Cowboys vs 49ers: 5 top performances from preseason Week 1

No. 2: QB Nick Mullens

Much has already been made of the fight for the backup quarterback spot behind QB Jimmy Garoppolo. But in spite of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s insistence that the decision hasn’t been made, based on Saturday’s game, it’s hard to see why that’s the case.

Just like with the running game, the stats tell one story, while the eye test tells another. Technically, Beathard completed more passes for more yards and with a better average and quarterback rating than Nick Mullens.

But take into account plays like Beathard’s third-quarter completion to Samuel, which required the receiver to not only come back for the ball deep downfield, but also to leap and make a spectacular grab over a defender. This goes into the books as a successful deep completion for Beathard, but his throw was poor and Samuel bailed him out.

Mullens, on the other hand, seemed to be a victim of the opposite effort from his receivers, such as wide receiver Richie James dropping the ball on the opening play of the game, and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne dropping a ball later in the half.

And while both quarterbacks threw an interception, Beathard’s was significantly more egregious, as he stared down his target from the snap. In Mullens’ case, while the throw was a tough one, it was also a good play by the defender.

The eye test says that Mullens looked more poised and confident in the pocket, and even seemed to have a little more zip on his ball from last season, which is an important element of his game that could use improving.

Overall, the quarterback battle will continue, but Mullens — at least in my mind — has already done enough to merit winning the job.