There were enough standout performances by the San Francisco 49ers that deserve attention. There were also plenty of head-scratching ones, as well as some I don’t know’s that should be discussed. In today’s Winners and Losers edition, we’ll go through them all.
You couldn’t help but notice the complex schemes Saleh showed in the first quarter and a half against the Broncos. Once it got to third down, Saleh made sure to let Bo Nix know that nothing would come easy. Here’s the second third down of the game:
The 49ers ended up rushing four players, while Nix’s happy feet caused him to get rid of the ball on a two-yard dump-off after fearing he’d see pressure.
On a red zone play, Saleh ran a simulated pressure that confused Nix. But it was the safety in the end zone where Saleh deserved to be on a pedestal. How about a 6-man pressure off the edge? Going from Nick Sorensen to Robert Saleh is like going from a sirloin to a filet.
The backups gave Denver’s starters all they could handle, so you’ll see plenty of defensive linemen on this list. I thought Kalai Davis did a great job fighting over blocks and playing through the whistle. He recorded three run stops and also had a sack. If the 49ers can get that kind of production from Davis in 19 snaps during the regular season, look out.
Winters is quickly becoming one of my favorite defenders to watch. On the safety play, he was the linebacker blitzing off the edge. However, it’s what Winters does in the passing game that catches my eye. His coverage prowess is impressive. He knows where to be at all times and which wideout to account for.
My bold prediction is that Winters notches an interception within the first month of the season. It’ll happen not just because of Winters’ athleticism, but because he’s in the right spot at the right time more often than not.
West got the start over second-round pick Alfred Collins. We know Collins missed a ton of time during the offseason, but you can’t ignore when a Day 3 pick gets the nod over a top 50 pick. It’s not as if West went out there and had four sacks. He had a pressure and went against multiple double teams against one of the best offensive lines in the NFL in his first preseason game. I can’t ignore him starting, which is worthy of a “win” here.
The 49ers’ defense has a chance to take a significant leap forward this season, thanks to the injection of athletes all over. Pinnock is not one of them. He missed a tackle at the line of scrimmage. Pinnock only played 11 snaps, but when you’re responsible for giving up a first down in two series, you deserve to be on this list.
I believe we’re seeing Marques Sigle get reps with the first team to prepare the rookie for a role alongside Malik Mustapha when he returns. Sigle looked more like a vet than Pinnock.
Saturday was a good reminder of why we see George Kittle left in as a blocker so often. It’s the first game with a lot of new pieces, but Luke Farrell — who was signed because he was known as a competent blocker — whiffed for a sack on his lone pass pro opportunity. Brayden Willis was serviceable, but maybe that’s just because he didn’t make any obvious mistakes. Jake Tonges wasn’t out there moving defenders, either.
The 49ers are a Ben Bartch injury away from Zakelj starting, and that’s worrisome. To me, that game highlighted Zakelj’s lack of fight. There were plenty of times I found myself watching the offense, wondering how much trouble they’d be in because Zakelj’s man kept winning against him.
Between Sorensen, Zakelj, and Martin, Saturday wasn’t a good day to have the first name Nick.
Martin’s head was spinning. He missed multiple tackles in limited opportunities, not because of his size, but because of Martin’s recklessness. He was out of control. I would argue that he was worse in coverage. Martin allowed five receptions on six targets for 59 yards, with 46 of them coming after the catch.
On one play with Tatum Bethune, there was a shallow crosser going in both directions. Martin chased after one of the crossers, and left the crosser coming in his direction wide open. It’s one game, but the rookie looked lost and like he had a long way to go before he could step onto the field.
What happens at wide receiver without Robinson?
Watching Demarcus Robinson and thinking, “Oh, they got a good one.” And then, realizing Robinson will probably miss the first three games, I thought, “What happens without him?”
Obviously, the 49ers have weapons. Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings should be ready by Week 1. Jordan Watkins’s injury might mean he’s a little behind the 8-ball, while these next couple of weeks are huge for Jacob Cowing’s growth.
The last thing Kyle Shanahan wants to do is rely on Watkins and Cowing for the first three weeks of the season. Robinson got open on various routes and showed route savvy that made me think he’ll be a mainstay in this offense. Despite Watkins’ 50-yarder, I had more questions than answers watching the rookie.
How will the team manage McCaffrey’s touches?
Corey Kiner ran hard. That shouldn’t be conflated with Corey Kiner running well. Isaac Guerendo has proven that he can’t stay healthy during the previous year. Jordan James isn’t off to the greatest start. On the surface, this doesn’t mean anything because the 49ers have one of the best running backs in the league, right?
Ideally, the 49ers aren’t giving McCaffrey 30 touches a game in the first half of the season to preserve him for a playoff run. That’ll be tough to do if there isn’t a trustworthy option behind him. Guerendo and James’s health becomes more critical than the 49ers could have ever imagined after seeing the running backs leave meat on the bone in Week 1 of the preseason.
Huff only played nine snaps, but he crossed Mike McGlinchey’s face on one rush and forced Nix to flee the pocket. On a toss play, Huff took out an offensive lineman who was attempting to climb to the second level and block Bethune. He saved the play, as Bethune ended up making the tackle. Those two plays alone should get Saleh excited.
The easiest way to earn more playing time is with high-end effort. Valdez had a trio of run stops and a sack. He was sprinting to fight over blocks and making plays outside of the tackle box. With Kevin Givens out for probably more than a month and Jordan Elliott sidelined, Valdez is making the most of his opportunity.
Lucas had double the number of run stops than anybody on the roster. He could have had seven, but Lucas just missed the tackle. It was impressive seeing somebody around the ball as often as Lucas was, especially considering he’s a slot corner.
Lucas checked the tackling box. But it was his coverage that’ll keep him on the field. Lucas allowed six receptions on eight targets, which may seem like a lot, until you realize it was only for 31 yards. After that game, Lucas has likely propelled himself onto the roster, at least for now.
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