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Who thinks Peyton Manning smells blood? I feel sorry for the dude, he's gonna get lit up...repeatedly. 
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49ers throw corner to wolves, er Colts
Thornton's first NFL start will be against Manning
By Roger PhillipsSTAFF WRITER
SANTA CLARA — Imagine a pitcher in his big league debut facing Barry Bonds, a rookie trying to guard Michael Jordan in the season opener, or a first-year goalie staring down Mario Lemieux on a breakaway.
From a football standpoint, this is what the San Francisco 49ers (1-3) will face Sunday afternoon when their battered secondary has to contend with the high-octane Indianapolis Colts (4-0) at Monster Park.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning directs the NFL's most feared passing attack. And one of the 49ers' cornerbacks may be Bruce Thornton, who has risen meteorically in recent weeks from the ranks of the unsigned to the practice squad to the brink of making his first NFL start.
Niners coach Mike Nolan admitted Thursday he could have chosen a better time for his secondary to be so unsettled.
"It's a bad time," Nolan said. "There's no good time. But there are worse times than others. This is not a good time."
When the season began last month, the cornerbacks were Shawntae Spencer and Ahmed Plummer, Tony Parrish and Mike Rumph manned the safety positions, and the nickel cornerback was Mike Adams.
Since then, however, everything has gone wrong for a 49ers team whose pass defense is the lowest-ranked in the NFL.
Rumph proved ill-suited to playing safety and was replaced there by Adams. Right at the moment Rumph was set to move back to cornerback, he was lost for the year with a foot injury. Plummer has missed one game and will miss several more with an ankle injury.
Rookie Derrick Johnson, who started last Sunday's loss to Arizona because of the Rumph and Plummer injuries, will not play this week because of a thigh injury. And Willie Middlebrooks, who would be next in line, may be sidelined this week with a groin injury.
Enter the 24-year-old Thornton, Dallas' fourth-round draft choice a year ago. Thornton appeared in one game for the Cowboys as a rookie, promptly suffering a season-ending knee injury.
He was predictably brave Thursday when asked about the prospect of starting this week against the Colts.
"Being a competitor like I am," he said, "you wouldn't want it any other way but to play against the best. ... No, I don't think it's intimidating."
We'll see what he's saying late Sunday afternoon.
Here's how thin the 49ers are in their secondary: During Thursday's practice, fourth-string quarterback Cody Pickett was playing free safety with the scout-team defense against the starting offense. Capitalizing on Pickett's athletic ability, Nolan used the former Washington quarterback on special teams against the Cardinals, and also has used him as a wide receiver in practice. Nolan said he has no intention of using Pickett in the secondary in a game this season, but then again ...
"Heck, I don't know," Nolan said. "If we have another injury, he might just have to park his tail back there at free safety."
Pickett said his ultimate goal is to be a starting quarterback, but he sounded open about the prospect of a short-term defensive role. In high school, he said, he played eight snaps as a defensive back and intercepted "two or three" Hail Mary passes.
"In the long run, I want to play quarterback," Pickett said. "But for now, whatever he wants me to do, I'm going to go out there and do my best." Sunday, though, the focus will shift to Thornton, presuming he starts. "Physically," he said, "I feel well prepared. It's just really trying to get familiar with tendencies, because they run so many different things — (receiver) Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning, they're a great combination. So we're really just trying to see what they do and try to figure out what they do."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/prepsports/ci_3095194
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49ers throw corner to wolves, er Colts
Thornton's first NFL start will be against Manning
By Roger PhillipsSTAFF WRITER
SANTA CLARA — Imagine a pitcher in his big league debut facing Barry Bonds, a rookie trying to guard Michael Jordan in the season opener, or a first-year goalie staring down Mario Lemieux on a breakaway.
From a football standpoint, this is what the San Francisco 49ers (1-3) will face Sunday afternoon when their battered secondary has to contend with the high-octane Indianapolis Colts (4-0) at Monster Park.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning directs the NFL's most feared passing attack. And one of the 49ers' cornerbacks may be Bruce Thornton, who has risen meteorically in recent weeks from the ranks of the unsigned to the practice squad to the brink of making his first NFL start.
Niners coach Mike Nolan admitted Thursday he could have chosen a better time for his secondary to be so unsettled.
"It's a bad time," Nolan said. "There's no good time. But there are worse times than others. This is not a good time."
When the season began last month, the cornerbacks were Shawntae Spencer and Ahmed Plummer, Tony Parrish and Mike Rumph manned the safety positions, and the nickel cornerback was Mike Adams.
Since then, however, everything has gone wrong for a 49ers team whose pass defense is the lowest-ranked in the NFL.
Rumph proved ill-suited to playing safety and was replaced there by Adams. Right at the moment Rumph was set to move back to cornerback, he was lost for the year with a foot injury. Plummer has missed one game and will miss several more with an ankle injury.
Rookie Derrick Johnson, who started last Sunday's loss to Arizona because of the Rumph and Plummer injuries, will not play this week because of a thigh injury. And Willie Middlebrooks, who would be next in line, may be sidelined this week with a groin injury.
Enter the 24-year-old Thornton, Dallas' fourth-round draft choice a year ago. Thornton appeared in one game for the Cowboys as a rookie, promptly suffering a season-ending knee injury.
He was predictably brave Thursday when asked about the prospect of starting this week against the Colts.
"Being a competitor like I am," he said, "you wouldn't want it any other way but to play against the best. ... No, I don't think it's intimidating."
We'll see what he's saying late Sunday afternoon.
Here's how thin the 49ers are in their secondary: During Thursday's practice, fourth-string quarterback Cody Pickett was playing free safety with the scout-team defense against the starting offense. Capitalizing on Pickett's athletic ability, Nolan used the former Washington quarterback on special teams against the Cardinals, and also has used him as a wide receiver in practice. Nolan said he has no intention of using Pickett in the secondary in a game this season, but then again ...
"Heck, I don't know," Nolan said. "If we have another injury, he might just have to park his tail back there at free safety."
Pickett said his ultimate goal is to be a starting quarterback, but he sounded open about the prospect of a short-term defensive role. In high school, he said, he played eight snaps as a defensive back and intercepted "two or three" Hail Mary passes.
"In the long run, I want to play quarterback," Pickett said. "But for now, whatever he wants me to do, I'm going to go out there and do my best." Sunday, though, the focus will shift to Thornton, presuming he starts. "Physically," he said, "I feel well prepared. It's just really trying to get familiar with tendencies, because they run so many different things — (receiver) Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning, they're a great combination. So we're really just trying to see what they do and try to figure out what they do."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/prepsports/ci_3095194
