SAN DIEGO – Talk about being worth the wait.
The 49ers continued to see big-play ability from fourth-round draft pick Quinton Patton.
The rookie wideout returned the opening kickoff 31 yards in Thursday's preseason finale against the San Diego Chargers, but he wasn't done making impact plays in the first quarter.
Patton started at wide receiver along with Marlon Moore. Seven plays later, Patton caught his first pass of the night and took it the distance to score a touchdown from 43 yards out.
"I just tried to make a play," Patton said postgame. "'Kap' believed in me... I'm just trying to make him happy."
Colin Kaepernick, too, looked sharp.
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The third-year quarterback completed his first pass, a 10-yard ball to Vernon Davis on 3rd -and-3 to move the chains. On his next attempt, Kaepernick fired out a quick pass to Marlon Moore, who made cornerback Marcus Cromartie miss at the line of scrimmage with a juke move, and then got up field for a gain of 11.
On San Francisco's next third-down play, that's when Patton provided a huge spark. The rookie wide receiver caught a short pass from Kaepernick in the right flat, did like Moore and made Cromartie miss, then followed behind a pair of perimeter blockers and took it 43 yards for a touchdown.
It was his second touchdown in as many preseason games.
The rookie put the exclamation mark on the catch-and-run scoring play by providing an entertaining end-zone dance.
Patton finished with two catches for 52 yards overall. He also returned two kickoffs for 69 total yards.
Kaepernick's night concluded with a 7-play, 77-yard scoring drive.
The 49ers starting quarterback was 3-of-4 for 68 yards and one touchdown on the night.
Colt McCoy entered the game to start San Francisco's second possession.
Kaepernick finished the preseason completing 15-of-23 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns. He wasn't sacked.
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