“It Was Frustrating”: Kyle Shanahan Didn't Sugarcoat His Words After 49ers' Loss

Shanahan Sees Red After 49ers' Preseason Stumble

The San Francisco 49ers opened their preseason with a thud, falling to the Denver Broncos 30-9 in Santa Clara. While starting quarterbacks sat out, head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn't sugarcoating the performance.

Early Promise Quickly Fades

“It was frustrating,” Shanahan admitted after the game. "I liked how we started out, but after that, there wasn’t much to be excited about. We didn’t get many first downs, four turnovers, the three picks, the fumble…We made too many mistakes. It was frustrating."

Patrick Taylor Jr. gave the 49ers a touchdown on their opening drive, but the rest of the night belonged to Denver.

Quarterback Carousel Spins with Errors

All three 49ers quarterbacks – Mac Jones, Tanner Mordecai, and Carter Bradley – threw interceptions. Running back Ameer Abdullah fumbled, while Mordecai added another lost possession though San Francisco recovered it.

Jones finished 4-of-7 for 74 yards with a pick and two sacks. Bradley managed 6-of-14 passing for 32 yards and an interception. Mordecai was the least effective at 3-of-6 for 21 yards, also throwing a pick while being sacked once.

The Broncos dominated in major offensive categories, leaving Shanahan with little to cheer about.

Looking Ahead

With Brock Purdy firmly entrenched as the starter, the performance of his backups is cause for concern. The 49ers will have another shot at redemption next Saturday when they travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders.