RB Jordan Mason Shines in 49ers' Preseason Loss to Titans

RB Jordan Mason was the highlight player for the 49ers in their loss to the Titans.

Aug 10, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (24) runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The first preseason game is in the books for the San Francisco 49ers.

They fall to the Tennessee Titans in Nashville to a score of 17-13. Hardly any of the starters for the 49ers saw action in this game, which was to be expected. But that didn't change the fact that the 49ers had some impressive performances from their depth players.

Jordan Mason is the No. 2 RB

If there was any doubt before, then there isn't any now after the performance Jordan Mason put on in his lone offensive series. He is the 49ers' No. 2 running back behind Christian McCaffrey. Mason is an absolute bulldozer. Each of his six carries that went for 34 yards and a score showcased how powerful he is.

It also proved why he is the second-best running back on the 49ers. It was nice knowing you, Elijah Mitchell. We saw you flourish as the starter before injuries made it clear you couldn't be the starter, so you ended up as the backup. Now, you are relegated to the third-string and possibly even traded.

Dee Winters should start

De'Vondre Campbell is going to be the starter alongside Fred Warner this year, but it probably shouldn't. That role should be given to Dee Winters. Winters was everywhere in this game and showed insane power to level offensive players.

His speed pops out, which is something he can give the 49ers on defense that Campbell doesn't. He likely will not get the start soon, but will definitely make it tough for the coaches to give Campbell much room for error.

Special teams is still atrocious

New kickoff rules, same old piss poor 49ers special teams. They can't generate anything on kickoffs with Ronnie Bell and Trent Taylor. It looks incredibly stale with no hope. Kickoff coverage is even worse. They almost allowed a touchdown return on their first try in coverage.

Punt coverage isn't much better. The Niners allowed a chunk return after a nice punt the first time in the game. It wasn't too crazy of an issue later on, but it is just astonishing how the 49ers year after year field such an atrocious special teams unit.

Run defense might be an issue again

Specifically in the first half of the game, the 49ers' run defense was subpar. It wasn't a total disaster, but it certainly wasn't acceptable to watch. Sure, it is just the preseason and they don't have all of their starters. But players like Ji'Ayir Brown and Winters were out there.

The defensive lineman out there like Kevin Givens and Yetur Gross-Matos are going to be contributors. So, for the run defense to look as it did by giving up a 24 yard Tony Pollard run and failing to hold up on crucial downs makes it a concern. We'll see if it resembles anything in the regular season because it certainly did last year.