During the 2007 regular season I'd throw some questions back and forth with the opposing team's SB Nation blogger.  I thought we'd get back into that for this Thursday's 49ers-Bears exhibition.  The Bears are represented by Windy City Gridiron.  If you get a chance, check them out this week to see what the Bears are up to.

On the meat behind the Bears offense
Everybody knows the names Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton.  Close behind them you know Matt Forte and Kevin Jones.  If you are a big time NFL fan you may be aware of the battles between Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd.

But if you want to know about the Bears you need to know about the names John St. Clair, Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza and John Tait.  They along with Olin Kruetz, who I give a pass since he is still working his way back from injury, are what we Bears fans call Chicago Swiss Cheese.  When you cannot find a guy to beat out Terrance Newman and then he goes down, it speaks volumes for your team.  Against the Seahawks, Rex Grossman never had more than a two step drop before he was seeing blue jerseys.  You cannot step up in the pocket or have pocket presence if your line never establishes a pocket.

On the QB situation
If the 49ers can bring pressure, then you can break down the running game and force whatever QB we decide to through out there into dropping the ball off for short gains.  The odds are that Kyle Orton will get the nod and start this Thursday, which gives the Bears a little better chance of making teams drop off the pressure.  Orton is much better at the short game and can find his reads faster.

On the defense and special teams
The Bears have the NFL's best combo of defense and special teams.  Both squads are extremely opportunistic, so don't fall asleep on them.  They will take it to the house on you.  To me the Bears defense has a very calm before the storm feel to them.  They still have a few spots they need to shore up, but there is just kind of a buzz around them right now.  I think they can be amazing this year.

The Bears can shut down Frank Gore and company, so if the Niners passing game can't open it up he may have some problems.  The Bears front 4, even when not fully healthy, are more than capable of creating enough pressure to shake up a QB.  The Bears still will not come at the 49ers 100% heatlhy, they may even shut a couple of guys (Mike Brown) down early to make sure they are available for the regular season.

Thanks again to Windy City Gridiron for giving us a dose of insight into the Bears.  While I might not agree with some of his thoughts, I appreciate the thought.  This will be a big test for the 49ers offense, even if some of the Bears starters get an early rest.  I'd imagine Frank Gore will not see a ton of carries but I don't think the offense will be shutdown quite like the Bears fans think.

At the same time, this will be an equally big test of the 49ers special teams coverage.  The Bears are home run hitters when it comes to special teams and the 49ers have been serving up gopher balls the last two weeks.  The 49ers have some very solid special teams players but clearly something is not right so far.  Think the Michael Robinson injury has factored into it?

EDITOR'S UPDATE 4:25PM: Jennings had surgery on his right hand for a broken knuckle (sounds painful).  He'll be out Thursday, but apparently should be back for the exhibition finale against San Diego.

On Saturday Jonas Jennings apparently injured a knuckle on his right hand.  Now it looks like he'll miss Thursday's showdown with the Bears.  There is no word on the extent of the injury, but he's definitely out.

Jennings had been having a great camp, so it's definitely not good to see him get hurt.  At the same time, he's struggled to stay healthy during his career, so this isn't exactly a shocking piece of nice.  Barry Sims will get the start in his place.  While I'd prefer Jennings be healthy, it'll be good to see what Sims can do with the first team offensive line.  When Sims was signed, the coaches indicated he'd get a chance to compete for a starting position.  In reality, I have no doubt he was actually signed as insurance for Jennings.

In other injury news, Ashley Lelie is really hoping to play Thursday.  He wore a sleeve on his left calf to increase circulation and speed up his healing process from a small tear in his calf muscle.  Barrows indicated Lelie is planning on applying some pressure to the leg to see where he's at.  You know he's feeling a lot of pressure from the younger receivers.  Josh Morgan has shot past him and it's possible this is now a competition between Lelie and Jason Hill, if even that.

Finally, Michael Robinson seems to be closer to full health.  It sounds like if this were the regular season he could definitely play in the exhibition finale, but we'll see if they hold him out.  Considering the struggles of the kick off and punt coverage units, his importance is only amplified.

Aside from the quarterback situation, Josh Morgan has been the next biggest story over the last ten days.  He was making a name for himself with the coaching stafff in practice as he got first team reps due to Ashley Lelie, Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle suffering injuries.  Then in game situations against the Raiders and Packers, the 6th round pick out of Virginia Tech took it up a notch, making a name for himself on a more national level.

After last week's game, I broke down each of Morgan's four impact plays (all receptions).  Morgan had an even better game against the Packers, so it only seemed right to break down his performance.  Morgan was involved in eight passing plays, finishing with 5 receptions, 114 yards and 1 touchdown.

Play #1 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan was covered by Al Harris - He ran a short 2-yard crossing route across the middle of the field (Harris had dropped back into a zone coverage and nobody picked up Morgan); O'Sullivan just overthrew Morgan so that it went off the very tips of his left hand.  Had the pass been on the money, the safety was closing in and would have likely stopped him for a short gain.  Nothing Morgan could really do there

Play #2 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan was covered by Charles Woodson - I couldn't tell where he lined up or what the route was because of a graphic CBS had up at the snap.  Woodson broke up the pass with a nice little reach, however it looked a little underthrown.  in reviewing O'Sullivan's throw, he had some decent protection but a couple guys were breaking through and he seemed to short arm the pass just a little bit.  A little more behind it and he could have thrown it into Morgan's outstretched hands beyond Woodson's reach.

Play #3 - 3-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the right and was covered by nickel back Tramon Williams.  He ran a very quick 3-yard pattern on 3rd and 2, giving him enough space to make the first down.  Last week on 3rd and 18 or so he ran 15 yards out and after the catch couldn't get the first down.  Obviously it is easier to get past the sticks when you only have to go 3 yards, but it was still a good thing to see him do.

Play #4 - 22-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the short left covered by Jarrett Bush, a 2nd or 3rd string CB (depending on who you ask).  Hill had been split out wide to the other side of the field, but went in motion to line up just past Morgan.  Morgan ran a corner route and O'Sullivan dropped the pass right over his left shoulder.  It bobbled a little but he gained possession before going out of bounds at the Packers 3.  It wasn't the prettiest pass from O'Sullivan but the location probably could not have been more perfect.

Play #5 - 59-yard TD reception - Morgan lined up to the far right and was covered by Jarrett Bush.  Bush gave Morgan a push at the line but Morgan just pushed Bush away and ran what appeared to just be a go route.  On the replay, it appeared Bush was playing a short zone coverage, expecting the free safety, Nick Collins to cover him over the top.  A key to breaking such a big play was that Collins went to cover Jason Hill when Hill ran a short out pattern, even though Bush had Hill covered in his zone.  That allowed Morgan to blow right past him (Collins) and with the money pass from O'Sullivan, Morgan was going to the house.  Atari Bigby got a hand on Morgan's leg at the 10 but Morgan kicked it away pretty easily.

Play #6 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan lined up to the left in the slot, covered by Bush.  He had Bush beat easily by a couple yards but Smith underthrew it.  If it had been thrown in stride Morgan has his 2nd TD of the game.

Play #7 - 3-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the right in the slot, covered by 2nd string linebacker Tracy White.  Morgan zigged in and then quickly cut out on a play-action by Smith.  Morgan appeared to be the dump off option after Smith rolled out looking down field.  He went down to his knees and had to reach a little to haul it in, and I thought he showed good hands as he had to bring it in while sliding out of bounds.

Play #8 - 27-yard reception - Morgan was split out wide to the right, covered again by Jarrett Bush.  He ran what appeared to be a long 20-yard curl pattern.  Smith threw it a bit high, but Morgan was able to jump up and haul it in and pick up an additional 7 yards thanks in part to a nice stiff arm on Bush.

The running theme in most of these plays?  Jarrett Bush was Josh Morgan's personal bitch.  Bush's scouting report indicates he's more of a special teams dynamo who lacks deep speed and recovery ability when working as a cornerback.  Over at the Packers website, Bush is listed as a third teamer so clearly he's not going to see a ton of action at corner.

While I definitely enjoyed the 59-yard touchdown reception, it was in large part a product of a mistake by Nick Collins.  The two plays I enjoyed the most were actually play #6, an incompletion and play #8, the 27 yard reception.  In the first one he clearly burned Bush and was ready to make the big play.  In the latter play, he appeared to find a perfect seam in the zone and then used his physicality to gain an additional 7 yards.

In re-watching Morgan I'm able to temper my enthusiasm somewhat.  I still think he's got all the tools to be a very solid cornerback and in two games he's shown steady improvements in his game.  One key for any young receiver is recognizing mistakes in the defense and taking advantage of them.  At the same time, stick a #1 or #2 corner on him and he will probably struggle a little bit; not exactly a shocking statement considering he is only a rookie.  I certainly hope I'm not coming across as Debbie Downer.  I simply want to present both sides of the case.  Trust me, I'm still excited for what Josh Morgan is capable of doing.

This Thursday against the Bears will be the next test in the youngster's developing career.  The Bears bring very solid cornerbacks so we'll see if Morgan can make some plays early against the #1s.

First off, I wanted to lead with one of the most bizarre but great quotes of the season so far. At one point they were talking about how intense Justin Smith was, even to the media.  They then showed a picture and Eric Davis said, "That guy may have stolen a car."  I mentioned it in the game thread, but wanted to point it out one more time.  I just don't really know what to do with a great line like that.  Eric Davis may not be the best color guy, but he reeled me in with that one.

49ERS HEAD COACH MIKE NOLAN

On the win
“A win versus a good football team: I’m pleased with that. We do want to keep in perspective that it was a preseason game although preseason games are important, naturally, in the development of the offense, defense and special teams, and the cohesiveness of the group."

On the defensive performance
"...I thought we played very physical defensively. We had several turnovers in the game. Some of it was our causing, some of it was their mistakes. Nonetheless, those were important. We kept the yardage down."

On Ray McDonald and Justin Smith
"I saw several players make some plays but I know one player that caught my attention on some plays was Ray MacDonald. He’s working very well on the defense both on the base-downs and in the sub-package. He works closely with Justin Smith. The two of them are working together well as far as pass-rush situations, whether it’s on the outside or whether it’s the inside. They mix it up, both."

49ERS WR JOSH MORGAN

On scoring his first TD
"It really feels great. It’s a blessing from God. The cornerback tried to play me press and I beat him off the line. Our quarterback made a great throw. I just went up to get it."

On facing the Bears this week
“It’s football. That’s the way I look at it. It’s football no matter where you’re at. God put me here to play this sport. It’s football, so were going to play football just like we play at home.”

Editor's Note: Not only is he mastering the offense, he's also mastering the thanking of God and the cliches.  Just an all around talent!

49ERS OLB TULLY BANTA-CAIN

Comparing his performance this week versus last week against Oakland
“I think I improved a little bit [since] Oakland. I think I got more snaps than I did [in the first game]. As the fourth quarter came, I started getting a rhythm and getting a feel for the game, so I was able to make a couple of plays in the fourth quarter. I feel I improved a little bit, but I’ve got a long way to go.”

49ERS QB J.T O'SULLIVAN

On the gelling of the offense
“It is about everybody doing what they are supposed to do – trusting each other to be exactly where they’re supposed to be, especially the wide receivers. Trusting the offensive line to hold up and protect like they did tonight. And for us [QB’s] to put the ball exactly where it’s supposed to be. When all those things and the running game are jelling, it is going to be really fun to watch this offense.”

Alex Smith and Allen Rossum, as well as some Packers quotes, after the jump

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The one drawback to doing clips the day after this kind of victory is that it's possible people will be a little too excited.  It was after all just a preseason game.  Of course, given the run of events the last few years, a little excitement is always welcome.

Maiocco rolled out his All-81 recap.  Through the game-tape and his vantage point MM is definitely able to spot some things many of us would otherwise miss.

Barrows had his quick post game notes on the game.

Everyone's favorite miser, Ray Ratto, believes the QB depth chart is more or less set now.

As the Chronicle recap points out, it's amazing what a difference a week makes.

Aaron Rodgers definitely didn't make the 49ers pay in this case.  It's only a preseason game, but he struggled.

If you head over to the 49ers clubhouse, there's some video of John Clayton discussing Aaron Rodgers struggles compared to Favre's success.  2/3 of the way in he discusses the 49ers QB battle.

Some quality pictures from last night's game.

A former 49ers beat writer says fans should believe in Martz's call at QB.

Sam over at Mining the Gold Rush is very excited after last night's performance.  I've tried to mellow my own excitement but optimism is always welcome.

Best line about the O'Sullivan: "He's not anywhere near John Elway, of course, but not too much like Cody Pickett, either."

Craig Massei at SF Illustrated has a detailed breakdown of the game.

Frank Gore is really enjoying himself after a tough 2007.

Odds and ends from the game over at 49ers.com.

Josh Morgan has been psyched about the opportunities and challenges in the preseason thus far.

Who helped and hurt themselves last night.

Mike Nolan brought in an MMA fighter to discuss motivation and conditioning with the team.

Mike Martz spent the Packers game on the sideline, instead of in the booth.  If he's using the preseason to teach the players it makes sense to be down there to talk to them.

I'm sorry, but this just isn't going to work.

And don't forget to vote for the All Time #1 Inside Linebacker.

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.

  vs.

Date: August 16th, 2008
Time: 6:00pm PST
Location: Bill Walsh Field @ Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Records (2007): 49ers (5-11) Packers (13-3)
ScoresandOdds.com Spread: 49ers -2; Over/Under 34.5; Money Line: 49ers -135, Packers +125 - And if you're betting on preseason football, I ask you this.
Weather: 69 degrees, 0% chance of showers, wind W 13 mph
TV Broadcast: CBS-5 - Dennis O'Donnell, Eric Davis, Kim Coyle
Radio: 107.7 The Bone, 680/1050 KNBR - Joe Starkey, Gary Plummer, Rod Brooks
Spanish Radio: KIQI 1010-AM, KATD 990-AM
Raiders  Packers Coverage: Acme Packing Company

Injuries
49ers: Out - WR Arnaz Battle, WR Bryant Johnson, WR Ashley Lelie, S Lewis Baker, G David Baas, RB Michael Robinson, CB Tarell Brown

Packers: Out - RB Ryan Grant, RB DeShawn Wynn, S Charlie Peprah, LB AJ Hawk, LB Desmond Bishopp, OT Orrin Thompson, DT Ryan Pickett, WR Ruvull Martin, TE Tory Humphrey, WR Greg Jennings, DT Justin Harrel, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila

First off, you just have to love the preseason for the simple fact that the 49ers are a 2 point favorite against the Packers.  I'd imagine some of that has to do with Ryan Grant likely out of the game.  Well and Brett Favre moving on I suppose.

J.T. O'Sullivan will be getting most if not all of the first half snaps, so he's in a good position to take serious control of this QB competition.  Alex Smith will get his snaps with the 2nd string offense and hopefully he can keep his head in the game.

Aside from the mess that is the QB competition, I'm wildly intrigued by Josh Morgan's matchup this evening.  Tonight could go a long way in building confidence in the rookie.

Additional Players to Watch
Cam Colvin & Dominique Zeigler - possibly battling for a practice squad spot
Louis Holmes - I still think he's a longshot for the 53-man roster, but if he can make some plays tonight that could change
Joe Staley - Struggled a bit in his LT debut, so hopefully he'll show some improvement tonight
Takeo Spikes & Jeff Ulbrich - Spikes makes his debut with the 49ers, while Ulbrich is looking to open some more eyes and retain playing time
The defensive front 7 - A little pass rush would be nice fellas.

As always, if you feel like joining the conversation, click on "Sign Up" on the top left side of the front page, or "Sign Up" at the bottom of the comments for this thread.  Either way, your opinions and insights are greatly appreciated and welcomed.

I'll be back with a recap late tonight or early tomorrow.

GO NINERS!

I thought it might be useful to have a rundown of the 49ers television broadcast schedule for the 2008 season.  Unfortunately most of the games will not be nationally televised, although that could change with the flex scheduling later in the season between Sunday night and Monday night football.

2008 Preseason Schedule

2008 Regular Season Schedule

I'll post a link on the left side bar so that when this drops to another page, everybody will have easy access to it.

Since the start of training camp, I got a little distracted and forgot to throw up the next All-Time team poll.  Our last vote was on the #2 OLB for our team; a vote won by Dave Wilcox in a narrow 8 vote victory over Keena Turner.  Now that our two outside linebackers are set, we move to the inside linebackers.  I'm throwing this up today before the game so hopefully everybody participating in the open thread (and those just passing by) can drop their vote.

For those who don't notice, I've withheld Patrick Willis's name from the ballot.  I was actually quite tempted to include him considering his all-world rookie season.  However, I elected to withhold his name, barring a barrage of complaints in the comments.  We included Frank Gore in the running back vote in part because he had put together more than just one good season.  I'm actually feeling rather conflicted on this.  If enough people want Willis included I'd certainly be willing to reset the vote, but I think for now it's fine.  My thought on this is that in the coming years, as eligible candidates arise we can reopen some of these votes (for instance, if Gore starts setting career 49ers records we would definitely consider him in the ballot versus Roger Craig, as with Patrick Willis and others).  I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.

Ken Norton (1994-2000): Although he was an integral member of Cowboys back-to-back Super Bowl champs, 49ers fans quickly warmed to the tackling machine.  Norton was a big time playmaker earning two trips to the Super Bowl and a berth on the All-Pro Team in 1995.  Although he saw a decrease in his tackles with the 49ers, he was an integral part of the Super Bowl squad, as he become the first person to win 3 straight Super Bowl titles.  His trademark was punching the goal post after a good play, in tribute to his father, the former heavyweight champion.

Matt Hazeltine (1955-1968): Hazeltine played more seasons with the 49ers at inside linebacker than anybody else in team history.  He was selected to two Pro Bowls and was the captain of the 49ers for five seasons.  Upon his death in 1987 from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), the 49ers created the Matt Hazeltine "Ironman" Award, given to the most courageous and inspirational defensive player.

Gary Plummer (1994-1997): One could argue he's a reason for including Willis.  Plummer was an impact player who only played on the 49ers the last four seasons of his career.  The 49ers were on the cusp of the Super Bowl when Plummer and Norton were brought in as part of the group to put them over the top.  Plummer was a Bay Area man, attending community college in Fremont, earning his degree at UC Berkeley and playing three seasons for the Oakland Invaders of the USFL.  Plummer now writes for sf49ers.com

Michael Walter (1984-1993): After being drafted by the Cowboys and spending one season in Big D, Walter left for the Bay Area, where he played for ten seasons and on three Super Bowl squads.  Walter was a relatively low key, but integral member of those Super Bowl squads.  He led the team in tackles in 1987 and played as an ILB in the 3-4 alongside Bill Romanowski and also as an MLB in the 4-3.

Frank Nunley (1967-1976): Nunley was a hard-hitting MLB in the Dick Nolan flex defense of the 70s.  While he could make the tackles, Nunley was also a bit of a ballhawk, hauling in 14 interceptions in his career, including a career-high 4 in 1974.  Due to his "sweet disposition" off the field and his powerful tackling, Nunley was nicknamed Fudge Hammer (and no I'm not kidding).