The NFL’s final televised 2013 preseason football game will showcase the defending AFC champion San Francisco 49ers up against the San Diego Chargers. NFL Network is carrying the TV broadcast for this game that begins with kick off at 10/9c.
The 49ers carry the weight of almost winning a Super Bowl with expectations to take one more final step this season. They hope quarterback Colin Kaepernick can repeat his stellar rookie campaign, and the sophomore looked his sharpest yet in the preseason during a blowout win against the Vikings last week. The Chargers will need to be on their toes if they hope to slow Kaepernick during the early portion of tonight’s game.
Kaepernick’s backup appears to be Colt McCoy after he went 11 for 15 with 109 yards. Coach JimHarbaugh hasn’t made a formal announcement, but when questioned by reporters after the game, he said he feels good about McCoy being the backup. That’s about as strong an endorsement as the young quarterback can receive.
San Diego comes into tonight’s game following a lopsided win against previously undefeated Arizona. Running back Ryan Mathews had a strong game with 57 yards off 14 carries and a touchdown to help new coach Mike McCoy notch his first victory, even if it’s only the preseason. As the Cardinals continued to make mistakes, the Chargers made sure to capitalize on them.
Chargers defenders and special teams were on fire against the Cardinals during the first half. They returned a fumble for a touchdown and blocked a field goal and a punt. It was the first stringers doing the damage, too, which must make coach McCoy pleased. Not impressing McCoy was the average play of quarterback Philip Rivers with 71 yards passing on 10 of 18 with an interception.
Tonight’s 2013 NFL preseason finale between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers gets underway at 10pm EST/7pm PST on NFL Network in HD. You can alternately watch NFL live online streaming of the game on NFL Network if you’re a subscriber and your cable/satellite provider here is on an approved list. After this game brings the preseason to a close, it’s on to the NFL regular season schedule a week from tonight.
