San Francisco 49ers: A few takeaways from the preseason opener
Richie James
Richie James, the seventh-round rookie out of Middle Tennessee State had his first taste of NFL action and did not disappoint. While Dante Pettis has been dominating most of the news coming out of training camp, it was James who had the better game in their first NFL action.
James led the 49ers with four catches and was third on the team with 46 yards. James was on the receiving end of Mullen’s game-winning touchdown throw, and showed a lot of promise for being a player selected two-hundred-fortieth overall.
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Scoring the winning touchdown is always going to get you more recognition, but the vision that James displayed on the field was what impressed. James also had some run with the first-team offense and connected with Jimmy G on a crossing route to convert on third and medium.
It’s becoming distinctly clear that Shanahan drafted James because of his shifty, versatile skillset. If James continues to pile up performances like the one he delivered last night, he will have no issues making the team, and the 49ers might need to consider carrying six wide receivers.
There was an insane stat that Pro Football Focus came up with after the game. 49er quarterbacks had a 150.4 passer rating when targeting Richie James.
It’s only one game and a sample size of four to five targets, but it’s promising. The entire receiving group had decent games.
Dante Pettis broke free for a 53-yard catch that could have been a touchdown but was underthrown by C.J. Beathard. Both Victor Bolden Jr. and Kendrick Bourne made a couple of tough grabs coming up to the ball to help the quarterback out.
It’s insane how many 49er fans were frustrated that the 49ers didn’t target big name receivers in the free agency market. Well, at least through the first game it looks like Shanahan has a good idea of the solid receiving group that he has to work with.