Singletary: No such thing as meaningless game
It was unique strategy, to say the least. Most NFL coaches are terrified of overtime in exhibition games. But as we've already seen, Mike Singletary is not like most coaches.
Just think of the 49ers' first two exhibition games. They only reason they emerged with one-point victories is because the Broncos' Josh McDaniels and the Raiders' Tom Cable opted for two-point conversion attempts in those games rather than tie it with extra points.
With four minutes remaining and the 49ers trailing by three points, Singletary went against conventional wisdom. In an ultra-conservative move, he opted against going for it on fourth-and-1 from the 6-yard line. Instead, he sent in Alex Romero for a short field goal to tie the game at 13-13.
The move turned out well. The defense held, and the young offense, led by quarterback Nate Davis marched down the field for the winning points.
"It has no meaning for you," said Singletary, whose team improved to 3-0 in the exhibition season. "Every game we play has meaning to me. I would never enter a game thinking that it doesn't matter."
The game certainly mattered to a lot of the players who participated in Saturday's game. Here's a rundown of some of the 49ers' more notable performances (or non-performances):
--QB Nate Davis: Prior to this evening's game, I thought the 49ers could stash him on their practice squad. Now, I say there is absolutely no reason to take that chance. Sure, it was just an exhibition game against the Cowboys' backups, but the kid showed a lot. He looks smooth. He showed poise. He looks like a player. The 49ers drafted him in the fifth round because they want him. They must not take any chance of losing him. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 132 yards. In the huddle, he told the offense, "Let's not settle for the field goal." Two plays later, Kory Sheets scored the winning TD.
--RB Kory Sheets: He led the 49ers with 42 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. He runs hard, as he showed with his 9-yard score for the winning points. "The offensive line did a great job of getting me deep before anybody touched me," Sheets said. "Once I get a full head of steam, it's tough to tackle me." Again, there are teams out there looking for running backs. The 49ers should not let him get away.
--RB Frank Gore: He said he felt great. He did OK. He had 19 yards on five carries, and caught two passes for 8 yards.
--RB Glen Coffee: Unfortunately for him, he wasn't playing against the Raiders. Still, he wasn't bad. He rushed for 34 yards on eight carries. He also caught three passes for 27 yards.
--QB Shaun Hill and the first-team offense did not look very impressive. Hill completed just 9 of 17 passes for 79 yards during his five possessions. "I would have liked for it to have gone a bit smoother than it did," Hill said. "I don't know. You can't tell a whole lot right now. I just wish we could have put a few more points on the board. . . . I don't think there's any reason for panic, that's for sure. The offense is coming together."
--QB Damon Huard played just one series. He completed 2 of 4. It's unknown whether Huard will remain with the team. The 49ers have fielded some calls about Huard's availability.
--QB Alex Smith did not play due to a thumb sprain.
---CB Tarell Brown: He saw his first action of the exhibition season, and he looked really, really good. Don't be surprised if he ends up winning the starting job over veteran Dre' Bly. At the very least, Brown showed he deserves a big role in the offense this season. Not only was he strong in coverage, he showed good awareness in the run game.
--SS Michael Lewis: He sustained his second concussion in 11 days. He'll be re-evaluated, and it's not known at this stage how long he will be out of action.
--S Mark Roman: Say what you want about him, the guy played one heck of a game. He intercepted a pass and came up to make some big tackles. He tripped up speedster Felix Jones after a 13-yard gain. If Roman had not make that sensational tackle, it would've been a long, long TD run. Roman would get the call to be in the starting lineup for Week 1, depending on how Lewis responds in the next couple weeks.
--WR Arnaz Battle got his chance, and he took advantage of it. Battle was money on third downs with Shaun Hill. In fact, it seems like Battle is the only receiver with whom Hill has a connection. Battle caught four passes for 54 yards. He has to make the team.
--The writing is on the wall for several of the wideouts. Chris Francies, Maurice Price, Mark Bradford and Dobson Collins did not play at all on offense.
--WR Jason Hill did not get into the game on offense until the final 11 minutes of the game. Hill played the remainder of the game but did not see one pass come his way. (UPDATE: This is incomplete information. While Hill did not officially have a pass thrown his way in the stat column, he was the target of the deep third-down throw that resulted in a 27-yard pass-interference penalty on the final drive.)
--The receivers who saw significant playing time before Hill stepped on the field were Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan, Arnaz Battle, Dominique Zeigler and Spurlock.
--WR Micheal Spurlock caught two passes for 50 yards, including a 35-yard crossing route on the final drive. He had two fair catches as a punt returner, and he did not get much going on his two snaps from the 49ers' version of the Single-Wing (they call it Taser). In fact, I believe he missed an opportunity for a big play when he handed off to Frank Gore, even though the Cowboys defensive end was crashing down on the play.
--CB Nate Clements: It was a rough game for the player considered to be the team's best cornerback. He just gave up way too many plays in coverage.
--CB Eric Green: He saw a lot of action in the fourth quarter. He made three tackles and appeared to play pretty well. He forced a fumble, which safety Reggie Smith recovered.
--DL Ray McDonald played a few snaps as an inside pass rusher in nickel situations. He looked very tentative in his first game since undergoing ACL reconstruction in January.
--OLB Manny Lawson had a very tough game, too. The 49ers did not generate any pass rush, and Lawson had a difficult time getting off the line of scrimmage. His pass-rush moves need a lot of work.
--DL Kentwan Balmer again showed some good things. He got good pressure once, and another time broken through to get a hand on a pass.
--Speaking of the pass rush, the only guys I saw get some pressure on the quarterback were Justin Smith, Parys Haralson and Marques Harris.
--FS Dashon Goldson wasn't always where he needed to be in coverage, but he again shows he is not afraid to hit. He recorded three tackles.
--FB Brit Miller: The converted linebacker caught two passes for 14 yards and is showing that he might be worth keeping around to develop.
--TE Bear Pascoe: He appears to be losing ground to Joe Jon Finley, who saw significant action as the team's third TE. Pascoe did not play much. It does not look as if he'll be the guy to enter in two-TE formations like the club envisioned when they drafted him.
--TE Delanie Walker: He caught two passes for 24 yards, but struggled in pass protection.
--LB Patrick Willis: Yep, the guy is pretty good.
--LB Ahmad Brooks: Not sure why, but he did not see much action. He was on the first-team kickoff coverage team. He recorded no tackles, no nothing.
--Sorry, I didn't watch every offensive lineman on every play, but saw Chilo Rachal, Alex Boone and Joe Toledo get beaten in pass protection.
--LB Diyral Briggs: He missed a tackle on special teams, but he showed his athleticism when he worked his way across the field to record a tackle on a later kickoff return.
--CB Carlos Thomas: Singletary singled him out last week. He did not see much action on defense, but he made a big hit to stop DeAngelo Smith for 1 yard on a punt return. Thomas might be retained on the practice squad.
--K Alex Romero probably was kicking in his final game, as the first round of 49ers cuts are coming. He made 24-yard FG late in the game. He knew the score when he got here. There was no unseating Joe Nedney.
--NT Khalif Mitchell: His first play came early in the fourth quarter in a short-yardage situation. He promptly stopped Keon Lattimore for no gain on a third-and-1.
* * *
Read about the 49ers' 20-13 victory over the Cowboys. And read more about Marvel Smith retirement.
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All's I know is that kid playing QB is for real and should see some action with the ones. He is a football player. Our #1 draft choice of a few years ago has never shown what this kid did tonight. Plane and Simple GREAT football instincts.
I am officially on board the Nate Davis train
I'd like to see N. Davis play during the regular season. Like in the 4th quarter with a score of 40:3. Or 3:40.
Our pass-rush may have looked mediocre, but we had tons of pressure tonight. -I spotted Spikes, J.Smith, McDonald, and Haralson chasing Romo down/out throughout the first half. -If this had been a regular season game most of those guys would've made some well-targeted diving sacks.
-Still no sacks, but I did see Romo get pummeled a lot after the release (too little, too late).
Ironically though, the thing that disappointed me more tonight was our run defense, that's usually something we never have trouble with!
Yea...im really jacked about the kid Nate Davis....he's gonna be great!! Please Coach Sing...have him start the last pre-season game... he's a player...we should see how he does next week... if playes like the last 2 weeks... LET HIM START..Niner fans (at least this one) will live with some rookie mistakes this season... this kid will win games for us!!
Matt, what about the o-line?
Cowboys suck. Ok, got that out of my system. Now, three words for the 'niners future: Nate freaking Davis. Mark my words, he will start sometime this year. As far as tonights game, the first team looked a bit anemic, but I'll reserve judgement until the Cardinals game. BTW, anyone see Rogers-Cromartie (sp?) get torched repeatedly yesterday? Yummy.
I read somewhere the following "Coach Mike Singletary was quick to note that Davis’ work came against third- and fourth-stringers."
Well I say this to Singletary... I think you are a great coach butttttt..... if Nate Davis is OWNING third and fouth stringers doesnt it mean that he is at least good enough to be a 2nd string QB or better???????? I have seen starting QB's do worse against 3rd and 4th stringers than he is doing!!!!
I am really starting to think the hard on they have for A. Smith from the blue pill they took when they drafted him has lasted longer than the recommended time and they should consult a physician.
Come on guys see a physician so you are no longer afraid of "something" getting in the way when you try to embrace a new QB!!!!!!
Settle down boys.
No one doubts that Nate Davis has looked damn good against a bunch of 2nd and 3rd stringers but he is far from being ready to be a starter. Having said that I will be pissed if he gets dumped onto the practice squad. In a year or two this kid could be very good.
In case you missed my last comment, is the Video board made by Daktronics?
> Having said that I will be pissed if he gets dumped onto the practice squad.
N. Davis will not get on any practice squad during his career. If we cut him another team will claim him. So we are not going to cut him.
He did earn a job as clipboard holder with his performance.
Suddenly the future looks bright. Nate Davis is the real thing and I am sure Crabtree will sign soon. Davis to Crabtree.... maybe the next Montana to Rice?
The worst thing we can do is to throw the kid to the wolves by starting him this year. Remember how Walsh brought along Montana. In 1979 Montana stayed glued to the sidelines. In 1980 Walsh still started Deberg, but began bringing in Joe every time Deberg moved the team into scoring territory. Only in 1981, he traded Deberg, named Joe the starter, and the rest as they say is history.
I have been very critical of York and McLoughan for the past couple of years. However, I now see a core group of young play-makers in place which bodes well in years to come. How's this for a dream scenario for 2011...Nate Davis 4000 Yards 25 TD's. Coffee 1400 Yards Rushing. Crabtree 12 TD's. Super Bowl trophy #6 in Santa Clara.
Hey Matt, I'm glad to see you finally came to realize putting Mr. Davis on the practice squad would be a mistake. Guess this saves you a dinner bill. When you are playing the Cowboys whether it is a preseason game or in the backyard the win for sure matters to me. Hate 'em.
Were you watching Davis's first series, when he went in right after they took Huard out, when he was playing against 2nd stringers? He was obviously struggling, so he's definitely not ready to play at the 2nd tier level just yet.
"Hill played the remainder of the game but did not see one pass come his way."
I do seem to remember a fairly important pass interference call on a pass to Jason Hill:-)
A few brief observations: Nate Davis has the IT factor, ie he gets it. He started for three years and was every bit as good or better in college than Flacco, Ryan and Sanchez. Protected by a strong running game and a stout defense, there is no reason why he could not have the same early success as those three.
Singltary is in WAY over his head
Hill is a career back-up, nothing more, and he will lead the 49ers at best to a 6-10 record.
Pre-season is pre-season and I can't tell much about the 2009 49ers. However we must be better at pass protection or it will be another long year for the SF Qbs. Way to much pressure!
McJed, sign Crabtree
Hi Matt, When was the last time 49er fans were excited about a QBs' play? They can say all they want about his learning disability, this kid plays fast and you can't teach that. There are QBs with Masters and PHd degrees who could never be taught what this kid has. Time will tell if he is the real deal, but it sure looks that way so far. Have we ever had a hungrier group of running backs than Gore, Coffee and Sheets?
Didn't see the game yet until 4pm Eastern today on NFLN.
That's great welcome news on Davis. It's good to hear him showing us early that he's got some legit potential by displaying it in these preseason games. Even though it's vs 2nd & 3rd teamers IT IS A STEP & are positive signs on progress. Something is better than nothing.
I like how Matt describes it "...the kid showed a lot. He looks smooth. He showed poise. He looks like a player." Looking forward to seeing how he played this afternoon. We should take it slow & easy with this kid. Let Mike Johnson take him under his wings & teach him the fundamentals from the ground up. What I like best about his positive traits is his arm strength. I know it isn't all about that but I want a QB who has a gun that is both accurate & can MAKE AN IMPACT at that critical position. Davis sounds like he has a chance to achieve that. It's like the WR (& RB, FS) position with me. Yeah it's not all about SPEED but I, & WE, GOTTA HAVE IT. Their huge difference makers in this game. I have yet to see how he is with the shorter passes & throws needing more air & touch but nothing has stood out to me to think he's throwing it too hard on the short balls. Something that I still see Smith doing, gunning it to the WR on a short route only 7-8 yards away. (A small adjustment he has to correct to get away from that.)
I want a legit franchise QB BADLY. Just about every team that has one or has solid QB play is on top of their Division or are serious contenders. (Peyton & Eli, Brady, Brees, Rivers, Rodgers..sigh, now Cutler with the Bears makes them contenders, 2nd year QB's Ryan & Flacco, etc.) They CLEARLY have the advantage over other teams with that position well in hand. With that while we're developing Davis & believe he has a chance to succeed & possibly be our guy down the line I still would like to increase our chances at succeeding at that position. Maybe we can afford to not have to trade up for one of the upper echelon QB's & use one of our existing 1st RD'ers where they stand or maybe just use our 2nd RD'er for one letting us go after 2 1st RD impact BPA players + at positions of need (like NT & PASS RUSHER..give me those 2 who are legit & I guarantee we get to top 5-10. Heck on D, just keep loading up on these 2 critical positions IMO BIGTIME.) We'll have to see how our season & the college season goes to get a good evaluation where we stand & who could be a good QB prospect fit for us.
Jeff Garcia isn't happy with the Raiders. Why not trade for and start him? He looks like he still has something in the tank and a chip on his shoulder.
Britt Mller has made some very nice blocks as well. Plays kinda like a Rathman.
Love Nate Davis, but don't start the kid. Keep 3 QBs: Hill, Smith, Davis; Huard, thanks but bye-bye. Wean Davis into the position like Walsh did with Montana. Davis will need time to fully digest the playbook, but he could be the QB we've all been waiting for.
RB: Gore, Coffee, Sheets, Robinson, Norris, Miller.
To be honest Hill looks rather far from ready to be a starter too. Ha! Of course, some of that credit (blame?) goes to the OL and pass protection.
Look, I don't want Davis to start, but there is an "it" factor, I don't care if he is playing against pop warner. The guy seems to have vision, a multifaceted weapon in his arm, as well as having mobility, and poise. He should be kept, groomed, taught and given as much of a chance to learn as the season progresses.
He very well could be a QB for the future. It ain't Hill (or Smith) and we all know that. And it would be nice to know about Davis before next year's QB heavy draft, don't ya think?
This is a theory, so don't jump down my throat for it, but could it be possible that the reason for Hill's success is that he's never started at the beginning of a season up until now, and thusly there wasn't a lot of game tape of his play up until this point, making it difficult for other NFL teams to scout and prepare for him, thus giving him something of an edge?
Wouldn't this have been Nate Davis' senior year at Ball State? He's by far the most exciting presence under center for the Niners since Jeff Garcia, but a raw, pre-CFL Jeff Garcia. I like the thought of stashing him on the bench this year, letting him learn, rather than repeat the terrible mistakes made with Alex Smith.
Yes, that's part of it! And don't forget that Hill's winning record as a QB has come at garbage time for the 49ers. Hill was inserted late in the season when the 49ers were already out of it (as I posted earlier, the 49ers get a few plucky wins early (in the first 4 or 5 games), then they swoon and get crushed in Oct and Nov and then they win a few games in garbage time).
Also, did anyone else notice the scowl on Hill's face when he was on the sidelines watching Nate Davis?
Maybe that's it. I do like Hill, the person, but I'll freely admit he's no Tom Brady, or even Jake Delhomme.
In hindsight, I'm willing to put down lots of money that the Niners regret drafting John Milem in the 5th instead of Tom Brady. Then again, who knows if Tom Brady would have been able to excel the way he does now in New England if he was in San Francisco.
When you open your garage door and discover a Lamborghini sitting there do you not drive it until 2011? Nate Davis is a player. Read this article
THE NEXT GREAT 49er QUARTERBACK
Hi Matt, and fellow Niner fan!! Ive written my raves about Davis the last several weeks... (partily due to my success with some of my parlays last year when i took Ball St ;) I know most of you think the kid should sit at least this year. It's just that i dont want to see the season drift away and get waisted. At 5 & 8 time to bring in the youth for next year kind of thing. If we're gonna "run" more ...and it seems like we have some good young horses...THATS a rookie QB's best friend. And with a few nice pass plays thrown in, they help keep those running lanes open. I know Davis played against backups, but he was playing with backups too. I believe the success that Sheets had was helped by Davis ability to throw the ball. If we start the season with Hill...the offense will whither...teams will stop the run and the season will be like the last one... Davis has what ive heard several of you call the "IT" factor. Thats IT!! The kid moves around the pocket but is looking to deliver the ball... not scramble for 3 yards. Great touch passes.. (try that Smith) ...has a gun.. (see that pass from the endzone , flat fooded) or that 35 yarder he rifled to get down to the 10 yard lin. Had scoring drives of what 80 and 90 yards at the end to win the game. Won the game against the Traitors the week before with touchdown and 2 point conversions. All that with games on the line... HE"S REALLY GOOD UNDER PRESURE!! Sorry ...didnt mean to yell :) All i know is its great to be excited about a Niner QB again... Go NINERS!!
That's hardly an good analogy.
If you want to talk cars, let's put it this way: Nate Davis is like any of many tuner cars; in order to be competitive in an environment where high-level performers exist, a good deal of time and money will be needed to be invested into him to fine-tune his skills and kick-start him to the highest level he can be at.
Sure, you can take a stock Lamborghini onto the road, but it would be even better if you tuned it well first.
49er fans have been confused by the failure of Alex Smith. He never had "it". I can name two QBs who had great rookie seasons: Marino and Roethlisberger. Davis is head and shoulders above the other quarterbacks right now.
It makes no sense to hold him back. The biggest indicator is his poise and composure. Many QBs never become relaxed behind the center. Davis has all the natural instincts required to be a great QB. Just turn him loose.
Pass blocking was horrible. Let's not hurt Davis this year behind this years o line. I think gore might have been too excited cuz he seems to lack vision when looking for a hole IMHO . He keeps running into his own line plowing guys. If they let the rookies run we might have a RB contraversy. Man what's wrong with lawson he get manhandled too much! manusky needs to stop dropping linebackers into coverage and bring some heat. No pressure up the middle at all! Still lots of work to do and not enough time till regular season!
A lot of love for Nate Davis which is fine but lets not get carried away with calling for him to start or being the future just yet. There is an ocean's difference between 3rd and 4th string NFL talent and the starters he has yet to face. I agree with some that it may be a risk trying to send him to the practice squad so it will be interesting to see if they decide keep him as the #3, that would mean that an injury to Hill / Smith puts him in the backup spot, but heck if he had to start if the first two went down I guess it would not hurt to see if he could handle it as our season would probably be shot anyways. I do like him and think he is a great guy to stash and let develop for a few years to see what he can do but thus far his performances can been viewed as promising not telling.
In the meantime I will say this again - ZERO sacks through the preseason thus far! Our pass rush, or lack thereof, is going to be a major issue if we can't that going ASAP. That really is a pathetic stat.
One more comment i ment to add to my last rant. :) The Niners have two 1st round draft choices this next year. Id really like to see how Davis does this season. Last year 2 rookie QB's got there teams to the playoffs...Flacco in particular didnt really seem ready for prime time ...yet with good defense and strong run game...all he needed was a few well placed passes to be real successful. Back to the Niners draft picks next year...you all know theres gonna be some high profile "rookie" QB's available. What does the Niner front office due? Use ia high draft pick ..package 2 of the 1st rounders too move up to get one "franchise" QB. Well..maybe we dont need one... but we wont know unless Davis plays....
And I just want to add that if you watched the replays, Jason Hill not only was the target for that pass that resulted in the interference penalty, but he put himself in the right position by turning downfield, away from coverage, when he saw Davis scrambling in the end zone. That showed good game presence. Yeah, would have been nice to catch that ball, but hard to do when the defender pulls you down before it arrives...
Couple more thoughts:
The Cowboys really had the Niners' number when the latter tried blitzes up the middle. On at least two occasions the QB handed off to a running back who made big gains around the end. Looked like a designed hot read.
Also, did you see how the Niners's RBs protected the ball on their runs (usually two hands around the pill)? That looks like Rathman's coaching. Does Rathman Tase the back if he fumbles?
Isn't fun to watch the Niners actually look like they're developing a winning program, while the Raiders have gone farther into the dumper?
I did see Rogers-Cromartie getting torched, he is going to get a ton of passes thrown at him this year. Kurt Warner didn't look as if he was playing well either. The 9ers have a great chance at a division title this season. How 'bout Nate Davis, the kid has some poise in the pocket.
Nate Davis IS bursting with potential gents but by all accounts he is still translating the playbook so it is cogent to his system of learning. Let's not rush him too much .I think the coaches are doing a fine job with him... speaking of which, you guys trashing Coach Singletary ...have you noticed his winning percentage since assuming his position or the obvious signs of team ready to fall apart now congealing and playing with passion ..if not please do so it will make you much happier -assuming you ARE 49er fans!
Good posts HaikenEdge on Hill & Davis. On Hill that's why I look forward to seeing what he has in these 1st games. He's earned being the starter from winning games last year & being the "most ready now" of all our QB's. Let's see what he does now that he gets his opportunity & every team has a fresh slate & is gameplanning & coming after him. Let's see what he's really got. I still have my doubts. He's been up & down. Should've got more/equal reps in the 1st game leading into the 2nd & 3rd preseason games. More tune up coming in this last one. I'm wondering if there's a small miracle there where he could surprise us & turn out to be a franchise QB when given the opportunity but let's find out the answer ONCE & FOR ALL. This season will answer that. We don't have a choice anyways. Bring it on AZ!!!!
The one thing that really impresses about Davis is his POISE. Let's sit him, let him learn this year then see what happens. Most of those successful rookie QBs had the luxury of having an established offense around them where the QB position was the weak link. Davis doesn't!
C mon Matt, let's not give props to Roman for finally doing some of things at safety he's supposed to have been doing for the last 3 years. Also, watch a replay the Dallas TD run where Roman didn't really seem to want to stick his nose in there and help stop the runner at the goal line. Pathetic!! He's SOFT!!!
Keep 3 QBs: Hill, Huard & Davis. I really like Smith, a great young man and maybe even a good NFL QB down the line. But the only way he will ever achieve that is with a fresh start some were else. Huard is a solid backup while Davis has time to ripen up.
That is contradictory. The one ingredient you want in a QB is poise so now that we know Davis has it we sit him? Right now, he is far beyond Alex Smith in poise and confidence. He should be the #2 QB going forward.
One thing it showed us is that almost ANYONE can make a play/INT IF THERE'S A FREAKIN' PASS RUSH!!!!
I hope you're right Snake Plisken about the steady(?) pressure we brought even though we didn't get the sacks. I tried to watch some of the 1st half through a crappy Internet connection & on many plays Romo had tons of time, more than ample, to find a WR even break open when he was initially covered or go to his next options or wait for them to break free. I saw those pressures your talking about but there's no where NEAR ENOUGH OF IT.
I'm telling you Manusky better get aggressive & creative this year with the blitzes + more press coverage. I don't think we're that far off from the Jets talent wise on D & Rex Ryan gets excellent pressure on the enemy's QB's with his scheming.
Reality time folks - Nate Davis listed 6'2" I suspect he is actually 6' 1 1/2" at best
Peyton Manning's height is 6 ft 5.5"
Tom Brady 6'4"
Roethlisberger 6'5"
Flacco 6"6"
Ryan 6'4"
Eli Manning 6'4"
Rivers 6'5"
Davis does have all the tools except one. There is a reason he wasn't chosen higher. He would have been a top 5 pick if he was 6'4". It has little to do with his learning disability as he clearly has football smarts and talent.
Will he break the mold? I don't know but he doesn't need to be rushed behind that poor pass protecting O Line like Smith was.
Davis ought to be #3 to start off. If he shows he deserves #2 halfway thru the season so be it. The only thing "established" about this niner offense are the running backs and a couple o-line men, the rest including the OC are still questionmarks. The quickest way to lose that poise is to put Davis in over his head with not much help from the rest of his offense. This offense needs to jell before you ruin another rookie QB by playing him too soon!
Hardly a contradiction. Since you like cars so much, let me give you another car analogy.
Let's say you're a racer, and you've determined your newly purchased car has a good engine, but it's still got a ways to go before it'll be street ready. Now, do you take the car racing, knowing full well that you will likely lose and possibly blow the engine going against racers with cars that have been upgraded and tuned, or do you spend time and money to tune the car so it'll be a strong competitor?
Now, let's add to the equation, that, as a racer, you also have a number of other cars who can compete and win despite not being high-end machines, but depend heavily on your skill as a driver. Do you race a car that are already tuned, or do you take your new car to the street as is?
In this analogy, Davis is the new car, Smith, Hill & Huard are the older cars in your garage, and the driver's skills are equivalent to the skill of the coaches.
Where's Mr. F49er? Anybody seen him?
Marco...height matters thats true...but theres a few QB's in the 6"2" range or less that did ok too :) .....Drew Brees 6'0", Bret Farve 6' 2", Curt Warner 6'2" or even some guy named Joe Montana 6' 2"
Two things:
1. I wanted Michael Oher at number 10 but was elated that Crab-grass dropped to us... Now we are short a tackle and Crab-meat isn't with us!!! Go figure...
2. History was made; we handed the Cow-girls the first loss in their pretty little palace and I was there live to witness it. Put that in your ring of honor and smoke it Jerry Jones!!!
Well put JJ ... im on the Davis band wagon for a couple of reasons...he helped me win a few parlays last year with Ball state...and he beat the 2 teams in HATE the most ....the Oakland/LA Traiders...and the Dallas Cowgirls with the Jones (im just like Al Davis with a face lift ).. back to fricken back !!!Go Niners
I think the Cowboys showed the blueprint on stopping the Niners this year: load up against the run & blitz on obvious passing downs. I doubt if Jimmy Raye has the answers but I hope I am wrong. Niners are not going to beat anyone passing the ball.
Every year, same thing happens on some team or other. 3rd or 4th string QB comes in and lights up the joint. Immediate & loud predictions that 3rd/4th stringer is HOF bound and should become the starter.
When finally he gets to play in a real game ... not so good. Supporters melt away. Davies might make it one day in the NFL but at this point only a fool would guarantee his eventual success.
As for height being the best indicator of greatness, I think it's shoe size. Biggest feet always wins the biggest games.
OMG, humor from RealFan. There is hope for humanity, after all.
Hi Matt!
Please tell if I'm being too harsh but haven't we sucked in preaseason in the last few years and then proceeded to suck in the regular season as well? So, with that in mind, shouldn't 49ers fans be worried that we are repeating the same pattern?
I agree. At least three future / current Hall of Fame members on your list. All I am saying is be realistic and let the kid develop. But the mold is Tall QBs in our current NFL for a reason.
I love this Davis kid but I have to agree we dont start him yet. But I truly believe he should be a #2 this season as early as after the bye.
Oh an to HaikenEdge's comment about Nate's first series once in...
I GUESS you were referring to Nate "struggling" against the 2nd stringers down to the 1 yd line and sheets getting in for a TD on Nate's first series!!!!
The same series where yes he threw high incomplete on his first pass but then managed to go 4/4 after that on the same said series? He made completions of 7,20,15,19 on that "struggling" drive?
In his first drive he almost accumulated more yds passing than hill did in 2+ Quarters.
He struggled... lmao
(I still like hill though just do not think he is our future)
I really want to see what this kid has against starters before the draft next year. I would hate to waste a first round pick on a QB if we already have our future QB on the roster.
Crabtree is in the Bay Area house shopping. He will sign. I bet he signs sometime this coming week. I'm sure part of the holdout has to do with skipping training camp. Heck, I would do the same thing.
The drive you are referring to was his second series.
The first series he took over right over Damon Huard featured a blown screen pass to Sheets and ended with the Niners punting after a third-and-out.
Having Crabtree in camp sometime soon; worth millions. Having a better O-line to power the run game; worth 2-3 more wins. Watching Nate Davis' development; worth great hope for the future. Finding a 'pass-rush' PRICELESS!
Ummmm were you watching the same game as I was????
We are talking about the SF vs Dal Preseason game right?
Check nfl.com or espn.com play by play, you are wrong.
# San Francisco 49ers at 08:57
# 1-10-SF 21 (8:57) 14-D.Huard pass to 29-G.Coffee to SF 33 for 12 yards (78-J.Siavii; 43-G.Sensabaugh).
# 1-10-SF 33 (8:57) 14-D.Huard pass to 83-A.Battle ran ob at SF 46 for 13 yards.
# 1-10-SF 46 (7:38) 14-D.Huard sacked at SF 42 for -4 yards (93-A.Spencer).
# 2-14-SF 42 (7:05) 14-D.Huard pass incomplete to 46-D.Walker.
# 3-14-SF 42 (6:59) (Shotgun) 14-D.Huard pass incomplete to 46-D.Walker.
# 4-14-SF 42 (6:53) (Punt formation) 4-A.Lee punts 36 yards to DAL 22, Center-86-B.Jennings. 84-P.Crayton to DAL 45 for 23 yards (17-D.Zeigler). Return middle of the field.
Nate davis' first series:
# San Francisco 49ers at 05:44
# 1-10-SF 12 (5:44) 7-N.Davis pass incomplete to 18-M.Spurlock.
# 2-10-SF 12 (5:40) 30-K.Sheets left end to SF 25 for 13 yards (20-A.Ball).
# 1-10-SF 25 (4:59) 30-K.Sheets up the middle to SF 27 for 2 yards (57-V.Butler).
# 2-8-SF 27 (4:19) 7-N.Davis pass short left to 30-K.Sheets to SF 34 for 7 yards (21-M.Jenkins).
# 3-1-SF 34 (3:31) 7-N.Davis pass to 46-D.Walker pushed ob at DAL 46 for 20 yards (20-A.Ball). Pass complete on crossing route.
# 1-10-DAL 46 (2:54) 7-N.Davis scrambles up the middle to DAL 40 for 6 yards (54-B.Carpenter).
# 2-4-DAL 40 (2:05) 30-K.Sheets right guard to DAL 35 for 5 yards (67-D.Robinson).
# 1-10-DAL 35 (1:26) 7-N.Davis pass to 18-M.Spurlock to DAL 20 for 15 yards (32-O.Scandrick).
# 1-10-DAL 20 (:40) 7-N.Davis pass short middle to 49-J.Finley to DAL 1 for 19 yards (20-A.Ball). Penalty on DAL, Illegal Use of Hands, declined.
# 1-1-DAL 1 (:12) 30-K.Sheets up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
# 6-J.Nedney extra point is GOOD, Center-86-B.Jennings, Holder-4-A.Lee.
# SF 10 DAL 10 Plays: 10 Possession: 5:34
Were you referring to his 2nd drive? Oh ok that might make more sense. Cause that was the play where a false start penalty and blown blown block that caused a sack put him in a poor situation of 2nd and 20 and one of those screens to Kory was good it wasn't caught or it would've been for a loss and been in worse position. You cant blame the results of that drive just on Nate Davis' shoulders.
He has pocket presence and situational awareness. The kid has IT where we have not seen IT in a long time.
Comment of the month! Brilliant.
Matt,
I've watched all three preseason games, and after each one I scratched my head as to what the coaches were doing. I think that I figured it out. Each game has been a "theme" game. The first was to determine which QB, Smith or Huard, should be the backup. Both got extensive playing time while Hill(not yet named the starter), threw TWO passes! The second game was to establish a mindset in the running game. What better team to do it against than Oakland. Passing was an afterthought. The last game, against a good pass rushing defense and with injuries in the line, was to work on short passes, especially screens.The WRs, when they were targeted, had to get quick separation or there was a checkdown.
I still can't figure out what the Defensive coaches were doing.
this "it" factor we're talking about comes from the ability to slow down the freakish speed of the pro game in one's mind. this is almost imposssible to scout. I've coached high schoool ball, but when i see the closing speed involved in pro matchups, i realize i personally don't have the skill or technique to improve players at that level.
Just like fighter pilots and video game players, you have to build the adaptation in layers. This was never done properly with smith and his talent has been wasted. I remeber much the same thing happening early in Plunkett's career.When Walsh was developing Montana he game planned half the field vertically on each play to get him comfortable. Let's give Davis a chance to adapt. He certainly shows the potential.In the meantime Hill is our best starter, and some time during the season we might be looking to smith. Davis looks like a posssible bright future
Brekkon: "I really want to see what this kid has against starters before the draft next year. I would hate to waste a first round pick on a QB if we already have our future QB on the roster."
This is such a tough decision...because Matt has been pointing out so many players that have potential to make this a dangerous team...is it worth possibly throwing away a few games to see if Davis is the future?
But, it would be interesting to see what Davis has against some 1st string NFL defenses. How can we be sure if we need to spend another top pick on a QB if we don't see what we have in Davis?
First Team Offense: Ugly...Uglier...Ugliest!
Hill, and I blame MS and Raye for part of this, looks like a Chinese fire drill on passing plays! He has not spent enough time on the field with the first team, while MS has spent too much time trying to see what Smith can do! My God! What has happened to Hill's throwing motion? Huard looks like he throw's a better ball than EITHER Hill or Smith! And besides a play that the OL gave no protection, not unusual this night, Huard really looked better than and smoother in the pocket than the other 2 who supposedly dueled for the #1 position. Nate Davis, looked real good. And at least the kid uses ALL the receivers. I mean I began to see we actually do have a good receving corps. I wouldn't know that with Hill and Smith!
The OL line looked EXACTLY as they did last year = TOTAL DISASTER on passing plays! Yea they did OK with the run. Until the Cowboys pushed their LB's forward. Also, so far teams just wait until the 49ers pass and then it's Katy Bar the Door. The DL blows through the OL and get the QB running for his life. I mean I saw plays where guys on the OL were running into each other and knocking each other over. What's scary is that in the Cowboys previous games there defense sucked and they are trying to rebuild there defense. But they looked good last night!
The DL seemed non existence on pass plays! There were Cowboy pass plays that if Romo didn't throw the ball, he'd still be standing there waiting for somebody to break open! I'm also a big fan of Manny Lawson, but have to admit, he isn't the man. He is easily moved out of position when rushing the QB and creates NO PRESSURE! The rest of the line does nothing on pass plays! The 49ers give the reason as we're playing "Vanilla" right now. BS!!!
The defensive backfield played well considering there is absolutely ZERO pass rush from the DL.
Outside of a real good running team, the offense actually looks the same as last year. My God! How can ANYBODY tell if we have a good receiving corps? They never have the ball thrown their way. Only VD has that luxury along with the running backs!
My hat is off to Top-Cat! Maybe we should just go with Nate Davis and let him learn on the fly this year. He has different kinds of throws and sees the field better that #1 and #2 even though he's in with the #2 and 3rd stringers. Maybe it should be Davis and Huard. It seems MS has ruined what Hill could offer because of his head games about who's the man at QB! Again, Hill looks like he hasn't got a clue!
This team right now won't make it in the division! The other teams in our division are passing teams! Their QB's will stand back in the pocket all day just like last year! Oh yea! We'll run the ball alright! But when the running game is shut down, then what?
I just watched the replay of the game on NFLN! I forgot seeing Hill and Smith watching Davis from the sideline. Hill looked like he was watching Joe Namath! And Smith was right next to Hill just biting his nails down to the bone!
Do you think they were just watching their futures sinking in the sunset? I think so!
And I still blame MS for screwing with Hill's head by his stupid contest for the #1 QB! Hill should have been starting and playing with the first team offense from the git go! Everytime the first team was on the field, Hill should have been with them! Now look what has happened!
Were you guys born yesterday? Sheesh, it seems like every few years we get our hands on a young QB who plays decent in meaningless preseason games, and everyone is so quick to jump onto their gonads. First it was Druckenmiller, then Carmazzi, then Rattay, then Pickett, now Davis. You guys need to realize that QB is a much more complex position and you CANNOT rush things. Just because he shows some promising flashes does NOT mean he is ready to even get on the field during the regular season. Patience pays off. He might be a "player" (he's on a football team and isn't a coach, so what else would he be?) and supposedly gets "it", has the "IT" factor, or whatever other nonsense you guys want to brag about. But the fact of the matter is he's a rookie and there is NO reason there should be ANY talk of him starting this year. God you guys are dense. The season is about to start and the only thing you guys want to talk about is our 4th string QB. Gimme a break. People act like Hill/Smith is such a bad one and two. This isn't Rick Mirer and Steve Stenstrom, so there's no reason to be so negative when the season hasn't even started.
You can be excited about Davis but let's be realistic. I agree he won't be put on the practice squad, because I'm sure somebody would claim him. But unlike some of you, I'm fine with him sitting the bench for a couple years. I think some of you guys were the same ones who once said "like OMFG dood, we jus draftid Tim Rattay, he iz tha best playa everrrrrz and he will b tha nexxt Joe Montana an win 14 super bowlzzzz!!!!!!1!!!1!!one!!!11"
I want to quote some of your guys' stupid comments and explain why they are so ridiculous, but I'd probably end up quoting about 20 different people. The problem is EVERYONE thinks they're an expert. Opinions are fine, but why say everything in such a matter-of-fact manner? You guys and your crazy theories....
HYPOCRITE ALERT!!!!!
So based on your definitions of "dense" then your matter of fact statements that come from a non expert as yourself such as:
"QB is a much more complex position and you CANNOT rush things. Just because he shows some promising flashes does NOT mean he is ready to even get on the field during the regular season"
AND
"But the fact of the matter is he's a rookie and there is NO reason there should be ANY talk of him starting this year"
These are stated is such a matter of fact manner and do not show an "I think" before them and thus are STUPID, DENSE, AND CRAZY THEORIES!!
Get off your high horse and sit the F down!!
Hey, I just call it like it is. You took it out of context. Perhaps it's my own fault for not explaining that one better. The "matter-of-fact" statements I was referring to are the ridiculous conspiracy theories that are on a whole different level of crazy
Besides, my points acutally make sense. I bring intelligent discussions to the table, none of these car/player anaolgies and this "MS messed with Hill's head" BS.....
....i had a feeling you did have sum mental issues...
..lol..you are blaming MS for Hill being horrible...lol
..."I still blame MS for screwing with Hill's head by his stupid contest for the #1 QB! Hill should have been starting and playing with the first team offense from the git go! Everytime the first team was on the field, Hill should have been with them! Now look what has happened! "...
....ha ha ha....this guy is a joke......lol
Ok there are some pretty waked out statements on here sometimes BUT come on don't resort to criticizing them. Just do what I do and skip them.
What I call "IT" (and I still believe Nate has "IT")
Is as I stated, pocket Presence and situational awareness. He also has the athletic ability necessary for the QB position. ( he can make the tough/tight throws when he has to) He also has shown an ability to adapt to the speed of the game.
Hill I believe posses some of these qualities and I believe he is the best starter right now. The down side to hill is he doesn't have the physical abilities required of the position at this level.
Alex is the opposite of Hill He has the physical qualities of a QB but is mentally weak. In all the games I watched him play he comes across with the wide eyes singletary had when he played except they are wide for a different reason. Alex Hesitates which is completely unacceptable for a QB to do. You can not be a good QB if you wait to long. This was most evident when I would watch and he would stare at a receiver that was open but take to long to decide to throw to him and either end up taking a sack. Throwing it late for an INT or inc pass or not throwing it at all. His slow release isnt helpful either. The game moves to fast for Alex and he cant slow it down.
There are certain things that are necessary for a QB to and unfortunatly our current 1st and 2nd QB's have decided to split those qualities amongst themselves and neither have all the things we need in our starter.
Nate is the first QB in 8 years to have those qualities in total on our team.
I never jumped on the bandwagon of any of those previous QB's you mentioned and I even criticized our pick of Alex when we drafted him. But I gave Alex a chance and he has since proven all my worries about him to be true.
Should Nate start immediately? Absolutely not! But no one can say with any certainty that he wont or shouldn't be by the end of the year. No one knows how he will progress. Personally I would love to see him develop before the end of the year and be our next franchise QB so we can go after OT and pass rush with our 2 - 1's next year. But that will only happen because of injury or a majorly Bad season.
Perhaps you are right. I agree with the points you're making. If Hill and Smith both manage to play horrible, then most likely we'll have a pretty lousy record, and it wouldn't hurt for Davis to get some playing time at that point. Personally I just don't see that happening.
I still believe Smith has the potential to be good. I just don't understand why there is such a misconception that Smith is "scared" and Hill is "unathletic." Yes, Smith has played poorly in the past, and one can blame his ineffectiveness on his slow reads and hesitation. He is still young and maturing. I believe these are problems that can be fixed, and getting a little continuity around him for the first time is career will only help. Hill looks awkward out there and I don't have a ton of confidence in him either, but I'm willing to wait and see what happens with him this season before I panic. I expect Hill to have a decent season, but even if he doesn't, I think Smith will step in and prove that he has improved quite a bit. I haven't felt this good about him since the opening game in '07 against Arizona, and I'm hoping he is a much improved player now. Who knows if he is? Only time will tell.
As far as my criticisms, they were directed at the group as a whole, not personally at you. I don't have a problem with you calling me out, I understand what you're saying. It just seems like deja vu, constantly hearing the same BS every offseason, and I grow tired of all the overenthusiastic fans who drool over a young player who has a few nice plays in practice or preseason. I like Nate Davis and I think he has the potential to be really good, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I think some people need a reality check.
Oh, and I dislike using terms like "the IT factor." I think it gets used way too much on here. Saying Shaun Hill has the "IT" factor is BS. Say he has pocket awareness, ability to make reads, make the adjustment when a play breaks down, etc. People need to stop generalizing the quarterback position by grouping such attributes into one and saying he has "it". There's no such thing as such a factor. It isn't magic, it's called being a good player.
The game may not be meaningless in Singletary's eyes, but the season is shaping up to be meaningless. As in "losing."
Pocket awareness? You're talking about a QB that gets sacked more-per-attempt than any other QB on the roster and "owns" 50% of this pre-season's sacks. And this is with the rookie included!
Never mind last year...
Oh, wait, he runs with his helmet off! He panics and constantly throws dinks...
Yeah, that's some pocket presence...
Go back and watch the Cowboy game. Romo showed you pocket presence. Hill was an embarrassment.
I wasn't saying he does. I was saying that if one thinks Hill has said qualities, then that's how they should explain them. I was not expressing my personal opinion towards Hill, it was just an example. It seems like whenever a guy plays well these days, he has the "IT" factor. I just don't get it.
I kind of agree with you. But don't give Romo as an example of pocket presents in that game. I'm 60 and I could of stood in the pocket the way the 49ers rush the passer. My God! There were 2 plays that Romo could still be standing back there if he didn't pass the ball!
No! You're the JOKE Mr. random, meaningless, wrong facts!
moseszd
Pocket awareness is realizing where the pocket is moving or colapsing and know when it is time to move or get rid of the ball.
I do not attribute a bum rush on the QB by a player who beat an Off line guy where he doesn't have time to get rid of the ball or avoid the guy as not having pocket awareness.
That is a blocking issue not a pocket awareness issue.
Too Sweet. I get what you are saying I just actually like the word IT because Its very hard to sum up all the tangibles a guy can posses that makes him above average. Saying he has IT to me is saying he shows strength in ALL the right places including the ones I mentioned before.
Fair enough. I agree with you, it just seems like a lot of people don't use it in a sensible context. Like IT is some kind of magical mojo or something.
Do you think the team will try to trade Alex Smith before final cuts? It looks as if he doesn't fit into the teams long term plans so why not get some kind of value for him while they can?
Brekkon | August 30, 2009 1:07 AM | Reply
I read somewhere the following "Coach Mike Singletary was quick to note that Davis’ work came against third- and fourth-stringers."
Well I say this to Singletary... I think you are a great coach butttttt..... if Nate Davis is OWNING third and fouth stringers doesnt it mean that he is at least good enough to be a 2nd string QB or better???????? I have seen starting QB's do worse against 3rd and 4th stringers than he is doing!!!!
I am really starting to think the hard on they have for A. Smith from the blue pill they took when they drafted him has lasted longer than the recommended time and they should consult a physician.
Come on guys see a physician so you are no longer afraid of "something" getting in the way when you try to embrace a new QB!!!!!!
--------------------------------------------
LOL Brekkon !!!
And remember that not only was Davis playing against 2nd and 3rd stringers BUT he was playing WITH 2nd and 3rd and even 4th string O linemen and WR's and RB's etc.
Immagine what he could do if he had the starting O line in there with him (that even Hill has not had yet). Davis could have that extra second to maybe show off his arm on some 50-60 yard bombs !