The San Francisco 49ers came back to win late against the Las Vegas Raiders. Some players who’ll rely on raised some eyebrows, while others who could hear their name called showed they may not be ready for the bright lights. Let’s get into the winners and losers from Week 2 of the preseason.
Winners
Chase Lucas
Lucas played the most snaps of any defender. Lucas has gone from a player potentially stealing a roster spot to a player threatening to start. Lucas was targeted four times and only allowed 16 yards in coverage.
He jumped a route that led to an interception, had a sack, and two other run stops. Lucas missed a tackle, but I think his presence around the ball should be viewed as a positive. There isn’t a player on the 49ers’ roster who has done more with his opportunities than Lucas.
Ricky Pearsall
The only target Pearsall didn’t catch was due to a rookie we’ll discuss later. Pearsall looked crisp on his first target, savvy on his second, and was the beneficiary of quality quarterback play on the third target. If those three routes were any indication of what Pearsall brings to the table this season, the 49ers are in good hands with their second-year pro.
Brock Purdy
It was a B+ day for Purdy. He doesn’t get an A because he stared at Demarcus Robinson when he was open and didn’t throw it, then threw a fastball to Robinson when a change-up would have sufficed.
Other than that, there wasn’t much to be mad about. Purdy played on time and kept the offense ahead of schedule. His 3rd & 18 pass to Pearsall was a thing of beauty and the play you point to as a reason the Niners extended him. You could say the same for a couple of scrambles that didn’t necessarily lead to any explosive plays, but kept the offense out of losing yards. Unfortunately, it looks like this season could be a year where Purdy’s legs will be needed.
Losers
Connor Colby
Connor Colby’s potential dress rehearsal as a starter did not go as planned. He allowed a couple of run stops and was overpowered on a few reps. On the final third down of the first drive, former first-round pick Tyree Wilson walked Colby into Purdy’s lap with a bull rush, which ultimately ruined the play. Colby had a similar rep early in the drive on a running play, where the defensive tackle easily crossed his face.
On the first play of the second drive, Colby falls to the ground off contact. It looked like strength was an issue there as well. There were two plays where Colby’s pass set was too wide, and he stayed engaged with a defender while the Raiders ran a stunt and came free up the middle. He’s a seventh-rounder after all, but Colby didn’t look like he’s ready to start if Ben Bartch’s injury sidelines him in the regular season.
Colton McKivitz
Offseason puff pieces are just that—puff pieces. When the game mattered, McKivitz was no match for Maxx Crosby. McKivitz’s struggles during running plays should always be concerning, as the run game is his strong suit.
After Crosby gave McKivitz fits early, Kyle Shanahan had no choice but to call everything to the left. That could eventually make the 49ers’ offense predictable and lower the ceiling of this offense when McKivitz goes against quality pass rushers, let alone the players in Crosby’s tier.
Alfred Collins
Hmm. Collins looks to be behind the 8-ball. I keep waiting for him to make a splash play. For example, Collins attempted a spin move against the Raiders, but he spun in place and didn’t do…anything. He’s eating double teams, but he’s also getting moved off his spot.
Collins is young. He’s still figuring out what he can and can’t get away with, but for a top-50 pick, his preseason play has left a lot to be desired.
IDKs
Jake Moody
The margin for error for a kicker when you take him in the third round is nothing. Nada. He has to be perfect. Last year, Moody showed he was anything but ideal. The 49ers brought in competition for Moody, which he won…kinda.
Moody missed a 53-yarder that wasn’t particularly close. He made every kick after that, including a 59-yard game-winner that had to feel like the weight was lifted off his shoulders after seeing the ball soar through the uprights.
The fact that we are discussing the kicker weekly is an issue. It’s fantastic that Moody made the kick, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore the misses, nor does it mean last year didn’t happen.
Nick Martin
I’m of the mindset that missed tackles are overrated. Martin is doing everything he can to test that theory. For the second week in a row, Martin missed two tackles on the same drive. But we also saw Martin play fast, which led to four run stops, a sack, and giving up next to nothing in coverage on five targets. Oh, and Martin broke up a pass as well. It was promising to see Martin trust his eyes and play football without thinking. But he’ll need to shore up his tackling if he’s going to prove to Robert Saleh that he deserves reps.
Winners
Demarcus Robinson
It feels like I’m leading the Robinson fan club, but his usage, route running, and consistency already look to be an upgrade from Deebo Samuel. The Niners can use Robinson on more routes, and he looks more comfortable running more routes than Deebo.
Robinson caught three of his four targets for 44 yards, and what he lacks in YAC, he makes up for in being at the right place at the right time. He looks like a gem in the early going.
