Trey Lance highlights 49ers position grades from win vs. Texans

The 49ers did the job they had to do, including building up Trey Lance, and they’ll control their own destiny after a 23-7 victory over the Texans.

The San Francisco 49ers had to withstand a very slow start and some frustrations, but they ultimately did the job they had to do, beating the Houston Texans in Week 17, and a much better second half meant that the Niners will decide their own fate next week.

San Francisco couldn’t get every result it wanted, though, with the New Orleans Saints also winning this week and remaining a threat to the 49ers in the Wild Card race, but you can’t have everything.

The 23-7 Niners victory over Houston will be a morale booster for rookie quarterback Trey Lance, who started the game slow but played much better as the game went on, important if he has to start for the season finale against the Los Angeles Rams in the wake of Jimmy Garoppolo’s thumb injury.

The defense knuckled down and almost blanked an offense that had enjoyed a good fortnight behind rookie quarterback Davis Mills, and San Francisco now owns a 3-0 record over rookie quarterbacks this season. The domination of the defense meant that despite a poor offensive showing in the first half, it was only a 7-3 deficit.

This was quickly erased and became a lead the 49ers were never seriously threatened with losing. The Texans continued to falter, and the Niners did enough to keep the chains moving and the scoreboard ticking over.

The equation is now pretty simple: win in Week 18, and San Francisco will be in regardless of results, lose and sweat over the results of the Saints, who are playing the Atlanta Falcons.

But that’s something to worry about for next week, for this week at least the 49ers are still secure with a playoff seeding.

Here’s how the grades went for Lance and the Niners this game.