49ers stock watch after Week 14 victory over the Texans
By Peter Panacy
Third-Down Offense
The 49ers managed to go 10-of-18 on third downs back in Week 13 in Chicago, which suggested the offense had turned a major page in this crucial category.
But that success didn’t carry over to Week 14.
Against the Texans, the Niners were just 2-of-11, which ultimately led to more punts (five) and field goals (four) than desirable. And while the final score proves San Francisco was able to overcome this deficiency, it’s a bit of a worry moving forward.
Overall on the year, the 49ers rank 25th in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage (35.2), according to TeamRankings.com. An 18.2-percent percentage in Week 14 won’t help that stat line at all.
Fortunately, tight end Garrett Celek’s key 61-yard third-down catch made up for this to a point. But it’s a stat that needs some help down the stretch run.