The 49ers won their season opener in dominant fashion. They ran the ball down the Jets' throat, and aside from a couple explosive plays that turned into a touchdown (plus another late one) and a couple field goals, the Jets' offense was smothered.
Here are four takeaways from the 32-19 win, which looked even a bit closer thanks to a garbage time touchdown:
Big boy personnel, folks
The theme of the game for San Francisco without Christian McCaffrey, Ricky Pearsall, and limitations on Brandon Aiyuk, was to run the ball down the Jets’ throat with Jordan Mason. They went big with personnel time and time again with two tight ends.
This was the Eric Saubert show. And I know, talking about a second-string tight end is certifiable stuff. But go back and watch how Saubert blocked. He was a domineering force. And with two tight ends who are great blockers, Mason rumbled on. Those 21 and sometimes 22 personnel sets also gave George Kittle some opportunities. He had a 26-yard catch on a rep when Saubert chipped a defensive end, then released. That’s something Kittle usually had to do because the 49ers had no viable backup tight ends.
It’s something to watch going forward as Aiyuk gets more involved and when McCaffrey and Pearsall return. But there might be something there.
Brandon Aiyuk not quite ready… but Puni is
This was not a particularly impressive day for Brandon Aiyuk, and that’s a generous way to put it. He was very limited. We’ll see what the snap counts say, but it appeared that at best, he split snaps with Chris Conley.
His first target of the day was a quick slant broken up by Sauce Gardner. He made up for it on the next play, when he made a first-down catch for 14 yards on a 3rd-and-5.
That came with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. It was a long wait until his next catch, also a 14-yarder, which didn’t come until the start of the fourth quarter.
But between that point, Aiyuk dropped a would-be touchdown. It was a diving attempt that was by no means an easy catch… but if you’re going to negotiate a $30 million (really a $25.33 million, three-year deal) deal the way Aiyuk did, those are catches you have to make. And he dropped it, on a dime from Brock Purdy. He finished with just the two catches for 28 yards. Not a night to remember for him.
It was, however, a night to remember for Dominick Puni. Offensive line play is something that can often be hyper-criticized or overrated in the moment, but Puni wasn’t showing up on negative plays. The promise that earned him the starting job showed up Monday night.
His value was also reinforced when left guard Aaron Banks went down with a calf injury in the second half. Spencer Burford replaced Banks on the left side, but the right side remained something not to worry about.
No McCaffrey, Mason rides
Jordan Mason’s previous career high was 69 yards. He demolished that by the third quarter. He had 21 carries for 109 yards with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter.
While the 49ers offense blocked the Jets into oblivion, Mason was excellent in his own right. He made intelligent cutbacks, bounced off tackles, and consistently found extra yards where they were not to be found. By the end of this, he ran 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers lose a ton in the pass game going from McCaffrey to Mason, but they aren’t losing much in the run game.
Fred Warner + the defense fly around
Fred Warner played like a man possessed, which is usually how he plays. But he was simply playing at another speed. He set the tone early and consistently cut down Breece Hall on interior runs, and attempts he made to break it outside. He led the team with seven tackles, and had an early highlight, ranging over to force a fumble on Hall and turn the ball over.
That is what defined this game for the 49ers’ defense. They had been very susceptible on interior runs all game, and were excellent against the run Monday. Hall had 14 carries for 35 yards going into the final, meaningless drive, and finished with just 54.
Nothing was stronger proof of that than the Jets’ fruitless attempt to run Hall up the gut on a 3rd-and-1 at the 50. Warner got to Hall first. He was flanked by Bosa and a strong push from the 49ers’ defensive line. It set up a 4th-and-1. Rodgers tried to funnel one to Garrett Wilson, but Isaac Yiadom drove on it to break the ball up. San Francisco took over at the 50 with 7:22 remaining. That turned into Jake Moody’s sixth, I repeat, SIXTH field goal of the night.
By the final drive of the game, the Jets had pulled Aaron Rodgers from the game. He finished 13-of-21 with 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception, which came on a Deommodore Lenoir breakup-turned Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles pick.
It was a resurgent game for a defense Warner told me "didn't look right" last season. It's an extremely encouraging sign going forward.
Follow Jake on Twitter/X for more 49ers content. Read his exclusive interview and profile on Fred Warner below.
Related
