Niners Nation
Back when Drew Carey hosted the improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway, he would start every show by saying, “It’s the show where everything is made up and the points don’t matter.”
That would be the case for the San Francisco 49ers’ preseason opener against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium. Denver won the game by scoring plenty more points than the 49ers, but that doesn’t matter.
What does matter is the individual performances of players trying to earn their way onto the 53-man roster at the end of the month. The defense shone against Denver’s first-team offense, a rookie receiver made an impact on the opening drive, and the 49ers saw a punt return they haven’t seen often under Kyle Shanahan.
While the 49ers dropped their preseason opener, several individuals stood out. Here are the three stars from Saturday night’s preseason opener:
Sometimes, all it takes is one play to earn a spot as a star of the game, and Bergen’s first and only touch of the game did just that.
Bergen made a name for himself at Montana with his explosive punt returns, so it should come as no surprise that’s just where his first impact play (hopefully of many) happened on Saturday night.
Denver was able to work their way to midfield on its opening drive but stalled out, resulting in a punt. Jeremy Crawshaw unloaded a punt that Bergen fielded at the San Francisco 15-yard line, flipping the field. Bergen used a quick move to get past Garrett Nelson, and with the space, he was able to flip the field, bringing the ball back towards midfield with a 28-yard punt return, starting the 49ers’ next drive at the 43-yard line.
The punt return game is something the 49ers haven’t been able to figure out under Kyle Shanahan, and has proven to be more of a hindrance than a positive in recent seasons. Had Bergen’s return on Saturday happened in the regular season, it would have been the fifth-longest return of the Shanahan era. The list is as follows:
Trent Taylor (Week 6 versus Washington, 2017) – 39 yards
Ray-Ray McCloud (Week 6 versus Atlanta, 2022) – 35 yards
Richie James (Week 5 versus Cleveland, 2019) – 32 yards
Jacob Cowing (Week 10 versus Tampa Bay, 2024) – 30 yards
After that, Bergen would be next with his 28-yard return against Denver, but the preseason doesn’t matter. Bergen made a good first impression on Saturday, but his spot on the 53-man roster depends on whether Shanahan is comfortable with holding a roster spot for a returner only. Bergen showed his value with his lone punt return in the preseason opener.
Second star: WR Jordan Watkins
With injuries galore at the position, the depth chart is as wide open as it’s ever been under Shanahan. With Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings injured and Ricky Pearsall getting the night off, Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins both got a chance...
