This is the live blog for the 49ers 2023 preseason finale against the Las Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. I will provide updates and analysis throughout the game.
6:55 It’s been a busy day for the 49ers. News broke early today that negotiations with Nick Bosa are not moving well. Then just about an hour ago we heard that Trey Lance had been dealt to the Dallas Cowboys.
The trade of Lance will serve as an inflection point for Kyle Shanahan’s tenure in San Francisco. The head coach has now committed fully to Brock Purdy as his starting quarterback. If things don’t work out his seat will get hot in a hurry.
7:05 The 49ers will start on offense.
7:09 Nice push by the offensive line on the 49ers first run.
7:13 Jordan Mason fumbles the ball as he’s going in for a touchdown. Mason’s ball security earned the trust of Kyle Shanahan last season, but this is an area which he’s struggled during training camp.
Brock Purdy was 4-6 for 62 yards on the opening drive. Purdy had two big completions on third down, one to Mason and one to Brandon Aiyuk for 35 yard on a catch and run.
7:18 The Chargers are not playing many starters on offense and it shows. San Francisco with tremendous pressure on third down and Fred Warner gets to Easton Stick for the sack.
7:26 San Francisco’s offensive line is dominating the Chargers backup defense.
7:27 On second and goal from the five Purdy slides to his left and takes it himself for a touchdown.
In three possessions this preseason with Purdy at quarterback the 49ers have moved the ball deep into the redzone. This offense doesn’t look like it has missed a beat from where it was last year and Christian McCaffrey has yet to play.
7:32 The 49ers run defense has been suspect in training camp and preseason.
San Francisco sends a blitz on the Chargers second play and Joshua Kelly runs untouched through the defense for a 75-yard touchdown.
7:45 Sam Darnold’s throw to Chris Conley on third and ten is broken up. Conley was well covered on the play.
7:48 Alex Barrett has been really good in this camp. He gets to Easton Stick along with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Javon Kinlaw for the sack on third down.
7:52 Sam Darnold has Chris Conley open over the middle on third down but his pass sails high for an incompletion.
8:09 Drake Jackson is seeing his first preseason action tonight and has played the entire first half. He hasn’t done much against the Chargers backup offensive line and is likely to start if Nick Bosa isn’t signed before week one.
8:21 Sam Darnold hits Chris Conley with a deep shot down the right sideline to open the possession. From there penalties kill the possession. Left guard Nick Zakelj was called for his second hold of the night to erase a five yard scramble by Darnold. Then a fourth and two completion from Darnold to Tay Martin is wiped out by offensive pass interference on Martin.
Conley left the field with an apparent arm injury following the play. He has been solid in this camp and has a chance to make the roster with Ray-Ray McCloud and Danny Gray expected to miss the beginning of the regular season with injuries of their own.
8:39 Drake Jackson is getting zero pass rush against the Chargers backup left tackle. This helps him be in position to break up a pass from Max Duggan.
8:43 What a move by Isaiah Winstead. The undrafted rookie free agent receiver makes the catch underneath from Darnold and shakes a Chargers defender for a gain of 18.
8:47 A couple of big runs by Ty Davis-Price puts the 49ers on the Chargers six yardline. After nearly throwing an interception, Sam Darnold hits Willie Snead along the backline of the endzone for a touchdown.
The 49ers will try to get Snead onto their practice squad. He’s a solid wide receiver at the end of the roster and provides value on special teams.
8:55 Javon Kinlaw and Kevin Givens are getting blown off the ball by the Chargers backup offensive line. Then Los Angeles runs a zone read and Isaiah Oliver doesn’t get to the edge leading to a big run by Chargers quarterback Max Duggan.
Oliver follows up the bad play on the run by not attacking the quarterback on a bootleg to the right and Duggan hits the tight end for a touchdown.
San Francisco gave Oliver nearly $3 million guaranteed to replace Jimmy Ward. It’s not working out.
9:24 Brandon Allen fits a pass into a tight window to Isaiah Winstead off play action. The undrafted free agent receiver makes plays when given the opportunity.
Injuries to McCloud and Gray will force the 49ers to keep six wide receivers on the roster. This means guys like Winstead, Martin, Snead, and Conley will have to clear waivers before the 49ers can add them to the practice squad.
9:52 The 49ers backup quarterbacks combined to go 8-17, 112 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT over the final 3+ quarters tonight. Aside from the one throw to Conley, they averaged 4.9 yards per attempt.
10:05 This press conference should be more exciting than the game tonight.
Mason has to learn to hold onto the damn ball. I have heard multiple times of him fumbling in training camp, this will keep an extremely promising player on the bench. I remember last season when he got his first action that one of the coaches said, “at least he didn’t fumble”. The implication being that he must have had some trouble in practice.
I was all for the trade originally, never have been a fan of how will managed Trey. I hope his talent bites us in the butt and our org learns from it.
49ers have made trades with Dallas in the past; a certain bad one in particular i think may have cost us at least one more SB
Time to call Gould, the team literally has no kicker!
Maybe they can now that they traded away TL. Trey really had no chance, he nor the Niner’s were ever going to resign a contract for him to be a backup qb. He and they needed to move on. Once Purdy showed up that was it. Why did they go out of their way to sign Brandon Allan?
Awful run defense as been a hallmark of training camp and the preseason. Why change now.
Steve Wilks is the weak link on the 49er defense. What a terrible hire. I predict Shanahan will fire Wilks during the season.
In what way is he terrible?