Niners postgame report
Just back from the victorious 49ers' locker room, where coach Mike Singletary opened his postgame remarks with the following words: "Thank God it's the preseason."
Here are some notes from the 49ers' 17-16 victory over the Broncos in the exhibition opener for both clubs:
--Singletary said things were not as sharp as he wanted. That's why he is grateful there are still three games to work out the kinks, he said.
--Shaun Hill and Alex Smith played "OK," Singletary said. "Nothing that really makes you jump one way or the other."
--Hill played the first drive, consisting of 10 offensive plays. Then, the 49ers went with Smith, who played 17 snaps to finish off the first half.
"I think Hill is less of a mystery," Singletary said. "We have a better idea of who he is and what he brings."
--The one play Hill wanted back was a sack he took on a first down from the Broncos' 26. Hill said he should have gotten off the primary target sooner, and then he should've thrown it away.
--The one play Smith wanted back was a low throw to Glen Coffee on a blitz. He said he should have gotten more air under the pass and let Coffee adjust, rather than try to throw it like a dart. Coffee could've gone a long, long way if the pass had been on target.
--There were two potentially significant injuries to players battling for roster spots. Fullback Zak Keasey sustained a fractured right forearm. Running back Thomas Clayton sustained a right knee injury and was carted off the field in obvious pain. He will undergo further evaluation Saturday, at which point the extent will likely be known. The 49ers described Clayton's injury as a "knee sprain," which means he sustained damage to a ligament.
--A television reporter asked, "Who is Brit Miller?" To which Singletary replied, "You talking about the fullback? He's just a guy who's going to give you all he has."
And two touchdowns, too.
Miller played linebacker in college at
Miller caught a 3-yard TD pass from Alex Smith in the second quarter and a 40-yard TD from Damon Huard in the fourth quarter. Miller was the 49ers' leading receiver with two catches for 43 yards. Vernon Davis had two grabs for 41 yards.
--Safety Reggie Smith had a nice game. He was credited with one interception, but it was his play on a two-point conversion late in the game that wrapped up the 49ers' 17-16 victory. (By the way, big thanks to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. He went for the two-point conversion with 1:52 remaining, rather than send the game into OT with a PAT.)
--Singletary was asked for his impression of the 49ers' pass rush. His answer: "Non-existent." The 49ers did not record a sack or many QB pressures.
--Huard has gotten limited reps during training camp, but he looked darn sharp tonight. He completed 7 of 9 passes for 98 yards. "At this stage in my career, I think mental reps are every bit as beneficial," he said. "It saves the wear and tear on my arm."
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Thanks MM for all the updates. Average game. Felt a lot like the first preseason game after two HARD weeks of TC. I'm guessing Coach will start to pull back the pace a little bit this week. Hard to read too much into this game when are best 3 players were in street clothes. That Clayton injury looks season ending to me, but I hope not. Sheets will now get more reps to show us what he has.
"Mike Singletary opened his postgame remarks with the following words: "Thank God it's the preseason."
HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
MM i tried to watch the game and pay particular attention to the qbs and be unbiased like you asked. i have to say that i think hill looked more fluid, polished, and just had better command. smith looked rusty and nervous and in need of more work. i actually am pulling for smith here but just want a qb that will win. actually huard looked good. i'm very disappointed that they did not let davis throw a single pass. anyway, i think hill got yanked too early. i would have liked to see what he would have done coming back for a second series. playcalling on O looked ok. i thought the last couple series were a little bland but probably was the game plan. all in all the offense looked ok. needs some work no doubt. but the coaching will not be the problem in my mind it will be the O-line and Qb play. i guess i have a Q for ya. why is JJ finley in the mix when bear seems more versatile? if it were not for brit's 2 tds, i would have said bear could be a swing fb or te. thanks for the coverage and have take care.
Thank you M.M. for --as usual--great coverage and quick delivery. Looking forward to your thoughts on the Sing-Raye approach to offense as the season develops.
PS- Am I imagining things, or has Singletary told Coffee he is expected to finish his runs by crunching d-backs, like Sing's old team-mate Walter P.?
> Singletary was asked for his impression of the 49ers' pass rush. His answer: "Non-existent."
That's the most important piece of information I got out of the game.
...qb analysis
13 = same ol same ol....he his programmed to take sacks or leave the pocket - ..... Not sure he can execute the shotgun / play action - excellent short-medium passes - still not consistent
11 = not sure - liked the way the pocket looked when he was passing,.......... looked natural during play action,........ loved the patience and follow thru on the TD pass (i think it was the first play after TO)......still slow getting into the game (gets better as game goes)
13 - Can't win big games for me
11 - Has the tools to win big but starts the game too slow
A "non existent" pass rush is of much greater concern to this fan than Coach Raye's play calling (which must be construed in the context of goals for a preseason game)! How about Brit Miller -luck was a lady for him tonight !!!
"Thank God it's the preseason." my thoughts exactly. Coach Singletary really is a man of the people, haha.
Keep in mind the retooled Broncos OL is phenomenal in pass protection (only 12 sacks allowed last year), & their OL coach Rick Dennison is highly regarded enough to interview for Broncos HC & 9er OC this offseason.
You could have asked him a real question like....
"You are the head coach, why did you not work on your 2 minute drill at the end of the first half?"
You could have asked him a real question like....
"You are the head coach, why did you not work on your 2 minute drill at the end of the first half?"
Pace dictates the game… They started the drive slow; maybe if they had moved the ball and changed field position earlier they would have been more aggressive and tried to score. In reality, they just wanted to enter the half up 9-0, injury free! There will be plenty of opportunities to work the 2 min offense.
Wow, Hill exhibited all that on one 10 play drive in a preseason game. Sounds like a fair analysis to me.
Wow, Hill exhibited all that on one 10 play drive in a preseason game. Sounds like a fair analysis to me.
Once again someone let you at the toolshed!!!
Smith will be battling for the 2nd job against Huard... Smith looked horrible
Not impressed with "3&out" Smith. His arm definitely looks healed but his brain is still stuck in 1st gear. Really, what did you see to make you think he's going to win big games? This is his 4th year as a pro & he still looks like he hasn't figured it out yet...and Huard looked way better. Trade Alexa and go with Hill, Huard & Davis
This is what I saw:
Smith still is shaky from the snap to the pocket. And then he still hurries the pass when players are wide open. When is Alex going to get comfortable in the pocket?? The pass to Coffee? C'mom Alex calm down!Miller's catch in the end zone saved Smith the embarrassment of throwing the ball into the ground to a guy wide open, again he really didn't look much different than he when he played before. Sorry, this is what I saw. After reading about how TC was going for him, it must be he still has problems in the game settings. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't horrible by any means. But he still looks like he needs polishing.
I think Hill, for the little he played did fairly well, but he looked almost the same as last year, also. He still seems to hit the wide open guy more consistently than Smith. He seems to move out of the pocket with his eyes down field. And that shows his focus is good.
I really don't care who starts. I just want to win.
I think MS purposely stuck Smith in there right away to see how he would react to an injury to Hill in a game.