It was not a pretty first half of football for the San Francisco 49ers. The Denver Broncos lead 20-0 at the half, thanks to a combination of strong execution by Denver and some poor play by the 49ers.
The offense has three turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 interception), and that coupled with the fourth turnover (special teams fumble) have given the Broncos excellent field position. Denver’s offense is short a couple players, but has put together some very solid drives.
That being said, there are a couple notable things about the 49ers defense. The first is Eric Reid. He played approximately 20 snaps, and through two games he looks incredibly comfortable in the strong safety position. He had played free safety the first four seasons of his career, but the defensive changes have moved him into more of a box role. He has been as impressive as anybody through the first two weeks.
The other player of note for me is Eli Harold. He got the start at SAM over Ahmad Brooks, and it would not seem to be due to injury. Brooks played, but he came in with the second-team defense, and Harold got playing time throughout the first half. Is this a chance to showcase Harold for a trade? Or does this mean maybe Harold will leapfrog Brooks on the depth chart? Or is this something else entirely?