San Francisco 49ers’ Preseason Takeaways

The San Francisco 49ers ended the preseason with a bang on Thursday, defeating the Houston Texans 40-13.

Here are a few takeaways from the fourth and final preseason contest:

Josh Johnsonplayed well enough to cause Harbaugh to strongly consider moving him pastBlaine Gabbertas the backup quarterback behindColin Kaepernick. Johnson went 14-17 for 135 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He has a solid grasp of the offense, dating back to his days with Harbaugh at University of San Diego.

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Chris Cookintercepted aCase Keenumpass for his second interception of the preseason. The former Minnesota Viking also did not allow a touchdown this preseason.

The Niners as a whole scored more points on Thursday than they have in the previous three games (24). Although it was the preseason, scoring 40 points will always make a team feel positive about itself.

Let’s look at the bright and dark spots that have surfaced from the four games.

The young guns in the secondary are looking to grow together and elevate their game.Tramaine Brock,Chris Culliver,Eric Reid, and rookie JimmeWardare poised to step up after the departures ofTarell Brown,Carlos RogersandDonte Whitner. It will also be telling to see howAntoine Betheaperforms in his first season in a San Francisco uniform.

The offensive line is a bit of a concern right now for the Niners. RookieMarcus Martinis out for six to eight games with a knee injury, which meansDaniel Kilgoreneeds to be the solution at center. WithAlex Boonestill entrenched in a contract holdout, his replacementJoe Looneyhas looked good, not great. He has also not seen too much regular season action at this stage in his three-year career.

Pro Bowl guardMike Iupatihas showed concerns in his pass blocking ability this preseason, although there is reason to believe he will correct his mistakes and return to the high-level of play once the games begin to count.

Kaepernick andSteve Johnsonhave both admitted their chemistry has not been clicking on all cylinders at this point in time. After being acquired from Buffalo, Johnson has been widely acclaimed as the Niners’ third receiver.

August 24, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the football against the San Diego Chargers during the first quarter at Levi

Kaepernick and the rest of the starting offensive unit did not show much at all this preseason. Hopefully for fans, they are simply keeping their cards close to the vest and did not show any of their new or intricate schemes. Still, it would’ve been encouraging to see Kaepernick and the first-string offense put together a few productive drives.

Carlos Hydeis the real deal. The rookie out of Ohio State is proving his second round value and will be ready to carry a heavy workload this season.

Tank Carradinelooks like a healthy and promising pass rusher. Sitting out his whole rookie campaign could pay dividends for him this season. San Francisco absolutely needs his pass rushing services along with the likes ofCorey LemonierwithAldon Smithout for nine games due to his suspension.

Finally,Michael Wilhoitewill be at least serviceable alongsidePatrick Williswhile All-Pro linebackerNaVorro Bowmanis out. RookieChris Borlandhas good instincts and had a productive preseason, but Wilhoite has done nothing to lose the job and started two regular season games last year when Willis was out due to injury.

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