What Did the 49ers’ First Preseason Game Teach Fans?

On August 13th, the San Francisco 49ers faced the Tennessee Titans for their Week 1 preseason game. The matchup followed a joint practice on August 11th. During these kinds of games, all kinds of media as well as the 49er Faithful look to see who really stands out. Additionally, they look at what the team specifically needs to improve.

Although many of the team’s starters didn’t play, fans still saw players with starting potential, including rookies, role players, and key backups. However, with the good comes the bad, and San Francisco isn’t perfect and showed some weaknesses. With that said, these are the main takeaways from Week 1 of preseason.

De’Zhaun Stribling Is Ready To Step Up

Throughout the week leading up to the preseason game, many fans and media outlets focused on rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. This is mainly because he was the 49ers’ first pick in the last draft.

Also, with key injuries to primary targets like Ricky Pearsall, who is out for the year, and Mike Evans, who is dealing with quad issues, the team may need new options. As a result, the team may now look at Stribling as one of the main guys for quarterback Brock Purdy.

During the game, Stribling led the team in every stat for a receiver with a total of seven receptions and 63 yards. His longest catch was 32 yards, all while averaging nine yards per catch.

He put up these stats with a quarterback and offense he is not familiar with. However, Stribling usually practices with the starters throughout training camp.

He is also getting high praise from media all around the league, even from 49ers beat writer Grant Cohn, saying, “He was excellent, and the star of the first half.” Cohn goes on to say, “He’s like Michael Crabtree with speed.”

The Running Back Room May Be in Trouble

Throughout San Francisco’s training camp this year, injuries have once again spread like wildfire through the team, affecting certain position groups. One of the position groups hit hardest by this injury plague has been the running back room.

Both promising backup running backs, Jordan James with a rib fracture and Kaelon Black with an adductor (thigh) strain, are both victims of this injury bug. As a result, this situation heavily affects the 49ers’ depth chart, with Christian McCaffrey standing alone. San Francisco immediately went into panic mode, signing Khalil Herbert on August 2nd. They also signed Zamir White on August 12th to give the running back room more depth to work with.

To the media and many 49ers fans, this is not a good look for the team, as it may make them look panicked. Fans and analysts know that McCaffrey could be next on the injured list, so the team is signing veterans to possibly step up. Not only that, but both new running backs did not perform well in Week 1 of preseason. Herbert had six carries for only 18 yards, and White had two carries for one yard.

The Deepest Linebacker Core in the League

The 49ers’ linebacker core may just be the deepest and the best in the NFL, with their starters, of course, being Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. However, when the starters are off the field, the pressure and dominance remain with their backups, Tatum Bethune and Nick Martin. Both young linebackers showed promise. Martin led the team in tackles with eight, and Bethune was right behind him with six tackles. Bethune also recorded one sack and one tackle for loss.

Last season, Tatum Bethune seemed to be a solid pairing with Warner, having a total of 94 tackles. This offseason, he is still showing improvement. In fact, he could be earning himself more minutes this year.

And with Nick Martin, last season was his rookie year, and he did not see much playing time, only recording 11 total tackles and one forced fumble, but Martin seems to be a fan favorite and makes a good duo with Bethune, showing much promise.

What We Learned

Overall, the San Francisco 49ers showed they can draft well with younger guys like Stribling and linebackers showing real promise. However, injuries are clearly a major problem for this team, and they are affecting key position groups like running back and the offensive line. If the 49ers want to win games and make it far into the season, they need to find a way to keep their players healthy or develop the right players to step up when needed.