Jordan Mason dominates, and other notes from 49ers' Week 1 win
The San Francisco 49ers put together a strong Week 1 showing in their 32-19 win over the New York Jets on Monday night.
Neither team got off to a great start, but the 49ers eventually stabilized on both sides of the ball and managed to pull away from a Jets club many expect to contend for a Super Bowl this season.
Here are our notes from each quarter of the 49ers' season-opening win:
First quarter
- The Jets get the ball first and their toss to the left gets sniffed out by LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. He knifed in for a would-be tackle for loss, but he whiffed the tackle badly.
- Aaron Rodgers' first throw is incomplete. WR Allen Lazard dropped the throw, but more importantly, Rodgers didn't move at all in the pocket. It was a designed quick throw which may be the case all game as he returns from a torn Achilles.
- Three-and-out for both teams to start. Brock Purdy hit George Kittle on his first throw, but pressure forced an errant deep throw on third-and-2. Adjusting to life with Christian McCaffrey is going to be tough for Purdy in his first game without the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
- Good special teams tackle by rookie CB Renardo Green.
- There's Fred Warner. He punches the ball out from RB Breece Hall and Maliek Collins falls on it at the Jets' 32. The 49ers' defense needs to be excellent as long as McCaffrey is out. Great start so far.
- Another incompletion on a third-and-7. It looked like a miscommunication between Deebo Samuel and Purdy. The bigger problem was that the 49ers' OL got whooped again. That may be a theme in this one.
- Maliek Collins is having a heck of a start to this game. He came up with the fumble recovery on one drive, then had a tackle for loss to start the next one.
- Two third-down throws to Garrett Wilson and two first downs for the Jets. Deommodore Lenoir got beat for a tough catch in man coverage. The 49ers went zone on the next one and Wilson was wide open.
- Another third-down throw to Wilson. Another first down.
- Easy Jets touchdown as Breece Hall cruises in to make it 7-3. The 49ers have to figure out how to cover Wilson, but more importantly they have to start getting pressure on Rodgers. He's been way too comfortable every time he drops back.
- There's some room for Jordan Mason. He got behind rookie RG Dominick Puni, and then railroaded a Jets safety to finish a 13-yard run. The 49ers needed that. It's their first first down and it comes with under three minutes to play in the first quarter.
- Brandon Aiyuk's first target is a drop. Brutal.
- Aiyuk snags the next throw to convert a third down.
Second quarter
- The 49ers tried trickery with an end around on third-and-5 to open the second quarter and it was immediately blown up. San Francisco just can't contain the Jets' defensive front. It was a small miracle Samuel only lost four yards. It could've been closer to 15. Samuel's effort kept the 49ers in field goal range and Jake Moody connected from 51 yards out.
- The Jets tried airing one out on first down and Rodgers got walloped by DL Jordan Elliott. Good job by Elliott to not draw a flag. San Francisco's defensive line needs to put its mark on this game at some point.
- Hey there's the defensive line! Leonard Floyd gets on the board with his first sack, but that was Nick Bosa creating havoc off the left side. Floyd also beat his man and cleaned up the sack.
- The 49ers' run game is working now. Mason finally broke one off for 18 yards, but it was negated by a holding penalty on right tackle Colton McKivitz. Tough, but Mason is running really well and creating yards.
- A Jauan Jennings sighting on a second-and-19. He picked up 21 on a deep in breaker. That's a big-time throw from Purdy.
- Brutal. Samuel is called for holding on a 17-yard touchdown run by Mason. The 49ers can't get out of their own way. This is very much a Week 1 type of game for San Francisco. Extremely sloppy.
- Now Samuel finds the end zone. That was a long drive for San Francisco, but their run game got working and they got their defense a much-needed rest. They're up to 17 runs on their first 25 plays. It's 13-7 after Samuel's two-yard rushing score. It was a 12-play, 67-yard drive, but 35 yards worth of Mason runs were negated by penalties.
- Nice work by the 49ers' defense to force a three-and-out. They got pressure on Rodgers on third down. He's not the athlete he used to be and when he starts running around it's not nearly as dangerous as it was.
- Now Mason is snagging third-down throws in tight coverage. His growth as a player has been incredible.
- Another drop from Aiyuk on an end zone shot. He had to lay out, but that's a catch a $30 million per year receiver needs to have.
- Good final drive by the 49ers before the half. They had to settle for a 31-yard field goal that made it 16-7 at the half and San Francisco will get the ball to start the third quarter. That should have ended in a touchdown, though. Overall, there was clearly some rust for the 49ers early and they managed to go into the half up nine thanks to four consecutive scoring drives.
Third quarter
- Purdy is just good, man. He escaped pressure on a second down and snuck a throw in to Samuel in the middle of the field. Samuel turned it up field for a first down. That's the QB turning a potential sack and a negative play into a first down.
- It's Kyle Juszczyk time. He hauled in a 34-yard reception where he got wide open. It was his second catch of the drive to open the third quarter and it put San Francisco deep in the red zone. Getting him involved gives the 49ers' passing game another element.
- There's the Mason touchdown. He's been on the doorstep all game and he finally punches it in after the Juszczyk catch. He made a sick cut to his right to find a hole for an easy score. He's up to 88 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. It capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive that drained 7:18 off the clock. What a statement for the 49ers.
- There's an interception for ... Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles?! Right place, right time for the 49ers' linebacker. Deommodore Lenoir flew in to break up a second-and-5 throw to Garrett Wilson, popped the ball in the air, and Flannigan-Fowles made a diving grab to secure a takeaway. After a rough third series, the 49ers defense has done an excellent job of making life difficult for Rodgers.
- Purdy's worst series of the night came after the interception. He missed a throw high to Kyle Juszczyk. Missed another throw over the middle to Kittle. Then he threw to tight end Eric Saubert in tight coverage, and didn't see a safety over the top who flew in for a near interception. The missed throw is one thing, missing into coverage and putting the ball in harm's way can't happen.
- Abominable defense from the 49ers on a third down. They jumped offsides and stopped playing, allowing Allen Lazard to get wide open up the seam for a touchdown. That's extremely deflating after a really good showing for San Francisco's defense. The Jets' two-point try came up short to keep it a 26-13 49ers lead. A long drive and points on the ensuing drive should ice this one for the 49ers.
Fourth quarter
- The 49ers really need to make the Jets pay for selling out to stop the run. Purdy hasn't been able to connect though.
- There's a nice throw by Purdy with pressure in his face to Aiyuk. He connected with the All-Pro for 14 yards on a third-and-6. That puts San Francisco at New York's 14. This is an excellent response after the Jets' TD.
- Kicking a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the opponent's 5 to extend a lead from 13 to 16 points is the most Kyle Shanahan move of all-time. That's one where San Francisco should be going for it. More importantly: Trent Williams left the game and went to the locker room, which is not great.
- Kick coverage has been good for San Francisco!
- Nice job by Isaac Yiadom on a fourth-and-1 to come up with a pass breakup against Garrett Wilson thanks to a not-so-great throw from Rodgers. Yiadom might have gotten there a step early, but it was a bang-bang play. That felt like a play Rodgers used to make.
- Mason is up to 28 carries -- that's the most by a 49ers running back under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
- Another Moody field goal. He's six-for-six and the 49ers are up 32-13. Really good night for the kicker. And a really good night overall for San Francisco. They put a ton of weird offseason stuff behind them to come out and dominate what figures to be a good team.
Final score
49ers 32, Jets 19
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Jordan Mason dominates, and other notes from 49ers' Week 1 win