Tag: 49ers highlights

49ers 1st-round pick scores impressive 1st-career touchdown

Ricky Pearsall!!!!

Welcome to the NFL, Ricky Pearsall.

The 49ers’ No. 31 overall pick from this year’s draft didn’t make it onto the field until Week 7 after missing time because of a gunshot wound he suffered the week before the season began.

His first couple of games went okay with seven catches and 59 receiving yards. Then he stepped onto the field in his third game and immediately made a huge impact.

Pearsall caught a deep crosser from quarterback Brock Purdy, evaded a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back, and raced 46 yards for his first-career touchdown.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the play was the speed Pearsall showed off to find paydirt:

The 49ers need to get more out of their first-round pick after losing WR Brandon Aiyuk for the season. WRs Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings are active Sunday, but both are battling injuries. Pearsall stepping up after the Bye could be a significant addition for the 49ers after a relatively quiet trade deadline for them.

Pearsall’s touchdown capped a six-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that put the 49ers ahead 7-0 on the road in a huge game for the NFC playoff picture.

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Must-see: 49ers TE George Kittle makes unbelievable grab for TD

If you haven’t seen this George Kittle catch, watch it. If you have seen this George Kittle catch, watch it again.

The San Francisco 49ers offense was struggling to find the end zone Sunday against the New England Patriots. Then tight end George Kittle made his way into the fold.

Two trip inside the Patriots’ 10 had yielded two field goals. Penalties threatened to derail yet another trip deep into the red zone and had the 49ers facing a third-and-10 at New England’s 12. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw it up for Kittle who went up over three defenders and snagged it.

Unreal throw. Even better catch.

That made it 20-0, 49ers.

 

49ers get 1st touchdown vs. Patriots from unlikely place

Run Fred Warner his DPOY.

The NFL might want to start making the Defensive Player of the Year trophy for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner.

He’s up to three forced fumbles and two interceptions this season after snagging an interception off of Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

What made the play so remarkable is that Warner not only had the athleticism to get up and make the interception, but he had the athleticism to get up and follow a couple of blocks into the end zone for the 49ers’ first touchdown of the game vs. New England.

It put the 49ers ahead 13-0 and gave a much-needed spark to a defense that had been struggling.

WATCH: 49ers rookie has huge kick return in preseason debut

This is one way to stake a claim to a roster spot.

How about San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo?

The fourth-round pick suffered a hamstring injury on Day 1 of training camp that kept him out until the final week of the preseason. He finally got into a game when the 49ers had their final exhibition game Friday night at Allegiant Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was clear early on why the 49ers selected Guerendo. He looked comfortable on an early kick return and put together a couple of nice runs on offense where he showed the same smooth running style that made him successful in college.

The Raiders had a punt return for a touchdown that cut the 49ers lead to 10-7, and then Guerendo went to work on the ensuing kickoff with a 93-yard return.

That’s the kind of thing a player can do to help himself make a roster after getting virtually no practice or game action in before the regular season.

Guerendo got to the sideline, then made a couple of great cuts before running through contact and getting into the open field. His speed was also evident before he ran out of gas and got chased down.

Coaches will want to see him switch the football to his outside arm when he gets to the sideline, but that’s a small nitpick compared to the big play he generated. Guerendo was on the outside looking in at a roster spot entering Friday, but plays like this one will help his case.

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Huge hit by 49ers rookie reminiscent of 49ers Hall of Famer

Malik Mustapha’s big hit against the Titans looked like a play by a 49ers Hall of Famer.

The San Francisco 49ers had to be pleased with their 2024 rookie class in their preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans.

Third-round pick Dominick Puni got the start at right guard. Second-round pick Renardo Green showed off his versatility playing outside cornerback and in the slot.

Rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha also got a ton of burn after first-team safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum exited the game. He got off to a rough start, falling down on a blitz, then getting out of position on a long completion to a Titans tight end.

He bounced back strong though, and made his presence felt on a fourth-and-1 run late in the second quarter near the goal line. Mustapha shot a gap and blew up Titans running back Hassan Haskins for a turnover on downs.

The hit was reminiscent of a play 49ers Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis made when he was in college at Ole Miss.

Against LSU, Willis shot a gap the same way and dropped the RB with a perfect form tackle the way Mustapha did. Here’s a video filmed on a six-week old potato:

Mustapha has a long way to go to be as impactful as Willis. However, his flashes in his preseason debut bode well for his chances to be an effective pro.

At Wake Forest, physicality and strong tackling were two things that jumped out about Mustapha’s game. That those two things translated in his first NFL game action are a great sign for him.

It’s unlikely Mustapha will start this season with Brown and Talanoa Hufanga ahead of him on the depth chart. There could be chances for him to get on the field in some three-safety looks if he continues building off the foundation he built in Tennessee.

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Son of 49ers legend hauls in long would-be TD in training camp

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Terique Owens made a big play for the 49ers on Tuesday.

The 49ers group of undrafted rookies may not have a chance to make much of an impact this year given how deep San Francisco’s roster is.

While Missouri running back Cody Schrader has raised some eyebrows, it was Terique Owens, son of 49ers Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, who cashed in with a big-time catch late in Tuesday’s practice.

According to reporters on site, Owens snagged a long throw from quarterback Brandon Allen that would have gone for a touchdown.

It’s important to keep Owens’ success in camp in perspective. San Francisco has a loaded depth chart at wide receiver and Owens is an undrafted rookie out of Missouri Valley State. In 26 games with MVSU he had 46 catches for 765 yards and four touchdowns.

His climb to a roster spot is impossibly steep. A more realistic goal for Owens might be to try and carve out a practice squad spot. He’s listed at 6-3, 193 pounds so his size and pedigree give him a good foundation entering camp. There’ll be a requisite level of success required in practices to even grab hold of one of the team’s practice squad spots.

It’s still early in training camp and continuing to make plays through camp and into preseason games will also help Owens’ case. Starting with explosive plays in practice is a step in the right direction, though. There’ll be plenty of 49ers fans keeping an eye on Owens in hopes of the son of a legend eventually finding his way in the NFL with San Francisco.

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49ers training camp highlight shows Brock Purdy making plays out of structure

Brock Purdy doesn’t just operate in the confines of the San Francisco 49ers offense.

There are a ton of critiques for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Some of them are valid. Others less so.

One common thought on San Francisco’s QB is that he only thrives within the confines of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The idea being that he doesn’t have to make any real decisions because Shanahan is doing it all for him. It’s considered a ‘point and shoot’ offense.

The problem with that is that Purdy’s ability to maneuver in the pocket and extend plays became one of the keys to the 49ers’ offensive success. He created a slew of first downs and touchdowns from plays that might have been sacks with previous 49ers signal callers.

The team after Tuesday’s practice posted a highlight video from the day’s session that showed off Purdy’s movement skills and how they can benefit the offense.

Purdy steps up past pressure coming from his blind side, and then extends the play that same direction before flipping his hips and throwing a strike to a wide open Christian McCaffrey. In a game scenario the 49ers star running back is probably taking it for a touchdown.

The highlight also exposes the error of another Purdy critique. One of the knocks on him is that he often throws to wide open receivers. This is true in some cases. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is awesome at getting open and Shanahan’s scheme gets receivers running free with pretty good frequency. However, Purdy also gets to hit open receivers at times because he’s created the opening by moving around, extending plays and changing throwing lanes.

San Francisco’s QB is always going to have an easier time than other signal callers because of Shanahan and the weapons, but Purdy elevates the offense because of plays like this one Tuesday in camp.

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49ers training camp highlight shows familiar WR-QB connection

Third-and-Jauan, training camp edition.

Brandon Aiyuk’s hold-in and a handful of injuries have opened the door for 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings to take on a larger role in training camp.

A highlight the team posted from Saturday’s practice shows a familiar sight with quarterback Brock Purdy firing a throw in to Jennings over the middle. It must have been a third down play because Jennings made the catch in traffic and appeared to have some room to run after turning upfield.

Jennings signed an extension with the 49ers in the offseason that will keep him with the club through the 2025 campaign. He’s become an impactful player for San Francisco in pretty limited volume. It’s unlikely we’ll see Jennings ever take on a huge role in a crowded 49ers offense, but having him as a No. 3 or 4 WR is a major advantage. It’s clear Purdy trusts him on key downs and it seems like the club would be fine if Jennings ever did have to take on a bigger role.

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49ers training camp practice video highlights Ji’Ayir Brown INT

WATCH: Ji’Ayir Brown snags a Brock Purdy overthrow for an interception.

Brock Purdy’s early training camp deep throws haven’t been great according to reports from the team’s facility. The good news is it’s only Day 2 and finding his touch and timing on those throws will come as the preseason progresses.

Ji’Ayir Brown was a beneficiary of one of those tosses in Friday’s practice. Purdy was looking for Deebo Samuel down the sideline, but he overshot his receiver. Brown was in coverage and in perfect position to leap up and snag the throw while getting his feet in bounds.

The bigger deal here for San Francisco is that Brown is in midseason form in terms of generating takeaways. That was one of his calling cards in college and doing it in the NFL will make him a valuable piece of the 49ers’ defense in his first full season as a starter.

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49ers highlight: Fred Warner snags INT in 2nd consecutive game

WATCH: Fred Warner snags his 2nd INT in as many weeks.

The 49ers defense showed up early against the Browns. Cleveland QB PJ Walker telegraphed a throw in the middle of the field and LB Fred Warner stepped in front for an easy interception.

San Francisco’s offense didn’t capitalize though. They went backward and then missed a 54-yard field goal.

For Warner it was his second week in a row with an interception. He also came up with one against Dallas.