49ers survive Saints: Rapid reactions

Preseason games don't count. And you could tell just by looking at the number of star players who weren't playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Whether it was injuries, contract issues, or to protect the player from the possibility of injury, there were about 15 starters who didn't suit up.

And it looked like a lot of backups, for the most part. But that's what preseason is about. It's about a lot of young players trying to make the team.

Here are my rapid reactions from the 49ers 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. These are my live observations as the game unfolded.

• Why was Brock Purdy playing when most key players weren't? I thought that was a bad decision. Purdy took some hits, but nothing bad happened.
• Renardo Green is a playmaker. I even saw some national analysts talking him up.

• So is Ji'Ayir Brown. He looks like he will have a strong season.

• The 49ers need to pay Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk soon.
• Was Chase Young actually playing hard? That's new.

• Pressley Harvin III is a good punter. And the 49ers' offense is giving him a lot of practice.
• Cam Latu finally made a couple of catches. But he also had a few bad plays. I don't see him making this team.

• Josh Dobbs looked great, as a passer and as a runner. He made several plays. He may have won the QB2 job, but we'll see.

• It's nice seeing Alex Barrett playing and making an impact. I may have overlooked him.

• Ronnie Bell may not make this team. He's just too inconsistent.
• Jacob Cowing will be a weapon for the 49ers if he can stay healthy. He was one of the best players on the field in this game. He didn't look like a rookie playing in his first game.

• Dobbs is the athlete at QB we hoped Trey Lance would be. He was great against the Saints.

• Dominic Puni is the real deal. Jaylon Moore is not.
• Neither is Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. He will probably make the team because the coaches like him. But I think there are too many younger guys behind him that are either already better or will be soon.
• Curtis Robinson is one of those players who is a better option at linebacker than Flannigan-Fowles.
• Shanahan said Klay Kubiak was calling plays for the 49ers' offense again. it's interesting, but I don't think there's anything to it.
• Matt Breida looks fast.
• Tatum Bethune can play, especially against the run.
• Jake Tonges is better than Latu.
• Danny Gray caught a pass. He almost dropped it, but it's still a catch.

• Tanner Mordecai looks good. And he has some wheels.
• Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a load.
• The kickoff coverage was a little better than last week. They still make me nervous, though.
• I like seeing Darrell Luter, Jr. get on the field. He had some ups and downs, but I liked what I saw.
• There were way too many dropped passes.
• It's time to pay Aiyuk and Williams. Have I already mentioned that?

It wasn't quite the 2011 Divisional Game between Jim Harbaugh's 49ers and Sean Payton's Saints, but it came down to the wire. There weren't any major injuries for the 49ers, and that's the most important development. Up next for the 49ers are the Las Vegas Raiders this coming Friday night.