Niner Noise
FanSided

Week 7 position grades, analysis following 49ers win over Redskins

By Akshaj Dwivedula

LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 20: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a first down with teammate wide receiver Dante Pettis #18 against the Washington Redskins during the third quarter at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 20: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a first down with teammate wide receiver Dante Pettis #18 against the Washington Redskins during the third quarter at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
49ers
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 20: Kwon Alexander #56 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half in the game at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Defensive Grades

Everyone gets an A-grade after pitching a shutout, but the levels all got different nuances to their grades.

Defensive Line: A

The 49ers defensive line got pushed around to start the game, allowing the Redskins to impose their will. After that, it was another story. The line dominated the game, holding the Redskins to a 4.0 yards-per-carry average and putting constant pressure on Washington quarterback Case Keenum.

They also had that terrific fourth-down stop, mentioned earlier, as well three sacks and several other pressures. The Redskins game plan and the weather made it hard for the Niners pass rush to truly get going. But by the end of the game, it was clear who had controlled the front.

Linebackers: A-

Alexander forced a fumble, which was huge for the Niners, and played very well in run support. But a lot of the Redskins success came from the 49ers linebackers misreading plays and taking poor angles. When they cleaned that up, the 49ers took control.

The linebackers also weren’t perfect on reading some screen plays the Redskins ran for success, but all in all, great showing from this leading unit.

Defensive Backs: A+

No defensive backs were truly challenged this game, but when they could make plays, they did. Safety Jaquiski Tartt and corner K’Waun Williams both had great stops in the run game, and Emmanuel Moseley basically blanketed a third of the field.

There’s not much to analyze here. The Redskins became one-dimensional in large part because of the 49ers coverage, pass rush and obviously the weather.