Cowboys vs. 49ers: Week 7 San Francisco grades and analysis

Offensive Grades

Ten points scored on offense tells you about everything you need to know about the 49ers’ Week 7 effort.

San Francisco could have had some more scoring chances had it not been for a series of turnovers and fumbles throughout the entire game — four fumbles in total, which completely thwarted any offensive momentum.

Quarterback

In his first NFL start, rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard flashed a few moments of brilliance, including a 48-yard bomb to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.

There were some solid moments of accuracy and touch too, although some equally frustrating moments where Beathard’s issues came to the surface. He was sacked five times for 48 yards during the game. And while many of those were on his offensive line, Beathard’s pocket poise still isn’t very good.

At least he found the end zone on a four-yard touchdown scramble:

The quarterback finished 22-of-38 for 235 yards en route to a 76.1 passer rating. Not terrible, but not good either.

Grade: C-

Running Back

No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde managed 14 carries for 68 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt — a decent showing but certainly not enough to influence San Francisco’s offensive woes.

One of the bigger problems, though, was Hyde’s inability to help out in pass protection. That’s nearly as important as impacting the stat sheet.

Backup running back Matt Breida was a non-factor.

Grade: D

Wide Receiver

Goodwin’s big grab was about the only notable moment from San Francisco’s receiver corps. Fellow wideout Pierre Garçon flashed some toughness, hauling in five catches for 49 yards.

Anything else? Not really.

Grade: D

Tight End

San Francisco’s tight ends were scantly a factor in the stat sheet, although rookie TE Cole Hikutini registered his first NFL catch. Fellow rookie George Kittle, a player many thought could have been a factor in Week 7, wasn’t a major part of the game plan.

Worse yet, the Niners tight ends struggled in blocking throughout the course of the game. With a bad O-line, this doesn’t help at all.

Grade: F

Offensive Line

It’s pretty clear the Niners’ interior O-line is a problem, likely an issue to be addressed during the 2018 offseason.

Dallas’ interior rushers made easy work of left guard Laken Tomlinson and center Daniel Kilgore. And one could argue this put increased pressure on San Francisco’s tackles, Joe Staley and Trent Brown.

Brown ended up suffering a concussion late in the game, and Staley was responsible for one of the Beathard sacks that resulted in a lost fumble.

Bad, bad day for this 49ers unit.

Grade: F