Okay. Enough of the foreplay. Next Sunday the Kyle Shanahan Era officially begins. Good luck, KS. You’ve got big shoes to fill (the Jim Harbaugh Era), and tiny shoes to flick aside (the Jim Tomsula/Chip Kelly Eras).
And, of course, a dickhead owner hanging around ready to corrupt anything you accomplish at a moment’s tantrum.
The 49ers aren’t favored to win more than a handful of games this year, if that, and they won’t be favored this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. The only factors working in their favor are the perceived potential of the defense, coupled with the perceived wizardry of Shanahan’s offense, and their recent invincibility on opening day.
The team has won six straight openers — four during Harbaugh’s years, and a couple of complete anomalies the past two years. They trashed the Vikings in 2015 and the Rams last year, before entering season long tailspins of ineptitude.
The Panthers are looking to re-discover their 15-1 mojo from the 2015 season and no doubt figure drubbing the Niners would be a great way to start. They’ve added RB Christian McCaffrey to their arsenal, a guy who’s very dangerous in the open field. Our LBs and secondary will have their hands full trying to contain him.
The Panthers should have as much a clue about what to expect from a Shanahan offense as anybody, since they’ve faced him four times over the past two years as Atlanta’s OC. Whether that matters or not will be disclosed by the experts after the game has concluded.
Speaking of experts, it’s our turn to show what we’ve got. Season predictions can be submitted any time this week, up until midnight Saturday.
Current line has Niners as 5-6 pt underdogs
I’ll stick with 4-12. I still think we’ll be better than last year, when we were *lucky* to win two games… but not better enough to show much in the win column. I hope I’m wrong, because it looks like another long season, but I think real progress in the standings is another year and draft – or two – away.
And shoving Jed out a window couldn’t hurt, either.
4-12
ESPN headline: ‘Scared’ and ‘afraid’ after getting cut, Ahmad Brooks feels at home with Packers
Yeah, we know how you feel, Ahmad. We were scared and afraid you were lined up in the neutral zone every third down play for the last six years.
I will go for a highly optimistic 5-11.
Cardinals signed former Vikings G Alex Boone.
“Quinton Dial has signed with the Packers.”
Our throw aways are popular.
Cards now have the Niner kicking tandem of Dawson/Lee.
Signing Boone provides them the Niner starting guards under Harbaug in Iupati/Boone
We also picked up a RB that Tampa cut Saturday. McNicols I think ia his name from Boise State.
And the Packers have Dial, Brooks, and Ricky Jean Francois.
Going to take an optimistic approach Skeebs.
6-10 馃榾
I don’t believe it. We just picked up a LB that was waived by the Panthers. That makes 10 on the PS. I wonder if we did it for the playbook. Genius!
The new PS pickup is Ben Boulware, a short LB in the Chris Borland mode who has a lot of savvy and heart and overachieves bewcause of his lack of measurables.
“Robert Saleh says NaVorro Bowman can cover Christian McCaffrey man to man.”
Hopefully, the DC is jesting. McCaffrey would eat Bowman alive.
One of the most notable aspects of our new FO is that when either KS or Lynch go to the podium I actually pay attention to what they say. The difference between Shanny and our last two HC’s is like night and day.
“49ers limited in practice again today:
TE George Kittle (hamstring), DE Aaron Lynch (back), S Jimmie Ward (hamstring).”
Hail to the Chiefs. We won’t have to listen endlessly to 19-0 from the fawning media wonks.
Last night Alex Smith did his Brady impersonation and threw for 360+ yds and 4 TDs. His best game as a Pro. He shredded the Pats defense and wasn’t doing it with check downs.
Kelce got called for a personal foul, taunting but it was far more egregious than that. Kelce took the football and shoved it at the crotch of the guy who tackled him. Talk about low blows. Kelce should have been ejected.
Yeah what the Hell happened to Alex? If he played like that every week KC would win Super Bowls.
He reminds me of Plunkett. Lost for so many years, people almost giving up on him. Wonder if he can have the same success at the very end.
Time for the annual opening game upset victory, followed by unrealistic high expectations, followed by another Seahawks thrashing.
That sounds about right.
Yeah Niner’s win today 31-27.
Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen both looked great yesterday.
Right now Darnold has the “it” factor that Montana and Young had.
His passes are catchable and leads to YAC.
Haha department: “Matthew Stafford鈥檚 first pass as NFL鈥檚 highest-paid player is a pick-six.”
49ers inactives:
S Jimmie Ward
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
LB Aaron Lynch
LB Pita Taumoepenu
T John Theus
G Laken Tomlinson
WR Victor Bolden
Apparently, Shanahan’s first words at the post game presser will be “Obviously, we’ve got some work to do.”
Yeah, we look pretty bad across the board.
So much for winning the opener. About what we expected. Run defense looks marginally better than last year’s dumpster fire, but it is going to take time to show any results on the scoreboard.
New post is up.