For sure, San Francisco 49ers fans probably don't like looking up at the 30-9 final score from preseason Week 1's loss to the Denver Broncos. That's pretty lopsided. And, aside from the brief period of time when the Niners held a 9-0 lead, the game was all Denver, all the way.
The "doom and gloom" that inevitably followed certainly creates plenty of reactions and overreactions, even though coaches don't particularly care about the final score or even trying to win the game.
Never mind the fact head coach Kyle Shanahan opted not to play the vast majority of his starters either, although Denver's first-team offense and defense was largely out there to start the contest.
One thing looked obvious about the 49ers coming out of last night’s game: If they somehow keep, say, 80 to 90 players, play the second-stringers for a quarter, then play the third-stringers the rest of the way, they will lose a lot of games.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 10, 2025
Overreacting can still be fun, though, even if it's unnecessary.
Let's do it (and then admit why it's silly).
Overreaction No. 1: 49ers have a QB depth problem
With Brock Purdy not playing, Mac Jones flashed enough prowess to suggest San Francisco will be OK at quarterback if the former misses any significant length of time.
However, neither Carter Bradley nor Tanner Mordecai did anything remotely close to suggest they're deserving of a roster spot, going a combined 9-of-20 with two interceptions thrown.
A third QB can be important (just ask Purdy), but reading too far into the QB3 battle is a silly exercise anyway.
Chances are, if any team is down to its third quarterback, the season is almost always effectively finished.
Overreaction No. 2: Spencer Burford is a problem
Fourth-year pro Spencer Burford appears ticketed to be the primary swing tackle behind the incumbent starters, Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz. But Burford's debut in this role on Saturday night wasn't exactly promising, as Pro Football Focus credited him with two pressures allowed on 27 snaps.
Heck, Burford's struggles even prompted now-retired former 49ers lineman Jon Feliciano to joke about coming out of retirement.
While Burford might not be the long-term answer as a key reserve backup, one game isn't going to be enough to conclude he's a massive liability either.
Wait and see on this one.
Overreaction No. 3: 49ers whiffed on Nick Martin
Plenty of rookies made statements in the exhibition opener. Linebacker Nick Martin didn't exactly make a positive one.
The third-round draftee out of Oklahoma State certainly played aggressive, flying all over the field. But he was also wildly out of control, too, taking poor angles and missing a slew of tackles in the process -- credited with two during the game but arguably could have been slapped with more.
It's now clear why the Niners are going to go with third-year pro Dee Winters in a starting role next to All-Pro Fred Warner, relegating Martin to a developmental piece.
Martin is far from a bust, though, and simply needs some time to "reel it all in."
Overreaction No. 4: 49ers offense will struggle
Here's a stat that'll make fans cringe a little bit: San Francisco went 1-of-12 on third-down attempts.
Yes, one successful conversion out of 12 tries. That's not good.
Going back to the Bradley descriptor, the quarterback did nothing to prove he deserves a roster spot, although it's vital to point out he's only been with the squad for mere days, has had little time to digest the playbook and has almost no chemistry with his intended weapons. And yet Bradley got the bulk of reps under center.
If there is a disservice, the lack of drive efficiency denied plenty of other fringe offensive players the valuable reps they needed to showcase their abilities.
But, to conclude an offense almost completely devoid of starters will struggle this season is pointless.
Overreaction No. 5: 49ers CB depth is just fine
Ending on a positive, sort of.
All offseason, one of the biggest concerns was not having enough cornerback depth behind Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green, although the rapid ascent of rookie nickel Upton Stout is promising.
Saturday night, defensive backs Chase Lucas and Darrell Luter Jr. put together a strong performance, suggesting both could round out the depth chart and alleviate the concerns of this position group being top-heavy and relatively weak.
Maybe.
Both Lucas and Luter need to stack together solid efforts before reaching that conclusion, and there might only be room for one of those two on the 53-man roster anyway.
Give it at least another preseason game or two before reaching any conclusions here.
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