49ers fall to the Titans, but De’Zhaun Stribling steals the show

We were reminded of what preseason football looks like. It’s a precipitous drop-off from QB3 to QB4. But we also got to see some first-year players shine.

The San Francisco 49ers entered the game with an intent to feature De’Zhaun Stribling. He caught a pass on the first play of the game. Stribling finished the evening with seven receptions for 63 yards on eight targets, including this beauty for 32 yards:

We saw Stribling run routes out wide, from the slot, hang on to contested catches, and win down the field. He looked like the player the 49ers had hoped he’d be. It’s early, but it was a fantastic evening for the rookie.

He wasn’t the only rookie to stand out. Gracen Halton had a series where he beat Peter Skoronowski, one of the best left guards in the game, three times in a series. Halton has the kind of juice the Niners desperately need at defensive tackle. And the good news is Halton wasn’t just winning one way, or flukey.

I’d argue that Halton and Bryson Eason outplayed Alfred Collins, which might not be a great sign for Collins. Eason flashed a couple of times himself early in the game. Later on, James Thompson also showed well.

Jaden Dugger was rangy, as expected. Watching him develop will be fascinating, as his athleticism is palpable. He looked more comfortable playing linebacker than Nick Martin — which again, might say more about Martin. He had a personal foul in the third quarter after failing to sink into the throwing lane. So it was a double whammy.

Despite trailing at the half, the 49ers outgained the Titans in the first half. They went 6-for-11 on third down, and a lot of that was thanks to Kurtis Rourke, who left with a rib injury. He looked in control of the offense, going 12-for-14 for 101 yards, and scrambled three times for 14 yards. Rourke looked good enough to challenge for QB2.

You cannot say the same about Adrian Martinez. You never know where the ball is going when he drops back to throw.

Robert Jones played the entire first half at left guard, while Connor Colby played right guard. The 49ers are going to need to get a long look at Jones. In the second half, Carver Willis was next up at left guard. It didn’t take long to see why Colby got demoted after allowing a free runner early on in the game.

Corliss Waitman had a couple of impressive punts, including a 58-yarder. Eddy Pineiro missed a 60+ yard attempt. In fairness to Pineiro, it should’ve been more like a 50-yard attempt, had Martinez not inexplicably stepped out of bounds.

Once you get into the third quarter and beyond, you’re just hoping nobody gets hurt. On that note, cornerback Jack Jones left early in the game with an injury. That’s the last thing the 49ers want to see.

Speaking of the secondary, it was tough sledding early on for Marques Sigle and Jakob Robinson. Missed tackles, poor run fits, and easy completions were a theme. It may not matter for Robinson, as he was playing nickel(Upton Stout’s spot). However, Sigle is in line to start, and that may not matter whether Malik Mustapha is healthy.

Ultimately, we saw some positive things from players who will contribute this upcoming season, and that’s what you want coming out of the first preseason game.