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49ers vs. Chargers: What to expect of C.J. Beathard in Week 4

By Peter Panacy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 29: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers passes in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 29, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 29: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers passes in the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 29, 2017 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the New York Giants during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

C.J. Beathard on Third Down

The 49ers have struggled on third downs this season, converting just over 30 percent heading into Week 4 — currently ranked 28th in the league.

There are multiple reasons behind this. Second-year wideout Trent Taylor, San Francisco’s best third-down weapon last year, hasn’t been much of a factor in 2018 thus far. That said, Beathard’s best numbers last season came on third downs.

Check out the chart splits from 2017:

C.J. Beathard Career Advanced Splits Table
Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
Split Value Cmp Att Inc Cmp% Yds TD 1D Int Rate Sk Y/A AY/A
Down 1st 47 87 40 54.02 599 2 22 2 73.9 4 6.9 6.31
2nd 42 74 32 56.76 404 1 21 2 65.4 6 5.5 4.51
3rd 33 58 25 56.90 418 1 24 1 78.1 9 7.2 6.78
4th 1 5 4 20.00 11 0 0 1 .0 0 2.2 -6.80

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/27/2018.

Granted, Beathard’s numbers on third down aren’t great. But being better than on other downs is a bonus, especially if we grant he’ll be on something of an upward trajectory this season.

Going a bit deeper, looking at Football Outsiders‘ ALEX (air less expected, which accounts for throwing beyond the sticks for first downs on third down), Beathard is about in the middle of the pack — 18th, which ranked higher than then-Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (22nd), the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff (32nd) and the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees (34th).

But to counter that, the Chargers defense has been excellent on third downs this season, allowing opponents’ quarterbacks a third-down passer rating of 87.4, compared to marks of over 100 on first and second downs.

So this crucial stat line might be something of a push for Beathard and the 49ers, which instead makes it a key X-factor for Sunday’s matchup.