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Rams vs 49ers: Grading San Francisco’s Week 3 efforts

By Logan Stanley

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Quarterback

For Brian Hoyer, the game could have not gotten off to a worse start as the first play of the game resulted in an interception and near pick-six for the 49ers quarterback. It looked like it was bound to be another long game for Hoyer as the Rams jumped out to a quick lead.

But Hoyer didn’t completely buckle under the mounting pressure after the turnover and instead put in a useable performance:

While it certainly wasn’t the most perfect game, Hoyer definitely made some throws that kept San Francisco close. Hoyer’s longest passings went 59 and 50 yards, finally establishing a deep-ball connection that had failed to sprout this season.

For the game, Hoyer finished 23-37 passing for 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a rating of 98.0. It was an improvement from last week, when Hoyer couldn’t even eclipse the 100-yard mark.

Grade: B+

Running back

Another game, and another productive day of work from Hyde. This wasn’t as efficient as Hyde has been in the first two games, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, but it was the most impactful with his two touchdowns scored.

In total, Hyde rushed for 85 yards on 24 carries. That came with Hyde missing portions of the game too, as a hip injury caused him to be sidelined. Through three games, it’s clear Hyde is the best option the 49ers have on offense.

Yards were hard to come by behind Hyde though, with Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert both averaging 3.0 yards or fewer per carry while substituting for Hyde. Mostert also had a fumble.

Grade: B

Wide receiver/Tight end

Last week facing the Seattle secondary, the receiving unit basically couldn’t do anything. That’s expected when going against one of the league’s top pass defenses. Versus the Rams, that wasn’t the case as the deep ball opened up.

Wide receiver Pierre Garçon had himself a nice little game, turning in seven receptions for 142 yards on 10 targets. The highlight of the night for Garçon came on this 59-yard play:

But, that wasn’t even his best play of the game. This was:

Goodwin also had a solid game, with two receptions for 62 yards. He was brought to San Francisco for speed, and that was utilized against the Rams. Trent Taylor flashed too in limited snaps, scoring his first NFL touchdown and recording three receptions for 32 yards.

Tight end Garrett Celek logged the first touchdown for a 49er at the position this season on a 1-yard touchdown catch.

Grade: B