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The 49ers lost to the Chiefs on Saturday night, but the score is the last thing we’ll remember. As head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “It all depends on the process and how they react to these situations”.
It was the first preseason game. Sixteen starters did not play and a handful more withdrew. The execution was always going to be uncertain, as was the protection of the pass. This is to be expected.
Now we watch the team grow and evolve as they look to clean up fumbles and penalties. But, there were many reasons to be excited. There is no doubt that this 49ers team will be fun to watch and keep us going all season long. Here are five reasons to be optimistic after the first preseason game.
This is hands down the best supporting cast Shanahan has had
On the first touch of Deebo Samuel, he missed a guy and gained nine yards after the catch for a first try. On Brandon Aiyuk’s first touch, he ran for eight yards.
One of the players who received the most hype during training camp was Trent Sherfield, who caught an 80-yard bomb. Jauan Jennings caught two screens that went down 23 yards. He also had another catch for 26 yards.
Add in Charlie Woerner, who has come a long way on the game, and his 34-yard gain and the jitterbug that is Nsimba Webster, and you can’t help but get excited for Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance.
There are a lot of playmakers on this list, and that’s before we get to team stars like George Kittle and Raheem Mostert. Still, there will be plenty of points for the Niners’ offense this season.
“Ah, you are in good hands “
Asked about his impressions of Trey Lance, the Kansas City Chiefs head coach said, “Ah, you’re in good hands. Yes, he’s a good player. He looked very composed, composed, and he played a good firecracker there which he knocked down on the field.
Lance’s box score leaves a lot to be desired as he went 5-14 and had four sacks. However, Shanahan did blame Lance for the red zone sack. He said “it would have been difficult, especially on the descent and the distance we were in”, to avoid the other three sacks.
What stood out more than anything was the way Lance kept his eyes down on the pitch and didn’t flinch in the face of a pass rush. I loved watching his headphones go from receiver to receiver as Lance followed his progress. This type of pocket presence was more impressive than the throws because it tells you that Lance is comfortable playing in the pocket.
There were hiccups and near interceptions. No one is against it. But, unfortunately, some perfectly placed passes led to drops that took Lance and the offense out of rhythm.
We’re blessed to get a glimpse of Lance and be able to see him evolve.
The pass-rush cap is scary to think about
The Chiefs had an offensive team EPA of -10.13 (the 49ers had a -5.52 for comparison) and were sacked four times and pressured several more times.
A few times I noticed defensive tackle Kevin Givens was this almost blowing up the game in the backfield. Nevertheless, the duo of Givens and Maurice Hurst offer the Niners a formidable backup duo.
I would say though, Arden Key had the best day of any defensive lineman. He was a few inches from a strip-sack and won at will. Key had a fantastic camp, and I’d like to know what the Raiders thought between letting Key and Hurst walk.
It was only a preseason game, but Key played like that all training camp. He circles the edge with speed and forces the QB to step up to empty it out of the pocket, leading to good things for the defense. Key looks like the best version of Ronald Blair – a backup rusher who can give you productive snaps while still getting you five bags.
The initial rotation is an embarrassment of wealth once the starters take the field. However, I have no doubts that the 49ers’ defensive line will win them a game or two this season. Just wait until they hit all the cylinders mid-season.
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