49ers preseason: Player stock watch after Week 3 loss to Vikings
By Peter Panacy
Quarterback Brian Hoyer
On the other side of the quarterbacking equation, veteran QB Brian Hoyer hadn’t made much of a dent in preseason action thus far.
Yet that all changed Sunday night, as head coach Kyle Shanahan opened up a bit more of his playbook and scheming abilities.
Hoyer did not disappoint, going 12-of-17 for 176 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 143.3 against Minnesota’s first-team defense. At one point, Hoyer completed all eight of his first passing attempts and didn’t toss an incompletion until well into the second quarter.
His first-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was right on point, although Hoyer’s pass to running back Carlos Hyde in the red zone was even more impressive.
Hoyer had to fit his pass into a much tighter window, which he did with relative ease:
San Francisco’s offense looked as if it was functioning with great rhythm during the first two quarters, and Hoyer’s abilities had a lot to do with it.