Following a pair of joint practices at the UCHealth Training Center, the San Francisco 49ers won their second preseason contest in a 24-15 victory over the Denver Broncos. Here are six players that stood out on Monday night in the Mile High City.
1. P Mitch Wishnowsky
The rookie punter continued to impress, booting six punts for 288 yards (48.0-yard average) and downing two inside the 20-yard line. Wishnowsky also kicked off five times, four were touchbacks. The one that wasn't a touchback drew the most noise. The punter ran down field and delivered a punishing hit on Broncos return man Devontae Jackson - an effort Kyle Shanahan encourages from his players.
"I was not shocked at all," Shanahan said in his conference call on Tuesday afternoon. "That's what rugby players do. I don't know if we want to make a living out of that, but it's good for the other 10 guys to see. If they're not on it he might get down there and take their stats away. I was very impressed with it. It was a perfect formed leverage side tackle that was very impressive."
2. RB Raheem Mostert
Mostert made the most of his opportunities in the backfield with Jerick McKinnon (knee) still out and Tevin Coleman only playing the first few series. Mostert totaled six carries for 58 yards and one score against the Broncos. On the touchdown, he took the handoff and found a crease to the end zone from 30 yards out. Mostert also led the team in receiving yards with two catches for 42 yards including a 38-yard catch-and-run off a screen play.
"I just saw the defense flowing hard to the left and nothing but green grass out of my peripheral," Mostert explained postgame. "I knew that if I could beat one person, who was the DB who was already blocked, it was on to the next man which was the safety, and I knew I had that."
3. WR Deebo Samuel
The rookie wideout showed off his speed in Week 2 of the preseason. He took an end around for 45 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the 1-yard line. That explosiveness is what the 49ers were looking for when they drafted Samuel in the second round of the NFL Draft.
"Once I got around the corner, I saw the (defensive end) so I had to outrun him," Samuel said. "I was looking ahead and there was great blocking out there. There was a big opening and I hit it full speed."
4. WR Richie James Jr.
Among a crowded group of receivers, James Jr. continues to carve out a role for himself. James had two kickoff returns for 80 yards, including a 48-yard return to set the 49ers up midfield. He also registered a 14-yard reception on the 49ers first scoring drive of the night.
5. DL Solomon Thomas
The third-year pro fared well in his 39 snaps on Monday night. Thomas finished the with game with four total tackles and a notable screen pass breakup.
"I was real happy for Solomon," Shanahan discussed. "He's moving different. He's playing a lot more aggressive. I think his mind is a lot clearer and it's showing. I thought he had a good game yesterday and we expected him because it's been looking that way in practice."
6. DL Jay Bromley
One of the newer members of the 49ers, Bromley joined the team early on in training camp and found a spot in the defensive line rotation. The six-year NFL veteran played in 35 snaps against the Broncos, notching three total tackles and two sacks.
