49ers biggest winners, losers halfway through 2019 NFL preseason
By Peter Panacy
Winner: 49ers Defense
OK, so NFL preseason narratives are always a bit silly to overexamine. But after two weeks of exhibition games, along with the joint practices the 49ers partook with the Broncos, it’s becoming pretty clear San Francisco’s defense is going to be a lot better in 2019 than it was a year ago.
The Niners certainly frustrated Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco during these joint practices. And over the course of Monday’s preseason bout with Denver, the 49ers managed to hold the Broncos offense to just 215 all-purpose yards.
Not bad, considering San Francisco wasn’t playing at full strength early, notably with edge rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford (knee) both out.
Tarvarius Moore’s ascent has been fun to watch, too, potentially solving what was a major question mark during the offseason. It will be interesting to see how Moore’s role is defined when the regular season rolls around, and whether or not the Niners secondary manages to hold up in meaningful games when opponents open up deeper playbooks.
That said, it’s refreshing to see the 49ers defense flash some prowess and playmaking abilities not seen too much back in 2018.