The first San Francisco 49ers pre-season game has come and gone. The 49ers faced the Las Vegas Raiders, with the Raiders getting the win, 34-7. This was not a pretty game for San Francisco, but fans can rest a little bit knowing there were practically no starters playing. That being said, being worried about the team’s depth is justified. Here are some overall takeaways from the first 49ers pre-season game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Quarterback Positions
As known ahead of time, Brock Purdy did not play in the game against the Raiders. The 49ers put in third-year quarterback, Trey Lance for the first half of the game. They then put in Sam Darnold until the fourth quarter. That is when they ended the game with Brandon Allen. Darnold and Lance are currently competing for the backup spot, but the way the day went, both need to continue fighting.
Lance definitely struggled against the Raiders. The first three possessions for the 49ers were all three and outs. Granted, there were no starters on the offensive line, but Lance did not look comfortable in the pocket. He did better when he was able to scramble, but he definitely needs to let go of the ball faster.
49ers QB Trey Lance (5) – Stan Szeto/USA TODAY Sports
By the end of the game, Lance completes ten passes out of 15 attempts for 112 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. If we are being honest, one of those completions should have been interceptions. Especially with the touchdown that Ross Dwelley caught, Lance got bailed out by his receivers. Hopefully, there is an improvement by the next time Lance takes the field.
Darnold was not much better than Lance but had a couple of better plays that did boost his chances for the backup. Darnold looked more comfortable in the pocket but had questionable decision-making. By the end of the game, Darnold completed five passes out of eight attempts for 84 yards, according to ESPN. There were a couple of forced passes that should have gone somewhere else, and the quarterback will need to do a better job with that moving forward.
Allen did get to play by the end, but he really has not been in the running for backup. Allen is more of quarterback depth but still did get snaps in this 49ers pre-season matchup. Allen also completed five out of eight passes, but for 36 yards and one interception, according to ESPN. Each quarterback that played against the Raiders will have something to work on by the next 49ers pre-season game.
49ers QB Sam Darnold (14) – AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Overall 49ers Pre-Season Offense Takeaways
First up, when discussing the overall offense from the day, is the offensive line. Sure, it was not the starters, but the Raiders were not playing their starters either. The offensive line was getting run through. It does not matter which quarterback was on the field; they had no time. There should have been one or two players on the line who stood out above the rest, but overall it was not looking good. The 49ers are no strangers to injuries and will need to hope their starters remain as healthy as possible.
When tuning into a pre-season game, there is one thing that everyone looks for, the rookies. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell played very well. He is still a rookie, but he made some clutch catches. There was one pass by Sam Darnold for a large gain that was a great play by Bell. By the end of the game, Bell had only three receptions, but for 58 yards, according to ESPN. He even rushed the ball one time for 15 yards. The 49ers have a solid wide receivers core, and while it is still early, Bell is looking as though he will fit right in.
Back to the not-so-great, rookie tight end Cameron Latu has been struggling. This has been more than just in the 49ers pre-season game. He has struggled throughout training camp. The rookie is always where he needs to be, but he cannot hold onto the ball. Latu had just one reception in the game, but he fumbled it on the 49ers side of the field. It was recovered by the Raiders, who were easily in a position to score. This is something that Latu will have to really work on before the next 49ers pre-season game. This could hurt him more than just not being a starter; he may not make the roster.
Wide receiver Tay Martin will also need to be careful. In the play where Latu fumbled, Martin was right there and not paying attention. While yes, it is a stereotypical rookie mistake, it was a costly one. Martin is extremely lucky that it was only a 49ers pre-season game. He was in a position where he was fighting for a spot, and knowing head coach Kyle Shanahan, this does not look great for the receiver. Hopefully, for the young player’s sake, he makes a big play next week.
49ers TE Ross Dwelley (82) – Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Overall 49ers Pre-Season Defense Takeaways
The good news for the 49ers is that their starters on defense are pretty established already. While they did lose Emmanuel Moseley, the cornerback who was hurt the majority of the season, they know Deommadore Lenoir can step up in his spot. Jimmie Ward is the biggest loss on the defense, and Isaiah Oliver is expected to step up there. While Oliver did play, the 49ers did not have the rest of their starting defense in.
The most important thing for the 49ers’ defense to do is clean up their tackles. The Raiders offense did well with breaking tackles and achieving big gains. It may not be the starters out there, but this is something to watch for ahead of the next 49ers pre-season game. There were too many balls thrown easily down the middle that the defense should have been able to prevent.
One player to watch for this season is cornerback Ambry Thomas. The player is heading into his third year after being injured for the majority of the 2022 season. Thomas made the clutch interception in 2021 which won the game against the Los Angeles Rams to clinch playoffs. While Lenoir is expected to start, for once, fans may be able to breathe when it comes to the team’s cornerback depth. Thomas had one great pass deflection and overall looked decent out there.
49ers CB Ambry Thomas (20) – AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Jake Moody’s First 49ers Pre-Season Game
The San Francisco 49ers drafted kicker Jake Moody in the 2023 NFL Draft. This game against the Raiders was his first time on the field for an NFL game. Moody did make the extra point but missed both field goals. In training camp, Moody has been doing really well, but that did not show itself on the field. The team, and the fans, will be hoping this is just first-game jitters. It is not yet known who will take the kicks in the next 49ers pre-season game, but this will definitely be something to watch.
The San Francisco 49ers rarely play their starters in the first pre-season game. Fans will be more likely to see them for a couple of plays in the last pre-season game. That being said, depth still matters, and there is a lot the team will need to improve on. One thing to still watch for is the kick and punt returns with Ray-Ray McCloud out. The next 49ers pre-season game will be against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium.
