Category: San Francisco 49ers

49ers Edge Cowboys 24-21, but Injuries Damper SF’s Win

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

Photo credit: @49ers

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Faithful were rolling into Levi’s Stadium on Thursday hoping to catch a glimpse of what the 2018 season will look like. Fans may have left happy, as the San Francisco 49ers took the lead with just 18 seconds left in the contest in a 24-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, but they also left concerned.

One quarter into action, the 49ers were facing injuries to three starters and two critical reserves.

Linebacker, Malcolm Smith was the first to go down with a hamstring injury. Ironically, the eight-year pro was clamoring about how much he was looking forward to getting the pre-season debut out of the way.

Moments later, Soloman Thomas went down on what appeared to be a left knee injury. However, the 49ers’ official injury report listed Thomas with a head injury with speculation that he took a cleat to the face. Thomas laid on the turf for a few minutes to a quiet crowd before going straight to the locker room.

Hopefully, the injury to Thomas won’t set him back too much as he enters a crucial season to show his worth of being selected third overall in the 2017 draft.

George Kittle was the final starter to go down with an injury. On a deep ball from Garoppolo, Kittle was forced to lay out attempting to make the spectacular grab, but he came up short, and upon coming to the ground, his right shoulder got caught underneath his body.

The loss of Kittle could be huge for the 49ers, as he proved to be a big-time target for Garoppolo last season.

Key reserves, Matt Brieda and Garry Gilliam also went down with injuries.

If Brieda’s appears to be serious, it could shake up how the final 53-man roster is completed, as he was expected to be a lock and the primary run between the tackles back.

Shanahan mentioned post-game that he expects there to be time with Brieda and Kittle and both are going to be questionable heading into next Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans at 5 pm PDT.

His injury led to extensive playing time for both Raheem Mostert and Joe Williams, who switched between drives the majority of the game. Williams saw most the carries finishing with 11 for 27 yards and punching in a score from a yard out. Mostert carried the ball eight times for 57 yards including breaking off a long 23-yard rush to the right.

“It’s what scares you about pre-season, sometimes you just want the game to end,” said Shanahan.

Other Key Observations
Jimmie Ward’s move back to cornerback was quickly picked on by Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. The starting quarterback’s only touchdown pass was also his last as he threw a 30-yard bomb to Michael Gallup that turned Ward around to put the Cowboys up five minutes into the game.

The starting defense wasn’t completely lost. The biggest play of the starter’s night came on a sack split by DeForest Buckner and Thomas. Buckner, who is starting to experiment moving to the outside on the defensive line, is appearing to become the playmaker the Niners were searching for when they selected him seventh overall in 2016.

Garoppolo was held to just one drive. Going 3-of-6 for 34 yards and a 67.4 rating, Garoppolo found a connection early with Marquise Goodwin for 18 yards. His other two completions were to Jerrick McKinnon and the seventh-round pick, Richie James Jr. More importantly, the completions to Goodwin and James both converted long third-down attempts.

James later scored the go-ahead score with just 18 seconds remaining to win the game for the Niners. Third-string QB, Nick Mullens led a beautiful 77-yard drive in only 1:42 to secure the victory. Mullens was the most efficient Niners’ passer, finishing 11-of-13 for 141 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for a 105.4 passer rating. If he continues to display this type of talent, he may get a shot at C.J. Beathard’s backup role.

4 Things to Watch in 49ers’ Preseason Game vs. Cowboys Thursday

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

Photo credit: definearevolution.com

By: Joe Lami

The 49ers open up their pre-season on Thursday night against the Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium.

Here are four things to watch out for.

Jimmy Garoppolo
If you have a ticket to the game, be sure to get there early for the 7:00 p.m. kick-off because you will see the starters in action for at least part of the opening quarter. On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed plans to play all starters, including Jimmy Garoppolo, “We’ll treat him like what we’ve probably done more in the past. He’ll play somewhat into the first quarter. We’ll see how long the opening drive is.”

Going into his first full season as a Niner, all eyes will be on Jimmy G to see if he can return with the magic he closed out last season with. Things look promising too, as Garoppolo appears to be gaining confidence in his receivers in training camp. The connection with Marquise Goodwin appears to be back from last season, as the two have been working on deep routes the last couple of days and look as comfortable as ever.

Pierre Garcon was injured early in the season last year and wasn’t a part of the five straight wins led by Garoppolo as he is beginning to get chemistry with the sophomore starter.

The Secondary
The 49ers’ will be without Richard Sherman on Thursday night and will have to wait until the last pre-season game to see him play at Levi’s Stadium.

Instead, Jimmie Ward will get the start for the 30-year old, who suffered a grade-one hamstring sprain last week. The 49ers’ secondary has improved, but still appears to be the weak spot on the defensive side of the ball. Any progression from last season will be an excellent start for the team that surrendered the 22nd most passing yards in the league last year.

Draft Picks
The rookies have looked pretty good in camp so far for the red and gold, and Thursday night will be their opportunity to show the rest of the Red and Gold faithful.

First-round pick, right tackle, Mike McGlinchey is expected to play the most reps out of the starters to gain confidence and get more looks at the NFL level.

“He’ll be out with the starters to start. Then, we’ll see how it goes, how many reps we get. For the most part, we do it with most rookies. Even if he’s a starter, we might play him a little bit more,” explained Shanahan on Tuesday.

He’s going to have the crucial job of help protecting Garopollo this season after the 49ers’ line gave up sacks on 7.09% of pass attempts last year (19th in the NFL).

49ers’ third-round wide receiver, Dante Pettis has been very noticeable at camp thus far and could become an exciting option for the 49ers’ passing attack. However, the knock seems to be the smaller framed pass catcher doesn’t like going over the middle. Shanahan doesn’t see it that way. Shanahan said, “I think he’s a guy who doesn’t take hits much, and it’s not because he’s avoiding them because he’s scared. It’s because he’s a good athlete and he can control his body and can get himself in good positions.”

The New Helmet Rule
Introducing the “use of helmet” rule, which states, “It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.”

The rule becomes controversial because of “ejection standards” defined as when “a player lowers his helmet to establish a linear body posture prior to initiating and making contact with the helmet. A player needs to have a player delivering the blow needs to have an unobstructed path to his opponent, and the contact has to be clearly avoidable.”

Based on a video published in June, a play becomes ejectable when the targeting player appears to be the second or third man in trying to deliver a bone-crushing hit to finish off the play on an already wrapped up player.

These rules will take time for not only fans to get used to, but players as well; as the NFL tries to make tackling safer.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Game one of the preseason kicks off Thursday with Cowboys; Dallas’ Prescott will be asked about his anthem remarks

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @wfaa

On the 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

Game one of the preseason kicks off this Thursday for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott has been a central focus this last week on NFL talk shows. Prescott spoke out against players taking a knee during the national anthem and has got a lot of national flak for his comments, saying “it takes away from the joy and the love that football brings to a lot of people.”

Will the statements of Prescott bring divisiveness to the Cowboys’ dressing room? Will there be resentment for what Prescott said? Will there be even more players taking a knee on the Cowboys? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he has warned his players against taking a knee and Prescott could have fueled the players to take a knee even more. Ironically, if some of the Cowboys players take a knee on Thursday night, it will be in the stadium where it all got started–Levi’s Stadium, where former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick founded the movement.

David Zizmor who does the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday and Joe is the 49ers beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

49ers and Ticketmaster extend partnership

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: celebrityaccess.com

By: Ana Kieu

Ticketmaster, the global market leader in ticketing, recently announced an extension of its official partnership with the San Francisco 49ers. Every year, more than 660,000 football fans attend games at Levi’s Stadium, and Ticketmaster will continue to serve as the official ticketing partner for the 49ers, providing both season ticket holders and single-game buyers with a safe and secure marketplace to buy, sell, and transfer verified tickets on Ticketmaster.com and 49ers.com.

“Our organizational commitment to provide our fans with an enhanced gameday experience featuring the best technology available led us to be one of the first teams to use digital ticketing technology,” said Jamie Brandt, 49ers’ Vice President of Sales and Service. “Being based in the innovation capital of the world, renewing our partnership with Ticketmaster was a given, as they have consistently delivered platforms that improve not just the fan experience, but team and venue operations, as well. We’re thrilled to continue this partnership and we look forward to even more innovations from Ticketmaster.”

In 2018, the 49ers and Ticketmaster will roll out a new Member Credential for 49ers’ season ticket holders, providing them with the most efficient ticketing experience to date using a single scannable barcode to make stadium entry easier than ever for all home games.

Since opening in 2014, more than 2.5 million fans have entered Levi’s Stadium to attend 49ers games using Ticketmaster. Under this renewed partnership, 49ers fans will continue to access verified tickets on their mobile device, download them to a digital wallet, receive personalized event notifications, and enjoy a streamlined venue entry experience.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with one of the most innovative and forward-thinking teams in all of professional sports, the San Francisco 49ers,” said Greg Economou, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Sports for Ticketmaster, North America. “With this renewal, 49ers fans will continue using the best technology available, which creates a more personalized and engaging live experience at Levi’s Stadium. Ticketmaster shares the 49ers commitment of innovation and looks forward to seeing our platforms continue to give their fans the best live experience possible.”

The 49ers have long been an early adopter of Ticketmaster’s innovative products. In 2014, the 49ers helped launch the mobile platform VenueNext, integrated directly with Ticketmaster, to provide real-time insights and analytics to the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium resulting in an improved experience for fans. With VenueNext, fans can receive notifications on available ticket upgrade offers, the most efficient parking and entry options at the stadium, and place food orders to be delivered to their seat.

Ticketmaster and the 49ers have been partners since 1999 and revolutionized the live experience with the opening of Levi’s Stadium in 2014.

Fans can access resources such as mobile ticketing tutorials and step-by-step screenshots at https://www.49ers.com/tickets/mobile. These resources will be important as Ticketmaster and the 49ers look to educate fans about mobile ticketing during the 2018 season.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Giants to sell 125 lithos of Dwight Clark and Willie Mays holding their famous catch photos

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: 49ers.com

On the SF 49ers podcast with David:

The San Francisco Giants have announced that they will sell a limited amount of autographed lithographs of the late 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark and former San Francisco Giant legend Willie Mays, who is holding up his photo of making his catch in the 1954 World Series. The lithos are $487 each and there are only 125 available.

The 49ers have three tight ends in camp: George Kittle, Garrett Celek, and Cole Hikutuni. With a limited amount of tight ends in camp, can the 49ers open the season with only three tight ends?

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsadioservice.com

Is it August yet? San Jose State and others gather for Bay Area Football Media Day

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: Ana Kieu, Sports Radio Service

By: Ana Kieu

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — College football is just around the corner, and we’re less than five weeks away from the San Jose State Spartans’ season opener versus UC Davis on August 30. But, like you should already know, San Jose State isn’t the only Bay Area college football team, as the Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears sort of dominate on the other side of the Bay. Also, the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are the main attractions, as they’re NFL teams that may be dawdling right now, but they’re chock-full of history. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at all the football teams the Bay has to offer–whether they’re good, bad or just okay.

California Golden Bears
Last season, the Golden Bears, who compete in the Pac-12 Conference, were led by first-year head coach Justin Wilcox and played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. The Bears finished the 2017 campaign with a 5-7 record (2-7 Pac-12), which wasn’t that bad; but there could always be room for improvement.

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders recently confirmed that they’ll relocate to Las Vegas in the near future, and the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. will just be the home of one team, the Oakland A’s. Anyways, the Raiders’ fan base is very loyal, and I’m pretty sure their fans will travel to Vegas when they can. The Raiders, however, finished the 2017 campaign 6-10 and missed the playoffs, so it’s time for the team to click-clack boom, diversify their rushing attack and improve their defense under the guidance of returning head coach Jon Gruden, who previously coached the team from 1998-2001.

San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have a lot to prove, and this year should be a difficult test for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was arguably the biggest hero towards the end of the 2017 campaign as he helped the 49ers win five games for a 6-10 record. After that, Garoppolo signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. Now, the 49ers have to stay healthy and amp up their offense.

San Jose State Spartans
Oh, where should I start when it comes to the San Jose Spartans? I know, I’m an alumna who was fortunate to cover my alma mater, but there’s a laundry list of items for this team to work on. The youth movement under first-year head coach Brent Brennan was certainly a positive, but the Spartans finished the 2017 campaign with a 2-11 record (1-7 MW) and need to rebuild its secondary, then find ways to stay consistent.

Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal–coached by head coach David Shaw–is yet another team in the Pac-12 Conference and they play their home games at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal finished the 2017 campaign with a 9-5 record (7-2 Pac-12). The Cardinal is a pretty good team, but in college football, the offseason antics appear to be almost endless.

Notes
Washington Redskins long snapper and Cal alum Nick Sundberg turned 29 on July 29.

San Jose State has 66 freshmen and sophomore on its roster. With 14 remaining starters and 40 overall letter winners, San Jose State was selected by a media poll to finish 6th in the MW’s West Division. In addition, webflyer.com confirmed that San Jose State will have less than 7,000 air miles of travel for its 5 road games with air travel and a 300-mile round trip to Fresno, Calif. this coming season.

Stanford center Jesse Burkett was named as the Cardinal’s National Scholar-Athlete nominee. Also, Stanford star Bryce Love was named to Walter Camp Football’s Player of Year preseason watch list. Love is a human biology major and an aspiring pediatrician.

Is Jimmy Garoppolo’s rumored girlfriend Kiara Mia going to ruin his image?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: nypost.com

By: Ana Kieu

Whether or not you’re a San Francisco 49ers fan, you probably know all about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has an all-around good guy type of aura around him…or so they say.

Garoppolo managed to stay out of the tabloids during his three-year tenure with the New England Patriots from 2014 to 2017. But, now, the 26-year-old made shocking headlines after recently going on a date with porn star Kiara Mia in Beverly Hills, California.

Of course, TMZ was the first to break the out-of-place story, but still. What happened to Garoppolo’s reported ex-girlfriend, Alexandra King? The former couple became Instagram official in February, hung out at Disneyland in March, and King even responded to an Instagram question from a fan that she hoped to be married to Garoppolo in five years. We don’t know yet, but hopefully, something will come up on this attractive pair that apparently went their separate ways.

Anyhow, Mia looked really giddy with Garoppolo on their post-ESPY’s date last Thursday. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as a veteran porn star likely wouldn’t friend-zone a young stud like Garoppolo. According to TMZ, Kia said that there would be more dates with Garoppolo, so it doesn’t look like a casual situation is the correct label for the pair.

You might recognize Mia’s previous work, as she starred in a porn spoof on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” back in 2015. But, if you don’t know her, that’s okay too. Just know that Mia’s 14 years older than Garoppolo. So if Garoppolo is looking for a woman with experience, then he’s found the right person in Mia.

Like some of us, you might be wondering if Kia is going to ruin Garoppolo’s image and scare away some of his existing and future sponsors? When it comes to the sponsors, it’s likely not going to happen, unless if the company is very family-friendly. When it comes to Garoppolo’s image in general, that’s going to depend on the person, as everyone has their own opinion.

Personally, I don’t think this particular relationship is going to ruin Garoppolo’s image nor is it going to last long, but only time will tell. Also, I’d like to add that if you’re going to judge Garoppolo based on his personal life, you might want to treat other powerful men the same way, like, say, President Donald Trump. Just saying.

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Garoppolo had the confidence he could beat Brady for job when in New England

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) waves to the crowd before their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

On the SF 49ers podcast with Dave:

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo first came on the scene in 2014 with the New England Patriots, he had the confidence that he could be better than Patriots’ starting quarterback Tom Brady. He said he had that same confidence going into camp this season as it should be no surprise he’s a lock as the 49ers’ starting quarterback.

Dave will take a look at the two-game suspension of 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster and will his suspension be a distraction to the team going into those first two games?

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Is the expectation too high on Garoppolo?; Will Sherman see some time at wideout?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @49ers

On the SF 49ers podcast with Dave:

#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been the talk amongst media circles. One of the questions raised is Garoppolo overrated and are the 49ers expecting way too much out him for 2018?

#2 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman will have a huge role on defense this coming season, but can you see him being used at wide receiver. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has used him at wide receiver. Will 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan use him at the position this year?

David Zizmor does the San Francisco 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Dwight Clark has ashes laid to rest on Eddie DeBartolo’s ranch; Foster has a lot to mend for this season

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

yahoosports file photo: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark (87) goes for a run against the Minnesota Vikings was laid to rest next to the goal post from the 1981 NFC Championship game at former Eddie DeBartolo’s ranch in Montana

On the San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

Former San Francisco 49er Dwight Clark had his ashes laid to rest at former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo’s ranch. DeBartolo had the goal post from the game in which Clark made “the catch” that beat the Dallas Cowboys to advance to the Super Bowl in 1981.

Dave also talks about 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster, who will be suspended for first two games of the season for weapons offense and a misdemeanor drug offense. That being said, Foster is listed as one of the NFL’s elite linebackers from 2017.

David Zizmor does the 49ers podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com