5 significant takeaways from 49ers preseason win vs. Chargers

No. 4: 49ers wideouts suffering a case of the ‘dropsies’

Trey Lance wasn’t the sole reason why the Niners lost the initial lead.

Jimmy Garoppolo whiffed on a pass intended for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and Jimmy G’s own interception won’t make the chorus of calls for Lance to start any quieter.

But perhaps the bigger concern, at least over two weeks of preseason action, has been the sheer number of drops San Francisco pass-catchers have had. In Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Lance’s receivers dropped four passes, and this same crop had three more at Los Angeles.

Resulting in a league-high seven drops for Lance’s intended targets, the most in the NFL to this point, according to Pro Football Focus.

Mohamed Sanu dropped a ball that led to an interception. Fellow wideouts Deebo Samuel and Richie James, too, dropped passes heading their way.

But there could be an explanation.

Lance has a fastball, and his passes are hitting their targets much faster than any of the incumbent pass-catchers on the 49ers roster might have been used to with either Garoppolo or former Niners quarterbacks Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard.

So, while Lance could hone his finesse a bit, the onus could be on San Francisco’s wide receivers to adjust to the quarterbacks heat, too.