Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Positional Progress Report for First Quarter of 2016

By Peter Panacy

October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly watches against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly watches against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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One quarter of the 2016 NFL season is in the books, and the San Francisco 49ers currently boast a 1-3 record. Niner Noise dishes out progress-report grades for each position and breaks down the good and the bad.

Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly stands at right in the background. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly stands at right in the background. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

A quarter of a season is usually a good standard in judging how any NFL team is going to pan out over the course of any given season. And the 1-3 San Francisco 49ers appear to be right in line with what many analysts felt about head coach Chip Kelly’s group four weeks into 2016.

Statistically, the Niners are putting up points in OK fashion (15th in the league) but are struggling to move the ball on offense. Their 1,171 all-purpose yards gained ranks 30th so far.

Defensively, San Francisco hasn’t been able to stop the run. Poor showings against Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, have inflated the 49ers’ run defense numbers.

The Niners are dead last in this category with 562 yards allowed on the ground.

It doesn’t take much to see the numerous holes and shortcomings throughout the roster. San Francisco lacks offensive playmakers. The defense, while boasting some promise, is still suspect.

Overall, the 49ers are revealing why it’s been difficult to win games this season.

So let’s take a look at a first-quarter progress report for the Niners this season. We’ll do so in a position-by-position analysis and try to figure out what’s going well and what needs improvement.