Tag: San Francisco 49ers

By Morris Phillips

Three points, 142 yards in total offense.  Ouch!

The 49ers took a step back in a lackluster, 20-3 loss to the Seahawks.  A big step back offensively.

Colin Kaepernick had an eventless night once three points are added, and six sacks are subtracted.  Coming off Sunday’s win over the Ravens and the previous Sunday’s second half-rally against the Giants, more was expected.  The Seahawks’ defensive front, however, offered less.

“It’s hard for me to say right now exactly what it was,” Joe Staley said of the 49ers’ protection issues that gave Kaepernick little time to throw, let alone create downfield plays.  “We have to win our one-on-one matchups.  That’s what we’re here to do, that’s what we’re paid to do, and we have to do a better job.”

“They dominated tonight,” Seattle’s Luke Willson said of his team’s defense.  “It’s contagious.  When you see them out there, they shut them down completely.  I thought they were fortunate to get three points to be honest.”

Seattle drew first blood on their opening drive of the night as Marshawn Lynch capped a 12-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run.  Lynch’s biggest issue?  A troubled stomach prior to the game resulted in him throwing up on the sideline during the first quarter.  After that Lynch’s stomach settled down, and his game kicked in.  In his best game of what’s so far been an injury-marred campaign, Lynch ran for 122 yards, his best effort and first 100-yard game since February’s Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

Lynch’s physical, pile-moving effort left little doubt regarding where the intensity lied in Thursday’s game.  The 49ers were outmatched at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  San Francisco trailed 17-0 at the half, then settled for a shutout-avoiding Phil Dawson field goal in the final two minutes of the third quarter.  The Levi’s Stadium crowd never got involved, the 49ers’ lackluster play had a lot to do with that.

The 49ers have now gone the previous nine matchups with Seattle without scoring at least 20 points.  Kaepernick fell to 1-6 against the Seahawks as a starter.  In terms of growth from last year’s encounter with their rival from the north, there was none.  On Thanksgiving, the 49ers fell behind 13-0 at the half, and lost 19-3.  The scores of the two games—Thanksgiving of last year which prompted a written apology from owner Jed York, and Thursday’s lopsided affair—would support the contention that the 49ers have made up little ground.

Both teams entered Thursday with 2-4 records.  The 49ers fell for the fifth time in their last six games and now occupy the cellar in the NFC West.  The Seahawks improved to 3-4 with a trip to Dallas next in 10 days from Thursday.  Could the win be a turning point for Seattle, which has plagued by fourth quarter letdowns this season?

“It gets us back on track knowing that we’re the team we always knew we were,” linebacker Bruce Irvin said.  “We didn’t finish the last couple of weeks and this week we did a great job of keep pressing, keep pressing.  We kept our foot on the gas the entire game until the clock hit triple zeros at the end.”

Irvin, Cliff Avril and Seattle sack artist Michael Bennett were the 49ers’ biggest problems offensively.  Bennett won repeated matchups with 49ers’ guard Jordan Devey and registered three-and-a-half sacks.  Avril added another sack, and a tackle for a loss of yardage.  The 49ers had just 21 minutes time of possession and managed just eight first downs.  But that wasn’t a new development: the 49ers have failed to record double-digit first downs in three of their six games.

On nine of their first 11 possessions, the 49ers were forced to punt.

Is there an attainable goal for a team that has now lost 8 of its last 11 regular season games dating back to 2014?  Afterwards, head coach Jim Tomsula sounded resolute that his team would finish this season battling.

“As long as there’s a chance to make the playoffs, we’re going to fight like crazy to get to the playoffs,” Tomsula vowed.

The 49ers take a needed 10-day break before traveling to St. Louis to take on the Rams on November 1.

By Morris Phillips

Colin Kaepernick passed for a career-best 225 yards and a touchdown in the first half, and the 49ers held on for a 25-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.

No Super Bowl XLVII, but you could term it the Super Bowl of 1-4 teams, a pair of flawed squads desperate to escape their current circumstances at almost any cost. For the Ravens, that passion was personified by two hardened veterans, Steve Smith Jr. and Justin Forsett, lifting themselves off the injury report and into the starting lineup knowing the paper-thin Baltimore lineup wouldn’t stand up in their absence.

And for the 49ers, looking for the first win in over a month, that passion to win meant taking advantage of a familiar face, even if that guy was Shareece Wright, a teammate just 10 days ago.  Wright was released just days after he went public with his dissatisfaction over lack of playing time.  On Sunday, while wearing a Ravens uniform, Wright got his wish.

Leading 6-3 in the second quarter, Kaepernick found Torrey Smith streaking down the far sideline—with Wright trailing—for a 76-yard pass play that gave the 49ers their first double-digit lead since Week 1.  Then in the second half, Kaepernick bought time, stayed in the pocket, and spotted Quinton Patton for an easy 21-yard pitch and catch.  On that touchdown, Wright was again the primary defender and he slipped and fell near the goal line just as Kaepernick released his throw.

Coming in, Wright supposedly announced that he would reveal 49ers’ tactics that would help him and the Ravens get a win at Levi’s Stadium.  Instead, it appeared the 49ers had a plan for Wright.

“I think being around any player, you pick up on their tendencies,” Kaepernick revealed when asked if the game plan had an extra wrinkle for Wright.  “You pick up on what you can take advantage of.  There were a couple things we thought we could take advantage of, and we did.”

On both plays, Kaepernick showed his growth that started in the Meadowlands last week in the tough loss to the Giants.  Hitting the deep ball had been the quarterback’s major flaw, but against the Ravens he connected with fullback Bruce Miller for 52 yards and Anquan Boldin for 51.  On the touchdown to Patton, Kaepernick stayed in the pocket and made a play downfield to what he said was his third option.

And most importantly, Kap got it going early, before the boo birds and the doubt could surface.

“Early on, we wanted to get the ball out of Kap’s hands, just let guys have one-on-one situations where we can make plays,” Boldin said.  “Kap did a great job of seeing the field, giving guys opportunities.”

While the Ravens secondary banged up and vulnerable, the 49ers found themselves in a rare situation where their defensive backs weren’t served up as the San Francisco treat.  Since, trading the expensive Boldin following their Super Bowl win nearly three years ago, and then losing Torrey Smith in the off-season, Baltimore hasn’t had enough downfield threats to compliment high-priced signal caller Joe Flacco.  That made Steve Smith’s availability a critical component to Sunday’s game, and the 14-year veteran somehow made it a go.

On Friday, Smith told the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec that he wouldn’t be able to go on Sunday as a result of the painful microfractures in his back.  The injury suffered against the Steelers forced Smith to miss Baltimore’s last game against the Browns.  But on Sunday, Smith was in the lineup and involved in two critical plays, one he wished he could have back, and another he won’t likely forget.

With the Ravens driving and looking for their first points early in the second quarter, Flacco found Smith in the end zone on a third-down pass play, but the pass slightly behind Smith was bobbled, then dropped.  A catch would have given the Ravens a 7-6 lead, instead they would trail for the entire ballgame.

In the third quarter, Smith appeared to be tightly covered by rookie Kenneth Acker, but came up with an amazing 34-yard catch in the corner of the end zone to trim the 49ers’ lead to 19-13.  Acker immediately complained that the veteran receiver pushed off, but a replay showed how subtle that push was on the fast moving play.

Forsett, who didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday due to an ankle injury, also made it a go, producing over 100 yards of offense on the afternoon.  But despite the heroic performances by Smith Jr. and Forsett, the 49ers held on.

Flacco threw 53 times on Sunday, but misfired on 20 of those and was picked twice.  Acker found himself all alone deep when Flacco gifted him with a ball that he returned 45 yards.  Earlier, Flacco was picked by linebacker Michael Wilhoite.  But what was he thinking on that deep ball picked by Acker?

“I was looking to hit the shot over the top,” Flacco explained.  “I was hoping to buy time on the play and it got to the point where I didn’t see anyone open so I was just trying to throw it away.  I didn’t see anyone down the field, but it ended up being a really dumb play.”

The 49ers won for the first time in over a month, on a day that both Arizona and Seattle lost.  As a result, the 49ers and Seahawks enter Thursday’s big meeting with identical 2-4 records.  The Cardinals, still leading the NFC West at 4-2 maintain a 1 ½ game lead over the idle Rams.  Could the 49ers growth pattern extend for another four days, and against the two-time NFC Champs?

“We’re gradually picking up momentum.  We’re playing better and better.  It’s something that we have to continue,” Kaepernick said.

“We need this win on Thursday.”

By Morris Phillips

Colin Kaepernick looked confident and capable. The 49ers’ offense as a whole played better. And the Sunday night national television audience got treated to a whale of a football game.

But the 49ers’ defense was powerless as Eli Manning and the Giants marched down the field for a game-winning touchdown with just 21 seconds remaining. Now after a heart breaking 30-27 loss, the team finds itself in a 1-4 hole that’s almost impossible to climb out of.

Did we mention that Colin looked confident? Well, he really did.

“He did a great job. I’m proud of him, the way he bounced back after a tough week,” Torrey Smith said of his quarterback.

“It just looked like he was having fun,” Anquan Boldin noted. “He was himself. And that’s what I’m used to seeing.”

Could it just be that franchise quarterbacks burdened by multi-million dollar contracts and hindered by expectations are acutely sensitive to public sentiment? It could be, but you certainly didn’t hear that from Kaepernick himself.

“No,” Kaep responded when asked if he was feeling the pressure this week due to the backlash of three, subpar performances. “To me, I have to go back out and play football. It’s a game at the end of the day. It’s not life or death.”

Consider Kaep’s outing to be progress like running through South of Market and entering Hayes Valley on your way to Ocean Beach during a Bay to Breakers race. Kaepernick completed 23 of 35 passes for 264 yards, no picks and he ran just three times, executing Geep Chryst’s gameplan that saw the quarterback attacking downfield, and making plays in the passing game. For the first time in 19 games, a 49ers’ tight end caught a touchdown pass, and the run game featuring Carlos Hyde picked up tremendously after halftime as a result of Kaepernick’s capable passing.

On the other hand, the 49ers settled for a pair of field goals in the first half, and didn’t have any of their first 41 offensive plays result in a touchdown. And once Kaepernick and the offense rallied from a 13-3 deficit in the third quarter to tie the game at 13, and then again in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 20, the defense wilted, allowing Manning to mount a final drive without any of his top three wide outs available and on the field.

It there’s a final step a quarterback must take on his way to being a top-10 NFL signal caller, that step would undoubtedly be mastering the art of leading a red-zone offense with a passer’s pinpoint touch. Manning took that step long ago, and his miraculous throw and catch to Larry Donnell on Sunday in the final seconds was just another example.

On the game-winning play, 49ers’ linebacker NaVorro Bowman found himself in a familiar place, looking to clog any running lanes near the goal line while being responsible for Donnell, the Giants’ rangy, 6’4” tight end, who’s more often than not kept in for protection of the New York running game, while possessing the ability to make a tough catch over a shorter defender, in this case Bowman. The 49ers’ defensive leader reacted beautifully to Donnell, eschewing the run, backpedaling into position and reaching with his right hand for the ball just as Donnell made the catch.

But Donnell amazingly held on in traffic while tapping both feet inbounds. Had Donnell juggled the football at any point, the tight end would have been pushed out of bounds, and the play would have resulted in an incomplete. But that—for the 49ers—how the ball is bouncing right now.

“It seemed like we played a whole game today,” Bowman said. “It seemed like everybody was on it. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy being that we were the visiting team. But I feel like we came out focused, I feel like we played a full, 60-minute game. And I’ll take that one. I’ll put that on me.”

What doomed the 49ers was the inability to defend the pass game, as Manning completed a franchise-record 41 passes on Sunday. That Manning would be so inclined to put the ball in the air, despite missing two and sometimes three of his top targets showed how little regard the Giants and other NFL clubs have for the San Francisco secondary at this point. Needing only to defend running back Shane Vereen as Manning’s only experienced pass target in the final drive, the 49ers couldn’t stop Vereen or any of the other Giants and get off the field.

The Giants won their third straight after opening the season with two losses, while the 49ers fell further into the basement in the NFC West.   On Sunday, the 49ers host the 1-4 Ravens, also desperate to turn things around after losing to the Browns at home in overtime on Sunday.

 

By Morris Phillips

If 2015 devolves into rebuilding campaign for the 49ers—and officially, it hasn’t yet–don’t expect the franchise quarterback to get a pass.

Colin Kaepernick was an obvious target again on Sunday, as the 49ers fell to the Packers, 17-3 at Levi’s Stadium.  Kaepernick misfired on 12 of his 25 pass attempts, and the 49ers amassed fewer than 200 yards in total offense.  The Packers’ front seven repeatedly took advantage of the 49ers’ porous, offensive line, totaling six sacks, and disrupting the running game.  Sam Shields also picked off Kaepernick, as he left too little air under a deep pass attempt targeting Anquan Boldin.

On the other side, Aaron Rodgers, the best player on the planet, made a fire with matchsticks, leading the Packers to a touchdown on their opening drive, and compensating for Green Bay’s numerous injuries on offense by stinging the San Francisco defense with a bushel of big plays.  Rodgers endured a challenging day, attempting 32 passes to gain just 200 yards, but not an unsuccessful one as the Pack made do courtesy of his vast skill set.

As expected, the scoreboard and the variance in quarterback play brought out the Santa Clara boo birds.  Fox’s Skycam and its intrusive microphones added to Kaepernick’s burden, catching Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews reminding Kaep that he “ain’t Russell Wilson” after a designed run in the fourth quarter with the 49ers’ already trailing by two touchdowns ended with the quarterback sliding down for a one-yard loss.

Among Kaepernick’s numerous issues on Sunday, a number of Packers players and coaches were in town still smarting from that 2012 playoff loss in which the 49ers’ quarterback passed for 263 yards and ran for 181 more in San Francisco’s 45-31 win.

The numbers did the rest to Kaepernick.  The 49ers had just eight first downs—one in the fourth quarter— they were killed in time of possession, and ran just 50 offensive plays.  And from ESPN’s stat machine, this revealing look: on passes thrown at least five yards past the line of scrimmage, Kaepernick completed just 3 of 12.  In his last two games on passes downfield, he’s completed just 31 percent and thrown all four of his picks.

Afterwards, the questions came fast and furious, and the answers brief and curt.  Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News asked the obvious.  Should a quarterback change be considered?

“Won’t even go into that discussion,” Coach Jim Tomsula said.  “It’s not on my mind.”

Has Kaepernick lost his confidence?

“That’s not the way I would term it,” Tomsula said.  “But, we’ve got to, collectively on offense, we’ve got to have 11 people going in the same direction, at all times.”

Kaepernick didn’t say much as usual.  Can’t fault him for that after an afternoon like this.  But he did offer some, brief assessment of his play, saying “the one throw I want to have back is the one to Reggie in the red zone.  He made a great move, I didn’t make the throw.  But the other ones, once again, I’m not going to throw a ball into traffic and risk this offense and this team and putting them in a bad situation.”

Is this already a bad situation?  Undoubtedly, yes.  Three-fifths of the line, center Marcus Martin, right guard Jordan Devey and right tackle Erik Pears are overmatched.  Green Bay ran a majority of their rush stunts against the trio with great success.  In the first five weeks, grading schemes that account for offensive lineman individually have all three near the bottom of the league.  On Sunday, in addition to Kaepernick having little time to throw, and being sacked so frequently, the 49ers couldn’t run.  The Green Bay front was simply better, more hostile, and didn’t matter much what good Alex Boone and Joe Staley had brewing on the other side.

“They brought the safeties down, played a zero look a lot,” Carlos Hyde revealed.  “They brought extra defenders in the box.  It’s hard to run against eight or nine guys in the box.”

Hyde had just eight carries on the day.  Just three weeks ago, he led the NFL in rushing.  That alone represents a dramatic decline.

Vernon Davis was unavailable Sunday, and while he’s far from the playmaker he’s been in the past, he’s a steadying influence in the protection game, and that was missed.  In his place, Vance McDonald drew a flag, dropped a pass, and struggled throughout.

Boldin and Torrey Smith have grown visibly frustrated, and why not?  The duo is wearing themselves out trying to catch passes from a guy who hasn’t shown the acumen to do so.  Both veterans, and Reggie Bush as well, know what it’s supposed to look like, and this isn’t it.

Among NFL teams with authentic uniforms and fan bases dying to be entertained, the 49ers rank dead last in scoring through four games with 48 points.  That’s 20 points fewer than number 31, the Bears with 68.  Beyond their gritty effort on Sunday, the defense hasn’t helped either, the 49ers have allowed 110 points, only three other teams have allowed more.

That means the product is hard to watch, Kaepernick is hard to watch.

Could Blaine Gabbert help things?  We could find out sooner, rather than later.

By Morris Phillips

Big Ben’s no Teddy Bridgewater.

And the 49ers of Week 2 weren’t anywhere near the equal of the 49ers of Week 1.

All the familiar scheduling issues NFL teams detest were working against the 49ers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Sunday.  Being the team on a short week, traveling east, with kickoff scheduled for 10am west coast time were the most obvious disadvantages the 49ers faced, but maybe the biggest obstacle was the physical nature of the Steelers and how capable they were.

More so than the Vikings were in Week 1.

It sure appeared to be the case as the Steelers raced to a 29-3 halftime lead on their way to an easy 43-18 result that had both teams 1-1, but only the 49ers left to face all the questions.

“We didn’t get it done, bottom line.  There’s no excuses.  But I did think the guys kept fighting through,” Coach Jim Tomsula said.

“Today we didn’t play our best football.  I think everyone knows that.  For us, we need to regroup, get ready for Arizona next week,” Colin Kaepernick admitted.

The 49ers suffered a frustrating afternoon offensively, in which they ran 77 plays and gained a respectable 409 yards but did little to impact the scoreboard outside two Kaepernick touchdown passes in the fourth quarter long after the game was decided.  The 49ers’ quarterback was pressured as frequently as he had been in any game in his previous three seasons as a starter as the team’s offensive line was often compromised by the Steelers’ stunts and blitzes from their front seven.

Two drives typified the 49ers’ fruitless afternoon.  In the first half, trailing 8-0, the 49ers ran 17 plays and nearly nine minutes off the clock, but had to settle for a 47-yard Phil Dawson field goal.  In the fourth quarter, the 49ers ran 18 plays but turned the ball over on downs at the one-yard line when Kaepernick couldn’t hookup with Bruce Miller on what would have been a touchdown pass on fourth down.

As badly as the Steelers treated Kaepernick, they were even more vicious with Carlos Hyde, who came hurtling back to earth after torching the Vikings for 168 yards rushing in Week 1.  The 49ers’ second-year starter at running back was knocked out of the game in the second quarter, evaluated for a head injury, and once cleared by independent physicians, Tomsula opted not to put his gifted runner back into the game.  Hyde finished with 43 yards on 13 carries, fewer than the 51 yards on nine carries that Kaepernick amassed scrambling away from the Steelers’ pass rush.

Of course, in a game this lopsided, what transpired offensively accounted for only half the 49ers’ dismal story. “Big Ben” Roethlisberger and the NFL’s best receiver and number one fantasy option, Antonio Brown, had performances that had statisticians reaching for their record books.  Roethlisberger completed five passes thrown at least 30 yards downfield, the first time that had happened in an NFL game in 10 years.  And Brown, Roethlisberger’s most frequent target for those throws, racked up nine catches for 195 yards.

Brown’s nine catches extended his NFL record for consecutive games with at least seven catches to 13.  The 49ers were well aware of Brown’s exploits coming in but got caught attempting to slow the receiver several times with single coverage.  And instead of veteran Tremaine Brock, Brown often got matched with rookie corner Kenneth Acker, who was overmatched.

The mismatches downfield didn’t stop with Brown.  In the second half, linebacker Michael Wilhoite got matched up with Steelers’ wide receiver Markus Wheaton on a deep ball that went for a 48-yard gain and had Wilhoite frustrated after the play trying to figure out why he didn’t have safety help.

The result?  Roethlisberger threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 27 passing, and he was barely touched throughout as the 49ers’ pass rush was missing in action.  DeAngelo Williams, the aging back best known for his time with Carolina, replaced the suspended Le’Veon Bell, and ran for three touchdowns.

And the 49ers’ response to all the Pittsburgh fireworks?  It may be Kaepernick’s 75-yard pass play to Torrey Smith that cut the Steelers’ lead to 36-18 in the fourth quarter.  And the significance of the play?  The touchdown pass was the first thrown by Kaepernick in the fourth quarter of a game in his career.

Needless to say, the 49ers have work to do.

Next week, the 49ers travel to Arizona to face the 2-0 Cardinals, the early leaders in the NFC West.

By Morris Phillips

When asked to compare the methods of former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and newly promoted Eric Mangini, 49ers’ linebacker NaVorro Bowman didn’t break the bank with descriptive depth or get political, playing one against the other, instead simply saying that “Eric’s more of a variety type.”

Before the 49ers dismantled the Vikings Monday night, and after an off-season of unprecedented defections and personnel losses–almost all of them on defense—who could honestly say that they knew the no-name 49ers possessed “variety?”

Well, the answers are: probably no one, and apparently they do.

By holding the Vikings scoreless for three quarters, and putting the damper on Adrian Peterson’s anticipated return to the Minnesota lineup one year after issues with the authorities and the league derailed his career, Bowman—also returning from a year of inactivity–and the 49ers’ defense stole the show.

Seven of the 49ers’ defensive starters had never taken an official NFL snap alongside the former All-Pro who missed all of last season recovering from that gruesome leg injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks.  But from the start, with Bowman contributing the defensive signals and just about all of the veteran leadership, the retooled defense gave the Vikings fits.

Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater spent most of the evening under pressure provided by the clever 49ers’ rush schemes, and limited to check down routes that more often than not didn’t move the sticks.  The Vikings couldn’t establish Peterson, couldn’t take advantage of the youthful 49ers’ secondary, or get on the scoreboard before or after Blair Walsh’s 37-yard field goal at the outset of the fourth quarter.

The Vikings converted just one of 11 third down opportunities and had only 248 yards in total offense.

The whole show had Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer grasping for answers to less-than nuanced questions.

“They were hounding us pretty good,” Zimmer explained.  “And then we allowed them that cut-back run at the end of the half.  So, you know that’s kind of the story tonight.”

When asked how Peterson was held in check (52 yards from scrimmage on 10 rushes and three passes caught), Zimmer again could offer much.

“I don’t know.  He looked alright to me.  He didn’t have many helpers.”

For Zimmer, commenting on the 49ers appeared much easier.

“All the credit goes to San Francisco.  They were much more physical than we were.  That’s more of a team that I would like to be like.  You know, when you don’t run the ball, you don’t have an opportunity to keep them out of pressure situations.  They ran the ball on us and they kept us out of pressure situations.  That was pretty much the extent of the game.”

In a league surrounded by prognosticators and observers trying to anticipate what you’re likely to see next, the 49ers fooled ‘em.  Frank Gore departed to Indianapolis in the off-season, taking all his team history and intangibles, and Carlos Hyde took Gore’s place on Monday without missing a beat.  The second-year man showed he was ready by pounding the Vikings with 168 yards rushing on 26 carries, including two touchdowns.  Hyde never hit Minnesota for more than 18 yards on any one carry, which illustrated how consistent he was all evening in turning corners and moving piles.

Hyde’s debut as a 49er starter at running back trumped all those since 1970, and his 168 yards were the best total recorded by a back in the entire NFL in Week 1.  In a game which nearly went scoreless for a half, Hyde provided the breakthrough by spinning away from a pair of potential tacklers, reversing direction and sprinting left for a 10-yard touchdown 47 seconds before halftime.

That Hyde was the story, and not Peterson was quite a shocker.  First off, the Vikings, not the 49ers were established as 3-point favorites in gambling circles with the biggest reason being that most anticipated Peterson and emerging, second-year quarterback Bridgewater would have their way with all the new faces on defense for San Francisco.  Also, Colin Kaepernick’s struggles of last season weren’t likely to disappear overnight.  If Minnesota seized control, most thought Kaepernick would be hard pressed to lead the 49ers back, especially if he were forced to throw it constantly.

Against the Vikings, Kap showed his growth not by showing off his arm, but through his ability to get the 49ers into the right plays, and by controlling the pace and tempo in a game that was disjointed from the start.  Both teams missed first half field goal attempts, summer sensation Jarryd Hayne fumbled a punt on his first touch in a NFL regular-season game, and the 49ers were limited when Reggie Bush was felled by a calf strain in the first half.

“You see him getting us in the correct runs,” Coach Jim Tomsula said of his signal caller. “You see him killing a pass and going to a run. You see him killing a run and going to a pass. Doing all of those things. I thought he knows what he’s looking at. I thought Kap played a wonderful game. I thought he did everything we asked him to do.”

The defense provided an edge, and Kaepernick kept handing the ball to Hyde.  At one point after the 49ers increased their lead to two scores, Bridgewater managed to complete passes on nine consecutive attempts.  But the rush on Bridgewater never relented, and his run game never got untracked.

“Man, I’m excited,” center Marcus Martin said.  “Tomsula always says we got something special here, protect it.  And I really believe that.”

Ian Williams, who started on the defensive line, after missing much of 2014 due to injury, agreed with Martin, saying, “We’re not worried about all the outside noise.”

On Sunday, the 49ers figure to get a tougher challenge in Pittsburgh against the Steelers at 1pm EST.

By Morris Phillips

The third pre-season game is supposed to best reveal a team’s regular season outlook.  For the 49ers, who played the entire first half Saturday night in Denver with two completed passes and a field goal right before halftime, that outlook may be one with little or no offense.

And while Kaepernick and crew may settle in and evolve as Coach Jim Tomsula’s expects, the approach of 49ers’ opponents may not.  The Broncos—who went on to defeat the 49ers Saturday 19-12—saw the 49ers not only Saturday, but during the week in a series of controlled practices.  Not surprisingly, Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips turned up the pressure on the 49ers’ offensive line and Kaepernick with great success.

In the second quarter, Kaepernick was tackled by DeMarcus Ware in the end zone for a three-yard loss and a safety.  On that play, likely starter at right tackle Erik Pears was beaten, and right guard Ian Silberman, a sixth-round pick getting a look see with the starting group, failed to hold the point of attack.

On the final drive of the half, the only one in which Kaepernick was able to get the offense into scoring range, the Broncos kept up the pressure, and eventually forced the 49ers to settle for a 41-yard Phil Dawson field goal.  On that eight-play drive, Kaepernick scrambled for 34 yards on one play but accomplished little through the air.  Even with newly acquired deep threat Torrey Smith in the game, the team’s wideouts and tight end Vernon Davis were unable to create separation.

Similar to the 49ers’ first pre-season game, all the upheaval showed in the number of plays the 49ers were able to run.  On Saturday, Denver dominated the time of possession—nearly two to one—and San Francisco ran just 48 plays for 237 yards of offense.  Along with Silberman, second-year man Marcus Martin got his first look at center in place of Joe Looney, and Daniel Kilgore, who has yet been cleared to play following off-season surgery.

No matter the struggles, Tomsula reiterated his belief the group will be ready on September 14.

“They’re doing all of the right things to get where we need them to be for the season,” Tomsula said.  “They’re doing everything we’ve asked of them.  They’re working hard.  It will play itself out.”

Even with the lack of plays run, a couple of players made impressions.  Blake Bell had three catches as he attempts to capture the backup tight end role ahead of Vance McDonald.  And Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter saw action and made notable contributions.  Hunter was seeing the first action of the pre-season following his 2014 season that was cut short.

Bruce Ellington, in a battle for a backup spot at receiver, made his first significant pre-season contribution with three catches.

Defensively, things looked far more promising.  Peyton Manning was made to look uncomfortable at times as the 49ers sacked him three times and he was picked off by Kenneth Acker.  Still, the Broncos at least got to evaluate their group as Manning completed 14 passes and led the Broncos on several positive drives.  Manning and company played a full half as well, but only had two field goals to show as the 49ers got stingy when pressed.

NaVorro Bowman again looked like the great player he was two seasons ago.  Bowman played much of the half and had a pair of sacks of Manning.  Michael Wilhoite, in his first significant action, registered five tackles and appears to have a hold on the inside linebacker spot opposite Bowman.  Corey Lemonier, first up in the battle to replace Aldon Smith, also played well.

The 49ers are expected to announce a round of cuts on Tuesday, with the final cut to 53 coming after the pre-season finale on Thursday against San Diego.

By Morris Phillips

Pre-season football was tedious as always on Sunday night, with two notable exceptions.

NaVorro Bowman made his much-anticipated Levi’s Stadium debut–19 months after his horrific injury in the NFC Championship game and the arduous rehabilitation that followed.

And the Jarryd Hayne saga continued to balloon even as the 49ers and Coach Jim Tomsula attempted to keep the whole thing under wraps only to have their efforts done in by another powerful straight arm delivered by Hayne.

The 49ers turned in an impressive defensive effort, whipping the Cowboys 23-6, and keeping them off the scoreboard until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.   The quiet night on the scoreboard didn’t sit well with the Cowboys, who are coming off a 2014 playoff appearance and wanted their play to reflect their ascension.

“Every game is an important game for us—pre-season, post-season, regular season, so we need to play better than what we did,” Dallas’ Travis Frederick admitted.

For the 49ers, who are a full season removed from their last playoff game, and coming off a tumultuous spring and summer filled with defections capped off with the abrupt departure of Aldon Smith, the home opener provided cause for optimism.  The 49ers’ youthful secondary led the way in that department picking off three passes, although none of the three came when starter Tony Romo or second stringer Brandon Weeden were in the game.

Colin Kaepernick got abbreviated playing time for the second straight week, completing 2 of 5 passes for 13 yards.  Blaine Gabbert followed Kaepernick and completed 6 of 6 for 21 yards.  If anyone stepped foot into the stadium looking for offensive fireworks, they didn’t get them from the 49ers’ passing game.  The team’s top three wideouts—Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Jerome Simpson combined for one catch, and Reggie Bush, the pass catching back, was held out for precautionary reasons.

Tomsula had kind words for his reworked offensive line, which will have at least three new starters.  The group paved the way for the 49ers’ top three rushers—Carlos Hyde, Hayne and Mike Davis, who totaled 127 yards rushing on 23 combined carries.

Hayne, the Australian rugby player turned pro football neophyte, showed once again that he belongs, breaking off a 34-yard run that started with a straight arm and ended with a gang of Dallas tacklers at their 25-yard line.  Afterwards, Hayne spoke extensively about protection packages that will undoubtedly be the final step in his transformation to NFL football, along with an issue he had with his helmet visor as he prepared to field a punt.

Hayne finished with 54 yards rushing on eight carries, and afterwards fielded questions from an Australian reporter who called him a sensation similar to a vegemite sandwich.  But when Tomsula spoke of the 27-year old rookie, it became clear—without it being said succinctly—that the 49ers need to see more progress in the game’s nuances, and that they have great interest in retaining Hayne, but at whose expense?

The 49ers seem set with Carlos Hyde, Bruce Miller, 2015 fourth-round pick Mike Davis and Bush.  Beyond those four, Hayne would seem to be in direct competition with Kendall Hunter.  Hunter, who did not play Sunday, missed all of 2014, but was thought of highly enough that he received a contract extension despite his injury.  With all the euphoria surrounding Hayne, it’s highly unlikely that he could be cut, and then retained later on the practice squad.

Given the delicate nature of the final roster with respect to Hayne, Tomsula chose to focus on the players’ amazing story, instead of his prospects.

“Obviously the guy is doing really well.  He’s making a great case for himself absolutely.  And I think that’s the story in itself.  You’ve got a guy that’s never played the game and he’s come out to be in the conversation of making a 53-man roster on an NFL football team.  When you’ve never played football, now there’s the story,” Tomsula said.

Bowman could have played last week against the Texans, but the inside linebacker and the coaching staff felt it was better if he debuted in front of the home crowd.  Arguably, the best defensive player in the league in 2013, Bowman’s health going forward is of the utmost importance to the organization.  Not surprisingly Bowman was limited to just three snaps, meaning he spent much of his night fiddling with the knee brace that will–or will not–accompany him throughout the remainder of his career.

“I made a few adjustments with it to allow me to move my leg a little better, and I just wanted to make both sides happy, the trainers and me at the same time,” Bowman said.

On the injury front, the 49ers reported that Vance McDonald (ankle), Tank Carradine (leg) and Craig Dahl (lower body) all suffered injuries that are considered minor, but will be re-evaluated on Monday.

On Saturday night, the 49ers will be in Denver to face the Broncos at 6:00pm Pacific time.

By Morris Phillips

One guy becomes a household name, another never steps foot on an NFL sideline again. That’s the mixed bag running through the subtext of NFL exhibitions.

For the 49ers on Saturday night, all the ups and downs of attempting to forge a career in the National Football League could be capsulized by two players: Dylan Thompson and Jarryd Hayne.

Hayne, the former Australian rugby player, may not look the part with his upright running style, but he played the part, breaking off a 53-yard run, a pair of positive punt returns, and an imprudent, but ultimately successful kick return.

Thompson, who played under the old ball coach—and former 49ers’ quarterback—Steve Spurrier at South Carolina went undrafted, but was signed by San Francisco and given an a shot at a backup quarterback role.  But Thompson’s first three plays as a professional went horribly wrong: Sack, run for no gain, then another sack for a safety.

Jason Ankrah’s sack of Thompson in the end zone for a safety was the second score for the Texans within a minute, early in the third quarter, as Houston went on to beat the 49ers, 23-10.  The 49ers wanted to take a look at a number of players on the offensive side of the ball, but they were beaten in terms of time of possession worse than they were on the scoreboard.

“Whether it’s a preseason game or whatever, we’re putting helmets on to play and we need to win,” Coach Jim Tomsula said.  “With that being said, we saw a lot of things from a lot of people today.”

The 49ers held the ball for fewer than 20 of the game’s 60 minutes and ran only 40 offensive plays.  Colin Kaepernick’s season debut was short and uneventful.  The established starter finished 1 of 3 for 14 yards.  Kaepernick’s deep ball to new acquisition Torrey Smith breaking free behind two defenders was slightly overthrown.

Blaine Gabbert fared much better, completing 8 of 11 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.  Gabbert’s 10-yard pass to Garrett Celek went for a touchdown, and allowed the 49ers to trim the Texans lead to 8-7 early in the second quarter.

But when Thompson took over, the 49ers’ offense went quiet.  The 49ers failed to run as many as five plays on any of the five possessions led by Thompson.  San Francisco’s 10-8 halftime lead evaporated in a scoreless, second half.

After the safety, head coach Jim Tomsula made a point to console and encourage Thompson on the sidelines, but the 6’3” quarterback didn’t see things get much better.  Twice after brief 49ers’ possessions under Thompson, the Texans ran double-digit plays but settled for a pair of 41-yard Reggie Bullock field goals.

J.J. Watt, the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year; 2014 first overall pick Jadaveon Clowney and off-season acquisition Vince Wolfork formerly of the Patriots all sat out for Houston, making the 49ers’ offensive struggles even more troubling.

For the 49ers, NaVorro Bowman, Vernon Davis and Darnell Dockett all sat out for precautionary reasons.  Bowman is expected to be a full participant in practice on Monday for the first time as he continues his recovery from the compound fracture he suffered in the NFC Championship game in January 2014.

Hayne was signed as a free agent in the off-season after a decorated rugby career in Australia.  Reggie Bush is listed as the team’s top kick and punt returner, and ahead of Hayne on the depth chart at running back, so when the former disgraced Heisman winner was also held out Saturday that provided an opportunity for Hayne.

And the 27-year old rookie delivered.  On Hayne’s long run, he broke through on a sweep play, hit the hole with steam, and did a nifty change of direction that left Texans’ safety Rahim Moore grasping.  On the kickoff return, Hayne took the ball from eight yards deep, ran up the sideline and broke a tackle that again, allowed him to change direction and get out to the 26-yard line.  On both plays, Hayne showed that NFL defenders will have to be ready for his 6’2” height, high running style and narrow, but shifty hips.  Did we mention the powerful straight arm Hayne displayed to create space from tacklers?

“I expected him to be very comfortable in space,” Tomsula said.  “I’ve watched a lot of film of him, and I’ve watched the physicality of his play in rugby.  He never missed a beat when he put on shoulder pads.”

The defensive line spearheaded a pair of impressive, goal line stands in the first half that kept the Texans from scoring either time.  But on Cecil Shorts 53-yard catch for the game’s first score, safety Antoine Bethea and corner Dontae Johnson were caught arm-tackling with no success.

Next Sunday evening, the 49ers open the home schedule with the Dallas Cowboys at 5pm.