The San Francisco 49ers opened up their preseason schedule on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders following a pair of joint practices with their opponent earlier in the week. As expected, most of San Francisco's projected starters sat out of the opener, leaving the door open for the team's draft picks, free agents and younger talent to log some live-action reps.
Three of the 49ers quarterbacks took turns leading the offense on Sunday with Trey Lance under center the entire first half and Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen splitting the back half of the game. Turnovers and some missed scoring opportunities resulted in 34-7 loss in Las Vegas, but regardless of the outcome, this first preseason game will serve as an important evaluation tool for the coaching staff and a ramp up to Week 1 of the regular season.
Among the standouts of Sunday's game are tight end Troy Fumagalli, quarterback Brandon Allen and defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr., who all recorded top marks in Pro Football Focus' weekly grades.
Here's the breakdown on this week's preseason playmakers:
Top Offensive Performers: Troy Fumagalli and Brandon Allen
Fumagalli topped all offensive performers for the 49ers against Las Vegas, earning a 90.8 overall grade, and marks the tight end's highest PFF single-week grade since entering the league in 2019. The fifth-year pro logged a total of 15 snaps in Sunday's contest and recorded two catches for 30 yards as well as contributing as run blocker.
Allen entered Sunday's game early in the fourth quarter and closed out the day by completing five-of-eight passes for 36 yards and an interception, making him the second-highest graded offensive performer for San Francisco. Allen earned a 90.2 overall grade for his 14 snaps of work. The quarterback's highlight play versus the Raiders was a long ball to wide receiver Tay Martin near the left sideline to convert on third-and-nine.
Top Defensive Performer: Kerry Hyder Jr.
The defensive lineman was the highest graded performer on the other side of the ball, coming away with an 81.7 overall grade for his 14 snaps against the Raiders. The eighth-year pro tallied two tackles and pressure which included a big run stop with cornerback Ambry Thomas on fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup.
