The 49ers kicked off defending their home field by beating the Seahawks 27-7 but lost Trey Lance for the year in the process.
The story of the San Francisco 49ers’ 2022 season was the development of quarterback Trey Lance in tandem with a push to a Super Bowl. To consider it anything else would be to fundamentally misunderstand what the Niners needed for their present and future.
Well, Week 2’s bout against the visiting Seattle Seahawks threw a major wrench in those plans.
Lance’s gruesome ankle injury late in the second quarter immediately ruled him out for the game, and per Adam Schefter, out for the year.
It placed an undisputable damper on an important game against a division rival.
Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Trey Lance broke his ankle and will undergo season-ending surgery Monday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 18, 2022
The game itself, a 27-7 victory, was San Francisco imposing its will on Seattle for the first half and then some, with a strong run game and a suffocating defense. The only blemish was a blocked kick the Seahawks returned for a touchdown.
But beyond that, this game was never in doubt. It was the type of domination San Francisco has never reached against Seattle.
Here are the grades from the contest.
49ers Offense Grades
Quarterbacks
Grading the quarterbacks for this game is nearly impossible. Trey Lance’s brutal injury came too soon to make any definitive statements about his play, and Jimmy Garoppolo came cold off the bench running a game plan that wasn’t meant for him.
The performance, though, was typical Garoppolo. He was largely efficient in the middle of the field, hit or miss when not throwing there, with a couple of concerning throws and a couple of spectacular ones.
It’s an outing 49ers fans have seen since 2019. He finished with 154 yards with a touchdown in the air and another on the ground.
All in all, a difficult situation to be in, and a decent showing out of it
Grade: B-
Running Backs
The Niners won this game on the ground, and their running backs, particularly Jeff Wilson Jr., were exceptional: 84 yards on 18 carries, plus the ability to make the first man miss, that’ll play no matter what.
Rookie Tyrion Davis-Price was a little less efficient, though he faced heavier boxes throughout the game, but his performance was also encouraging.
Plus, Kyle Juszczyk got a touchdown, so everyone performed.
Grade: A
Wide Receivers
San Francisco’s passing game wasn’t vertical, nor was it entirely threatening once Garoppolo took over. But the receivers made the most of their opportunities in the air and the ground. Beyond a bad drop, Brandon Aiyuk had a spectacular day, and Deebo Samuel continued to punish Seahawks, finishing with 97 scrimmage yards, distributing those on the ground and through the air.
The receivers did what they were asked to do, whether it was receiving, running, or blocking.
Grade: A-
Tight Ends
Another game without George Kittle, as he missed a second week with a groin injury, and another relatively quiet day for the tight ends, but they largely did what they needed to.
No. 2 tight end Ross Dwelley scored a touchdown, and the run-blocking was serviceable. All in all, it was a good performance from the backups as Kittle heals up.
Grade: B+
Offensive Line
Only one sack allowed, per the official scorer, and that sack might have actually been a QB run, plus 4.2 yards per carry, which includes many goal-line runs, the offensive line came to play.
The holes were clear and the trenches were clearly in favor for the 49ers, especially in the first half. In the second half, things were a little less dominant, but all in all, a good day for the boys up front.
Grade: B+
49ers Defense Grades
Defensive Line
The entire Niners defense dominated, and it started up front. Nick Bosa had 1.5 sacks, Drake Jackson had the other half, and the defensive line ended up controlling the entire game. There was little Seattle could do on offense, and it stemmed from the defensive line being in absolute control of the run or pass game.
It’s the type of display San Francisco needs in the future.
Grade: A+
Linebackers
Nothing splashy from the game for the linebackers (Fred Warner’s interception was taken away by a PI call), but there were no major missed tackles and no coverage busts. The linebackers reacted quickly and tackled decisively.
Grade: A
Secondary
In the past, the 49ers were burned by Seattle’s receivers. Now-Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was no longer back there, but even if he was, there wasn’t much to throw to.
San Francisco’s secondary put on a clinic. It crashed hard against the ball, was stellar when asked to cover, and took on the challenge of Seattle’s receivers extremely well. One blemish could be Hawks wideout Tyler Lockett’s 100-yard game, but the nature of it was so quiet and so non-threatening, it becomes a small statistical anecdote.
Grade: A+
49ers Special-Teams and Coaching Grades
Special-Teams
This grade would have been an A+ if the blocked field-goal attempt did not happen, which resulted in Seattle’s lone points.
That was inexcusable, and it could have changed the tide of the game if the 49ers defense didn’t dominate as it did. But beyond that, the Niners’ special teams has been locked and loaded. The forced fumble is always nice, but it’s the extra yards they clean up. Ray-Ray McCloud always getting 4 yards instead of 0 yards on a return, the coverage team stopping returners sooner. All these small things add up to big value.
Grade: B-
Coaching
This is a hard grade to hand out. DeMeco Ryans called a phenomenal game; his grade is an obvious A. But Kyle Shanahan’s offensive game plan is a fascinating and frustrating question on how to utilize a player like Trey Lance Lance and call an offense.
Want your voice heard? Join the Niner Noise team!
The number of QB runs was unsustainable, that much is clear. But it is equally clear these runs were something Shanahan thought necessary to keep the offense on schedule. Part of it was Lance’s own development as a passer, and his rushing value was a legitimate part of why he could be played as a starter.
But to use him as such has now jeopardized Lance’s development for the future, which had looked potentially bright.
The 49ers offense was bland as it was effective when paired with this defense, but it came at a cost.