Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


Patton Proves His Worth as a Starting Wide Receiver

Anwar Jamison
Sep 13, 2016 at 6:34 AM


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Coming into Monday's opening tilt vs. the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers came into the 2016 regular season confident that they had significantly upgraded their roster from the group that went 5-11 last year under Jim Tomsula.

One notable exception was the wide receiver position. The 49ers allowed Anquan Boldin, their leading receiver the previous three seasons, to walk away in free agency. Conventional wisdom suggests that a 35-year old wide receiver possession receiver might not be the ideal target to sign to a new contract under a new coach that emphasizes playing fast. The problem is that even at his advanced age, Boldin still caught 69 passes, and no replacement for that production appeared to be in sight, especially after promising Canadian Football League transplant Eric Rogers went down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.

It turns out that the replacement may have been on the team all along. With Quinton Patton penciled in for a starting position early in camp, it became clear that he had earned the confidence of the coaching staff. With a group of young receivers vying for that spot, Patton never relinquished it, and when the 49ers ran onto the field last night, Patton was an opening day starter for the first time in his career.

Patton's stat line alone is not eye-catching: 5 receptions for 60 yards. What should be encouraging for Niners' fans is the way Patton accumulated those stats. He displayed the promising speed that he has flashed in the past while pulling away from defenders on a nice catch and run up the sideline on a near touchdown. In previous seasons, it was unclear if he was only getting open because it may have been garbage time, or in meaningless games at the end of the season when teams are either out of contention or have playoff spots locked up.

He wiggled in and out of routes with quickness and precision. On one particular catch, seeing him lean with his head and upper body to the sideline on the left, before suddenly breaking back to the inside and creating separation, was reminiscent of what 49ers fans saw from Michael Crabtree for years.

Early in the preseason, Patton credited the mentorship of Crabtree and Boldin as significant factors in his development as a receiver. It's hard not to remember a young Crabtree early in his career giving credit to former NFL great Isaac Bruce for showing him how to use his head and upper body to disguise routes during his brief time with the Niners.

Overall, the 49ers aerial attack was anything but prolific yesterday. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 22 of 35 passes for only 170 yards, and there were clearly a lot of opportunities left on the table. However, regarding the mild panic over whether or not there is actually a legitimate starting wide receiver on the team opposite Torrey Smith, Patton appeared to answer those question with a resounding "yes."
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.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



49ers mailbag: What is Brandon Staley's role with the defense? Will SF add a starting safety? Thoughts on new hip-drop tackle rule?

By Marc Adams
Mar 27

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the NFL meetings in Orlando. He addressed multiple topics, from coaching moves, to new rules, to free agency additions and losses. On Monday, GM John Lynch met with the media and answered questions himself. So they have given us some things to discuss during the offseason. We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag this week to answer your questions. Some were related to the topics Shanahan and Lynch discussed. Others were not. Let's jump in and see what is on your mind. Do the 49ers add a starting safety? Who would be the best fit, and is Talanoa Hufanga's job safe? - Dave B. It wouldn't surprise me if the 49ers added another safety in free agency. In fact, I'd say it's



New Netflix show "Receiver" will feature 49ers' Deebo Samuel and George Kittle

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

After the success of "Quarterback," the NFL has announced a new series on Netflix called "Receiver." This series will follow a similar format but focus on those who haul in passes. San Francisco 49ers fans will be delighted to learn that two popular team players, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, will be among those featured in the upcoming show. The two 49ers stars are among the most charismatic individuals on the roster, so it's easy to see why they were chosen for the series. The other stars of the show will be Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit


Latest

More by Anwar Jamison

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone