49ers fall to Titans in preseason opener with a QB2 battle
San Francisco 49ers quarterback #17 Brandon Allen hands off to running back #38 Cody Schrader in the first half of Saturday’s exhibition game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. John Amis/Associated Press
2024.08.10 – San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brandon Allen, who is competing with Josh Dobbs for the backup role behind QB1 Brock Purdy fell to the Tennessee Titans 17-13 on Saturday night in the teams’ preseason opener.
Allen completed 7 of 13 passes for 98 yards total, Dobbs completed 14 of his 20 passes for 146 yards, and threw an interception on a Hail Mary on the game’s final play. Dobbs also had a 6-yard scoring run.
“I thought they did a good job,” Shanahan said. “I thought both of them made some plays.”
The 49ers opened with an 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive led by Jordan Mason, who grew up in nearby Gallatin, Tenn. Mason had 34 yards on six carries on his lone drive, which he capped off with a pile-driving, 4-yard touchdown run.
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) Game Highlights
San Francisco 49ers quarterback #17 Brandon Allen asking questions to QB1 Brock Purdy (left) in the first half of Saturday’s exhibition game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Purdy did not play. John Amis/Associated Press
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) Game Highlights – (FL-Highlights)
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) Game Highlights – (FL-Highlights)
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) – (Krueger Post Game)
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) – (Krueger Post Game)
The 49ers’ special teams, which had costly gaffes in their overtime loss in Super Bowl LVIII in February, picked up where they left off, albeit with a crew of backups.
The 49ers quickly made it clear they need some more work on the NFL’s new kickoff rules by allowing a 63-yard return to wide receiver Kearis Jackson on their first try, setting up a 15-yard touchdown drive. And their first punt didn’t go much better. With just-signed punter Pressley Harvin III filling in for Mitch Wishnowsky (knee), the 49ers allowed a 26-yard return to wideout Jha’Quan Jackson, setting the stage for a 64-yard touchdown drive.
“For the most part, I don’t play any starters in the first game, if you look at the history of how we’ve done it,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So, that’s usually how we are, sometimes I might feel differently, based on how things are going but nothing’s changing so far this camp.”
Titans QB Will Levis led touchdown drives on both his series. The two scores were a product of not only two big special teams plays, but efficiency in operating a new offense under first-year Titans head coach Brian Callahan.
“We had no penalties until the second half, so that was really cool to see. We’ve got a couple of things we’ve got to clean up. But that was our number one goal, and I felt like we did a good job,” Levis said of the offense.
Levis completed 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards, and capped the Titans’ opening drive by scoring on a quarterback sneak.
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) (Damon Bruce Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs completing a six yard scoring drive in the second half of Saturday’s exhibition game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. John Amis/Associated Press
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) (Damon Bruce Post Game)
2024.08.10 (49ers vs. Tennessee) (Damon Bruce Post Game)
“Anytime you can come out and put two scores on the board just to start out with our offense being a new unit with new faces, I think is a positive,” Callahan said. “It’s nice to have success in preseason games. I think it’s important to sustain success and build some winning habits.”
Third-string quarterback Malik Willis directed a scoring drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in 34-yard field goal by rookie Brandon Narveson.
The 49ers answered with a touchdown drive that ended with Dobb’s 6-yard run into the end zone. The 49ers went for two, but were unsuccessful.
49ers Mustapha the “Nigerian Missile”
It’s not easy to make an indelible play in a meaningless game, but Malik Mustapha did just that Saturday night.
In the second quarter Mustapha woke up all drowsy viewers by nearly depositing 228-pound running back Hassan Haskins into the Cumberland River.
On 4th-and-1 from the 49ers’ 2-yard line, the muscle-bound fourth-round pick sprinted through a hole on the left side of Tennessee’s line, planted Haskins at the 4-yard line and celebrated by flexing as he nearly sprinted all the way to midfield. The shot shed light on why the undersized Mustapha (5-foot-10, 206 pounds) was known as the “Nigerian Missile” at Wake Forest.
“I’m just glad I was able to show them that part of my game,” Mustapha said. “That fire. That tenacity. That violence. That physicality that I bring.”
Homecoming
With Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell not playing in the game for the 49ers, Mason used the game against the Titans as a nice homecoming. Mason, who played high school football at Gallatin High, about 25 miles north of Nashville, rushed six times for 34 yards for the 49ers in the first quarter, including the touchdown run that gave San Francisco the 7-0 lead.
2024.08.10 (Brock Purdy & KPIX5 Vern)
Niners safety Malik Mustapha (43), who made the defensive play of the game on a 4th-and-1 play in Saturday’s 17-13 loss at Tennessee, is on this sack of Titans quarterback Malik Willis (7) along with Samuel Womack III (0), Robert Beal Jr. (51) and safety Jaylen Mahoney (49). John Amis/Associated Press
2024.08.10 (Brock Purdy & KPIX5 Vern)
2024.08.10 (Brock Purdy & KPIX5 Vern)
More importantly for the Titans, the offensive line held up well. Tennessee’s only sack allowed came when Willis attempted to scramble and was stopped for a one-yard loss by Kalia Davis. The offensive line yielded 64 sacks last season and was a point of emphasis in the off-season with the hiring of head coach Brian Callahan’s father, Bill, for that role.
“Guys were up and on their stuff. I felt well protected out there,” Levis said of the line’s play.
Standing strong
The 49ers twice stuffed the Titans on fourth-and-1 plays to end Tennessee drives. The first one came on a replay challenge that overturned a run by Hassan Haskins that would have set up first-and-goal at the 1. That came in the second quarter on Rudolph’s first series at quarterback, guiding the Titans second-team offense.
The second stop came just across midfield when the Niners stuffed running back Jabari Small at the San Francisco 49 with 4:32 left to play in the game.
INJURIES
Cornerback Ambry Thomas suffered a broken forearm in the game, Shanahan said after the game.
“Ambry Thomas ended up breaking his forearm. It’ll be some time. That’s all we’ve got right now,” Shanahan said.
UP NEXT
The Titans have joint practices this week on Wednesday and Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks ahead of their Saturday preseason game at Nissan Stadium.
The 49ers also have joint practices scheduled this week against the New Orleans Saints, who they face next Sunday.
Related: A new 49ers-Packers rivalry – Brock Purdy vs Jordan Love
Related: See below – 49ers Mostert Epic Dash to Super Bowl!
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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