The 49ers wasted no time putting the Chargers in a hole, rolling to a 41-17 win behind a first-half surge that was already out of reach by halftime.
Brock Purdy’s night was brief. He threw six passes, and once Kyle Shanahan saw him scramble, that was it for the San Francisco quarterback. Even with Purdy done early, the first half still packed in plenty of roster battles and flashes from young players trying to make a case.
Jacob Cowing got the first crack at punt return duties after Deebo Samuel opened there, and he kept forcing the issue in the passing game too. Cowing had to answer for an earlier drop on a throw that came right in front of his head coach.
He also had a chance at a first down that slipped away when Mac Jones sailed a pass his way. It was an active half for Cowing, just not a clean one.
De’Zhaun Stribling had his own mixed bag. He caught four passes for 46 yards and picked up a 21-yard conversion on third down, but he also dropped what should have been a touchdown after beating a Chargers defensive back on a double move.
Jones put the ball where it needed to be, but Stribling couldn’t finish the play. Even so, he moved around the formation and logged catches on four different routes.
Among the rookies, Kaelon Black may have made the strongest impression. He carried eight times for 33 yards, with a long of nine, and one of those runs should have gone for a four-yard loss.
Instead, he battled back to the line of scrimmage, helping set up Stribling’s third-down catch. Black ran decisively and kept finding positive yardage.
The rookie offensive line mix also gave the 49ers something to sort through. Carver Willis started at left guard, which was expected.
Austen Pleasants followed him in, which was more notable. Robert Jones did not play at all in the first half, while Connor Colby handled every snap at right guard.
That could say more about Colby and Jones than Pleasants, but Willis still looks like the favorite for the job. Colby later shifted over to left guard in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco took a 20-3 lead into the break, helped by strong blocking that opened the door for Sincere McCormick’s 37-yard run. McCormick finished that drive with a touchdown, and the 49ers were firmly in control.
The second half belonged to Adrian Martinez, and it started badly. On the first play after the break, Martinez threw a pick-six.
Pleasants was beaten on first down, then missed a pressure that left a free rusher on the interception. Later in the third quarter, Pleasants exited with an injury after what looked like a knee buckle.
Willis stepped in, another sign that this is not shaping up as a three-man battle.
There were still defensive highlights sprinkled in, including a third-down pass breakup by Ephesians Prysock. Martinez eventually bounced back with a 9-yard touchdown run, then helped extend the lead after Nick Martin forced a fumble on a kickoff. Martinez connected with Jordan Watkins for a 17-yard touchdown, the third straight scoring drive for San Francisco, and the margin jumped to 41-9.
Rookie Jalen Stroman delivered a big hit on the next kickoff, and the Chargers were buried deep into the fourth quarter with only three rushing yards. They finally found the end zone late, then added a two-point conversion to trim the final score to 41-17.
In Other News...
49ers Injury Pileup Is Raising New Concerns Before Week 1
The 49ers left their preseason game against the Chargers with more than just the usual August bruises. Guard Austen Pleasants was ruled out with a knee injury, and rookie cornerback Renardo Green also left the contest and was questionable to return before ultimately not coming back. For a team trying to get through camp healthy and ready for Week 1, those are the kinds of exits that can linger well beyond one exhibition game.
Kyle Shanahans update on the defensive front added another layer to the concern, even if it came with some cautious optimism. He said Nick Bosa is making progress, while Mykel Williams is still trending toward missing the season opener. With the regular season approaching, the 49ers are once again navigating the uncomfortable mix of waiting, monitoring, and hoping the injury report does not keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Facing Uncomfortable Roster Calls As Two Camp Battles Intensify
The 49ers are moving deeper into preseason evaluation mode, and a couple of roster questions are starting to feel less like camp chatter and more like decisions the front office may have to live with. Christian McCaffrey remains part of the bigger picture, but the more immediate pressure is on players such as Kirk and Colby, whose place on the roster now depends on how the team weighs performance, health, and fit as August unfolds.
Kirks case has become especially tricky because the injury interruptions have stacked up alongside a dip in production, which puts him in the middle of a real cut conversation rather than a routine depth chart debate. Colby, meanwhile, is fighting a different kind of battle, one centered on the starting guard job and the sort of interior competition Kyle Shanahan and Chris Foerster tend to use as a true test of who can hold up when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Win Came With One Roster Concern Fans Will Be Watching
The 49ers got the preseason result they wanted against the Chargers, but the night also came with a reminder that roster battles can change quickly in August. Cornerback Renardo Green left with a hamstring injury, which is the kind of setback that can complicate a competition for a starting job just as the team is trying to sort out who fits where before the games start counting.
Elsewhere, the picture looked more encouraging. Rookie running backs DeZhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black turned in promising performances, while Deebo Samuel and Dre Greenlaw returned to practice in better shape after their own recent issues. San Francisco now shifts to its work against the Rams, with George Kittle expected back at practice soon, but Greens health will be one of the quieter storylines worth tracking as the roster picture keeps coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]