Chargers vs 49ers: Previewing preseason Week 4 for San Francisco

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 27: Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers calls a play against the Minnesota Vikings as teammate Daniel Kilgore #67 waits to snap the ball during the first quarter in the preseason game on August 27, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Chargers head to Levi’s Stadium on Thursday, August 29 to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth preseason game of the 2017 NFL season. Here is the preview with the latest news, X-factors, injuries and much more.

For the San Francisco 49ers, the 2017 preseason has been an uneven one. The first-team offense faltered for the first two games, before exploding in the third contest against the Minnesota Vikings.

In the games facing the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, the San Francisco offensive starters failed to register a single touchdown. Quarterback Brian Hoyer couldn’t engineer a complete drive, marked by a sluggish running game and uninspiring wide receiver play.

On the other side of the ball, the first-team defense had shown mixed results. Defensive linemen like Solomon Thomas and Aaron Lynch and linebacker Reuben Foster flashed some dominant displays of football, but the starters ultimately were still allowing points on the board during their time on the field.

The Vikings game saw it all come together. The offense finally got it going, with two touchdowns in their first two drives of the game. There was some firepower featured in the game, with the highlight play coming on a deep connection between Hoyer and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, resulting in a 46-yard touchdown.

Not to be out-dueled by their teammates, the 49ers defense stepped up as well. The rush defense was staunch, only allowing 23 yards on 7 carries for Minnesota’s starting running backs. But the most dominant player was Foster, who delivered a devastating hit on the first play of the game.

The starters’ performances coalesced into a 14-0 halftime lead, indicative of a strong outing. All of this was vastly important, considering the third game of the preseason is usually the one that carries the most significance and features the most playing time for the first-team units.

This next game is more to determine the last few spots on the final 53-man roster, as the cut date is Saturday, Sept. 2 for NFL teams. It will be a game that consists almost entirely of backups as the coaching staff mulls over their decisions.