If not for a dropped third-and-3 pass by Bralon Addison with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter, Lynch might have led three consecutive scoring drives. “For the first time out of the chute without playing for a year, he did some good things”, Baalke said. Siemian also took the majority of first-team reps in practice against San Francisco’s defense.
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Still, Kubiak’s announcement that Trevor Siemian will start at quarterback for the Broncos in the second preseason game, Saturday against San Francisco, is the latest example of Kubiak’s rare transparency as a coach. The 49ers ended up with a 31-24 victory in the second exhibition game for both teams.
Vance McDonald: It was a mostly good game for McDonald, who had three receptions for 38 yards.
The Niners are still without Colin Kaepernick because of an ailing arm.
“Hopefully we can get him back full next week so we can get a game under his belt”, coach Chip Kelly said Thursday before the 49ers second straight day of practicing at the Broncos’ facility.
This evening, both individuals will attempt to move the ball on the 49ers’ revamped defense. Taking a measured approach, he used an array of short passes – including two for 28 yards to tight end Virgil Green – to keep the offense moving and out of harm’s way.
Sanchez completed 10 of 13 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown against the Bears in his start. Yet he was Siemian’s favorite target in the early going Saturday, with two receptions in the first four plays of the Broncos’ opening drive and finished the first half with four receptions for 57 yards.
Siemian, who got in for one play (a game-ending kneel-down) as the third-team quarterback last season, is the lone quarterback on the Broncos’ roster with experience in Kubiak’s offensive system.
Kelly had no injury updates to offer after the game; he will hold a conference call with the media Sunday afternoon.
Right now, the Broncos’ starting quarterback role is wide open. White made the team last season as an undrafted free agent from Alabama, and his chances on returning seem to improve weekly.
Then in the second quarter, it went downhill. He remained sidelined for the remainder of the game. What looked like a significant injury turned into an Eli Harold wind knocked out of him moment. The fifth-round pick caught six passes for 68 yards in the 26-16 loss at Nissan Stadium. He also rushed three times for 14 yards.
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“Ah, well, we made too many mistakes obviously”, Kubiak said, when asked if the quarterbacks showed him enough to decide who would start. Ponder’s first two passes were completed to Jerome Simpson, his teammate for the 2012 and ’13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Backup EJ Manuel then secured the win by leading two touchdown drives on an afternoon that began with Buffalo cutting backup running back Karlos Williams and announcing defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was entering a rehabilitation clinic.
