The 49ers took down the Saints in their second preseason game, and there were several notable performances. Let's dive into a few below.
(Apologies for the long hiatus. It's good to be back)
Winners
Josh Dobbs
In just one quarter of work, Dobbs threw 21 passes and ran the ball three times for a total of 158 yards and a touchdown.
More than the box score, however, was how he looked doing it. The offense was stagnant with Brock Purdy under center (more on that later). When Dobbs took over, he brought an immediate energy to the team that you could feel even just watching on television.
It didn't hurt that he also did stuff like this:
Through two preseason games, Dobbs has looked strong in the face of consistent pressure, and easily extended the play and created on his own when things broke down. It may not be Kyle Shanahan's favorite way to play, but if something ever happened to Brock that's exactly what I want my backup quarterback to be able to do.
Having the option to run plays like this in the red zone doesn't hurt, either.
Jacob Cowing
For as much success as the 49ers found with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, they have also had multiple swings and misses at the wide receiver position.
Fortunately, however, Jacob Cowing is not one of those misses.
Even in just limited action so far this preseason, you can tell Cowing has good hands and does a nice job tracking the ball in the air. There's something there with him.
The fourth-round rookie showed off his versatility against the Saints, touching the ball as a receiver, runner, and returner.
The fact that Shanahan was willing to put him in all those different positions proves he's at least intrigued by the rookie's potential.
The jury's still out on Ricky Pearsall due to injury, but hitting on Cowing would take some of the sting out of things if Pearsall goes the way of Jalen Hurd and AJ Jenkins.
Dominick Puni
At this point it's safe to say the hype on Puni's training camp was real. From the second he hit the field, Puni has looked extremely comfortable at right guard.
In fact, he often looks more than comfortable out there, even seeking out additional blockers to neutralize as the play develops.
The fact that I was able to easily find highlights of right guard play in and of itself proves the point (last week too). Puni looks like the definition of a plug-and-play starter at a position where the 49ers sorely needed one.
Losers
Brock Purdy
Let me say right off that bat that Purdy's preseason performance is irrelevant (even though it wasn't great).
I put him on this list because he was too risky with his body in this game.
We all know what Purdy means to this team. He has a responsibility to himself and everyone else in the locker room to take care of his body. Here's part of what he said after the game:
"I'm not out there freaking out about, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm not trying to get hit.’ That's not football. If I'm stepping out in the field, then obviously I know what's at stake in terms of it's a physical game. It's fast. Things happen. You're going to get hit. You're going to fall on the ground."
In preseason game two? You absolutely should be thinking about avoiding hits. Especially in a contract year. Especially in a championship-or-bust season. Especially when you've already suffered a catastrophic injury in your career that cost you a chance at playing in the Super Bowl.
Putting that aside, Purdy also didn't play well, going just two of six for 11 yards and taking a sack. While it was true he was surrounded by backups and faced many Saints starters, it's also true that that didn't seem to be an issue for Josh Dobbs once he took over.
Brock's overall body of work stands for itself, but last night wasn't a good night for 13.
Cody Schrader
I admit, I've had a soft spot for Schrader since he was signed after the draft. His production in college coupled with his 5'8", 200 pound stature made him the perfect player to root for in the preseason.
Through two games, however, it doesn't look like Schrader will go down as one of the Kyle Shanahan/Bobby Turner diamonds in the rough.
Despite ample opportunity thanks to absences by Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Isaac Guerendo, and Jordan Mason, Schrader averaged just over two yards per carry on his seven rushes last night. That's not the way to follow up his 1.2 yards per carry against the Titans a week ago.
Undrafted free agents like Cody always have a tough road to make the roster, but the reality of the situation is that Schrader was in the exact opportunity you would want as an UDFA and he simply hasn't taken advantage to this point.
He may not get many more chances going forward.
Cam Latu and Danny Gray
Unfortunately for the 49ers, both Latu and Gray look like the latest in a long line of failed third round picks in the Shanahan-Lynch regime.
After losing his entire rookie season due to injury (and looking unimpressive before he did), Latu is extremely raw for his position, and often looks disinterested on the field. There was a deep ball last night that was in his area, and Latu couldn't even be bothered to dive for it.
Gray has one career catch despite being drafted two years ago, and has difficulty reeling in the ball even on the rare occasion he is healthy enough to play.
For our full analysis of the 49ers' game against the Saints, check out our Instant Reaction show on YouTube, or listen to the audio podcast!
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