Dave Carsley

Someone who didn’t watch the San Francisco 49ers down the Green Bay Packers by a score of 34-6 on Saturday would likely assume that the quarterbacks must have displayed some degree of rhythm. I mean if you score 34 points, you have to be doing something right offensively…you have to…don’t you?

Well the Niners did have a bright spot offensively. That bright spot was rookie Josh Morgan, who caught five balls for 114 yards and one TD. It’s becoming more and more likely that Morgan will be the Niners third receiver, and in a Mike Martz offense (see Az-Zahir Hakim), that’s a very valuable role.

Unfortunately, all three quarterbacks were very average in this game. J.T. O’Sullivan went 8-17 passing, including one toss directly into Packer corner Charles Woodson’s arms. He overthrew receivers, missed targets and simply put, didn’t look like a guy who has been practising with the first team offense for the past month-and-a-half. Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, menwhile, were a combined 7-17 for 83 yards playing with the second and third stringers. All in all, the quarterback play was nothing to write home about.

Defensively, however, the Niners was stellar. Tully Banta-Cain was the unquestioned best player on the field — recording two sacks and forcing two fumbles. There’s no reason not to be excited about him playing with Patrick Willis, Manny Lawson and Takeo Spikes in the mid-section of the 3-4. That is one talented group of linebackers and will give opposing offenses fits. Just ask Aaron Rodgers, who couldn’t get anything going.

All in all, the Niners proved that their defense and some of their skill players are getting into form, but the quarterback continues to be their big question mark. And you know what? It’s too bad because this team, with a decent guy behind center, is good enough to win the NFC West. With what they have now, they’ll be lucky to win six games.

DC

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The final spot is still up for grabs in our STB yahoo sports fantasy football league. I still want this to be exclusive to STB, but if nobody claims it by end of day today, I will give the final spot to a buddy of mine.

ID: 316025

Password: sf49ers

Dave Carsley

Here’s something fun on this fine Tuesday morning: it looks like a front-runner may have emerged in the battle for the starting quarterback position in San Francisco……….and it’s not Alex Smith or Shaun Hill.

For the fifth consecutive practice, plus the 49ers exhibition opener against Oakland, J.T. O’Sullivan has taken all the reps with the first team offense. Smith is taking snaps with the second team, while the only practice Hill is getting is how to hold the clipboard properly.

While Head Coach Mike Nolan insisted that this trend isn’t worth reading into, it would be foolish to chalk this up as a sheer coincidence, especially when up until recently, there was no reason to believe that any of the three quarterbacks at camp had emerged as a potential opening day starter.

Now here’s what we know about O’Sullivan - he’s been a journeyman since he was drafted in 2002 and didn’t play an NFL down until Mike Martz, then offensive co-ordinator with Detroit, gave him a shot last year. He threw a TD pass to Calvin Johnson - his only one to date. Martz was hired by the 49ers after getting dumped by the Lions after ‘07. Shortly after, O’Sullivan signs with the Gold Rush and soon after, Nolan publicly declares that the starting quarterback job is a three-horse race.

Could it possibly be that Martz and Nolan knew all along that O’Sullivan was the guy they wanted to go with? It seems fairly bizarre considering they had just signed Hill to a three-year contract and they also picked up the option on Smith’s rookie deal keeping him with the team through 2010.

One way or the other: it will be worth keeping an eye on this guy over the next couple of weeks. We may be in for an announcement that nobody, especially Smith and Hill, saw coming.

Stay tuned!!

DC

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Still two more spots available in our STB yahoo sports fantasy football league.

ID: 316025

Password: sf49ers

Dave Carsley

I guess my only reaction to the acquisition of Takeo Spikes is why not? The 49ers aren’t hurting at the linebacker position with young studs Patrick Willis and Manny Lawson in their mix, so adding a seasoned vet like Spikes, who many not have the same wheels as he used to, will at least help bring them along. Spikes will not be the focal point of the linebacking corps and is certainly an upgrade over Brandon Moore, who was released to bring Spikes in. Terms of the contract weren’t released, but from the outset, this doesn’t appear to be a bad signing. Bringing him in can’t hurt and that’s really all that matters.

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Unfortunately, the 49er offense was about as anemic as you can expect in their opener against Oakland. Shaun Hill, JT O’Sullivan and Alex Smith were equally lousy and were unable to maintain any rhythm on offense. While this is only the preseason, it’s not a good sign when your performance is this pathetic against a crappy team like Oakland.

The quarterbacks weren’t the only ones to blame for this ugly loss. The Niners combined for four turnovers to Oakland’s zero. Not acceptable. There are too many kinks to work out right now and I’m not looking forward to them getting their butts kicked when the games start to count in early September.

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There are still four spots available in the STB Fantasy Football league.

To join, log onto fantasysports.yahoo.com, sign up for Fantasy Football and join an existing league.

ID: 316025, Password: sf49ers

DC