The next game will tell us...

[BrianS]

The main thing we need to see in the next game is that we don't lay an egg.  It needs to be a one score game.  Regardless of what combination of good offense, good defense, etc gets us there, that should be our goal.  I think it was Coach Ample Chest who once said "We need to become relevant".

 

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, BrianS said:

The main thing we need to see in the next game is that we don't lay an egg.  It needs to be a one score game.  Regardless of what combination of good offense, good defense, etc gets us there, that should be our goal.  I think it was Coach Ample Chest who once said "We need to become relevant".

No argument.

Also no doubt that regardless of what happens, people will spin it to fit their pregame takes.

Seeing people attempting to spin Todd Bowles comments to say he was trying to trick us into cutting Cam Newton reminded me of just how far people are willing to reach sometimes.

[mc52beast]

Thanks to advancements in modern medicine there is help for those of you who are extremely premature...

[Mr. Scot]

45 minutes ago, stbugs said:

It’ll be a poo show after next Sunday regardless of the QB. SF’s pass D looks to be as good as Tampa’s run D. Neither QB has a great chance and if either one shines it's a damn good sign for the rest of the year. I expect a high turnover defensive game and CMC could be the difference.

49ers defense on pace to allow fewest passing yards since 1982

The thought of their pass rushers going against our line scares me.

We'll probably have to run the offense a lot like we did against the Texans, focusing on short to intermediate (and very quickly thrown) passes .

[Raleigh PF]

2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Number Two: "If we put Newton back out there and he looks bad, we'll know he's done."

Again...No.

Even perfectly healthy veteran players have lousy games. Yes, we're looking to see how much Newton has recovered from his injuries, but one single game isn't going to tell the whole story. And even if he is healthy, it's natural to expect he might be a little rusty.

It may sound like a broken record to repeat it, but again if you're going to put him out there, you have to have patience. Recovery takes time. Rebuilding chemistry takes time. Getting back into the swing of things takes time.

Basically, he needs time.

Give it to him. Not necessarily because he deserves it (even if he does) but because it's the smart thing to do.

I agree with just about everything in your post, with a little exception. I believe we will be able to tell quickly if Cam came back too soon or not.

Is he running the ball?

The first two games, he carried only a couple of times and now we know why. I don't expect him to run often, but the running is essentially in getting Cam into the game. We've all seen his reactions when he makes a great play with his feet.

So, I'm not going to judge his throwing, so much, but the first time he's in the game, I want to see how well he runs. And if he doesn't run at all? Well, queue up the controversies. 

[Mr. Scot]

4 minutes ago, Raleigh PF said:

I agree with just about everything in your post, with a little exception. I believe we will be able to tell quickly if Cam came back too soon or not.

Is he running the ball?

The first two games, he carried only a couple of times and now we know why. I don't expect him to run often, but the running is essentially in getting Cam into the game. We've all seen his reactions when he makes a great play with his feet.

So, I'm not going to judge his throwing, so much, but the first time he's in the game, I want to see how well he runs. And if he doesn't run at all? Well, queue up the controversies. 

The one caveat to that is that I think Norv Turner was trying to get him to run less anyway.

[Raleigh PF]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

The one caveat to that is that I think Norv Turner was trying to get him to run less anyway.

I think we all understand that Cam is going to have to reduce the amount of running he WAS doing, if he plans to have a longer career. But that's different than picking a few opportune moments and taking advantage. I think the balance is somewhere around 5 runs per game, depending. 

[Black&BlueBubba]

They also have OL issues.  This could be a really low scoring sack fest.  

[Mr. Scot]

Side note for if/when they do decide to start Newton...

Don't be surprised if the announcement is made very, very late. Anytime there are questions, it's pretty common for teams to keep their cards hidden right up to game time.

[countryboi]

Im not worried about the offense, the real issue is going to be stopping the run vs SF

[countryboi]

9 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Side note for if/when they do decide to start Newton...

Don't be surprised if the announcement is made very, very late. Anytime there are questions, it's pretty common for teams to keep their cards hidden right up to game time.

make the waste time game planning for two completely different QBs

[Shocker]

They have a ridiculous DL.  This will be massive test for our offense.  I think our defense can cause some problems as well.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, stbugs said:

Pretty sure it will be. CMC is the main cog we have and maybe really quick passes hoping Samuel and Moore can get yards after the catch.

Good thing we run a West Coast Offense 

[DeAngelo Beason]

3 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Make a choice, and stand by that choice.

This.

They cannot be wishy washy.  If they're going to roll the dice on bringing Cam back in, they better be prepared to stick with it, because they're going to need to know if he's the future or not.

By the same token, if they roll with Allen, he needs to know that they're not going to bench him at the first sign of trouble.  That confidence will go a long way for him.