When both teams took the field on Thursday nite, it was very different from the Chargers’ dominance over the 49ers during their joint practice on Tuesday.
After building anticipation for Justin Herbert’s August performance at SoFi Stadium, all we saw was a brief three-and-out before the starters were substituted out. Nothing particularly exciting happened after that.
For the majority of the evening, the Chargers were disinterested and lacking in discipline. Several procedural penalties hindered the offense, and half of them eliminated some of the team’s greatest plays. Against the Niners, running the ball also seemed like the most difficult task in the world. In the third quarter, the Chargers running backs had three net rushing yards on ten total carries at one point. Before any back could cut north and south, defenders were shooting through gaps all nite long.
The defenders, who virtually disappeared in the third quarter, didn’t fare much better. In the preseason, giving up 40 points or more should be a challenging challenge, but for the 49ers, it seemed much too simple.
In the end, the Bolts lost 41-17 in a game that they will need to see and endure to understand how the entire enterprise collapsed. This also applies to special teams, which permitted a score from an 83-yard punt return.
Next Thursday, the Chargers will return to SoFi Stadium to play the Rams on the road. The start time is set at 7:00 p.m. PST.
Initial Quarter
After winning the toss, the Chargers decided to accept. First up were Justin Herbert and company.
Omarion Hampton received a sweep to the right on first down, but tight end David Njoku was beaten to the outside, resulting in a one-yard loss. In the subsequent play, Herbert found Charlie Kolar, another tight end, for a nine-point gain to move up to third and two. After feigning a handoff on third down, Herbert fired a left to Ladd McConkey, but the ball fell short because he was tightly covered.
Brock Purdy’s 49ers offense had a little more success on their first drive. Rookie back Kaelon Black ran hard enough to move the chains early, and Purdy found rookie De’Zhaun Stribling many times for first down grabs. The Chargers defense eventually forced a punt that bounced into the end zone after clamping down a little close to middle.
Sadly, Jim Harbaugh was correct when he stated that the starters would only play one series. Herbert was substituted for Trey Lance, who was able to move the chains once with a short toss to running back Keaton Mitchell, despite starting the game with a quick three-and-out. The offense scored 26 yards overall in six plays before San Francisco was punished.
The second quarter
Eddy Piniero scored a 48-yard field goal to start the second quarter after the Niners finished the first quarter with 56 yards in 10 plays.
Throughout the first part of the quarter, both teams combined for four punts. Lance burst off a 37-yard run to push the offense to the Niners’ six-yard line, and the Chargers were the first to end the brief standoff. Sadly, the thrill ended there. Over the next three plays, Lance could only manage a two-yard completion to Scott Matlock before Cameron Dicker entered the game and tied it 3-3 with a 21-yard punt.
Sincere McCormick’s 37-yard run was the Niners offense’s best play of the day. The Niners took a 10-3 lead after McCormick bowled over three Chargers defenders and into the end zone from seven yards out following an illegal shift penalty.
On their subsequent drive, Los Angeles was three-and-out once more before wideout Jacob Cowing returned a punt for an 83-yard touchdown. With just over three minutes left in the half, that special teams goal increased their lead to 17-3.
With a 20-yard ball over the middle to receiver KhaDarel Hodge just prior to halftime, quarterback Mac Jones put the Niners inside field goal range. They were set up at the LA 27, where Piniero was good from 45 yards out as time ran out, thanks to a seven-yard pass to Cowing three plays later.
The San Francisco 49ers did not play their starters last week. De’Zhaun Stribling, a rookie receiver, became the center of the offense as a result, and in less than 20 minutes of action, he had an unexpected seven receptions.
In their second preseason game, the 49ers did employ starters. Brock Purdy also harbored feelings for Stribling.
During the 49ers’ first nine offensive plays against the Los Angeles Chargers, Stribling caught three catches. He demonstrated his powerful hands by catching the ball away from his body on a few receptions. He demonstrated his ability to win on contested catches by doing the same thing in San Francisco’s opening preseason game. After one series, the 49ers’ starters left, but Stribling remained and caught Mac Jones’ first ball for 21 yards. Stribling missed a deep pass that may have been a touchdown later in the drive, so it wasn’t flawless, but at least he had plenty of separation during the play.
After just over a quarter of action, he finished with four receptions for 46 yards as the 49ers went on to win 41-17.
Early returns suggest the 49ers may have struck gold with their second-round selection, but things will change once the regular season begins.
In this year’s draft, the 49ers selected Stribling with the first pick of the second round, a move that many people mocked. Many experts ranked Stribling lower than receivers like Denzel Boston, which sparked debate about whether teams should follow the “consensus board” of draft experts. The 49ers laughed at that.
The 49ers were clearly impressed with Stribling’s performance at the NFL scouting combine. At 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, he ran a blazing 4.36-second 40-yard dash. The 49ers can use the help in the passing game with Ricky Pearsall already out for the season due to a knee injury and George Kittle returning from a torn Achilles. If the early preseason returns mean anything, Stribling might be a major part of the offense right away.