Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers vs. Redskins: The good, bad and ugly from Week 6 loss to Washington

By Peter Panacy

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins talk after the Washington Redskins defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 26-24, at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins talk after the Washington Redskins defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 26-24, at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers passes against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers passes against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Good

Five-plus contests were enough to convince Kyle Shanahan that Brian Hoyer wasn’t capable of effectively leading an offense.

All of the offense’s struggles on Hoyer, no, but one could treat this like a goalie change in the NHL — something to provide a spark.

It did, as rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard was far more effective under center than his predecessor.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard

Beathard’s stat line might not look all that great — 19-of-36 for 245 yards, a touchdown against one interception for a passer rating of 72.1.

But that’s not the important part here. Instead, fans should consider the poise and presence Beathard had, as he effectively managed a 49ers comeback in the second half. While the Niners have shown some ability to come back before, one has to feel a bit more confident with the rookie under center.

One of the most impressive passes from Beathard was this 45-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:

Beathard’s ability to step up in the pocket and avoid pressure, while finding a wide-open Robinson, was a thing of beauty.

No wonder Shanahan later indicated Beathard would be the starter moving forward.

Defensive End Solomon Thomas

Rookie defensive end Solomon Thomas had his best day as a pro, registering a team-high nine tackles — two of which were for a loss — and one sack.

Thomas’ pocket-disrupting abilities are going to be key for this young defense, and it’s nice to see him starting to come into his own after a somewhat sluggish start. Remember, second-year defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had his own early issues a year ago.

Thomas did miss on a read-option play by Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins late in the game, but we’ll hopefully see those reads change with experience.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt

The key beneficiary to No. 1 strong safety Eric Reid’s knee injury this season has been third-year safety Jaquiski Tartt.

Tartt has come into his own in 2017, and he finished the day with six tackles, including this key stop on a 3rd-and-short:

Reid, who will be a free agent after this season, is looking more and more expendable in this team rebuild.

Running Back Matt Breida

He saw only four carries, but rookie running back Matt Breida is a serious contender to take over for No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde at some point this season.

Hyde averaged a mere 2.2 yards on 13 carries, while Breida averaged 5.3.

Who knows if Hyde, also a pending free agent, winds up being on the trade block between now at the Oct. 31 deadline. But at least Breida is starting to come into his own.