Matt Barrows·
His third catch as a 49er was just like the ones he’s consistently made in practice.
Though cornerback Cor’Dale Flott was all over his back, Stribling extended his arms toward the cornerback and comfortably plucked the ball for a 10-yard gain. His hands were also on display on the biggest play of the game — a 32-yard reception down the right sideline from Kurtis Rourke that Stribling snatched above Flott, who’s started 37 NFL games in four seasons. Another sign coaches are pleased with the rookie: He was given the rest of the night off with nearly eight minutes left in the second quarter, well before all of Thursday’s other offensive starters. Stribling finished the outing with seven catches on eight targets for 63 yards. “It seemed good,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Stribling’s debut. “We’ll see when we watch the film. I thought he struggled a little bit on that first drive, but I think he got three drives after that and seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him. I liked how his hands looked out there, and he played physical.”