The 49ers had to regroup this week. They were too beat up to head down to Irvine for joint practices with the Saints, but they still need to get legitimate work in. It's been a lackluster preseason with injuries, hold-outs and hold-ins, and Wednesday felt like the start of things getting more serious.
49ers get some juice back
The energy was back Wednesday. The offense was out of sync, but with Fred Warner back as a full participant (after some absences due to foot irritation), they brought it.
There were a handful of decent run plays, and some quick checkdowns from Brock Purdy, but on the whole, the offense could not push the ball down the field. When it tried, the results were disastrous.
All three backup quarterbacks threw ducks on deep balls that either were or should have been intercepted. Brandon Allen had Deebo Samuel running free and underthrew him a good five yards. Samuel couldn't locate the ball, and neither could Darrell Luter Jr. until the last second. He dropped what should've been a pretty easy pick. Josh Dobbs wildly underthrew Robbie Chosen while pressured. And Tanner Mordecai threw a terrible ball for a wide open Chris Conley that Jaylen Mahoney picked off easily.
Amongst the many great defensive plays, there were:
- De'Vondre Campbell with a rangy, sideline breakup of Tay Martin
- Charvarius Ward pressuring and forcing an incompletion on Jauan Jennings over the middle, with Leonard Floyd forcing a high throw from Brock Purdy
- A would-be sack from Javon Hargrave, followed by an underthrown, poor ball to Samuel from Purdy
- A sideline pass breakup from Deommodore Lenoir on George Kittle, on a ball from Purdy that just hung in the air too long
- Renardo Green locked up Jauan Jennings in the red zone. Purdy looked for him, then had to throw the ball away with pressure coming. Green effectively stopped a touchdown.
The couple of touchdowns for the offense came on a run play for Cody Schrader (who still looks great), and a one-on-one, front pylon ball to Kittle from Purdy, against Ji'Ayir Brown. The ball hung up for a while but Kittle tracked it and Brown didn't.
On the whole, Samuel looked great with the ball in his hands, and the linebacker corps looked phenomenal tracking down runners.
George Kittle roasts our shoes, and talks Trent Williams
The 49ers' All-Pro tight end decided to use the podium Wednesday to talk about an important issue: media members' swagless shoe choices.
He called out the media for our collective lack of shoe game.
Listen. As a media member, you either go for function or fashion, and when you're out there in the hot Santa Clara sun, your knees locking up from standing, you have decisions to make.
For the two of you who are interested, I balance between a fraying, outdated pair of Nike Blazer Lows '77 Vintage in "Gum Navy," for the semi-stylish option and black Adidas Alphabounce Em M running shoes for the days about preserving yourself.
Maybe it's not good enough for Kittle and his monstrous shoe collection, but that's what we're working with.
On a more practical note, Kittle was asked about Trent Williams, and what it's like not having his presence at training camp. He painted it as a positive, suggesting that he doesn't really need work with Williams, but that he can use the reps with Jaylon Moore.
"Trent Williams is Trent Williams. He's like the greatest football player to ever play the game,." Kittle said. "It's like him and Aaron Donald. I mean, that I've played against... the best I've ever played with."
"He just has a presence to him. And so, yeah, not having him in the locker room at all, it's weird, but we all love Trent and he's doing what he thinks is best for him. So it's okay. And I think Jaylon Moore has done a good job playing left tackle for us."
Kittle also shared a conversation on the sideline with Brandon Aiyuk, who returned to the sidelines after a few days of not being there, amidst reports he could be traded. Kittle said it was nice to get a chance to talk to him in that setting.
It does seem as if a resolution to Aiyuk's situation should come sooner than later, but nothing has been predictable about that situation. The 49ers are preparing for their "mountain" practice, which will likely come Thursday.