We're four weeks into the 2008 NFL Season and 49ers QB J.T. O'Sullivan has been sacked 19 times.  That puts him on pace for 76 sacks, which would tie David Carr's single season record.  That also happened in Carr's rookie season and while he had a couple decent seasons, he never really recovered from the beating he took.

The Patriots have struggled a bit, but even I was surprised by how poorly their defense performed against the Dolphins.  Even with the offense losing Tom Brady, that defense has a whole host of playmakers.  Coming off such a poor performance, I think it's safe to say the hooded one will have his defense chomping at the bit and looking for blood.

Accordingly, the 49ers offense is going to have figure out a way to protect J.T. O'Sullivan and keep him on his feet more often.  I realize the Martz offense is high risk high reward and the QB is going to be sacked fairly often, but the rate so far has been ridiculous.  Jon Kitna was sacked 63 and 51 times in the two season of Martz but that was the Lions who struggled to develop a running game and didn't exactly have thre greatest offensive line in the world.

The problems so far seem to be threefold: 1) The offensive line struggles to provide JTO with time to pass, 2) When the line gives him time, JTO will hold onto the ball too long, and 3) Some of the play-calling leaves a little something to be desired.

I think the first two are areas that are both self-explanatory and I don't think much can be added to the conversation.  As far as the line is concerned there are certainly some replacement options available.  We've got some potential fill-ins and could shake things up but I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make.  As for JTO, well clearly he needs to learn to either throw away the ball or gallop along for a few free yards.  Pretty straightforward.

The play-calling is what I want to address.  We've been over and over and over the Vernon Davis problems.  What I don't understand is why Martz doesn't run more screen passes and short, quick passes to him?  Those passes drastically increase the chances that he won't drop the ball and he has proven time and again that if he gets the ball in his hands he will more often than not make some thing out of it.  If I had every game on tape I could probably point to numerous times when he gets the quick screen or quick hitches and turns up field for a first down or more.  I realize many would prefer Vernon Davis be running deep and making plays that way, but I really don't understand why they don't run specific plays just to get the ball in his hands.  Am I the only one?  Is there a reasonable explanation?

The second issue in play-calling is Frank Gore.  This past Sunday, Frank Gore ran the ball or had a pass thrown in his direction (both complete and incomplete) a total of 10 times in the first half.  In one situation, Gore ran on first and second down for 9 yards setting up a 3rd and 1.  The next play was an incomplete pass to Isaac Bruce.  I realize you don't want to force the running game if it isn't there, but if you don't think Gore can get you 1 yard from Frank Gore, there is clearly a problem.

I was never a fan of Mike Tice's "Randy Ratio" up in Minnesota.  However, in the case of Frank Gore, I think you have to come up with a minimum number of times you want him to touch the ball and then do whatever it takes to reach and exceed that number.  He's a bull of a running back who can shimmy through the smallest of holes.  A struggling offensive line will not completely hold him back.

I realize much of what I'm stating would qualify as "the obvious."  But if it's so obvious, wouldn't the coaches realize this too?  The Patriots defense presents numerous dangers, particularly coming off an embarrassing performance.  The 49ers will have to adjust to keep JTO on his feet and making plays.  All I ask is for more quick stuff to Davis and some kind of Gore ration (we can call it the "Frank Factor").

Through four games it's readily apparent that the biggest weakness of your 2008 San Francisco 49ers defense is the pass rush, or lack thereof.  The only time we've seen a legit pass rush was the first half of the Cardinals game and most of the Lions game.  The Cardinals adjusted in the second half to shut down the rush and the Lions...well they're the Lions.

The secondary certainly deserves a share of the blame for yesterday's debacle, but I think most of us can agree the lack of pass rush opened up the deep game.  If you look at the Seahawks game, when Hasselbeck had time he picked apart the defense even with subpar wide receivers.  Even with all the injuries, the Saints brought a better crew of receivers to the game (damn you Lance Moore!).

To this point the most prolific pass rushers have been Parys Haralson, Justin Smith and Roderick Green.  In yesterday's game the most interesting play came when Patrick Willis blew through the line and took down Drew Brees as he was passing the ball.  Up to this point much of the discussion has centered on further development of Manny Lawson as a pass rusher.  Well, what about Patrick Willis?

If we were running a traditional 3-4 I'd understand the role of Bamm Bamm and Takeo Spikes in the defense.  However, since the team is using a non-traditional hybrid defense, why not expand Willis's role in the Mike position and alter Spikes's role in the Ted?  Patrick Willis finished 2007 with 4 sacks.  Based on general observations over his brief 20-game career, when the defense runs he closes in on the running back and when the defense passes he drops into coverage fairly often (please correct me if I'm wrong).

He is clearly an athletic freak who can make plays in virtually any situation.  And he's not the Vernon Davis non-performing type of freak.  So, why not mix him into the pass rush a little more when you're running a 4-man front.  Takeo Spikes is an established veteran middle linebacker who still has enough athleticism to make plays (see yesterday's interception).  Why not let him roam that middle of the field and take advantage of Bamm Bamm's athleticism?  I'm not saying have Willis rush the QB on every play, but I think it's an option that could be further explored.

I said in the offseason I thought this could be a very good defense and I still believe that.  However, as long as the pass rush is relatively non-existent, the rest of the defense will be held back.  I need to go back over the video of the game but Ray McDonald is one guy who has flown under the radar through much of the first four games.  He is a guy that I think needs to be a playmaker for this defense.  Aubrayo Franklin has shown improvements at times, but is still clearly not the answer at nose tackle. 

It's time for Greg Manusky and Mike Nolan to get creative.  The 49ers schedule is packed with quality quarterbacks that will make things a living hell.  Even a guy like Matt Cassel could end up looking like Tom Brady if he gets all day in the pocket to find Randy Moss.  So, any other ways to improve this pass rush?

For the third straight season the 49ers went into the Louisiana Superdome and walked away behind a rather embarrasing loss.  We spent all week pondering Reggie Bush and how the 49ers defense would contain him.  Of course, it appears that in concentrating on one player, the defense forgot about the rest of the offense.  Thanks to a pass rush that give him all day long to pass, Drew Brees absolutely picked apart the secondary with deep bombs, while Deuce McAllister made some key plays in the ground game.

The Good
As awful as this game was, there were definitely some bright spots.  Unfortunately they didn't do enough to overshadow the crap-tastic display of other parts.

Frank Gore - I remain baffled at the lack of touches for Gore considering how successful he was.  Gore touched the ball 18 times for 113 yards but he clearly did not touch the ball enough.  Whatever ratio they planned for Gore either wasn't enough or simply wasn't reached.

Arnaz Battle - Battle had his first career 100+ yard receiving day as he became the go-to guy for J.T. O'Sullivan.  Of course, when Battle has been the team's leading receiver in the past, the team has been pretty bad.  Just something to think about

Patrick Willis - Bamm Bamm was all over the field making plays and helping to contain Reggie Bush.  When he was involved in the pass rush, his athleticism showed as he almost snagged a sack.  I understand his role on the defense but sometimes it's interesting to see what he can do when he pins his ears back and goes for the QB

The Ugly
I'm skipping over the bad because really there was only ugly.  Deuce had a decent day but in reality, the 49ers did an ok job in stopping the run, holding the Saints to 3.3 yards per carry.  Of course when you're getting shredded through the air it really doesn't matter.

The pass defense - I was going to break this down between the secondary and the pass rush, but they were equally awful.  The defense garnered no sacks and it never really seemed like Drew Brees was concerned about being sacked.  Given this much time, it's no wonder the secondary got shredded on several deep balls.  At the same time, the receivers seemed to have absolutely no trouble getting behind the secondary. 

J.T. O'Sullivan - After looking sharp early on, things absolutely went in the crapper for JTO thanks to turnovers.  The fumble was a clear case of holding onto the ball too long.  The two interceptions in the red zone?  Wel those will absolutely kill a team, which they did too the 49ers.  Given the way the Saints were moving the ball I don't know if the 49ers necessarily would have won without the turnovers, but either way it doesn't really matter.  I certainly am not giving up on O'Sullivan as I think his turnovers are based on correctable mistakes.  He has a problem with staring down his receivers and holding onto the ball too long.  Both of those can be fixed in practice.  Of course he had a similar problem in week 1 and the first half of the Seahawks game, so maybe it takes a little more to fix that.

All in all, this was not a pretty game.  As people said, it's especially disappointing because it was a winnable game before all the turnovers.  The biggest issue, and one that I'll open up for discussion later in the week, is the pass rush.  As bad as the secondary was, I think more of the blame rests on the shoulders of the pass rush.

This Saints game was the first in a long stretch of tough ball games coming up.  The Patriots come to town next weekend looking to rebound from an ugly loss to the Dolphins last weekend.  Matt Cassel may or may not be a good QB, but if the 49ers continue to struggle in developing a pass rush, they could very well make him look like Tom Brady.  If the 49ers want to have any hope of a .500+ season, they likely need to split the next 4 games (vs. NE, vs. Philly, @ Giants, vs. Seattle).  There are numerous mistakes to be corrected, so hopefully they can get a good week of practice in.

I missed out on the discussion today but had a chance to go through it just now.  Thanks to everyone who took part as we finished with 554 comments from 32 people.  And yes I think howtheyscored is in the running for most vitriol per comment.  Of course, after a game like today the vitriol was quite high.

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As mentioned in the game thread, I'm away from my tv until about 1 or 2pm so I've TiVoed the game, to be watched as soon as I get home.  I've got internet access all morning, but I'd rather wait and watch the televised version.  If somebody at school gives up the score I may break something.

Whatever point we're at in the game, feel free to use this thread for post-game and afternoon football discussion.

  vs. 

Date: September 28, 2008
Time: 10:0am PST
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Records: 49ers (2-1) Saints (1-2)
Bodoglife.com Spread: 49ers +5; Over/Under 48; Money Line: 49ers +170, Saints -200 - I'd take the 49ers and the over.
Weather: 79°, 0% chance of showers, wind? It's a dome, so depends on the AC
TV Broadcast: Fox - Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan, Chris Myers
Radio: 107.7 The Bone, 680/1050 KNBR - Joe Starkey, Gary Plummer, Rod Brooks
Spanish Radio: KIQI 1010-AM, KATD 990-AM - Fernando Arias and Ambrosio Rico
Saints Coverage: Canal Street Chronicles

Streaming Video Options

Sports Bar Thread

Week 4 Prediction Games - If you forgot to pick any of the games, you can always just predict the later ones to get any points you can.  If you miss all of today's you can just pick MNF if you want.

Injuries
49ers: Questionable - S Dashon Goldson, CB Donald Strickland, WR Bryant Johnson, S Keith Lewis, S Michael Lewis; Out - CB Shawntae Spencer, OT Jonas Jennings

Saints: Probable - OT Jammal Brown, LB Scott Fujita; Questionable - CB Randall Gay, TE Mark Campbell, RB Aaron Stecker, LB Troy Evans, WR Terrance Copper, DT Antwan Lake, C Jonathan Goodwin, WR David Patten; Out - WR Marques Colston, CB Aaron Glenn, TE Jeremy Shockey, FB Mike Karney

First off, a school committment means I will be TiVoing the game and watching it during the afternoon games.  Accordingly, I've pre-scheduled a post-game thread to go up around 1pm pacific time.  I'll have a recap up probably around 5 or 6pm pacific time (possibly earlier since I'll be able to fastforward through commercials, halftime and boring announcer stuff).

As for the game itself, well it's a big one for the 49ers.  The Saints are banged up, providing a decent chance at stealing a road win early in the season.  A 3-1 start would be huge for the 49ers going into a tough stretch of the schedule.  Of course, a 3-1 start will require execution in all phases of the game today.  Even thought the Saints are banged up, Drew Brees and Reggie Bush are healthy and that could certainly be enough to defeat the 49ers.  Either way, it should be an entertaining game.

GO NINERS!

The final injury reports were released, and depending on which of the questionable people are playing, the matchups will be rather intriguing.

49ers Pass Rush vs. Saints offensive line
The Saints will be without starting left guard Jamar Nesbit, center Jonathan Goodwin is questionable and left tackle Jammal Brown is probable after being limited in practice all week.  For the 49ers, the pass rushing is starting to gain some traction as we've seen the likes of Parys Haralson and Roderick Green step up and make plays.  Justin Smith will continue to be moved all around the field to create matchup havoc.  And of course the impact of Manny Lawson is unknown at this point since we have no idea what defense the 49ers will roll out.  I'd say that more 3-4/4-3 than nickel/dime would make sense, but after the Seahawks game, who knows what will happen.

Either way, I think this is one area the 49ers may have the advantage.  If Drew Brees gets enough time he'll absolutely pick apart the 49ers defense.  Once again, I'd let the corners play man-to-man and come with an extra blitzer to create havoc in the backfield.

Whomever v. Reggie Bush
Although it's only a guess, I think it's safe to say somebody will be spying Reggie Bush the entire game.  Bush has absolutely shredded the 49ers in his short career, but the 49ers might finally have the talent to contain him...at least somewhat.  The two primary options for defending Bush would be either sticking a DB on him all game, or going with Manny Lawson for the first ten yards and a DB thereafter.

Personally, I think this is a perfect opportunity to unleash Dashon Goldson in a one-on-one situation.  He's listed as questionable this week but it sounds like he'll be able to play.  The other options is running a cross between zone and man on Bush.  Lawson would cover him in the first five or ten yards and then hands him off to a DB for the rest of the field.  The problem with that is confusion could result leaving just enough of a hole for Bush to run wild.  This is the most intriguing matchup of the day in my opinion.

49ers Receivers vs. Saints secondary
Bryant Johnson is questionable for Sunday and I'd imagine is a game-time decision.  Randall Gay is also questionable due to a hamstring injury and has been limited by the injury since week 1.  If Gay is out Mike McKenzie gets the start opposite Tracy Porter. 

If Johnson is sitting for the 49ers, I'm honestly not sure who would start opposite Isaac Bruce.  Arnaz Battle has settled in as the #3 receiver, so it's entirely reasonable to see Jason Hill or Josh Morgan starting opposite Bruce.  Hill has been getting more time on special teams, but he showed some impressive skills in the preseason.  I'd like to see either of the two get a little more playing time, but for my own personal benefit I've got Josh Morgan starting in one fantasy league where week 4 byes are killing me.  A quality game from Morgan would certainly be all the more beneficial.

One other brief point on the passing game is the effectiveness of Vernon Davis.  There has been plenty of discussion about Vernon Davis and his issues with catching the ball.  However, folks seem to agree that Davis's speed has been sufficient to at least spread out the defense and open up holes underneath.  The counter would be that eventually they might let Davis roam a little more free, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  He makes big plays on the short passes so I'd imagine there is still the worry about what he could do catching balls up top.  Hopefully we'll see Davis explode tomorrow at the Superdome, but as long as he's being covered, hopefully the underneath remains open.

Three weeks into the season and wjackalope was not able to expand his lead thanks to some impressive performances this past week.

49ers @ New Orleans - Sunday 9/28 10:00am

Philadelphia @ Chicago - Sunday 9/28 NBC Game 5:15pm

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh - Monday 9/29 5:30pm

Green Bay @ Tampa Bay - Sunday 9/28 10:00am

Arizona @ NY Jets - Sunday 9/28 10:00am

San Diego @ Oakland - Sunday 9/28 1:15pm

I actually think these are all tough matchups to predict.  You have some road teams that are the better team but find themselves facing some tough opponents.  For example, San Diego is better than Oakland, but the Raiders could give them some trouble.  Anybody have the balls to pick the Raiders to beat the Chargers?

Every so often a new feature will be added to our friendly little blog by the tech folks and we might not even notice it.  Well, for those of you who use your cell phone for everything, you can now view Niners Nation in a much more user-friendly format.  SB Nation has a general blog for tech-related updates and they've got a quick story on this new feature.

Now your favorite SB Nation blogs should be quick and easy to read while you're riding the metro, walking down the street, or sitting in traffic (we don't condone blogging & driving). Our goal is to provide y'all something that downloads fast and is efficient to scroll through. Presently front page blog posts, comments and FanPosts are all available in this new format. And if you prefer the hi-res experience, you'll find a link to the 'Full Site Version' for all the graphics and widgets.

This is a first step in making all of our blogs more fun to use on your mobile phones and PDAs. We hope you enjoy! There are other mobile features planned in the future. And if you have any trouble browsing our the mobile version of our blogs, please send an email to support@sbnation.com.

There's a picture at the link so check it out.

We've got an updated injury report after a couple days of practice and both teams have injury issues that might cause concern.

49ers
Bryant Johnson - Did not participate in practice Wednesday or Thursday with a hamstring injury

Keith Lewis - Did not participate in practice Wednesday or Thursday with a knee injury

Dashon Goldson - Limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a shoulder injury

Donald Strickland - Limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury

While I never want to see injuries, if the injuries to Johnson and Strickland keep them out of this Sunday's game, youngsters could benefit tremendously.  If Johnson is hurt Josh Morgan and Jason Hill could see a lot more playing time and more balls thrown in their direction.  If the stories about Josh Morgan losing 15 pounds are true, this bump in playing time could not come at a better time for him.

At cornerback, if Strickland is out, Tarell Brown remains the #3 cornerback with Shawntae Spencer's ACL surgery.  Brown had his first pick last week and will be looking to build on it.  Even if Strickland were to play I think Brown could be playing his way into the good graces of the coaching staff.  I like Strickland, but I'd love to see what Brown can do with some serious playing time.

Saints
WR David Patten - Did not participate in practice Wednesday or Thursday with a groin injury

C Jonathan Goodwin - Did not participate in practice Thursday

CB Randall Gay - Limited in practice Thursday, did not participate Wednesday with a hamstring injury

LB Scott Fujita - Limited particpation in practice with a knee injury

WR Terrance Copper - Limited participation in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury

CB Aaron Glenn - Out for this Sunday

One important issue for the Saints is the 4-game suspension of left guard Jamar Nesbit for violating the steroid policy.  It sounds like rookie Carl Nicks will get the start in his place.  Always fun for the defensive line to be facing a rookie offensive lineman.

At wide receiver, it sounds like Devery Henderson and Lance Moore will get the start, with Robert Meachem settling in as the #3 receiver.  I have to admit, the Meachem-Tarell Brown matchup could be a lot of fun to watch.

Among the rest of the injured folks, Fujita missed the last two weeks so I'm not sure if he'll be up to probable or not at this point.  If Gay could practice yesterday, I'd imagine he'd be closer to probable, but we'll see.  Also, we already knew Colston and Shockey were out but I had not made mention of Aaron Glenn, who's been declared out for this weekend with a strained ligament in his ankle.

When the final official injury report comes in I'll post it.

The 49ers just announced that they will be retiring Steve Young's #8 jersey.  The ceremony will take place at halftime of their October 5th game against the New England Patriots.  John York said the following about the event:

"Steve Young is an important part of the 49ers history and tradition.  He combined talent, character and a tremendous work ethic to become an incomparable performer and champion on the field. He was a model professional, and he influenced many of the younger players with his dedication. Our players today and for years to come will look up to Steve. We are excited to pay tribute to his achievements with this special halftime ceremony in front of our fans."

Obviously this is a deserving honor.  In spite of his time sitting behind Joe Montana, Steve Young left quite the imprint on 49ers history AND NFL history.

Jerseys retired so far:

John Brodie - #12 - 1973

Joe Montana - #16 - 2000

Joe Perry - #34 - 1971

Jimmy Johnson - #37 - 1994

Hugh McElhenny - #39 - 1971

Ronnie Lott - #42 - 2003

Charlie Krueger - #70 - 1974

Leo Nomellini - #73 - 1971

Bob St. Clair - #79 - 2001

Dwight Clark - #87 - 1988