5 Takeaways From 49ers Preseason Week 1
Preseason football games may not count but that doesn't mean they don't matter. 5 main takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers first preseason action of the 2023 season.
The San Francisco 49ers took the field this past Sunday for the first time since their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Title Game. While they rested most of their starters, the 49ers are a team with Super Bowl aspirations and given the injury luck they have had in recent years, depth and the back up hierarchy is extremely important. See below for my 5 Main Takeaways after diving into the All-22 from the game plus a few bonus thoughts at the end.
Takeaway #1: Backup OL Unit Struggles Mightily
Every preseason fans, teams and media alike are reminded about the lack of Offensive Line depth in the NFL and the 49ers are no exception. Their starting five is one of the better units in the NFL but if Sunday is any indication they are in big trouble should they lose a starter. The OL gave up 12 pressures and 4 sacks on the day, with many plays looking like the one below with a Niners QB running for his life.
2nd year RG Nick Zakelji (#63) and 3rd year LT Jaylon Moore (#76) struggled the most with the Raiders pass rush, giving up 4 Pressures (1 Sack) and 3 Pressures (2 Sacks), respectively. Zakelji in particular had issues with the power and strength of the interior defensive line of raiders (as seen below).
It was not all bad for the OL unit though, as the game wore on they started to put things together resulting in the pressure rate dropping from 50% in the first half to 38% in the second. Still not what Coach Kyle Shanahan would like to see but an improvement nonetheless, resulting in more clean pockets for their QBs like the one below.
Takeaway #2: Lance w/ Up & Down 2023 Debut
When the 49ers drafted Trey Lance third overall in 2021 they probably didn’t think they would be worried about him battling it out with Sam Darnold on the depth chart but fast forward to 2023 and here we are. 49ers fans were excited to see what Lance could do after hearing lots of good thing about his progress and development coming off the broken leg in 2022 but his preseason debut left much to be desired. On Sunday in Las Vegas Lance was plagued with more of the same issues; delayed processing, inconsistent accuracy and questionable decision making. Lance did not look confident in himself or the offense on Sunday, many plays looked like the clip below. Clean footwork, makes the right read, goes to throw and……… second guesses himself, double clutches and gets sacked.
He also struggled to deal with pressure, too often holding the ball longer than needed (3.31 sec Time to Throw) and taking sacks he shouldn’t (40% Pressure to Sack Ratio). The clip below is a good microcosm, key third down, gets stuck on first read a little too long, by the time he gets to the backside the Raiders pressure is in his lap and he makes an inaccurate throw with rushed mechanics.
It wasn’t all bad on Sunday for Lance, as is customary according to the reports on him from practice he played better the more snaps he accumulated. On his lone TD drive of the game he showed his ability to escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs, giving time for his receivers to get open down the field.
He also showed when he does have a clean pocket he has the arm strength to rip balls over the middle. In this clip from the late 2nd Quarter he steps up and delivers a strike to #17 Chris Conley on the Deep In route.
One preseason game isn’t make or break especially for a 49ers coaching staff that has been on record about how much they value practice and scrimmage reps, but if Lance wants to hold onto the QB2 job, let along push for QB1, he will need to be much better going forward.
Takeaway #3: Ronnie Bell Trending Towards Roster Spot?
2023 7th Round pick Ronnie Bell was largely expected to be nothing more than camp depth heading into the preseason. A great college player his limited athleticism did not indicate an impact player at the NFL level. However a camp injury to WR/KR Ray-Ray McCloud will keep him out to start the season opening up a potential roster spot and Bell took full advantage Sunday. He logged 3 receptions for 58 yards as well as showing competent return skills and special teams value (7 Total Snaps: 3 Kick Return, 2 Punt Return & 2 Kick Coverage) He even flashed some tackle breaking ability on this First Half Jet Sweep.
Bell is still on the outside looking on for a roster spot and cannot afford drops like the one below that he had in the 4th Quarter, but if he continues to string together positive performances the 49ers may have their hand forced.
Takeaway #4: Ambry Thomas Poised for Rebound 2023?
When the 49ers took Ambry Thomas in the 3rd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft they likely anticipated him being a long term starter for them. Despite some nice flashes, including a game winning INT vs their Divisional Rival LA Rams in 2021, he has failed to lock down a starting spot, only appearing in 6 games on defense in 2022. Heading into 2023 the 49ers may need Thomas to step up as the depth behind starters Charvarius Ward and fellow 2021 draft pick Deommodore Lenior is quite thin. The 49ers have to be happy with what he showed on Sunday, as he was clearly the best CB on the field. Thomas (#20) was targeted twice, gave up no catches, logged a 39.6 passer rating when targeted and had an excellent PBU to boot.
Thomas also was aggressive and involved in run support, a big key for a 49ers defense that prides itself on all 11 flying to the ball. His crowning moment was a big time 4th Down stop coming off the edge as a force player.
Thomas still needs to put together more good performances to earn the trust of the new defensive coaching staff but Sunday was certainly a good start.
Takeaway #5: Backup LB Battle Heats Up
The 49ers lost stalwart LB Azeez Al-Shaair in Free Agency this off season opening up a spot next to star LBs Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. 2022 Free Agent signing Oren Burks seems to be penciled in as the replacement but the competition for the SAM backer spot as well as the backup spots is hotly contested.
First up on Sunday were the veterans Marcelino McCrary-Ball and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. McCrary-Ball (#40) looked good in coverage but struggled as a run defender, especially when it came to getting off blockers (as seen below). He finished with a line of 4 Tackles (1 Missed), 0 Run Stops and an AVDT (Average Depth of Tackle) of 6.0 yards, reflecting his difficulty to keep run play yardage to a minimum.
Flannigan-Fowles (#45) was the inverse, he struggled to contain TEs in the passing game but showed good instincts and range in the run game. He finished with a line of 1 Tackle, 1 Run Stop, and an AVDT of 2.0.
The 49ers spend two picks on LBs in the 2023 draft in 5th Round pick Dee Winters and 7th Round pick Jalen Graham, and they were next up for reps at WILL and MIKE respectively. Graham (#50) was the bright spot for the rookie class on Sunday. While he did have inconsistencies in coverage especially reading Play Action, he displayed fluid movement skills and excellent range. He finished with a stat line of 5 Tackles, 2 Run Stops and an AVDT of 4.2.
The starting SAM as well as backup up WILL and MIKE spots are likely the veterans to lose at this point but if the rookies can continue to show flashes and improvement over the course of August the 49ers may find themselves taking the swing on the talent and upside of the younger players.
Bonus Takeaways:
2023 3rd Round Rookies K Jake Moody and TE Cam Latu struggle mightily in preseason debuts.
Projected NCB starter Isaiah Oliver has rough day in coverage from the slot.
2023 FA IDL Marlon Davidson shows flashes vs the run.