Category: San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (94) runs in pursuit during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 32-31. (Scott Boehm via AP

On the SF 49ers podcast with David:

1 It’ll be the NFL debuts of the 49ers rookie defensive tackle Solomon Thomas a No.3 draft pkck and former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey who is the No.8 draft selection. Dave talks about their match up making all Stanford alums proud.

2.  The Carolina Panthers are pretty set on offense with starting quarterback Cam Newton and running back help from McCaffrey and Jonathan Stewart can the 49ers contain them or will they circles around the 49ers defense?

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

 

AP File Photo: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton throws a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

By Jeremy Harness

 SANTA CLARA–The regular season is only days away, and the 49ers will have a stiff test right out of the gate.

 The Carolina Panthers figure to have a dynamic offense this season, particularly after drafting multi-faceted running back Christian McCaffrey out of Stanford in the first round. To make things more daunting for the 49ers is the fact that Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, who had surgery on his throwing shoulder in the offseason, is expected to play Sunday.

 Not only does he have Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olson to throw to, but he also has budding star wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin as well, and when you put all of this together, it means that the 49ers’ young defense will have all it can handle, to say the very least.

 Carolina opens up as five-point favorites over the 49ers, with the over/under reportedly listed as 48 points at press time.

 In the meantime, the 49ers have one fewer recognizable name on the roster this year. In order to trim the roster to the league-mandated 53 players, the team cut receiver Jeremy Kerley, who led the 49ers in receptions in 2016.

 On Tuesday, the New York Jets, Kerley’s original NFL team, signed him to a one-year contract.

 There will be a new face at tight end as well. The 49ers traded last year’s starter, Vance McDonald to the Pittsburgh Steelers, meaning that George Kittle, who first impressed the team’s coaching staff in the second preseason game against Denver with a third-quarter touchdown catch-and-run, is listed as starter on the team’s Week 1 depth chart.

The 49ers will see its younger, revamped, Robert Saleh-led defense in an obviously more-extended way on Sunday, and given the weaponry that Carolina possesses on offense, that should make for a very interesting matchup.

 

San Francisco 49ers Victor Bolden Jr. returns a punt for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–The San Francisco 49ers closed out their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in high-scoring fashion with a 23-13 victory.

The offense was slow moving from backup quarterback, C.J. Beathard running the show in the first half, but great defensive and special teams play carried the scoring.

Beathard showed off his wheels in the second quarter, getting the first touchdown of the game on a 62-yard scamper up the middle of the field. After realizing the pocket was collapsing, the rookie took off and beat everyone, impressing the faithful at Levi’s.

San Francisco scored their second major just 90 seconds later after Victor Bolden Jr. returned a punt for a touchdown, the second of the preseason while ensuring a spot on the 53-man roster to make the score 16-3.

Tim Hightower ended the half by drilling in a score from one-yard out.

Beathard ended the contest, passing 5-of-9 for 31 yards and taking two sacks.

The 49ers defense was the tale of the game, as they forced a total of five turnovers. Asa Jackson led the way with two interceptions, making a strong case for staying around on the practice team. Ray-Ray Armstrong and Leger Douzable each recovered a fumble.

It was a good thing that the Niners defense looked so strong, as the slow moving offense only generated a total of 266 yards.

Thursday night may have seen 33 49ers sit, but it gave a chance for a few notable players to try and ensure their place on the team before Saturday’s deadline.

There will be a lot of movement on black Friday in Santa Clara as both Kyle Shanahan and Jon Lynch have lots of work to do to cut the roster down to 53 men. They expect to meet with all 37 players on the bubble between now and Saturday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks during a news conference after an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 32-31. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

By David Zizmor

The San Francisco 49ers host the San Diego Chargers Thursday night at Levis Stadium for a 7PM kick off in the NFL Pre Season closing game. In this contest 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will make some tough decisions on who to keep and who not to keep. The 49ers already released tight end Lance McDonald finishing up his time with San Francisco with 64 catches, 866 yards, and seven touchdowns.

The 49ers will have quarterback Brian Hoyer as their starting play caller. Hoyer showed improvement from his game against Denver two weeks ago where he struggled to get the offense moving. Last Saturday in Minnesota Hoyer had his passing moving and he threw with time in the pocket and had targeted his receivers with much better skill.

David has much more on the 49ers podcast click to listen for more at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford, left, talks with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer after an NFL preseason football game Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 32-31. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

 By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA– Coming off a game against a solid Minnesota Vikings team that saw the starters give a stellar performance, it is time for the 49ers to build on that, as well as a time to make some decisions.

 There are only 11 days left in the preseason, and the team has to trim its roster to the league-mandated 53 players. Five days ago, the team released veteran Ahmad Brooks, who was a major contributor on a 49ers team led by former coach Jim Harbaugh and went to the Super Bowl five years ago.

 The outside linebacker has since landed with the Green Bay Packers as of Wednesday morning.

 Meanwhile, the secondary is considered to be a major weakness in the 49ers’ revamped defense, particularly in a division that thrives in the vertical passing game. A well-known cornerback suddenly became available as of Wednesday morning, and this could benefit the 49ers.

 After trying to trade him earlier in the week, the Cleveland Browns – yes, the team that went 1-15 last season and could use all the help they can get – cut veteran Joe Haden, and according to reports, there are teams that have shown interest.

 Among those teams are none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there are other teams, such as the 49ers, who appear to have a solid pair of starting safeties in Eric Reid and Jimmie Ward but need serious help at the corner position.

 Rookie Rashard Robinson is considered to be the team’s top corner at this point, but his performance has been up and down, and that is not a good sign heading into a season that will see the 49ers face teams like the Cardinals (twice) as well as the Dallas Cowboys, two teams the love to throw the ball around.

 The 49ers will now get ready to face the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday, another team that is 1-2 in the preseason.

 

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer hands the ball off to running back Carlos Hyde, left, during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

By: Joe Lami

For the first time this preseason, the 49ers first string offense looked alive as they dominated most of the first half in Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Quarterback, Brian Hoyer got going early connecting on a huge deep ball to Marquise Goodwin for a 46-yard touchdown. Hoyer finished the first half passing 12 of 17 for 176 yards and two scores.

Pierre Garcon was also noticeable for the first time wearing red and gold, catching six passes for 64 yards.

Carlos Hyde and Matt Brieda saw most of the carries among the first stringers, as Hyde carried the ball seven times for only 19 yards, but more importantly was a weapon out of the backfield, catching three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Brieda also saw seven carries and led the 49ers in rushing yards with 29 yards.

However, leading the night out of the backfield was Raheem Mostert, who scored two touchdowns, both in the second half. Mostert turned a 3rd and 23 in the third quarter for an 87-yard touchdown, as C.J. Beathard hit him on the screen. He also ran in the 49ers final score of the game with 7:48 remaining from four yards out.

The 49ers backfield has impressed all preseason long, making debate on how many running backs the team should try and carry on the 53-man roster. At this point, Hyde and Brieda are locks and Mostert’s performance on Sunday night put him over the top for the roster. Now the decision will come with Joe Williams, who finished the 4th quarter with 16 yards on seven carries.

Despite the strong start to the game, the 49ers fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game. Terrell Newby ran in the final score with no time remaining on the clock to cut the San Francisco lead to 31-30.

Minnesota decided to go for two and was successful on the conversion on a quarterback sneak from Taylor Heinicke for the victory.

On the defensive side of the ball, San Francisco fell apart as the game progressed, but once again the key figures had huge games. Rueben Foster led the way with eight tackles, including one for loss, as he continues to show why he was such a steal in the draft.

Sunday night’s game showed the biggest jump in the 49ers ability so far through the preseason and coming in week three gives little hope for the improvement of this team.

San Francisco closes out their preseason schedule at home on Thursday against the LA Chargers and is going to be vital for guys still vying for a spot on the 53-man and practice squad roster.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) looks to pass during an NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 33-14. (Ryan Kang via AP)

By Joe Lami and Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA–The season total of wins for the San Francisco 49ers as predicted by these two broadcasters are for under five wins. It’s not going to happen this year based out of the first two pre season games. Their going to have their struggles and they have some stiff competition lesser so than last season but it’s still going to be a tough year. When 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer lost the football when trying to throw last Saturday happens more than you think. You probably see it a few times every season, it does happen.

Usually a play like that happens when it’s raining, the field is wet, snow but it happens. We’re not going to harp on the guy too much but it happened only during a pre season game. The front seven they’ve built a pretty good front seven with Ruben Foster and Solomon Thomas and it only figures to be better over the years. It was a fairly week front until they brought in Thomas and him turning into a force and Thomas can turn into a nose guard. He’s going to be good rushing and Foster is going to solidify the linebacking.

There’s much more with Joe and Jeremy on the 49ers football podcast each week right here at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

49ers.com photo: San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmy Ward

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA– The 49ers will need all the help they can get this season, and they received a little more this week.

 The team activated safety Jimmie Ward from the physically-unable-to-perform list on Wednesday, providing a huge boost to a defense that is, like the rest if the team, looking for a bounce-back season to ignite the turnaround that the team’s brass is looking for.

 Ward had missed the entire summer with a lingering hamstring injury.

 Ward will be playing a new position in 2017, as he will be playing a deep safety in new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s cover-3 scheme.

 The scheme was made famous by the Seattle Seahawks, as it was the look that helped them win the Super Bowl three years ago, and Ward is expected to play the same role as Earl Thomas. In the team’s eyes, what makes him a fit for this position is his range and quickness, which he utilized as the team’s primary slot corner, as he transitions to safety.

 Another asset that Ward has is his tackling ability. In his three years in the league – all with the 49ers – he ranked second among the team’s cornerbacks in tackling efficiency.

 Ward is expected to be in action as the 49ers prepare to head to Minnesota to face the Vikings in their new stadium in downtown Minneapolis, U.S Bank Stadium. The two teams will do battle Sunday night, and the 49ers will be looking for their first win of the preseason.

 

 

 

AP File Photo: Former San Francisco 49er and now former Buffalo Bills’ Anquan Boldin warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Boldin announced his retirement this past week. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

On the 49ers podcast with David:

Former San Francisco 49er Anquan Boldin who announced his retirement from the game of football this past week did so for life related reasons. After the Charlottesville Riots he decided that there was more to life than football and decided to get involved politically and help his nearby community as well as other communities

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer who struggled against Denver on Saturday will take another stab at it again this time in Minnesota for pre season game number two. Last Saturday Hoyer besides having trouble moving the ball and throwing it tried to make a pass but lost the ball and said later he had no idea where the football went. He’s hoping to having a better outing this coming Saturday.

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

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) hands off to running back Carlos Hyde during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Harness

SANTA CLARA – Granted, this is the preseason. But still, Saturday night’s game at Levi’s Stadium left a lot to be desired. And on offense, it left little hope, if any at all.

The 49ers wasted a very nice defensive effort from the starting unit by turning the ball over five times and generating next to no offense in a 33-14 loss to the Denver Broncos in their second exhibition game.

The 49ers defense forced a punt on the first series, but a huge mistake on special teams shifted the momentum of the game dramatically, when backup safety Jaquiski Tartt was found to have touched the ball with his calf while covering a punt.

Denver’s Will Parks then recovered at the 49ers’ 11-yard line. Two plays later, cornerback Rashard Robinson was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, placing the ball at the 49ers’ 1. C.J Anderson plowed through two 49er defenders across the goal line three plays after that to give Denver a 7-0 lead.

Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer completed eight of his 11 passes for 89 yards, but he had a rather-forgettable night, particularly due to one play.

Late in the first quarter, Hoyer had the ball slide right out of his hand as he took his arm back to throw, and defensive end Shelby Harris scooped up the loose ball for the Broncos, killing a drive filled with potential.

“It’s literally the worst feeling I’ve ever had as a quarterback,” Hoyer said. “I went to throw it hard, and all of a sudden, I don’t know where the ball is.”

Early in the second quarter, Hoyer found Marquise Goodwin over the middle but ended up with an interception when Chris Lewis-Harris snatched the ball away from Goodwin as he was going to the ground while still gathering in the throw.

On the positive side, the first-team defense, which played much of the first half, fared pretty well against one of the better teams in the NFL, giving up only 148 total yards in that timeframe.

Robinson, the rookie corner whom the 49ers are expecting to cover the opposition’s best receiver this season, had a nice overall showing after being burned multiple times in Kansas City.

Although he was flagged for pass interference in the first quarter, he did fairly well in covering All-Pro receiver Demaryius Thomas, giving up only a 4-yard catch and making a fine open-field tackle on a third-down screen pass in the second quarter to force a field-goal attempt.

Tartt, meanwhile, atoned for his early special-teams miscue with a big third-down sack late in the second quarter that forced Denver to kick another field goal.

The 49ers got on the board on its first possession of the second half, when tight end George Kittle caught a screen pass and broke two tackles along the sideline, tight-roping his way into the end zone to cut Denver’s lead to 20-7.

If there is a glimmer of hope on the offensive side, it was that rookie quarterback C.J Beathard had a solid outing. Playing in the second half, he hit on seven of his 12 throws for 110 yards and the touchdown, backing up the strong performance he had against the Chiefs.

Rookie receiver Victor Bolden got a chance to show off his speed late in the fourth quarter, as he took a kickoff and out-ran the Broncos en route to a 104-yard touchdown return. In all, Bolden returned six kicks for 184 yards on Saturday.