The Competition: NFC West

I'm feeling really good about the 49ers' chances of making the post-season this year. The team is making notable progress and more importantly, they're relatively healthy. The rest of the NFC West is a different story...

St. Louis Rams

First off, the Rams suck and there's not much reason to believe that any of that will change this season. Their O-line has improved, but that was only one component of a much bigger problem. Under Coach Spagnolo, the Rams are still in rebuilding mode and it'll still take a season or two to see some progress. To make matters worse, they've been bit hard by the injury bug which is a death wish this early in the season. Starting QB Marc Bulger has suffered a broken pinky, DT Adam Carriker has a bum ankle, and leading WR Donnie Avery will surely miss the beginning of the season with a stress fracture. Outlook for the season: Bad for Rams. Good for 49ers.

Seattle Seahawks

Walter Jones, arguably the best offensive tackle in the league, has just undergone his 2nd knee surgery in 8 weeks and is now questionable for the 2009 season. Losing him would be the most significant blow the Seahawks could possibly take on offense. Earlier in the month, LG Mike Wahle retired, so already the Seahawks will be entering the season with a severely depleted line. You better believe QB Matt Hasselback, who went to the IR last season for a bulging disc, will be looking over his shoulder a littler more than usual. Again, he's only one hit in the blindside away from finding himself back on the IR. He's not the only one with back problems. Key CB Marcus Trufant is a possible candidate for the PUP list, which would deactivate him for the first 6 games of the season. As the leader of their secondary, it'd be difficult for the team to overcome his loss. **Update** C Chris Spencer is also out with what Jim Mora said to be the most serious injury out of the bunch. The depleted o-line is exactly what our stagnant pass rush needs.

St. Louis Cardinals

Two words: Billy Davis. Yes, that is the same Billy Davis that led the 49ers' ineffective, "vanilla" defense and was stripped of his playcalling duties before ultimately getting fired. Since then, he's been serving as the Cardinals' linebackers coach before he was promoted to defensive coordinator before the 2009 season. Now, I'm all about 2nd chances, but from my experience, a good indication of the future is a look at the past. The Cardinals' defense was horrible last season, and I don't see Billy Davis as the key to save it this year. Also, the team's offense is taking a hit with the injury setbacks to 1st round pick Chris Wells. As the guy that was supposed to spark a stagnant running game, he has been a non-factor. You really can't expect them to rely on an explosive passing offense to send them to the playoffs again.

Preseason Week 1: 49ers vs Broncos Live Blog

• • I have to run an errand... There's a chance I might miss the beginning of the game. I'll continue posting as soon as I get back.
  • Just got home in time to see a Dre Bly interception. I completely missed Shaun Hill's opening drive. Other than that, I'm really gonna focus on how Glen Coffee performs as today's premiere RB. So far, I'm having mixed feelings. On a positive note, sounds like Vernon Davis had a great start to the season.
  • Reggie Smith??? Where the heck did he come from? Other than Dashon Goldson, there's no one else I would've wanted to get an INT other than Smith.
  • Glen Coffee just churned out his best run of the night. The run was highlighted by the way he finished it--lowering his shoulder to deliver a final blow to his tackler.
  • At this point, although he got the touchdown, Alex Smith still looks like he's behind Shaun Hill in the QB battle. I still expect Hill to get the nod entering the regular season.
  • ...and down goes Thomas Clayton. It looks pretty bad, too. Alright, Kory. Here's your chance to show us you got something. **Update: Clayton has a "knee sprain." You know, I had a "knee sprain" until my MRI showed 4 separate tears.
  • I'm actually impressed by Jay Moore's play in the 2nd half. There were a few times that he was applying some significant pressure and he made some plays against the run. However, I can't say that I'd be comfortable as a starter if Lawson went down again. He does have time to prove me otherwise.
  • They keep sending Sheets up the middle and he keeps getting blasted once he gets in the hole. Funny, but right as I typed that, he ran for a 25 yard gain. The kid's surely got some wheels but he's certainly no workhorse. Wow, there he goes for another big gain! By the way, Khalif Mitchell is huge. His measurements don't exactly fit the standards for a nose tackle but he certainly passes the eyeball test.
  • I'm hoping for a chance to catch a replay of this game. I didn't get to see much of Kentwan Balmer. I'm really interested in seeing how he's developed.
  
  
  The Good
  • Three interceptions including one for Dre Bly. That's good considering he's filling in for one of our starters. I was initially concerned about the secondary, but they were arguably the best unit of the team tonight.
  • Saw some good showings out of both rookie RBs. Coffee held his own as a workhorse and even showed some surprising burst on a 15 yard run. I hope to see that carry over into the regular season. Sheets can potentially become a game-breaker if he can get the ball in space. If I'm gonna be nit-picky, Coffee needs to get lower in his pads and Sheets needs to finish his runs with a little more pop. But overall, I'm feeling really confident about our running game.
  • After today's game, there are probably going to be a lot of people picking up Vernon Davis in their fantasy drafts in earlier rounds.
  • You also gotta wonder how the team is going to handle Michael Spurlock after his strong showing. If you're keeping tabs, he actually started the game as the slot receiver.
  
  
  The Bad
  • Four sacks allowed. This was supposed to be the year that the line finally shows some progress. I understand that those sacks weren't entirely the line's faults (Zak Keasey's failed blocks, Hill and Smith holding the ball too long), but there was too much pressure for comfort on too many occasions.
  • Where the fuck was our pass rush? At the moment, I'm gonna assume we're sandbagging for the regular season. There wasn't a lot of blitzing but our starters should have gotten some decent pressure at some point. Either way, their performance was VERY disappointing.
  • Also, the inside run defense is looking a lot like early last year's... Things would probably have been much different with Patrick Willis in the line up.
  • Not everyone in the secondary looked good. Jahi Word-Daniels, another long shot to make the team, hurt his chances even more by making some major whiffs in coverage.
  
  
  The ugly
  • Goodbye Zak Keasey and Thomas Clayton. Both were already question marks for the final roster and now they took a couple huge setbacks with injuries. Worse yet, Keasey's injury came right after he allowed two sacks. Too bad for Clayton, though. He was actually looking somewhat decent.
  • MVP of the game FB Brit Miller took two short passes for touchdowns. How is this ugly? Miller's chances of making the team aren't that strong. However, he definitely has some practice squad potential.
  • Jason Hill looks like he might be the odd man out this year. It's a shame because he was showing a lot of promise last season. It would've been nice to have a San Francisco kid playing for his team.
  • Al Harris isn't looking too good right now...