San Fransisco 49ers: Preseason Observations, Game Two

(Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

Certain things are really jumping out strong this year in preseason.

When watching the game the first time, its obvious we have some ability in the running game, although we don't know exactly how great, because we haven't been playing defenses with a very good reputation for stopping the run.

Nevertheless, we certainly do have some real ability there.

At first glance, the quarterbacks do not look too great overall.

The quarterbacks have missed some passes, and don't look comfortable in the pocket, even thought they have pretty good time. They seem like they have a three second clock in there head, and must start running around when the clock goes off.

Not surprisingly, in practice, a loud buzzer goes off after three seconds on every pass play; apparently the goal is to encourage the quarterbacks to get rid of the ball more quickly. So far, in the games, that philosophy does not seem to be helping either quarterback.

Defensively, when I first watched the game, it appeared that the pass rush was non-existent.

Although, we are struggling in that area to a large extent, it did not look as bad on second review.

Second Review: Looking at the game more closely, certain things become more clear.

Offensive line

First of all, Chilo Rachal plays like a poor man's Larry Allen. He is devastating in the running game. In fact, a large chunk of our runs had Rachal pulling around either side.

They were really using him a lot, similar to the way we used Larry Allen a lot when Gore rushed for nearly 1,700 yards three seasons ago. His abilities were certainly worth a high second round pick. Although he struggles a bit in pass protection, I feel it's because he is a little too aggressive, and this is something he can fix.

Heitman is just as good as last year, Wragge looks fairly solid overall, but Staley and Snyder are the real story.

Staley looks improved from last year, looking like he is becoming everything we had hoped for and more. His pass blocking was very good, but what impressed me even more was his run blocking; he was washing (blocking from the side) lineman 10 yards out of the play. H

e was very effective at what they asked him to do, and was another big reason we had so many rushing yards.

Adam Snyder is a player I have always liked. Now that he is getting a chance to focus on one position, he is looking real solid. He is not the most athletic player, but he makes up for it with his fantastic positioning and understanding of blocking angles. He has good size and strength, as well.

Snyder did a good job in the running game, but IMO not as good as Heitman, Staley, and of course Rachal.

If he can stay healthy (knock on wood), he will provide a giant boost for our team.

Quarterbacks

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