The San Francisco 49ers capped off preseason on a high with a 23-13 victory over the Chargers, here we look at the three main takeaways from the finale.
The San Francisco 49ers claimed a 23-13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason finale, in a game that provided Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch with plenty to think about when it comes to Saturday’s roster cuts.
With most of the starters held out, San Francisco’s offense struggled for long periods, but the defense forced five turnovers and a couple of explosive plays proved enough to seal the victory.
Here we look at the key takeaways from Thursday’s contest.
Massive Run but Mixed Day for Beathard
Though he demonstrated athleticism few knew he possessed to score on a 62-yard touchdown run, it was very much a mixed day for quarterback C.J. Beathard. The third-round pick was off-target on a number of throws while some of his completions saw receivers have to go down to the ground to haul in passes he skipped low.
This man just put the entire Chargers D on skates...
— NFL (@NFL) September 1, 2017
C.J. BEATHARD GOES 62 YARDS TO THE HOUSE! 😱 #LACvsSF https://t.co/cTKTmYZ4ab
Beathard has leapfrogged Matt Barkley for the backup job, but this was a performance that suggested the growing pains will be substantial if he is forced into a game in the regular season.
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Bolden Forces 49ers Hand with Punt Return
The 49ers will have been debating whether to keep Victor Bolden Jr on the team after his kick return touchdown in the second preseason game against the Denver Broncos, but their hand looks to have been forced by a 92-yard punt return from the speedy wideout.
San Francisco has not had a truly talented return man since Ted Ginn’s time on the team in the Jim Harbaugh era, and Bolden has now clearly demonstrated his value in that area. Bolden looks to be near-impossible to cut and talk of the 49ers potentially trading slot receiver Jeremy Kerley will only increase after another show of acceleration from the undrafted free agent.
Run Game Struggles to Get Going
While Tim Hightower did have a short-yardage rushing touchdown, he was unable to find much room to run as he attempted to make his case for a roster spot — finishing with 21 yards on eight carries.
Joe Williams did slightly better with 53 yards but also fumbled as the 49ers, who have had issues running the ball consistently in preseason, finished the game with 201 net yards rushing, but with the majority of those coming from Beathard.
Next: NFL 2017: Predicting one disappointment from each team
One back who did not have a carry was Raheem Mostert, which may indicate that he has done enough to edge veteran Hightower for a place on the 53 after his two touchdown display against the Minnesota Vikings. We will found out whether that is the case soon enough.