Niners and Bears Have QB Questions

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Niners and Bears Have QB Questions

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Week 3 of the NFL preseason begins with two teams with muddy quarterback situations as San Francisco battles Chicago on Thursday night. And the NFL betting picture for both teams may change depending on who’s behind center once the regular season really gets rolling.

The 49ers started off the preseason with an 18-6 loss to Oakland, but they quickly rebounded last week by crushing Green Bay 34-6 as a 1-point underdog on the NFL odds.

Before the preseason began it looked like the QB duties in San Francisco would go to either Alex Smith or Shaun Hill. However, during training camp, and now during the preseason, J.T. O’Sullivan has emerged.

Last week against Green Bay O’Sullivan completed 8-of-17 pass attempts for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan has also made the most of his playing time, with veterans Bryant Johnson, Arnaz Battle, and Ashley Lelie all battling injuries. Morgan caught five passes for 114 yards last week, which included a 59-yard TD reception.

The Bears fell to 0-2 in the preseason last week after losing to Seattle 29-26 as a 1-point favorite on the NFL odds. Rex Grossman got the start for Chicago, but had trouble adjusting to the Seahawks’ constant blitz while completing 9-of-15 pass attempts for 74 yards and an interception.

Kyle Orton played less than Grossman, but he ultimately outperformed him while completing five-of-nine pass attempts for 43 yards to lead the Bears to their first score (a field goal).

Orton didn’t play long enough to keep the Bears’ offense moving, though, and most of Chicago’s points in the loss came from their defense and special teams. The Bears’ defense recorded a safety and Corey Graham returned an interception for a TD, while Earl Bennett ran back a punt for a score.

If O’Sullivan can continue to hold up under the preseason pressure and outshine his competition he could have the Niners’ starting job in Week 1 of the regular season. The Bears announced Monday that Orton would be behind center for them in their regular season opener, but whether or not he keeps that gig depends on how well he performs out of the gate.