What I'll be Looking for From the 49ers Week 1

What I'll be Looking for From the 49ers Week 1

Football is finally here, and while the normal non-fan will be busy deciding why the Niners are in black, here's a few things I'll be looking for:

1. Balanced Defense

This one, for me, is big. Number One for a reason. With all of th retirements and arrests/cuts, one theme has dominated the media: SF will no longer have the dominant pass rush it's been known for. While that may be true (hard to judge off of preseason), what I'd rather have is a defense with solid pass rushers like Lynch and Tank, tacklers that will shake receivers confidence in catching like Tartt and Reid, and some potential shut down corners in Brock, Reaser, Acker, and Johnson. The Niners can not (and should not) be a team that relies on a couple of playmakers. Everyone needs to contribute now.

2. MON5T3R

Bow gets his own spot, and it doesn't require much explanation. Seeing him in week 2 of preseason was like seeing a master of his craft return. Just hitting the field week 1 is worthy of Comeback Player of the Year, but now it's time to let the Mon5t3r out of his cage, and let's see just how good he can be.

3. Excellence in Short-to-Mid Field Passes

With the addition of Reggie Bush and Torrey Smith in the offseason, it's become quite clear that they want Kap to have the best chance to succeed, and are doing so by giving him his most diverse weapons to date. While I fully expect backfield passes to Bush or Hyde, and some deep shots to Smith or even White, it's the short-to-mid game that will establish the offenses confidence and get everything going. Passes to Boldin, Ellington, Patton, and even Davis will give Kap the confidence he needs to be the playmaker we need this season.

4. Dominating Special Teams Unit

Enough has been said (especially by me) about Hayne and what he brings to the field, but if preseason has shown us anything, it's that our special teams unit has the potential to be a top ranked group this year. Players like McCray, White, and Bellore are going to increase fair catch calls to near 90+%, and while Pinion may have had an uneven preseason, I fully expect him to learn from Dawson and home his craft. Having such a talented vet like Dawson certainly gives Pinion a, ahem, leg up on other punters.

5. Points!

If I had one hope for this first game, it'd be for Dawson to never have to come out for a field goal. Unrealistic? Yes. Ambitious? Definitely, and that's the word I'd use to describe how Baalke and the coaches have stacked the offense with people built to get into the endzone. Boldin, Davis, Ellington, Hyde, Bush, Bell, as well as Kap. It's more viable weapons than most teams can boast, and I fully expect the playcallers and coaches to use them all.