4 problems 49ers must solve in preseason finale vs. Raiders
By Peter Panacy
The 49ers wrap up their 2021 preseason at home against the Raiders, yet these four question marks have to be on Kyle Shanahan’s list.
There are inevitably going to be a lot of takeaways on Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers host the visiting Las Vegas Raiders for both teams’ preseason finale ahead of the 2021 regular season.
How much will head coach Kyle Shanahan play his starters? And if rookie Trey Lance is truly going to take over the Niners’ starting quarterback job from the veteran, Jimmy Garoppolo, will Lance see a lot of time behind the first-string offensive line?
Shanahan isn’t likely to open up his playbook a lot in an exhibition contest, saving that for the regular season. So it wouldn’t be surprising if his offense looks relatively lackluster and vanilla.
That said, there are plenty of other problems and concerns Shanahan and Co. must address with Las Vegas in town.
No. 4: Can 49ers rely on rookie Jaylon Moore as a swing tackle?
For both games this preseason, rookie fifth-round NFL Draft pick Jaylon Moore has gotten the start at left tackle in place of the starting veteran, Trent Williams.
Moore was originally pegged to play on the inside, but San Francisco has given him every chance to take over the primary backup tackle spot right out of the gate.
So far, it’s been a mixed bag. While Moore’s run-blocking efforts have been at least adequate, he’s struggled against speed rushers, given up one sack, two pressures and has been called for a penalty, too, according to Pro Football Focus, which has rewarded him with a less-than-inspiring 57.4 overall grade during that stretch.
The only other realistic swing tackle is Shon Coleman, who hasn’t played a regular-season snap since 2017.