49ers vs. Redskins: Week 6 San Francisco grades and analysis

Offensive Grades

Switching from Brian Hoyer to C.J. Beathard seemed to make all the difference, even if Beathard’s stat line wasn’t particularly impressive.

But, for a rookie, engineering some scoring drives certainly is promising.

Overall, the 49ers managed 335 yards of total offense and went 6-of-17 on third downs — not great, but a marginal improvement against a stout Redskins defense, albeit one hindered by numerous injuries.

Quarterback: C

Which quarterback would you like to pick here? If it’s Hoyer, the grade mark is an F. He finished the day 4-of-11 for a mere 34 yards and a lowly passer rating of 45.3 before the switch. Aside from some notable plays in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, Hoyer’s job has certainly been less than stellar.

Enter Beathard.

Beathard’s numbers don’t look particularly great. He 19-of-36 for 245 yards with a touchdown against one interception. But that lone pick was on the 49ers’ final play of the game in desperation time, so it’s hard to put that against him.

Instead, Beathard offered a boost to an offense in need of it, and he brings up the QB grade without question.

Running Back: C

Amid rumors and rebukes running back Carlos Hyde was on the trading block, San Francisco’s No. 1 runner increased his 2018 stock value with a two-touchdown performance in Week 6.

But Hyde and the ground game wasn’t an overwhelming factor, though. Hyde averaged just 2.2 yards on 13 attempts, while rookie tailback Matt Breida had 21 yards on four carries.

It’s hard to speculate whether or not Hyde is actually on the trading block or not, but it would have been nice for San Francisco’s running game to be more of a factor.

Wide Receiver: B

It’s a good thing the 49ers have Pierre Garçon on the roster He’s San Francisco’s most reliable receiver, even though he had only five grabs for 55 yards.

But this one was key, helping the Niners eventually reach the end zone for their first score:

Garçon’s deflected reception on the 49ers’ final drive was also a thing of beauty.

And credit to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson for hauling in a key fourth-quarter 45-yard touchdown pass from Beathard to put the Niners back in the game late.

Tight End: D

Drops have continued being a problem for San Francisco, and the tight end position was particularly guilty.

Rookie tight end George Kittle dropped two key passes, as did veteran tight end Garrett Celek.

Offensive Line: D+

Like drops, penalties have been an issue for the Niners. Right tackle Trent Brown committed two false starts, which doesn’t help.

Overall, though, the biggest issue was in protection. Even veteran left tackle Joe Staley was beat by Redskins edge rusher Preston Smith for one of three sacks given up, along with 10 quarterback hits.

Center Daniel Kilgore was overworked regularly as well, contributing to the numerous problems the 49ers’ interior offensive line has had all season.