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It’s amazing that anyone can hold onto the ball with this much heat and humidity and it seemed that the 49ers needed a little time to get acclimated to it, if that’s even possible. It was a slightly slow start but then things got moving after the team started red zone drills. What may have gotten both teams a little riled up was the skirmish between 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward and Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins which was the first training camp fight for either team.
Here are your top plays of the day from 8/15:
So nice he did it twice
Dante Pettis found pay dirt in the red zone twice in three plays. The first touchdown was a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo deep to the right corner of the end zone while Pettis was being covered defensive back Kevin Johnson. C.J. Beathard came in, and after a play where he handed off to Raheem Mostert, he found Pettis crossing from right to left at the goal line for a touchdown. Johnson Bademosi was on coverage for the second touchdown.
No fly zone
In 11-on-11s the 49ers put up “a wall” around Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. In the first play of the series Jaquiski Tartt had an excellent PBU on a Texans receiver (no one I was standing near caught who it was). The next play was a “sack” by Brock Coyle and Reuben Foster who both bull rushed the line. The third play was a diving PBU by Greg Mabin who got just enough of Watson’s pass to swat it away from Will Fuller at the right sideline.
The connection
Garoppolo keeps finding Marquise Goodwin who this time caught the ball 25 yards down the center of the field. He was wide open and then popped pretty hard by ILB Zach Cunningham. Goodwin impressively held onto the ball. Garoppolo completed other passes to Goodwin, one of which was placed where only Goodwin could get it as he jumped several feet in the air to high point the ball.
The rookie
Richie James Jr. continues to impress throughout training camp. He had a dynamic catch while being double covered 20 yards deep on the left sideline. Garoppolo placed the ball perfectly and James held on to it, even after being hit pretty stiffly by the aforementioned defenders.
It’s learning process
Joe Webb took over the controls for the Texans and attempted a pass to the left sideline to Sammie Coates Jr. Tarvarius Moore got inside the receiver to break up the well aimed ball. The very next snap, the Texans ran nearly same play except this time Moore didn’t get as far inside as he needed to and Coates got away with a sizable gain.
The Bourne Block
Garoppolo found Goodwin deep down the left sideline during move the ball drills and once Goodwin had the ball in his hands, he turned on the steam and was headed for the end zone. There was one man between him and 6 points but Kendrick Bourne eliminated the defender with an amazing block that allowed Goodwin in for the score.