We all knew the 23-0 dream would eventually come to an end. While Saturday’s loss wasn’t fun, at least we can rejoice in the few, ahem, golden nuggets that can be panned out of the sludge. Certainly, the team turned in a largely disappointing performance that was highlighted by poor discipline - another week of frustrating penalties & a Fitzpatrickan collection of turnovers. The offensive line continued to look like the weakest link on what promises to be a below-average roster, and the secondary turned in a pretty poor effort, especially considering Rashard Robinson’s infuriating inconsistency. Enough DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM for you guys? Me too.
Saturday’s performance had a few positive notes shuffled in. The Beathard-Kittle touchdown was very encouraging, as there is a chance that these guys eventually become building blocks of the new-look 49ers. The Juice turned in a 21-yard catch-and-run that displayed his brand of high-effort playmaking that should endear him to fans for years to come. Even the kickoff return was refreshing - at the very least, it’s added fuel to the debates over the back end of the WR roster. If you thought the ground game looked anemic, keep in mind that both Matt Breida and Joe Williams spent virtually the entire game on the sidelines, as Kyle Shanahan wanted to get Kapri Bibbs and Tim Hightower some quality reps, with which they ended up doing very little.
A few items to keep an eye on over the next few weeks will be the return of Jimmie Ward, and subsequently, how it affects the starting secondary as a whole, as well as the profile of rookie Lorenzo Jerome. Also, Eli Harold put in a generally solid performance as the first-team SAM backer, which officially marks the open of “CUT BROOKS” season. Tank Carradine is still slotted as the starting Big End, but the rumblings suggest that Solomon Thomas isn’t straggling terribly far behind.
On to the good stuff:
Kyle Shanahan looking for positives from Saturday’s game | Branch, SF Gate
49ers weak bubble RBs do little with their chances | Branch, SF Gate
Ex-49er WR Anquan Boldin retires | Chronicle News Services
Hoyer recounts Saturday’s pass-fumble gaffe | Branch, SF Gate
CJ Beathard showing some promise | Brown, Mercury
FS Jimmie Ward expected back on Wednesday | Maiocco, CSN Bay Area
Saturday’s snap counts | Maiocco, CSN Bay Area
Iowa teammates Beathard & TE George Kittle provide some spark | Barrows, Sac Bee
Game review: Offensive flubs, solid defensive performance | Barrows, Sac Bee
Shanahan on Brooks: Salary means little in roster determination | Barrows, Sac Bee
Harold makes some headway in SAM competition | Wagoner, ESPN
Beathard making a case to supplant Matt Barkley | Wagoner, ESPN
Hot takes from Saturday’s loss | Biderman, Ninerswire
Important takeaways from Saturday | Lowder, Ninerswire
Winners and losers from second preseason game | Lowder, Ninerswire
Roster projection 5.0 | Biderman, Ninerswire