Titans 17, 49ers 13: QBs Allen, Dobbs lead brigade of backups in opener

NASHVILLE – Opening the preseason with a touchdown drive won’t take the sting out of how last season ended in the Super Bowl for the runner-up 49ers.

But it was a start, literally, in the Tennessee twilight.

With most regular starters kept out of Saturday night’s 17-13 loss to the Titans, the 49ers watched Brock Purdy’s fill-in, Brandon Allen, execute an 11-play opening drive that culminated in a touchdown run by Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey’s backup.

Quarterback Josh Dobbs, in his 49ers debut, also produced a touchdown by getting flipped across the goal line on a scramble, and he tried engineering a game-winning touchdown drive in final seconds before a Hail Mary got intercepted to end the game.

In between those offensive highlights, a lot went awry, from coverage woes on special teams to poor angles on defense, plus a broken forearm suffered by cornerback Ambry Thomas.

Still, live game action provided clues as to which reserves have a leg up on roster spots. Coach Kyle Shanahan also yielded play-calling duties for the first time to Klay Kubiak, a fourth-year assistant and their pass-game specialist who worked from the coaches’ booth.

“Not too big a deal. He’s ready for it and earned it,” Shanahan said. “It was one of the more boring things for me personally, my first game in 16 years not calling plays. I got to throw a red (challenge) flag and call a couple of timeouts.”

Shanahan said he’ll likely reclaim play-calling duties next Sunday when the 49ers host the Saints, who’ll first host the 49ers in joint practices at UC Irvine on Thursday and Friday.

All in all, the game was the 49ers’ first of any kind in six months, since their overtime loss in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.

This exhibition also provided an escape from this summer’s soap opera regarding Brandon Aiyuk’s contract impasse and potential trade. The 49ers’ disgruntled wide receiver did not make the trip, nor did left tackle Trent Williams, whose continued holdout cost him a $1.1 million fine for skipping this game as well as $650,000 for missing the first 13 practices; those fines cannot be waived or reduced, per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.

Shanahan had no updates on either, saying of Aiyuk: “I’ve met with Brandon a bunch since we started camp. I’m not going to get into any personal things. I feel the same as I talked last week. I am hopeful and do think it can. Everything is open.”

Among those left back in the Bay Area to rehabilitate and/or rest: defensive end Nick Bosa, running back Christian McCaffrey (calf),  linebacker Fred Warner (foot) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder).

Among those watching in T-shirts on the 49ers sideline were Purdy, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, DeVondre Campbell, Maliek Collins and Leonard Floyd. Kittle hosted a handful of players for a workout and lunch at his home in the Nashville suburbs, Juszczyk said on CBS-5 San Francisco’s broadcast.

Allen impressed in his first action since last preseason as he looks to go from the No. 3 option to Purdy’s immediate backup. The opening drive included completions to Ronnie Bell, Chris Conley and tight end Eric Saubert. Later, Allen accurately heaved 40-yard passes, only for them to slip through the hands of Tay Martin and Bell.

Allen’s longest and best throw came out of his own end zone, to convert a third-and-9 pass to Frank Darby for a 33-yard gain. Allen finished 7-of-13 for 98 yards, and he got sacked on his final snap against a Titans blitz.

Dobbs took over in the second half, inheriting a 14-7 halftime deficit. Dobbs’ 6-yard touchdown scramble pulled the 49ers within 17-13 with 8:26 remaining, capping a 70-yard drive that included 21-yard gains by Trent Taylor on both a reception and a run.

Purdy, meanwhile, stayed involved, from afar. He listened to play calls with a radio earpiece, reviewed video replays on a tablet, chatted up fellow inactive star Samuel, and applauded for a military serviceman on Nissan Stadium’s video board.

The only 49ers starters in this game who’ll likely reprise their roles in the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Jets were safety Ji’Ayir Brown, right tackle Colton McKivitz, and guards Aaron Banks and Dominick Puni, the latter of whom made his pro debut as a third-round pick.

The 49ers’ special teams coverage struggled at the outset, allowing a 63-yard kick return in their debut under the NFL’s new format, and next yielding a 26-yard punt return. Tackles by Jalen Graham and fill-in punter Pressley Harvin prevented those returns from going worse. Each return set up a Titans’ touchdown drive, the first of which covered just 15 yards and finished on a 1-yard run by quarterback Will Levis.

Linebacker Dee Winters drilled Levis on the preceding play to prevent a score, but an Ambry Thomas holding penalty negated that play to set up first-and-goal. The Titans were on the verge of their third touchdown in as many drives until rookie safety Malik Mustapha made the defense’s first big stop, halting a fourth-and-1 run for no gain at the 49ers’ 2-yard line.

Other notes:

— Mason used his one series to show why he might unseat Elijah Mitchell this season as McCaffrey’s top backup. Mason had a 13-yard gain on the 49ers’ first run. He had a pass sail through his hands before finishing off that drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. He totaled six carries for 34 yards.

— Taylor and Bell were back as the 49ers’ first kick returners in the NFL’s new format, and Taylor’s initial 18-yard return reached the 26-yard line. Taylor’s next return went for 18 yards to the 28-yard line. Like in their last game – Super Bowl LVIII’s overtime – the 49ers won the coin and received.

— Conley caught both his targets for 30 yards, broke down the pregame huddle, and served as one of the 49ers’ captains, along with George Odum and Kevin Givens. Conley finished last season strong and excelled in the Super Bowl.

— Rookie Renardo Green started at cornerback (along with Rock Ya-Sin), played some inside at nickel back, and recovered a third-quarter fumble.

— Undrafted rookie Cody Schrader’s first NFL carries went for minus-2, 6, 1, 1 and 0 yards.

— Matt Breida came away with no rushing yards on six carries, and he had a fumble that Dobbs recovered.

— Kalia Davis got credited for the 49ers’ first sack, a fourth-quarter tackle of Malik Willis as he fled the pocket.

— Left tackle Chris Hubbard and center Nick Zakelj rounded out the starting offensive line. On the second series, Ben Bartch replaced Banks and Brandon Parker took over for McKivitz.

— The 49ers coaching staff got penalized for sideline interference on the Titans’ first kick return, setting up Tennessee’s first possession at the 49ers’ 15-yard line.