The 49ers wrapped up their preseason Thursday night in Las Vegas with the kind of game that said more about survival than style. Kyle Shanahan kept most of the projected Week 1 group on the sideline, gave backup quarterback Mac Jones just two series, and then let likely fourth-stringer Adrian Martinez handle the rest while San Francisco tried to leave the night without adding anyone else to the injury list.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. Martinez completed 12 of 21 passes for 130 yards with no touchdowns and no turnovers, and the 49ers settled in after halftime to string together four straight field goal drives in an 18-12 win over the Raiders.
The game never produced a touchdown from either side, with the teams combining for 10 field goals. Eddy Piñeiro was perfect for San Francisco, going six-for-six and drilling one from 59 yards.
The final exhibition also offered a clearer look at a few roster questions, starting with the interior of the defensive line. The 49ers are counting on second-year tackles Alfred Collins and CJ West, but both were still on the field deep into the second half, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement heading into the regular season.
Collins, who had offseason shoulder surgery, has been up and down in practice and games, and Thursday brought one assisted tackle. West finished with one tackle and one assist.
Meanwhile, the Raiders ran for 4.2 yards per carry, and Mike Washington Jr. led their backfield with 49 yards on eight carries, a 6.1-yard average.
There’s also a strong hint that the left guard competition may already be tilting one way. Rookie fourth-round pick Carver Willis seems to have the edge, and he stayed in late as well, which makes sense considering he played tackle only in college at Washington and still needs reps at guard. The bigger reason the job may be trending his direction is that the other contenders haven’t been available: Robert Jones has missed the last two weeks with a calf injury after working with the starters, and Brett Toth has been out for most of camp because of a concussion.
The offensive line had its moments, but it wasn’t dominant. Still, it gave up just one sack and helped San Francisco finish with 146 rushing yards on 33 carries, a 4.4-yard average.
The backfield, though, looked like a real strength. The 49ers seem to have their deepest running back room since Christian McCaffrey arrived, and the group may be so solid that there’s no need to go looking for another backup the way the team did last year with Brian Robinson Jr. before the regular season.
Kaelon Black kept flashing the burst that stood out in his preseason debut last week against the Chargers. He only had four carries Thursday, but he turned them into 28 yards and continued to look like the clear front-runner behind McCaffrey.
Jordan James also made his preseason debut after missing camp with a rib injury, and he finished with 35 yards on eight carries. He added a 20-yard catch on a screen, using a sharp cut to shake a defender and get into space.
At receiver, the final cut decisions could get tricky. Jordan Watkins started slowly, managing just one catch for 5 yards in the first half and looking out of sync on a deep ball from Jones on the opening drive. But he bounced back after halftime with three more catches for 59 yards and ended the night as the team’s leader in receptions and receiving yards.
Jacob Cowing didn’t play after missing recent practices with a groin injury, his second injury of training camp. That could open the door for Watkins if Cowing isn’t ready for the opener.
Cowing remains the team’s best punt return option, while Watkins has been shaky in that role during practice. The receivers who look locked in are Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson.
Malik Turner brings value as a special teams gunner, and Cowing would still be the top return-game option if he’s healthy. Whether Watkins survives the final cut may end up depending on how the numbers shake out at other spots.
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49ers Roster Battle Just Put One Big Cut Decision Under Pressure
The 49ers got a useful look at the back end of their roster in a preseason meeting with the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, even with most of the starters parked for the night. It was the kind of low-scoring, defensive game that tends to sharpen the focus on fringe jobs, and San Francisco still found a few bright spots, including multiple field goals from Eddy Pieiro and noteworthy work from Jordan James and Adrian Martinez.
For a team that is still sorting through its final roster picture, the bigger takeaway may be how this game fed into an already tricky decision at quarterback. The 49ers coaching staff and front office are weighing whether to keep three passers, and outings like this only make those calls more layered as the preseason clock keeps ticking. [Read more 🡒]
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San Francisco also has to account for injured players, including those on the PUP list, which complicates an already tricky cutdown process. And even after the initial deadline passes, the roster picture may not be finished, because the 49ers could still look to free agency, trades, or waivers as they manage depth and try to keep the group in shape for the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Face A Painful Cutdown Decision At Wide Receiver
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Jacob Cowing sits right in the middle of that decision. His speed and versatility give him a different kind of value on offense and special teams, but roster construction is rarely that simple this time of year, and what the 49ers keep at one spot can affect how they manage depth elsewhere. With the final 53-man deadline approaching, John Lynch and the front office are left trying to sort out whether Cowings explosive upside is worth the tradeoff in overall balance. [Read more 🡒]