Preseason football rarely satisfies the appetites of football hungry fans late in the summer. The stakes are obviously near zero for established players. Few even play, especially not for teams who make annual postseason pilgrimages that naturally shorten the off-season. But storylines persist, nevertheless. Brock Purdy played without most of his fellow offensive starters, the backup quarterback job looks crystal clear, and a handful of rookies continued to shape their early reputations as opening night draws closer.
Here are a few takeaways from the 49ers 16-10 win over the Saints in week two of the preseason.
Purdy struggles amongst fringe of 53 man roster
Anyone who tuned into this game hoping to fuel up the Purdy MVP truck probably changed the channel disappointed by the time the Nienrs’ starting QB exited the game after three series. Those three series’ were painfully futile for the 49ers, who only picked up one first down with Purdy under center. He peeled off his shoulder pads having completed just two of his six passes for 11 total yards.
Don’t fret, Niner fans. Just as is the case with almost all preseason plays, this performance can be taken with a grain of salt. Just two projected starters, a pair of offensive linemen, joined Purdy on the field on Sunday night. Every weapon usually at his disposal didn’t dress. His loneliness, coupled with the always necessary reminder that it is August, made for a massively underwhelming showing. It also begs the question as to why none of Purdy’s pals suited up. Shanahan addressed that after the game.
“You always think about that stuff. If we thought it was an issue we wouldn’t have done it,” he explained. “We were good with the guys out there.”
Welcome to the NFL, Jacob Cowing
There wasn’t too much doubt regarding Jacob Cowing’s standing in terms of making the 49ers week 1 roster, but the rookie out of Arizona all but extinguished any that still remained with a strong performance on Sunday night. He caught four passes for 51 yards, highlighted by a long 38-yard catch that featured a sparkling over the shoulder grab near the boundary. Josh Dobbs tossed the dime, and Cowing hauled it in.
Cowing may also make himself useful on special teams. He’s returned kicks and fielded punts effectively so far. His head coach has certainly noticed.
“First and foremost, his poise on the punt returns was good to see,” Shanahan praised. “He made a couple plays on the jet sweep, and a couple plays in the pass game.”
Josh Dobbs is a more than capable back up option
If Brock Purdy does have to miss time at any point this season, the Niners should feel comfortable with Josh Dobbs’ ability to facilitate the offense. Dobbs has already logged significant NFL snaps with multiple franchises. He’s worn eight uniforms, and has served as the named starter for Tennessee, Arizona, and Minnesota. His performance in 2023 with the Cardinals most notably gained him traction in the lucrative world of NFL backup quarterbacking.
His play on Sunday further cemented his standing as San Francisco’s No. 2. He dropped back 21 times on Sunday, completing 12 of those attempts for 133 yards while adding an eventful 25 yards on the ground. The offense ran smoothly for the duration of his time under center. Dobbs punctuated his outing with a one yard touchdown run at the very end of the first half.
Another preseason game checked off the docket, and another day closer to September 9 and the start of another climb.
