--- This is what the 49ers think of their offense so far: In their home preseason opener, they sent out just two team captains for the opening coin toss – cornerback Nate Clements and punter Andy Lee. That’s Clements for the defense and Lee for the special teams. And for the offense? There was nobody to be seen as Clements and Lee served as a tandem to greet Green Bay’s three game captains.
--- Two out-of-sync incompletions to begin the game for J.T. O’Sullivan, but then a nice route by Vernon Davis over the middle and a perfect spiral by O’Sullivan in tight coverage to get him the ball for a first down.
--- Then, on third-and-short two plays later, O’Sullivan gets the ball to Davis on a quick pass in the flat, isolated 1-on-1 on a defender. The 49ers have been trying to get Davis in this kind of situation for three years now. Davis easily brushes away the first defender and burst into the clear before he is brought down after a 14-yard gain for a first down. The 49ers will want to be doing this a lot more this season.
--- O’Sullivan displayed his mobility with a nice blindside misdirection spin to evade pressure up the middle, leaving him with wide open space on the left sideline, which he used with a scramble to set up third-and short. Alas, the 49ers were forced to punt after reaching the Green Bay 38 after O’Sullivan threw incomplete on third-and-short. A defender was wrapped all over intended receiver Isaac Bruce and made early contact with him on the play, and interference easily could have been called on Bruce but wasn’t.
--- It looks as though Ray McDonald is living up to his potential as the team’s third-round draft pick last year. McDonald, who made little contribution as a rookie, appears to be winning a starting job along the defensive line, surprisingly as an end in the team’s base 3-4 system. The 49ers list Justin Smith as the starter at right end in their 3-4 base, but McDonald has been getting most of the playing time there with the first-unit defense throughout training camp and the preseason, with Smith moving to outside linebacker on the right edge. Even though McDonald’s a little light for 3-4 end duty at 290 pounds, the 49ers explain this away as trying to get their best 11 players on the field, and it’s beginning to look like that’s the way they may start the regular season.
--- McDonald made his presence known on two plays during San Francisco’s first defensive appearance Friday, making a nice plug along the line of scrimmage to hold a running play to a short gain, then using his first quick step to push up the middle and quickly get his hands on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a passing play. Rodgers was able to break away momentarily, but McDonald’s inside push set up a sack for Manny Lawson and the Packers had to punt after their opening drive.
--- Manny Lawson. Sack. Those two words go together well, and it will be sweet music if the 49ers are hearing them often this season. Like they’re doing with Smith, the 49ers are moving Lawson around in their defensive sets to put him in optimum positions to make plays. And as he was demonstrating before his knee injury early last season, Lawson is a playmaker.
--- Rodgers, who the 49ers declined to pick in favor of Alex Smith with the No. 1 overall selection of the 2005 draft, looks pretty smooth and comfortable as a passer. On a free play after the 49ers jump offsides, Rodgers finds Donald Driver behind the San Francisco defense and puts a pretty deep pass out there – right on Driver’s hands. But a diving Driver can’t hang onto the ball.
--- Gulp! After the 49ers stop the Packers again and force Green Bay to punt, O’Sullivan makes a horrible pass deep in his own territory. He tries to hit Davis on a quick pass over the middle, but Davis is well covered by a linebacker to begin with, and then O’Sullivan throws it right to cornerback Charles Woodson, who has never had an easier pick. Woodson has clear sailing to return the interception for a touchdown, but he inexplicably drops the football on the return and eventually bats it out of bounds at the San Francisco 12-yard line to retain possession for the Pack.
--- New 49er Takeo Spikes, getting early playing time with the first-unit defense, immediately shows some rust and indecision on the next play as he allows tight end Donald Lee to drift into the corner of the end zone without picking him up. Cornerback Nate Clements is late to get over and help and Lee is wide open. Lee hits him on the hands, but Lee flat out drops the pass on what would have been an easy touchdown.
--- There’s McDonald again, using a bull rush to push Green Bay guard Jason Spitz backwards onto his back and then blowing in to sack Rodgers and push Green Bay backwards. The Packers never move forward on the drive, and they settle for a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby to take a 3-0 lead after losing six yards following Woodson’s interception.
--- After the 49ers go three-and-out, this time its Justin Smith causing the pocket and getting to Rodgers on third down. It’s a third sack in just more than a quarter of action for the San Francisco defense, with Parys Haralson giving Smith an assist on the play.
--- Halfback Frank Gore looked excellent in his limited first-quarter playing time, breaking off a few nice runs, including a quick-cutting 14-yard burst up the middle, and finishing his short stint with 29 yards on six carries. DeShaun Foster picks right up where Gore leaves off, breaking tackles up the middle and leading the 49ers down the field on their first offensive possession of the second quarter.
--- O’Sullivan is having a sketchy performance so far, but he comes up big on third-and-short after the 49ers reach midfield. O’Sullivan’s shows presence and patience in the pocket, steps up to avoid pressure, then unloads to the right side just before he is hit. The ball finds the hands of Jason Hill, who makes a few nice moves after the catch and takes the ball for a 27-yard gain as the San Francisco offense finally gets it going.
--- This is O’Sullivan in his element now. He drops back, immediately spots rookie Josh Morgan running a corner route in single coverage, then feathers a perfect spiral that Morgan grabs inside the 5-yard line to set up first and goal.
--- The 49ers display some unimaginative play-calling – is that you Mike Martz, or is Jim Hostler still in the house? – going with middle dives to the right side on second and third down. That sets up a fourth-and-goal from the 1, and the Niners go for the score. This time, it’s a run to the left side, and Foster appears stopped in the backfield. But he sidesteps a tackler, then – after getting hit low inside the 2, stretches his body out horizontal and dives for the goal line, somehow getting the ball to touch the thick white stripe as it comes down to the ground. It’s a great individual effort, and the 49ers have their first touchdown of the preseason six quarters into it.
--- O’Sullivan on the touchdown drive: 3-for-3 passing for 52 yards. Kind of makes you go hmmmm…. Maybe the guy just needed to get warmed up.
--- And there’s sack No. 4 on Rodgers – yes, No. 4, count ’em – this one coming by first-year player Walter Curry, who has made a decent impression this summer. First-round pick Kentwan Balmer was in on Rodgers during the play, too.
--- Dominique Zeigler has been having a great camp, and he shows what he can do on consecutive passing plays after the 49ers get the ball back just inside the two-minute warning. On first down, he gets open along the right sideline and makes a nice leaping catch of an O’Sullivan pass. Alas, he comes down out of bounds for no reception. But on the next play, Zeigler, lining up in the slot, streaks down the middle and is quickly hit in the hands by O’Sullivan on a hot read. Zeigler gathers the ball and takes a good hit before he tumbles for a first down.
--- And look at that! Two plays later, O’Sullivan looks big time while producing San Francisco’s prettiest offensive play so far during the preseason. Rookie Josh Morgan – the rookie standout of summer – lines up on the far left and easily breaks away from a line-bump by cornerback Jarrett Bush. Morgan blows down left side and safety Nick Collins is late to react. O’Sullivan delivers a money spiral that hits Morgan in stride, and the rookie does the rest. He turns on the burners as he heads for the end zone, then shows his lower-body strength as he breaks a late diving tackle attempt by Atari Bigby and strolls into the end zone to complete a pretty 59-yard scoring play.
--- For those counting, that’s two consecutive touchdown drives directed by O’Sullivan.
--- So what began as a very shaky outing finished strong for O’Sullivan, who finished 8 of 17 passing for 154 yards and the sweet touchdown throw. His rating of 74.1 would have been significantly higher if not for the interception.
--- It was an eye-opening and dominating first half for the 49ers, who out-gained the Packers 233-46 during the opening 30 minutes. Yes, don’t rub your eyes, you read that right – with first-teamers in the game most of the time, the 49ers out-gained a team that reached the NFC championship game last year by 187 yards in the first half.
--- The second half begins with cornerback Donald Strickland displaying great coverage down the right sideline, then turning to make a play on the ball as it arrives. Strickland breaks on quarterback Brian Brohm’s throw and catches it in his chest, but he can’t hold onto the pick as he falls to the ground. Still, it sets an early tone for the half, and the Packers go three-and-out on their first possession of the third quarter.
--- Alex Smith still is throwing behind receivers, but Zeigler makes him look good on Smith’s first pass of the day, reaching back to snag a tight Smith spiral on a slant to give the 49ers their initial first down of the second half.
--- On the next play, Smith winds up to go deep, and Morgan – who just continues to look like a player – beats Bush deep and has a step on him as Smith delivers. But Smith can’t quite get it there, and Bush is able to get back in the play and knock the ball away at the last second as Morgan has to break his pattern to come back for the ball.
--- A few plays later, however, Smith fires another pass to Morgan on third down to keep the drive moving into Green Bay territory. It’s a 10-play, 49-yard debut drive for Smith before it bogs down and the 49ers settle for a 49-yard field goal by Joe Nedney that puts them ahead 17-3 midway through the third period.
--- The Packers move into San Francisco territory for the first time since the opening quarter, but now its San Francisco reserve defenders getting in the act. The defense steps up once again, limiting Green Bay to another Crosby field goal that cuts the 49ers’ lead to 17-6.
--- Smith isn’t looking too bad out there – in fact, this might be the best he has looked all summer. He is standing up strong in the pocket and firing away. His passes aren’t perfectly on target – touch and accuracy have always been his problem – but he is getting the ball to his receivers in a place where they can catch it. And he’s getting the ball there with some pepper on his passes. Alas, he is hit as he throws on third down and sends the ball over Delanie Walker’s head, and the 49ers are forced to punt after reaching the Green Bay 41-yard line.
--- The San Francisco defense continues to push around the Packers at the lie of scrimmage, and this time it results in a Ronnie Fields fumble recovery, setting up the offense in prime field position at the Green Bay 16.
--- Smith drops back to pass on third-and-goal, and he again stands strong as he scans the field. He finds Jason Hill open over the middle and fires – but overthrows him in the back of the end zone on what would have been six points. The replay shows the ball spiraling just over Hill’s outstretched hands – but it also shows that Hill could have caught if he had made a better effort to leap for the pass.
--- The 49ers get new life when they go for it on fourth-and-goal and the Packers are called for pass interference as Smith attempts to deliver a fade route to Zeigler on the left side. Fullback Moran Norris bulls into the end zone shortly thereafter, and the scoreboard is now reflecting San Francisco’s dominance on both sides of the football as the third quarter comes to a close with it reading: 49ers 24, Packers 6.
--- The 49ers go to Shaun Hill at quarterback, as planned, on their opening possession of the final quarter. Hill shows his strength – on-the-money accuracy – on his first passing attempt as he rolls right and finds Zeigler down the right side on a comeback sideline route. Zeigler, continuing his fine evening, reaches high to make the reception between two defenders. He gets both feet down in bounds for a fine reception. Green Bay challenges the ruling, but the resulting review by officials upholds the play, and the Niners are moving again in Green Bay territory.
--- The young San Francisco reserve receivers are taking full advantage of the playing time they’re getting with several veterans out with injuries. Jason, who already has made a few plays this evening, takes a handoff from Shaun Hill on a reverse, and he is almost stopped for a big loss in the backfield by linebacker Jason Hunter. But Hill shakes loose of Hunter, evades linebacker Abdul Hodge, then scoots down the right sideline. Before going out of bounds, Hill cuts back in front of two defenders to tack on additional yardage and finish with a 14-yard gain to the Green Bay 16.
--- The San Francisco drives stalls at the 12, where first-year kicker Ricky Schmitt drills a 30-yard field goal – his second of the preseason – to increase the 49ers’ lead to 27-6. You don’t hear much about Schmitt, and he won’t make the team because he’s playing behind Nedney, but the kid has a strong leg and has looked good every time he has been given an opportunity this summer. He may be good enough to find a home in this league some day.
--- A Tully Banta-Cain sighting – make that two. After the Packers, now under the direction of third-string quarterback Matt Flynn, drive deep into San Francisco territory, the veteran outside linebacker comes up big two plays in a row. First, Banta-Cain powers in from the right side and throws Flynn for a big loss, forcing a fumble that Flynn recovers. Then, on the very next play, Banta-Cain blows past Green Bay’s left tackle and simply destroys Flynn – this time causing another fumble that sends the ball spinning backwards. Twelve yards in the other direction, Atiyyah Ellison falls on the ball for the 49ers and the San Francisco defense leaves the field after yet another big effort and turnover.
--- That's two sacks and two forced fumbles in two plays for Banta-Cain, a guy who needs to make some plays this summer after sliding down a bit in the big picture of the team's defense.
--- Want to know why the 49ers went to veteran Allen Rossum to handle their kick and punt returns this year? Well, there’s your answer. After the San Francisco defense stops the Packers again deep in their own territory, Rossum circles under a deep 56-yard punt by Green Bay’s Jon Ryan. Rossum makes one defender miss after reeling in the kick, then cuts through an opening. He bounces off one tackler, spins away from another, then quickly finds the sideline. One nifty fake later, he has juked Ryan along the sideline and is off to the end zone to complete a 67-yard touchdown return. Now, how nice was that?
--- The game ends after another big play by the San Francisco defense in which the 49ers level tight end Evan Moore after a reception, leaving him on the ground for several minutes before he is helped off the field limping in the arms of two team trainers. Moore coughs up the ball on the play, and the fumble is picked up by rookie Larry Grant, who gets up and becomes part of a wave of charging 49ers as he returns the ball. Grant fumbles forward at the end of his return, tacking on more yards as a teammate eventually falls on it with 22 seconds to play.
--- The 49ers run out the clock, and what a game it has been. It’s just preseason, but wow did the 49ers ever get their act together for 60 minutes of exhibition action. The final is 49ers 34, Green Bay 6, and there is a lot to be happy for and to look forward to for the home team as they head into their pivotal third preseason game, which is now just five short days away in Chicago.
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