Kyle Shanahan sounded as if he’ll go back to calling plays in the 49ers’ second exhibition game against the Raiders, but not because he’s some kind of control freak.
It turns out that letting passing game specialist Klay Kubiak handle the play-calling duties in Saturday night’s 17-13 road loss to the Tennessee Titans made the preseason game as tedious as it is for just about everyone else tuning in.
Shanahan has called the plays for every preseason game, regular season game and postseason game since he arrived with the 49ers in 2017. He also called plays for Washington, Cleveland and Atlanta.
“I loved letting Klay do that,” Shanahan told reporters. “I have a lot of confidence in Klay, but it was one of the more boring things for me personally. That was the first game in 16 years not calling plays and really not knowing what to do with my hands. I got to throw a red flag. I was excited by that. called a time out — a couple of them. But it is a little different.”
The opening drive as called by Kubiak resulted in an 11-play, 74-yard touchdown march which ended in a 4-yard run by Jordan Mason. After that, projected starters such as guard Aaron Banks — and even Mason — were given the rest of the night off.
It was no picnic for Kubiak in that the 49ers don’t do specific game-planning for an opponent, and there was no film to be had on this version of Tennessee anyway under rookie head coach Brian Callahan. Denard Wilson, first-year Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, wasn’t shy about dialing up blitzes early and often and the 49ers had issues blocking them at times.
Shanahan got so bored early he got caught looking at his tablet on a play down the sideline and the 49ers were flagged for being off the sideline on a 63-yard kickoff return by Kearis Jackson.
“I was just watching film from the series before,” Shanahan said. “Ref went by me, did a good job avoiding me.”
Shanahan said he expects to resume play-calling duties.
“I’ve kind of trained myself to watch the game only one way so it’s hard to adjust it,” Shanahan said.
San Francisco 49ers tight end Eric Saubert (82) tries to escape from Tennessee Titans linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (56) after making a catch during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Quick hitters
— Shanahan complimented the play of quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs, but it looked like Allen was the clear winner in terms of operating the offense as it is intended to be run as opposed to Dobbs’ and his creativity.
Allen’s numbers (7 of 13, 98 yards) would have been considerably better had Tay Martin and Ronnie Bell held on-target deep sideline throws. The most surprising part of Allen’s game is he showed he could step up and rip a throw with authority as opposed to layering in soft throws.
— George Odum is probably still the favorite to open at safety along with Ji’Ayir Brown, but fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha’s fourt-and-1 goal line run stuff of 228-pound Julius Chestnut was an eye-opener.
“We knew he was a hitter,” Shanahan said. “We were excited to see him hit someone else besides our won guys at practice.”
Mustapha and second-year linebacker Dee Winters could see serious playing time early in the season. Winters overran a couple of plays but had looked as if he could at least make it on the field as a third-linebacker and push and even push De’Vondre Campbell (who didn’t suit up) as the second linebacker along with Fred Warner in the nickel defense.
— Shanahan will withhold judgement on rookie right guard Dominic Puni, who has been the starter since camp opened. But Puni did nothing to hurt himself, and even wrapped his arms around Jordan Mason and helped pull him into the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown run.
— Getting Mason off the field after an impressive first drive (6 carries, 34 yards) is another sign that if healthy, he could emerge as the the first option after Christian McCaffrey ahead of Elijah Alexander.
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— With Logan Thomas having been released, Eric Saubert has emerged as a potential second tight end with the 49ers having to replace both Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley.
Saubert got starter George Kittle excited with a pancake block early in the game. It was a good sign for second-year tight end Cameron Latu that he caught both passes thrown his way for 12 yards after having drop issues last season before being injured and spending his rookie year on injured reserve.
— Deebo Samuel’s premonition about the “dynamic” kickoff rule exposing the kicker as a tackler came true when Jake Moody missed an ankle tackle on the 63-yard burst by Kearis Jackson.
— Shanahan has no intention on expanding on the status of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk or tackle Trent Williams until they’re signed and delivered to training camp.
— Rough day for Ambry Thomas, who left with fractured right forearm and was struggling before the injury. As deep as the cornerback position appears this year, it will be an uphill climb for Thomas to make the roster.
— Robert Beal Jr. has put on weight and the hope was he’d retain his explosiveness and blossom in Year 2 as an edge rusher. Maybe Kris Kocurek’s detailed evaluation will say otherwise, but it’s not like Beal flashed against either run or pass against the Titans.
— Quick quiz: Do you even remember the 49ers preseason record last season? In a training camp that was notable only for the Brock Purdy elbow watch, Nick Bosa’s holdout and the exodus of Trey Lance, the 49ers were 1-2. They lost 34-7 to the Raiders, beat Denver 21-20 and lost to the L.A. Chargers 23-12.
Nothing impressive. Until they blew out Pittsburgh on the road 30-7 in their most impressive opener since 1994 when they outclassed the Raiders 44-14 at Candlestick Park.