The 49ers continue their preseason slate Monday with a road game in Denver. It should be an interesting preseason contest thanks to the return of Jimmy Garoppolo and a slew of roster battles reaching their peaks in the middle of the preseason.
Here are seven things that will matter in Monday night’s showdown between the 49ers and Broncos:
The return of Jimmy Garoppolo
The plan is for Garoppolo to start and play in a live game for the first time since tearing his ACL last September. There hasn’t been a precise indication of how much he’ll play, but even one series would be a positive sign for the 49ers. While his play matters some, staying healthy will matter above all. All eyes will be on Garoppolo as long as he’s on the field Monday.
Safety competition heating up
Tarvarius Moore had a strong week of practice with Jimmie Ward shedding his non-contact jersey and practicing in full for the first time since breaking his collarbone. Those two should have a heated competition for the starting free safety job. Adrian Colbert will be looking for a bounce-back game as well after a disastrous preseason opener. Snap counts, the order players enter the game, and consistency will play a large role in sorting out who starts at safety in Week 1.
Where’s the reserve offensive line
The 49ers backups along the offensive line did not put together a strong performance against Dallas. Jobs are wide open behind the starting unit, and San Francisco badly needs players to take hold of those backup jobs. Swing tackle Shon Coleman suffered a season-ending injury in the first week, so that will be a position to watch especially close against Denver.
Defense keeps dominating
San Francisco’s defense had a great week of practice against Denver’s offense. The Broncos aren’t likely to have a prolific offensive unit this year, but the 49ers defense performing well in practice is a good start. They didn’t allow a touchdown against the Cowboys, and they might be in position to not allow one in Denver. A stout showing from the starting defense would be a nice boost for the 49ers.
Avoiding the injury bug
The No. 1 priority for San Francisco will be avoiding the injury bug. They had several players suffer injuries of varying degrees in the opener. Playing fast and aggressive is important, but avoiding injury is more essential. It would be a successful second preseason bout if the 49ers escape injury-free.
Rookies keep shining
Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, Dre Greenlaw, Mitch Wishnowsky and Austin Walter all shined against Dallas. Getting more high-end production from the group of rookies would be nice for a 49ers club that badly needs contributions from their young players. Cornerback Tim Harris needs a big game to help himself grab a roster spot, and tight end Kaden Smith needs to flash a couple times to help his standing as a possible backup tight end.
Penalty problem
The 49ers had 18 penalties for 216 yards in the first preseason game. Those 18 penalties are a ton. The 216 yards would’ve been an NFL regular season record. A couple of the penalties were backbreakers that either extended drives for Dallas or stalled drives for San Francisco. They have to be more disciplined against Denver.
