The 49ers kicked the season off with an impressive victory against the tough and talented New York Jets. Many wondered what this Niners squad would look like given all the noise leading up to the season. Off season drama? No problem. Normally off-season drama centers around one player. The 49ers turned out to be the exception to that rule.
This 49ers team exemplifies focus despite roadblocks. Christian McCaffrey suffered a calf injury holding him out much of camp. Brandon Aiyuk demanded a trade. Then he held in. Trent Williams held out. Aiyuk finally signed his contract about ten days out from game one. Tragically, Ricky Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound after leaving an autograph signing. None of this effected the focus of the team or the coaching staff.
The Good
The 49ers practiced and played with a next man up mentality. Jordan Mason’s 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown is the evidence. McCaffrey entered the game has a healthy scratch and it’s unclear when he will be ready for play. It doesn’t matter. Mason ran on one of the better run fronts in the NFL. Even after the Jets switched to a five-man front, Mason was pounding away for yards deep into the fourth quarter. Mason also showed that Brock Purdy trusted him as an outlet receiver, as he caught a key 3rd conversion.
The San Francisco 49ers showed resilience today. Their first two drives ended in field goals. On their third drive the 49ers were flagged three times. All three flags shut down big plays by the 49ers. The second flag negated a 17-yard touchdown run by Jordan Mason. That play was followed up by another flag on Juszscyk for offensive pass interference. Yet the 49ers stayed focused on the goal, and Deebo was able to score on a jet sweep two players later.
Tonight’s game had several of the 49ers common calling cards. Fred Warner punched out a ball to force a fumble on Breece Hall. Nick Bosa broke in his new running mate, Leonard Floyd, when they combined for a sack. Juan Jennings caught some big-time receptions, including a third down conversion. George Kittle showed off his excitement after executing some big blocks for Mason, while finding the openings in zone coverage for some big-time catches. Kyle Juszczyk continued to find ways to get open and collected a 34-yard reception. Deebo Samuel played all over the field. He blocked, rushed, ran routes and caught receptions. Finally, we had a tip drill for an interception. In short, this was a classic star-studded 49er victory!
The 49ers have showed they can find un-drafted and late round gems. Jordan Mason wasn’t the only un-drafted contributor on the field. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles flashed all over the field and collected an interception off a tipped pass. The 49ers coaching staff have developed Flannigan-Fowles and Mason since they were un-drafted free agent rookies.
Needs Improvement
Brock Purdy was fairly sharp tonight. He only had one bad drive where he failed to connect on three consecutive passes. All three passes were questionable decisions. The 49ers were up 23 – 7. Four plays into the drive, Purdy missed a wide-open Juice who was in the flat with no one around him. The very next play was a third and eight. Kittle was wide open on a slot curl route and Purdy just missed him. Thankfully the defense caught a flag for illegal hands to the face. A few plays later a third and three, Purdy had Mason wide open underneath but instead misfired to Eric Saubert who was blanketed by a safety. The 49ers secured three points out of the drive along with some great teaching tape for Brock Purdy.
Brandon Aiyuk showed noticeable rust today. He dropped two key receptions. One of those receptions would have been at touchdown catch. Meanwhile Trent Williams played every offensive snap. Late in the game he went to the locker-room for a quick IV but was back on the field for the next offensive possession.
Aaron Rodgers showed off one of his patented plays today. Leonard Floyd jumped offsides yet the play was not whistled dead. Rodgers continued the play out and hit Allen Lazard on a seam route for a 36 yard touchdown. The defense learned at tough lesson. They have to play through the whistle at all times, otherwise they risk giving up a free play.
Moving Forward
Coach Kyle Shanahan executed a great game plan. It was clear from the very beginning that he wanted to speed the game up by running the football. Shanahan focused on keeping the Jets defense on the field while resting his own defense. This is key because the 49ers defense still has a few key injuries. They lack depth at defensive end and defensive back. The game plan helped protect the defense and allowed them to attack the Jets offense with fresh legs. As the season moves forward, the 49ers will look to get healthy while finding the right strategy to win week to week.
Much is made about the so-called Super Bowl hangover. This phenomenon is a something the 49ers have immediately dispelled in game one. Purdy was sharp with his reads and throws most of the game. The run blocking was superb. The run defense was punishing, and the pass defense forced a turnover while mixing up their coverages throughout the game.
