In a relatively low adventure, the Chargers could not beat the 49ers, losing by a score of 15-10.
To sum up Sunday’s preseason showdown, here’s everything we know:
It ended when ….
49ers quarterback Trey Lance found great receiver Travis Benjamin in the end zone with six minutes left in the third quarter. The Chargers had five chances after the scoreboard to take the lead again, but they couldn’t.
Keys to the game
Both teams added 25 penalties.
The Chargers forced three turnovers, but only managed to capitalize on one.
The offense was only 2 of 11 in third down situations.
The offensive unit was only combined for 171 total offense yards.
3 stars of the game
QB Easton Stick: 10 of 14, 85 yards, a touchdown, very effective 15 yards
EDGE Kyler Fackrell: Two attacks, one sack, one loss attack, three quarterback hits
LB Nick Niemann: 8 attacks in total, one attack per loss
Quick hitters
With his performance, Stick made the battle for Justin Herbert’s backup much more interesting. Chase Daniel, on the other hand, did not help his cause, only accumulating 60 yards passing 21 attempts, plus an interception.
Stick and Daniel were fired five times and pressed on several occasions, which speaks particularly to the lack of offensive line depth, including Trey Pipkins or Storm Norton, who have not proven to be reliable attacks.
Neither Joshua Kelley nor Larry Rountree III separated in the background field battle, as the two only combined for 21 yards on 15 gates. Still, they both made good plays in the passing game.
Jalen Guyton led all wide receivers with 35 snapshots. Doing his best, Guyton won a defender vertically for a 39-yard play to his only goal.
Josh Palmer, who had 22 shots, only received one goal that resulted in a three-yard touchdown.
Tyron Johnson spent most of the time in a heap on the ground today, his normally rapid movement hindered by the slippery pitch. Johnson only took four passes for 11 yards.
The inside of the defensive line was strong in the pass-rush department, but they weren’t as effective in the racing game, as the Niners averaged four yards per carry.
Luckily for the Trench boys, the second line of defense was almost always there to clear things up, including Niemann and Cole Christiansen, who combined for 15 attacks.
There wasn’t much to pull out of the battle, as there was only one field goal attempt, executed by Michael Badgley at 50 yards.
Speaking of special equipment, the coverage was not so great. San Francisco averaged 20 yards on his stitch returns and 18 yards on his stitch returns.
What’s next?
The Chargers close out the preseason board on the road against the Seahawks on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.