Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Progress-report grades for each position a quarter through 2017

By Peter Panacy

GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 01: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers walks on the field during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 01: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers walks on the field during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 17: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 12-9. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 17: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 12-9. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Quarterback

No, things have not gone well for the 49ers under center.

A year removed from tossing zero interceptions on 200 passing attempts with the Chicago Bears, quarterback Brian Hoyer now has four picks thrown on 148 passes — one in each game this season.

Is it uncharacteristic? Perhaps, although Hoyer’s inaccuracy has been well documented:

That, and the fact Hoyer is 30th in the NFL in completion percentage (58.1 percent), tells you why San Francisco’s passing offense is struggling so much this season.

What the 49ers Are Doing Well

Hoyer’s numbers have certainly been influenced by the large number of drops. His adjusted completion percentage, which accounts for this, jumps to 69 percent, according to Pro Football Focus.

That’s not quite as bad. But it’s still only 26th out of 32 qualifiers.

Remember what we said about the Niners offense benefiting from play action? Well, this number — from PFF’s Jeff Deeney — tells you what you need to know:

Needless to say, it’s critical San Francisco establishes the run and uses play action effectively.

What Needs Improvement

Let’s be fair, nobody expects Hoyer to be a long-term solution for the 49ers under center. He’s a placeholder until the next option presents itself.

But the current option isn’t working well.

Hoyer is already in the bottom three for completion percentage, and his 67.9 passer rating is also third from last this season. In three of the Niners’ four games this year, Hoyer posted ratings of less than 75, as follows:

  • vs. Panthers — 70.3
  • @ Seahawks — 48.2
  • vs. Rams — 98.0
  • @ Cardinals — 54.3

Ball placement has been a primary issue, and we’ve touched on the accuracy. And it isn’t as if his receivers aren’t getting open.

More from Niner Noise

The easy take would be for head coach Kyle Shanahan to make the switch to rookie signal-caller C.J. Beathard to see what he has to offer.

The problem with this, though, is what to do if Beathard — a low-heralded prospect — is even worse. Could Shanahan fathom making the switch back? And what would that do to the remaining offensive cast, many of whom are still learning Shanahan’s complex offense?

A move later in the season would make sense, just not now.

Regardless, San Francisco is getting sub-par play from its most important component. And the grade reflects it.

Next: 49ers stock report after Week 4 loss to Cardinals

Grade: F