3 winners (and 3 losers) for 49ers in preseason loss to Titans

The 49ers fell in exhibition fashion to the Titans on Saturday, and the game produced some clear-cut winners and losers.

Neither head coach Kyle Shanahan, nor the rest of his coaching staff and starters cared too much about the final score of the San Francisco 49ers' first preseason game of 2024: a 17-13 road loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans.

However, for the many players vying for a spot on the 53-man roster, Week 1 of the preseason was a precious chance to make a serious claim.

A few Niners did. A few failed.

Shanahan rested the bulk of his starters, and those who did play made a positive enough showing not to endanger their jobs heading toward the regular season.

For the rest? Well, there were definitely some standouts, for both good reasons and bad.

Here are three winners and three losers from the contest.

Winner: Quarterback Brandon Allen

The buzz throughout training camp suggested Brandon Allen was in the lead for the No. 2 quarterback role behind Brock Purdy and ahead of Josh Dobbs, the latter getting all the snaps in the second half whereas Allen was under center until halftime.

Allen made a strong case for the QB2 role in the game, too. And while his stat line of 7-of-13 for 98 yards doesn't exactly jump off the score sheet, one figures he could have had at least two more completions and probably 50 more yards if two passes weren't dropped.

Plus, Allen's strong arm and relatively good accuracy were on display for much of his field time.

Dobbs was effective enough, too, but Allen appears to be the clear-cut choice to back up Purdy.

Loser: Cornerback Ambry Thomas

Rough night for cornerback Ambry Thomas, who missed two key tackles -- one on special teams and another defending a screen play -- and was flagged for defensive pass interference on a third-down try in the red zone that gave Tennessee a fresh set of downs, ultimately leading to a Titans touchdown.

Making things worse, Thomas suffered a broken forearm in the second quarter and will be out for some time, casting some serious doubts on his future in a San Francisco uniform.

Winner: Running back Jordan Mason

There are plenty of bodies vying to climb the depth chart at running back behind Christian McCaffrey, but it now appears third-year pro Jordan Mason is the favorite among them.

Mason was featured only on the 49ers' first possession of the game, but he drove that possession, finishing with six carries for 34 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per attempt, and he managed to get into the end zone to cap off the drive:

Albeit, with a little bit of a push from rookie right guard Dominick Puni.

Still, Mason appears to be the best option on the roster not named McCaffrey, and Saturday's efforts reinforce that notion.

Loser: Defensive tackle T.Y. McGill

Veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill has been around the league long enough to have the discipline not to go offsides before the snap.

Unfortunately, he not only did that once but twice, committing two neutral-zone infractions, one in the first quarter and another in the fourth. On the second one, his demeanor after the flag suggested he knew that just cost him whatever slim chance he had of making the 53-man roster.

Sure, the Niners' defensive line depth is a question mark entering 2024, but McGill doesn't appear to be a part of any solution.

Winner: Safety Malik Mustapha

To keep things somewhat level-headed, safety Malik Mustapha had some rookie mistakes in the game and was periodically out of his coverage zones.

However, the hit stick he delivered on the goal line in the first half is going to be talked about for a while:

There were other quality moments, too, which suggest Mustapha will be starting eventually at some point soon in his San Francisco career.

For now, his arrow is definitely pointing up after the three-tackle performance.

Loser: Running back Matt Breida

Injuries in camp ultimately prompted the 49ers to bring back an old friend, running back Matt Breida, who last played with them back in 2019 and has been primarily a reserve player elsewhere in the years since.

While there seemed to be a decent chance for Breida to emerge as a potential threat to a roster spot, namely due to his prior experience in Shanahan's offense, Saturday's efforts did nothing to increase his chances.

Breida was mostly active in the second half, the final go-to ball carrier in the game, which is rarely a good spot to be in. And he averaged precisely zero yards on his six carries, boasting a long of 2 yards while also fumbling once.

It seems as if Breida will merely be a camp body and nothing more.

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