Matt Maiocco Sept. 26 Pregame Chat Transcript

Sept. 26,2010MAIOCCOARCHIVE
SEPT. 23 CHAT TRANSCRIPT
49ERS PAGE49ERS VIDEOEditor'sNote: CSNBayArea.com Insider MattMaiocco chats regularly! Be sure to join him for free-flowingdiscussions on the 49ers and the NFL!
Matt Maiocco:
Welcome to Arrowhead Stadium, where the 49ers (0-2) are getting set to play the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0).From K49G:
Game prediction?Matt Maiocco:
So soon? Can I save that for last?
From Phil Adams:
I can't wait for Kyle Williams to return kicks. How do you think he'll do?Matt Maiocco:
I'm watching him right now. ... Oh, boy. He struggled with the sun on that one ... OK, but he caught that one. By the way, I saw were LeRoy Vann returned two punts for the Montreal Alouettes last night. He had two returns for 5 yards and a fumble.From K49G:
did Jason Hill play gunner on ST last week? and if so who will be filling that duty today?Matt Maiocco:
The gunners are Taylor Mays and Tarell Brown.From Brad:
How's the weather looking there today?Matt Maiocco:
Cloudy, but it doesn't look like rain to me.From Joe:
Hi Matt. Thank you for being such a great resource for 49er fans across the country. I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and read your postings constantly. With that said, how much can we expect to see Bowman sub in for Spikes today?Matt Maiocco:
Thank you for the kind words. There's a chance Bowman will start. I don't know that, yet, but I think Bowman will see a lot of playing time. Here is the list of inactives for both teams.
From Flash:
Week 1 Alex or Week 2 Alex gonna show up?Matt Maiocco:
My guess is somewhere in between.From Peter:
hey matt! hope you have a great day!From Jon in Socal:
Good morning MattMatt Maiocco:
Thank you. Hope you have great days, too.From Matt:
What's the key matchup to look for today??Matt Maiocco:
The ones I focused on are NT Aubrayo Franklin vs. C Casey Wiegmann, WR Michael Crabtree vs. CB Brandon Flowers, and ST Taylor Mays vs. RS Javier Arenas.
From Neder:
Westbrook going to get some more carries this game? Maybe Gore and Westbrook on the field at the same time?Matt Maiocco:
I doubt he can get any fewer carries. But, the thing is, Frank Gore is playing so very well that the 49ers feel as if they do not have the luxury of taking him off the field. He has been outstanding in blitz pickup, which means he is their most valued back on third downs, too.From Neil:
I see T. Smith is inactive again today. Any idea what the future holds for him as a 49er?Matt Maiocco:
Probably more of the same. David Carr is the No. 2, and that's the way I see it remaining for the rest of the season.
From K49G:
How's the new Arrowhead stadium?Matt Maiocco:
From my vantage point it looks a lot like the old Arrowhead Stadium. The press box is new, and I think they did a lot of work on the concourses, but it looks the same.
From Dallas the Dog:
how do you think the niners will fare against the chiefs' running game?Matt Maiocco:
I think they'll do a very good job on Thomas Jones. The issue is the speed of Jamaal Charles. But I think they're going to make QB Matt Cassel beat them.FAN POLL:Who should the 49ers be most concerned about on the Chiefs?
QB Matt Cassel - 5
RB Thomas Jones - 7
RB Jamaal Charles - 68
WR Dwayne Bowe - 0
RS Javier Arenas - 5
RB Dexter McCluster - 15From Whitsha:
If returns are such a problem, why not bring in Vann? He can't do much else, but he would solve one of the biggest problems on the team.Matt Maiocco:
Because the 49ers determined he was not as good as the guys they kept in camp. Coach Mike Singletary said he was not confident in Vann's ability to catch the ball.From WT:
so i have never been a wear a lucky shirty kind of guy, but last week i gave it a try, we played pretty good, but didn't get the W. should i give it another try this week?Matt Maiocco:
If you're home alone, I'd go shirtless.From Jon in SoCal:
A lot has been made about all 8 draft picks and some UDFA's making the team and contributing. When McC left, the draft board was supposedly set, what was the difference between the '10 class and those prior in terms of talent identification and ability to immediately contribute?Matt Maiocco:
I can assure you that the draft would not have been the same if McCloughan had stuck around. The 49ers had two picks with the first 17 selections in the draft. You'd expect those guys to step in and start immediately. Vernon Davis and Manny Lawson were first-round picks who were immediate starters in 2006. The 49ers took players at spots where there were glaring weaknesses, so that has contributed to them remaining on the 53-man roster. But, all in all, this draft class does seem to be pretty good. But it's still way to early to say.From Kevin:
Do you expect Crabtree is more involved today?
Matt Maiocco:
Yes. Don't know how that will manifest itself in terms of catches and yards but, yes, I'd expect him to have more production. Although ... he'll probably be matched against Flowers, who is a very good cornerback.From Adam:
Hey Matt, I heard your talk earlier on KNBR, I couldn't agree anymore with what you mentioned, Is there an overall opinion you have about the 49ers right now? either bad or good since the season started? thanksMatt Maiocco:
I think the 49ers have a very fragile psyche. Things sometimes seem to turn quickly for the worse. They have to show a lot more "poise in the noise," as Jimmy Raye would say.From Rick S:
Matt, why did the 49ers resign Jason Hill if he would be inactive for today's game anyway?Matt Maiocco:
They signed him after the first game because Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams were injuries. Now that Williams is healthy, the 49ers have no need to have five receivers on their game-day roster. Therefore, Hill's services are no longer needed.From Neil:
Do Matt Cassel and his receivers hold and advantage over our secondary? Can we win the matchup?Matt Maiocco:
Don't want to sound mean, but Matt Cassel doesn't hold an advantage over any pass defense in the league. He's about the least-productive quarterback in the NFL.From Eric:
Which stadium do u think is louder? Quest Field or Arrowhead?Matt Maiocco:
Because of the shape of the stadium, I'd say the acoustics of Qwest Field make it a much-louder venue than Arrowhead Stadium. Still, this is no picnic.From Levetti408:
With two WRs inactive, will we see more ground and pound, or might Westbrook spread out wide and fill the role of another WR?Matt Maiocco:
The 49ers always have four wide receivers active, and that's what they have today. Crabtree, Morgan, Zeigler and Williams. I don't envision Williams getting any playing time on offense. But, no, the 49ers are going to do what they do. They'll try to run the ball. They'll try to get the ball to their No. 1 receiver, Vernon Davis, and Frank Gore will get a lot of touches in the passing game. And when the opportunities present themselves, Alex Smith will try to get the ball to the wideouts. That's their offensive formula.From Wichita_9er:
Do you expect Alex Smith to wear the wristband today and use it when it's extremely loud?Matt Maiocco:
Yes. He wore it Monday night, and it worked very well. Smith was able to get the offense to the line of scrimmage with enough time do use his cadence and make the shifts and motions. The team is stretching right now, but Smith is not wearing the wristband. But it'll be on for the game.From Whitsha:
If returns were one of the biggest needs in the last off season, why didn't the 49ers draft McCluster or Arenas? Most thought they were the best returners in the draft and they were later round picks.Matt Maiocco:
The 49ers had the No. 49 overall pick. They decided on Taylor Mays. Certainly, Javier Arenas would've been a reasonable pick there. The Chiefs ended up taking Arenas with the next selection. Seems to me there was a return man -- gosh, where was it? SMU? -- that the 49ers really liked in the next round, but he was already taken. The 49ers ended up getting Kyle Williams in the sixth round. Let me check on that SMU guyEmmanuel Sanders. He's the guy the 49ers had targeted for the fourth round.From AP720:
Surprised to see Tyson Jackson on the Inactive List...is he injured or has he been that ineffective?Matt Maiocco:
He's injured. I watched him in the opener against San Diego, and he looked outstanding. But late in that game he went down with a knee injury.From Jon in SoCal:
With Williams healthy, when do you expect the 9ers to make their next roster more and what position? ILB?Matt Maiocco:
Probably only when it warrants. There is no ILB out there that floats the 49ers' boat. The team does not feel a necessity to go out and get somebody right now, but they're keeping their options open.FAN POLL:What concerns you most about the 49ers today?
Dealing with crowd noise - 38
Stopping Chiefs running game - 3
Alex Smith and the passing game - 24
Special Teams meltdowns - 27
In-game Coaching - 8From Wichita_9er:
Will the Chiefs' 3-4 defensive line-up present a big challenge for this O-line playing with 2 rookies?Matt Maiocco:
I don't think so. During training camp when it's 49ers offense vs. 49ers defense (as opposed to scout teams, the 49ers offense faces a 3-4 in practice every day.From E:
Waddup M Double! Would you attest the improvement in the offensive line between Week 1 and Week 2 due to live game experience or just being able to play in front of the home crowd?Matt Maiocco:
A couple things. The biggest thing was playing at home, where the linemen could hear the snap count. Also, playing on grass helped, to a smaller degree. Also, there was a lot of soul-searching, and the line played with a lot more of an attitude against the Saints.From Whitsha:
What numbers would Smith have to put up today for him to have a good game?Matt Maiocco:
Complete 62 percent of his attempts with 7 yards per every attempt. No interceptions.From Wichita_9er:
Are you seeing a good turnout of 49er fans coming into the stadium?Matt Maiocco:
I can't tell. Everybody in this stadium is wearing red, so it's difficult to pick out 49ers fans from Chiefs fans.From Jeremy:
I attest the biggest thing that helped the line out was getting to the line to make adjustments with 6-7 more seconds then normal. Peyton Manning could't be Peyton Manning getting to the line with 8-10 seconds on the clock because he wouldn't be able to make adjustments.Matt Maiocco:
That, too. The offense was a lot more calm Monday night. But that was a residual of playing at home, too.From Roger:
How many Snaps does Westbrook get?Matt Maiocco:
Would not be surprised to see the Wildcat. I'd think Westbrook will get a handful of snaps today. Through two games, the 49ers' offense has taken 124 snaps. Gore has played 122 snaps, with Westbrook and Dixon getting on the field for one play apiece.From Roger:
If niners lose do we begin seeing a little more of Mays and Bowman?Matt Maiocco:
Taylor Mays has not played a down of defense, yet. He has been the No. 4 safety. Bowman will probably see a lot of action with Spikes banged up. The coaching staff believes Michael Lewis is a better player, and he's done well thus far. The 49ers' defense, statistically, has played well in the first two games. There is no reason to shake things up on defense.From Neder:
Complete the sentence - "If the niners lose they will lose because they."Matt Maiocco:
... could not control their emotions and could not snap out of it when things started to go wrong."From Who?:
I assume you have seen the now infamous NFCW article on ESPN, thoughts?Matt Maiocco:
No, I haven't ... but it's my opinion that the 49ers need not panic even if they have a couple more losses to start out the season. There is plenty of time for them to turn it around and still win the division.FAN POLLThe outcome of today's game will be 49ers by 4 points or fewer - 4
49ers by 5 to 10 - 29
49ers by 11 or more - 50
Chiefs by 4 or fewer - 11
Chiefs by 5 to 10 - 4
Chiefs by 11 or more - 4 From Po:
Do you have any predictions before the game?Matt Maiocco:
I don't think the Chiefs are a very good team. They can cause some problems here with a home-field advantage and some speed. But I think the 49ers will enter the win column today. 49ers 24, Chiefs 13.Matt Maiocco:
Thank you so much for joining me this morning for the pregame chat. Check CSNBayArea at halftime. I'll be joining Brodie Brazil and Eric Davis. And I'll be part of the postgame team coverage on TV and the web. Have a great day. (And, by the way, I meant www.CSNBayArea.com for the halftime web show.)