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@@@ Thankfully, the NFL鈥檚 annual preseason charade is nearly over. One more exhibition, this upcoming Thursday in Houston. Then reality stands poised to commence. What will that reality hold? Hard to say. The Niners bring back an All-Star roster that populated the top ranks of the league for the past three seasons. That same roster looked putrid during its first three preseason starts, going 1-2 while getting outscored 64-24. That could be due to Jim Harbaugh鈥檚 obfuscating ways. Or it could mean the 49ers have grown long of tooth, yet short of bite. One thing we <a href=http://www.avanttravel.com/michaelkorssonline.php>Michael Kors uk</a> know: The preseason is a horrible waste of time. It provides nothing for fans, while exposing players to unnecessary risk. Look what happened to Rams鈥?聽quarterback Sam Bradford on Sunday. He鈥檚 out for the year with a torn ACL, suffered in a meaningless exhibition. The 49ers鈥?franchise, Colin Kaepernick, could have suffered the same fate, taking no less than four major hits from the charging Chargers before Harbaugh took him out. So, now that we鈥檝e dispensed with the obligatory griping about NFL greed driving a pointless preseason, let鈥檚 get down to the keys to the regular season, which begins Sept. 7 聽in Dallas. 1. Unleash Colin Kaepernick: The Niners鈥?fleet-footed QB was a revelation two years ago, and again in last year鈥檚 playoffs, using his superior athletic ability to confound opponents. The team held him <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/gucciusaonlineoutlet.php>gucci outlet</a> back most of last season, while he played through a foot injury suffered in Week 2 against Seattle. Now he鈥檚 presumably healthy. If Harbaugh trusts his own system 鈥?and his chosen backup QB 鈥?then he should let Kaep be Kaep. 2. Find the right understudy: It appears that Jacksonville ex-pat Blaine Gabbert will assume backup QB duties. He finally looked competent during the Niners鈥?21-7 win against San Diego on Sunday. But he also looked terrible earlier in the preseason. Why not choose Josh Johnson, a QB quarterback who goes all the way back to the University of San Diego with Harbaugh and his system? Coach has always said Johnson was one of his favorite players ever. So why does he keep cutting they guy? Seems to me there would be less adjustment if Johnson came in to spell Kaepernick. And Gabbert was a total failure in Jacksonville. Am I missing something? 3. Sign Alex Boone: The first-team offensive line looked terrible against the Chargers on Sunday, especially on the weak side manned by Mike Iupati and Joe Staley. That鈥檚 surprising, and can鈥檛 be helped by the ongoing holdout of starting strong-side guard Alex Boone. Give the man his money and put the oO-line back together. The team is developing a reputation for signing injured players on the cheap, while withholding raises to deserving, healthy starters. That bodes poorly in the long run, while Boone鈥檚 absence will hurt short-term. 4. Fix the field: The patchwork turf troubles this week were inexcusable. Coupled with the tragic earthquake that struck the Bay Area early Sunday morning, all signs pointed to calling off this last preseason game. But they played. (Read: $$) And $1.3 billion Levi鈥檚 Stadium had some seriously shoddy sod. The team needs to get this right by the home opener, Sept. 14 against Chicago. And they will. 5. Give Hyde the ball: Rookie running back Carlos Hyde was the only bright spot of the preseason. He looked great. And the team should feed him early and often, saving Frank Gore鈥檚 legs for November and December. The rookie from OhioState could be a key factor to offensive success. 6. Win the Super Bowl: <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/gucciusaonlineoutlet.php>gucci outlet</a> That鈥檚 what needs to happen to ensure the return of head coach Jim Harbaugh. Anything less could mean a major shakeup before next summer鈥檚 pointless preseason. Harbaugh wants Super Bowl coach money. He鈥檒l have to win one to get it. Al Saracevic is sports editor of The San Francisco Chronicle. E-mail: asaracevic@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @alsaracevic
