49ers grades from playoff-clinching overtime win vs. Rams

49ers Special Teams, Coaching Grades vs. Rams

Back during his rookie season, punter Mitch Wishnowsky flashed with his hard-hitting tackling ways on special teams.

Maybe that’s not such a good idea, as Wishnowsky had to exit the game with a concussion after making such a tackle attempt versus Los Angeles.

Special Teams: B-

At least there weren’t any turnovers. And despite Wishnowsky going out, give credit to fill-in holder Kyle Juszczyk for holding down kicker Robbie Gould’s field-goal tries (he was a perfect 2-of-2) and all his extra-point attempts.

Give credit to Gould for performing quality work on punt duties, too, averaging 45 yards on two attempts.

About the only major gaffe was one of those Wishnowsky punts, which San Francisco surrendered a 31-yard return.

Coaching: B-

If the 49ers would have lost this game, Kyle Shanahan would have born the brunt of the criticism for starting an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and then not being bold enough to switch him out for rookie quarterback Trey Lance when things got bad.

Yet Shanahan corrected himself by reverting to a run-heavy approach, lessening the pressure on Garoppolo and getting back into the kind of offensive groove the Niners needed to stage their comeback.

Shanahan has now beaten Rams head coach Sean McVay six-straight times.

One could argue, though, it was defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and his side of the ball that helped engineer the turnaround, first by starting to apply regular pressure on Matthew Stafford and then helping assist with those two key second-half defensive takeaways.

Ryans will be a head coach one day, sooner than later.

Now, however, San Francisco is more concerned with its next game, a Wild Card playoff matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.