San Francisco 49ers: 5 Takeaways from Week 1 of the Preseason

The most obvious takeaway from the San Francisco 49ers’ 23-10 Week 1 preseason loss to the Houston Texans is that former rugby star Jarryd Hayne can play football. He had the longest run of the game: a 53-yard gain in the second quarter.

Hayne doesn’t run with a low pad level, but he doesn’t need to in the 49ers’ zone-blocking scheme. Stretch zone runs typically go to the outside, meaning Hayne doesn’t have to get low to fit though tiny holes in the middle of the offensive line.

Hayne seems to have what it takes to be an effective zone runner: He bounces off tackles and is surprisingly quick. He also appears to be an effective punt and kick returner. He just might make the final roster.

Here are five more takeaways from the 49ers’ first preseason game of 2015.

The Colin Kaepernick-Torrey Smith Connection Needs Work

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

On August 8, wide receiver Torrey Smith passed along a message to quarterback Colin Kaepernick through the media during a press conference.

“I can run, bro,” Smith said. “You can throw it out there, I’m going to go get it for you.”

Kaepernick seems to have taken Smith's message literally. His second throw of the game was a deep pass for Smith, who was open. Kaepernick seemed to throw as hard as he could and overthrew Smith by at least five yards. Smith had no chance.

As good as Smith is, he can’t help the offense until Kaepernick gets a better feel for his speed. The Niners should make sure those two develop chemistry before the regular season begins.

QB Blaine Gabbert Has Improved

George Bridges/Associated Press

In Week 1 of the preseason last year, backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed three of his 11 pass attempts for 20 yards. He also threw one interception and posted a passer rating of 1.7.

Hey, at least it wasn’t a 1.6.

Against the Texans on Saturday night, Gabbert completed eight of 11 passes and posted a passer rating of 125.6. He seemed in complete command of the 49ers’ new offense, getting the players out of the huddle and up to the line of scrimmage quickly and also getting the ball out of his hands on time and in rhythm.

There was only one negative about Gabbert’s night: He sensed non-existent pressure during a play, started scrambling and ran into a sack.

NT Mike Purcell Will Make an NFL Roster Next Season

Uncredited/Associated Press

Starting nose tackle Ian Williams played the first few series of the game. Mike Purcell eventually replaced him and was by far the best defensive lineman on the field.

Purcell made six tackles—more than any other defensive lineman on the Niners. He also made one tackle for loss and broke up a pass at the line of scrimmage.

The Niners signed Purcell as an undrafted free agent in 2013, and he has spent the past two seasons on San Francisco’s practice squad, learning under current rookie head coach and former premier defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.

Tomsula seems to have turned Purcell into a force. Some team probably will sign him if he doesn’t make the Niners’ final roster.

The Goal-Line Defense Seems Outstanding

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The 49ers had trouble stopping tailback Alfred Blue and the Texans running game early on. In the first quarter, Blue had runs of eight, 14 and 32 yards.

But on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, nose tackle Purcell tackled Blue for a three-yard loss. Two plays later, Purcell tackled Blue for no gain at San Francisco’s 1-yard line. Finally, inside linebacker Shayne Skov tackled Blue for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the one.

In total, the Niners stopped the Texans six times in a row at the goal line (Niners cornerback Tramaine Brock committed a pass interference penalty in the end zone on third-and-goal, giving the Texans a new set of downs).

Tomsula has been the architect of the 49ers’ front seven for years. It seems his front seven is as tough as ever against the run.

The Pass Defense Is Dreadful

George Bridges/Associated Press

It’s tough to say the Niners even had a pass defense in this game. They had players aiding and abetting the Texans passing game.

San Francisco’s coverage was dreadful and so was the pass rush. The Niners sacked the Texans quarterbacks zero times.

In the first half, the Niners pass defense gave up 12 completions out of 15 pass attempts. Backup quarterback Ryan Mallett completed 10-of-11 pass attempts. He pretty much couldn’t miss.

In the whole game, the Niners allowed a passer rating of 119 to Houston’s three mediocre quarterbacks—Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage.

The Niners pass defense ranked ninth in the NFL last season under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. We’ll see if new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini can achieve a similar result in 2015. So far, it seems he won’t come close.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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