Chapter 711: The Season Begins
The San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster had some changes, forming a team that was half new.
First, on offense, the quarterback list was led by Lu Ke, with Colin Kaepernick as the first backup and Scott Tolzien as the second backup.
In the running back list, Kendall Hunter was placed on the injury list, with Marcus Lynch and Frank Gore leading the way. This year's second-round pick, LaMichael James, and undrafted rookie Jules Hampton successfully made the roster.
Gore was a third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 and was considered a veteran on the team. He was selected for the Pro Bowl twice in 2006 and 2009. Last year, he missed most of the season due to an injury and was then placed on the practice squad list. He officially returned to the team this offseason to compete for a spot.
In the tight end list, Vernon Davis and Logan Newman were the leaders. In addition, undrafted rookie Garrett Celek also successfully made the final roster.
In the wide receiver list, after Kyle Williams recovered from his injury, he joined Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn. Plus, this year's first-round rookie, A.J. Jenkins, meant the team had a full four wide receivers, but that wasn't all. The most important recruitment by the team this offseason was a wide receiver.
Randy Moss.
He was the 21st overall pick in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. He was selected for the Pro Bowl six times, was named to the All-Pro First Team four times, was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, and led the league in receiving touchdowns five times. He was undoubtedly a Hall of Fame-level wide receiver, with top-tier strength that was unmatched.
He had played for four teams: the Minnesota Vikings, the Oakland Raiders, the New England Patriots, and the Tennessee Titans.
But unfortunately, he never won a Super Bowl ring. In fact, he was on the Patriots' team during their undefeated season in 2007. His performance of 98 receptions for 1,493 yards broke the Patriots' single-season receiving yards record. But in that same season, the Patriots lost the most important game in the Super Bowl, and Moss just missed his first championship ring.
In 2010, after joining the Tennessee Titans, Moss's form declined rapidly, and his performance was not satisfactory. At the end of the season, he was unfortunately cut. In 2011, Moss announced his retirement, ending his 13-year career. But in early March of this year, Moss announced his official comeback through social media and said he was looking for a strong team to give his remaining years to.
Everyone knew that Moss wanted to compete for the Super Bowl.
It had been said that maybe Jerry Rice was the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, but Randy Moss was undoubtedly the most talented wide receiver. If Moss was willing to put in half the effort of an average player, he wouldn't have only been to the Super Bowl once in his 13-year career.
Gifted players are often arrogant. From college, Moss's ability to create controversy was no less than his talent for receiving touchdowns. After he turned 30, an age when he should have matured, his speed and ability declined, but his temper grew. No one could control Moss except for the Patriots' Bill Belichick.
In the 2010 season, before going to the Tennessee Titans, Moss returned to his old team, the Minnesota Vikings. But after just four months, he had the entire team in an uproar, constantly confronting the head coach. As a result, he was unceremoniously kicked off the team. Soon after, he signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Now, Moss is the third all-time leader in receiving yards and the second all-time leader in receiving touchdowns. His greatness is unquestionable. But the problem is that he is 35 years old. After being retired for a whole year, can he still adapt to the intensity of the league? Especially with the current young cornerbacks, who are all full of life and incredibly aggressive. After losing his physical talent, how much energy can Moss still contribute?
All of this put a big question mark on Moss's comeback.
In the end, the San Francisco 49ers signed Randy Moss to a one-year contract. The hot-tempered young head coach Jim Harbaugh and the unruly veteran Randy Moss were now facing each other head-on. Also, whether a mere second-year quarterback like Lu Ke could tame this proud lone wolf became one of the biggest variables for the team's offense.
In the offensive line list, Jonathan Goodwin was the center. Mike Iupati and Joe Staley were the protectors on the left blind side, and Anthony Davis and Alex Boone became the protectors on the right side.
Staley was moved from the right side to the left side, teaming up with Iupati to protect Lu Ke's blind side. Boone was the player who was rushed onto the field in the NFC Championship. His performance was not good then, but after the offseason, he successfully made it to the starting lineup, teaming up with Davis to protect Lu Ke's right side.
It's worth mentioning that the offensive line also had three backup rotation players, including this year's fifth-round pick, Joe Looney.
And the undrafted rookie tight end, Demarcus Dobbs, who had been working hard, unfortunately suffered an injury and was placed on the injury list. His chances of playing this season were very slim.
Overall, the changes to the offense were focused on the changes and adjustments to the offensive line, in the hopes of providing a more solid and reliable pocket for Lu Ke. On other positions, they made up for deficiencies on the basis of last season's roster, giving them a small boost in the hopes of continuing their good form.
This was also the advantage of having young players. With a roster mainly composed of rookie players, the personnel changes in the first few seasons would not be too drastic, and their competitiveness would be relatively stable. Of course, the biggest instability came from the performance of the young players themselves, which was a double-edged sword.
Relatively speaking, the defense was older. But there were no top superstars on the San Francisco 49ers. The core pillar, Patrick Willis, had already completed his contract extension in 2010, so there was no need to worry. This allowed the team to continue with the same main defensive lineup as last season.
During the offseason, the team mainly signed some backup rotation players, increasing the depth of the defense's bench. More changes happened in the secondary defense. Some new faces appeared in the cornerback and safety lineups. Due to their form and injuries, there were also some changes to the starting lineup.
But there were no major changes worth mentioning. All the familiar names and faces were kept. There was only one thing: the undrafted rookie defensive end, Tony Jerod-Eddie, who unexpectedly bumped into Lu Ke in the voluntary training camp, also stayed and made the final 53-man roster.
Interestingly, the San Francisco 49ers' final roster had a total of seven undrafted rookies, a ratio that was among the top in the league.
But why? The media didn't ask, so Trent Baalke didn't say.
From the offense to the defense, and with the special teams' three core players remaining unchanged, the San Francisco 49ers' starting lineup was basically the same as the 2011 season's personnel. Just based on the roster on paper, they were still one of the most competitive teams in the league. If they could maintain their form from last season, they would also be a favorite for the Super Bowl.
No wonder when they invited Peyton Manning to join, Trent Baalke repeatedly emphasized that they were a team with the ability to win a championship. All they needed now was a top commander to lead the team in the right direction.
But that was just an "if."
Why?
Just look at the 2012 season's opening game. That was the best answer.
On September 5, the first game of the new season was officially played at MetLife Stadium, with the defending champions, the New York Giants, hosting their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
The New York Giants, who had just come off a championship win as a dark horse, had their form drop again and lost the game with a score of "17:24." And the Dallas Cowboys, who didn't even make the playoffs last season, successfully started the season with a win.
This is the NFL. Anything can happen. The strength of the teams is often similar. The factors that determine the outcome of a game and a championship are countless. No one can take anything for granted. At the same time, every team has a chance to win the championship. You can only know what a horse is capable of after you let it run.
The San Francisco 49ers were no exception.
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were the number two seed in the NFC with a brilliant record. Naturally, the difficulty of the San Francisco 49ers' schedule this season would also increase.
Throughout the regular season, in addition to the NFC West division games, the San Francisco 49ers would also play against the four traditional powerhouses in the NFC North and then against the NFC East champion, the New York Giants, and the NFC South champion, the New Orleans Saints. Outside the conference, the San Francisco 49ers would play against the AFC East this year.
Leaving aside the rematch against the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints, which they faced in the playoffs, just looking at the teams in the AFC East and the NFC North, you can see the difficulty of this season's schedule.
In the AFC East, there are the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills. It is foreseeable that the highly anticipated matchup between Lu Ke and Brady, is about to happen.
In the NFC North, there are the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Chicago Bears. This time, it's a head-to-head matchup between "Lu Ke vs. Rodgers."
If last season, the San Francisco 49ers' opponents were generally not strong, but they unexpectedly showed strong immediate combat power, making the schedule difficult, then this season, the San Francisco 49ers will face a barrage of traditional powerhouses. The difficulty of the schedule has increased by more than one level compared to last year.
So, the speculation and drills on paper are "just an if."
With such a difficult schedule, the San Francisco 49ers' season prospects are indeed hard to be hopeful for. After taking off their beautiful clothes, the swan turning back into an ugly duckling is a high-probability event.
For example, the first week of the regular season:
The San Francisco 49ers are heading north to Wisconsin to play against the Green Bay Packers.
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