LAS VEGAS — Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense showed a bit more chemistry in San Francisco’s third preseason game Friday night, but it definitely wasn’t perfect.
Most of the first team was on the field for three series against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium and put together some highlight-worthy plays and others they would prefer to have back. Purdy had tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason at his disposal after all three sat out last week’s preseason win over the New Orleans Saints.
Purdy began his first drive with a 27-yard dart to Samuel, followed by a 15-yard completion to Kittle. Then the drive stalled out after Mason was tackled for a 5-yard loss, which was followed by two Purdy incompletions — one to Mason and another to Kittle on a pass thrown behind the tight end.
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The 49ers' second drive was reminiscent of the 2023 season, when it appeared that Purdy and Co. could not be stopped. The 12-play, 85-yard drive involved more of the offense with completions to tight end Jake Tonges and Kittle and runs by Mason and rookie running back Isaac Guerendo, who just returned to the practice field this week.
Purdy also showed off his own ability to avoid defenders with a 14-yard run to keep the drive alive. Mason capped the series with a 4-yard touchdown run, and when the third-year pro returned to the sidelines, running backs coach Bobby Turner gave him a pat on the back and a “good job.”
Purdy's third and final drive started well with a 15-yard pass to Chris Conley, followed by a 5-yard completion to Samuel before a few Mason runs and a Purdy sack. The third-year pro then threw a pass to Samuel that was tipped in the air, intercepted by Raiders safety Chris Smith II and returned 31 yards.
San Francisco 49ers
Overall, the 49ers' offense looked much more in sync than it did last week, but there’s still much to work on before the Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets on "Monday Night Football." Purdy finished the game 9-of-12 passing for 96 yards, with one interception, for a 63.2 rating.
Missing from the lineup were fullback Kyle Juszczyk (veteran rest), running back Christian McCaffrey (calf), wide receivers Jauan Jennings (oblique) and Brandon Aiyuk (contract), and left tackle Trent Williams (contract), who all are key contributors to the offense. Their returns should help the group return to the well-oiled machine that fans have seen in the past.
One positive development for the 49ers was the running back’s ground success, even with a few offensive linemen out of the game. The starting line Friday night included: Jaylon Moore at left tackle, Nick Zakelj at left guard, Jack Brendel at center, Dominick Puni at right guard and Colton McKivitz at right tackle.
With a few more weeks of practice and a full complement of offensive players on the field, the 49ers have the potential to be as good as in the past.