5 Things to Watch in the 49ers' Preseason Finale Against the Texans
The 49ers play their preseason finale today at 5:15 in Houston against the Texans. Here are the top five things to watch in this game in ascending order of importance:
5. The No. 3 wide receiver competition
Coming into the offseason, Jauan Jennings seemed like a lock to be the 49ers' No. 3 receiver, considering that was his role down the stretch last season and during the playoffs. But then the 49ers signed Ray-Ray McCloud this offseason. At the time, most people assumed McCloud would be nothing more than a returner on special teams. But in training camp, he got lots of targets with the first-string offense and clearly outperformed Jennings, who stopped getting targets with the starters after this first week because he kept dropping the ball. Was McCloud a training camp mirage, or will he take Jennings' role in the offense?
4. The running back competition
It's wide open. The starter, Elijah Mitchell, has missed most of the offseason due to various injuries and currently is out with a hamstring pull. Someone could surpass him on the depth chart with a strong showing in this game. Jeff Wilson Jr. most likely will start at running back against the Texans, because he's a vet, and he runs extremely hard. Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price and JaMycal Hasty also will play with the starters at times. It will be interesting to see if the 49ers play undrafted rookie free agent Jordan Mason with the starters, because he has had the best offseason of all the 49ers running backs.
3. The right tackle competition
Mike McGlinchey spent OTAs and minicamp recovering from surgery, then he injured his knee during the first preseason game, and it's uncertain whether he will play Week 1. If he can't go, who should be the next man up? Colton McKivitz? Justin Skule? Jaylon Moore? Jordan Mills? Is there a good replacement? The 49ers must evaluate all four of these tackles closely tonight.
2. The left guard competition
Look for Aaron Banks to split reps with undrafted rookie free agent Jason Poe for the first time in preseason. This is because Banks struggled in camp and Poe shined. If Poe shines tonight, look for him to start Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. He has a chance to earn a starting job tonight. Let's see if Banks competes.
1. Trey Lance's throwing mechanics
He knows the offense. He knows where to go with the ball. He's a smart guy and a great athlete. But his throwing mechanics are a work in progress. Sometimes, they're on point, and he's extremely accurate. Other times, they're off, which causes his passes to sail high. In his first preseason game, Lance was on point, but he threw only five passes. Tonight, he should play the entire first half and throw 10 to 15 passes. Will he maintain his proper mechanics, or will he revert to old habits? Will he have stretches every game when he misses targets wildly, or does that happen only in practice? We'll find out.
