The 49ers play a preseason game against the Titans tonight. Here are five things to watch for.
1. Is Brandon Aiyuk There?
He shows up for meetings every day so he doesn’t get fined, but he doesn’t come out for practice anymore — I suspect the 49ers have politely asked him to stay inside and away from reporters so he doesn’t become a distraction. Will they bring him to Nashville for this game? And if so, how many times will the TV show his unhappy face?
2. Are Joshua Dobbs or Brandon Allen good?
The 49ers are having the most boring competition for the best backup quarterback of all time this offseason. Neither Dobbs nor Allen are causing any excitement or tension. They are both just backups who do not have the potential to become regulars. And both struggled a lot in training camp. Will one of them prevail in the preseason or will the 49ers have to give undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai a chance?
3. How are the 49ers dealing with the new kickoff rules?
Which players are the kick returners? Who is most successful at returning kicks? And how does Jake Moody start the kick? Does he kick the ball and force the other team to catch it off the turf, or does he try to kick it to a certain side of the field? So many questions are answered about this particular game.
4. Can Cody Schrader’s impressive training camp carry over into the preseason?
In practice, Schrader looks like a veteran. He’s quick and decisive, he can run between the tackles and catch passes – he looks like a mini Christian McCaffrey. But this is practice. No one can tackle him. What will he look like when he gets hit properly? Will he look like an undrafted free agent who doesn’t belong on the 53-man roster, or will he shine?
5. Is Jaylon Moore better than Colton McKivitz?
Moore is the backup left tackle and McKivitz is the starting right tackle. In training camp, Moore was significantly better than McKivitz in pass protection. If that carries over into the preseason, shouldn’t Moore replace McKivitz as the right tackle? Don’t they want to protect their franchise quarterback, Brock Purdy?