Game overview:
The 49ers went with their 1st-team offense for two series and a good chunk of their 1st-team defense...up against the typical Chargers preseason guys, the backups, because Brandon Staley doesn’t care about the preseason games. I’m not judging...just saying this was the early matchup -- a big edge to SF, and they took the early lead off of it.
...and then LAC winds up winning the game.
The 49ers drove right down the field to start the game and punched it in for a short TD run, but the RB fumbled at the goal line and LAC recovered. The SF D shutdown LAC quickly and the offense got the ball back and went right down the field again and this time got their TD...so, out went more SF’s starters and then rising up was the LAC backups who proceeded to smack the 49ers in the backup v. backup period.
I don’t know that LAC was great here as much as it was the third weak showing, in three games, of the preseason by the 49ers. San Fran has a nice starting group, but man is their depth is suspect in 2023. This 49ers team is a very shaky, tenuous Super Bowl threat this season if you look at the way they’ve gone about the preseason.
Hard to say what LAC is for 2023 because they don’t show much in the preseason games and joint practice work is mostly fake results.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- The story of the game was centered around a player not playing...nor is he even on either team, anymore -- the story going in was the trade of Trey Lance to Dallas.
I think Kyle Shanahan has an arrogant belief, and maybe rightfully so, that the QB doesn’t really matter...he’ll make them good with his playbook and coaching. And Sam Darnold (6-11 for 89 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) is an example of Shanahan’s QB mindset -- Darnold is another QB in the vein of Nick Mullens, etc. -- QBs who are playbook and tape wonks and take full direction from Shanahan.
Trey Lance was outside Shanahan’s comfort zone and coaching prowess...he thought he could mold him too, but it’s possible Shanny isn’t as great working his magic with the mobile QBs. Taking Lance highly in the draft is one thing...paying all those draft picks to move up to do it is another thing -- the mistake was compounded by a multiple due to all the picks sent in exchange. But if you pull Brock Purdy 7th-round soon after...then ‘who cares’ about the Lance overpay/failure when they got the ultimate underpay in Purdy? They found their guy, in Purdy, even if it was purely accidental...which is how most NFL stars come about...draft day dart throws that may have been ‘settled on’ to take because what the team really wanted went right in front of them. It happens in Fantasy drafts and NFL Drafts. Better to be lucky than good.
Dallas is smart to take a look for a 4th-round pick, because QB is SO important still -- but the downside of this deal is...by the time they might figure it out/fix Lance...his contract will be up. Cooper Rush is a good backup QB...they won’t turn to Lance if Dak goes down in 2023.
I do think this deal might speak to some underlying fear in Dallas that Dak really is fading (like he did last season) and this Lance trade is a low-key look at a possible answer/insurance plan. Not a bad thing to look at it for the cost of a 4th-round pick.
Brock Purdy (5-9 for 73 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) is now ‘the guy’ officially. He looked fine here. He’s looked fine two weeks in a row.
-- The 1st-team working with Purdy included his two key WRs...
Deebo Samuel (2-18-0/3) looks in great shape. He’s ready for a comeback season.
Brandon Aiyuk (1-35-0/3) had a great catch and slick move after the catch and run...just a yard shy of a TD to start the game off (then the fumble at the goal line by Mason happened soon after). The next series, SF drove down and Purdy took his first end zone shot to...Aiyuk. I think Aiyuk might have a flirt-with-WR1-in-PPR type season in 2023...conveniently timed for his pending 2024 free agency (or franchise tag) offseason.
-- The 49ers RB that fumbled at the goal line on the opening drive was Jordan Mason (9-59-0)...but prior to that he was terrific. He’s had some fumble issues in camp, so it is a bit of a concern but outside of that he’s a really nice power runner with speed and can work in the passing game. He’s going to be the #3 RB here...just waiting for an injury to elevate him.
Tyrion Davis-Price (10-61-0) worked behind Mason in this game...he’s the clear #4 (if they keep four RBs). TDP never looks good to me anytime I watch him, from college to the pros...and he didn’t look good here either.
-- There’s a more heated RB battle going on with the Chargers...a battle for the #2 RB spot.
I thought Isaiah Spiller (5-14-0) was starting to pull ahead in that battle, but Joshua Kelley (2-78-1) continues to be the first RB in the preseason games, over Spiller -- and then Kelley’s 2nd touch here, against a 1st/2nd-team mix defense for SF, he launched through the defense and past them for a 75-yard TD run.
It looks like Kelley is going to be the #2 to start the season...a #2 who shares some with Ekeler, but Spiller will get touches in all that too.
UDFA rookie Elijah Dotson (6-33-0, 1-9-0/1) splashed Week 1 of the preseason but has been more muted since. He still looks good/promising but he’s the #4.
Oh, and speaking of how sloppy the 49ers look this preseason. The Chargers ran for 267 yards on 41 carries (6.5 ypc) in this game. How? Don’t forget -- there’s a new D-C here and failure usually follows him, Steve Wilks. We may be seeing signs of defensive trouble in San Fran.
-- For the first time this preseason, rookie QB Max Duggan (4-9 for 15 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 6-51-0) got some real playing time...and...it...looked...terrible. Atrocious.
Duggan looks as lost as lost can be. I got too many other things of FF-interest among day three rookie QBs for FF/Dyno to play with/watch list than to try and see this one through. I like Duggan, as a day three QB talent, but LAC has treated him like a loser, and maybe because he’s played like it this summer, I don’t know -- but there is clearly nothing developing here at this point. I suspect they cut him and put him on the practice squad.
Duggan was running with aggression and success, but his passing here looked like he’d never played the game before -- part of it is no time from the O-Line but he also doesn’t look comfortable at all. He might in months or years to come, but he doesn’t right now. It’s concerning that he’s still gun-shy this late in the summer.
-- Quintin Johnson (2-15-0/2) caught his two targets in this game...a big feat for a guy getting slammed for drops all camp.
The news to discuss here is -- Josh Palmer is going to be the #3 WR now...because QJ has struggled so. Not a good sign for Johnston...or for the Chargers wasting a pick so high on him.
-- SF rookie LB Dee Winters (5 tackles, 1 TFL) always impresses me on tape. He’ll be a starter before long for this organization.
-- Rookie PK Jake Moody (DNP) was out due to an injury from last week. So, this week Zane Gonzalez (0/1 XP) had a chance to try and win this job...at least for Week 1, but he gaffed his first and only XP attempt -- hurt himself going into the kick.
The 49ers have looked sloppy all preseason, they have mega-issues at kicker, and their defensive depth is falling apart in the preseason.
