The 49ers had some really good showings in their preseason opening win over the Cowboys on Saturday night. There were also some not-so-good showings that don’t bode well for the team’s future.
There are still three preseason games to get back on the right track, but here are some players who saw their stock take a hit in Week 1 of the exhibition season:
Reserve offensive line
None of the 49ers’ starters along the offensive line played Saturday against Dallas. This was an opportunity for the reserves to step in and separate themselves in the battle for roster spots. Nobody was particularly good, and the leading swing tackle candidate, Shon Coleman, was carted off with a gruesome ankle injury. There’s still time for that group to have players elevate their play. Saturday wasn’t a promising showing.
QB Nick Mullens
A start Saturday night was a chance for Mullens to establish himself as the lead dog in the race for the backup quarterback spot. He threw a bad interception, but otherwise had the offense doing a lot of the right things. The problem is his lack of arm strength is still very apparent, and he didn’t do a great job pushing the ball down the field. It wasn’t a bad night for Mullens, but it wasn’t great either, and going lateral is the same as going backward at this point.
QB CJ Beathard
Mullens wasn’t great, but he did a good enough job orchestrating the 49ers offense in the first half. Beathard had a real chance to assert himself as the leader for the No. 2 quarterback job. He didn’t do that despite a couple of nice plays that’ll keep him in the conversation. Part of his early struggles had to do with the talent around him. His numbers were better than Mullens’, but Beathard made enough head-scratching plays and not-so-good throws to keep him from being the sure No. 2 quarterback for now.
Adrian Colbert
Colbert got into the game late. His only notable play was one where he got ejected. An incomplete pass looked to put the 49ers in position to force a punt, but Colbert flew in late and hit the receiver up near the helmet. It was a 15-yard penalty and earned the third-year safety a disqualification. That’s not going to help his chances to make the roster or earn a starting job.
OT Willie Beavers
The entire reserve offensive line was bad, but Beavers in particular struggled mightily. He was Coleman’s replacement at left tackle and the most noteworthy plays he had were three holding calls, including a couple bad ones late in the game that might’ve helped allow Dallas to come back. The 49ers already needed a lot of help on their offensive line, but Beavers’ showing could be his last chance to make the roster for San Francisco.
WR Dante Pettis
It’s not that Pettis did anything egregiously bad. It’s just that he was a complete non-factor. He only earned one target in 17 snaps and didn’t catch it. This was an opportunity for Pettis to show why he’s widely regarded as the team’s best receiver, and he simply didn’t do that in the first preseason game.
