Has any team ever had a worse offseason than the San Francisco 49ers? They’ll get a chance to put the shocking retirements and departures of several big-name players behind them when a new era in Niners history gets underway.
ODDS
The Niners beat up on the Texans, 40-13, in last year’s preseason finale, but a lot has changed since then. Houston opened at -3 with a total of 35.5.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Colin Kaepernick will work with a new head coach and offensive coordinator for the first time in his Niners career and there will be an adjustment period. You simply can’t measure practice time against live game situations and OC Geep Chryst needs to see how far Kaepernick has progressed in the new up-tempo offense. He’ll likely play a few series before backup Blaine Gabbert takes over for his reps in the new offense. Rookie Dylan Thompson is the third quarterback on the roster and isn’t likely to see many snaps.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback and we likely won’t know his decision until game time Saturday. We do know that Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer are in a tightly contested battle for the job. Both have competed throughout OTAs, minicamp and two weeks of training camp, but neither has gained enough separation to be the clear cut favorite. “I want to see these guys play against an opponent and see how that goes, and make sure we’re giving them, whoever the starter is, plenty of time to work with the ones,” O’Brien said. Expect both those guys to get long looks against the 49ers with third-stringer Tom Savage, who performed well last preseason, getting a few reps as well.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
New 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula would like to bring some stability to an organization that’s had very little of it since talk of firing then head coach Jim Harbaugh surfaced midway through the 2014 season. But Tomsula knows about stability, having been with the franchise since 2007, and that’s huge for a team that has two new coordinators and an overturned roster. Given all the Santa Clara-based franchise has gone through during the offseason, playing games, even ones that don’t count, is a refreshing break. With the circumstances surrounding the club, the loss of key personnel who were part of the team’s three straight NFC title game runs, the 49ers aren’t expected to do much and that’s always a motivating factor. Tomsula has said all the right things since taking over, now it’s time to show he can lead the team on the field.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“It took a little bit of time to get used to. At this point, I think everyone is comfortable with it. We’ve had a lot of time at it. It’s something Geep talked to me about prior. It’s something I’ve done in the past and he’s done in the past. I think it helps simplify our offense.” – 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on the new scheme employed by offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Second-year running back Alfred Blue is calm about stepping up for the Houston Texans with Arian Foster out indefinitely after groin surgery. Blue started three games last season as a rookie when Foster missed time with minor injuries. This time it’s a bit different because Foster will miss a good part of the season. The Texans also have Jonathan Grimes, Chris Polk and rookie Kenny Hilliard. They could also add another player, but for now it seems that Blue is the front runner to takes Foster’s place.
INJURIES
The Texans have little depth along the offensive line and the last thing they can afford is an injury to player who is supposed to make a contribution. Left guard Xavier Su’a-Filo is out with an undisclosed injury he suffered in practice and is likely out for the preseason opener. Also, tight end Ryan Griffin, who’s competing for a roster spot, is out for Saturday.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Houston has a nice roster and will look to plug some leaks along the offensive line while the quarterback situation works itself out. The club won nine games last year with a revolving door under center so all eyes will be on Mallet and Hoyer in the competition for the starting job. Bill O’Brien knows what he has and isn’t too concerned with wins and losses in the preseason. The 49ers have a lot work ahead of them and getting a win would be nice because there aren’t many of them waiting once the regular season gets underway.
Houston 17, San Francisco 13
The NFL odds for this Saturday contest were first released by BookMaker and the Texans were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 35.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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