American Football Spectacular: You Can't See Me
* San Francisco vs Oakland
Saturday, August 8, 7:00 PM PST
Preseason Week 1
The Unseen Battle
It's here. The NFL preseason is finally here for the Bay Area.
But, unless you've overpaid to get into The Coliseum, you can't see it.
Stupid tape-delayed Olympics. Stupid stadium not-selling-out.
Fine. We're just happy that our favorite bread-and-circuses have returned. Let's reel off some talking points for this game:
1.) Stupid, stupid 49er quarterback situation.
John Madden said it best, "If your coach says that you've potentially got three guys who can start, that usually means you haven't got any."
Yet here the Niners are, sporting an underachiever, an everyman overachiever, and some-guy who knows Mad Mike Martz's scheme better than the other two. Yeah, does not look good. This'll add (needed) intrigue to the 49ers' preseason. But that doesn't keep the situation from being any less depressing.
Photo of hard-luck Andrew Walter gettin' owned by BY via The Chron. Raider flip-flopping, Niner cornerstone gauging, and three more talkin' points after the jump.
2.) The Raiders are now cut-blockers.
Cut-blocking is evil. It's quasi-legal, ill-willed, and unkind. It has been a staple of the Denver Broncos' evil offense for years. And now the Raiders(?!) have installed a cut-blocking scheme.
Former Atlanta offensive line coach Tom Cable has brought his zone-blocking scheme to the Raider run game. This is a straaange policy change for OAK. For years, the Raiders have bemoaned the Broncos' malicious cut-blocking ways, now they're going to use those same techniques?
To speak out against something, and then to utilize it? Yeah, it's an ugly reversal. Like Obama's flip-flop on the FISA wiretapping bill. Or, of course, like the USA torturin' folks. Sigh.
3.) Can SF's 2008 #1 pick Kentwan Balmer be the anchorpoint?
The most important position in a 3-4 defense is the nose tackle. All else flows around what happens at the middle of the defensive line.
So, let's see how the Niners are doin' personnel-wise.
Safety: Looks fine. Got a hitter and a rover, with some prospects coming up.
Cornerback: Pretty good. Clements, and Harris, and Spencer. That's solid.
Linebacker: Should be good. Last season's Defensive Rookie Of The Year Willis is fantastic; a Tim Duncan at MLB. Banta-Cain will do well. Speedy Manny Lawson is finally back from injury.
For all of these other pieces to work, the NT must hold the centerpoint of the line and eat up offensive linemen's efforts. The 49ers made a good for-need first round draft pick in selecting Balmer. Now to see him work.
4.) You can't see this.
Yep, blackout. The Olympics, plus the stadium didn't sell out.
Sadly, this may be a sign of things to come for both teams. Here's hoping not. Let the games begin.