There were plenty of positive takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers‘ opening NFL preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday.
The 17-9 victory over their long-time rivals gave the Niners a good sense of some young players looking to secure key roles this season. Rookie wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd each made notable impacts, while linebacker Dre Greenlaw looks to be the real deal.
That said, not everything was clean and peachy.
Granted, it’s a bit unfair to toss out a bunch of criticism early. After all, the majority of San Francisco’s starters and veterans sat out the contest, leaving most of the snaps to depth players and others with little chance to make the 53-man roster.