Thread: Winners and Losers from Preseason Game #1 vs. the Atlanta Falcons

Let's talk about some winners and losers from the game:

WINNERS


1. Kevin Hogan- He played with most of the starting offensive line and was well protected. He took the safe throws and didn't take any chances. Smart move by a bad QB.
2. Khalfani Muhammad- Ripped off a nice 31 yard run when he was given a crease, and had 4 receptions in 5 targets. He looked cat quick.
3. DreMont Jones- He absolutely destroyed the Falcons scrubs. He had 3 QB hits, one of which caused the interception, and a TFL. He was quick, strong, and disruptive on the inside.
4. Nick Williams- He showed why the coaches have been raving about him in just the short time he's been here. Good hands, sharp routes, and smart decisions on returns.
5. Connor McGovern, Dalton Risner, and Garrett Bolles- They did what they were supposed to do- dominate the 49'ers second team line. Oh, and no bad snaps.
6. Malik Reed- He comes screaming off that edge when he gets loose. He looked fast, had a sack, and a TFL.
7. Tre Johnson- He was solid in coverage and had 3 PBUs. He played very well in front of his home town crowd.

Winfree would be on this list if he wouldn't have dropped a pass that was right in his hands on the first third down play. There was a lot of luck involved with the game winning catch.

LOSERS

1. Drew Lock- He had a couple of chances to take over this game early and overthrew 2 receivers down the sideline. If he hits those 2 passes, the narrative is completely different today. I'm not down on him at all. He just showed why he's not ready for primetime yet.
2. David Williams- The words slow and plodding come to mind. He also dropped a pass that was right in his hands.
3. Brendan Langley- He's being pushed in camp and needs to make his mark on special teams to win a roster spot. Instead, he fumbled on a kick return. See ya.
4. Devontae Booker- The Broncos are signing Theo Riddick, and he didn't even get to make a case for himself in the first preseason game. Obviously, neither of those decisions were within his control.

I would have added Fant to this list, but his blocking was better than advertised.

When did Jones play against the Niners?

It's early, of course, but I've never been a fan of Drew Lock.

I'd be surprised if he's anything other than another horrendous Elway blunder when it comes to drafting QB's.

If he thinks that's our future, we're doomed to one of irrelevancy.

Drew did not play well last night but its way early to say he will bust. Way way early.

Originally Posted by Northman

Drew did not play well last night but its way early to say he will bust. Way way early.

I thought he did pretty well until I realized it was Hogan.

And FTR im not sure what Ziggy was seeing but the pass protection seemed like shit all night even when Hogan was in. It doesnt give me a lot of confidence going into the season if they are letting defenders blow them off the line like that.

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan

I thought he did pretty well until I realized it was Hogan.

Originally Posted by Edmonton Bronco Fan

It's early, of course, but I've never been a fan of Drew Lock.

I'd be surprised if he's anything other than another horrendous Elway blunder when it comes to drafting QB's.

If he thinks that's our future, we're doomed to one of irrelevancy.

Horrendous blunder on a guy projected by everyone to go top 20? He is a day two upside pick and will get time to learn. He has horrid technique but a great work ethic. Plus athleticism and a cannon. He also is a leader. So calling him a potentially horrendous blunder is too much hyperbole this early in the process.

The writing is definitely on the wall for Booker. I'm thinking Riddick probably gets that 3rd RB spot and we stash Muhammad on the PS.

Also doesn't look like we'll be having any QB controversy any time soon, which is probably a good thing for this season. We just have to pray Flacco doesn't get hurt, because we're in trouble if he does.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

The writing is definitely on the wall for Booker. I'm thinking Riddick probably gets that 3rd RB spot and we stash Muhammad on the PS.

Also doesn't look like we'll be having any QB controversy any time soon, which is probably a good thing for this season. We just have to pray Flacco doesn't get hurt, because we're in trouble if he does.

Yeah I was and continue to be fine with Hogan at 2 and Lock at 3. Drew actually made some good reads last night but had some bad throws to go with it. Recognizing man coverage was good, but overthrowing your receivers by 5 yards was bad. Sounds like a rookie QB to me.

The one that put me on an emotional rollercoaster was Fant last night. Hated to see him have those drops early, but he rebounded nicely with a few good grabs and showed some good blocking. All told, I'm glad this was essentially a bonus preseason game for the young guys and some of the O-line to get some work. Hoping things settle down next week at Seattle and we see improvement.

Originally Posted by Northman

When did Jones play against the Niners?

Corrected.

Originally Posted by Ziggy

Corrected.

I was just busting your balls.

Even though I wanted Lock to play well, I’m sort of ok that he didn’t. He can’t be satisfied with his play, so hopefully this makes him dig a little deeper.

Lynch played well his first preseason and did next to nothing to try to improve on that. I think this sort of an outing gives Lock a lot of areas to improve upon and hopefully he works hard enough to get where he wants to be.

Originally Posted by MasterShake

Yeah I was and continue to be fine with Hogan at 2 and Lock at 3. Drew actually made some good reads last night but had some bad throws to go with it. Recognizing man coverage was good, but overthrowing your receivers by 5 yards was bad. Sounds like a rookie QB to me.

The one that put me on an emotional rollercoaster was Fant last night. Hated to see him have those drops early, but he rebounded nicely with a few good grabs and showed some good blocking. All told, I'm glad this was essentially a bonus preseason game for the young guys and some of the O-line to get some work. Hoping things settle down next week at Seattle and we see improvement.

if fant can be a competitive blocker, it will make it so much easier for the coaching staff to get him a significant amount of reps early in his career, which would bode well for his long-term development. . . we're likely going to run a ton of two TE formations this year, and we know how durable the rest of that group has been. . . there should be a big role available for fant, even if he doesn't start. . . and given our desire to build our offensive identity around the run game and play-action, it'll be a real plus if he can be an asset as a blocker as well as stretching the field with that speed. . .