Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers vs. Eagles: Full Week 8 preview for San Francisco

By Logan Stanley

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers hits quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers hits quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Week 8 by the numbers

In his first game as the 49ers starting quarterback, rookie C.J. Beathard played, well, like a first-year player.

There were definitely some bright moments, as Beathard did find success in the middle of the field —  the rookie was 10-for-15 passing for 144 yards in that area of the field.

He also flashed some of his dual-threat ability and showed some sneaky speed, finishing with five carries for 30 yards and one touchdown.

Beathard also did not throw an interception, but there were two that should have been. Overall, the rookie quarterback was 22-for-38 passing for 235 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

It was when faced with pressure that Beathard really struggled, which is not that surprising as most quarterbacks’ production dwindles when hurried.

The former Iowa Hawkeye was sacked five times and fumbled the ball twice against the Cowboys. It is a small sample size, a game and a half, but Beathard is a non-factor when blitzed (via PFF):

"Beathard is the only quarterback with at least 30 dropbacks under pressure to average less than 4.00 yards per attempt, a mark he clears by more than a full yard (2.96)."

So far, Beathard has earned a 46.7 grade from PFF, which is on par with Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer. Not a comparison one hopes to generate.

On a brighter note, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner is continuing his impressive start to the season. Last week against Dallas, Buckner was the only who had an impact on the defensive line, finishing with two batted passes, a quarterback hit and hurry and two defensive stops.

For the game, the lineman graded out at a 80.1 from PFF, which was the highest among the San Francisco defensive line. It is consistent with Buckner’s overall performance for the season, as the Oregon product is tied for the second highest overall grade from PFF for interior defenders.

Buckner’s 91.4 PFF grade is tied with Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Ndmaunkog Suh, and is right behind Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s 95.3 grade. Not a bad pair of players to be associated with.

Maybe most notable is how well Buckner is playing considering the volume. Out of all defensive lineman with at least 140 run snaps played, Buckner’s 9.6% run stop percentage is second in the league.

And Buckner is still making his mark rushing the quarterback, as his 10.7 interior defenders pass rushing productivity is fifth in the NFL. In both facets of the game, run and pass defense, Buckner is establishing himself as one of the league’s best.