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What we learned as Mason shines in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Jets Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers turned the page on a tumultuous offseason Monday night.
Everyone was back on the field except running back Christian McCaffrey, who was declared inactive for the 2024 NFL regular season opener due to calf and Achilles tendon issues.
But as it turned out, the 49ers didn’t even need the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
The 49ers put together a solid, all-around performance in Week 1 to earn a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers scored on eight straight possessions to gradually pull away from the Jets, who are looking to snap the longest current playoff drought in the NFL.
Left tackle Trent Williams showed no signs of his extended absence from training camp. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk returned to the starting lineup.
There was even some sense of closure in the terrifying incident on August 31, when rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was the victim of a shooting.
He Tribute to the 49ers and Pearsall San Francisco Police Sgt. Joelle Harrell, who comforted Pearsall as the first on the scene, and San Francisco General Hospital surgeon Dr. Lucy Kornblith.
The 49ers looked like a team that was excited to start the regular season. Here are some takeaways from their win over the Jets:
Mason has an outstanding game
Backup running back Jordan Mason is no longer a backup.
In at least one game, Mason proved he can step into the starting lineup and produce.
Mason replaced McCaffrey and had his most productive game in the NFL.
Mason, a third-year pro, had a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 rushing attempts. He entered the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech.
Mason ran aggressively and dished out a fair amount of punishment to the Jets’ vaunted defense.
He completed an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter and give the 49ers a 23-7 lead.
Mason He was the third row runner Last season, behind McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell, and that might have been the case this season, too. But Mitchell suffered a hamstring injury early in training camp. He was severely injured upon his return and the 49ers placed him on season-ending injured reserve to undergo surgery.
The best game of Mason’s previous NFL career was a 69-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 8, 2023.
Defense comes into play
The 49ers’ offseason headlines all focused on the issues on the offensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense has lacked drama.
That was on full display Monday night, when first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen devised a game plan that helped the 49ers put the brakes on Aaron Rodgers and company.
Rodgers struggled in his long-awaited first full game with the Jets after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passing attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Jets running back Breece Hall, one of the NFL’s most dynamic players, managed just 54 yards on 16 attempts against the 49ers’ revamped defensive front.
The 49ers forced two takeaways, both on Jake Moody field goals.
All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner stripped Hall of the ball on New York’s second drive of the game and defensive tackle Maliek Collins recovered it.
In the third quarter, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir deflected a Rodgers pass intended for Garrett Wilson. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles recorded his first interception in 62 career games.
Rodgers stunned the 49ers after Leonard Floyd went sidelined late in the third quarter. The 49ers seemed to stall as the play progressed. Rodgers delivered a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard.
Aiyuk Rusty on the comeback
It was a tough opportunity, but it was the type of catch 49ers fans have seen Aiyuk make that seems routine in the past.
Quarterback Brock Purdy handed the ball to Aiyuk for a play in the back right corner of the end zone late in the first half. Aiyuk was able to get both hands on the ball as he began to lunge, but the ball slipped out of his hands.
It could have been a 13-yard touchdown pass, but it was an incomplete pass and the 49ers had to settle for a field goal to close out the first half with a 16-7 lead.
Aiyuk did not participate in the 49ers’ offseason program or training camp while he was involved in A contentious contractual situationHe agreed to his new five-year, $134.1 million contract on Aug. 29.
Aiyuk finished the night with two receptions for 28 yards.
Purdy completed 19 of 29 pass attempts for 231 yards and no touchdowns with zero interceptions.
The 49ers turned to Deebo Samuel to do a little bit of everything. He carried the ball eight times for 23 yards with a touchdown, while also adding five receptions for 64 yards.
The 49ers hoped to lean even more on Samuel during the early part of the schedule with McCaffrey out and Aiyuk working his way back.
It’s understandable that Aiyuk hasn’t gotten off to a good start due to his off-field distractions.
The question is whether he can get back into game shape and on the same page as Purdy to come close to matching last year’s 75-catch, 1,342-yard season that earned him the multimillion-dollar contract.
