The 49ers started off their preseason losing 23-10 to the Houston Texans. The Texans came out firing, as Cecil Shorts caught a 58 yard touchdown and out-ran the defense the whole way to a celebration. Here are a few key notes about the 49ers first game of the preseason.
Blaine Gabbert looked... good? Gabbert completed 8/11 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Obviously it's just preseason, but Gabbert not looking like complete trash is a good sign for San Francisco. How long until the media calls for Gabbert to start when Kaepernick struggles? Only time will tell. Kaepernick threw 1/3 for 14 yards.
Jarryd Hayne looked stellar. Hayne had a long run of 53 yards and totaled 120 yards in tonight's game. Hayne has been a storyline as he converted from rugby to football and so far seems to have paid off.
The 49ers defense struggled. Bowman did sit out, but still the secondary got burnt by Shorts. Ryan Mallet completed 8/11 passes for 90 yards, with Brian Hoyer completing 2/4 passes with a touchdown with the first unit.
This writer would have hoped for more action from franchise qb Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick barely played, and if the 49ers are going to baby him then they're going to miss out on his value. Now, he obviously shouldn't play more than a quarter yet, but he needs more gametime reps. If the 49ers want to even get over .500 this season they'll need to beat the teams they're supposed to.
We've gotten through week 1, and now it's time to keep moving on. The 49ers continue their quest next weekend when they play the Cowboys, their first game at Levi's stadium this season. their first game against the Vikings is slowly approaching, and the 49ers have some clear holes they need to work out.