49ers vs. Texans: What to Look for from San Francisco in Preseason Opener
By Peter Panacy
Chip Kelly’s Uptempo Offense
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Rather, practice makes permanent.
The 49ers have been spending training camp working within head coach Chip Kelly’s uptempo offense, and Sunday’s game will be an example for what fans might expect this season.
Running back Carlos Hyde weighed in on Kelly’s approach.
“It was easy to go out there and run a certain amount of plays in a certain amount of minutes pretty fast,” said Hyde, via Taylor Price of 49ers.com. “You’re just looking at the end of practice, like ‘Dang, that’s it? You’re actually expecting more, but we actually did a lot.”
Kelly won’t be opening up the full playbook during this game. But that doesn’t mean the Niners will veer from a fast-paced style either.
Remember, San Francisco has been practicing this way all season. And the offense will want to replicate those efforts against another defense — not against its fellow teammates.
So look for a glimpse into Kelly’s tempo. How does it look? How fast are offensive players getting to the line of scrimmage? Is the offensive attack throwing Houston’s defense off balance?
There’s a good chance these results reveal what may be expected during the regular season.
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