Golden Nuggets: 49ers set to play three games in eleven days

The NFL preseason has kicked into high gear with week two starting Thursday with 5 games - including a game between the division rival Arizona Cardinals and current Bay Area rival the Oakland Raiders in which Arizona’s entire team - including highly touted QB Kyler Murray - had a disappointing performance across the board.

But the 49ers didn’t play Thursday. Or Friday. And they don’t play Saturday or Sunday, instead having to wait until the beginning of the following week to suit up in a preseason Monday night game. But that’s not all. The Niners will then turn around and play their week 3 game on Saturday, the 24th. Followed by their final preseason game just 5 days after that on a Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Which means the 49ers will play their final three preseason games over an incredibly short span of 11 days, including road games in Denver and Kansas City. The question is, how will this affect the 49ers players and coaching staff as they work to determine their 53 man roster, while also preparing for the regular season which begins on September 8?

It’s difficult to say for sure, but with the recent rash of injuries and with players beginning to cement their roles in training camp, it’s possible that it will affect the team very little - if at all.

For starters, head coach Kyle Shanahan seems perfectly content resting players that have already reserved their spots on the roster, as well as players nursing injuries. Which leaves the remaining reps for second and third team players - allowing them adequate time to make their case for the final 53 man roster.

And while the starters may not be playing, the games during the eleven day span from Monday the 19th through Thursday 29th will still be important, as they will ultimately determine the fate of several players on the bubble, testing both their conditioning and determination during the three game stretch.

Of course, as far as most 49ers fans are concerned, the main focus is on keeping the starters healthy, and preparing for week one of the regular season against the Bucs. And based on what we’ve seen and heard from Shanahan, that is his main concern as well. Which means that this three game stretch - while not ideal - shouldn’t have an impact on the team’s ability to be rested and ready to go for opening day - just 23 short days away.

And now onto the links..

Top 5 takeaways from 49ers joint practice with Broncos (Cam Inman, The Mercury News)

49ers 2019 training camp: 5 top takeaways amid preseason (Peter Panacy, NinerNoise)

Report: 49ers sign former Packers CB, Greg Mabin injured (Kyle Madson, NinersWire)

49ers-Broncos practice: Kwon Alexander says knee feels ‘legendary,’ discusses energy he and Fred Warner bring to the defense (David Bonilla, 49ers WebZone)

49ers Kentavius Street on path to replace Arik Armstead in 2020? (Peter Panacy, NinersNoise)

Projected 49ers roster: 53-man outlook entering NFL Preseason Week 2 (Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports)

NFL Preseason: Previewing 49ers-Broncos Game (Vincent Frank, Forbes)

Garoppolo bounces back with solid scrimmage (Nick Wagoner, ESPN)

In Greenlaw’s First Game, 49ers Rookie Looked Like a Playmaker (Doug Williams, NBC Bay Area)

NFL Links:

NFL conditionally reinstates Patriots WR Josh Gordon (Jeremy Bergman, NFL.com)

Daniel Jones has another good outing but loses two fumbles (Charean Williams, NBC Sports)

The biggest roster hole for every top NFL playoff contender (Dan Graziano, ESPN)

NFL Week 2 preseason scores, schedule: Kyler Murray’s Cardinals look disastrous vs. Raiders (Jared Dubin & Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports)

Chargers’ Derwin James reportedly suffers broken right foot, out a significant amount of time (Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports)