Chargers vs. 49ers: Previewing Preseason Week 4 for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4 of the 2018 NFL Preseason. We preview the Niners’ final preseason matchup, including key stats, players to watch, position competitions, injury news and how to watch the game live.

The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers enter tonight’s final exhibition game with identical 1-2 preseason records. Check out Niner Noise’s game recap and post-game grades and analysis for a breakdown of the 49ers’ Week 3 preseason matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, including highlights of the game and full position grades.

During their 23-17 loss to the Colts, the 49ers’ defensive unit showed stark improvement, but while the first-team offense consistently moved the ball down the field, they were unable to get the ball into the end zone due to a plethora of dropped passes and penalties.

By the end of the first half, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo appeared a bit rattled by his receivers’ inability to catch the ball, and aggressively threw a pair of interceptable passes in the red zone. Luckily for San Francisco’s starting QB, neither pass was intercepted.

Garoppolo received some earlier good fortune on a first-quarter pass that was intended for wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, but was “intercepted” by fellow wideout Pierre Garcon, who turned it into a 47-yard gain:

While the Chargers won’t face Garoppolo tonight, they will see a lot of backup QB C.J. Beathard and third-stringer Nick Mullens. Mullens continues to show poise under pressure, and has thrown a handful of perfect passes over the offseason, like this 35-yard toss to Aldrick Robinson:

In Los Angeles last week, the Chargers struck first against the New Orleans Saints, when undrafted rookie RB Detrez Newsome scored on this 5-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes of the first quarter. After he received the bulk of the Chargers’ carries in Week 3, the 49ers will likely see a lot of Newsome, who is fighting to win a roster spot as Los Angeles’ third-string running back.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, they didn’t score again, as New Orleans scored 36-straight points over the following three quarters.

Second-year quarterback Cardale Jones and veteran QB Geno Smith are fighting for the team’s backup quarterback job, so the pair should see extensive work tonight after both were unimpressive last week. Jones totalled just 13 yards through the air against the Saints, while Smith completed three passes for 45 yards on 11 attempts, including a pick-6 to cornerback Marcus Williams, which sealed the game for New Orleans:

And yes, along with star second-year safety Marcus Williams, the Saints now have another defensive back with the same name, after they signed the former New York Jets cornerback earlier this month.

Let’s break down some important statistics for tonight’s preseason finale between the 49ers and Chargers: