Key Takeaways from the 49ers' preseason finale with the Chargers
The 49ers’ preseason finale was overshadowed by the pre-game news that former third overall pick Trey Lance had been traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Such is the harsh business of the NFL that teams must move on quickly, and in terms of what they saw from his starters, Kyle Shanahan has to […]
The 49ers’ preseason finale was overshadowed by the pre-game news that former third overall pick Trey Lance had been traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
Such is the harsh business of the NFL that teams must move on quickly, and in terms of what they saw from his starters, Kyle Shanahan has to be largely happy.
Brock Purdy came through a second preseason appearance unscathed, with the offense performing efficiently against the Chargers backups.
But there was no Lance to lead the Niners back from a 20-12 deficit for the second successive week, the Chargers prevailing 23-12. Here we look some of the key takeaways from the final preseason game before the 49ers trim their roster to 53 players on Tuesday.
Purdy polished in final tune-up
After a sharp performance on his one series against Denver last week, Purdy maintained his positive momentum across two series on Friday.
Both should have ended in touchdowns. Jordan Mason fumbled on the goal line on the opening drive before Purdy scampered in for a score to cap off the second.
It was a typical Purdy performance, one defined by decisiveness, poise and impressive decision-making.
He finished five of nine attempts for 73 yards, with the touchdown run the final encouraging flash before Purdy’s status as the 49ers’ franchise quarterback is put to a more severe test by the Steelers in Week 1 of the regular season.
Backup Sam Darnold, having won the QB2 job ahead of Lance, was spottier than in his first two preseason outings but finished six of 11 for 89 yards and a touchdown pass to Willie Snead IV.
Brandon Allen, now the 49ers’ third-stringer after the Lance trade, was distinctly less impressive, his performance only likely to intensify the scrutiny around the decision. Allen’s first pass was intercepted and he finished just two of six for 23 yards.
Run defense goes MIA
The 49ers have consistently been one of the best teams in the NFL against the run during Shanahan’s tenure regardless of the identity of the defensive coordinator.
But the Niners were porous defending the ground game on this occasion, San Francisco enduring struggles with gap control while getting poor play from their backup linebackers and struggling mightily against zone read.
The Chargers’ first touchdown run was a 75-yard rush from Joshua Kelley, while their second scoring drive saw explosive runs of 16, 12 and 20 yards.
It’s unlikely the 49ers will struggle to such a degree when their full complement of starters on the field in the regular season, but new coordinator Steve Wilks will have been anything but pleased with his unit’s performance in run defense.
O-Line bounces back
The 49ers’ backups on the offensive line have endured an extremely difficult preseason.
With the caveat that the Chargers did not play their starters, San Francisco’s pass protection was substantially improved in the finale. The Niners did not surrender a sack, and their run blocking helped Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price average 6.6 and 6.1 yards per carry respectively.
It was not all positives in the trenches for the 49ers, however. Left guard Nick Zakelj endured a difficult night. He was flagged for a pair of holding penalties and his roster spot is far from a sure thing ahead of cutdown day.
Injuries create Week 1 concern
Probably of most concern to Shanahan will be the injuries they suffered against the Chargers.
No stars were hurt, but the 49ers were forced to go without a kicker as Zane Gonzalez suffered a calf injury. Jake Moody, the Niners’ third-round rookie kicker, was already out with a quad strain.
On top of that, the 49ers saw Chris Conley, in the mix to make the team at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart, sustained a shoulder injury. Corner A.J. Parker left the game with a hamstring injury and safety Tayler Hawkins hurt his hand.
The blow to Conley, depending on the severity, could open the door for fellow veteran Snead to make the 53-man roster, but the kicker issue is the most significant problem.
Shanahan said afterwards that Moody is “week to week” and that, with Gonzalez’s injury, they may need a plan B at kicker for Week 1. That is a long way from where the Niners wanted to be at the position when they took Moody 99th overall.
Kinlaw shows pass-rush promise
While the 49ers did a good job of preventing the Chargers from getting sustained pressure, San Francisco’s defensive line had plenty of joy against Los Angeles’ second-string.
The Niners finished with two sacks, and a defining factor on both was Javon Kinlaw. San Francisco has gotten precious little in terms of contributions from their top pick in 2020, but the defensive tackle generated massive push up the middle on each sack.
His disruption on both plays should create encouragement he can finally have an impact as a pass rusher, though there should still be some concern about his play against the run.
As he was in the NFC Championship Game, Kinlaw was washed out by double teams in the second half as the Chargers got their run game going with a series of explosive runs.
That may give the 49ers pause about when to use him in the regular season, but at least they saw glimpses of the player they thought they were getting over three years ago.
49ers GM John Lynch takes responsibility for missed shot on Trey Lance
He’s hopeful Dallas will be a great landing spot.
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