Davis tweaked his knee in the first preseason game, at Indianapolis, and hasn’t practiced or played since. WR Michael Crabtree still has never played in an NFL exhibition game. And RB Frank Gore has touched the ball sparingly this preseason.
Is there a punt returner in the house
A lot of people are pretty excited about the 49ers’ defense, despite a lackluster showing against the Raiders on Saturday. In 13 days, it’s hoped, Patrick Willis and cohorts will force the Seattle Seahawks into a succession of three-and-outs.
The question is who will be back to receive the Seahawks’ punts after those defensive stands. Here are the most likely candidates:
Ted Ginn
Ginn has returned 36 punts in his three-year NFL career. He’s clearly the experienced hand(s) here. But this is what coach Mike Singletary said on the topic today: “I would envision Ted Ginn as the kickoff guy, not the punt, not for right now, and that could change.”
Roster battles: the fight card
One preseason game left. Sixty minutes of football. Twenty-two players to be cut within five days. The mathematics of the NFL summer makes for some interesting mini-dramas this time of year.
Coach Mike Singletary said he and his staff have “a decent idea” of what their ultimate 53-man roster will look like. But he admitted the final preseason game, Thursday against San Diego, could help settle a few spots. These are among the most contested:
Brit Miller vs. Jehuu Caulcrick
You figure Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon are safe among the halfbacks. Michael Robinson is needed for special teams, and Moran Norris is the guy at fullback. The 49ers could stop the backfield there, or they could go with a second fullback.
Dixon ducks his head and the Sluggo Seam
• After Mike Singletary urged him to do less dancing in the backfield, rookie running back Anthony Dixon (21 carries, 69 yards) appeared to get the message. At least on one third-quarter play.
Unspectacular Carr unquestioned No. 2
David Carr’s stats were about as pretty as his shot-put delivery, but Mike Singletary unequivocally declared him the Niners’ second-string quarterback after Saturday night’s game.
Secondary doesn’t pass the test
As the former leader of one of the best defenses in NFL history, Mike Singletary’s standards for the Niners’ 11-man unit are slightly higher than most.
So it wasn’t a huge surprise when Samurai Mike looked personally insulted Saturday night after a reporter labeled last year’s defense, which ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed, “good.”
Rocky, um, Aubrayo Franklin officially signs
Aubrayo Franklin may not be in game shape, but he sounds ready to go 15 rounds.
Gametime Live: Raiders v. 49ers
Follow live coverage of the Raiders v 49ers on Aug. 28, 2010
Niners, Raiders and Mario Mendoza
The 49ers are a popular preseason pick to win the NFC West. The Raiders are projected by many to move from The Worst Team of the 21st Century to, possibly, kind of mediocre.
If the pundits are accurate, the seven-season nightmare endured by NFL fans in the Bay Area could soon be over.
Filling in for Phil and a live game blog
Several months ago, Phil Barber introduced himself as Mike Bordick when he replaced Matt Maiocco, the Cal Ripken of 49ers beat writers.
Aubrayo’s coming… but how soon can he play?
Pretty soon, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin may not be the 317-pound bear in the room.
The 49ers coaches have tried to focus on “the guys who are here” since training camp began Aug. 1, but discussion has periodically returned to the guy who isn’t – Franklin, who has yet to sign his franchise tender and suit up with his teammates in 2010.
That should change Saturday. As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Franklin is expected to fly into San Francisco on Saturday and sign his one-year, $7.003 million contract.
Crabtree, Gore, Westbrook should play, not Vernon
Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree should play against the Raiders on Saturday night, according to coach Mike Singletary. Brian Westbrook probably will, too. Vernon Davis will not. Three out of four ain’t bad if you’re Alex Smith and the rest of the 49ers’ offense.
Smith was handicapped against the Vikings last week as many of his top skill-position players sat out the game. This week, we should all get a better picture of where the offense stands at the break of training camp.
Smith and his starting offensive line, by the way, should play the entire first half Saturday, and maybe into the second.
D-line coach Tomsula on Franklin’s return
The moment we’ve all been waiting for came just before 2 p.m. (PST) this afternoon, when ESPN super-sleuth Adam Schefter reported that missing NT Aubrayo Franklin will fly to San Francisco on Saturday and zip to 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara to sign his franchise tender.
Because of the uncertain labor situation heading into 2011, and because Franklin’s deadline to negotiate a long-term contract with the team had expired, there was little doubt the respected nose tackle would re-enter the fold at some point. The question was when.
Baas’ injury confuses center situation
Earlier in the day, Jimmy Raye had this to say when I asked him if David Baas had “locked up” the center position in Eric Heitmann’s absence: “I don’t know that that’s the correct phraseology, but I would say he’s in the lead. He has the lead in the clubhouse. Now the rules official may come and say it was a sand trap and it’s a two-stroke penalty, but I think he’s the leader in the clubhouse and … if the guy bogeys at 18, then he has a chance, he has a real chance.”
Solid golf joke, solid analysis.
Since then, however, the situation has gotten a little more interesting. Baas missed the afternoon practice with a stinger suffered in the morning session – which explained why Tony Wragge had gotten first-team reps toward the end of that practice.
49ers’ camp becomes war of attrition
The 49ers have avoided major injuries of late, but training camp is starting to look like a war of attrition as we get into the dog days of summer. Five new players joined the unofficial injury list before today’s practice: CB Shawntae Spencer (sore hamstrings), ILB Matt Wilhelm (headaches), WR Jason Hill (groin), T Barry Sims (oblique muscle) and TE Tony Curtis (quadriceps).
None of the five is described as serious. But some of these players, locked in competition for roster spots, can’t afford to miss much time. Hill could be battling Kyle Williams for the final wide receiver job, for example. Curtis might already be on the outside looking in as the 49ers search for a third tight end. And Sims seems to be locked in a battle with Alex Boone and Adam Snyder for a backup spot on the offensive line.
