San Francisco 49ers: Full position grades for the 2018 season

There are going to be those who argue the coaching tandem of Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh should deserve a much lower grade than a straight C. After all, this is a results-based business, and a 4-12 record isn’t exactly awe-inspiring.

True. But consider the context. By season’s end, the 49ers were starting an undrafted quarterback, an undrafted rookie running back (Jeff Wilson), third- and fourth-string wide receivers, rookie and backup defensive backs everywhere outside of Richard Sherman and dealt with a slew of injuries that would derail the best of teams.

And not once did you hear reports of players complaining or “giving up” — a common trait among bad teams.

Kudos to Shanahan for keeping this squad together amid tough times. Plus, the offensive numbers weren’t bad either. While red-zone woes are there, the Niners finished with the 21st-ranked scoring offense, picking up 5,769 all-purpose yards in the process, which ranked 16th overall.

Three different starting quarterbacks, too. Remember that.

Defensively, it makes sense why Saleh came under fire for much of the season. There were plenty of miscues and problems here, too. But as Niner Noise pointed out earlier, Saleh’s shortcomings are a bit misleading. Despite giving up 435 points on the year, fifth worst in the NFL, the 49ers only gave up 5,546 yards — 13th best. And while a mere seven turnovers generated, a league record-low in a non-strike year, is a problem, one can only imagine the improvements a quality outside pass rush would make.

Granted, neither Shanahan nor Saleh were perfect. Each made mistakes this year — big ones that cost San Francisco wins.

But you can’t deny this tandem performed better than what the record indicates.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe
to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.