San Francisco 49ers: Week 13 position grades and analysis from win over Bears
By Peter Panacy
49ers Offensive Grades
The 49ers were easily the better offensive team in Week 13.
In addition to outgaining the Bears, and dominating in first downs, the Niners easily handled the time-of-possession battle — 38:47 to 21:13 in favor of San Francisco.
A big reason for this was going 10-of-18 on third downs. And quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and wide receiver Trent Taylor were big reasons why.
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Garoppolo went 26-of-37 for 293 yards and an interception en route to a passer rating of 82.4.
These aren’t the best numbers, stat-wise, but that’s where statistics can be deceiving. The lone interception, a would-be completed pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy, was ripped away by Bears cornerback Louis Murphy. Hard to pin that on Garoppolo.
Instead, let’s look at what Pro Football Focus had to say about the quarterback’s efforts:
"In his first start with the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo put on a very good overall performance. Although the 49ers were unable to connect on any big plays down the field, Garoppolo engineered long sustained drives with his efficient passing. Other than his fumbled snap, he did not put the ball in any danger. His one interception came when the ball was ripped from Louis Murphy’s hands and was not Garoppolo’s fault. Garoppolo was at his best in a clean pocket, posting a 95.7 passer rating when he was not pressured."
More important than the numbers, Garoppolo passed the eye test. He effectively kept the Niners offense on the move and made key throws in critical situations.
San Francisco’s 0-of-5 mark in the red zone knocks Garoppolo’s grade down a bit, but we’ll sure take this for a first start.
Grade: B+
Running Back
No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde had a modest impact, rushing for 54 yards on 17 carries with a long of 18 yards.
Rookie running back Matt Breida was slightly better, average-wise, posting 3.8 yards per carry compared to Hyde’s 3.2. And one could argue Hyde is being pushed by the undrafted free agent.
San Francisco’s offensive line didn’t do much in run support, but Hyde didn’t do much to help his chances.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Niners received two excellent receiving performances in Week 13 from wideouts Taylor and Marquise Goodwin.
Goodwin led all San Francisco receivers with 99 yards, but Taylor had the more crucial impact. He had three key third-down catches for first downs, including this 33-yard gain that led to the 49ers’ game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter:
Murphy’s lost catch for an interception hurts slightly, but Week 13 was one of the best performances from the team’s pass-catching unit we’ve seen all year.
Grade: A-
Offensive Line
It was a bit of a rough day for the 49ers’ O-line, especially in run support, but this unit did do an adequate job protecting Garoppolo.
On the day, Garoppolo took two sacks and five quarterback hits. Right guard Brandon Fusco was responsible for one, and right tackle Trent Brown could have handled his assignment better on the other.
But the O-line made up for it with a number of snaps providing Garoppolo with solid pass protection and time within the pocket.