49ers Lead Chargers 3-0 on Pineiro Field Goal in NFL Preseason Week 2 at SoFi

On Thursday, August 20, 2026, the San Francisco 49ers took a 3-0 lead over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in NFL Preseason Week 2, a nationally televised matchup on NFL Network that opened the Chargers’ home exhibition slate. Eddy Pineiro drilled a 48-yard field goal at 14:56 of the second quarter — capping a 10-play, 59-yard drive after a scoreless first quarter.

Kickoff was 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET). The Chargers entered at 1-0 after beating Houston in Week 1, while the 49ers were 0-1 following a 16-10 loss to Tennessee at Levi’s Stadium. Both clubs had spent Tuesday, August 18, in joint practices at the Chargers’ facility in El Segundo, Calif., before meeting again under the lights in Inglewood.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game data and reporting from ESPN, CBS Sports, NFL Network, Los Angeles Chargers.com, and AP News, August 18–20, 2026.

Game at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Thursday, August 20, 2026
Venue	SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 2
Kickoff	7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET
National TV	NFL Network
Score through early 2nd quarter	49ers 3, Chargers 0
Quarter lines	SF 0-3, LAC 0-0

How the scoring unfolded

Neither team reached the end zone through the opening frame. San Francisco moved the ball more consistently — a 12-play, 44-yard opening drive ended in a punt, and the 49ers’ defense kept Los Angeles pinned near midfield for much of the quarter.

The breakthrough came on San Francisco’s third possession. Mac Jones and Brock Purdy rotated behind center as the 49ers marched 59 yards in 10 plays over 4:33. Kaelon Black picked up chunk yardage on the ground, De’Zhaun Stribling moved the chains through the air, and Jones scrambled for a key first down on third-and-7 at the Chargers’ 30-yard line.

Facing fourth-and-6 from the Los Angeles 29, Kyle Shanahan sent out Pineiro rather than go for it. The kicker connected from 48 yards — his second make beyond 45 this preseason after a 52-yarder against Tennessee — and the 49ers led 3-0 with 14:04 left in the half.

Los Angeles’ lone first-quarter highlight came on its opening drive when Justin Herbert found Charlie Kolar for a 9-yard gain, but three punts and a stalled red-zone approach left the Chargers without points through one quarter and into the early second.

Scoring summary

Quarter	Play	Score
2nd	Eddy Pineiro 48-yard field goal (SF)	SF 3, LAC 0

49ers offense takes early control

San Francisco’s backups controlled time of possession and yardage through the early going. The 49ers totaled 105 net yards on 24 plays compared with 45 yards on 13 plays for Los Angeles, per game statistics.

Backfield and receiving standouts

Kaelon Black, playing in his first game action since an adductor injury sidelined him for two weeks of camp, led San Francisco rushers with 33 yards on eight carries. Shanahan had praised Black’s return at joint practice Tuesday, and the running back’s early burst — including pass protection that stood out in camp reports — helped sustain the field-goal drive.

De’Zhaun Stribling was the top receiver through the early stages with four catches for 46 yards, including a 21-yard gain. Luke Farrell added 13 yards on one reception, and Deebo Samuel Sr. caught a 4-yard pass from Purdy.

Quarterback rotation

Mac Jones completed 2 of 5 passes for 34 yards without a turnover through the early action. Brock Purdy, whom Shanahan said had “a good chance” to play after joint practice, went 4 of 6 for 29 yards. The pair split series as Shanahan evaluated depth behind a starter who missed most of 2025 with injury.

Christian McCaffrey did not play — Shanahan cited tightness and declined to specify further — and the offense leaned on Black, Sincere McCormick, and Zamir White in the backfield.

Chargers offense sputters early

Jim Harbaugh said before kickoff that Chargers starters would play one series, and Herbert opened under center. The franchise quarterback went 1 of 2 for 9 yards in his limited early work, while Trey Lance handled the bulk of the snaps at 4 of 6 for 36 yards.

The ground game produced almost nothing through the early second quarter. Los Angeles finished the opening half of the exhibition with zero rushing yards on five attempts — Kimani Vidal gained 2 yards on one carry, while Keaton Mitchell and Omarion Hampton were held below the line of scrimmage.

Herbert’s series included a short completion to Kolar and a deep shot that fell incomplete. Lance later connected with Keaton Mitchell, Brenen Thompson, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and Oronde Gadsden for modest gains, but penalties and punts kept the Chargers from crossing midfield consistently.

Offensive line without Biadasz

The Chargers played without starting center Tyler Biadasz, who was carted off with a left leg injury during Tuesday’s joint practice when Sebastian Valdez fell into his leg. Rookie Jake Slaughter, who has worked mostly at guard in camp, took snaps at center — the role Harbaugh may need him to fill if Biadasz misses extended time.

Joint-practice buildup

Thursday’s game was the capstone of a week that began with two days of shared work in El Segundo — the most live reps many veterans on both rosters will see before the regular season.

The sessions were physical but cleaner than some joint practices around the league. AP News reported no skirmishes during Tuesday’s two-hour workout, though injuries on both sides shaped the roster picture:

Team	Notable pregame absences / injuries
Chargers	Tyler Biadasz (leg, joint practice); Quentin Johnston (limped off Tuesday); Rashawn Slater and Isaiah World among players listed questionable
49ers	Christian McCaffrey (tightness); George Kittle (PUP); Mike Evans (foot wrapped Tuesday, held for precaution)

Harbaugh noted the Chargers’ offensive line had been healthy through camp until Biadasz went down. Shanahan, meanwhile, said his offense “struggled a little bit” in move-the-ball periods during joint practice — a critique Purdy echoed — making Thursday’s early field-goal drive a small corrective against a familiar opponent.

This was the 52nd preseason meeting between the franchises and the first in Los Angeles since 2021. Last August, the teams closed the exhibition schedule in Santa Clara, where Gadsden scored and Marlowe Wax posted a sack and two tackles for loss.

What comes next

Preseason results do not carry into September, but both clubs entered Thursday evaluating starters, backups, and special teams with roster cuts approaching.

For the Chargers, Herbert’s one-series cameo and Lance’s extended reps will shape the backup quarterback conversation, while Slaughter’s center work gains urgency without Biadasz. Los Angeles closes exhibition play with Preseason Week 3 before the regular-season opener.

For the 49ers, Pineiro’s leg and Black’s return offered early positives on a night when Shanahan rotated quarterbacks and rested McCaffrey. San Francisco’s Preseason Week 3 finale against Las Vegas on August 27 precedes a September 11 regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia — a demanding travel schedule that makes every August rep count.

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Discussion

Thursday at SoFi paired two franchises that had just spent two days hitting each other in El Segundo — and San Francisco’s backups controlled the early box score.

1. Kyle Shanahan gave Brock Purdy and Mac Jones early snaps while Christian McCaffrey sat out. With the 49ers opening the regular season abroad, does splitting quarterback reps in Preseason Week 2 tell you anything about Purdy’s readiness — or is this simply August roster math?

2. The Chargers’ offense managed just 45 total yards through the early second quarter after losing Tyler Biadasz at center in joint practice. How much should one scoreless half matter when evaluating Justin Herbert’s one-series plan versus Trey Lance’s extended work behind a reshuffled line?

Share your read on whether Pineiro’s field goal and Kaelon Black’s early burst change how you view either depth chart before the final preseason cutdown.

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