QB's 2
Jimmy G/Trey Lance
RB's 5
Mostert/Sermon/Mitchell/Hasty/Juice
WR's 6
Aiyuk/Samuel/Sherfield/Sanu/Jennings/Hurd
TE's 3
Kittle/Dwelley/Woerner
OL 8
Williams/Tomlinson/Mack/Brunskill/McGlinchey/Banks/Moore/Compton
DL 11
Armstead/Jones/Kinlaw/Bosa/Ford/Ebukam/Givens/Hurst/Kerr/Street/Key
LB's 5
Al-Shaair/Greenlaw/Warner/Harris/DFF
DB's 10
Verrett/Moseley/Williams/Lenoir/Thomas/Hufanga/Tartt/Ward/Davontae Harris/Wilson
Special Teams 3
Gould/Wishnowsky/Pepper
By Scooter_McG
The last preseason game is now in the books, and with it the last chance for many players to make an impression to stick on the 49ers roster (either 53-man or practice squad) or on another team's roster. Here's what stood out to me from this game.
1. What do you do when reporters won't stop asking about a QB competition? You morph the narrative by going with a QB by committee approach. We got our first look at what the 49ers offense may look like this season with two QBs interchanging, and for the most part it was successful (albeit against backups). I'm not sure if this level of rotation is something we will see on a regular basis, and Shanahan himself seemed to suggest it wouldn't be at half time, but even so it gives the Lions and other opponents something to think about and need to game plan for.
2. The first possession provided a nice reminder of how dominant the running game can be for the 49ers. The insertion of Mack and Williams into the starting lineup sure seemed to solidify the unit and they were able to give Mostert lots of space. And when Lance went into the game, it was obvious how much his running threat was able to hold defenders to create even more space for other players.
3. The running backs all showed well in this one. Mostert and Sermon seem entrenched as the main two. After that we finally got a chance to see Elijah Mitchell, who as a runner looked good, though he had a couple of rookie mental errors that will need to be ironed out. Hasty put in another good show as the 4th RB, with Gallman getting some time later in the game. Gallman has been getting reps before Hasty previously and this may just have been a case of the coaching staff giving Hasty a chance so they can do a fair evaluation, but its never good being the fifth RB to enter the game in the final preseason game. Could Hasty have done enough to push Gallman off the 53?
4. Sherfield could be the best third WR the 49ers have had under Shanahan. Yes, its only preseason, but Sherfield just continues to impress. Today he made the start in place of Aiyuk and looked right at home as a starting WR. And Sanu saw plenty of game time in the early going too. Those two look locked in to be the 3rd and 4th WRs.
5. The battle for the 5th and 6th WR spots remains murky. Hurd will probably still make the roster, but the best part of his game in this one was that he actually finished it healthy. The play on the field didn't do much to solidify a spot. Benjamin's speed combined with Lance's willingness to throw deep brought two key pass interference penalties that led to points, and Benjamin also got a lot of looks as the punt returner. Jennings dropped a laser from Lance that could have been a TD, which didn't do his chances any favours. The competition for 5 and 6 appears to be between those 3, as Cracraft and Webster played most of the second half which seemed a good indicator of their place on the depth chart.
6. The DL cuts are going to be the hardest. The group continued to showcase their depth in this one, consistently over-matching the Raiders OL throughout the game, with the level of disparity only widening as the game went on. The 49ers would be remiss to not seek a trade partner for one or more of these players as they won't be able to keep them all (you wouldn't think).
7. Hufanga is now firmly in the battle to start opposite Ward. He again made the start in this one, while Tartt also got the start in his first game action of the preseason. Admittedly, Hufanga appears to be getting more time at FS and may be seen as Ward's backup while Tartt and Wilson battle it out for the starting SS spot. Seeing veterans like Clinton-Dix and Wilson play big snaps at the back end of this one was kind of strange and shows the quality depth the team currently has at safety, and highlights how much Hufanga has impressed. Along with Demo Lenoir and Jaylon Moore, who have also impressed this preseason, the 49ers look like may have continued their trend of finding quality in the fifth round.
8. Marcell Harris made some nice plays in this one, playing as a pseudo LB. He looks to have made the transition fairly easily and offers a nice combination of pass coverage skills (for a LB), aggressive tackling and ability to rush the passer. I expect Harris will see a lot of snaps this year.
9. The STs looked a lot more sound in this one. Wishnowsky boomed a few punts and coverage units were excellent for the most part. The return game may not be the most dynamic, but Mitchell showed some potential as a KR.
By now I'm sure everyone has heard the quotes from John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan regarding Jalen Hurd and his chances of making the 53 man roster. But for those living under a rock, or needing a refresher, here is what Shanahan had to say:
"I’ve seen Jalen when he's gone. I know he’s one of our top-six receivers, so that’s not an issue. That’s how Dee Ford was last year. That’s how Tartt is. We know they’re one of our top guys at those positions, but it’s such a scary thing and hard decision for the 53. And we have other guys there after those guys who are good and who could make this team and really help us."
And here is John Lynch's quote:
"We're excited about him. I mean, we're holding on. He hasn't played in the first couple of years, but for good reason. He's had legitimate injuries. But he's been out there. We've had two really hard practices. And he's done a great job in them. And it would be a really good thing for our team if he could be out there. So we're pulling for him, and he's put in the work, and hopefully, he's there, because he makes us a better team, if he is."
Based on these quotes, and assuming they aren't blowing smoke in an attempt to drum up trade interest, it sounds like both Lynch and Shanahan really want Hurd to make the team. They both seem genuinely excited by what he can bring to the team. If it wasn't for injury issues he would undoubtedly make the roster.
This of course makes sense; despite having limited experience as a WR the 49ers chose him in the third round in 2019. And he was a third round draft pick for a good reason. His combination of size, strength, speed and agility is rare, as is his experience as both a RB and WR which makes him a highly valuable commodity for the Shanahan offense that puts a premium on versatile pass catchers with elite running skills.
And the early reports from 2019 training camp were very positive. Peter King went as far as to say he would be OROY of the 2019 after watching a 49ers camp practice. That should tell you how excited the 49ers were at the time, and how much the team wanted to integrate his skills into the offense.
But that was 2019. We've yet to see what he could be in a game, and now he is coming off two serious injuries. And while John Lynch can talk up what Hurd did in "two really hard practices", it is just two practices. He's struggled to even get on the practice field most of training camp. He clearly isn't fully recovered. And he hasn't had a chance to show the team whether he has the same physical abilities he came into the NFL with in 2019.
It leaves me wondering whether this is more a case of the team really liking the idea of Hurd, and what he could bring, more so than the current actuality of Hurd. And it leaves the team in a position of having to take a risk - either keep Hurd and bank on not only him being able to stay healthy, but also being the player they thought he could be, or take the risk of giving up on Hurd and seeing that talent be realised somewhere else.
This is why the game against the Raiders is actually quite an important one for both Hurd and the 49ers. At this stage it seems likely Hurd will make the 53, and a strong showing against the Riaders can go a long way to giving the team confidence it is the right choice.
Down went Carson Wentz and now Sam Ehlinger injured his knee leaving the Colts with one quarterback, Jacob Eason. George Bremer of The Herald Bulletin reports that Colts coach Frank Reich had no update after the game, but did offer, “It didn’t look good.”
Should John Lynch pick up the phone?
One of the positions that seems the most unsettled going into the 49ers final preseason game is wide receiver. Shanahan said he does not expect to keep more than 6. We know, Aiyuk and Samuel are locks but who will be the other four wide receivers?
Trent Sherfield: Pleasant surprise by the Cardinals castoff. Thought of as just a special teams player, Sherfield has seized his opportunities in camp as a genuine wide receiver.
Mohamad Sanu: The savvy vet has reinvented himself and his body to make this team, bringing leadership back to the room.
Travis Benjamin: Sat out last year. Brings speed but also some physicality.
Jalen Hurd: The 2019 67th pick was going to give Shanny a weapon of mass destruction as a big slot receiver/running back. Unfortunately, for Hurd health has been a 2 year exercise in futility. However, he recently stacked 2 days of very physical practices together and according to Shanahan he'll be playing in the Raiders game.
Jauan Jennings recent foot injury makes me think they'll do something with him.
We don't need no stinking draft picks, according to Rams GM, Les Snead. After losing their star running back for the year, the Rams have traded what essentially will end up being a 4th round compensatory pick, or their 5th & 6th round pick if they don't get one for, Sony Michel. New England unloads an underachieving, oft injured running back who Belichick wasn't going to resign next year anyway. This is what the Rams have left for the 2022 NFL Draft:
That's today's poll question. The defensive line group is so strong that one or two really good players will get signed by either the Seahawks or another team just as soon as they're released. The offensive line group isn't as strong, particularly at RG. The secondary could be considered thin as well, particularly if Verrett, who has a history of injury problems, goes down. Should we trade Street and/or Kerr for an OG or CB?
By Scooter_McG
Week 2 of preseason is now a wrap, and the 49ers prevailed in their encounter against the Chargers (for however little that is worth). While the result doesn't really matter, it was another opportunity for players to showcase themselves in an effort to make either the 49ers roster, or another team's roster if they don't stick with the 49ers.
So who stood out, good and bad?
By and large I thought the 49ers defense was very impressive. This week the DL appeared to put the Chargers QBs under constant pressure and enjoyed a lot of time in the backfield. Hard to even pinpoint any one player's efforts as it was impressive across the board. As Zach Kerr and Kentavius Street said after the game, this is a very deep DL unit with plenty of guys deserving of being on a 53 man roster this season.
The LBs and secondary I thought were also quite good for the most part. What really stood out was the team speed and aggressiveness - the players consistently were quick to the ball and shut plays down in numbers. DeMeco Ryans has previously indicated he wants to keep things simple for the players so they can play fast and in this game it certainly appears that way, which bodes well for the season proper. Much like the DL, there wasn't really any players that I thought individually stood out, either in a good or bad way, with a number of players making good plays and very few glaring mistakes.
The defensive performance week 2 I thought was better than in week 1.
On offense, unfortunately it was a little more up and down. The OL cut down on the number of times individuals were instantly beaten off the line of scrimmage which helped to provide some improved protection for the most part, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. More importantly, the running game looked a lot better this week, as the OL was able to provide some room for the RBs up the middle and didn't allow defenders to blow up many plays in the backfield like what happened week 1. I thought both Hasty and Gallman, the only two healthy RBs in this game, performed quite well.
The receivers on the other hand were more of a mixed bag. As with week 1, far too many dropped balls. Ball placement by the QBs didn't help (more on this shortly), but still too many drops to be acceptable. And it wasn't just the fringe players - both Aiyuk and Samuel had their share of drops today which won't be acceptable during the regular season. On a positive note, Sherfield continues to look like something of a find for the team showing reliable hands, explosiveness and some nice moves to pick up yards after the catch in tight quarters.
In terms of the QBs... if this was an opportunity for Jimmy G to put to bed any thoughts of Lance taking over the starting job, that opportunity was missed. The stats probably look a little worse than the performance, but it was a rusty outing with some off target throws. Jimmy G has a history of looking rusty in the first week of the regular season and games like this one in preseason don't inspire confidence he will turn that around in 2021.
The good news for Jimmy G is that Trey Lance didn't help himself much either in any race to try and win the starting QB job. Lance's final stat line was good enough, but he started poorly with a number of off target throws that put a lot of pressure on his receivers to make great catches (which by and large they failed to do). It led to one INT, and he could have easily been picked a couple of other times, one on a poorly placed ball which he left too far inside and another on a bad decision to throw into a window too tight even for his powerful arm. And about that arm... he is definitely showing a tendency to err on the side of power when he throws. Yes, his receivers need to get used to catching fast balls, but not every throw needs to be a fast ball.
On a positive note, after a slow start he did make some nice plays in leading two TD drives, one where he showed a lot of growth from his two minute drill issues in week 1 and another where he displayed great feel for looking off defenders to open a passing window over the middle for a TD to Benjamin. I also thought that, for the most part, he showed better awareness in the pocket to move and avoid pressure compared to week 1. Overall, it was another game where the talent Lance possesses was obvious, but so was the development needed.
The talk of the 49ers training camp, for fans at least, has largely been around when Lance would start competing with Jimmy G for the starting role. The focus has almost entirely been on how Lance has been performing, where he is at in his development, and whether he is ready.
But somewhat lost in the argument has been how Jimmy G is performing, his development or how the team looks with him at QB. Yes, there has been some comparison statistics provided by various sources, but it has largely been used to support opinions of how Lance has performed. Yes, there has been the obligatory noting of the INT's JG throws in practice (which has always been something JG has struggled with). But there has been very little discussion actually highlighting whether the team has looked good with Jimmy G at QB, or how it has looked relative to past years.
This game against the Chargers will be the first opportunity for Jimmy G to really show 49ers fans why the desire for Lance to be given a shot to start from week 1 this year shouldn't even be a discussion. Not because of where Lance is at in his development, but because of what Jimmy can do as the starter of this team. Shanahan has said the plan is for the starters to play about 1 to 1.5 quarters, which could be enough time for Jimmy G to get two or even three good drives in. If he gets the first team offense rolling and scoring points then it will go a long way to tempering the talk of Lance taking over asap. Well... maybe for at least a week!
Odds and Ends
This game may also be the first opportunity for fans to get a glimpse of how Dee Ford's progress in his return from neck and back injuries is going. While nothing has been said as yet as to whether he will play, if he gets a few snaps it will be an impressive sign for both Ford and the 49ers. If he also looks good - then the 49ers DL has a real opportunity to be very strong this season.
And while Trent Williams is not expected to play, if Alex Mack plays in this one it will also be a great opportunity to see how the starting OL looks with the vet pivot leading the line. The centre position was a significant weakness all last season and if Mack can play at a high level it will go a long way to unlocking the potential of the 49ers passing and running game.
Should be fun getting to watch the starting units for a few series in this one.
After Trey Lance's performance and all the talking heads from the Grant Cohn tree opining for more 1st team reps; is there really anymore controversy as to which quarterback gives this team the best chance to win? Not in my mind.
I see some talking heads proclaiming Lance is ready to start, and how he should be stealing reps with the ones from Jimmy G.
Jauan Jennings' is on another level according to Shanny, “I mean, we had a lot of young guys play last year by default with the injuries that happen and some of the situations we were in,” Shanahan said. “So I want those guys going out there competing and showing they can play good football. And I’ve been really impressed with (WR) Trent (Sherfield) so far with how he’s done that. I’ve been extremely impressed with Jauan, how he’s gone out there and done that. And it’s only one game in, but I need everyone else to get to that level also.”
I have Jennings as the 5th wide receiver on Shanny's depth chart as of right now. I don't see a scenario where James makes this roster, and Hurd may find himself on the outside looking in as well.
It was possibly the most anticipated 49ers preseason game of recent memory and we have now gotten to experience a 49ers game with the new QBOTF Trey Lance. And Lance didn't disappoint in the early going. His first drive tantalised with a very impressive strike that Aiyuk couldn't handle for what would have been a first down after Lance extended the play with his legs, and then Brunskill got steamrolled on third down giving Lance no chance. His second drive lasted just one play - a nice play action rollout to the left to get the defense moving that way, only to send a deep ball back to the right that travelled like a bullet 50 yards in the air and hit Sherfield in stride for the 80 yard TD.
Unfortunately Lance's day did not ever reach such heights again. His receivers and OL let him down numerous times, with a couple more dropped balls and plenty of busted blocks that led to drives stalling. There were a couple of passes Lance would like back, including two passes where only the power behind the ball prevented INTs as it appeared he was a tad late on the throws and didn't recognise defenders closing quickly. His work in the two minute drill was also less than stellar, as he missed some passes and his near INTs came during this period.
Lance would end the day with just 5 completions on 14 attempts, for 128 yards and the TD. However, with three blatant drops on well thrown and very catchable balls, plus another to James that looked like James may have been able to make a better play on, the stats did not do him justice. Nor did having two screens to Jennings called (correctly) as backward passes, which if they had been forward passes would have helped boost his stat line a little.
All in all it was a promising start for Lance, but also showed some of the key areas Lance needs to work on.
So what does this mean for Lance and the 49ers moving forward? Well, to be honest I don't think we learned anything from this game we hadn't already heard from training camp. And I don't think Lance's performance moved the needle either way as to how ready Shanahan may feel he is to supplant Jimmy G. Much to the chagrin and consternation of some, both here and elsewhere, the offense Shanahan ran was very vanilla. This though was by design. During the post game press conference Grant Cohn queried Shanahan on the way they kept Lance in the pocket and didn't include any designed runs, to which Shanahan (after pointing out the 80 yard TD was a rollout) outlined this was what they wanted to do in this game. No doubt this was as much about giving Lance reps doing the "standard" plays as it was about keeping some of the more exotic plays under wraps until the regular season.
In some respects this is the ultimate complement to where Lance is at mentally - Shanahan didn't feel the need to give Lance some layups or make things easy for him by installing a lot of plays that keep things simple by letting him use his athleticism. Rather, he wanted to challenge him and get him exposure to the areas he needs the most work, so that when he is called upon he is ready.
What Else Stood Out
While Lance was the focus of most people's attention, there were plenty of other takeaways from this game. Starting with the negatives, the offensive line was, well, offensive. Having rookie Jaylon Moore at LT and Jake Brendel at centre to start the game didn't help things early, though it was Brunskill that got steamrolled for the first sack. After McGlinchey, Tomlinson and Brunskill exited things got a whole lot worse. Reports during training camp were that the second string OL looked very poor, and this game did nothing to assuage those fears. Perhaps most disappointing was that Aaron Banks appeared to really struggle in pass protection. It doesn't look like he will be challenging for a starting spot any time soon.
With the OL being bullied it is no surprise then that the running game never really got going in the first half. The RBs were consistently being hit in the backfield or around the line of scrimmage. It wasn't until the second half against the Chiefs third and fourth stringers that the RBs started finding a bit more space.
The receivers didn't do much to help their QBs out either in this game. Aiyuk had an uncharacteristic drop on what would have been a nice gain (and Lance's first completion). But he was far from alone in this regard. And there were some lacklustre efforts aside from the drops. I thought both James and Benjamin in particular stood out for all the wrong reasons in this game, which from all reports has mirrored what they have done in training camp. On the positive side, Trent Sherfield continued his positive momentum out of camp into a strong cameo perfomance highlighted by his 80 yard TD. He has a lot more speed than I had realised and looks lock solid to be the 3rd or 4th WR this season. Jauan Jennings also had some positive moments.
On defense, the defensive line was less imposing than I had anticipated. While they played ok pretty much across the board I didn't see a lot of disruption and there were a few too many holes being opened up in the running game. Some of that also comes back to LBs not filling gaps properly. It should also be noted that none of the starting DL played in this game while the Chiefs entire starting OL played, so it stands to reason they maybe weren't as dominant as hoped.
At LB, while it appeared he missed a few assignments in the running game, Jonas Griffith was certainly very active and looked like he could be a decent backup. Even so, it didn't come as too much of a surprise to hear the 49ers added Mychal Kendricks after the game as without Warner the Chiefs found it a little too easy at times to find space up the middle.
The secondary was more effective than I anticipated, especially with so many starters missing. The rookies in particular impressed me, with Hufanga very active and making a number of 3rd down stops. Lenoir also had a strong showing, highlighted by his INT on a tipped ball, though his more impressive work was in giving the opposing WRs no room on his sideline.
Lastly, the special teams units were awful until late in the game. This has been an ongoing issue for the 49ers. Wishnowsky consistently struggled to either get enough hang time or enough depth in his punts, the coverage units as a result struggled to get down the field in time to make a stop, and the return game was poor. The 49ers need to figure this out.
As we're all well aware of it's a quarterback driven league, and the rules of the NFL are set up in favor of the offense. Without a franchise quarterback it's extremely difficult to make it to the Super Bowl. The equalizer? An overwhelming pass rush. The 2019 49ers were the last equalizer to make it to the Super Bowl, but came up short against the Chiefs franchise quarterback. The 2021 49ers are looking to be that equalizer again until the franchise is ready. By upgrading the two players behind Ford and Bosa with Ebukam and Key, the 49ers have set themselves up once again to come at quarterbacks in waves.
The interior of this defensive line looks to be stouter than the 2019 version, and this may be by design. The 49ers are set up for trench warfare by adding hogs Kerr and Hurst to their resigning of Jones, insulating themselves from injuries in the most dangerous area of the field. I have a hard time believing any team is going to be able to find much success on the ground against this defense. That plays right into Kocurek's 9 line freight train to the quarterback on 3rd downs. All aboard!
If you are like me, you have all no doubt been pouring over and enjoying the daily updates out of training camp coming from the various local beat writers. For most of us, aside from the occasional short video clip of practices from the 49ers website or on Twitter, these training camp reports are as close as we come to getting to understand how these players are looking in camp.
Which is what makes preseason games exciting for fans. It gives us visual insight into how certain players are looking, albeit for most of the players of note these glimpses are only brief.
Obviously the main attraction for most 49ers fans, myself included, will be seeing Trey Lance in action as a 49er for the first time. Kyle Shanahan outlined the plan is for Lance to play most of the first half; around 30 snaps. Bar NDSU's glorified exhibition game in 2020, this will be the first game action he sees in around two years. I can't wait for the massive over reactions - my own included - during and after the game. But before then, it is worth mentioning that Lance can't win the QB competition (if there was one, wink wink) in a preseason game. But he can go some way to knocking himself out of a competition if he looks out of his depth.
I will also be keenly watching the other rookies, not just to see how they perform, but also to see how soon they are entering the game. When they play, more so than how they play, will tell us a lot more about how they are progressing and their chances of seeing significant action early in their careers.
After that, there are two other things I am really interested in seeing:
1. Which starters join Jimmy G on the sidelines after the first series. This goes for offense and defense. Shanahan seemed to suggest all starters would only play the first series, so if any of the projected starters stay out there for longer we will get a pretty clear indication their position is still up for grabs.
2. After Aiyuk and Deebo exit, how does the snap allocation for the WRs look the remainder of the first half? And how do they perform? The WR group is one of the more in-flux position groups on the team, and this will provide some insight as to how the players are currently stacking up in that competition.
That's the things I am most looking forward to seeing. Let me know your thoughts on what you are most interested in from this game.
Numbers assigned to the #49ers draft class: 14-WR Ricky Pearsall 31-CB Renardo Green 43-S Malik Mustapha 48-LB Tatum Bethune 49-RB Isaac ...
