Nobody likes a tie, but considering we like overtime in the preseason even less, we'll take it.
Let's take a look at the winners and losers from the 49ers' final preseason game.
Winners
Isaac Guerendo
As Kyle Shanahan pointed out on his conference call Sunday night, the Raiders game was the first time Guerendo had put on pads since the Senior Bowl in February.
He did not disappoint.
I've made no secret of my excitement to see Guerendo thanks to his rare combination of size and speed, and this is exactly what I was hoping to see. (He's just the second person in the last 20 years to run a 4.33 second 40 yard dash at the Combine while weighing 220+ pounds)
While he didn't really pop as a traditional runner out of the backfield, Guerendo stands to help the team significantly if he can consistently contribute returns like this on special teams.
Jacob Cowing
It's often said that training camp and the preseason aren't necessarily about how you do on any one day, but rather whether you can stack days and show improvement throughout the summer. In the case of Cowing, he's done that every single time out.
Once again, he looked twitchy, explosive, and sure-handed. On the night, Cowing caught 3 passes for 39 yards and a score. In two games this preseason, he's reeled in 7 total passes for 90 yards.
He may not be ready to be WR3 just yet, but between his comfort as a punt returner and his impressive (albiet limited) sample at receiver, it's becoming clear that Cowing can answer the bell if called upon.
Darrell Luter Jr.
The 2024 49ers will feature the best secondary of the Kyle Shanahan era, and Luter Jr. faces an uphill battle to make the team. He began the climb on Friday night.
With 5 tackles, 3 passes defended, and an interception on 4th down in the red zone, Luter Jr. did not go quietly into that good night.
Kyle and John Lynch have been in his corner since he was drafted in 2023, but we haven't really gotten to see him on field that much since then. In a crowded secondary, it will be interesting to see if Friday night's effort was enough to give Luter more time in the sun.
Losers
Brock Purdy
For the second straight game Purdy failed to properly protect himself. He took multiple unnecessary hits - capped off by this entirely avoidable play following his interception:
Why are you throwing your neck and shoulder on a guy during a preseason interception return? To be honest, doing so even in a regular season game would be questionable. But here? It's flat out reckless and it could have completely derailed the last dance for this core of players.
Sam Womack III
It feels like we have been waiting for Sam Womack to emerge for way longer than just two years, but he hasn't done much since being taken in 2022.
In Friday's game, he was a part of one arguably the most inexplicable play I can remember a 49ers defensive back making, and there's a lot of competition for that title.
Not only does Luter get beat on the play, but he also simply stands and watches as the under-thrown ball is caught and the receiver runs right past him for the score.
There have been too many DBs drafted by this regime that are simply terrible at making plays on the football. Unfortunately it seems like Sam Womack is on that list, which could cost him a roster spot in a highly competitive DB room.
Malik Mustapha
Mustapha had a prime opportunity to shine after getting the start, but unfortunately showed just as much bad as good in this game.
It's clear that he can be a heat-seeking missile to ball carriers. Unfortunately for the 49ers he only makes the tackle about 50% of the time once he arrives. Multiple times on Friday night Mustapha would sniff out a play, or be in perfect position to limit a gain only to whiff on a tackle or fail to wrap up as the opponent kept on moving down the field.
Clearly there's potential in Mustapha, and he certainly wasn't bad enough to dampen any of the enthusiasm that he's built up so far this preseason, but he's got to become a more consistent tackler if he wants to see the field more as a rookie.
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