Apparently, we're not the only ones fretting about preseason play. The Bears put up 31 points in the first half against the 49ers this weekend. Rex Grossman, who we know to be "no Marc Bulger" almost looked like a legitimate starting QB, passing for 30 or more yards three times. Grossman passed for 211 yards! The SF defense did a decent job against the run, and in 19 attempts, Chicago's Cedric Benson never really broke one off.
The San Francisco secondary suffered through a bout of penalty-itus as well, committing illegal contact fouls on the Bears' first two drives. Must be something in the water, huh?
Rather than have this be a "ha ha, you lost" post, I think there's some comfort we can take in the results. First, the illegal contact and pass interference penalties that defined the Rams and 49ers secondary this week sure seem to be more a product of preseason excitement/jitters as players feel out how far they can go in live game situations. As the competition for jobs wanes and the boundaries of officiating are defined, we're not likely to see games as fraught with these sort of inexcusable penalties.
Also, I'm pretty dubious of preseason results, but with SF poised to be a major competitor for the NFC West title, it's encouraging to think what a professional QB like Marc Bulger can do against the Niners if Rex Grossman can have a game like that.
Elsewhere in the NFC West, the Seahawks were given a big win by the Vikings, who turned the ball over four times. However, Sean Alexander might be starting to show his age and wear and tear, and the Seattle pass rush needs work, lots of it. Those two items could be good news for the Rams run defense and Marc Bulger.
If there's one thing to take away from all the preseason insanity, it's that this should be a pretty interesting season of football.