Photo by Evan Habeeb of USA Today Sports
San Francisco 49ers Preseason Week 1: Taking The Bad With The Good
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The
San Francisco 49ers opened the 2014 preseason with a 23-3 loss to the
Baltimore Ravens. Let's take a look at the bad and the good:
Bad:
Mike Purcell: With the loss of
Glenn Dorsey to a torn biceps and
Ian Williams yet to practice in training camp the 49ers had the 2013 undrafted free agent in the starting lineup. The results were not pretty. Purcell was pushed around like a blocking sled throughout the night. If he is the best option come week one in Dallas the 49ers are in trouble.
Jonathan Martin: Martin struggled mightily during his time as a starting tackle in Miami, but many thought a change of scenery could get him on track. If this game was any indication, it hasn't. On the 49ers first drive, Martin missed his block on a sweep to the right and his man made the tackle to keep the play to only a gain of 1 yard. In pass protection Martin was continually unable to hold his ground and pushed back into the QB.
Chris Borland: The third round draft pick started in place of
Patrick Willis and struggled. On the first Ravens possession, an overaggressive Borland led to a 26 yard completion on a play action pass from
Joe Flacco to fullback
Kyle Juszcyk.
Jewel Hampton: With
Frank Gore not playing Hampton was the backup running back, and he failed to take advantage. Hampton could not hold up in pass protection and to make matters worse he could not hold onto the football, dropping a screen pass from
Blaine Gabbert that would have gained positive yardage.
Blaine Gabbert: Gabbert finished the night 3-11 for 20 yards and 1 interception. For the most part his throws were all over the place, and when he did make decent throws they were dropped.
Chuck Jacobs dropped a Gabbert pass on a curl route that hit him between the numbers, and there was also the previously noted drop by Hampton.
Good:
Carlos Hyde: Hyde flashed during his brief performance, gaining 39 yards on 5 carries including a 19 yard burst around the left side. Sure this was week 1 of the preseason, but if Hyde can continue to improve throughout the preseason the 49ers will have quite the 1-2 punch in the backfield.
Vance McDonald: The second year tight struggled as a rookie and his performance throughout camp so far has been targeted as a concern by some. Not on this night. McDonald was targeted twice early on and responded with receptions of 16 and 7 yards.
Bruce Ellington: Whether he was taking a kick return or making a reception Ellington flashed every time he was on the field. Ellington started the night with a 32 yard kickoff return, and followed that up later with a 30 yard return. As a receiver the fourth round pick finished the night as the 49ers leading receiver with 35 yards on 3 receptions. In Ellington it appears that the 49ers have the steal of the draft.
Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial: The 2013 draft picks saw their first extensive game action as 49ers after missing most of last season due to injury, and they did not disappoint. Both held their own in the run game, and were a definite upgrade over
Demarcus Dobbs and
Tony Jerod-Eddie on the pass rush in this game. Carradine was able to get a sack on
Tyrod Taylor, while Dial came away with a forced fumble.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
-
Marty
49ers rested the starters. Many of the defensive 49ers players played in their first NFL game against the Ravens starters. Yes they were pushed around. You fail to understand why.
Throw in the 49ers offense sucked so bad the defense was on the field two thirds of the game. Check the # of snaps the defense had. They were out of gas.
As unusual Jim Harbaugh was unfair pointing the finger at the defense. He should point the finger at those QBs he has on his roster. Beginning to wonder about his taste for QBs.
Aug 9, 2014 at 7:04 AM
-
Craig
I'd put Looney on that bad list too. I keep hearing about how well he's playing, but he didn't look good. That 3rd and 1 on the first drive hurt to watch. Maybe Boone will get paid after all.
Aug 8, 2014 at 3:21 PM
More San Francisco 49ers News
Potential 49ers defensive draft target visiting this week
Last week, it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers planned to host former Kentucky cornerback Andru Phillips on a pre-draft visit. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo confirms that the visit will take place during the upcoming week, which marks the final opportunity for such visits to occur.
Phillips will also meet with the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans this week.
Adding a noteworthy tidbit to the social media post, Garafolo mentions, "A likely second-round pick, though some evaluators have first-round grades on
Details emerge on CB Rock Ya-Sin's 1-year deal with 49ers
Details have emerged on the San Francisco 49ers' latest free-agent addition. The team signed cornerback Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year deal worth $1.2925 million, with $1.05625 million fully guaranteed.
OverTheCap.com has provided the contract breakdown, which is outlined below.
Total for 2024
Base salary: $1,125,000
Prorated signing bonus: $71,250
Roster bonus: $71,250
Workout bonus: $25,000
Guaranteed salary: $985,000
Salary-cap number: $1,152,500
As per OverTheCap.com, the 49ers are currently listed at $6,496,625 under the salary
Six worst first-round draft picks in 49ers' history
It is less than two weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers finally have a first-round draft pick, after not having one the last two years. Who will they select? Will it be a defensive player? An offensive player? They could use help on the offensive line and in the secondary and defensive line. And they may also have multiple holes to fill a year from now.
Either way, the 49ers need to hit on these draft picks, especially in the early rounds, where they haven't always been at their best. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have some first-round misses, like DT Solomon Thomas and LB Rueben Foster. But are those the worst first-round picks in team history? Neither made this list, though some will argue that Thomas should be on it, mainly because he was taken
If the 49ers draft a wide receiver, don't expect it to be a smaller guy
The San Francisco 49ers are in good shape for 2024 when it comes to the wide receiver position. What that room looks like after this coming season remains to be seen. Most believe the 49ers will give Brandon Aiyuk a new contract around the start of training camp. But there are no guarantees. As it was reported on Friday, Aiyuk unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram, much like Deebo Samuel did two years ago.
It seems to be how modern-day players negotiate. It's not necessarily anything to be concerned about, but you never truly know how these things will end. There is still potential that the 49ers could trade the star receiver in the next couple of weeks.
If Aiyuk is extended, it
