49ers’ Garoppolo and Lance rout Raiders in preseason
San Francisco’s rotational duo Jimmy G and Trey rush for two TD’s.
San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Trey Lance, right and Jimmy Garoppolo practice passes before the Las Vegas Raiders first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2021.08.29 – The rotational duo of Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance shuttled in and out on the first two drives that ended with touchdown runs for the quarterbacks and lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 34-10 preseason finale victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
“I just wanted to get live action with it,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ve done it in practice a couple of times and this was the last time before we’re going to get in the regular season. So it’s the last time you can have the opportunity to do it. I kind of wanted to do it with this game.”
Shanahan rotated his two quarterbacks on the first two drives against the Raiders backups as a tune-up for the regular season when he plans to use both Garoppolo and the rookie Lance.
Garoppolo started and was in for the first three plays before Lance entered and handed to Raheem Mostert for a 17-yard gain on a zone read play. Garoppolo returned for the next play and both QBs got five plays on that drive that ended with Garoppolo scrambling for a 1-yard TD.
“You could tell there were a couple of times getting to the line where they’re still making calls and things like that,” Garoppolo said. “You could tell it’s tough on them. So that’s what we were trying to do.”
The quarterback rotational duo continued on the next drive with Garoppolo converting a fourth-and-1 sneak before Lance scored two plays later on a keeper from 2 yards.
“I was prepared for it. I think Jimmy was too,” Lance said. “It’s one of those things where we had repped it. It was good to get game reps and kind of really see how it really feels.”
That ended the day for Garoppolo, who completed 4 of 7 passes for 64 yards to go with the two runs.
Lance stayed in the game until the third quarter and finished 6-of-13 for 46 yards with three drops, raising that total to 10 drops this preseason on passes by the occasionally too-strong armed rookie.
2021.08.29 – (SF 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders) (NFL Pre-season Video)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) scrambles for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, August 29, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
2021.08.29 – (SF 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders) (NFL Pre-season Video)
More importantly, it showed the NFL what might be coming in two weeks once the regular season opens with the 49ers in Detroit.
“It catches you off guard,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “I’m used to Jimmy being in there the entire time, so when Trey comes in, it’s, ‘Oh, there’s Trey. What are you doing in here, (No.) 5?’
It’s unique. And it’s fun.” “They did a good job,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “By no means was it perfect, but just the function of going in and out and not knowing when it would be, It wasn’t a planned rotation. I tried to make it situationally and go out of impulse on down and distance. Those guys seemed to handle it good.”
Shanahan balked at announcing his Week 1 starter, but it will be a surprise if it’s not Garoppolo.
The Raiders took a different approach, keeping most of their starters back home in Las Vegas. QB Nathan Peterman got his third straight game of extensive action. He took all but one snap in the preseason as Marcus Mariota nursed an injury and Derek Carr rested.
Peterman went 18 for 29 for 175 yards with a 16-yard TD pass to Nick Bowers.
“We took the approach to evaluate the guys we didn’t know too much about,” coach Jon Gruden said. “A lot of these guys had college seasons that were interrupted last year. The evaluation was incomplete. You don’t tackle in pads, you don’t do a lot in pads like you used to. This was the most important call for us so we try to make the right decisions when we cut down the roster.”
2021.08.29 – Shanahan’s 2-QB 49ers plan (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) scrambles for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, August 29, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
2021.08.29 – Shanahan’s 2-QB 49ers plan (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
2021.08.29 – Shanahan’s 2-QB 49ers plan (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
STAYING HOME
The only projected Week 1 starter on the depth chart who saw action for the Raiders was linebacker Tanner Muse.
Carr, tight end Darren Waller, running backs Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake, receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, and offensive linemen Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good and Richie Incognito are among the projected starters who got no action in the preseason for the Raiders.
“I think you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t in a lot of ways,” Gruden said. “You lose two or three starters in this game and all the questions will be different.”
BACK TO THE BAY
The Raiders made their first trip back to the Bay Area since moving to Las Vegas last year. With the move, the NFL restarted the exhibition series between the Raiders and 49ers that had been put on hold since 2011 after one man was beaten in a restroom and another was shot multiple times in the Candlestick Park parking lot.
2021.08.29 – 49ers’ 53-man WR situation (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
San Francisco 49ers’ Jalen Hurd (14) runs for yardage while being tackled by Las Vegas Raiders’ Amik Robertson (21) in the first quarter of their preseason game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
2021.08.29 – 49ers’ 53-man WR situation (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
2021.08.29 – 49ers’ 53-man WR situation (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
HURD RESURFACES
Two years after infatuating the 49ers Faithful with a two touchdown debut in an exhibition opener, Jalen Hurd made it back into game action, with mixed results. He caught four of Lance’s passes for 25 yards, but he also dropped two, and he needed teammates Jauan Jennings and Charlie Woerner to properly line up before one snap.
Hurd is a 2019 third round draft pick that Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have stated they want on the roster so long as he’s healthy. Now 13 months removed from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear, Hurd took a big step playing in this game, but there’s no guarantee it’s enough to warrant a job. His trade value sure climbed, though.
“He got about 25 plays and some he’d like to have back, a couple of drops. I consider it a success,” Shanahan said. “It was his first time playing in a couple years. Had a long road back.” Hurd also had a 2-yard run in his first touch since the 2019 exhibition opener. If Hurd is competing for a roster spot, perhaps it comes at the expense of Jauan Jennings, the seventh-round pick out of Tennessee. Jennings had a drop Sunday but promptly answered that with a 15-yard catch.
READY RAHEEM
Raheem Mostert made his only appearance of the preseason for the 49ers and needed just one drive to show he’s ready for the opener.
Mostert looked electric, almost as much as the last time he played at Levi’s Stadium in front of fans – Mostert’s Epic Dash to Super Bowl! Which was his 220-yard, four-touchdown game in the January 2020 NFC Championship Game.
Mostert got seven carries on that drive and gained 53 yards before taking the rest of the day off.
2021.08.30 – Trey Lance chips his finger (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
2021.08.30 – Trey Lance chips his finger (Lombardi’s Video-Podcast)
INJURY UPDATE
Niners WR Travis Benjamin left the game with a concussion.
49ers QB Trey Lance to miss 1 week with injured finger
San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance will miss one week of practice after injuring a finger on his throwing hand during an exhibition game.
Lance was hit on his right hand by the helmet of Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Max Richardson on Sunday. Lance remained in the game after the hit but got more tests done Monday that coach Kyle Shanahan said showed a “small chip fracture” in the finger.
Shanahan said Lance is unable to take snaps and needs to rest for about seven days before he can return. Lance will miss two practices this week but should be back next Monday when the 49ers begin preparations for their season opener Sept. 12 at Detroit.
Lance is expected to back up Jimmy Garoppolo to begin the season but also will be used with his own package of plays in certain situations.
UP NEXT
Raiders: Las Vegas opens the regular season at home vs. Baltimore on Sept. 13.
49ers: San Francisco opens the regular season at Detroit on Sept. 12.
Related – See below: Mostert’s Epic Dash to Super Bowl!
Related: 49ers rally to beat Chargers
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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Mostert’s Epic Dash to Super Bowl!