Author: joelami

San Francisco 49ers Victor Bolden Jr. returns a punt for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–The San Francisco 49ers closed out their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in high-scoring fashion with a 23-13 victory.

The offense was slow moving from backup quarterback, C.J. Beathard running the show in the first half, but great defensive and special teams play carried the scoring.

Beathard showed off his wheels in the second quarter, getting the first touchdown of the game on a 62-yard scamper up the middle of the field. After realizing the pocket was collapsing, the rookie took off and beat everyone, impressing the faithful at Levi’s.

San Francisco scored their second major just 90 seconds later after Victor Bolden Jr. returned a punt for a touchdown, the second of the preseason while ensuring a spot on the 53-man roster to make the score 16-3.

Tim Hightower ended the half by drilling in a score from one-yard out.

Beathard ended the contest, passing 5-of-9 for 31 yards and taking two sacks.

The 49ers defense was the tale of the game, as they forced a total of five turnovers. Asa Jackson led the way with two interceptions, making a strong case for staying around on the practice team. Ray-Ray Armstrong and Leger Douzable each recovered a fumble.

It was a good thing that the Niners defense looked so strong, as the slow moving offense only generated a total of 266 yards.

Thursday night may have seen 33 49ers sit, but it gave a chance for a few notable players to try and ensure their place on the team before Saturday’s deadline.

There will be a lot of movement on black Friday in Santa Clara as both Kyle Shanahan and Jon Lynch have lots of work to do to cut the roster down to 53 men. They expect to meet with all 37 players on the bubble between now and Saturday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer hands the ball off to running back Carlos Hyde, left, during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

By: Joe Lami

For the first time this preseason, the 49ers first string offense looked alive as they dominated most of the first half in Sunday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Quarterback, Brian Hoyer got going early connecting on a huge deep ball to Marquise Goodwin for a 46-yard touchdown. Hoyer finished the first half passing 12 of 17 for 176 yards and two scores.

Pierre Garcon was also noticeable for the first time wearing red and gold, catching six passes for 64 yards.

Carlos Hyde and Matt Brieda saw most of the carries among the first stringers, as Hyde carried the ball seven times for only 19 yards, but more importantly was a weapon out of the backfield, catching three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Brieda also saw seven carries and led the 49ers in rushing yards with 29 yards.

However, leading the night out of the backfield was Raheem Mostert, who scored two touchdowns, both in the second half. Mostert turned a 3rd and 23 in the third quarter for an 87-yard touchdown, as C.J. Beathard hit him on the screen. He also ran in the 49ers final score of the game with 7:48 remaining from four yards out.

The 49ers backfield has impressed all preseason long, making debate on how many running backs the team should try and carry on the 53-man roster. At this point, Hyde and Brieda are locks and Mostert’s performance on Sunday night put him over the top for the roster. Now the decision will come with Joe Williams, who finished the 4th quarter with 16 yards on seven carries.

Despite the strong start to the game, the 49ers fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game. Terrell Newby ran in the final score with no time remaining on the clock to cut the San Francisco lead to 31-30.

Minnesota decided to go for two and was successful on the conversion on a quarterback sneak from Taylor Heinicke for the victory.

On the defensive side of the ball, San Francisco fell apart as the game progressed, but once again the key figures had huge games. Rueben Foster led the way with eight tackles, including one for loss, as he continues to show why he was such a steal in the draft.

Sunday night’s game showed the biggest jump in the 49ers ability so far through the preseason and coming in week three gives little hope for the improvement of this team.

San Francisco closes out their preseason schedule at home on Thursday against the LA Chargers and is going to be vital for guys still vying for a spot on the 53-man and practice squad roster.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver DeAndre Smelter (18) reaches for a pass. the fell incomplete, against Kansas City Chiefs’ Kenneth Acker (27) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By: Joe Lami

The Kyle Shannahan era is off to a good start for the San Francisco 49ers, as they bested the Kansas City Chiefs in the pre-season opener 27-17 on Friday evening. The victory needs to be taken with a grain of salt of course since much of the 49ers scoring came late in the game, when 3rd, 4th, and 5th stringers were in there for both sides.

Alex Smith tore up San Francisco on his only possession, passing 4-of-6 for 48 yards with most of it coming on a 32-yard pass to Tyreek Hill on a deep route down the sideline. Spencer Ware finished off the scoring drive, punching it in from two yards out.

The rest of the first half seemed to drag on for both sides. New 49ers’ place kicker, Robbie Gould, saw a lot of action, going 3-for-3 to give San Francisco a 9-7 lead going into the half.

49ers’ starting quarterback, Brian Hoyer, saw only two possessions, connecting on one pass for three yards, while a first down was wiped out by a penalty.

The battle for second string is on between Matt Barkley and rookie, C.J. Beathard. Both impressed, as Barkley finished the night 10-of-17 for 168 yards, but Beathard bested him throwing 7-of-11 for 101 yards and two touchdowns that came in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers were outscored 10-0 in the third quarter, giving the Chiefs as 17-9 lead going into the final frame; giving the impression that the Chiefs were running away with it. However, the Niners dominated the fourth charging down the field on multiple occasions led by Beathard and running back, Raheem Mostert, who finished the night rushing for 89 yards on 15 attempts.

The 49ers defense also looked strong once Smith left the field, as they forced two turnovers, including a Rashard Robinson interception. They were also extremely effective at getting off the field, holding Kansas City to a 20% third-down efficiency.

A few of the bright spots on the defensive side of the ball for San Francisco included Soloman Thomas, who played well into the fourth quarter. Aaron Lynch looked like a monster getting to the quarterback, earning two sacks on three tackles. Rookie, Rueben Foster also had a couple of tackles and a pass deflection.

While earning the victory, there were a few choppy parts of the 49ers game as well. The biggest red flag was the yellow flag, as the Niners committed 17 penalties costing them 131 total yards. Penalties continue to be an issue for the red and gold and need to be addressed in the next three pre-season games.

Another concern was the bland performance from running back Carlos Hyde. It has been reported that Hyde could be on the chopping block due to the additions at the position. Hyde earned the start but was held without a yard on two rushes. He needs to step it up to be the starter come regular season.

Overall, the 49ers second and third stringers outperformed Kansas City’s, but the struggles at the beginning of the contest indicate that there is still a lot of room for growth for San Francisco.