Shanahan lays out ideal plan for Jimmy G, Lance vs. Raiders

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Not worried about keeping secrets during the preseason, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan laid out his plans for the last preseason game this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Shanahan detailed how he would like to see his starters on both sides of the ball get significantly more reps in the team’s “dress rehearsal” than they have in the previous two contests. 

“Ideally, just as a whole for starters, I’d like to get close to the first half,” Shanahan said. “I always say the whole half, but I thought we had a real good week of practice. Hopefully we’ve seen enough and I can take them out somewhere in the second quarter.” 

There are a few players that might be pulled earlier than halftime, but not Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance, who both will share time with the first team. Shanahan will play both of his quarterbacks throughout the first half, with Garoppolo getting the first series.  

If all goes according to plan, Shanahan would like to do what was originally planned for the quarterbacks in the preseason game against the Chargers — start Garoppolo, work in Lance with the first team, and then go back to Garoppolo. But nothing is certain and Shanahan will see how the game unfolds like he did a week ago. 

Not wanting to over expose his starting lineup to injury during a preseason matchup, Shanahan called an audible at SoFi Stadium and pulled his starters before Lance ran onto the field to face the Chargers. 

RELATED: Why 49ers keep swapping QBs in practice

“I wanted to play Trey with the starters and I didn’t want to leave the starters in so long to do that,” Shanahan said.  “So I wanted to make sure he got a number in. If I left Jimmy in for a 20 plays which I thought was going to be two drives, I thought that would be too long to have them stay 20 plays for Trey.”

The shuffling on and off the field by quarterbacks every other play or two as they have done in practice was not mentioned by Shanahan. Likely they will keep those surprises under lock and key until at least Week 1.

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