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Last August, I wrote an article entitled, “Nate Davis, the Next Great 49er Quarterback.”
In the forums, I was roasted.
“The kid can’t read,” “the kid can’t spell,” “the kid is dyslexic,” etc. There are insulting remarks about him all over the 49ers’ forum. Besides the fact that seemingly nobody can spell or string together more than a couple of logical sentences, it is a source of constant negativity. I like positive.
This was the article I wrote a year ago:
I love Mike Singletary. He is the perfect man for the job of returning the San Francisco 49ers to their former greatness. I especially feel close to the man, quite possibly because we share the same birthdate—October 9. That makes Mike a Libra, a man dedicated to fairness, able to see both sides of the question, and a man to whom “balance” is a key word in any equation.
Mike is now faced with a dilemma. Shaun Hill is a serviceable quarterback, an excellent game manager, a fairly accurate passer with a soft arm, and a leader. Alex Smith came to the 49ers with great physical ability but no natural instincts for the position. Alex continues to take way too long to set up and deliver the ball. He makes very slow decisions which results in a very slow delivery. His passing is scattershot at best and while he has a strong arm, he is and continues to be very inaccurate. The game has never slowed down for Alex. He will NEVER be a reliable quarterback for the 49ers.
Enter Nate Davis. In two games he has demonstrated that he has a rocket arm and makes plays that the other two guys simply cannot; he is mobile and can make throws on the run the others cannot, and he makes excellent decisions. I don’t care that he has only faced backups—his ability is right there for all to see.
Most important of all is his poise. In four years, Alex Smith has continually shown that deer-in-the-headlights quality that frustrates 49er fans. Many blame his failure to excel at QB on the 49ers. They say he has been ruined by them due to having too many offensive coordinators, a poor supporting cast, etc. I say that is baloney (bologna to my Italian readers). In reading the forums and comments of many of the newer and younger 49er fans who don’t even have a clue as to our winning tradition, beg and plead not to rush Davis into the fray. I read comments saying he’s our QB for 2010, 2011, and even 2012.
Come on 49er fans, where is your mojo? Just because Alex Smith fell flat on his face doesn’t mean that every rookie QB is incapable of starting in their first season. I think back to the greatest 49er team of all, the 1984 squad that went 18-1, the only loss being on a terrible pass interference call on Eric Wright that gave a game to the Steelers. That squad faced a young 2nd year QB, playing his first full season as a starter—Dan Marino. The year before in his rookie season he had started only 9 games, yet threw for 20 TDs and 2210 yards. In his first full season in 1984, he threw for 5,084 yards and 48 TDs. I remember another rookie QB, Ben Roethlisberger, who had a very successful rookie season.
There is one inescapable fact. If a player is great, he can overcome just about all obstacles. Nate Davis is dyslexic, but hasn’t let that stop him. In my opinion, nothing will stop this kid from greatness. Mike Singletary made one very telling observation—that Nate was “too composed,” “too calm.” That quality is the hallmark of great quarterbacks.
I am now in my 64th season as a 49er fan, having seen every quarterback in Niner history from the great Frankie Albert up to the present and consider myself to be a pretty good judge of quarterbacking talent. Nate Davis possesses the most talent and ability to be seen in a 49er quarterback since Steve Young. It makes no sense to hold him back. We discovered a gem, let’s polish it and put it on display.
Attention Mike Singletary—are you listening???
Wow! Deja vu all over again. In 1981, Joe Montana was an untried second year QB playing under a coach in his third season who had built a powerful and relentless defensive squad. In 1981, the offense was not loaded with backfield talent with Lenvil Elliott, Ricky Patton, Johnny Davis, Walt Easley, and Amos Lawrence. The offensive backfield of the current 49ers is MUCH BETTER—with Gore, Dixon, Westbrook, and Robinson as an oh-so-valuable jack-of-all-trades. I still wonder why they haven’t played him at safety. He and Mays will terminate the receivers.
At any rate, NATE DAVIS is ready and waiting, and today, FINALLY, Jimmy Raye must have seen what I saw last year—greatness just waiting to come out. Today, he announced that Davis deserved more “representative” reps. In other words, he’ll play versus first and second team defenses. If he excels, there is NO WAY Raye or Sing will be able to delay the inevitable any longer. This team will be elite with Davis at QB and average with Smith. Time to cut our losses and get behind this kid with the rocket arm and a heart of steel.
With the solid defense we have and a punishing running game behind a huge offensive line that averages about 325 pounds, all Davis would have to do is manage the game. He demonstrated his natural instincts last week (something Alex has never done) with his rollouts and pump fakes. He is a natural athlete. Why stick with mediocrity?
Anyone who thinks Alex improved last year, I implore you to watch the first half of the Rams game, our last game of the season and Alex’s chance to blow the worst team in the league out. 52 yards! That’s 52 yards of total offense for the entire first half in what I can honestly say was one of the worst performances EVER by a 49er QB.
We have had mediocrity for a decade. 49er fans deserve better—the players deserve better. Give Nate a chance to prove how good he really is. We’re all behind him.
Again, are you listening, Mike?
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The Bears continued to practice and practice while conditions were pretty reasonable. The Bears only have three more days (counting today) in camp and then they are finished with it for the preseason.
They will then take their “show” to Lake Forrest and practice at Halas Hall after that. There has been a lot of things happening with the Bears these past few days and we are here to get you caught up on all of the action.
Quarterback Quandary
The Bears attempted to reach out to several quarterbacks after losing second stringer Caleb Hanie to an injury but were turned down by the likes of Trent Green, Todd Collins, and Luke McCown (who couldn’t get out of the contract with his minor league team), but they have found their quarterback.
Matt Gutierrez, formerly of the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, will come to Chicago to backup Jay Cutler while Caleb Hanie is out. Some fans wonder if he will stick around if he plays well enough. While some people are split on how Dan LeFevour has played there are some that feel that he has played well for being a third-string quarterback fresh out of college.
We will get to see just how well he does this coming Saturday night against the Raiders.
Cutler Keeps Going
Cutler had another good night throwing the ball. His favorite target on this night was Devin Aromashodu. He also had some nice completions to wide receiver Rashied Davis and Greg Olsen.
Defensively speaking, linebacker Lance Briggs had a couple of nice playsand linebacker/safety Brian Iwuh continued his strong play (in coming back from an injury).
The coaching staff has to notice this and should consider him for a roster spot. The defensive line has been doing pretty well in camp also and have been getting some heat on the quarterback on a regular basis.
Injury Update
The following players didn’t practice on Tuesday: wide receiver Johnny Knox (hamstring), long snapper Patrick Mannelly (stinger), defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert (neck), quarterback Caleb Hanie (shoulder), linebacker Matt Mayberry (ankle), safety Josh Bullocks (quad), running back Chester Taylor (hamstring), wide receiver Earl Bennett (hamstring) linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, (foot) and safety Major Wright (finger).
O’Line Update
In recent practices, offensive tackle Chris Williams has been doing a decent job against the opposing defensive ends he is facing. Yesterday, he did pretty well against defensive end Julius Peppers.
Some of the other offensive linemen have made some errors but things appear to at least be getting a little bit better on that side of the ball.
Got LeFevour?
Third string quarterback Dan LeFevour had a bad night on Monday night throwing five interceptions and scaring the wits out of almost every Bears fan present. He did end up having a better night on Tuesday as he only threw one interception. He should see plenty of action this coming Saturday against the Raiders.
Safety Dance
In the absence of both Steltz and Wright, Danieal Manning has been seeing much more time and will see some extended time on Saturday against the Raiders. Manning has been much maligned during his time with the Bears and needs to perform this season or he might not be around in 2011.
Potential Cuts?
Could we be seeing the end of some players that we may not think would be cut (prior to the season)?
There has been talk that, due to injury concerns and his inability to master offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s offense, Bennett may be on his way out. He has missed a lot of time on the practice field and has fallen behind.
Defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert’s play has been less than spectacular and he really hasn’t lived up to his billing. He may not make it when final cuts come.
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The Browns vaunted running attack is the basis upon which the offense is built. With backs like last year’s late-season phenom Jerome Harrison and rookie camp sensation Montario Hardesty, hopes within the organization and among fans are sky high.
Those euphoric feelings took a hit prior to training camp when Hardesty, who has a significant injury history dating back to college, including three knee surgeries, suffered a “twisted or a tweaked” knee depending upon the media report you read.
Yesterday, two more Browns running backs left the practice field with unknown, but likely minor, injuries. James Davis and Peyton Hillis both left the field and did not return.
On July 31st, it was announced that Hardesty would miss a couple of weeks. Today the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that he will miss the rest of training camp, which ends Thursday.
“He’s in the next phase of his rehab so he’ll probably be practicing next week,” said Coach Mangini.
For Hardesty to have any chance at playing in the preseason and getting his feet wet before the regular season starts, he’ll have to return to practice next week, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Hardesty had earned a significant role in the Browns offense with his performance throughout the offseason. He has impressed the coaches in the classroom, as well as on the field, and earned the respect of his teammates.
He also just seems to have that special something about him. You can’t quantify it, adequately describe it, or define it, but you just know it when you see him with the ball in his hands.
Time seems to slow down for him like it did for the character Wesley Gibson in the movie “Wanted.”
Peyton Hillis was acquired by the Browns from the Denver Broncos in the Brady Quinn trade while James Davis is a second year back who spent the bulk of last season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered in an infamous post-practice drill.
Hillis has been impressive from the start of camp as a receiver out of the backfield by showing an outstanding set of hands and just enough shiftiness to complement his bruising running style.
The former Bronco caught three balls for 34 yards against Green Bay including a 26-yard screen play during which he made two guys miss.
He keeps his pads just low enough so he doesn’t get stood up and always seems to fall forward, which is a perfect trait for a third down back.
James Davis is probably the best home run threat on the team. He combines good size, 5’11″, 218 pounds, with excellent speed and elusiveness and would likely challenge for significant time on any other squad. Davis makes Chris Jennings expendable.
Davis ran six times for 24 yards against Green Bay including a nice 12-yard run.
When both players left the practice field yesterday with apparent injuries, it left the team with just Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings.
Poof, just like that, the core of our offense was jeopardized, and I will remain nervous until both players are back on the field. It’s a sobering reminder that this game we love is physically demanding and at any time a team’s strength can turn into a weakness in the course of a play or two.
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In sports today, there are a select few professional athletes who are constantly under the spotlight, such as Peyton Manning, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods.
When Tebow, arguably the most hyped rookie in NFL history, was surprisingly taken by the Denver Broncos with the 25th overall selection in this year’s draft, we could officially add him to that list of celebrities.
Whether it be his $33 million contract, the fact that his jersey was ranked atop the highest selling, or how his teammates decided to offer him a dose of rookie hazing by giving him a Friar Tuck-like haircut, he’s simply dominated the headlines all over sports.
Today, he took his next step in stardom as he made his official preseason debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite top-notch intangibles, many are projecting him to struggle and be a backup early on in his career primarily due to questionable mechanics.
However, in contrary to what his critics have to say, he played relatively well.
Following an impressive two touchdown start by Kyle Orton, the Broncos put in Brady Quinn, whom they traded for earlier this offseason. He had a pathetic outing, posting a 14.6 passer rating.
Therefore, as Quinn was largely responsible for quickly turning their 14-0 lead into a 17-23 deficit and was subsequently placed on the bench, it was apparently time for Tebow to take the field.
Interestingly, when he entered the game with 4:48 left in the third quarter, the former Gator star quarterback was met with a mixed response from the Bengals‘ crowd.
His first play in the NFL was a play-action swing pass to Marquez Branson for five yards.
Note, that the pass was thrown with the infamous long wind up, a trait that played a major factor in the initial doubt surrounding his transition to the pro game.
Then, a handoff to Bruce Hall for no gain put Tebow in a tough third and five situation. Ensuing, he took the snap out of the shotgun and delivered a perfect strike to Matt Willis down the deep right side of the field. Unfortunately, what could have been his first big-time highlight, resulted in a dropped pass. Therefore, his first series resulted in a three and out.
After the defense surrendered a one-yard rushing touchdown by James Johnson, Tim Tebow was brought on for Act Two of his debut.
For the first time in the NFL, he faced a true obstacle.
The Broncos were being outscored 30-3 since the one minute mark in the first quarter, and needed a drive.
Instead, Tebow led another three and out series. On the other hand, he did show some flashes of promise and tremendous strength as he avoided a sack on second down and made a nice seven yard pass to Britt Davis.
Following, yet another, score by the Bengals, Tebow took the field for the third time; down by 16 points with only 5:35 remaining. At this point, he completed two of his four pass attempts for twelve yards, equating a 56.3 passer rating.
However, as opposed to answering their prayers, he contributed to their demise by running his first memorable drive.
He started off by not feeling the pass rush and throwing an ill-advised pass that was almost intercepted by a linebacker.
Two plays later, he stuck it to tight end Arlic Arnett for a 21-yard gain, showing his understanding of the game by throwing it to the defenders back.
On the next play, he rolled to the right, but was sacked by Atkins. On the bright side, he demonstrated discipline by taking the hit as opposed to throwing the ball.
Unfortunately, he was smashed by a defender after failing to recognize the blitz. If it weren’t for a successful Broncos challenge, it would have resulted in a fumble returned for a touchdown.
With little to play for, they decided to give him an opportunity to gain some learning experience.
Facing a fourth and 11, the center gave him a bad snap, he took off with, yet turned the ball over on downs.
On his final drive, he effectively ran the two-minute offense, which is a great sign of his development. He went through his progressions, took what the defense gave him, and threw sharp check-down passes.
Then, with three seconds to go, he refused to give up and scrambled into the end zone for a seven yard touchdown score.
With that, the game came to an end.
So, to recap, I felt it was a solid performance from Tebow. He completed eight of his thirteen passes for 105 yards and his passer rating was 87.0. Moreover, he got his first taste of an NFL end zone.
Obviously, he had the typical rookie challenges to overcome. Nonetheless, he displayed his toughness, and showed us all his potential to be great. Honestly, based on what I’ve seen and what I expect to see from him, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tebow eventually take over the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Kyle Orton.
Despite my skepticism towards the undeserving publicity he receives on insignificant matters, I firmly believe he can be successful in the NFL and I wish him the best of luck moving forward with his career.
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Moments matter in preseason football more than the outcome. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their opener to the Miami Dolphins in a soggy 10-7 in a game that’s likely to be forgotten in a month.
While the Bucs fell to 0-1 in the practice season, what was really unveiled were two players that we talked about before training camp started: Mike Williams and Kareem Huggins. Both made big plays in their 2010 debut, but they weren’t alone.
Cadillac Williams looked rejuvenated behind a Bucs offensive line that pushed around the supposedly superior Miami Dolphins defense. Franchise quarterback Josh Freeman (or as I like to call him, the Free-chise) stood tall in the pocket, made the right decisions and fired lasers to tight end Ryan Purvis and receivers Sammie Stroughter, Maurice Stovall, and the aforementioned Williams.
The Williams 30-yard dart was a thing of beauty. Freeman, recognizing one-on-one man coverage with Dolphins second year corner man Vontae Davis, fired a rainbow that hit Williams over-the-shoulder perfectly.
The play would set up another Freeman improvisation, as he danced away from pressure, looking off a defender covering Stroughter and then delivering it perfectly to the shifty second-year receiver who cut his way into the end zone for a walk-in touchdown.
The Buccaneer defense, dead last against the run in the NFL last season, saw the benefit of Gerald McCoy, who was double-teamed throughout the ballgame. McCoy didn’t register a tackle or sack, but the defense limited the hard charging Dolphin running game to 50 yards. They averaged 2.4 yards a carry.
If fellow rookie defensive tackle Brian Price (hamstring) can get healthy, the Bucs may have a tough dynamic duo.
Double-teaming McCoy freed up some of the Bucs ends to get pressure. One player trying to make the team, Michael Bennett, took advantage, beating the Miami tackle Gardner (who held on the play) and sacking Dolphins backup QB Tyler Thigpen. Bennett would just miss on a second sack later in the ballgame.
Young corner EJ Biggers looked fast and played well against the Dolphins’ biggest off-season acquisition of the season, Brandon Marshall. Marshall would end up with two drops and no receptions for the ballgame. Biggers would also recover a fumble in the red zone to stop a Miami drive.
Kareem “Huggie Bear” Huggins flashed for the Bucs in the second half, leading all rushers with 55 yards on 8 carries (6.9 average), including a sparkling 35 yard run that showed his speed and shiftiness.
Huggins may be in play for that second running back spot behind Williams.
As great as Huggins looked, Derrick Ward was the opposite. Ward, like last season, looked slow and seemed to lack vision. He complained to teammates about field conditions and seemed angry that the Buccaneer coaching staff had the audacity to call running plays in the muddy infield section of Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Land Shark/J-Lo/Sun Life Stadium.
Funny, Huggins didn’t seem to complain. Neither did Carlos Brown, a guy the Bucs added this week to the squad and out rushed Ward despite eight less carries.
Add to that Ward coughed up the football twice and the start of 2010 certainly didn’t look anymore promising than the end of 2009.
Ward wasn’t alone in the negative column though. Head Coach Raheem Morris, whose job is believed to be on the line this year, better rub on every good luck charm he has that starter Josh Freeman stays healthy because backups Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter are real bad.
On the same day that former QB Luke McCown threw for three touchdown passes, Tampa Bay‘s backups looked downright awful. Johnson has some raw talent but entering his third year in the league, he still has no pocket presence, doesn’t protect the football, and looks lost at times.
Carpenter was victimized by awful drops and a terrible game ending fumble by young on-the-bubble wideout Chris Brooks (which was a shame because Brooks had a pretty good game). Still, Carpenter has no arm and is your prototypical dink-and-dunk QB – a Bruce Gradkowski without scrambling ability.
In the rainy conditions, Tampa Bay fumbled seven times, losing three and Johnson tossed a gift to Dolphins CB Sean Smith. The Bucs were also penalized 7 times for 58 yards. Many of the turnovers and penalties killed potential scoring drives.
The Dolphins are supposed to battle the Jets and Patriots for the AFC East title this year, while the Buccaneers are expected to be picking at the top of the NFL draft again next year, yet it was hard to tell which team was the contender and which was the also-ran for most of this contest.
“I am pretty excited about how both first units performed, offense and defense. We were able to move the ball on offense and get a couple of stops on defense.” Morris said after the game to Buccaneer Radio Network, “We have to get our second units better. We can’t allow our guys to break down with mental weakness, as far as penalties go. We were hurt by that. We have to go and clean that up in the second half. It’s no excuse because we are young. We have to get better right now”
It’s expected that since Miami is supposed to be the better team, they should have a deeper bench than the young Buccaneers.
Still, Tampa Bay had every opportunity to win the ball game late, but inexperience and poor execution by guys who likely won’t be there the second Sunday in September doomed them.
Hopefully conditions in the friendly confines of Raymond James Stadium will offer a longer look at Freeman, Mike Williams, and Kareem Huggins (who needs to be given the opportunity to run behind a real NFL line) next week.
Stay thirsty for Bucs football, my friends.
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