We’ve made it. The preseason is officially over, and we can now turn our energy to the initial 53-man roster and Week 1.
The San Francisco 49ers closed out the preseason with a 30-23 win over Trey Lance, Jim Harbaugh, and the Los Angeles Chargers in a game that felt like it took a lifetime to complete. The win on Saturday night moved the 49ers to 2-1 in the preseason, winning the final two games after the Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos.
For the final time before the games are real, these are the three
stars from the 49ers’ win over Los Angeles:
Third star: WR Terique Owens
Owens only had one target on Saturday but made the most of it, giving a moment to 49ers fans among the monotony of the preseason.
A muffed punt put San Francisco inside the red zone with a chance to extend a fourth-quarter lead out to two scores. The drive had a rough start, with Ke’Shawn Vaughn losing three yards on a rush attempt, but Owens would more than make up on the next play.
The receiver snuck behind Chargers cornerback Myles Purchase and found himself alone in the back of the end zone, causing Tim Ryan to shout, “he’s got T.O.” on the broadcast to add a layer of nostalgia. Quarterback Carter Bradley indeed found the open Owens and dropped it in to give Owens the first touchdown of his professional career.
Owens is still likely a long shot to make the initial 53-man roster, but his touchdown on Saturday will be a special one, considering his father’s storied NFL career.
Second star: P Thomas Morestead
The second week in a row, a specialist makes the three-star list, but it would be impossible to tell the story of this game without Morestead.
Morestead was called on seven times on Saturday with a long punt of 51 yards, but oddly enough, it was his ability to force a couple of turnovers that finds him on the list this week.
The punter unleashed his longest punt of the game in the first quarter, which Chargers return man Luke Grimm couldn’t handle. Braydon Willis found himself on top of the muffed punt, giving the 49ers premium field position that the offense would cash in on four plays later to take a 6-0 lead.
Fast forward to the fourth quarter with San Francisco holding on to a seven-point lead, giving the ball back to Los Angeles. With the 49ers in plus territory, Morestead pinned a 31-yard punt inside the Chargers’ 20-yard line. Again, Grimm couldn’t handle the ball, and linebacker Chazz Surratt was there for the recovery. Two plays later, Bradley would hit Owens for what proved to be the game-winning score.
Los Angeles was only able to score once on drives following a Morestead punt, following his seven kicks with four punts, two muffs, and a field goal late in the first half. Seeing Morestead as much as we did on Saturday night could be a concern, but when the 49ers outscore teams 14-3 on punts, it’s a good night to be a punter.
First star: LB Nick Martin
Watching Martin’s growth from his preseason debut to Saturday night has arguably been the best part of the preseason. After a lackluster Week 1 against Denver, Martin played well last week against Las Vegas and rolled that into another solid game against the Chargers.
Martin finished with eight total tackles – six being solo – with another tackle for loss and a pass deflection. But on Saturday, he was able to do something he hadn’t done in the first two weeks: force a turnover.
With San Francisco trailing by seven as Los Angeles took the field for the first time in the second half, Martin made his mark. After crossing midfield, the Chargers attempted a run with Nyheim Miller-Hines, only for the running back to be met by Martin. The linebacker got a good piece of the ball, knocking it out to be recovered by Evan Anderson. The 49ers offense would take the turnover and tie the game with a touchdown, magnifying Martin’s play that much more.
A solid preseason from Martin just shores up a rather solid linebacking core that needed as much help as it could get after the disaster that was De’Vondre Campbell last season. If Martin’s preseason was any evidence, the 49ers got a solid pick from April’s draft.
