5 Key Takeaways From San Francisco 49ers Week 1 Win Over New York Jets

The San Francicsco 49ers hosted Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets Monday night to wrap up Week 1 of the NFL season.

Surprisingly, star running back Christian McCaffrey found himself inactive as the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year deals with a calf/Achilles injury.

It did not matter. Former undrafted rookie free agent Jordan Mason filled McCaffrey’s shoes, going for a career-high 147 yards on 28 attempts. San Francisco scored on eight consecutive possessions to win going away by the score of 32-19.

Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense held New York’s offense in check. Outside of a long drive in the first quarter and broken coverage in the second half, this unit was dominant.

The reigning NFC champions opened their season in grand fashion. They still look to be the juggernauts in the conference. Here is a look at five takeaways from the 13-point victory.

No Christian McCaffrey, No Problem

San Francisco 49ers’ Jordan Mason was great against the New York Jets. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

As noted above Mason did his thing against the Jets on Monday night. Most of his damage was done between the tackles, with the 49ers’ offensive line winning throughout the night.

Rookie third-round pick Dominick Puni looked great in starting at guard in his regular-season debut. He dominated at the point of contact and anchored big time in the rushing attack.

Dominick Puni can play pic.twitter.com/IZsBjFaQ31

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) September 10, 2024

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There is a reason why he earned the starting job out of the gate. Per Pro Football Focus, he put up the fifth-best grade among 49ers players in Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers’ Red Zone Issues

Brandon Aiyuk struggled in his return to action. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Scoring on eight consecutive possessions is awesome. Seeing six of those end in field goals is not great. San Francisco scored two touchdowns on five red-zone opportunities.

The primary culprits here were penalties coupled with a horrible drop by Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone. A lot was made of Aiyuk’s drop given that he didn’t practice during training camp before signing a lucrative long-term contract.

It might not have impacted the 49ers in Week 1. But competition gets more difficult moving forward. Red-zone struggles against the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills moving forward would be a major issue. That’s especially true in closer games.

San Francisco 49ers Cornerback Play Is Elite

Charvarius Ward was tremendous for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. … [+]

We knew all about 49ers Pro Bowl cornerback Charvarius Ward heading into Week 1 against the Jets. He led the NFL with 23 passes defended and yielded a mere 64.5 QB rating when targeted last season.

Ward was up to his old tricks Monday night. In fact, Aaron Rodgers largely avoided his side of the field. The impending free agent gave up just 14 yards on five targets, proving to be a shut down guy in the process.

The performance of underrated cornerback Deommodore Lenoir stood out, too. He broke up a pass intended for Garrett Wilson that was ultimately intercepted by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.

This is a no fly zone 🗜️@Dflann12 x @Dmo_lenoir #NYJvsSF on ESPN pic.twitter.com/hh7sSxsLEk

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 10, 2024

All said, Lenoir yielded 38 yards on six targets in the win. Even free-agent acquisition Isaac Yiadom had a key pass defended on fourth down in the final stanza. Depth might be an issue at cornerback. But the top three looked great in the season opener.

Brock Purdy Was Solid, But Has Stuff To Work On

Brock Purdy put up an average performance for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. (AP Photo/Jed … [+]

Purdy completed 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards without a touchdown or an interception. It was a workmanlike performance for the reigning NFL MVP finalist against an elite Jets defense.

However, he left some plays on the field. That included throwing high to George Kittle down the field in the second quarter. It’s a pass that could have very well been intercepted. Purdy touched on his thoughts on the 49ers’ offensive performance after the game.

“I thought there’s some things that we could all probably do a little bit better at, myself included,” Purdy said, via the 49ers’ official website. “Just the live speed and having everybody in together tied together with everything, shifts, motions, operation, going against man coverage, finding ways to get open and being on time. There’s just that the sense of urgency that I think that we can be a little bit better with.”

Purdy obviously was not in tune with the aforementioned Aiyuk. He completed just 2-of-5 passes for 28 yards when targeting the All-Pro receiver. Missing Christian McCaffrey’s dual-threat ability also played a role here. It was not a bad performance from Purdy. But he certainly has proven that he can play better.

49ers Run Defense Is Vastly Improved

The 49ers held New York Jets running back Breece Hall in check. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

At times last season, opposing teams showed an ability to run against the 49ers. It’s one of the reasons why San Francisco acquired defensive tackle Maliek Collins in a trade with the Houston Texans.

Collins played a big role in holding Jets running back Breece Hall to 54 yards on 16 attempts. The 49ers also forced a fumble.

ForbesSan Francisco 49ers on the Forbes NFL Team Valuations List

Nick Bosa was held without sack. But he also proved to be stout against the run. The same thing can be said for Javon Hargrave. Meanwhile, linebacker Fred Warner was the best player on the field Monday night. That included multiple assists on the ground.

If the 49ers are able to maintain this level of play against the run, their defense is going to be dominant. Add in the cornerback play I mentioned above, and that’s magnified further.