49ers position grades after self-destructive loss to Titans

49ers Offensive Grades

Quarterback

Let’s not bandy words, Jimmy Garoppolo had an absolute horror show against the Titans (for the most part), and a lot of the blame is justifiably going to be put on his shoulders.

The final numbers don’t look too bad, Garoppolo went 26 of 35 passing for 322 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

But the numbers were a bit misleading, Garoppolo played much worse than advertised.

Garoppolo threw brutal interceptions including one in the end zone where there was never a throw available to him (it left points on the board, which turned out absolutely vital) and overthrew a wide-open Kyle Juszczyk for what could have been a touchdown.

The 49ers were unable to get on the board in the second half until late, and Garoppolo deserves some credit for leading them down the field when they absolutely needed it late. But this has two caveats. The first being that the Niners shouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place, and the second being Deebo Samuel deserves the bulk of the credit for a long catch and run.

Had the game gone into overtime and Garoppolo had won it, maybe these transgressions could have been forgiven. But it’s a big reminder of the limitations that Garoppolo possesses as a quarterback.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

The team unfortunately struggled as a whole running the ball against a Tennessee front that’s very good at stopping the run, with Jeff Wilson only getting 45 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Samuel ran the ball to slightly more success, but he couldn’t really impact the game as a runner like he did in recent weeks.

They weren’t done many favors by a passing game that couldn’t get going, and that allowed the Titans to clamp down and dare the 49ers to throw their way to victory.

Grade: D+

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Due to the heavy throwing game of the 49ers in this game, we saw some decent receiving stats across the board.

However the only receiver to truly make his mark on the game was Samuel, who did everything possible to will his team over the line. He had nine catches for 159 yards and a near touchdown where he almost took the ball to the house on a short catch in clutch time.

Brandon Aiyuk enjoyed a decent game with four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown, while Juszczyk had three catches for 45 yards and was agonizingly close to another catch for what could have been a touchdown on his own.

Tight end George Kittle was well held by the Titans defense with the People’s Tight End only having two catches for 21 yards, both catches early in the game.

Grade: C

Offensive Line

The pass blocking was perhaps the best aspect of the offense that wasn’t Samuel, as the offensive line held up reasonably well against a stout Tennessee defensive line.

The Niners gave up two sacks, but one was more on Garoppolo holding the ball too long. The only real mark was a false start on Trent Williams on a 4th-and-1 pushing them back 5 yards. San Francisco didn’t convert the subsequent try.

The run blocking, as noted above, didn’t open many running lanes at all. They did at least protect enough to give the passing game a fighting chance.

Grade: C+