Texans vs. 49ers: 5 Biggest Takeaways for San Francisco

6 of 6

Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Thad Lewis (9) looks to throw a pass against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Line Took Strides

The 49ers offensive line, which was such a sore spot last season, started this preseason off on a good note. Right tackle Trenton Brown had a good game, as did right guard Andrew Tiller. Fellow linemen Anthony Davis and Joshua Garnett also played well, with only Davis allowing a sack on QB Thad Lewis on a blitz.

The zone-scheme run blocking in general was a plus. There were a couple of breakdowns as a result of miscommunication, but for the first live game action of the preseason, not a bad result. The 49ers run game did rush for 236 yards, so the blocking was there.

More from Niner Noise

The competition will continue for this group as the rest of the preseason evolves. The right-side of the line still has the question marks, but last night’s performance was a big step in the right direction for the unit.

Even though the 49ers took the loss, there were good things which occurred. A couple of the roster bubble candidates played very well, and the first-team units on both sides of the ball did some good things but left plenty of room for improvement on the table.

The 49ers will hold two joint practices with the Denver Broncos later this week and will matchup this Saturday night for preseason game No. 2 at Sports Authority Field in Denver.

Next: Texans vs 49ers: Preseason Week 1 Grades and Analysis for San Francisco

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.