Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Attention San Francisco 49ers fans, Colin Kaepernick has arrived as a quarterback in the NFL.  In what is usually the most boring and least watched exhibition game of the preseason, there was plenty of excitement on the 49ers side of the football.  Kaepernick and fellow quarterback Josh Johnson combined for 283 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Kaepernick was by far the star of the game, showing pose in the pocket and laser like accuracy in the 49ers 35-3 win over the Chargers.

Even though Kaepernick played against mostly second-stringers, he did what he was supposed to do for someone who considers himself ready to be a starter for the 49ers.  He finished the game 12-of-18 passing with 158 yards, two touchdowns and a 131.2 QB rating.  For the first time in his young career, he looked comfortable passing in the shotgun formation, rolling out and most importantly, passing from the pocket.  In the first quarter, Kaepernick showed his arm strength by rolling left and throwing across his body to tight end Delaine Walker for a 32-yard touchdown, giving the 49ers a 14-0 lead.  In the second quarter, the quarterback led another drive ending with a touchdown pass.  Similar to the first touchdown pass, Kaepernick rolled out again, this time to the right and threw on the run to A.J. Jenkins, who was wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.  Kaepernick’s throw was a bullet and perfectly hit Jenkins in the hands.

Without a doubt Alex Smith is the 49ers starting quarterback and no controversy was created with Kaepernick’s performance.  But Smith is now on notice.  Should he not perform at least up to how he played last season, Niner fans will quickly call for Kaepernick to enter the game.  And if that happens, the 49ers will be in good hands.

Most of the attention for the 49ers was supposed to be on the other backup quarterbacks, Johnson and Scott Tolzien.  Both are competing for the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.  Johnson entered the game after Kaepernick in the third quarter and out played Tolzien.  Needing to have a big game to ensure a roster spot, Johnson completed his first seven passes for 102 yards, which included a 51-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nathan Palmer.  His second touchdown pass was a 3-yard lob to tight end Garrett Celek, giving the 49ers a 35-0 lead in the third quarter.  Johnson finished with 125 passing yards and ran for 50 yards on five carries.  In comparison, Tolzien was 3-of-8 passing with 42 yards and an interception.  There is a slim chance Jim Harbaugh could keep four quarterbacks on the regular season roster.  If there will be one quarterback cut from the roster, it will Tolzien because of Johnson’s performance in the game.

Other highlights in the game included the backup safeties finally stepping up in the preseason and nose tackle Will Tukuafu.  Let’s start with Tukuafu.  In the third quarter he entered the game as a fullback on offense and used all of his 293 pounds to block Chargers linebacker James Mouton.  It was more than your typical block, but as Harbaugh described it, “one of the best isolation blocks I’ve ever seen”.  Indeed, the block was impressive and it allowed Anthony Dixon to rush for a six-yard gain.  The way Tukuafu played last night and in the other preseason games at nose tackle and fullback, has assured him a spot on the regular season roster.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said in the past he is waiting for a backup safety to emerge out of the pack.  In the win, three safeties provided a spark in the first quarter with a strip, fumble recovery and an interception.  C.J. Spillman stripped Chargers tight end Antonio Gates after an 11-yard reception and Trenton Robinson picked up the football returning it 22-yards.  This led to Kaepernick’s first touchdown pass.  On the next drive Darcel McBath intercepted Philip Rivers and returned it for 19 yards.  All of this took place in a four-minute span in the first quarter.  The three backup safeties answered Fangio’s call and thus made the task of who to keep and who to cut harder for the coaches.

The 49ers will release their regular season roster at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.  Check back to Niner Noise for the full roster and comments on who was cut.         

Credit: Jody Gomez-US PRESSWIRE

The preseason finale for the 49ers and Chargers takes place tonight at Candlestick Park, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. (PDT).  To preview the game and the upcoming regular season, Niner Noise teamed up with Chargers fan website Bolt Beat and Editor Ernie Padaon for a Q&A.  Below are Ernie’s answers to our questions, and after the jump you will find our answers to his questions.  Enjoy and go 49ers!

Q.  With Ryan Mathews hurt in the preseason and his well-documented fumble problems, what are the expectations from Chargers fans for him this season?

A.  There was optimism to start the season. He came into camp in great shape and looked the part, but then on his first carry he goes down with an injury. Now, we just wait and hope that he changes as a player. The expectations have dropped back down until we can see him on the field again.

Q.  Are the Chargers the team to beat in the AFC West?  What will it take for them to reclaim the AFC West title?

A.  Nobody thinks it can be done, except for fans of the team and the people in the locker room. We need some good health and we need Philip Rivers to play like the player he was a couple of seasons ago. He is the key to the offense and we need him destroying defenses again.

Q.  Can Melvin Ingram win defensive rookie of the year?

A.  Yes he can. There are a lot of comparisons to Shawne Merriman out here. Not the injured Merriman, but the one that was juiced up and destroying quarterbacks. Not saying the Ingram is juiced up, but his potential impact is high for the defense.

Q.  Other than Ingram, are there any young players that have really surprised Charges fans so far in the preseason that we should be watching for?

A.  DE Kendall Reyes has a motor and knows how to get to the quarterback. He will be one to watch. Undrafted free agent LT Mike Harris will be starting the game and has won a job. He is not going to be an All-Pro, but he could be starting a few games for us while Jared Gaither is sidelined with an injury.

Q.  Can Phillip Rivers bounce back to his old Pro Bowl form after throwing 20 interceptions last season?

A.  That is the question that we all have out here. We all hope so, otherwise we are in for a long, long season.

Niner Noise’s answers after the jump:

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

In the preseason finale, the 49ers go up against the Chargers in what will be the final chance for bubble players to make their cases for the regular season roster.  This will be the 40^th exhibition game the 49ers have faced the Chargers and the 26^th straight year the teams have met in the preseason.  The all-time preseason series is tied at 20-20.  The first-team units for San Francisco and San Diego will probably not see any action, and if they do it will only be for one or two series.  With the final roster cuts coming on Friday, the game will still have excitement, as bubble player’s fight for the last roster spots.  Here are four bubble players to watch out for:

San Diego Chargers (3-0) vs. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

Candlestick Park

Thursday, August 30 * 7:00 p.m. (PDT)

Anthony Dixon

At the start of training camp, it looked as if Dixon would not make the regular season with four other running backs on the roster ahead of him.  Sensing he could find himself cut from the team, Dixon asked to try out at fullback, which Jim Harbaugh allowed.  Entering the preseason finale and coming off carrying the ball 13 times for 58 yards and a 26-yard touchdown this past weekend, Dixon is looking like he might make the final roster, at running back.  A lot will depend on how he plays against the Chargers.

Rock Cartwright

Cartwright and Dixon are basically fighting for the same roster spot.  Cartwright is a running back but the 49ers would use him mainly on special teams, where he excels, should he make the roster.  The deciding factor could be special teams coach Brad Seely who could make the case for Cartwright over Dixon.

Perrish Cox

After sitting out all of last season fighting sexual assault allegations, which he was cleared for, Cox finds himself this season fighting for a roster spot on the 49ers.  With his great play this preseason, including two interceptions, he appears to be a lock for the regular season roster.  What is unclear is where he will be on the depth chart.  Will he be the No. 4 or No. 5 cornerback?  Tramaine Brock is currently the No. 4 cornerback, but he struggled in the preseason, while Cox has played well.  Cox needs to get better at tackling but he looks as if he has played is his way back into the NFL and onto the 49ers regular season roster.

Scott Tolzien

With Alex Smith as the starter and Colin Kaepernick the main backup, the question is should the 49ers keep Tolzien or Josh Johnson, or both?  Tolzien has an edge because he was the third-string QB last season, is familiar with the offense and has played better than Johnson in the exhibition games.  One edge Johnson has over Tolzien is he was Harbaugh’s quarterback while both were at the University of San Diego.  Harbaugh is loyal but I don’t think he will keep four quarterbacks on the roster.  Tolzien is eligible for the practice squad.  But he would likely be picked up by another team because the 49ers would have to place him on waivers before adding him on the practice squad.