Chiefs vs. 49ers: Full Report Card Grades for San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 3-2 with a 22-17 victory over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.
While this game featured a tough matchup between two similarly constructed teams, the biggest story was the return of quarterback Alex Smith, now at the helm of the Chiefs offense.
Smith, the quarterback who was drafted by San Francisco with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, faced off against his one-time teammate Colin Kaepernick.
But this game featured so much more than dueling quarterbacks.
This back-and-forth matchup featured the 49ers running game more than it did a battle for quarterbacking prowess. Running back Frank Gore and Co. carried San Francisco's offense against a questionable Chiefs run defense.
The results spoke for themselves.
"Instant Replay: Colin Kaepernick bests Alex Smith, #49ers win 22-17 (via @MaioccoCSN) http://t.co/wTmG57sdkT #NFL pic.twitter.com/GRcQO6KkWC
— Comcast SportsNet (@CSNAuthentic) October 5, 2014"
San Francisco came into this game without the services of its No. 1 tight end, Vernon Davis. It was also without its starting right tackle, Anthony Davis.
These absences, in addition to the slew of other injuries sustained to the 49ers this season, appeared inherently overcome by a San Francisco team that has won back-to-back games for the first time in 2014.
In this slideshow, we break down each of the 49ers' positional units and formulate just how each graded out.
Fortunately there are far more positive grades than negatives—an aspect that hasn't always been true this season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Much of the talk entering Week 5 centered around the competition between Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
One may still make the argument whether the 49ers did the right thing by trading away Smith after the 2012 season.
We know the results each quarterback has enjoyed since the trade. Smith has enjoyed the resurgence of a Kansas City franchise that won back-to-back games before traveling to San Francisco. 49ers fans know of Kaepernick's accolades since taking over under center.
But what of the game itself?
Kaepernick finished his Week 5 performance with 14 completions on 26 attempts for 201 yards. He connected with wide receiver Stevie Johnson for a nine-yard touchdown pass—Kaepernick's lone score of the day.
"Colin Kaepernick has recorded at least one touchdown pass in 12 straight games. pic.twitter.com/3kJO6uldQX
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 5, 2014"
Kaepernick and the offense distributed the ball to eight different receivers—a luxury San Francisco did not have a year ago at this time. In all, Kaepernick finished with a 92.0 passer rating.
His counterpart, Smith, finished with a 79.4 rating.
The 49ers offense didn't need to have Kaepernick carry the team on his shoulders. While Kaepernick had some impressive moments, the bulk of offensive work fell upon San Francisco's ground attack.
Kaepernick took advantage of a sizable portion of the opportunities given, which is all he really needed to do.
Grade: B+
Running Back
2 of 10
Coming into Week 5, the Chiefs defense had allowed 466 yards on the ground—good for No. 20 in the league.
With this in mind, and the desire to win the time-of-possession battle, we could have expected San Francisco's offense to run the ball early and often.
This appeared to fit right into the 49ers' game plan. Running backs Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde proved more than equal to take on Kansas City's run defense and were equally as important in generating the majority of San Francisco's offensive momentum.
Let's take a look at the stats.
Frank Gore proved again why he is not ready to hang up his cleats despite being 31 years old. The veteran back totaled 107 yards on 18 carries—an average of 5.9 yards per carry.
"Frank Gore with 107 rushing yards vs. KC. #49ers are 13-0 under Jim Harbaugh when Gore goes over the 100-yard mark.
— Taylor Price (@TaylorPrice49) October 5, 2014"
Not to be outdone, rookie Carlos Hyde also posted a decent day. Hyde averaged 4.3 yards per carry, posting 43 yards on 10 carries in the process.
Andrew Pentis of 49ers.com had this to say about the working relationship between Gore and Hyde:
"During the 49ers first offensive series, running back Frank Gore came to the sideline to get his ankles taped. On rookie Carlos Hyde's first carry in Gore's stead, he ran right over cornerback Sean Smith for a nine-yard gain. Then Gore came back and popped a 12-yard run—veteran and rookie working well together.
"
With Kansas City's run defense not able to adjust, Gore and Hyde were able to carry the bulk of offensive work for the 49ers. Virtually every drive from San Francisco featured a big play by Gore or Hyde.
This is where the 49ers offense thrives, and it is within Gore and Hyde where the team's offensive strength resides.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Welcome to the San Francisco 49ers' offensive game plan, Brandon Lloyd!
Lloyd made two spectacular catches during a three-reception, 76-yard performance in Week 5—season highs for the 33-year-old veteran.
"“@B49beezy: Yall see that missal!? 😯 “@SixSecNFL: Brandon Lloyd 😦 | https://t.co/pRPXIv6c4c”” Loved this catch! 👏👏👏👏
— James Mann (@jamesmann23) October 5, 2014"
Lloyd, who has been scantly used up to this point in the season, impacted the offense in a huge way with his performance on Sunday.
Here is what Mike Wilkening of NBC Sports said about the play:
"Then, three plays later, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick—in the face of a blitz—lofted a deep pass toward veteran wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. And Lloyd—who’s made his rep making catches like this—leaped high, contorted himself while airborne and hauled in the pass for a 29-yard gain, beating the coverage of Chiefs corner Sean Smith.
"
Lloyd's catches were spectacular, but San Francisco got other great contributions from some of its other aerial targets—chiefly among them, Anquan Boldin.
Boldin was targeted eight times, hauling in four passes for 72 yards. Boldin continued to assert his strong, physical presence within the Chiefs secondary, helping out Kaepernick with some tough-made receptions.
"Colin Kaepernick finds the team’s best receiver, Anquan Boldin, for a 27-yard gain.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoCSN) October 5, 2014"
Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson were limited to just one catch each. But Johnson's grab was the lone 49ers touchdown—a nine-yard play with time winding down in the first half.
Tight end Vernon Davis missed the game with a back injury. He was spelled by Vance McDonald, who has also missed time with a knee issue. But Derek Carrier was the lone tight end with receptions—two for 16 yards.
While the passing game was not necessarily the biggest element of the 49ers offense, San Francisco's receivers came up big when they had to. It's hard to overlook those contributions.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Out of all the matchups emanating out of the trenches, one figured to be the most critical—right tackle Jonathan Martin against the Chiefs' outside linebacker Justin Houston.
Houston entered Week 5 with five sacks on the season—the same amount all of San Francisco's defense had during the same span.
Opposing him was Jonathan Martin, the second-year pro who is serving as the primary backup for injured tackle Anthony Davis.
Early on, it appeared as if Martin and San Francisco's O-line was holding its own against a vaunted Kansas City pass rush, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
"#49ers RT Jonathan Martin is holding up well vs. OLB Justin Houston.
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) October 5, 2014"
But this invariably changed as the game drew on. Houston finished the game with one sack and two tackles for a loss. Martin drew a good portion of the blame for what happened.
"Jonathan Martin gives up sack to Justin Houston; Martin had been playing well to that point.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) October 5, 2014"
The rest of the O-line seemed to follow where Martin went. San Francisco's pass protection broke down at times during the second half. Colin Kaepernick wound up being sacked three times for a total of 15 yards, much of it the direct result of pressure applied from Kansas City's pass-rushers.
It is possible that the day's heat played a role in some of the underwhelming moments along the O-line, but the important part is that this unit garnered enough efforts for the premier aspect of San Francisco's offense—the running game.
The O-line held up strong enough to allow Frank Gore and Co. to rush for 171 total yards on the ground. This was key in forcing the 49ers' victory.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
San Francisco's defensive line put forth a blue-collar, in-the-trench performance once more against the Chiefs in Week 5.
Veteran defensive end Justin Smith notched two solo tackles, one of which went for a loss. But what makes Smith so special is the type of presence he has on the field—elements that were not missed on Sunday.
"That's not the smartest move you can make, Charles. Justin Smith will eat you
— Tre9er (@Tre9er) October 5, 2014"
Now the D-line may not have done enough to warrant the 49ers defense with a sack in Week 5—they had zero—but this makes some sense when considering the mobility of Alex Smith out of the pocket. Pressure was applied however, and this proved to be a big difference-maker later in the game.
But the most impressive part of the D-line was this unit's ability to limit the dual-threat running attack of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis.
While assisted by the remaining cast of the 49ers defense, the defensive front allowed just 90 yards on the ground—80 of which were from Charles.
"#49ers needed that 3 and out in the worst way possible. Good tackle to stop Jamaal Charles short of the sticks.
— Christian Gin (@Christian_Gin) October 5, 2014"
The key question surrounding this unit will be whether it can stay fresh for the duration of the season. Second-year pro Tank Carradine has been scantly used in 2014—active just once. Then there is the looming question surrounding defensive end Ray McDonald's off-the-field concerns and their possible implications.
What is good is that the D-line is not a current 49ers' liability five weeks into the season. These players are doing a lot of the dirty work on defense, and the results have been paying off well enough.
This revealed itself again in Week 5.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
If you haven't gotten on the Aaron Lynch bandwagon already, you may want to reconsider your position.
Lynch is having a very strong rookie season at outside linebacker. We saw shades of this during the preseason, but he is making a great case for himself now that the regular season has commenced.
With the 49ers' woes in the pass rush early on, pressure was on for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to come up with some sort of solution to address the need to get to opposing quarterbacks.
Lynch is looking like he might be that answer in the wake of Aldon Smith's nine-game suspension.
"That Aaron Lynch is a menace. pic.twitter.com/Qmk6UY6tmB
— Dylan DeSimone (@DeSimone_80) October 5, 2014"
The emergence of Lynch has come in the wake of his promotion over second-year pro Corey Lemonier, who has struggled in pass-rushing duties up to this point.
David Fucillo of Niners Nation describes the promotion and its results by writing:
"As many noticed, Aaron Lynch moved past Corey Lemonier on the depth chart. Lynch finished the game with 25 defensive snaps, while Lemonier spent the entire game on special teams. Lynch's snaps were not greater because the 49ers spent a good chunk of the game in their base 3-4 defense. Dan Skuta led the Skuta/Lynch/Lemonier triumvirate with 36 snaps. Lynch came on in nickel as a left defensive end, while Ahmad Brooks moved over to right defensive end.
"
The results were notably positive. Lynch recorded just one sack, but he did tip yet another pass and hurried quarterback Alex Smith on multiple occasions.
Inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Michael Wilhoite led the team in tackles with eight and five tackles, respectively.
Wilhoite is proving himself as a worthy replacement for NaVorro Bowman five games into the season. Entering the game, one of Wilhoite's primary assignments was to cover Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce. While Kelce notched a touchdown reception, he was limited to just two catches for 15 yards.
In spite of the absences of Bowman and Smith, San Francisco's linebackers are still a resounding strength within the defense. The presence of players like Lynch and Wilhoite are definitely helping here.
Grade: A
Secondary
7 of 10
What if you were told that arguably the best 49ers' member of the secondary was a player who was almost assuredly on the roster bubble towards the end of the preseason?
Enter Perrish Cox.
Cox was the deciding player in San Francisco's defensive backfield who sealed the 49ers' victory with a fourth-quarter interception of Alex Smith.
"For second straight week, game-sealing INT for Perrish Cox. #49ers
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) October 5, 2014"
The pick, which all but ended any hopes for the Chiefs as described by Marcus Thompson of InsideBayArea.com, has catapulted Cox within the 49ers secondary. Once nothing more than a backup and special teams player, Cox has emerged as a very strong corner.
He now leads the 49ers with three interceptions.
Cox has been starting in place of the injured Tramaine Brock (toe), which prompts a difficult question when Brock is ready to return. It is hard to fathom moving Cox into a backup role after what he has done this season.
Opposite him, Chris Culliver had some shaky coverage moments but still notched three tackles and one pass defended against Kansas City.
As a unit, the secondary allowed Smith to pass for just 175, holding him to a 79.4 passer rating in the process.
Yes, there were some lapses. But overall, one has to commend the defensive backfield for putting forward a relatively strong effort against Smith and Kansas City's offense.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
Phil Dawson hit all five of his field-goal attempts, two of which came from beyond 50 yards.
Dawson's efforts combined to give the 49ers 15 of their 22 points during the day, so it's an easy assessment to recognize the efforts of San Francisco's kicker.
But the biggest storyline out of the 49ers special teams unit was the fake punt in the fourth quarter.
The play, which is described further by Andrew Pentis of 49ers.com, led directly to yet another key score for San Francisco late in the game.
"Bison great @craigdahl43 w the fake punt 1st down for the #49ers! #BisonPride #49ers https://t.co/5KaWyImKOv
— NDSU Athletics (@NDSUathletics) October 5, 2014"
The combination of field goals and the fake punt help give this unit a solid grade after a worrisome performance against Philadelphia a week ago.
If there was a setback, it would have to be a couple of long returns from the Chiefs. De'Anthony Thomas brought back a punt for 28 yards and Knile Davis returned a kick for 34 yards as well. Perhaps the coverage units could still use some help here.
Other than those minor gaffes, this unit enjoyed a solid day.
Grade: A-
Coaching
9 of 10
Before we go into any further detail about San Francisco's coaching staff, and the apparent controversies contained therein, let us get an important statistic out of the way.
The 49ers were penalized just twice for 10 yards over the course of the game.
Let that number sink in for a moment—twice. This stands in stark contrast compared to what San Francisco has endured in previous weeks. Let's hope that trend continues.
Of course, we can't go any further without bringing up the controversy surrounding whether head coach Jim Harbaugh has the support of his players any longer.
Harbaugh has dismissed many of these statements as stated via NBC on Yahoo! Sports.
"49ers players say it's business as usual, no Harbaugh drama http://t.co/L8XGjhxp2o @CamInman pic.twitter.com/iKRvUHfT4T
— Mercury News (@mercnews) September 30, 2014"
In all reality, the only thing that matters is whether the 49ers are winning. When San Francisco was enduring its two-game losing streak, these questions could easily fly. Now, the 49ers have two back-to-back wins under their belt.
Table the conversation for now.
As far as the play-calling was concerned, offensive coordinator Greg Roman did a good job of sticking to what makes the 49ers tick—running the ball heavily against a questionable run defense.
This wasn't the time for Roman to get cute or dial up plays that would put San Francisco's offensive rhythm in jeopardy. Frank Gore and his 107 yards on the ground ensured Roman wouldn't have to.
On the flip side, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio performed admirably well enough in calling plays that held the Chiefs offense to just 265 yards. But it would have been even more impressive had San Francisco's defense held its own in the red zone.
Kansas City was a perfect 2 for 2 in the 49ers red zone in Week 5. Fortunately these scores were the only two the Chiefs were able to post Sunday.
Grade: B+
Final Grades
10 of 10
QB: B+
RB: A
WR/TE: A-
OL: B-
DL: B
LB: A
Secondary: B
Special Teams: A-
Coaching: B+
Cumulative Grade: B+
The much-anticipated return of Alex Smith to San Francisco was only a part of the story that came to fruition in Week 5.
While the Smith-Kaepernick comparison drew much of the attention, Smith's return was perhaps best welcomed by Frank Gore—also drafted by the 49ers alongside Smith in 2005.
Gore's 107-yard performance highlighted San Francisco's offensive efforts in Week 5.
"Frank Gore Gashes Chiefs for 107 Yards: The Greg Roman-coordinated offense achieved a balance between the runn... http://t.co/HTPIh1XKfR
— Everything #NFL (@darylwill3) October 6, 2014"
It figured to be a tough, physical matchup that was hindered by the hot sun that dominated Levi's Stadium.
While both teams enjoyed various sways in momentum, the key difference revealed itself when San Francisco started to gain the upper hand late in the second half.
Perhaps the 49ers' emphasis on the power-run game proved to be the decisive factor.
Whatever the case, San Francisco climbed above the .500 mark for the first time since Week 1. Now comes the tough part—maintaining that momentum moving forward.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers' news, insight and analysis.
Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.
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