We'll have plenty of 49ers-Packers recap coverage in the next few days, but for this evening I wanted to get some quick observations down.  It's been quite some time since the 49ers took care of business in this kind of fashion.  There was some good, there was some bad and there is certainly still plenty to improve upon.  However, for one day, there was plenty more good than bad.

J.T. O'Sullivan - We might as well start with the quarterbacks.  O'Sullivan looked horrendous to start , but then the chemistry was re-established with Josh Morgan quite impressively.  O'Sullivan showed us the absolute best and the absolute worst in the space of 30 minutes.  If he ends up winning this little competition, it will definitely make for a roller-coaster season.  If he was winning this competition heading into tonight, his 2nd quarter performance should be enough to keep him in the lead and maybe even buy him a little more cushion.

Alex Smith - Smith didn't look spectacular but he was able to move the offense and get 10 points on the board.  The one noticeable problem he had was throwing behind and above receivers.  He didn't hit a single receiver in stride and missed out on a big gain when he underthrow Josh Morgan.  While O'Sullivan had some passing issues, when he was on he helping create big plays.  At times it felt like Smith was holding the offense back from big plays.  While he didn't do anything particularly awful, he definitely didn't do enough to warrant a start next weekend.

Shaun Hill - In this QB competition it's never really safe to make any proclamations, but I think barring injury to O'Sullivan AND Smith, Hill is more or less out of the contest.  It doesn't help to be playing with the third string offense, but I just don't see enough snaps to go around for him to make a statement.

Josh Morgan - Let's just say my excitement level for this rookie is reaching unhealthy and unrealistic levels.  Morgan finished with 5 receptions for 114 yards and was an Alex Smith underthrow from taking a 65 yarder to the house (or at least making a big gain).  Last season Thomas Clayton led all NFL running backs in rushing and yet I did not find myself nearly as excited.  Morgan made big catches, he did the little things (like getting first downs) and he was all over the field.  Detractors would argue his big plays came against the Packers #3 or #4 guy, Jarrett Bush.  However, I throw back two arguments: 1) He can't determine who covers him and 2) If Morgan is playing in the regular season he's likely being covered by the #3 or #4 guy because he's come into the game as part of a 3 or 4 receiver set.

As is quickly becoming tradition, I'm planning a post devoted just to Morgan's performance for early this coming week.  I realize I am probably setting myself up for a huge disappointment, but let's be real here.  The 49ers have been desperate to develop a star receiver since TO left town.  Morgan may not become that star receiver, but he is showing legitimate signs of being a serious playmaker.

Dominique Zeigler - Zeigler is totally going to get screwed by the numbers game.  Although, if the 49ers elect to keep 6 receivers I'd take him over Lelie any day.  Zeigler made some solid catches and impressed me with his fearlessness, particularly considering how small he is.  His bio says he's 185lbs, but I don't buy that.  He's eligible for the practice squad again but I wouldn't be surprised to see another team try and snag him.

Defense - The biggest criticism of the 49ers defense has been the lack of a pass rush.  It was only a single preseason game, but the defensive line and linebackers showed dramatic improvement from week 1.  The team finished with 6 sacks and Aaron Rodgers could not get into a rhythm the entire first half.  Ray McDonald clearly has problems with jumping offsides, but he is also showing signs of being a legit pass rusher.  He had 1.5 sacks and forced Rodgers into another one (although that might be the .5).  Tully Banta-Cain made noise in the fourth quarter with a pair of sacks and Justin Smith even got in on the action.

The highlight of the night on defense was the stop after O'Sullivan's INT.  The defense got really lucky on the Donald Lee drop in the endzone, but followed that up with a pair of big stops.  On that defensive stand, and many others, the defense used hard hitting to set the tone and make sure the Packers knew they were in for a long night.

Special Teams - We're going to break this down into the good and the bad.  The good is very clear: Allen Rossum showed signs of why he was signed.  While his punt return TD was against the bottom of the Packers depth chart, he had to make some Pro Bowl caliber moves to score the TD.  Also, Joe Nedney continues to be absolutely money.  If the 49ers are going to get into contention, having a kicker with ice water in his veins is a big asset.

Now the bad.  The special teams coverage was absolutely atrocious on a couple of returns.  Granted it's the bottom of the depth chart, but giving up a pair of big kick off returns, particularly after the Johnnie Lee Higgins TD last week, is not a good sign.  This coming week's game will give us a better idea of special teams coverage since first teamers play for up to three full quarters.

In spite of some of the ugliness, it was a fun game to watch, which is something 49ers fans have missed out on for much of the last few years.  It's only one game so I won't get myself too worked up over the offensive performance (aside from Josh Morgan of course).  There was plenty of good, but also plenty of room for improvement, making this upcoming game against the Bears all the more important.

Speaking of which, it's a short week as the 49ers and Bears square off Thursday on Fox in a nationally televised game.  I'll have some more specific reviews of this just completed game and we'll get prepped for the Bears game shortly thereafter.

There's under 30 hours until kickoff (34+ thanks to the blackout) and we're getting a better idea of who we'll see tomorrow and who will be in street clothes.  I thought I'd take a look at the injured players and the impact it will have tomorrow and going forward.

Michael Robinson - This is definitely not surprising at all.  Robinson is not expected back until the regular season, maaaaaybe the last preseason game.  He's looking at more of a special teams role with the addition of DeShaun Foster but will still get time in some offensive formations.  His absence likely means more carries for 2007 preseason MVP Thomas Clayton.  Of course preseason MVP has absolutely no value, other than an apparent ticket to the practice squad.

David Baas - Another non-surprise.  Tony Wragge appears to taken control of the position ahead of Chilo Rachal.  If Wragge looks good in the preseason, I'm curious what happens when Baas is healthy.  We'll also see the likes of Jeb Terry and former Cal guard Brian De La Puente getting some reps in the second half.

Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie - Johnson tweaked his hamstring in the morning practice against the Raiders.  It sounds like he was performing pretty well up to that point so let's hope it's a short term issue.  As for Lelie, well we've discussed his issues at length.  In addition, Isaac Bruce is a game-time decision.  If he does play I would imagine it would only be for a series or two.  The absence of these receivers means more reps for the likes of Josh Morgan, Jason Hill and Dominique Zeigler, which could help all of their chances at more playing time.

Mark Roman - Apparently Roman was scheduled to wear the defensive radio receiver, but with his injury, Michael Lewis will be the guy.  Roman's absence means more time for Dashon Goldson.  He's been a ballhawk in practice, so let's see if he can transfer that over to game situations.

Lewis Baker - Baker is a long shot to make the roster and this thigh bruise is certainly not helping his chances.  He'd apparently been playing pretty well, so it's a shame to see this happen.  This means more playing time for DJ Parker and probably extra time for Keith Lewis as the 49ers are a bit low at safety for this game.

Earlier this month, I ran a feature called "The 49ers Anti-Starting Lineup."  One of the featured players on that squad was wide receiver Dominique Zeigler.  The second year receiver out of Baylor spent all of 2007 on the practice squad and appeared to still be stuck in a numbers game as we head into 2008.

When I was projecting the 49ers 53-man roster I never even factored him into the roster.  When I moved onto the practice squad projection I didn't include him there either, figuring there were better, fresher options.  And I probably would not have thought about him again until he was cut, which I naturally assumed would take place.

However, as is the case in training camp, some comments have me considering whether I should be singing a different tune.  Over at the 49ers scout.com website, Craig Massei had some interesting comments about Zeigler:

And then there’s lanky Dominique Zeigler, who appears to have added some thickness to his frame, particularly from the waist down. Zeigler, an undrafted rookie last year who made a nice impression while spending the season on San Francisco’s practice squad, made a fine leaping catch while tiptoeing the sideline to end the morning session, then got open and snagged everything that came his way during the course of the afternoon, including a couple of passes deep down the field. If he keeps doing those kind of things, he’s a youngster that has to be considered.

Maiocco:

Dominique Zeigler, who made a highlight-reel catch on a weekly basis on the practice squad last season, has gotten off to a strong start. The 6-3, 185-pounder can really extend himself to make grabs.

Now, every training camp, some youngster makes a name for himself ever so briefly and becomes the player du jour for fans.  Last season, we had Marcus Maxwell and Thomas Clayton.  In the case of Maxwell, he had a big game in the NFL Europe title game, which naturally got me excited.  Clayton got us in a huff when he was the leading rusher last preseason.

So, what of Dominique Zeigler?  Considering the team has been going without pads, we certainly have to take any performance to date with a grain of salt.  A plus to a strong start is that he is hopefully in the minds of the coaches and thus they might pay a little closer attention to him.  However, until he produces during a game, it's all mere speculation, right?

Barring multiple injuries, I don't see how Zeigler can possibly make the 53-man roster.  Based on Mike Nolan's comments yesterday, it's pretty unlikely that the team will carry 6 wide receivers.  So that battle for spots 4 and 5 would be between Jason Hill, Ashley Lelie and Josh Morgan.  Dominique Zeigler does not factor into that race.

However, a return to the practice squad is not out of the realm of possibility.  He spent his entire first season on the practice squad so he remains eligible for a second year on the squad.  It's probably not the wildest and earth shattering suggestion in the world to suggest Zeigler might end up back on the practice squad.  Zeigler's situation is a good news/bad news type of thing for the 49ers and their fans.  The bad news is that there is a numbers crunch and Zeigler just isn't good enough to break through that crunch.  The good news is that three years ago, Zeigler probably would have gotten significant playing time because the team was so bad.  So, there's your silver lining.

Last season I signed up for text message updates from the 49ers and I have to say, some of the time I'm receiving them before seeing anything online.  Being in the slow days of June, not a whole lot is going on so not too many messages.  However, early yesterday afternoon I learned that the 49ers had successfully claimed QB Kyle Wright off waivers from the Vikings and waived QB Drew Olson.

Considering the quarterbacks already in camp, I'd be shocked if Wright was on the roster at the end of August.  At the same time, Wright could be a prime candidate for the practice squad.  Drew Olson actually spent a small part of the season on the practice squad.  In the meantime, the claim of Wright has inspired me.  The 49ers currently have 81 players on their roster, including unsigned draft picks.  Just for sh$#s and giggles I thought I'd put together the "worst starting lineup possible."  All of these players are certainly world class athletes, but many of them are not starter quality.

OFFENSE
QB: Kyle Wright - He was ok for the U last season but definitely the worst option.
RB: Michael Robinson - Robinson brings a lot to the table, but I'm convinced Thomas Clayton is a better pure running back.  We're not factoring in potential special teams contributions either.
WR: Dominque Ziegler & Jerard Rabb - I actually like most of the 49ers less wide receivers, especially Robert Jordan.  Ziegler has struggled with injuries problems and Rabb was the 1A banana at Boise State in 2006 (he was the guy who caught the lateral and tied the game).
TE: Cooper Wallace - At least JJ Finley is a rookie and put up better college numbers.  Wallace has been in the NFL a couple years and hasn't made a big impact yet.  I'd imagine he's coming to the end of the road pretty soon.
OT: Damane Duckett & Alan Reuber - Duckett is a pet project of Nolan and considering he's never actually played in a game as a tackle.  Reuber has been around since 2004 and has seen scattered action during that time.
C: Cody Wallace - Not exactly an inspired pick.  I'm tempted to just see Wallace starting over Heitmann, but this is more a default pick since the 49ers only have a pair of centers.
OG: Brian De La Puente & Jeb Terry - Terry has been around the league for a few years and seen some action mostly on special teams.  De La Puente is a rookie out of Cal and I wouldn't mind seeing him on the practice squad.

DEFENSE
DE: Atiyyah Ellison & Louis Holmes - Ellison joins the running theme of practice squad bodies on this squad.  Louis Holmes is an undrafted free agent, so it's certainly too early to tell what he brings to the table.
DT: Walter Curry - LaJuan Ramsey was battling for this spot, but Ramsey has actually registered real NFL statistics.  Curry was an undrafted free agent in 2005 and has bounced from practice squads to NFL Europe and back.
OLB: Roderick Green & Parys Haralson - The linebacker positions show you the deth the 49ers have.  Green and Haralson are probably not starting caliber (at least for the 49ers), but they provide quality depth
ILB: Dennis Haley & Larry Grant - As seen in the outside linebackers, inside linebacker would also be a strength of this particular team.  Grant is a favorite of mine, so we'll see how he looks in training camp.
CB: Markus Curry & Marcus Hudson - Curry has bounced around practice squads since 2005 and I'd imagine he'd be an early cut in training camp.  The second CB spot was tough.  Tarell Brown brings way too much upside and Strickland gets a pass thanks to his huge defensive play against the Cardinals.  Reggie Smith is too green to be considered here so that leaves "veteran" Marcus Hudson.
FS: Lewis Baker - He's an undrafted free agent with some potential, but I certainly don't see sticking Mark Roman or Dashon Goldson in this spot.
SS: DJ Parker - Similar to Baker above, I don't see sticking Michael Lewis or Keith Lewis in this spot.

There's a back-up punter but that would just be ridiculous to talk about.  Of course considering I just did an analysis of the bottom end of the roster pool, maybe I should have included Ricky Schmitt.  I'd imagine this team would probably go 0-16.  Although, I definitely think this would make for an impressive college team.  So, would this team be able to win at the NFL level?  Considering we're playing Miami this year, it's entirely possible 1-15 is a better bet.