Chargers vs. 49ers: Previewing San Francisco's Week 4 Preseason Matchup
The San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers will bring an end to their respective 2015 NFL preseason campaigns when the two teams square off against each other at Levi's Stadium on Thursday, September 3 at 10 p.m. ET.
Preseason football is a funny thing. We fans are thrilled when the first exhibition game takes place because, hey, football is back! But the aura of preseason football dries up quickly just like the number of snaps taken by teams' starting units.
Such will be the case in this fourth preseason week.
San Francisco is coming off a 19-12 loss to the Denver Broncos a week ago. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman was one of the standouts from the 49ers' effort, and the developing San Francisco secondary continues to show signs of progress.
But the offense continues to be worrisome. The 49ers have just one offensive touchdown during the preseason and have widely struggled in the red zone and on third down.
None of this may matter much in the final preseason bout versus San Diego. The fourth preseason game rarely features starting units or players, and most teams have figured out the starters following the first wave of roster cuts.
As with the rest of the league, San Francisco's roster now stands at 75 players. That number will drop to 53 prior to the regular season.
But there are still battles to be won—both on the depth chart and, perhaps, in the possibility of landing a job with another team.
Let's examine that along with other factors in this final exhibition contest.
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: KPIX 5 (local), NFL Network (national)
News and Notes
1 of 5NaVorro Bowman Continues to Surge
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman's comeback from his knee injury in the 2014 NFC Championship Game has been nothing short of remarkable.
After a three-snap, three-tackle performance against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago, Bowman showcased why he is still one of the elite defenders with a nine-tackle, two-sack effort in Denver.
And yet the perennial All-Pro still isn't satisfied with his efforts.
“I just know me and there are some plays that I could have made,” Bowman said, per Joe Fann of the team's website. “That’s what I mean by that, just selling out all the way and not thinking about it. I’ll do that when the time comes.”
Fans probably disagree. Bowman looks as if he's back to his best form.
And that's inspiring enough.
49ers Trim Roster to 75
The NFL mandates teams cut their 90-man roster to 75 players following the third preseason week. San Francisco made a slew of transactions on Monday—details of which are provided by 49ers.com.
Waived:
- K Corey Acosta
- LB Steve Beauharnais
- CB Mylan Hicks
- T Sean Hooey
- WR Mario Hull
- WR Chuck Jacobs
- WR Nigel King
- LB Shawn Lemon
- FB Trey Millard
- DL Lawrence Okoye
Reserve/PUP List:
- C Daniel Kilgore
Reserve/NFI List:
- WR DeAndre Smelter
Injured-Reserve List:
- LB Desmond Bishop
- WR Dres Anderson
Defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye had, perhaps his strongest preseason effort since joining the 49ers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. But the British Olympian was a project at best, so it's not surprising to see him released.
Fullback Trey Millard is an interesting commodity though. The second-year pro was redshirted his rookie season but couldn't unseat incumbent fullback Bruce Miller. The 49ers would love to have him land on the practice squad, but that could be a tough task if some other team views Millard as a value pickup.
Center Daniel Kilgore's 2014 leg injury will also hold him out of the start of the season. Second-year center Marcus Martin will have a chance to get some reps in his place.
O-Line Starters Set
Martin was just one of the official offensive line starters listed by head coach Jim Tomsula, per Joe Fann of 49ers.com.
The left side of the line shouldn't be much of a surprise. Joe Staley gets the nod at left tackle, and Alex Boone shifts over to left guard.
But the right side will be anchored by tackle Erik Pears, and Tomsula feels comfortable slating the recently acquired Jordan Devey at right guard.
"[We] see what Jordan is doing and where he’s at right now," Tomsula said, per Fann. "He’s come in and he’s taken the time, he knows the system, and I love the practice tape. So that’s where we’re going.”
Devey was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots in 2013 and ended up starting four games for them last season. He ranked 120th out of 137 players in pass-blocking efficiency per Pro Football Focus (h/t 49ers Stats) in 2014.
San Francisco's O-line was permeable against Denver, so the move might be a bit of a surprise. And it could also indicate that second-year guard Brandon Thomas isn't where he needs to be in his development after missing all of his rookie season last year.
Jaquiski Tartt Continues to Surge
The 49ers second-round pick of the 2015 NFL draft has been one of the more enjoyable young players to watch this preseason. Safety Jaquiski Tartt has brought a level of physicality not known to the 49ers secondary since the free-agent departure of veteran safety Donte Whitner.
Tartt finished his effort against the Broncos with two tackles, one of which was for a loss, and a quarterback hit.
San Francisco has a loaded safety crop, and Tartt is one of the reasons why this position should be considered a major strength entering the regular season. It's a topic noted in the above B/R video.
Latest Injury News
2 of 5
San Francisco's official injury report will not be released until the start of the regular season. But recent transactions to trim the roster and other reports help accumulate the necessary information to determine which players are in the proverbial recovery mode.
Parts of the list are from the aforementioned transaction report along with insight from CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.
Did Not Practice:
- WR Torrey Smith (knee contusion)
- DT Darnell Dockett (rib contusion)
- CB Tramaine Brock (hamstring)
- TE Vance McDonald (ankle)
Physically Unable to Play:
- C Daniel Kilgore
Non-Football Injury List:
- WR DeAndre Smelter
Injured Reserve List:
- LB Desmond Bishop
- WR Dres Anderson
Wide receiver Torrey Smith, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and cornerback Tramaine Brock aren't surprising to see listed on such a list. They likely wouldn't get any playing time against San Diego anyway.
Initially, Dockett was rumored to have a cracked rib. But Jim Tomsula cleared this up, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and stated that it was merely a "cartilage issue."
Daniel Kilgore lands on the PUP list to start the season. The 2014 Week 7 leg injury has hampered him all offseason, and he'll be unavailable for the first six weeks of the regular season.
Key Matchups
3 of 5
Starting units and first-team groupings will likely not be a major factor in Thursday's showdown between the 49ers and Chargers.
Instead, both teams will be employing depth players and guys vying to make one of the coveted roster spots up for grabs.
So which players and units will be under the microscope given this context?
Running Back Jarryd Hayne vs. Chargers Coverage Unit
Running back Jarryd Hayne will likely make the 49ers regular-season roster despite whatever Jim Tomsula says about the Australian rugby star's chances. Not only has he provided a spark to the offense and special teams, but Hayne has also given San Francisco a positive story in a season clouded by worry and concern.
It's hard to envision Hayne climbing up the running back depth chart given the incumbent accolades of backs like Carlos Hyde, Kendall Hunter and Reggie Bush. Rookie running back Mike Davis has also looked solid this preseason.
But Hayne's contributions in the return game could carry over into the regular season. Perhaps this is where the 49ers will use him.
He'll get another crack at doing so against San Diego.
Arik Armstead vs. Chargers O-Line
Rookie defensive end Arik Armstead has seen a lot of playing time this preseason. He's had some up-and-down moments so far, per Pro Football Focus (h/t Kirk Larrabee of 247 Sports).
The 49ers first-round draft pick from 2015 is unlikely to assume a starting role along the defensive line right away. But San Francisco will continue to groom him as much as possible without rushing the process.
This means Armstead will likely see a sizable portion of the game on Thursday. Exactly how he performs could directly influence how Jim Tomsula and Co. utilize him during the rookie's first season at the NFL level.
Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker vs. Chargers Receiving Corps
Second-year cornerbacks Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker each started San Francisco's matchup in Denver last week. And both young defensive backs made their respective presences known.
Acker continued his strong preseason with an interception off quarterback Peyton Manning. And Reaser posted three tackles with one of them netting a loss.
The No. 2 cornerback slot alongside veteran Tramaine Brock is still up for grabs. And the rest of the depth chart here has yet to be determined.
Acker, Reaser and fellow corner Dontae Johnson are all possibilities to line up alongside Brock as a starter when Week 1 rolls around.
Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton and DeAndrew White vs. Themselves
San Francisco will start veteran wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith in 2015. Neither will likely play against San Diego.
But who occupies the critical third wideout spot has yet to be determined. And the situation is clouded following the six-game suspension handed out to fellow receiver Jerome Simpson.
Wide receivers Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton and DeAndrew White are all in the mix to take over as the third wideout on the depth chart. Ellington has been battling an injury this preseason, which has hampered his impact to an extent.
White has made some tremendous plays so far during practice. But those have yet to translate over to in-game situations.
Whoever steps up in Thursday's game may have the best shot to emerge as the 49ers' third receiver to start 2015.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Matchup X-Factors
4 of 5
49ers X-Factor of the Week: QB Blaine Gabbert
OK, so backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert will finally get his opportunity in the limelight.
Sort of. It is preseason football, after all.
But one thing is for certain: Gabbert has been the 49ers' best preseason quarterback this year. This stands in stark contrast to the awful numbers he posted at this same time in 2014.
Last week in Denver was no exception. Gabbert led all 49ers passers with nine completions on 11 attempts. He posted a 103.0 passer rating during the contest, which far exceeded those of quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick (47.9) and Dylan Thompson (39.6).
With Kaepernick likely sidelined for this final exhibition bout, Gabbert will certainly see a large number of snaps over the course of the evening.
And the 49ers offense will want to see him do something, anything, to get this unit off its slump.
San Francisco has just one offensive touchdown during the preseason. That needs to change regardless of the context. Last week in Denver, the 49ers converted just two third downs on 11 attempts. That also needs some work.
Can Gabbert help this seemingly anemic group find some rhythm?
Why not?
Prediction: Chargers 10, 49ers 16
5 of 5
Odds Shark currently has the 49ers as favorites over the Chargers in this final preseason game. The predicted score is 15.4 to 13.3 in favor of San Francisco.
The preseason context, and the more detailed context of the final contest, makes virtually any Week 4 of this session a guessing game for all but the best of football analysts.
But I have an ego and consider myself capable of making a smart-enough decision.
The 49ers defense has been stout enough, even within its deeper ranks, to suggest it'll hold San Diego's second- and third-team offense to 10 points or fewer. The Chargers are averaging 18 points per game this preseason and have faced off against some deep defenses (Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks).
San Diego has just two second-half touchdowns this preseason. And those players are primarily going to be the ones who'll see the bulk of action in Santa Clara.
All the 49ers need to do is get their second- and third-string offense rolling.
Not like any of that matters much in this final preseason week. But the 49ers still have an edge here.
Final Prediction: Chargers 10, 49ers 16
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
