The last time the San Francisco 49ers finished the preseason with an unbeaten record was 1992.  In that year the 49ers finished 14-2 and lost in the NFC Championship.  Now I am not saying the 49ers will make it all the way to the NFC Championship game however a 4-0 record is the best you can do in preseason and with the way the offense, defense and special teams played in the four wins optimism is running high.

The 49ers defeated the Chargers 17-14.  The most telling thing about yesterday’s game was QB Alex Smith not playing even though he was healthy.  Smith has shown a command of the offense, a system that he is in for the second year in a row which is a first in his NFL career.  If Smith was struggling and he and the coaches did not have the confidence that he can make plays and read the defense he would have been out there in the final preseason game.

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• Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin signed his franchise tender on Saturday and should see a lot of playing time against the Chargers.  In reality Franklin will most likely only play in a few series but he needs to be out there as long as possible to get up to game speed.  Throwing him out there in week one against the Seahawks without game speed practice will hurt Franklin and the defense.
• Bubble players:  Fullback Brit Miller, tackle Alex Boone, linebacker Diyral Briggs and defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell are some of the players that are close to making the team and their play tonight could determine the difference from being cut and being on the roster.  I think Miller and Boone have the best chances of making the team.  Miller played linebacker in college and has done well making the switch to fullback.  He will backup starting FB Moran Norris and it would be great to have two fullbacks on the roster.  See the position the last two seasons.  Boone should be a lock because of his development in training camp and the preseason games.  Tackle Joe Stately missed games last season to injury and the other tackle, Anthony Davis, is a rookie starter.  If something happens to either of the starters Boone is a great replacement. 
• Phillip Adams was the 49ers last pick in the 2010 NFL draft in the seventh round.  He played cornerback in college but the only way he will make the team is as the punt returner.  The return game was an issue for the 49ers last season and with Adams excelling in the preseason which included his 83-yard punt return against the Raiders last week shows he is ready to take over the return duties on punts.  Keeping an eye on him tonight.
• David Baas become the emergency center after starter Eric Heitmann went down with an injury.  Baas struggled in the beginning of training camp learning the position but now he is playing like he been a center his whole career.  Baas has shown a command of the offensive line and has done well reading the defensive rush. Last week against the Raiders Baas yelled at rookie guard Mike Iupati after an off-sides penalty.
• Travis LaBoy missed half of training camp with a concussion, after missing all of last season to ankle surgery.  He has two sacks in two preseason games and was the one who knocked Raiders QB Jason Campbell out of the game.  If LaBoy does make the team it will be a backup at linebacker.  His value to the 49ers is his outside pass rushing abilities.
• Tarell Brown had been playing well until he faced the Raiders and speedy receiver Darius Hayward-Bey.  Brown allowed two long passes for completions and his tackling has been suspect.  Once a lock for the team he is now on the bubble.
• Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree will play tonight.  The question is how long will they last.  Crabtree should play the whole game as he has missed all three games this season.  But QB Alex Smith is sitting out tonight’s game so if Crabtree was going to play in a preseason game tonight was probably not the best choice.  Unless he was actually injured like he says he was.

Chargers vs. 49ers

Bill Walsh Field at Candlestick Park

Kick-off: 7:00 PM

After missing 71-days of the preseason and regular season last year receiver Michael Crabtreesigned with the 49ers and was inserted immediately into the starting lineup.  The reason for him starting right away had more to do with his talent than his knowledge of the offensive playbook.  He played well in 11 games with 48 receptions for 625 yards and two touchdowns.  Coming into the off-season this year I was excited because the 49ers would have Crabtree for all of the workouts and at training camp from the start.  In the preseason games quarterback Alex Smith would be able to develop the QB-WR relationship that is needed for a team to be winners and for the offense to be effective. 

So far Crabtree has not played in three preseason games due to injuries.  The first preseason game against the Colts Crabtree injured his neck earlier in the week but was cleared to play.  He did not suit up for the game.  The following week against the Vikings Crabtree was out again and the injury line read neck strain.  The following week after the Vikings game Crabtree was on field at practice with the team and head coach Mike Singletarysaid the receiver would play in the game against the Raiders.  It was reported that Crabtree showed up to the Oakland Coliseum and said he had a “sore neck” and did not play as a last minute scratch.  I have been disappointed that Crabtree has not played in any preseason games mainly because he needs to translate what he and Smith have done in training camp into a game situation.    

When Crabtree signed last season I made note of his diva mentality and filed it away in my mind knowing at some point another diva moment would come.  Enter yesterday’s confrontation between Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis.  Davis took issue with Crabtree’s absence from the preseason games and the veteran treatment he was receiving.  Davis confronted Crabtree during offense walk throughs in front of the rest of the team, coaches and media.  Crabtree reportedly had words for Davis too and eventually Singletary had to take the two off the field for a talk in the locker room.  Crabtree is known to have a good work ethic but he seems to think he can get treated differently from the rest of his teammates.  Media access to Crabtree is limited as he has only done one interview which was the press conference on the first day of training camp.  It has been reported that Crabtree is the only 49er who is not available to the media upon standard request. 

Crabtree not playing seems to have been building since the start of the preseason.  After the first preseason game Smith said “It’s very important…We’ve had a tough camp, but we’ve got to be out here. We’ve got to get the work in.  If we just think we have these names or we’re going to show up on game day and get it done, that’s crazy. It’s totally crazy.”  AKA get your ass on the field Crabtree.  This is not Texas Tech and whatever special treatment you received there will not fly with Singletary, Davis or the rest of the team.

As team captain it was Davis’ duty to confront Crabtree about his perceived special treatment he receives which is usually for veteran players not for someone who has played half a season.  Singletary said Davis did the right thing but in the wrong way.  Singletary was probably referring to the fact that Davis did it publically and with profanity.  I say Davis was 100% correct in how he handled the situation.  Doing it in public rather than behind closed doors sends a huge message to Crabtree that no matter what treatment he thinks he should receive, he is still a rookie.  Let’s hope Crabtree recognized he does not deserve the same treatment as Frank Gore in getting to sit out preseason games.  In Crabtree’s mind the preseason games are meaningless.  For the rest of the team they are important.