49ers' Tim Hightower: Poor showing in 49ers' debut

Hightower (knee) logged his first game action as a 49er on Saturday, carrying the ball three times for a loss of one and fumbling once in a preseason loss to Denver.

San Francisco went down early and only controlled the ball for 21 minutes, so Hightower wasn't afforded many opportunities to showcase his abilities. On a positive note, the 31-year-old was healthy enough to suit up after missing last week's contest with a minor knee ailment. Carlos Hyde is clearly the 49ers' top running back option after receiving all of the first-team carries in both preseason contests, leaving Hightower to compete with Joe Williams for meaningful backup touches this season.