49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo among the bad in Week 2 win vs. Lions
By Peter Panacy
The Good from Week 2
San Francisco scored three touchdowns in Week 2, two of them through the air and one on the ground.
That rushing touchdown is the one of focus, as running back Matt Breida took advantage of a suspect Lions run defense and used it to the Niners’ advantage Sunday.
Running Back Matt Breida
Detroit gave up 102 rushing yards to the New York Jets’ Isaiah Crowell in Week 1, so Breida’s efforts had a chance to be even better at Levi’s Stadium. They were, as Breida rushed for a whopping 138 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.
Speaking of that touchdown — a 66-yard scamper that proved crucial in the Niners’ Week 2 final score — Breida’s vision was on full display:
The 49ers lose Week 2 if Breida isn’t firing on all cylinders. Good thing he was.
49ers Tight Ends
Second-year pro George Kittle is Jimmy Garoppolo’s favorite target right now. He was targeted four times and hauled in two catches, also drawing multiple pass-interference calls during the game itself.
San Francisco 49ers
But it was fellow tight end Garrett Celek, not Kittle, who hauled in a touchdown pass to impact the score sheet — an 11-yard pass in the third quarter.
DeForest Buckner
Well, obviously.
Third-year defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is the best defender on San Francisco right now. He was a constant presence against the Lions throughout the game, regularly pressuring Matt Stafford and also picking up a sack in the process.
For those tracking Buckner’s 2017 efforts, he now has 3.5 sacks in 2018 and has surpassed the three total he had for all of last year.
Special Teams
Kicker Robbie Gould was 3-of-3 on field goals, while special teams ace Raheem Mostert made a pretty intimidating tackle on a punt return.
But San Francisco’s biggest special teams story emanated from the rookie, D.J. Reed, on a 90-yard return that would have been a 102-yard touchdown had Reed not grabbed the facemask of a would-be tackler.
Still, pretty impressive from the first-year pro.