With just the last round of preseason games left, it is the final chance for the San Francisco 49ers and other NFL teams have to understand what is working well and where more effort will be required before the regular season starts.
Of course, most teams are still expected to field their backups for the majority of the game but that will also provide necessary information regarding which fringe players will make the cut, which players teams can trade for, and more.
In the last game of the 2024 preseason, the 49ers will travel to Paradise, Nevada as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders. It may bring back bitter memories for the 49ers, who just lost the Super Bowl in the same stadium about six months ago, but that won’t matter too much in this game.
What will be of importance though are these four things that we need to keep an eye on during their last preseason game.
The 49ers will be playing many of their starters in the final preseason game as per head coach Kyle Shanahan. That means QB1 Brock Purdy will be in action once again for a few drives at the very least.
Purdy has not had a good training camp and he has also struggled in the preseason up to now. Granted he is missing some key players on the offense, but he will need to step up and work with the players he has at his disposal.
We need to see just how efficiently he can throw the ball while not taking hits or being under pressure. The key will be to maximize completions but with no interceptions.
Can the 49ers improve their run defense?
One of the areas the 49ers are struggling is their run defense. Despite the quality of the team, San Francisco has been having this problem since last season. The offseason has seen the 49ers bring in more players to counter this issue, yet the concern remains with San Francisco missing many tackles.
The game against the Raiders will be intriguing since Las Vegas doesn’t really have that much quality in the backfield. If the 49ers struggle against Vegas, that could be a huge problem for the season up ahead.\
How will the offensive line look?
The 49ers’ offensive line is currently not looking too good. Their most important player on the O-line, left tackle Trent Williams, is holding out due to contract negotiations. Williams has not attended practice and has missed both preseason games and it’s looking likely that he will miss the last game as well.
Moreover, guard Jon Feliciano will also not play in the final preseason game as he is expected to miss a few games of the regular season as well. Feliciano is said to be facing a knee issue for which he had to undergo surgery. As per head coach Kyle Shanahan, Feliciano should rejoin the team towards the midway point of the season.
San Francisco has turned to rookie Dominick Puni who is getting more snaps during the practice as well as more game time in the preseason as he is expected to play a bigger role on the offensive line. The O-line has not looked at its best through the two preseason games, so it will be interesting to see how they fare in the final game.
Will the 49ers’ offense find its rhythm?
With injuries, contract holdouts, and more, the 49ers offense doesn’t seem to be in sync at the start of the preseason. Purdy has struggled to get going, the offensive line is depleted, and star running back Christian McCaffrey is nursing a calf strain while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is not taking the field.
There are a number of problems to work on and all this is hampering the play on the offensive side of the ball. The 49ers will have one last chance to see an improvement on Friday as they hope to get back into a good rhythm just in time for the regular season.
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