San Francisco 49ers: A few takeaways from the preseason opener
Jullian Taylor
Another player that we listed as a player to watch that did not disappoint. Jullian Taylor got his first career NFL start filling in for Arik Armstead and played the whole game.
Taylor was extremely disruptive in the run game and continuously got pressure on the quarterback. He is somewhat reminiscent of Justin Smith, who was a standout on the 49er steam that went to the Super Bowl in 2012.
Armstead has yet to stay healthy for a full season, but if Taylor continues this type of havoc against opposing offensive lines, he could very well find himself starting alongside Solomon Thomas and Deforest Buckner, or at the very least, getting considerably more snaps.
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan may have hit it out of the park with their seventh-round picks with Richie James and Jullian Taylor.
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Reuben Foster
We know Reuben Foster is an absolute stud when it comes to stopping the run. He proved that last season. What we didn’t realize, was how good Foster was in coverage. And yesterday, at least for one play, Foster showed his cover skillset.
On a play action pass, the Cowboys backup quarterback, Cooper Rush floated a ball to speedster Tavon Austin on a crossing route along the sideline. Instead of a completed pass and a first down, Foster sprinted across the field caught up to Austin (who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash) and broke up the pass.
Perhaps this explanation of the play doesn’t do it justice. But we know that Foster is one of the critical components to the 49ers defense, and if he has improved his coverage to this extent, he’s going to be one of the best linebackers in the league.
Jimmie Ward
Many are already well over the Jimmie Ward experiment, and last night’s performance was just one more disappointment. Ward started in place of Richard Sherman at corner and promptly kicked off the game by getting burned on a 30-yard streak by rookie wide receiver Michael Gallup.
It’s understandable for Ward to struggle in his first game back at corner since transitioning from safety, but when you factor in his inability to stay healthy, it really invites questions about how he ended up as the highest paid player on the defensive side of the ball.
Due to his big contract, Ward is not going to get cut, and will have a long leash. But, unless he finds some consistency to his game, and stay on the field, it’s looking more than likely that we are seeing the final season of Ward in a 49ers uniform.
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Overall it was great to see 49ers football again. The injuries were worrisome, but all things being equal, the 49ers came out okay.
The young talent that Shanahan and Lynch hand picked showed great promise in their first action. This is only one game though, and there are still more improvements to be made.