|
|
|
|
|
49ers punish the Raiders in pre-season victory
By Morris Phillips August 22, 2009 |
||
|
|
|||
|
In the 2008 pre-season opener in Oakland, the 49ers got pushed around as the Raiders showcased their punishing, physical run game. On Saturday night, the 49ers pushed back. With 275 yards rushing and three backs—not named Frank Gore—having exceptional nights, the 49ers played hard-nosed Mike Singletary ball at Oakland’s expense. Rookie Glen Coffee, in his second straight strong outing, led the way with 129 yards on 16 carries. While the rushing explosion didn’t translate fully on the scoreboard, the 49ers did pull out a 21-20 victory to go to 2-0 in the pre-season, a record that soon will be rendered a mere footnote. Michael Robinson, who did not play last week against Denver, finished with 97 yards in 14 carries. After the game he described the difference in the 49ers offense as they transition from the cerebral approach of Mike Martz to the repeated train wrecks preferred by new coordinator, Jimmy Raye. “He’s done a great job of implying the attitude that we need to run the ball,” Robinson said of Raye. “’We’re going to go out there and we’re going to knock ‘em in the mouth! Kick ‘em in the teeth...’ He’s always saying that.” “I think our offensive line, both the first group and the second group, really did a good job executing. They came out, and we talked before the game started, about the physicality that we wanted to be able to bring. They did that,” Singletary said. For the Raiders, their inability to hold on to the football in Wednesday morning’s joint practice in Napa, highlighted by five 49ers’ interceptions , was a problem in the game, as two second-half interceptions were key to the 49ers comeback that saw them overcome a 14-3 Raiders lead. In all, Oakland turned the ball over four times, including Jeff Garcia’s poor throw leading to an interception in the first half, and wide receiver Louis Murphy’s fumble in the second half. With the 49ers run game taking center stage, the competition for the starting job at quarterback didn’t come any closer to a resolution. After the game, Singletary was adamant that nothing had been decided and that neither quarterback, Alex Smith or Shaun Hill, had done little to distinguish themselves in Saturday’s game. Smith started and finished 3 of 9 for 30 yards and Hill relieved him, and threw 3 of 7 for just 20 yards. Smith did stand out with fearless play by making a touchdown saving tackle on Ricky Brown’s interception and knocking Raiders defense end Greg Ellis off his feet a few plays earlier as he attempted to keep the 49ers double reverse from going for a big loss. “That was a great block… as long as you don’t get hurt,” Shaun Hill said of Smith’s de-cleater. “I was planning on not doing anything dumb, but he peeled back, and, from my angle, it looked like it would have been a 8- to 10-yard loss,” Smith said of his crowd-pleasing block. “So I went back and caught him off balance. It looks more devastating than it was.” The 49ers defense stood out for more than just turnovers. In last year’s 18-6 pre-season loss to the Raiders, the 49ers surrendered 248 yards rushing. This time the Raiders managed just 69 yards rushing on 18 attempts. And last year, you play how you practice became a reality for the 49ers as they were pushed around in regular season home losses to the Patriots and Eagles that led to Mike Nolan’s firing, and again in an embarrassing loss to the Seahawks in Singletary’s first game as head coach. Besides a blown coverage that allowed Murphy to get behind the defense on a 24-yard touchdown pass in the first half, the 49ers defense will probably be pretty pleased with itself when the film is reviewed on Monday. If nothing else, regardless of who wins the quarterback battle, the 49ers will win or lose in a dramatically different manner than they did in 2008. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||