49ers vs. Texans: San Francisco’s offensive starters find the end zone on first drive

The San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans exchanged touchdown drives from their starting units Saturday night, and the Niners' offensive rhythm was good to see during their second preseason bout.

The San Francisco 49ers starting offense couldn't find the end zone during the team's exhibition opener last week against the Dallas Cowboys. But that wasn't the case against the Houston Texans in preseason Week 2.

The 49ers started off on offense, and the first play of the game saw quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hit tight end Garrett Celek for an eight-yard gain off play action. But that was largely negated by an end-around rush attempt by wide receiver Dante Pettis, who was tackled by a Texans defender for a five-yard loss.

Garoppolo managed to hit wide receiver Marquise Goodwin for a 40-yard completion on third down, however, showing that extra deep ball work Jimmy G has been putting in during training camp:


The Niners faced another third down shortly thereafter, and Garoppolo managed to find fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a key pickup down to the Texans' 5-yard line.

Garoppolo managed to hit receiver Trent Taylor for a two-yard touchdown score.

San Francisco's running game struggled to get going on the drive, however. There was Pettis' end-around play, and starting running back Jeremy McNichols had two carries for a mere yard on that opening possession.


Houston responded with a lengthy drive of its own, taking advantage of a connection between Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and former 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington.

Ellington managed to haul in a game-tying touchdown from Watson on the 1-yard line, as the Niners defense struggled to manage coverage out of the slot.

Offensive guard Joshua Garnett saw the field the following drive, marking his first appearance of the preseason. Garoppolo hit wide receiver Pierre Garçon on the first play of San Francisco's second offensive drive, backing up the thought that Jimmy G would see a bit more action than he did during the 49ers' first exhibition game.

Garoppolo and the starters were still on the field for the start of the second quarter and pushing into the red zone. But two penalties on center Weston Richburg backed up the Niners, and Garoppolo tossed a pick on a pass intended for wide receiver Dante Pettis.

Up until the turnover, the 49ers were 5-of-6 on third downs and managed 154 total yards. Garoppolo's line was 10-of-12 for 136 yards with a touchdown and an interception, finishing with a passer rating of 107.0.

Stay tuned, as the vast majority of starters on offense will likely be out the next drive.

• Written by:
  Peter Panacy
  Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
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