Grading each SF 49ers position after disgusting Week 5 loss to Dolphins

SF 49ers Offensive Grades

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made his first start since Week 2 when he suffered a high-ankle sprain, yet the end results probably suggest he would have been better off waiting another week.

Whether or not that would have made a difference is anyone’s guess, although Jimmy G’s efforts were less than pretty. And overall, the SF 49ers mustered a mere 259 yards of offense with little thump and plenty of headaches, particularly in the passing game.

There’s no other way around it: Garoppolo stunk on Sunday.

It was clear the ankle was bothering him. That, combined with Jimmy G’s first-half struggles — 7-of-17 for 77 yards and two interceptions thrown — prompted Kyle Shanahan to bench his starter in favor of the newly minted No. 2 on the depth chart, C.J. Beathard.

Still, this stat line from Garoppolo’s career is telling:

Beathard managed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, which was some solace when the game was already well out of reach for San Francisco.

But the story of Week 5 is going to be how Garoppolo flamed out, got himself benched and whether or not he’ll be able to bounce back amid the ankle injury.

One of the few positions earning good grades from Week 5, the SF 49ers managed to get some solid production from their ground game.

The Niners welcomed their starter, Raheem Mostert, back from a multi-week knee injury, and he didn’t disappoint, rushing for 90 yards while managing 8.2 yards per carry. Not to be outdone, at least in the scoring department, fullback Kyle Juszczyk rushed for one of San Francisco’s two touchdowns; a rarity, considering he’s more a receiving threat than one of the running variety.

Too bad this contest needed more of the passing game and less of the rushing variety.

The Niners wide receivers and tight ends didn’t lose Garoppolo this game, but they didn’t do anywhere near enough to win it either.

Finally boasting a healthy trio of pass-catchers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, San Francisco’s receivers still managed only 171 yards of offense through the air, and 34 of those came by the way of running backs being involved in the receiving game.

Bourne’s touchdown grab helped keep this grade out of the D-range, while Aiyuk is starting to look like a stud.

Samuel hauling in just two of his eight targets was a disappointment.

While there’s going to be a lot of blame going around if the SF 49ers season hits the tank, the offensive line will probably bear the brunt of it.

Football Outsiders previously ranked the Niners O-line next to last in run support entering Week 5, but it was pass protection that was off versus the Dolphins, who had only nine sacks entering the contest.

After the game, the Dolphins upped that number to 14.

Left tackle Trent Williams, San Francisco’s best lineman, was beat for two of those sacks, while right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s pass-blocking woes this season led to a near-strip sack of Beathard in the second half. Interior protection wasn’t there either, and both Garoppolo and Beathard found themselves under regular pressure by a so-so Dolphins pass rush, which registered eight quarterback hits.

If the 49ers want to figure out how to get back into Super Bowl-contention mode, looking hard at the O-line might be the best place to start.