Pregame Expectation

Who would have thought former teammates on opposing sides would gee-up and ignite joint practice sessions in the runup to the showdown at Allegiant Stadium. Jimmy Garoppolo will once again face his former nemesis, the 49ers defense and Clelin Ferrell is a man on a mission for retribution. The basic requirement for the red and gold is to break live game rust using minimal snaps for the first team to ensure maximum opportunities for rookies and the undrafted. Preseason snaps are gold dust for individuals on the cusp therefore I’m hoping for a few fringe players to make their mark. The quarterback room, defensive back and offensive line groups will provide the most intrigue. Competition is fierce across the positional groups therefore individual players will need to show their hand against NFL opposition to force the managements hands.

Postgame Evaluation

Refreshingly no injuries on the day are the only positives to take away from the men against boy’s schoolyard offering. The Niners were bad, historically bad and painful to watch. The backups and the backup of the backups plied the backup trade to the letter. The lack of performance is on everyone from the coaching staff to the personnel. The lack of execution was embarrassingly inept across the board. The 49ers need to be better, Trey Lance in his own words must be better and play better. The internets self-proclaimed experts with stats and spreadsheets will feed each other’s subjective paranoia and emotional state of mind.

I believe on some level the well documented manifestation of the recent joint practice sessions bared fruit for the Raiders. Trey was a tad slow and missed a few plays in part to protect the ball with safety first mindset instead of trusting his arm and his legs even if his supporting cast disintegrated in the midst of a black hole. Trust your instincts, which he did to some extent once he settled down. Sam Darnold was Sam Darnold, in other words good, bad and ugly. Sam made a few good throws however by the time he entered the field the oppositions heatseeking momentum had shifted as well as some of the personnel. Preseason jitters or not, I have faith in the personnel, coaching staff and the quarterback room. Trust the process.

Pregame Expectation

Painful experiences can be hard to digest let alone forget. The 49ers will be facing familiar foe Russell Wilson at Levi’s Stadium. Kyle Shanahan has confirmed the first team will debut on a snap count against the Broncos for an initial series or two. Sam Darnold will take over to complete the half and Trey Lance will start and finish the second half. The Faithfull across the globe will be eagerly awaiting a complete rebound from the teamwide shambolic offering at Allegiant Stadium. The red and gold offensive line are under intense scrutiny to provide depth for the season ahead and the opposition will provide the latest opportunity for the group to figure it out. Denver Broncos on both sides of the ball should provide the same intensity as Las Vegas Raiders.

Postgame Evaluation

Any given Levi’s. ill-fated injuries, dancing with penalties, botched assignments, fan brawl in the stands and a comeback victory. The offensive line groups performed admirably and for the most part the backup unit managed to execute a night and day upswing. T. Y. McGill could be the missing rook piece to provide depth and substance for the defensive line. The quarterback room was efficient. Brock with his first live snaps post injury looked, moved and executed purdy well. Sam Darnold was Sam and efficient. The game came alive in the fourth quarter as Trey Lance and Ronnie Bell literally caught fire to snatch the victory with a field goal conversion on the last play of the game. The comeback will provide a momentary passage of redemption for Jake Moody and Cameron Latu.

Pregame Expectation

The starting squad with the exception of marquee veterans are expected to participate for the majority of the first half. The LA Chargers are anticipated to sit most if not all their starters. Mandated first team and practice squad roster finalisations are on the horizon therefore the third and final preseason game will be the last window of opportunity for individuals on the fringes to showcase for would-be employment opportunities across the league. The faithful will be eager to witness Trey Lance in action. Hopefully not for the last time in the red and gold of San Francisco 49ers. Please stay, Trey.

Postgame Evaluation

Lance out. The dream is dead. The quarterback room is not stronger without you. Good luck Trey Lance, you will be missed and see you soon. Sombre mood around the stadium translated to sombre play on the field. Hopefully the run stopping issues will not translate to the regular reason. It’s never dull in San Francisco, from quarterback tutelage to kicker controversy and the never-ending injury curse.

The Niners may have to sign an emergency kicker for week one. Brock Purdy moved the ball efficiently with his arms and his legs. Sam Darnold was Sam Darnold. The opposition will always fancy their chances and Sam will give them a chance or three. Kyle Shanahan can try as much but Sam Darnold may never separate the good, bad and the ugly.

Pregame Expectation

For better for worse, the establishment have made the news. The Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold era is underway, starting with a pulsating trip to a retooled Pittsburgh Steelers on the mend and on the rise. The faithful will be on-hand to mix plenty of the red and gold in-between the black and yellow. The home team are clear favourites on paper however the opening fixture could be the best time to face the wrath of steel city. Nick Bosa is back and reportedly hungry for action. The 49ers could possibly be without key individuals on offense and defense. George Kittle and Charvarius Ward are officially questionable for Sunday. Any version of Kittle on the field is night and day for the 49ers. I’m anticipating an evenly contested battle across the three positional units. Special teams and mistake free football may well be the only way to differentiate between the opposing teams.

Postgame Evaluation

Who saw this coming? No one expected total dismantling of steel city. Hello Drake Jackson. Nothing went right or worked for the yellow and black apart from the solitary points drive on the back of nauseatingly poor sequence of plays by the 49ers on cusp of halftime. Deommodore Lenoir’s flag for a late hit outside bounds was entirely avoidable, inexcusable and implicit for advancing Pittsburgh down the field. No shaking off the rust for the 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy who was calm and composed in and out of the pocket. 

Pregame Expectation

San Francisco 49ers will be entertaining the LA Rams at Levi’s Stadium South. The red and gold will take over the stadium and the surrounding area leading up to gameday to force the home team to operate as the away team. The Rams will be out to silence the unrelenting crowd in the stands and standup to the might of the opposition on the field. Nick Bosa will be extremely fired up to make up for lost snaps and ignite his personal stat sheet. Samuel Womack will miss a minimum of four games through injury and injured reserve designation. The 49ers will need to be on form and mustn’t underestimate a divisional rival and an underdog Rams team with newly acquired skilled players at running back and wide receiver positions. The contest could come down to countering a fierce battle of the trenches byway of creative play-calling on the sidelines.

Postgame Evaluation

Levi’s Stadium South is the real deal and for the Rams it must now feel like a curse? How did the record-breaking rookie wide receiver, Puka Nacua fall to the fifth round in the draft and to LA of all teams? The Rams remained competitive for the most part however the Niners offense were able keep the scoreboard ticking along enough for the defense to force the pass happy Matthew Stafford to throw two late interceptions to seal the game for the red and gold. Brock Purdy looked shaky early on and left a few opportunities on the field. Thankfully Purdy steadily improved as the game progressed.

Pregame Expectation

The opening fixture in Santa Clara will bring the faithful out in droves, determined to witness a 3-0 start to the season. Elijah Mitchell and Nick Bosa are building up momentum to get the season rolling. The Niners will need to be careful on the day after the Giants orchestrated an historical comeback in week two to dethrone a surprisingly impressive Arizona Cardinals whom the red and gold will face in week four. New York will severely miss Saquon Barkley’s ball carrying and pass catching skills on the field. The responsibility could fall on Daniel Jones and former 49er Matt Breida’s shoulders to carry the load. 

Postgame Evaluation

The 49ers were businesslike and methodical on both the field and the sidelines. The New York Giants had zero answers for the Niners on any level. Miraculously Brock Purdy is not displaying any visible consequences of the gruesome injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game. Brock is performing at a level seemingly ahead of the many projections and expectations bestowed on his behalf. Deebo Samuel carried the load in Brandon Aiyuk’s absence and if maximised the combination of Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell could be devastating for the National Football League. The powers that be must proactively focus and manage Christian McCaffrey usage from game to game.

Pregame Expectation

The Arizona Cardinals are defying the odds and the scripts. Joshua Dobbs and company are competing hard, fast and seemingly pressure free to dull down the Caleb Williams noise. The Cardinals have already dethroned the self-anointed best team in the world from Texas. The 49ers will have to respect the opponents and be wary of giving less for more. Joshua Dobbs legs more so than his arms could pose an issue for the Niners downhill attack at the snap defensive line. Please give Christian McCaffrey a break or three, the 49ers have a stable of backs who can deputise adequality.

Postgame Evaluation

Joshua Dobbs running with the ball did trouble the Niners defense throughout the contest and on another day Christian McCaffrey would be the standalone outlier between the teams. The sack numbers will materialise sooner rather than later for the 49ers because for the most part the difference is a milliammeter or a hold or two on Nick Bosa. (More Coming Soon).

Pregame Expectation

Americas team in Dallas will renew the longstanding NFC rivalry with the red and gold of San Francisco. The gridiron world could see a high scoring masterclass or a defensive shootout. No one is anticipating a blowout and too many playmakers on the field can cancel each other out. This will be a hardnosed battle to the very last snap. The difference between the sides could be the unmissable hidden yardage or on the sidelines. Mistake free football is nigh on impossible but whoever manages the intangibles, and the penalties will find the path to greener grass in Santa Clara. Are we set to witness an instant classic, week five into the regular season?

Postgame Evaluation

Don’t call it a contest. The NFL world was not ready or expecting a routine win for the red and gold. The Faithfull outplayed the Texas team from start to finish and sideline to sideline. All the noise from the opposition’s circles in the leadup equates to a frankly underwhelming performance on the field. Some teams and fandoms talk and talk while others graft. The naysayers will define Brock Purdy as a product of the system. In reality, Brock is executing the Shanahan system on another level, and the scary fact is that he has plenty of room to grow.

Pregame Expectation

The Niners have to be smart going up against a banged-up Cleveland Browns team missing key pieces on offense. PJ Walker at quarterback can trouble the defense with his mobility and the Browns defense is performing at a ferocious level. The Browns defensive unit will provide a genuine test for the Niners offense however can the same unit makeup for a backup quarterback, injury along the offensive line and red-hot form the visitors bring to the table? Recent history will indicate a Kyle Shanahan offense has yet to unruffle the Browns defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz.

Postgame Evaluation

The anti Brock Purdy brigade will have a field day however Sunday’s loss is not entirely on the quarterback or the missed game winning field goal. The lack of production across the offense with mindboggling penalties on both sides of the ball and a trio of injures on offense to Deebo Samuael, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams contributed to the shocking defeat. The Browns surprisingly failed to utilise PJ Walker’s manoeuvrability especially when the passing game struggled for the entirety of the contest. I believe the loss to the Browns is a blip more than a wakeup call and going forward the experience and lessons learned in Cleavland will exponentially aid the team and the young quarterback.

Pregame Expectation

The Niners offense will need to swiftly rebound from the struggles against the Browns defense and potentially without the services of Trent Williams and Deebo Samuels. Kirk Cousins and company preferentially operate a high-octane pass happy offense therefore the 49ers offense will need to milk the time of possession to afford the defense the opportunity to slow down or eradicate a Vikings team missing star player, Justin Jefferson. You cannot replace Trent Williams and Deebo Samuels ergo the next man up will unquestionably need to stand up otherwise the trenches could get muddy and ugly against a blitz-happy opposition.

Postgame Evaluation

A Kirk Cousins and Jordan Addison one two sucker punch was enough to succumb the 49ers to a second defeat in consecutive weeks. The Viking’s pass rush resoundingly hurried and confused Brock Purdy and his cohorts. The red and gold counterparts completely failed to dislodge Kirk Cousins timing, rhythm and confidence. If the Niners pass rush fails to make plays the secondary unit struggles mightily. Brock Purdy has accumulated ample adversity in the past two weeks to fall back and improve upon. Trent Williams is a unicorn and Deebo Samuels sheer presence on the field cannot be underestimated, opposing nfl defenses line up and gameplan accordingly. Brandon Aiyuk’s usage or lack thereof throughout the contest was as surprising as the final scoreboard. 

Pregame Expectation

San Francisco will be under immense scrutiny and pressure from a maxed-out home crowd to avert the recent trend of lacklustre performances on both sides of the ball. The Bengals will look to the Vikings gameplan to dismantle the 49ers in Santa Clara. Going into the bye week with a victory is imperative and for this to materialise the red and gold have to play better football across the three phases and avoid nonsensical penalties. Trent Williams is doubtful and Deebo Samuels could be back after the bye week. 

Postgame Evaluation

Joe Burrow’s ghosted the 49ers vaunted pass rush with timely pocket management and scrambling ability to carve-up the secondary with panache and ease. The pass rush is creating pressure but routinely missing the final jigsaw piece. The linebacking crew are flat-out trying to plaster over the miscues on the front and backend and it’s taking its toll. Credit to Dre Greenlaw for his commitment to the cause however Dre has been playing hurt for far too long. Missed tackles across the team are cause for concern and need to be buttoned up, swiftly. The whole team needs to step-up and quickly.

Pregame Expectation

A combination of a bye week, health on the injury front, Steve Wilks on the sidelines and the blockbuster addition of Chase Young should propel the 49ers out of a three-game funk. The Jaguars will mimic the Bengals, Browns and Vikings gameplan to nullify the ferocious and ferociously underperforming pass rush in order to pick apart the secondary. Things could get ugly if San Franciso fail to turnup on both fronts because Trevor Lawrence has similar traits to Joe Burrow. Deebo Samules should be on the field, Javon Hargrave and Trent Willliam will be questionable right up to kick-off. 

Postgame Evaluation

Three players can make a difference. Trent Willliams, Deebo Samules and Chase Young combined to galvanise the Niners back into NFC contention and national media frenzy. The pass rush was a constant menace, the run game was on fire and collectively the defense was lights-out. It’s not rocket science: defense is more than an attitude or an expression, defense is an artform. Brock Prudy was back on form in a purdy way with pocket movement, efficiency and taking care of the ball. Trent Williams is not just a superlative or a unicorn, he’s a blessing.

Pregame Expectation

San Francisco must ride the crest of momentum to lockup the division and maintain the quest for top seed in the NFC. The formula to attain both objectives was on full display in last week’s win in Jacksonville or any of the previous five victories. The perceived weakness (on paper) in the 49ers armour: the secondary need to just play complimentary football because the defensive line and the linebacking crew will make the explosive plays. Nick Bosa and Chase Young will be greatly anticipating the opportunity to tee-up against old collegiate rival, Baker Mayfield.

Postgame Evaluation

An excellent team victory compiled across the three platoons. Brock Purdy commandeered a perfect qbr rating with precise pocket management mixed with vertical passing execution. Brock was particularly relentless against constant in your face pressure. The entire defense, including rotational personnel operated with cohesion from the front to the back. Christian McCaffrey’s record equalling 16 game consecutive touchdown record was sapped but not for a lack of trying. (More Coming Soon).

Pregame Expectation

Niners will be on the road to face a divisional opponent and former rival sans Russell Wilson. You’d think form and squad pedigree would be a defining factor however Thanksgiving football can shock form, fashion and rationale. The 49ers will be missing standout starting safety, Talanoa Hufanga to an acl injury and the niners will be hoping Ji’Ayir Brown can step up to the mantle set by the stricken all-pro. On the other side, the Seahawks will be missing the incredibly gifted and ascending Kenneth Walker.

Postgame Evaluation

Don’t call it a rivalry. San Francisco 49ers completely dismantled the Seattle Seahawks and nullified the 12th man brigade. The defensive line was astute as advertised and the secondary pairing of Charvarius Ward and the ascending Ambry Thomas was lights out so much so you could imagine the duo repeating the performance in the dark. Brock Purdy marshalled the offense efficiently for the defense to take over the game. Going forward, the decision to allow Charvarius Ward to roam with DK Metcalf should be the default strategy against the opposition’s top playmaker.

Pregame Expectation

Do call it a rivalry. The time has come for all the trash talking off the field to translate on the field. The Niners have the opportunity to right all the wrongs including the hand that was delt in last year’s NFC Championship Game. (More Coming Soon).

Postgame Evaluation

Coming Soon.

Evaluation

Coming Soon.