Thursday night was the San Francisco 49ers' first time back on a football field since Super Bowl XLVII, and boy, did it show. The 49ers lost to the Denver Broncos, 10-6, in a sloppy affair in which the game's only touchdown came when the Broncos scooped up a second-quarter fumble and returned it for a score. The 49ers committed four turnovers, three in the first half, and missed a field goal as their offense struggled to shake off the offseason rust.
NFL preseason, Broncos vs. 49ers: Niners fans find bright spots in sloppy preseason loss
Despite a turnover-riddled performance in San Francisco, 49ers blog Niners Nation saw some positive developments in the team’s 10-6 loss to the Broncos.
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Despite all of that, David Fuccillo of Niners Nation found some silver lining in the messy loss, noting the solid play of the first team offense and performance of several players who distanced themselves in their respective position battles.
Fuccillo notes that, despite having only played the opening offensive series, quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a solid game, picking up where he left off in his breakout 2012 season:
The 49ers starting QB looked strong in his one series. He was 4 of 4 for 38 yards, and rushed for six yards. The 49ers only managed a field goal on the drive, but the starting offense looked strong. And considering the running game did not have Frank Gore or Kendall Hunter, I can live with that. Kap connected twice with Anquan Boldin, and once each with Vernon Davis and Marlon Moore. He showed the legs, he showed some touch. The only thing we didn't see was the rocket arm.
After praising the play of several key defenders, including rookie outside linebacker Corey Lemonier and nose tackle Ian Williams, both of whom "showed some great things," Fucillo moved on to some of the not so impressive performances, namely that of wide receiver A.J. Jenkins.
We were all hoping for something positive from Jenkins, and much like Charlie Brown when he goes to kick the football, it was pulled out from under us. Jenkins caught a pass and turned up field, but after 11 yards, it was stripped away from behind. From some of the reports coming out of the press box, Jenkins was showing some good things elsewhere in his route running. But if he is not converting this stuff, it’s a struggle at times.
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