With the Brandon Aiyuk saga dominating the San Francisco 49ers and national media headlines, the 49ers quietly returned to action on Aug. 10 in a 17-13 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans. Even though the 49ers lost, there were several positive developments for the team.
Battle for QB2
For the first time since 2018, the 49ers had an offseason with absolutely zero questions about who would be leading the team under center with Brock Purdy. With Purdy's spot cemented, the biggest question is who will back him up.
Brandon Allen is in his second season as a 49er after spending last season as QB3 behind Purdy and Sam Darnold. With Darnold departing to the Minnesota Vikings, Allen started in the preseason opener and played the first half.
Although his stats weren't super impressive (7-13, 98 yards, 0TD, and 0INT), Allen looked solid under center. He made a lot of impressive throws. His two best throws of the night fell incomplete as receivers Ronnie Bell and Tay Martin dropped catchable passes from Allen.
Joshua Dobbs, a career journeyman, replaced Allen in the second half. Dobbs essentially switched places with Darnold after he came to San Francisco after finishing the 2023 season with Minnesota. Unlike Allen, Dobbs got playing time and made a career-high 13 starts with the Cardinals (8) and Vikings (5).
Although Dobbs showed flashes early in Minnesota, he was benched the final four games in favor of former 49er Nick Mullens. Due to his experience, it was expected he would win the backup competition. But after Allen has been getting more reps in training camp, it would appear he's the current favorite to back up Purdy.
Like Allen, Dobbs looked fine in his first action in a 49ers uniform. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 146 yards. Dobbs added a touchdown on the ground on an impressive six-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Dobbs had two chances to lead the Niners on a game-winning drive but was unsuccessful both times. He overthrew an open Martin on a deep throw with six seconds left, which would've won the game. On the next play, Dobbs was picked off on a hail-mary attempt.
New Kickoff Formation
One of the most exciting things to watch during the preseason was how teams would handle the new kickoff rules.
On the returning side, San Francisco had veteran Trent Taylor and rookie Cody Schrader returning kickoffs. Taylor averaged just 19.7 yards per return on three attempts, while Schrader got 33 yards on his only return of the night.
On the kicking side, the 49ers struggled to contain Titans return man Kearis Jackson, who averaged 40.5 yards on two attempts. Deebo Samuel is expected to play a vital role in the Niners' return game in the regular season.
Jordan Mason Running Away with RB2
With superstar running back Christian McCaffrey getting more offensive touches than anyone in the NFL, the 49ers will need to find a way to keep McCaffrey as fresh as possible. One of these ways is to give more playing time to backup running backs Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell, both of whom can provide quality running back play to the 49ers.
Mitchell was San Francisco's starting running back before McCaffrey's arrival but has battled injuries since then.
Conversely, Mason has been remarkably durable, playing in 39 out of 40 potential games with the 49ers, including playoffs. Although most of his snaps come on special teams, Mason is no slouch running the football, as his career yards per carry of 5.6 is nearly one yard higher than McCaffrey's 4.8.
While Mason is far from the level of receiver that McCaffrey is, Mason spent all offseason working on catching passes with a recently acquired JUGS machine. In his first preseason action, Mason recorded 34 yards on eight carries (5.7 YPC) and an impressive touchdown run.
Two Rookies Shine
Rookies Dominick Puni and Malik Mustapha both made great first impressions in their first taste of NFL football.
Puni, an offensive lineman who was drafted in the third round out of Kansas, came in with high expectations after a standout college career and delivered in game one.
With a great debut, which included playing a key role in the Mason touchdown seen above (Puni is 77), Puni is expected to win the starting right guard job over injured Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford.
Mustapha, a safety, was drafted in the fourth round out of Wake Forest and was described by multiple reports as an explosive player. He lived up to it, with a great stop on a 4th-and-1 deep in Niners territory.
While Mustapha isn't expected to start for the 49ers with Ji'Ayir Brown, George Odom and Talanoa Hufanaga all ahead of him on the depth chart, Mustapha still provides critical depth at safety.
Ambry Thomas Injury
Fourth-year cornerback Ambry Thomas already faced an uphill battle to make the roster with new additions Renardo Green, Isaac Yiadom, and Rock Ya-Sin. However, after suffering a broken right forearm in the preseason opener, it appears Thomas' days as a 49er are numbered.
At the end of the 2021 season, Thomas seemed on an upward trajectory after playing over 90% of snaps in seven of the last eight games, including the postseason. His career highlight came in the final game of the 2021 regular season when he picked off Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in overtime to send the 49ers to the playoffs.
Thomas only played 4% of San Francisco's defensive snaps in 2022. He played 49% of snaps last season and was a liability in a cornerback room that featured all-pro Charvarious Ward and up-and-comer Deommodore Lenoir. When targeted, he allowed a 97.1 passer rating.
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