The 49ers didn’t wow anyone coming out of the bye, but they won 22-16 over the Chargers to get above .500, and Niner Noise hands out grades from the game.
For the first time in seemingly forever, the San Francisco 49ers came into a game healthier than their opponents. The devastating injury to cornerback Jason Verrett dampened the mood on the team, but the games went on.
Seeking a win in Week 10 on Sunday Night Football against a hobbled Los Angeles Chargers team to spring their second-half stretch run, the Niners nevertheless started off terribly.
A touchdown by the Chargers made quick work of the defense, an offensive drive stalled in the red zone, a fumble, and a blocked punt. And before you knew it, the score was 13-3 in favor of the Bolts. The 49ers managed to keep it within six points heading into halftime, and the second half brought a reckoning, at least eventually.
No one will confuse their second-half performance as dominant, but on national TV, it was an indication of the mentality of this 49ers team under head coach Kyle Shanahan: Run the ball, hit you hard, wear you down.
In the end, it was enough to walk away with a 22-16 San Francisco victory, as the 49ers improved to 5-4 to open up the second half of the season.
Here are the positional grades from the contest.