For the 49ers and the rest of the NFL, preseason is a time to evaluate the deeper ends of the roster. This game against the Denver Broncos, though, had a little more importance.
For the first time since his elbow injury against the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Brock Purdy saw game action. Although only the preseason, it was an important step for Purdy to gain confidence in his arm, and for the 49ers to see that their presumptive starting quarterback is looking alright.
That doesn't mean the game itself wasn't entertaining. The 49ers' first-team units left the game in a dead-even draw with the Broncos, 3-3, and there wasn't much scoring until the second half, where Sam Darnold led the 49ers to a touchdown. The Broncos responded twice, and then the 49ers, with Trey Lance at the helm, managed to score a touchdown and then led the team down the field with Ronnie Bell playing a critical role before Jake Moody hit a game-winning field goal as time expired.
Let's take a look at six key takeaways from the 49ers win over the Broncos on Saturday night.
Takeaway #1: Brock Purdy is ready to continue his scorching start to his NFL career
It really would not have mattered if Brock Purdy looked rusty or below-average in his brief cameo against the Broncos. After all, a UCL injury is nothing to sneeze at. But Purdy was efficient and effective in his on drive, finishing 4-5 for 61 yards, a sack, and a rush for 8 yards.
Granted, Purdy's throws were not particularly stressing, but at this stage of the game, he looked exactly like the quarterback he was before the injury. That's all the 49ers needed to see. So long as Purdy continues this recuperation, the 49ers will be ready for Week 1 in Pittsburgh.
Takeaway #2: The 49ers backup QB competition takes another swing
The 49ers' backup QB competition has been the talk of training camp - embattled third-year QB Trey Lance vs. former 3rd-overall pick QB Sam Darnold. The 49ers seemed to have a plan going into the preseason on how to split reps for the two. Lance would get the first half against the Raiders and the second half against the Broncos and Darnold vice-versa.
But the 49ers changed things up in the Broncos game, with Darnold playing well into the third quarter and leading the team to a touchdown before giving way to Lance. Darnold played well again with the ball, showing his talent. That's a two-game stretch where Darnold has shown his talent, giving him a chance to separate from Lance.
Lance, on the other hand, had a rough game against the Raiders, and he continued to oscillate against the Broncos. With Lance, there are always struggles that will pop up—in this case, a continued hesitancy with the ball at times. But with Lance, there are moments of absolute brilliance, where his progression is clear, the type of plays that two years ago would have excited 49ers fans about the future.
Lance's final two drives were the type of performance that the 49ers have wanted out of him—a sign that the competition is not over yet. It'll take the full preseason to determine the winner here.
Takeaway #3: The cornerback competition was not a bluff
whoEarlier this week, Kyle Shanahan's comments about Isaiah Oliver indicated that the free-agent signee was not a guaranteed starter. This followed a practice where Oliver was with the second-string and Ambry Thomas, whose had his own ups and downs as a 49ers cornerback, started outside, with Deommodore Lenoir at nickel.
This configuration continued on Sunday's game, and Thomas played adequately, but not good enough to solidify his starting position.
Behind him, Sam Womack III, who was the starting nickel last year before slowly phasing out, continued his strong play at outside corner. UFDA corner D'Shawn Jamison struggled a bit at nickel but has played well otherwise, and the competition seems to have only just amplified.
Takeaway #4: The backup offensive line is still a problem
Coming off an abysmal performance against the Raiders, the backup offensive line could only move forward from there. However, their performance against the Broncos continued to raise concerns about the depth behind the starters.
The 49ers offensive line allowed three sacks on Saturday, but the stream of pressure was constant. Though it's unfair to expect perfect play from backup offensive linemen, they simply did not play well enough for a second week in a row. Given the 49ers injury problems on the line, there's a lot at risk.
Takeaway #5: WR Ronnie Bell continues to make a name for himself
By far the biggest winner of the 49ers' offseason program was rookie seventh-round pick Ronnie Bell, whose play in OTAs and in training camp put him in a position to make the 49ers 53-man roster. He continued his stellar play against the Broncos, and he finished with 7 receptions for 114 yards. Bell was effective on screens, crossers, and deep outs—the usual staple for the 49ers offense. His work as a blocker was no joke as well.
Stats in the preseason can be empty, and Bell struggles with drops at times, but his play was still transferrable to the NFL regular season. With Ray-Ray McCloud on injured reserve to start the year, it's looking more and more likely that Bell will be dressing and producing in Pittsburgh.
Takeaway #6: Kicker is still a question mark
Drafting a kicker in the third round was never a good idea for the 49ers, regardless of how Jake Moody played.
It certainly hasn't helped matters then that Moody has had a nightmare-ish start to his NFL career, missing multiple field goals against the Raiders and an extra point against the Broncos. The only way Moody could live up to the already impossibly-high expectations set for him was to put up a pristine start to his NFL career. Unfortunately, this has been anything but that.
Moody did make up for his earlier play with a clean sheet on field goals, including a game-winner, but his progression will be one to watch as the rookie continues to get acclimated to the NFL.
All stats courtesy of ESPN.com