Aside from the quarterback situation, Josh Morgan has been the next biggest story over the last ten days.  He was making a name for himself with the coaching stafff in practice as he got first team reps due to Ashley Lelie, Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle suffering injuries.  Then in game situations against the Raiders and Packers, the 6th round pick out of Virginia Tech took it up a notch, making a name for himself on a more national level.

After last week's game, I broke down each of Morgan's four impact plays (all receptions).  Morgan had an even better game against the Packers, so it only seemed right to break down his performance.  Morgan was involved in eight passing plays, finishing with 5 receptions, 114 yards and 1 touchdown.

Play #1 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan was covered by Al Harris - He ran a short 2-yard crossing route across the middle of the field (Harris had dropped back into a zone coverage and nobody picked up Morgan); O'Sullivan just overthrew Morgan so that it went off the very tips of his left hand.  Had the pass been on the money, the safety was closing in and would have likely stopped him for a short gain.  Nothing Morgan could really do there

Play #2 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan was covered by Charles Woodson - I couldn't tell where he lined up or what the route was because of a graphic CBS had up at the snap.  Woodson broke up the pass with a nice little reach, however it looked a little underthrown.  in reviewing O'Sullivan's throw, he had some decent protection but a couple guys were breaking through and he seemed to short arm the pass just a little bit.  A little more behind it and he could have thrown it into Morgan's outstretched hands beyond Woodson's reach.

Play #3 - 3-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the right and was covered by nickel back Tramon Williams.  He ran a very quick 3-yard pattern on 3rd and 2, giving him enough space to make the first down.  Last week on 3rd and 18 or so he ran 15 yards out and after the catch couldn't get the first down.  Obviously it is easier to get past the sticks when you only have to go 3 yards, but it was still a good thing to see him do.

Play #4 - 22-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the short left covered by Jarrett Bush, a 2nd or 3rd string CB (depending on who you ask).  Hill had been split out wide to the other side of the field, but went in motion to line up just past Morgan.  Morgan ran a corner route and O'Sullivan dropped the pass right over his left shoulder.  It bobbled a little but he gained possession before going out of bounds at the Packers 3.  It wasn't the prettiest pass from O'Sullivan but the location probably could not have been more perfect.

Play #5 - 59-yard TD reception - Morgan lined up to the far right and was covered by Jarrett Bush.  Bush gave Morgan a push at the line but Morgan just pushed Bush away and ran what appeared to just be a go route.  On the replay, it appeared Bush was playing a short zone coverage, expecting the free safety, Nick Collins to cover him over the top.  A key to breaking such a big play was that Collins went to cover Jason Hill when Hill ran a short out pattern, even though Bush had Hill covered in his zone.  That allowed Morgan to blow right past him (Collins) and with the money pass from O'Sullivan, Morgan was going to the house.  Atari Bigby got a hand on Morgan's leg at the 10 but Morgan kicked it away pretty easily.

Play #6 - Incomplete Pass - Morgan lined up to the left in the slot, covered by Bush.  He had Bush beat easily by a couple yards but Smith underthrew it.  If it had been thrown in stride Morgan has his 2nd TD of the game.

Play #7 - 3-yard reception - Morgan lined up to the right in the slot, covered by 2nd string linebacker Tracy White.  Morgan zigged in and then quickly cut out on a play-action by Smith.  Morgan appeared to be the dump off option after Smith rolled out looking down field.  He went down to his knees and had to reach a little to haul it in, and I thought he showed good hands as he had to bring it in while sliding out of bounds.

Play #8 - 27-yard reception - Morgan was split out wide to the right, covered again by Jarrett Bush.  He ran what appeared to be a long 20-yard curl pattern.  Smith threw it a bit high, but Morgan was able to jump up and haul it in and pick up an additional 7 yards thanks in part to a nice stiff arm on Bush.

The running theme in most of these plays?  Jarrett Bush was Josh Morgan's personal bitch.  Bush's scouting report indicates he's more of a special teams dynamo who lacks deep speed and recovery ability when working as a cornerback.  Over at the Packers website, Bush is listed as a third teamer so clearly he's not going to see a ton of action at corner.

While I definitely enjoyed the 59-yard touchdown reception, it was in large part a product of a mistake by Nick Collins.  The two plays I enjoyed the most were actually play #6, an incompletion and play #8, the 27 yard reception.  In the first one he clearly burned Bush and was ready to make the big play.  In the latter play, he appeared to find a perfect seam in the zone and then used his physicality to gain an additional 7 yards.

In re-watching Morgan I'm able to temper my enthusiasm somewhat.  I still think he's got all the tools to be a very solid cornerback and in two games he's shown steady improvements in his game.  One key for any young receiver is recognizing mistakes in the defense and taking advantage of them.  At the same time, stick a #1 or #2 corner on him and he will probably struggle a little bit; not exactly a shocking statement considering he is only a rookie.  I certainly hope I'm not coming across as Debbie Downer.  I simply want to present both sides of the case.  Trust me, I'm still excited for what Josh Morgan is capable of doing.

This Thursday against the Bears will be the next test in the youngster's developing career.  The Bears bring very solid cornerbacks so we'll see if Morgan can make some plays early against the #1s.

First off, I wanted to lead with one of the most bizarre but great quotes of the season so far. At one point they were talking about how intense Justin Smith was, even to the media.  They then showed a picture and Eric Davis said, "That guy may have stolen a car."  I mentioned it in the game thread, but wanted to point it out one more time.  I just don't really know what to do with a great line like that.  Eric Davis may not be the best color guy, but he reeled me in with that one.

49ERS HEAD COACH MIKE NOLAN

On the win
“A win versus a good football team: I’m pleased with that. We do want to keep in perspective that it was a preseason game although preseason games are important, naturally, in the development of the offense, defense and special teams, and the cohesiveness of the group."

On the defensive performance
"...I thought we played very physical defensively. We had several turnovers in the game. Some of it was our causing, some of it was their mistakes. Nonetheless, those were important. We kept the yardage down."

On Ray McDonald and Justin Smith
"I saw several players make some plays but I know one player that caught my attention on some plays was Ray MacDonald. He’s working very well on the defense both on the base-downs and in the sub-package. He works closely with Justin Smith. The two of them are working together well as far as pass-rush situations, whether it’s on the outside or whether it’s the inside. They mix it up, both."

49ERS WR JOSH MORGAN

On scoring his first TD
"It really feels great. It’s a blessing from God. The cornerback tried to play me press and I beat him off the line. Our quarterback made a great throw. I just went up to get it."

On facing the Bears this week
“It’s football. That’s the way I look at it. It’s football no matter where you’re at. God put me here to play this sport. It’s football, so were going to play football just like we play at home.”

Editor's Note: Not only is he mastering the offense, he's also mastering the thanking of God and the cliches.  Just an all around talent!

49ERS OLB TULLY BANTA-CAIN

Comparing his performance this week versus last week against Oakland
“I think I improved a little bit [since] Oakland. I think I got more snaps than I did [in the first game]. As the fourth quarter came, I started getting a rhythm and getting a feel for the game, so I was able to make a couple of plays in the fourth quarter. I feel I improved a little bit, but I’ve got a long way to go.”

49ERS QB J.T O'SULLIVAN

On the gelling of the offense
“It is about everybody doing what they are supposed to do – trusting each other to be exactly where they’re supposed to be, especially the wide receivers. Trusting the offensive line to hold up and protect like they did tonight. And for us [QB’s] to put the ball exactly where it’s supposed to be. When all those things and the running game are jelling, it is going to be really fun to watch this offense.”

Alex Smith and Allen Rossum, as well as some Packers quotes, after the jump

Continue reading this post »

The one drawback to doing clips the day after this kind of victory is that it's possible people will be a little too excited.  It was after all just a preseason game.  Of course, given the run of events the last few years, a little excitement is always welcome.

Maiocco rolled out his All-81 recap.  Through the game-tape and his vantage point MM is definitely able to spot some things many of us would otherwise miss.

Barrows had his quick post game notes on the game.

Everyone's favorite miser, Ray Ratto, believes the QB depth chart is more or less set now.

As the Chronicle recap points out, it's amazing what a difference a week makes.

Aaron Rodgers definitely didn't make the 49ers pay in this case.  It's only a preseason game, but he struggled.

If you head over to the 49ers clubhouse, there's some video of John Clayton discussing Aaron Rodgers struggles compared to Favre's success.  2/3 of the way in he discusses the 49ers QB battle.

Some quality pictures from last night's game.

A former 49ers beat writer says fans should believe in Martz's call at QB.

Sam over at Mining the Gold Rush is very excited after last night's performance.  I've tried to mellow my own excitement but optimism is always welcome.

Best line about the O'Sullivan: "He's not anywhere near John Elway, of course, but not too much like Cody Pickett, either."

Craig Massei at SF Illustrated has a detailed breakdown of the game.

Frank Gore is really enjoying himself after a tough 2007.

Odds and ends from the game over at 49ers.com.

Josh Morgan has been psyched about the opportunities and challenges in the preseason thus far.

Who helped and hurt themselves last night.

Mike Nolan brought in an MMA fighter to discuss motivation and conditioning with the team.

Mike Martz spent the Packers game on the sideline, instead of in the booth.  If he's using the preseason to teach the players it makes sense to be down there to talk to them.

I'm sorry, but this just isn't going to work.

And don't forget to vote for the All Time #1 Inside Linebacker.

We'll have plenty of 49ers-Packers recap coverage in the next few days, but for this evening I wanted to get some quick observations down.  It's been quite some time since the 49ers took care of business in this kind of fashion.  There was some good, there was some bad and there is certainly still plenty to improve upon.  However, for one day, there was plenty more good than bad.

J.T. O'Sullivan - We might as well start with the quarterbacks.  O'Sullivan looked horrendous to start , but then the chemistry was re-established with Josh Morgan quite impressively.  O'Sullivan showed us the absolute best and the absolute worst in the space of 30 minutes.  If he ends up winning this little competition, it will definitely make for a roller-coaster season.  If he was winning this competition heading into tonight, his 2nd quarter performance should be enough to keep him in the lead and maybe even buy him a little more cushion.

Alex Smith - Smith didn't look spectacular but he was able to move the offense and get 10 points on the board.  The one noticeable problem he had was throwing behind and above receivers.  He didn't hit a single receiver in stride and missed out on a big gain when he underthrow Josh Morgan.  While O'Sullivan had some passing issues, when he was on he helping create big plays.  At times it felt like Smith was holding the offense back from big plays.  While he didn't do anything particularly awful, he definitely didn't do enough to warrant a start next weekend.

Shaun Hill - In this QB competition it's never really safe to make any proclamations, but I think barring injury to O'Sullivan AND Smith, Hill is more or less out of the contest.  It doesn't help to be playing with the third string offense, but I just don't see enough snaps to go around for him to make a statement.

Josh Morgan - Let's just say my excitement level for this rookie is reaching unhealthy and unrealistic levels.  Morgan finished with 5 receptions for 114 yards and was an Alex Smith underthrow from taking a 65 yarder to the house (or at least making a big gain).  Last season Thomas Clayton led all NFL running backs in rushing and yet I did not find myself nearly as excited.  Morgan made big catches, he did the little things (like getting first downs) and he was all over the field.  Detractors would argue his big plays came against the Packers #3 or #4 guy, Jarrett Bush.  However, I throw back two arguments: 1) He can't determine who covers him and 2) If Morgan is playing in the regular season he's likely being covered by the #3 or #4 guy because he's come into the game as part of a 3 or 4 receiver set.

As is quickly becoming tradition, I'm planning a post devoted just to Morgan's performance for early this coming week.  I realize I am probably setting myself up for a huge disappointment, but let's be real here.  The 49ers have been desperate to develop a star receiver since TO left town.  Morgan may not become that star receiver, but he is showing legitimate signs of being a serious playmaker.

Dominique Zeigler - Zeigler is totally going to get screwed by the numbers game.  Although, if the 49ers elect to keep 6 receivers I'd take him over Lelie any day.  Zeigler made some solid catches and impressed me with his fearlessness, particularly considering how small he is.  His bio says he's 185lbs, but I don't buy that.  He's eligible for the practice squad again but I wouldn't be surprised to see another team try and snag him.

Defense - The biggest criticism of the 49ers defense has been the lack of a pass rush.  It was only a single preseason game, but the defensive line and linebackers showed dramatic improvement from week 1.  The team finished with 6 sacks and Aaron Rodgers could not get into a rhythm the entire first half.  Ray McDonald clearly has problems with jumping offsides, but he is also showing signs of being a legit pass rusher.  He had 1.5 sacks and forced Rodgers into another one (although that might be the .5).  Tully Banta-Cain made noise in the fourth quarter with a pair of sacks and Justin Smith even got in on the action.

The highlight of the night on defense was the stop after O'Sullivan's INT.  The defense got really lucky on the Donald Lee drop in the endzone, but followed that up with a pair of big stops.  On that defensive stand, and many others, the defense used hard hitting to set the tone and make sure the Packers knew they were in for a long night.

Special Teams - We're going to break this down into the good and the bad.  The good is very clear: Allen Rossum showed signs of why he was signed.  While his punt return TD was against the bottom of the Packers depth chart, he had to make some Pro Bowl caliber moves to score the TD.  Also, Joe Nedney continues to be absolutely money.  If the 49ers are going to get into contention, having a kicker with ice water in his veins is a big asset.

Now the bad.  The special teams coverage was absolutely atrocious on a couple of returns.  Granted it's the bottom of the depth chart, but giving up a pair of big kick off returns, particularly after the Johnnie Lee Higgins TD last week, is not a good sign.  This coming week's game will give us a better idea of special teams coverage since first teamers play for up to three full quarters.

In spite of some of the ugliness, it was a fun game to watch, which is something 49ers fans have missed out on for much of the last few years.  It's only one game so I won't get myself too worked up over the offensive performance (aside from Josh Morgan of course).  There was plenty of good, but also plenty of room for improvement, making this upcoming game against the Bears all the more important.

Speaking of which, it's a short week as the 49ers and Bears square off Thursday on Fox in a nationally televised game.  I'll have some more specific reviews of this just completed game and we'll get prepped for the Bears game shortly thereafter.

While it'sonly the second preseason game of the season, it's also already the second game of the preseason.  The first team offense and defense will get a half of play under the belt.  The Packers finished last season 17th against the pass and 8th against the run.  Not spectacular against the pass, but Al Harris and Charles Woodson are definitely nothing to sneeze at.  Suffice to say, the 49ers offense will face a stiff challenge by ground and by air. 

On the other hand, the Packers offense was 5th in the air and 9th on the ground.  I'm not sure how the passing game will translate under Aaron Rodgers, but Ryan Grant is back running the ball, looking to build on an impressive 2007.  After getting thrashed by the Raiders running game, the 49ers will be looking to bounce back and put up a slightly stiffer front (that's what she said).  Although, I just checked Acme Packing Company, and it looks like Grant might be out.  If so, even more reason to do a better job against the run.

August 26 is the first cut-down date (to 75 players) and some positional battles are heating up, both for roster spots and for depth chart rotation.

Josh Morgan - We've talked plenty about the rookie receiver from Virginia Tech.  However, this is a particularly interesting matchup because of the corners he'll be facing.  Due to injuries, Morgan will be in the starting lineup.  This means a chance to square off against Charles Woodson or Al Harris.  This will be a big test for the rookie (as well as J.T. O'Sullivan).  You never want to get too excited after just one good performance in the preseason.  However, if Morgan can put up a second good performance against a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback, I think it's safe to say Fooch will be getting more excited (first ever reference to myself in the 3rd person I think).

Louis Holmes - Holmes has been getting more and more press as he seems to be impressing during practice, even getting some first team reps.  However, he now finds himself in a potential numbers crunch, competing with Tully Banta-Cain, Roderick Green and Jay Moore.  Barrows had some interesting comments about the four players:

Holmes, who has shown real promise as a pass rusher, is an obvious practice-squad candidate, but the 49ers would risk him being plucked off it by a team with room on its active roster. Banta-Cain disappointed last year with just 3.5 sacks, but he is the most versatile of the bunch and there's a sense that he'll be more effective in a reserve role just as he was in New England. Green has been perhaps the best pass rusher of this latter group. But his versatility is limited and the 49ers know (from history) there's little risk in cutting him and bringing him back midseason if need be. Moore, meanwhile, hasn't shown much of a pass rush and is still very much in learning mode when it comes to coverage duties. He is practice-squad eligible.

I would like to see Jay Moore make the roster, but I'm feeling more and more like he will end up on the practice squad.  Holmes sounds motivated to make the roster, but the numbers crunch might get in the way.  If he can make some noise against the Packers, maybe he can force the situation.

Keith Lewis - Up to this point I considered Lewis pretty secure in his roster spot.  Barrows mentioned today that he thinks one of the final defensive backs could come down to either Lewis or Marcus Hudson.  In comparing the two, Barrows said Lewis's strengths being special teams place and solid backup play at strong safety, while his main weakness is a lack of speed and versatility.  Hudson, on the other hand, has less experience but more versatility in the secondary and is showing some special teams spark.  I'm not sure how strong a performance Lewis would need to secure his spot, but it'd be interesting to see which way the 49ers go.  Lewis has always been an under the radar guy, but considering he led the team in special teams tackles in 2007, he might be worth keeping around.

The team still has the Packers game and next Thursday's matchup at Chicago (along with several more practices) before the 75-man cut down date.  The third preseason game is usually where the starters go upwards of 3 quarters, so backups need to make things happen sooner rather than later.

Coach Mike Nolan made the QB rotation official for this Saturday against Green Bay.  It'll be the Battle for California as former UC-Davis great J.T. O'Sullivan squares off against former Cal Bear Aaron Rodgers.  The rotation is the same as last week with Alex Smith relieving O'Sullivan and Shaun Hill relieving Smith.

It's only the second game of the preseason, but clearly the pecking order has been established.  I mentioned previously how I just wanted somebody to be the #1 guy, and it seems like we're getting that.

Considering the amount of money Alex Smith is owed in 2009 and 2010 ($9.625M and $15.05M), if O'Sullivan becomes the starter this season and lasts as the starter, I'd imagine Alex Smith would get cut next offseason.  Not a stunning proclamation, but definitely hits pretty deep considering he was a #1 overall pick and the guy Nolan was going to build around.  Of course, if the season goes south, well Nolan won't be around either.  And it makes me annoyed that I bought the Alex Smith jersey.  Great call there.

In another starting note, it looks like Josh Morgan will be starting opposite Isaac Bruce on Saturday.  Hopefully O'Sullivan and Morgan can continue the rapport they seemed to establish last game.  It sounds like Bruce won't get a lot of playing time so Jason Hill will get starter quality minutes. 

Arnaz Battle, Bryant Johnson and Ashley Lelie will apparently all be in street clothes on Saturday.  Battle's hamstring was feeling ok but he felt it "grab" in practice on Tuesday.  So definitely better safe than sorry.  As for Lelie, well, if he's not cut before the start of the regular season I'd be somewhat surprised.  He brings the vertical threat, but you really can't bring it on the sideline.  He'd need to get healthy for the last 2 games and really wow people to secure a roster spot.

EDITOR'S NOTE 10:40AM: Nolan acknowledged what he has made obvious: J.T. O'Sullivan is leading the QB race.

Well this is certainly getting rather interesting.  After starting the preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders, J.T. O'Sullivan has worked with the first team in every practice since.  Additionally, Shaun Hill has not played at all since the Raiders game.  Maiocco put together a run down of every practice since O'Sullivan was more or less officially added to the competition mix.  Including split sessions and taking over at any point in the practice, the time with the first team offense breaks down as follows:

• O'Sullivan: 8.5
• Hill: 2.83
• Smith: 2.67

When the media asked Mike Nolan about the QB rotation, Nolan said:

RE: Should we not read into the fact that J.T. [O’Sullivan] has gotten all of the first team reps since the game?
“As far as final product or do you mean today’s practice? Today’s practice you can read into it. Yes, for the practice.”

RE: Are [the quarterbacks] still rotating now? It doesn’t seem like there’s any rotating?
“There will be a practice this afternoon, there’ll be one tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes, alright.”

RE: Why isn’t Shaun [Hill] getting any snaps right now?
“Because the rotation that we have right now. That’s the way it is. That’s what we’re doing.”

RE: Will Alex [Smith] go with the first team in the afternoon [practice]?
“No. No decision has been made. I’m confident that we have three guys and we’re kind of repping them. That’s all I have to say on that.”

On the one hand Nolan clearly seemed annoyed with the QB discussions and tried to play it off almost like they were stupid questions.  On the other hand, I think we'd be naive to not make some very big assumptions from this.  While I might be incorrect, I don't think I'd be shocking anybody by concluding that J.T. O'Sullivan is the #1 quarterback right now.

If we see O'Sullivan starting this Saturday, the conclusion would certainly be validated.  If Smith or Hill starts getting more first team reps, well I'll just be further confused.

One thing to keep in mind is O'Sullivan's background.  He played under Martz in Detroit and it's probably safe to say he knows Martz's offense the best.  That knowledge early in training camp would likely make it a bit easier for him to take the lead in the QB competition.  As Smith and/or Hill gain further knowledge of the offense, will they be able to climb past O'Sullivan if he's getting all the #1 snaps?

What is my solution?  For this Saturday's game against give each quarterback two series with the first team offense.  The 49ers managed 6 drives in the first half against the Raiders.  If you've decided Hill is out of the competition, then give each of Smith and O'Sullivan three or so series with the first team offense.  Part of the value is seeing them with the same offensive weapons and protection.  The other part is seeing them against the same type of competition.

Considering how poorly things have gone at times I'm reaching the point where I don't care if they name O'Sullivan the #1 guy.  I like Smith and hope he can win the job, but now I just want a quarterback.  I want one guy getting ALL the reps with the first team offense to build some chemistry.  I think a little chemistry would go a long way to showing some improvements.

Whomever it's going to be, just pick somebody and be done with it.  It's not like we're deciding between Joe Montana and Tim Rattay here.

I was trying to think of the best way to describe the opener and all I can think of is a mix of good and bad.  I honestly don't know whether it was more bad than good or vice versa because the bad tends to stick out a little more in the preseason.  The first preseason game is likely going to be your ugliest performance.  Even though the team has been practicing together for the past couple weeks, the offense is still pretty fresh and I'd imagine it has not been fully implemented.

It's difficult to make any hard conclusions at this point, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.  As I've said before, the problem with such an in-depth QB competition is that a single player is not getting the majority of the snaps.  One guy is not getting the consistent chemistry with the first team offense.  However, J.T. O'Sullivan definitely showed some quality chemistry with Josh Morgan on the four receptions.  Of the three QBs, O'Sullivan impressed me the most, even with some his mistakes.  I don't think his interception was as bad as the announcers made it seem.  Even though it was overthrown pretty strongly, it actually looked like DeShaun Foster cut the route short or gave up on it, depending on how you look at it.

The offensive line definitely had issues in the running game, but in the passing game it's a little harder to assess.  They only gave up 1 sack (a second wasn't counted b/c of a 49ers penalty), but there was definitely pressure on the QBs.  O'Sullivan's fumble came when he was forced to scramble and try and make something happen.  Smith was forced to make some plays on the run, but when he had time in the pocket he connected on some very solid passes, particularly to Arnaz Battle.  The same holds true for Shaun Hill.  Whenever he (and the rest of the QBs) got good protection, good things usually happened.  That's not exactly rocket science, but certainly something to keep in mind.  In his comments the next day, Nolan acknowledged Staley and Snyder needed to step up their game on the left side.  Hopefully we'll see some improvement next weekend against Green Bay.

My biggest issue in this game was in some of the offensive play-calling.  On Alex Smith's first drive, fullback Zak Keasey was actually lined up as the deep running back on back to back plays.  The plays resulted in 3rd and 7, an incomplete pass and then the punt returned by Johnnie Lee Higgins for a touchdown.  I realize there is a need to establish the run.  You certainly don't want your QB getting killed every time he drops back and you need the run to establish the play action.  But Zak Keasey?  Thomas Clayton rushed the ball 5 times and was thrown to 8 times (resulting in 5 receptions).  It's still early, but I'd like to see him getting additional touches to really see what he can do and this was the perfect situation for that.

Keasey factored into several of my problems with the play-calling.  Smith had a nice little drive going at the end of the second quarter and on 3rd and 3 at the Raiders 5, the 49ers ran Keasey from the deep spot right up the middle for one yard.  In that situation why not run a little play-action?  They had Josh Morgan split out wide and Jason Hill in the slot, both to the left side.  Why not run Hill on a crossing pattern behind the linebackers.  A quality play-action fake and there's a decent chance he's wide open.

It's entirely possible that if the 49ers do pass the ball in these situations the QB gets sacked, the passes are incomplete or their is a turnover.  However, since this is the preseason and these games don't count, why not mix it up a little more?  Is anybody else also confused by some of the play-calling or do you see some rhyme and/or reason for it?

What's the third rail you ask?  Well, for those who don't know it's the electric rail on the subway system you don't wanna be touching.  At election time, there is often talk of how social security is the "third rail of American politics."  It's the topic that has to be discussed, but it's also a topic that leads to great acrimony.  That seems like a pretty fitting description of the 49ers quarterback situation.

There are several different threads related to the QB situation and I wanted to bring them all together.  I've included a poll of where you think the competition stands right now.  I'd like you to base your vote on media reports, as well as what you infer from the situation.  I'd prefer you note vote based on who you want to be in what position. 

I've chosen this juncture for a couple of reasons.  First, J.T. O'Sullivan has been named the starter for this Friday's game against the Raiders.  Second, the Brett Favre situation has led to wide-spread speculation around the league based on the dominoes that would fall.  Heck, people have started talking about the potential for Jeff Garcia to return to the Bay (Of course, since initially typing this, the dominoes have begun to fall). 

So, I thought I'd go through and give my thoughts on the positives and negatives of each quarterback.  Basically we're talking reasons why a guy should be leading the pack and why not.  I'll be honest, some of these pros and cons are debatable (shocking, I know), but this is a combination of my thoughts and what popular opinion has thrown out there.  I'm sure I'll miss some of the pros and cons, so please mention them in the comments.  This will sound kind of like something in elementary school, but if you throw out a negative about a guy, try and come up with something positive as well.  If you can't think of a new one that's fine, but I'd like a somewhat even-keeled approach to this.

Alex Smith
Why he should be #1:1) He's arguably the most physically-talented of the three quarterbacks. 2) He's got the big contract and that should give him an automatic lead.  It should be his job to lose. 3) He was showing improvement in 2006 and while he struggled in 2007, it should be a throw-away year because of the injury issues. 4) He's a smart guy who can learn this complicated offense, which is a key for the starter on this team. 5) He has shown ability to make plays outside the pocket, which is essential in this day and age of big, quick defensive linemen and linebackers; 6) He was drafted by Nolan and considering this season is a referendum on Nolan, they might as well sink or swim together

Why he should NOT be #1: 1) He does not appear to command the level of respect from his team that a starting QB should. 2) The communication issues indicate he clearly needs to a fresh start away from Mike Nolan. 3) While we joke about his "small hands," there are certain physical issues that cannot be overlooked. 4) He played in Urban Meyer's spread option offense in college, which is not conducive to development as a pro QB (because he sure isn't Warren Moon). 5) He is not decisive enough as a quarterback, leading to more sacks and a worn down offensive line.

Shaun Hill
Why he should be #1: 1) He won two straight games to snap the ugly 8-game losing streak last season; 2) While not spectacular, he was very efficient, evoking a Super Bowl winning Trent Dilfer (as opposed to 2006 or 2007 Dilfer); 3) He seems to command respect for how he came in cold and made things happen; 4) Although he doesn't have a cannon for an arm, he can make most of the throws necessary to be successful in this league.  The Martz offense is not just a chuck it offense and the 49ers have a group of receivers that can make plays on quick receptions.

Why he should NOT be #1: 1) While he did win games, he was not exactly spectacular and the teams he played were not in the best situations (Cincy was falling apart and TB was resting their starters); 2) He can't throw the deep ball like Smith and O'Sullivan; 3) In spite of being in the league for seven years, he has very little in-game experience

J.T. O'Sullivan
Why he should be #1:1) He knows the offense better than Smith or Hill and has worked with Martz longer; 2) He's got an abundance of confidence, which is absolutely necessary to be a good/great starting QB in this league; 3) He can prove what an idiot I was here;

Why he should NOT be #1: 1) He might just be a little toooo confident; 2) Like Hill, he's been around the league for a while and barely left the sideline

As you can see, my pros and cons decrease as we move down from Smith.  I have to claim a little ignorance on O'Sullivan.  If you check out the scouting report I got from our Detroit blogger, there didn't appear to be much of a chance of O'Sullivan making an impact.  And yet, here we are 5+ months later and he's right in the thick of things.

This is not a thread asking for predictions.  As we head into the first exhibition game, it's essential to consider the pros and cons of each guy.  We have an idea of what each quarterback does well and where they struggle.  We need to know what to look for if we want to accurately judge our QBs.  For example, if Shaun Hill goes 7-for-10 in the second half on Friday, is it a success and does he move up the depth chart?  Well if he's throwing quick passes, it's a plus, but certainly something he's done well to date.  Rather, I (and by extension, we) want to see O'Sullivan/Smith/Hill take some chances with their passes.  That's not exactly the most original statement, but I definitely think it is something that we need to remember from time to time.

The plan is to run this poll in the days leading up to each exhibition game.  Everyone will have their own opinion of how a given QB performed.  This will give us a very unscientific way of seeing where the collective public opinion lies.