49ers 2015 Preview: Complete San Francisco Guide for Preseason, Season
The San Francisco 49ers already have completed more than one-third of training camp.
With four training camp practices down, only seven remain before the Niners play their first preseason game Aug. 15 against the Texans in Houston, where we'll get our first exposure to the Niners’ new coaching staff. Finally, we’ll get a sense of how the Niners will play under head coach Jim Tomsula.
Less than a month later, the Niners will play their first regular-season game Monday, Sept. 14 against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi’s Stadium. That game will be here sooner than you think.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 49ers for the upcoming preseason and regular season.
New Impact Players
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In ascending order, the top five impact players the 49ers added to the roster this offseason:
5. TE Blake Bell, Rookie
Bell, one of the 49ers’ three fourth-round picks this offseason, is competing with third-year tight end Vance McDonald to be Vernon Davis’ primary backup and the Niners’ No. 2 tight end. Bell already has shown a natural ability to catch passes that McDonald seems to lack.
4. CB Shareece Wright, Fifth Season
Wright replaces Chris Culliver as the starting right cornerback in 49ers’ base defense. Wright has intercepted just two passes since high school, but he picked off Colin Kaepernick on Tuesday afternoon during team drills.
3. DL Darnell Dockett, 12th Season
Dockett is part of a platoon that will replace former left defensive end Ray McDonald. Glenn Dorsey will play McDonald’s position in the base defense, and Dockett will play it in the sub-packages.
2. RB Reggie Bush, 10th Season
Instead of re-signing franchise-leading rusher Frank Gore this offseason, the Niners let him walk and signed Bush instead. However, Bush isn’t Gore’s replacement. Bush is a backup, a scat back. Carlos Hyde is the starter.
1. WR Torrey Smith, Fifth Season
The Niners have needed a deep-threat receiver for more than a decade. Instead of drafting one this offseason, they signed the best one on the free-agent market: Smith. He will be the Niners’ starting split end opposite flanker Anquan Boldin.
Key Preseason Matchups
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Week 1 at Houston Texans: WR Quinton Patton vs. CB Kevin Johnson
The Niners could have drafted former Wake Forest cornerback Johnson with the 15th pick in Round 1 this year, but they traded down to No. 17, and the Texans took Johnson with the 16th pick. The Niners will get an up-close view of the corner they passed on in Week 1 of the preseason.
Week 2 vs. Dallas Cowboys: DL Tank Carradine vs. OL La’El Collins
On passing downs, third-year defensive lineman Carradine will replace Justin Smith as the starting three-technique—the defensive tackle who lines up next to Aldon Smith on the right side of the defensive line. Carradine is a pass-rushing specialist.
In Week 2 of the preseason, he’ll face Collins—one of the best offensive linemen in college football last season. That matchup should give us an indication of how good Carradine really is.
Week 3 at Denver Broncos: CB Tramaine Brock vs. WR Demaryius Thomas
When the 49ers played the Broncos during the regular season last year, Thomas made eight catches for 171 yards and scored twice. No one in the Niners’ secondary could cover him, not even Brock, the Niners’ No. 1 cornerback. But Brock was playing through an injured toe and a strained hamstring. Can he hold his own against Thomas when healthy?
Week 4 vs. San Diego Chargers: OL Alex Boone vs. DL Corey Liuget
The Niners played the Chargers during the preseason last year. In 23 snaps facing then-left guard Mike Iupati, Liuget recorded a sack, a quarterback hit, two quarterback hurries, one tipped pass and three stops, according to Pro Football Focus. Can the Niners’ new left guard, Alex Boone, do any better against Liuget?
What to Watch for During Preseason
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Right Side of the Offensive Line
The left side should be solid. Left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Boone are proven veterans and players the Niners can count on. We have no idea what to expect from the rest of the offensive line.
Michael Wilhoite/Nick Moody Competition
Coming into training camp, Wilhoite was the favorite to start next to NaVorro Bowman at inside linebacker. But Wilhoite has missed the first few days of training camp with a muscle pull, and Moody has been fantastic. The more time Wilhoite misses, the better Moody’s chances are of winning the competition.
Development of Kaepernick
As you probably have heard, Kaepernick spent the first part of the offseason refining his game at EXOS training facility in Phoenix. He specifically worked on throwing with touch, widening his base and shortening his throwing motion. Will he revert to his old mechanics in a live game?
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Scheme Changes
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Keep an eye out for the following scheme changes:
Faster Tempo on Offense
Under previous head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Niners’ offense would routinely get to the line of scrimmage with fewer than 10 seconds left on the play clock. Tomsula wants the offense to get there with at least 22 seconds left on the clock.
Zone Blocking
The past few seasons, the Niners’ offense used a gap blocking scheme—power runs and counter runs, plays Gore had been running his whole life. Now that he’s gone, the Niners have adopted a zone blocking scheme, which seems to suit new starting running back Hyde.
More Blitzing
The 49ers rarely blitzed the past few seasons. Former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio preferred to rush only four players and drop the other seven into coverage. New defensive coordinator Eric Mangini seems to have the opposite philosophy. The Niners have been practicing all kinds of exotic blitzes during training camp.
Regular-Season Schedule, Predictions
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Week 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Projected Outcome: Win. The Niners defense will carry the team to victory by shutting down Vikings running back Adrian Peterson as well as Minnesota’s play-action passing game.
Week 2 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Projected Outcome: Loss. Brock won't be able to cover Steelers standout slot receiver Antonio Brown man to man, so the Niners will have to use zone coverage, which Ben Roethlisberger will pick apart.
Week 3 at Arizona Cardinals
Projected Outcome: Loss. Brock will do a good job covering Cardinals slot receiver John Brown, but Wright won't be able to handle Cardinals split end Michael Floyd, who will make three touchdown catches.
Week 4 vs. Green Bay Packers
Projected Outcome: Loss. The Packers' offensive line will win the battle in the trenches, and running back Eddie Lacy will rush for 150 yards and two scores.
Week 5 at New York Giants
Projected Outcome: Win. The Niners defense will shut down the Giants' running game and make New York’s offense one dimensional. Then Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks will tee off, and Eli Manning will run for cover.
Week 6 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Projected Outcome: Loss. Terrell Suggs, Courtney Upshaw and Elvin Dumervil will take turns wearing out the right side of the Niners' offensive line, and the Ravens will sack Kaepernick five times.
Week 7 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Projected Outcome: Loss. Including the playoffs, Kaepernick’s record in Seattle is 0-4.
Week 8 at St. Louis Rams
Projected Outcome: Win. The past four seasons, the Niners have beaten the Rams three times in St. Louis. Rams’ rookie first-round pick, running back Todd Gurley, may not be rolling by this game. He’s rehabbing a torn ACL.
Week 9 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Projected Outcome: Win. Atlanta has a weak running game and a weak offensive line. The Niners dominate teams like that.
Week 10: Bye
Week 11 at Seattle Seahawks
Projected Outcome: Loss. Not including the playoffs, Kaepernick’s career passer rating against Seattle is 53.7.
Week 12 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Projected Outcome: Win. The Niners seem to match up better with the Cardinals when they play on grass. Arizona seems much faster than San Francisco on artificial turf.
Week 13 at Chicago Bears
Projected Outcome: Loss. Bears’ defensive coordinator Fangio will outcoach 49ers’ offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.
Week 14 at Cleveland Browns
Projected Outcome: Win. The 49ers’ defense won't give up a single touchdown to the Browns' anemic offense.
Week 15 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Projected Outcome: Loss. Bengals running back Jeremy Hill will wear down a weary Niners defense.
Week 16 at Detroit Lions
Projected Outcome: Loss. Brock (5’10”) is too short to cover Calvin Johnson (6’5”). So the Niners will be forced to cover him with No. 3 corner Dontae Johnson (6’2”), and Calvin Johnson will have one of his best games of the season.
Week 17 vs. St. Louis Rams
Projected Outcome: Loss. The Niners will give a lackluster effort after already having been eliminated from playoff contention.
Projected Record: 6-10
All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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