49ersMan420 beat me to it, but if we see 8 in a box, and poti blocks like he did in college, staley is healed, AD figures out the plays, rachal plays back to USC days, and hopefully our C, whoever he is can block and stay out of Alex's way, then i would relish 8 men in a box . Summary: if our OL comes thru like i believe they will, 8 in a box is very susceptible to 65 yd TD runs on 3rd and 2. Also, with alex now confident in his OC (hey, he's been here more than a yr), 8 in a box is a great way to dink and dunk,
QUICKLY , and then watch a 1 step drop go for 30 quick yds. My belief is we do this against poorer teams, get stymied by really great teams, and have a 50/50 shot at teams equal to us...at the start of the season. By midseason, i don't expect to see anymore 8 in a box, when all OL starters are in gear.
Say anything you want, but our OL is the key to a great yr vs just another yr. 8 in a box, our nemesis since 2 yrs ago against AZ(?), is going to come to a screeching halt. But our OL has to get it together quick, regardless of who starts. Eventually, maybe by 4th or 5th game i would hope to see staley, poti, C(?), rachal,AD... and don't forget, we do have a TE who can block in VD. I would not be disappointed if sims played early on, as his last half of 2009 was excellent. Our future is our OL. Our OL is our future. We live and die with this OL, and with 3 1st rd picks starting, i like our chances. C has to play a whole lot better than last yr, and i don't care who starts...he just better be ready to play, with very improved guys on either side of him. RAchal has to be turned around, and solari and big ray are going to do that. AD will take time, and then, lookout.
Is there anybody out there that doesn't think alex has gone over how to beat box 8 more than a thousand times in his head? I bet he thinks about it watching film, thinks about it at LOS, and thinks about it going to bed. Naw, i look for us to roast box 8 early on, and then see it disappear.
[ Edited by pasodoc9er on Jul 3, 2010 at 10:44 PM ]