Now that the San Francisco 49ers have had a few days to recuperate and reflect on last Sunday’s 34-7 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, it will be interesting to see what gameplan head coach Kyle Shanahan implements this Saturday against the visiting Denver Broncos.

All of the 49ers starters are not expected to play much (if at all) against the Broncos, which will give the backups an opportunity to gain more on-field experience.

There has not been confirmation yet if second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, who is working his way back from elbow surgery, will suit up on Saturday; but on Wednesday coach Shanahan said he planned to shake up his quarterback rotation for this game.

Here are some 49er players to watch for on Saturday.

LANCE VS. DARNOLD

While coach Shanahan has already stated the starting quarterback position is Purdy’s to lose, the battle for the No. 2 spot is still up in the air between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold; and it is no secret that the former has been strongly criticized since Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

Although Lance’s numbers from last Sunday looked solid (completing 10/15 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown with a 111 quarterback rating), they don’t paint a picture as a whole to describe his performance.

Lance not only looked indecisive at times whenever he dropped back to pass, but the 49ers second-string offensive line also did him no favors as the third-year quarterback out of North Dakota State was sacked four times in the first half.

And while Lance completed all four of his passes on the 49ers only touchdown drive of the game, his touchdown pass to tight end Ross Dwelley was pure luck; the pass clearly should have been intercepted, but luckily Dwelley was at the right place at the right time.

Darnold has had his share of ups and downs during training camp, but he clearly looked more comfortable on the field Sunday against the Raiders; the former Southern California standout’s best pass was a 37-yard strike down the right sideline to rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell.

Darnold has experience on his side as he had played in 55 career games in the NFL; whereas Lance only has four career starts in the league and was already raw when coming out of college in 2021.

It is not a forgone conclusion that Darnold could beat out Lance for the No. 2 quarterback spot; and unlike his previous stop with the New York Jets (who drafted him No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft) and Carolina Panthers, Darnold is surrounded by a Super Bowl-caliber 49ers team that can take pressure off and help him to be successful if called upon.

That is not to say Lance can’t be successful in the same type of position, but he needs to somehow turn up the gears during these final two preseason games to get the non-believing critics to take him seriously; and it starts this Saturday against the Broncos.

The 49ers sacrificed a lot of draft picks in order to trade up with the Miami Dolphins to select Lance at the No. 3 spot of the 2021 NFL Draft, but unfortunately the franchise is still waiting on a return from their investment… time (and patience) may be wearing out.

49ERS O-LINE & 49ERS FRONT SEVEN

The trenches on both sides of the ball were not kind to the 49ers last Sunday; and they will look to put out a better effort this Saturday against the Broncos.

The 49ers offensive line struggled all game to hold their own against the Raiders front seven; while San Francisco’s front seven could not generate any pressure on the other side of the ball which gave Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell the opportunity to pick apart the defense without hesitation.

Although both sides struggled, I feel that the 49ers have more depth within the defensive front seven compared to the offensive line; and it’s going to be important for left tackle Trent Williams and the rest of the starters on the o-line to stay healthy this season because the depth behind them is currently in question.

Defensive end Clelin Ferrell was able to assert himself by making a tackle behind the line of scrimmage plus breaking through and generating a sack on O’Connell. After an uninspiring four season with the Raiders, Ferrell is looking to establishing himself as a key component in the 49ers defensive rotation.

Fifth-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has struggled to find his footing in the NFL since being drafted by the 49ers 14th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft but has had a solid training camp so far.

Last Sunday was a chance for Kinlaw to find his rhythm and establish himself, unfortunately he was pushed around often by the Raiders offensive line and couldn’t get going.

Whether it has been because of injury or inefficiency on the field, Kinlaw has done little to assure the fans within the Niner Empire that it was not a mistake trading away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts.

Entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, it is safe to say Kinlaw could be on borrowed time unless there is a miraculous turn-around; but he is not alone.

If any of the 49ers reserves want to make the team or possibly catch on with another franchise should they be cut, they can’t have a lackluster performance like they did against the Raiders last Sunday.

NEW 49ERS KICKER NOT “MOODY” AFTER ROUGH DEBUT

Earlier this week in my 49ers/Raiders recap, I mentioned that if you’re going to replace kicker Robbie Gould (one of the most accurate and reliable place kickers in NFL history) with a rookie… you better get it right!

The 49ers selected kicker Jake Moody out of Michigan with the 99th-overall pick (third round) of this year’s NFL Draft, and the debut for the new place kicker did not go according to plan.

Moody attempted two field goals last Sunday against the Raiders and missed both kicks from 40 and 58 yards. One small note: Gould is still a free agent.

But despite his shaky debut, Moody isn’t fazed by the pressure and is eager to learn from the experience.

During team practices this off-season, Moody has consistently demonstrated that he can make field goals from beyond 50 (and even 60) yards; now it is all about transitioning that to real game time action.

There’s no denying that Moody has huge shoes to fill after his predecessor Gould, but the former is willing to learn from past mistakes and get better; it will be nice to see him drill a field goal or two this Saturday to boost his confidence.

CORNERBACK D’SHAWN JAMISON

Do not let the size of D’Shawn Jamison fool you; the undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas might only stand at 5’9″, but he possesses versatile physical gifts that have been turning heads with the 49ers since arriving in Santa Clara.

49ers starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, who is one of the players taking notice, says he’s learning from a guy who received a $20,000 signing bonus.

“He has a great backpedal,” Ward said. “He’s patient in his pedal. I’m learning some of that from him – staying patient in my backpedal playing off-man (coverage). He’s got that down to a ‘T’ right now, so I’ve been very impressed with that.”

Jamison has also been getting reps returning kicks and punts, as wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is currently sidelined for two months with a broken wrist.

On Sunday against the Raiders, Jamison had some nice returns for the kicking and punting game; but two of those kickoff returns were nullified due to penalties on the 49ers.

What did impress me with Jamison’s kick/punt returns is how patient he is finding open lanes to run through; and once he hits that lane, he shows incredible burst. It is this type of versatility that can only help Jamison make the 49ers final 53-man roster, and currently as it stands his chances are pretty good.

This Saturday, Jamison will have another opportunity to prove that he belongs in the NFL; and though the Texas product knows his height will sometimes be a topic, he is determined to prove the doubters wrong.

Written by @thizzle75 (Paul Williams)

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