49ers vs. Chiefs: The good, bad and ugly from NFL preseason, Week 1
By Peter Panacy
The Bad
Despite the win, the 49ers can’t feel overly good about everything that happened over the course of the game.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s first-team unit appeared completely outmatched by a mix of Kansas City starters and second teamers. On multiple occasions, the Chiefs targeted — with success — second-year cornerback Rashard Robinson.
Robinson needs to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, and not doing so led to some key gains for the Chiefs early.
Fortunately, Robinson bounced back with a key interception late in the first quarter.
49ers Cornerbacks
Robinson’s early issues might be something to watch, as the Niners are hoping he turns into a true No. 1 corner.
Rookie corner Ahkello Witherspoon flashed some promise against the run, but he also displayed how raw he is in coverage. The same shouldn’t be said of cornerback Keith Reaser who, according to SFGate.com’s Kevin Lynch, flashed some moments.
But there were still a number of coverage gaffes, which could be a problem with a Niners team running a lot of one-on-one coverage this season.
Quarterback Brian Hoyer
Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer doesn’t have to worry about losing his starting job, although he was less than stellar in his limited action early in the game.
Hoyer was 1-of-4 for just three yards and a passer rating of only 39.6.
Again, only preseason. But Hoyer was going up against a sizable chunk of NFL starting-caliber players and working with his own first-team unit.
We’ll see if this trend continues, but it’s not exactly the best start.
49ers Red-Zone Offense
San Francisco had multiple attempts to punch the ball into the end zone early in the second quarter — a red-zone appearance set up by a promising run by running back Matt Breida.
Yet the Chiefs stuffed Breida at the 1-yard line and forced a field-goal attempt, only to see the Niners get a new set of downs after Kansas City committed a penalty on the try.
Still, the 49ers couldn’t manage to get into the end zone on three subsequent attempts, settling instead for a field goal.
Overall, the Niners finished 1-of-3 within the red zone. It’s not a great line, for sure, and it’s something a likely offensively challenged San Francisco team will face this season.