49ers vs. Texans: Previewing San Francisco's Preseason Week 1 Matchup

Preseason games typically don't mean too much aside from the general "return of football" feeling that most of us crave for months.

But for the San Francisco 49ers, Week 1 of the 2015 preseason will mean a whole lot more as they square off against the Houston Texans for the second preseason contest in as many years. San Francisco won the last exhibition bout 40-13.

Yet, so much has changed since then.

When San Francisco takes the field on Saturday against Houston, fans will be watching the first installment of the Jim Tomsula era as he leads his team beyond all that has transpired this offseason.

For the 49ers, this game will mean more than just an early look into how the roster will shape up and who will make the cut. It will be a chance to showcase that this franchise is better off than what experts may think.

There is a lot to break down in this first preseason contest, so let's take a look.

Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: KPIX 5 (local)

News and Notes

The Post-Aldon Smith Era

Linebacker Aldon Smith is no longer with the 49ers.

The feared pass-rusher was finally released after yet another run-in with the law last week. Jim Tomsula's handling of the situation was one of his finest moments thus far as head coach, as described by B/R's Bryan Knowles.

Now, the question for the 49ers will be how to replace Smith. 

On the positive side of things, San Francisco already has two ready-to-go starters to fill the outside linebacker positions: Ahmad Brooks and Aaron Lynch.

Since it's just the preseason, this tandem likely won't play much against the Texans. But the game could mean a lot for depth players like linebackers Eli Harold, Corey Lemonier and Marcus Rush.

Their performances will not only determine the pecking order on the depth chart, but they may have strong implications toward who makes the final 53-man roster.

San Francisco also signed linebacker Shawn Lemon to a two-year deal, per the team's Twitter account.

NaVorro Bowman to Play

Perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman will take the field against Houston, per Tomsula.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tomsula stated that he plans on playing Bowman in San Francisco's first preseason game. Bowman's snaps will mark the first he's taken since severely injuring his knee during the 2014 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks.

It's unlikely that Bowman will play a whole lot. The 49ers have been nursing him along during the offseason.

“(It’s) boring. Lonely. It’s a gut check,” Bowman said of his rehab via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. “You ask yourself if you really want to do it sometimes or if you feel like doing it. The knee feels like you can’t do it sometimes, but you talk to the doctors and trainers and they tell you it’s good to get out there and get it moving."

But Bowman's presence on the field is a phenomenal step in and of itself. Now, the final question will be whether or not he'll be at 100 percent.

Offense Catching Up

San Francisco's defense, despite its offseason losses, will likely remain a strength in 2015 given its depth. The offense was more of a question with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst taking over a squad that ranked No. 30 in the league last year with just 3,063 passing yards.

A new scheme and weapons will take some time to hammer out. But the August 12 training camp session proved to be promising to the offensive side of the ball.

Maiocco described how quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a strong showing in various drills during the practice:

"

Kaepernick appeared to show his most progress with touch on his passes throughout the day. And he finished strong with his final throw resulting in a 21-yard touchdown to Vernon Davis along the back line of the end zone between the tight coverage of cornerback Tramaine Brock and safety Craig Dahl.

During a 7-on-7 drill, Kaepernick displayed a variety of different throws. He lofted soft passes to running back Reggie Bush and rookie tight end Blake Bell for scores. And he drilled a throw to Anquan Boldin between the coverage of Shayne Skov and Corey Lemonier.

"

Kaepernick and the offense will now have a chance to show their developments against Houston on Saturday.

Latest Injury News

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman looks to make his comeback despite his gruesome injury.

NFL teams are not required to post injury lists for preseason games, which makes the final headcount of injured players a bit difficult.

But Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area did accumulate a recent report that gives some insight toward the players who might not suit up on Saturday.

Did Not Practice

• WR Bruce Ellington (leg strain)
• LB Philip Wheeler (leg strain)
• WR Dres Anderson (soreness)
• S Antoine Bethea (veteran's day off)
  
  

Physically Unable to Perform

• C Daniel Kilgore (leg)
  
  

Non-Football Injury/Illness

• LB Michael Wilhoite (leg)
• WR DeAndre Smelter (knee)
• LB Nick Bellore (illness)

The linebacker position, especially on the inside, may be a little thin with both Philip Wheeler and Michael Wilhoite on the aforementioned lists. It's possible we see some depth players here once Bowman takes a few snaps.

Another notable absence is that of center Daniel Kilgore. According to Eric Branch of SFGate.com, Kilgore is still walking in an orthopedic boot while he recovers from the season-ending leg injury he suffered in Week 7 last year.

Kilgore could sit out the entire preseason, and it wouldn't be surprising for him to miss a portion of the regular season.

Center Marcus Martin relieved Kilgore last season after he went down with his injury.

Key Matchups

Tank Carradine and/or Arik Armstead vs. Texans O-Line

With defensive end Justin Smith retired, someone on the 49ers roster will have to step up and take his place along San Francisco's defensive line.

2015 could be the season in which fans see defensive end Tank Carradine earn his stripes as a featured member of the defense. The third-year pro missed his rookie season recovering from a collegiate injury and was limited in action his second year.

But down the stretch, Carradine picked up three sacks over his final three games of 2014. The 49ers want to see more of this type of play and get some sort of return from their former second-round investment.

San Francisco may also try to place its Round 1 selection from this year's draft into the mix.

Defensive end Arik Armstead will get his first snaps against NFL competition, and the 49ers will be eager to see where he fits in with a deep cast of D-line talent.

Young 49ers Cornerbacks vs. Texans Receiving Targets

It's a safe bet that cornerback Tramaine Brock will assume the No. 1 spot on San Francisco's depth chart.

But who plays alongside him?

Veteran corner Shareece Wright could be the favorite to start. But developing cornerbacks like Dontae Johnson, Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser are also eager to get into the mix.

Johnson flashed some promising moments last season while appearing in all 16 of the 49ers' regular-season games. Acker and Reaser redshirted their rookie seasons, but both are ready to go in competition for spots on the final roster.

Their efforts will be worth watching during the middle portions of the contest.

Depth Wide Receivers vs. Texans Secondary

Wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith will get the nod as San Francisco's Nos. 1 and 2 targets. Yet, the No. 3 receiver has yet to be determined.

Wideout Jerome Simpson looks like he might be the favorite given his veteran status. And receivers Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton are also working toward this competition, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Ellington's role on special teams all but guarantees him a spot on the 53-man roster this season. But Patton's future is less clear. Patton has just six receptions for 78 yards over his two-year career.

Pressing this group is standout rookie wide receiver DeAndrew White, who has made some noteworthy plays this offseason, per the team's website.

Matchup X-Factors

49ers X-Factor of the Week: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

As was the case for most of the 2015 preseason, quarterback Colin Kaepernick likely won't see a whole lot of the field against Houston.

But that doesn't mean his time will be unimportant.

San Francisco will have a variety of new looks on offense this season. There are new receiving targets with wideouts Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson. Carlos Hyde takes over the featured spot at running back with fellow RB Reggie Bush supplying a pass-catching option out of the backfield.

And offensive coordinator Geep Chryst will put his spin on this unit.

Yet, the focus will still fall on Kaepernick regardless of how long he plays on Saturday. And, as seen in the above B/R feature, the 49ers are looking to change their offense to focus more on Kaepernick's strengths.

Chryst is also looking to install more of an uptempo offense, per Joe Fann of 49ers.com. Kaepernick is relishing the idea:

"

They were things that we talked about coming into this year. 'How can we operate faster? How can we get a jump?' Those were things that he was excited to implement.

It took a little bit of time in the spring to get used to it. At this point, I think everyone is comfortable with it. We’ve had a lot of time at it. It’s something Geep talked to me about prior to. It’s something I’ve done in the past, and he’s done in the past. I think it helps simplify our offense.

"

Now, the test will be whether or not Kaepernick and this offense will be able to properly utilize the new scheme in a game-day situation.

Saturday will give us a first look into this factor.

Prediction: 49ers 17, Texans 24

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

San Francisco will look to take away some positives from its first preseason matchup in Houston.

Preseason games don't matter much in terms of the score and outcome. Their importance is more along the lines of determining depth charts, the roster bubble and which players are rising or falling.

But Saturday's contest between the 49ers and Texans will provide an initial glimpse into what can be expected from San Francisco over the course of 2015.

Can the defense overcome notable losses to players like defensive end Justin Smith, cornerback Chris Culliver and linebackers Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Aldon Smith? Will the offense continue to falter in the passing game like it did last year? How much of a concern is the remade offensive line?

Odds Shark predicts the Texans coming away with the victory 25.5-15 (yes, that's a 0.5 on the end). Houston is also favored by three points.

San Francisco may still lose this game. But the primary question will be how the first- and second-team units fare against similar groupings from Houston. If the 49ers' primary offensive players can showcase some ability against the Texans over the first few drives, it will be a positive.

The same could be said of the likely starters and immediate backups on defense.

As long as the game remains close, or if San Francisco takes a large lead early, the 49ers will have some positives upon which to work.

And that's all that is needed moving forward from here.

Final Prediction: 49ers 17, Texans 24

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.