5 overreactions from 49ers preseason loss vs. Raiders

49ers overreaction No. 5: Sam Darnold should be QB2

In contrast to Trey Lance, quarterback Sam Darnold entered in relief and actually looked like a quality option under center, perhaps someone worthy of being the No. 3 overall pick, which he was back in 2018.

Darnold, who wasn't sacked at all, went 5-of-8 for 84 yards with a 97.9 passer rating. One of his first plays after entering after halftime was to hit rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell for a 37-yard completion.

Impressive.

Now, should this ticket Darnold to be the No. 2 option at quarterback behind Brock Purdy? Is Darnold the smarter choice than Lance?

Maybe. But let's not get too carried away here. Lance was going up against the Raiders' top backups while operating with the 49ers' second-string unit all the way. While Darnold didn't benefit from his own supporting cast much, he was squaring off against Las Vegas' third- and fourth-string players for the most part.

For most of his career, Darnold has gone up against other teams' top units. Sunday should have been comparatively easy for him.

Let's see what happens if and when Kyle Shanahan swaps Darnold and Lance for the first and second halves next week when the Niners host the Denver Broncos for Week 2 of the preseason.

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