San Francisco 49ers: What We've Learned Through Week 4 of Preseason
Despite losing Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox and possibly Ahmad Brooks, too, the San Francisco 49ers defense seems solid through four weeks of the preseason.
The defensive backfield seems better than we may have anticipated. Second-year cornerbacks Dontae Johnson, Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser have all played well and seem ready to contribute. At safety, both Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea seem like Pro Bowlers, and backup Jaquiski Tartt seems like an asset to the dime defense.
And even though the front seven have only one starter from last season (nose tackle Ian Williams), they’ve held their own against the run, giving up zero rushing touchdowns in four games.
Here are five more things we learned about the 49ers in the preseason.
CB Tramaine Brock’s Hamstring Seems to Be an Issue
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49ers top cornerback Tramaine Brock injured his hamstring during a joint practice against the Denver Broncos last Thursday and missed the final two preseason games.
Brock missed 13 games last season due to various injuries, and he spoke about them during training camp on August 13.
“At first, it started in my ankle,” Brock said, “then it went to my toe, then it went to my hamstring. I was dealing with all those injuries at once.”
When did he feel 100 percent recovered?
“When we came back for training camp, that’s when I felt the best.”
And he felt that way for a month. And then he hurt his leg again.
If Brock’s hamstring continues to be an issue to the point that he misses games in the regular season, the Niners will probably start Kenneth Acker or Dontae Johnson in his place.
ILB NaVorro Bowman’s Knee Doesn’t Seem to Be an Issue
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NaVorro Bowman may not be fully recovered from the brutal knee injury he suffered in the 2014 NFC Championship Game, but he certainly is the best player on the 49ers defense—and he was excellent in the preseason.
When Bowman runs from sideline to sideline or covers someone man to man, he seems a bit stiffer and slower than he used to be. Opposing quarterbacks have targeted Bowman’s coverage three times and completed all three passes, according to Pro Football Focus.
Coverage will probably be the weakest part of Bowman’s game, although it won’t be a weakness. Bowman has no weaknesses.
The strongest part of Bowman’s game might be his blitzing. He seems unblockable when he’s bursting through an A-gap, which is how he sacked Peyton Manning twice in one drive.
Right Guard Is Definitely an Issue
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First, the Niners tried Marcus Martin at right guard, and he was no good. But center Joe Looney was even worse, so they benched him and moved Martin to center.
Then, the Niners tried second-year redshirt Brandon Thomas at right guard, and he was no good. So they moved him to left guard. Now, he’s backing up Alex Boone.
After that, the Niners tried rookie sixth-round pick Ian Silberman at right guard, and he was worse than Thomas or Martin.
Ultimately, Jordan Devey won the job by default. He has only been on the team for two weeks and hasn’t played much with the starters. But he has seven games of experience in the NFL, which is seven more than Thomas and Silberman have.
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Despite the Right-Guard Issue, the Niners Have a Strong Running Game
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The revolving door at right guard hasn’t affected the running game yet.
Starting running back Carlos Hyde has been successful running both to his right and left. He’s averaging a whopping 5.8 yards per carry by picking up chunks of yards after contact. According to Pro Football Focus, Hyde averaged 3.8 yards after contact during the preseason.
His backup, Reggie Bush, still seems explosive. He carried the ball once and gained 21 yards against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 of the preseason. He should be a good passing-down complement to Hyde.
And rookie Mike Davis should be a good first- and second-down change-of-pace back. He’s smaller and faster than Hyde, but just as tough. Davis averaged 4.4 yards per carry during the preseason.
Despite the Strong Running Game, Colin Kaepernick Has Struggled
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Colin Kaepernick finished the preseason with a passer rating of 47. He completed five passes. He was completely out of sync.
Part of the reason he was out of sync was the pass protection, especially at right guard. It was putrid. Against the Denver Broncos last Saturday, Colin Kaepernick got sacked for a safety because he stepped up in the pocket, right into a defensive tackle who had just beaten right guard Ian Silberman.
No quarterback can function when he gets immediate pressure up the middle.
But sometimes Kaepernick was responsible for the pressure because he held onto the ball too long. According to Pro Football Focus, he took 3.34 seconds to throw on average this preseason, making him the slowest quarterback in the NFL.
If he can get rid of the ball quicker, he will face less pressure.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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