49ers vs Texans Pre-Season Week 3 Review

By Kalen Patrick

Score:
San Francisco 49ers - 7
Houston Texans    -    30

The 3rd game of the Pre-Season is typically the closest you get to Regular Season Football. Coaches keep the starters in for the 1st half, so you get a decent barometer of how your team is looking. I come home from a long day at work and am eagerly anticipating the 49ers take on the Houston Texans. Having missed the majority of the first 2 pre-season games, I figured this would be by far the best chance to see Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers. Ultimately I almost wished I didn't see this game because of how pathetic of a performance it was. The score does accurately depict just how bad of a performance it was by the 49ers. Lets get in to the review of the game itself.

The game started out strong with LB Ahmad Brooks taking an Interception off Matt Schaub to the house. After that I don't think I can find any other positives at all from this game. Besides for the 49ers backup Punter looking solid. Seriously the only positive I can find.

I won't beat up the defense much at all on this game, why? Because the starters were taken out early, I didn't see much blitzing and I expect the defense to look a whole lot different (better) once the season starts. I did like the play of Safety Madieu Williams. Seemed to be near the ball a lot, and along with Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and the impending return of Reggie Smith, I like the 49ers safety group.

Now, to the offense, which to sound very cliche, was offensive to me and every other 49er fan. Fundamentally, the biggest problems of the 49ers offense are: 1- Lack of Talent at QB, 2 - New Offensive System (again) and 3- Poor O-Line play. When we talk about Pre-Season, I tend to take the playcalling out of the equation. I understand not wanting to give away plays, or anything. So I won't criticize the playcalling. However, I have to say, I cannot remember when a time I saw worse OL play....ever. Essentially every time I saw either Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick drop back, they couldn't even finish their step back without one of two things happening. Either they are getting hit or about to get hit. It was downright pathetic.

49ERS QB COLIN KAEPNERNICK UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM HOUSTON TEXANS

I'm not here to make excuses for either QB, and believe I'm not here for some more Alexcuses, but the OL play was atrocious. There is not one QB who could have been successful with the blocking Smith and Kaepernick received. It was simple blocking assignments that were badly missed (I'm looking at you Joe Staley). There are many possible reasons to explain the poor play of the OL, not enough time to gel, new system, blah blah blah. Fact is, this team needs to be ready to play in 2 weeks, yes 2 weeks from this very day, the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park. I just don't know how ready this team will be.