INGLEWOOD, Calif. — For years, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has aimed to get about 12 snaps of work for his starting quarterback in the second preseason game.
Brock Purdy logged that exact amount in one drive during the 49ers’ tilt against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 29 yards — three of which went to rookie standout De’Zhaun Stribling — and successfully sprinted away from L.A.’s pass rush once.
Though the 49ers punted after tight end Luke Farrell couldn’t hang onto Purdy’s final attempt of the drive, the quarterback knocked off real-game rust and left healthy. Those are the only two goals of any preseason action for a player of Purdy’s caliber and importance.
How else did the 49ers frontliners who played briefly on Thursday fare? Here are the four biggest immediate takeaways — with a more in-depth look at the game tape and backup players coming this weekend.
Stribling is a vacuum
The young wideout appears to have the strongest hands of any rookie receiver whom the 49ers have drafted in Shanahan’s decade at the helm. Stribling, who caught seven passes in under 20 minutes of game time last week, again sucked the football out of the air even in the midst of tight coverage. Purdy clearly trusted him from both inside and outside alignments, and then backup 49ers quarterback Mac Jones threaded the needle through three defenders for Stribling’s biggest gain of the night.
Stribling later dropped a potential touchdown from Jones, but the 49ers are not worried about his hands. Remember that Stribling dropped only one pass in his final season at Ole Miss, so maybe he purged the lone miscue from his system in this preseason — when stats don’t count.
The first-team defense logged three promising plays
There wasn’t much opportunity to impress beyond three plays because Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh predetermined that quarterback Justin Herbert and the rest of his starters would only play one series.
But the 49ers — even without top players Nick Bosa and Fred Warner — snuffed L.A. out in their only chance.
First, defensive end Sam Okuayinonu and linebacker Jaden Dugger combined to set a firm edge — something the defense struggled to do in Tuesday’s practice against the Chargers. Okuayinonu and Dugger teamed up to tackle running back Omarion Hampton for a one-yard loss.
Then, cornerback Renardo Green notched a good open-field tackle against Chargers tight end Charlie Kolar, one of Purdy’s teammates and best friends at Iowa State.
On third down, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir blanketed top receiver Ladd McConkey and Herbert’s pass sailed incomplete. A three-and-out put Tuesday’s torching behind the defense.
The bad news for the 49ers: Green hurt his hamstring. If the injury keeps him sidelined, veteran Jack Jones will man his cornerback spot opposite Lenoir. Jones has enjoyed a productive preseason. He successfully defended a key third-down pass from former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance to Chargers receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the end zone.
Two young running backs pop
Rookie Kaelon Black, who returned on Tuesday from an adductor injury, has real juice. That much had already been apparent through his bursts at practice, but this game was Black’s first chance to actually break tackles in the NFL. He averaged a staggering 3.2 yards per carry after contact last season at Indiana, so perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Black looked tough to bring down Thursday.
The muscled-up rookie, whom the 49ers picked in the third round, churned out 33 yards on eight carries. It’s possible the 49ers will have the best No. 2 to Christian McCaffrey they’ve ever had. Finding all-around pop at that key backup position has been a struggle for the 49ers since they traded for McCaffrey in 2022.
After Black exited, 25-year-old Sincere McCormick dazzled against the reserves with a 37-yard sprint and a tough, pinball-like touchdown. McCormick also lit up an L.A. returner on special teams coverage.
The 49ers placed veteran running back Patrick Taylor Jr. on season-ending injured reserve on Thursday afternoon, which might have opened up a 53-man roster spot for a fourth running back. McCormick put his best foot forward to take that potential opening.
A special teams statement
In an interesting move, veteran star Deebo Samuel lined up to return the game’s first punt. That could be interpreted as a sign that the 49ers weren’t entirely sure of whether Jacob Cowing deserved a roster spot — at least entering the night.
But then Cowing, who possesses 4.3 speed, ripped an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown and — because the 49ers badly need a punt returner — answered a big question.
Cowing’s relative lack of production as a receiver does create a potential inefficiency for the 49ers because roster spots come in such short supply. But it’s important to note that last year’s punt returner, Skyy Moore, was only a scant contributor on offense. That means Cowing’s punt return statement will likely justify his 53-man roster spot.
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