Thank god for the NFL Network (1 Viewer)

[Phlash]

16/21 for 137 yards, and it seems like most of his passes are on the run.

Wow, he doesn't look like the same QB who had no idea how to take a snap from center last season, he looks poised and confident in his abilities. And he was doing this against guys like Urlacher, Nathan Vasher, and the boys who were #1 in scoring and #2 in yards.

Not only that, but the defense and Frank Gore look great. Gore is running with authority and the defense is forcing turnovers and making scores out of them. 49ers fans, I know it's just the preseason but your team looks a lot better than I thought they would be, cheers to you all.

 

[mbuehner]

Vanilla defense. First converage disguise or blitz comes in the deer in the headlights look comes back.

 

[mcjc4]

I'll say it again, anytime Phlash post something I will come to his thread just for the photo. 3 day old information is still OK by me with that picture!

 

[Defending Champs]

I'll say it again, anytime Phlash post something I will come to his thread just for the photo. 3 day old information is still OK by me with that picture!

I was pretty much thinking the same thing.I was pretty sure he knew it was a tape delay from this weekend, but then I got sidetracked with his pic and forgot what I was doing.

 

[RIM]

Harrington was lighting it up in the pre-season last year too. Wasn't he like 14-14 in the first two pre-season games or something?

Went downhill fast once the season began.

 

[Defending Champs]

Harrington was lighting it up in the pre-season last year too. Wasn't he like 14-14 in the first two pre-season games or something?Went downhill fast once the season began.

I don't have the same feeling for your pic...no offense.

 

[hacman]

I'll say it again, anytime Phlash post something I will come to his thread just for the photo. 3 day old information is still OK by me with that picture!

Come for the ff insights/observations, stay for the avatar!!!This outing was a relief for Niners fans, only if for tangible evidence that the offense and Smith are both progressing. No one is making a batch of Alex Smith kool aid just yet, but if last season's version of Smith had showed up last Friday, it would have been depressing. It will still be a rocky road for Smith to navigate, but there is cause for optimism for the first time. The Urban Meyer observation that he would be non-functional until he understands the mental aspect of the game is proving to be true. On a side note, watching players like the tough and savvy Delanie Walker suit up for the Niners gives me even more hope for the future. Not sure what fantasy impact he will have, but he is the poster child for what kind of athletes that Nolan/McGloughan are bringing in now. The exact opposite of the no-heart riff-raff that Terry Donahue brought in.

 

[MLBrandow]

No one is making a batch of Alex Smith kool aid just yet

 

[Phlash]

No one is making a batch of Alex Smith kool aid just yet

I just did. And it was good.

 

[CalBear]

8.5 yards per reception would have rated dead last in the league last year. They were throwing short stuff trying to make him more comfortable; they couldn't run a real offense that way.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

One link with four pictures says a millions words.

And holy schnikeys look at the QB leaders last preseason. That Mark Bradley really tore things up for the Bears too...

 

[Hairy Snowman]

Look - I know the Niners sucked last year, but I really like the coaching staff over there and I like the Defense. Here it goes....I think they get to 7 wins this year. They remind me of a poor mans Baltimore. That D is going to hurt people.

Reasoning:

I have never seen a team lose more players to injury than SF did last year. That alone is reason to expect improvement this year, nevermind the solid rookie draft class they just brought in.

I think the Defense scheme will keep this team in games, but they are probably another year away from winning with any real consistency. If only they could establish a running game.............

 

[mcd]

One link with four pictures says a millions words.

Don't want to take anything away from the point that the Bears starters were just standing around out there because they feared what the 49ers might pickup from a series or two of a preseason game. Still, most of the players your link goes to were playing against backups in scrub time. Smith looked like a decent NFL QB against the Bears first team unit. We understand it was preseason but even so, it was a suprise to see Smith look "decent" against the starters of last years number 1 defense (even if they weren't trying). Again, we understand the Bears players were not even trying.

 

[Phlash]

One link with four pictures says a millions words.

Don't want to take anything away from the point that the Bears starters were just standing around out there because they feared what the 49ers might pickup from a series or two of a preseason game. Still, most of the players your link goes to were playing against backups in scrub time. Smith looked like a decent NFL QB against the Bears first team unit. We understand it was preseason but even so, it was a suprise to see Smith look "decent" against the starters of last years number 1 defense (even if they weren't trying). Again, we understand the Bears players were not even trying.

Exactly, I could tell that the Bears weren't trying very hard, but I still saw a lot from Alex, he was escaping out of the pocket when it was proper and throwing on the run really well. And his accuracy and decision making were great. On one play, he scrambled out of the pocket and had a guy open in the flat, but instead scrambled for about a half second longer and fired a laser right to one of his WRs 15 yards down the field. That was a gutsy play and it impressed me.

 

[CalBear]

Look - I know the Niners sucked last year, but I really like the coaching staff over there and I like the Defense. Here it goes....I think they get to 7 wins this year. They remind me of a poor mans Baltimore. That D is going to hurt people.Reasoning:I have never seen a team lose more players to injury than SF did last year. That alone is reason to expect improvement this year, nevermind the solid rookie draft class they just brought in. I think the Defense scheme will keep this team in games, but they are probably another year away from winning with any real consistency. If only they could establish a running game.............

You realize the defense was #32 in the league last year, and gave up over 700 yards passing more than the #31 defense?

 

[Jon_Moore]

Harrington was lighting it up in the pre-season last year too. Wasn't he like 14-14 in the first two pre-season games or something?Went downhill fast once the season began.

I don't have the same feeling for your pic...no offense.

 

[Quez]

Are his hands still too small?

 

[Bri]

I'd like him to get better WRs and a better OL before I draft him. However, we're not talking about a QB in rounds 1 thru 7, he's not even drafted in most leagues. He's worth a flyer IMO.

This game just re-affirmed my thoughts that he'd do better in year 2. Alot of QBs are.

No Eli comparisons, no akili smith comparisons just worth a flyer, nothing more

 

[thecatch]

Look - I know the Niners sucked last year, but I really like the coaching staff over there and I like the Defense. Here it goes....I think they get to 7 wins this year. They remind me of a poor mans Baltimore. That D is going to hurt people.Reasoning:I have never seen a team lose more players to injury than SF did last year. That alone is reason to expect improvement this year, nevermind the solid rookie draft class they just brought in. I think the Defense scheme will keep this team in games, but they are probably another year away from winning with any real consistency. If only they could establish a running game.............

You realize the defense was #32 in the league last year, and gave up over 700 yards passing more than the #31 defense?

To be fair, the defense last year was a) injured and b) on the field ALL the time. I've never seen a worse NFL offense in my life. I think there's less talent on defense this year, but the players they do have should be a better fit for their system, so there should be mild improvement. I expect the offense to be much improved (although still poor). Considering they won a few games last year as is, 7 certainly isn't unreasonable.BTW, hate the 49ers much there buddy? You're all over them in every thread.

 

[thecardiackid]

Exactly, I could tell that the Bears weren't trying very hard, but I still saw a lot from Alex, he was escaping out of the pocket when it was proper and throwing on the run really well. And his accuracy and decision making were great. On one play, he scrambled out of the pocket and had a guy open in the flat, but instead scrambled for about a half second longer and fired a laser right to one of his WRs 15 yards down the field. That was a gutsy play and it impressed me.

Glad to hear he's improving, but let's see some 'live bullets' before we get too excited.I did grab A Bryant as a flyer in a keeper league, hoping for this kind of news. I think he'll put up decent WR2 #s, especially if Gore (or Barlow) can take some pressure off the passing game. Add in the marginal D and playing w/ the offenses in the NFC West, and they'll have to put up a lot of points to be competitive. Now if they can just get a TE to stay on the field and occupy some space...

 

[Noahs Troopers]

One link with four pictures says a millions words.

Don't want to take anything away from the point that the Bears starters were just standing around out there because they feared what the 49ers might pickup from a series or two of a preseason game. Still, most of the players your link goes to were playing against backups in scrub time. Smith looked like a decent NFL QB against the Bears first team unit. We understand it was preseason but even so, it was a suprise to see Smith look "decent" against the starters of last years number 1 defense (even if they weren't trying). Again, we understand the Bears players were not even trying.

Stupid post. Is it that hard for you to give Alex Smith any credit?

 

[CalBear]

To be fair, the defense last year was a) injured and b) on the field ALL the time. I've never seen a worse NFL offense in my life. I think there's less talent on defense this year, but the players they do have should be a better fit for their system, so there should be mild improvement. I expect the offense to be much improved (although still poor). Considering they won a few games last year as is, 7 certainly isn't unreasonable.BTW, hate the 49ers much there buddy? You're all over them in every thread.

I'm forced to watch them, living in the Bay Area, and I've never seen a team so bad. When is the last time a team finished #32 in offense and #32 in defense in the same year? I can't imagine.

 

[Noahs Troopers]

To be fair, the defense last year was a) injured and b) on the field ALL the time. I've never seen a worse NFL offense in my life. I think there's less talent on defense this year, but the players they do have should be a better fit for their system, so there should be mild improvement. I expect the offense to be much improved (although still poor). Considering they won a few games last year as is, 7 certainly isn't unreasonable.BTW, hate the 49ers much there buddy? You're all over them in every thread.

I'm forced to watch them, living in the Bay Area, and I've never seen a team so bad. When is the last time a team finished #32 in offense and #32 in defense in the same year? I can't imagine.

Well crybaby, we only had about 20 years of being in the playoffs straight, 5 super bowl victories, best QB ever, best WR ever, best DB ever. Stop the crying, even the Yankees had a few bad years in the 80s.

 

[Noahs Troopers]

To be fair, the defense last year was a) injured and b) on the field ALL the time. I've never seen a worse NFL offense in my life. I think there's less talent on defense this year, but the players they do have should be a better fit for their system, so there should be mild improvement. I expect the offense to be much improved (although still poor). Considering they won a few games last year as is, 7 certainly isn't unreasonable.BTW, hate the 49ers much there buddy? You're all over them in every thread.

I'm forced to watch them

Somebody holds a gun to your head and makes you watch? Or you choose to sit in front of the idiot box of your own free will?

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

To be fair, the defense last year was a) injured and b) on the field ALL the time. I've never seen a worse NFL offense in my life. I think there's less talent on defense this year, but the players they do have should be a better fit for their system, so there should be mild improvement. I expect the offense to be much improved (although still poor). Considering they won a few games last year as is, 7 certainly isn't unreasonable.BTW, hate the 49ers much there buddy? You're all over them in every thread.

I'm forced to watch them

Somebody holds a gun to your head and makes you watch? Or you choose to sit in front of the idiot box of your own free will?

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

One link with four pictures says a millions words.

And holy schnikeys look at the QB leaders last preseason. That Mark Bradley really tore things up for the Bears too...

I just enlarged your avatar to see what was really going down.

 

[CalBear]

I'm just trying to inject some reality into the situation. People who think the Niners could approach 7 wins this year do not realize just how bad they were in 2005, and how little they've done to improve.

Let's put it this way: When the Houston Texans were an expansion team in 2002, their offense had 100 more yards than the 2005 Niners, and their defense gave up 800 yards less and 10 fewer TDs. The 1999 Cleveland Browns had 250 more yards, 9 more TDs, fewer yards allowed and fewer TDs allowed. The 2005 Niners were significantly worse than a first-year expansion team in 2005.

 

[CalBear]

Here's a glimpse at how historically bad the 2005 Niners were. Since 1972, only one other team has finished last in both offensive and defensive yardage; the 1987 Atlanta Falcons. That Falcons team still had 500 yards more offense and 200 fewer yards allowed than the 2005 Niners. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (famously 0-14) didn't even outdo the Niners' futility; they had more offensive yardage per game and significantly less defensive yardage allowed per game than the 2005 Niners.

All of the teams which had a performance comparable to the 2005 Niners were many years away from 7 wins. The fact that the Niners managed to win 4 games (by a grand total of 15 points, and against teams with a combined record of 20-44) hides from some people just how bad they were. I'm merely providing a public service disabusing folks of the notion that the Niners could do something other than suck in 2006.

 

[thecatch]

I'm just trying to inject some reality into the situation. People who think the Niners could approach 7 wins this year do not realize just how bad they were in 2005, and how little they've done to improve.

The won 4 games last year... They weren't even the worst in the league, yet they were one of the worst teams in history?I've watched virtually every 49ers game for the last 10 years, and I'm well aware how bad they were. But the statistics you are pointing to greatly exagerrate the situation. Their schedule is such that even mild improvement over last year's horror show could get them 7 wins.

 

[Phlash]

Here's a glimpse at how historically bad the 2005 Niners were. Since 1972, only one other team has finished last in both offensive and defensive yardage; the 1987 Atlanta Falcons. That Falcons team still had 500 yards more offense and 200 fewer yards allowed than the 2005 Niners. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (famously 0-14) didn't even outdo the Niners' futility; they had more offensive yardage per game and significantly less defensive yardage allowed per game than the 2005 Niners.

All of the teams which had a performance comparable to the 2005 Niners were many years away from 7 wins. The fact that the Niners managed to win 4 games (by a grand total of 15 points, and against teams with a combined record of 20-44) hides from some people just how bad they were. I'm merely providing a public service disabusing folks of the notion that the Niners could do something other than suck in 2006.

How about bad teams that got good quick? Nolan's second year as coach, and for all we know, he's got a scheme that the guys on the team are eating up and are going to execute and it will work. The 9ers defense is looking more vicious and hungry even though its just the preseason, and its likely that he's bringing that Raven's tenacity to the 49ers D. On offense, the young players are improving, Larry Allen is likely helping bring the young O-line along (which last year was awful), and players like Alex Smith and Frank Gore are stepping up there game. Antonio Bryant is looking like a solid FA pickup who should be a decent #1 for them (not great, but decent), and its not like their offense is completely devoid of talent this season.They could most definitely get 7 wins this season!

 

[CalBear]

I'm just trying to inject some reality into the situation. People who think the Niners could approach 7 wins this year do not realize just how bad they were in 2005, and how little they've done to improve.

The won 4 games last year... They weren't even the worst in the league, yet they were one of the worst teams in history?I've watched virtually every 49ers game for the last 10 years, and I'm well aware how bad they were. But the statistics you are pointing to greatly exagerrate the situation. Their schedule is such that even mild improvement over last year's horror show could get them 7 wins.

Houston won 4 games in 2002; Atlanta 3 games in 1987; Cleveland 2 games in 1999. The next year, what did they do? 5, 5, and 3 wins. SF could marginally improve its on-field performance and still go 0-16; that's how big the gap between their offensive and defensive performance was. Make no mistake, despite the 4 wins the Niners were definitely the worst team in the league in 2005.

 

[hacman]

I don't think anyone is expecting seven wins from the Niners this year, atleast their fans shouldn't be. The team was awful last year, yet strangely competitive in most games. There were a few blowouts, but there were very competitve games with Chicago and Seattle where the Niners were in position to win late, but lost, because well, they were young and awful. The team did overacheive to get four wins, but that's a good thing.

They could win seven games next year, but that reflects more on the state of the league today more than anything. Actually, it doesn't matter how many wins they get this year, it's how many they win in '07 and '08 and I believe they will win more than they will lose. CalBear has stated that the team has done nothing to improve the team, but I disagree in the context of their 3 year plan to build on a nucleus of young, talented players.

Bottom-line, Niners fans can be happy that Smith is showing progress and last Friday was progress, despite all the qualifiers being thrown out there. Last year's Smith would have stunk in that same situation and that's the real point to be taken here.

 

[BoulderBob]

Smith is pretty damn good on the bootleg/roll-out. Get him some lineman, and I think the 49ers have a QB that can get things done.