Rams vs. 49ers: Full Report-Card Grades for San Francisco
This might be one of the worst losses in the Jim Harbaugh era.
The San Francisco 49ers fell 13-10 against a banged-up St. Louis Rams team that still sits at the bottom of the NFC West. At 4-4, there will be plenty of questions surrounding exactly what happened in this Week 9 debacle.
The biggest culprit was the lack of execution and production out of the 49ers offense. San Francisco gave up a total of eight sacks to what had been a lackluster Rams pass rush entering the contest. St. Louis had amassed just six in their seven previous matchups.
San Francisco's offensive line fell victim to a flurry of miscues and mistakes—all of which helped foil the 49ers' chances to start the second half of their season on the right foot.
What makes this loss even tougher to swallow is the fact that San Francisco enjoyed two weeks to rest and prepare for this division matchup. All of that seemed to matter for naught as the 49ers' prospects fell just short, like the Colin Kaepernick run at the goal line with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation.
"The #49ers drop to 4-4 with a Week 9 loss to the Rams. READ GAMER: http://t.co/WcNqOGnQ0j pic.twitter.com/6sJ6geRzWF
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 3, 2014"
There were plenty of issues that plagued San Francisco in this matchup. The results again prove that games are not decided on paper. What should have been a decisive 49ers victory turned into an ugly, ugly loss in every sense of the term.
San Francisco now looks at both the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, both of whom won this week, ahead of them in the division. It will be a tough climb to get back into the playoff picture if the 49ers cannot address the issues so apparent during this loss.
Quarterback
1 of 10
We can take a look at Colin Kaepernick's 237-yard passing performance, combined with one touchdown, as indication that the young signal-caller had a decent day under center.
But those numbers are not enough to determine exactly what went wrong with San Francisco's offense on Sunday.
The biggest setback was, in reality, due to the offensive line's ineptitude up front. Against what had previously been a lackluster Rams pass rush, Kaepernick was sacked a total of eight times for 54 yards. While much of the blame has to be placed on the O-line, Kaepernick did have some difficulty escaping from the pressure.
We can look at a number of these sacks as crucial killers in the prospects for a 49ers victory in Week 9.
But perhaps the biggest setback was the fumble at St. Louis' goal line with less than 10 seconds remaining.
"The 49ers lost to the Rams after a goal-line fumble in the final seconds by Colin Kaepernick http://t.co/sCAmx7JyTe pic.twitter.com/7zZcIz0yok
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 3, 2014"
The play, which was initially ruled as a fumble recovered by the Rams, was upheld after review. There was simply too little evidence to suggest that Kaepernick was down or whether or not the ball had crossed the plane.
Kaepernick had his moments, including Anquan Boldin's touchdown grab, but there will certainly be plenty of criticism surrounding what happened to the 49ers quarterback on the field.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
St. Louis sold out to stop the run in Week 6. They tried to do the same thing in Week 9 and did so with relatively similar results.
Frank Gore netted just 49 yards on 14 carries—an average of just 3.5 yards per carry.
But the biggest setback may be that Gore did not touch the ball once when San Francisco was in the red zone on its final drive in the fourth quarter. While running Gore straight up the gut three consecutive times would not have been a wise choice, at least one run here might have proven worthwhile.
"19 seconds left. Down 3. Ball on the 1-yard-line. This is why you have Frank Gore.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) November 3, 2014"
We know the results, and hindsight tells us best what could have been, but Week 9 provides us with another example of San Francisco moving away from its running game.
This is even further backed up by the lack of use in rookie Carlos Hyde.
Hyde netted 17 yards, but on just two separate carries. One could have speculated a bigger role for the former Ohio State prospect, but this obviously did not happen.
Play-calling largely kept San Francisco's backs out of the equation. The lack of production from the offensive line also bears a sizable portion of the blame.
The entire lack of identity from the 49ers offense has to be questioned after this loss, and we will likely continue to speculate how Gore and Co. will be used in coming weeks.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
On the positive side of things, Anquan Boldin became the 17th player in NFL history to record 900 receptions. He finished the night with six catches and 93 yards, plus the lone 49ers touchdown.
"Had that queued RT @49ers: Congratulations @AnquanBoldin on 900 career receptions! #Boldin900 pic.twitter.com/wI77nz87tB
— Oscar (@BetterRivals) November 2, 2014"
Boldin's score came at the 11:57 mark of the second quarter and was one of only a few highlights San Francisco enjoyed on the day.
Stevie Johnson also continued to showcase a budding rapport with Colin Kaepernick—finishing the day with three catches for 41 yards.
Michael Crabtree posted 40 yards on five receptions, but he was targeted a total of nine times. Crabtree had the occasional dropped pass, which obviously hurt the 49ers at various points throughout the game.
"Michael Crabtree has six drops this year. He had nine in 2012 and 11 in 2011.
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) November 2, 2014"
The biggest question was Crabtree's final reception of the game—a completed pass that was ruled down at the 1-yard line. Was the play a touchdown, or was the call on the field a correct one? We'll let you be the judge.
"Not sure how this @KingCrab15 catch was a catch but wasn't a TD? pic.twitter.com/QSJ5zovzsE
— CJ LaBoy (@CJLaBoy) November 3, 2014"
We can save the officiating for another discussion. The bigger point is that San Francisco's receivers could not get as involved as they should have, largely because the offensive line was not providing the time necessary for plays to develop.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Here is a stat that sums up the offensive line's performance in Week 9: St. Louis had six sacks prior to the contest. Now, they have 14.
San Francisco's O-line made the Rams' pass rush look excellent on Sunday. Each lineman, almost to a man, had poor moments against St. Louis.
Joe Staley was beaten by Robert Quinn on multiple occasions. Anthony Davis looks as if he still hasn't recovered 100 percent. And there were some bad penalties on this unit as well.
Rookie Marcus Martin, starting in place of Daniel Kilgore, also got off to a rough start to his NFL career. There were two botched snaps during the game. While we can put some of the blame on Colin Kaepernick, it's clear that the chemistry between these two is not where it needs to be.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman felt good about Martin's abilities prior to the game via Taylor Price of 49ers.com, but it will be interesting to see how the feelings are given what happened within this unit.
"#49ers LT Joe Staley on offensive line: "Dumb blocks. Dumb techniques. Dumb schemes. We played like s---."
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) November 3, 2014"
The O-line looked poor in almost every facet of the game. Not only did this unit struggle in pass protection, but it also failed to open up key lanes as the game entered the latter half. This forced the offensive play-calling to change things up, an approach that did not play into the 49ers' favor.
On the positive side of things, it is hard to envision this unit any lower than it is now. One can hope that the only direction is up. But this will likely be the O-line personnel we will see for the duration of the season, provided everyone stays healthy.
Repeat performances like these are not a good sign moving forward.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
At least San Francisco's defense had a decent showing against St. Louis.
It started with the defensive line—a unit that once again helped hold the Rams' No. 1 running back Tre Mason to fewer than 100 yards. As a whole, St. Louis mustered just 91 yards on the ground and averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.
The D-line also helped create some significant pressure, especially in the first half. This pressure opened up the door for a total of one sack and four quarterback hits.
Additional pressure, like that from defensive end Ray McDonald, also kept Rams quarterback Austin Davis off his game for the majority of the contest.
"Davis pressured a bit by Ray McDonald, overthrows his receiver, 3rd and 9 for the Rams.
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) November 2, 2014"
The only thing missing from the D-line was, perhaps, a bit more pressure that would have resulted in a forced fumble or a couple more sacks.
This didn't happen. Unfortunately, the entirety of San Francisco's defense could not overcome the lackluster performance of its friends on the offense.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
San Francisco's linebacker corps was again without the services of Patrick Willis, who missed his second consecutive game while recovering from a toe injury.
The 49ers started Chris Borland in his place.
The rookie had a strong showing in his second start of the season—leading San Francisco's defense with 18 tackles, 15 of which were solo. He also netted three tackles for a loss.
But Borland admitted via Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com that the performance was marred by his one mistake—blown coverage that allowed a touchdown pass to Rams wideout Kenny Britt in the second quarter.
"#49ers LB Chris Borland said his 18 tackle performance was marred by a blown coverage on Kenny Britt's TD catch.
— Kevin Lynch (@klynch49) November 3, 2014"
Hopefully Borland will learn from his mistake. He'll likely be a key backup to Willis once the veteran returns to action.
But the biggest ongoing standout within the 49ers' group of linebackers continues to be Aaron Lynch.
Lynch had just one tackle on the day, but it was his second sack of the season. Lynch had two quarterback hits, and he also swatted yet another ball down at the line of scrimmage—a play we have become accustomed to out of the first-year pro.
"Silver lining is #aaronlynch and #chrisborland are getting very good experience and showing up. #49ersvsRams #suplex
— Martin G. Reynolds (@reynoldspost) November 2, 2014"
Dan Skuta also added a quarterback hit to the final 49ers' count of four.
Overall, this unit played surprisingly well. This is a silver lining considering the game and how depleted the linebacker corps is without the services of Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith.
Borland's mistake in coverage is the only significant element that marks this unit down.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
Veteran safety Antoine Bethea continues to make a strong case for being named to the Pro Bowl after this season.
He finished the contest with six tackles (one for a loss), two passes defensed and one interception.
Taylor Price of 49ers.com describes the pick, which subsequently led to San Francisco's lone touchdown score:
"Following a 49ers three-and-out, the defense got the ball right back courtesy of Antoine Bethea. The veteran safety read Rams quarterback Austin Davis’ sideline pass intended for wide receiver Tavon Austin and made the leaping interception right in front of St. Louis’ sideline. It gave the ball to the 49ers in scoring range on the Rams 35-yard line.
"
Bethea's 2014 campaign is about as solid as one could hope for out of the 49ers' free-agent acquisition.
"Antoine Bethea is playing like one of the top safeties in the NFL.
— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) November 2, 2014"
Equally impressive has been the play of Perrish Cox—the backup-turned-starting cornerback who now is tied for second place in the NFL after recording his fourth interception on the season.
In all, San Francisco's secondary performed admirably well—shutting down St. Louis' receivers long enough for the defense to create good pressure up front.
It's too bad it was not enough to secure a 49ers win, although we can certainly admit this unit had an excellent showing.
Grade: A
Special Teams
8 of 10
Two plays stand out when evaluating San Francisco's special teams efforts in Week 9: Phil Dawson's missed field goal and Andy Lee's shanked punt in the fourth quarter.
Dawson's field-goal attempt at the end of the first half was a strange play in and of itself. At the 0:03 mark of the second quarter, Dawson missed a 55-yard try that ended up being received by Tavon Austin. Austin then appeared to make a move out of the end zone before being brought down within by San Francisco's special teams unit.
This questionable call could have resulted in a safety, but the officials ruled that forward progress had carried Austin out of the end zone. Take a look for yourself.
"Did officials make the right call on Tavon Austin's near safety? http://t.co/iZ91S9l8sP pic.twitter.com/Jh4LsUapwn
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 3, 2014"
This call did not go the 49ers' way, but a made field goal would have obviously been better.
But it was nothing in comparison to Lee's punt in the fourth quarter. The ever-reliable Lee punted the ball off his foot for a net attempt of just 23 yards—an attempt that set up the Rams at San Francisco's 29-yard line.
"Yeesh. Re-punt goes off the side of Andy Lee's foot, travels 23 yards. Rams take over at SF 29-yard line.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) November 2, 2014"
St. Louis would eventually take the lead on its subsequent drive.
We can't blame Lee too much for this one, considering all his accolades. But what happened fits perfectly into all that went wrong for the 49ers on Sunday.
Grade: D
Coaching
9 of 10
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher did not need a ton of trick plays to outfox Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers coaching staff.
Instead, San Francisco's coaches essentially outcoached themselves.
With former head coach George Seifert being honored at Levi's Stadium, the 49ers coaching staff could not hold up their end of the bargain to get the best of their division rival. While defensive coordinator Vic Fangio did his best to keep his defense as a force, the other half fell far short of expectations.
Sure, we can continue to place blame on the efforts of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Perhaps much of this is justified. But we also have to recognize the less-than-stellar play of the offensive line and the failure to execute when needed.
"For all of the Fire Greg Roman tweeters - how about the OL? Lots of new blood in there and do you even know who THAT coach is? No googling.
— Jennifer Chan (@jenniferleechan) November 3, 2014"
Roman has nothing to do with linemen not holding their blocks or his quarterback fumbling on a goal-line stand. He does, however, bear some blame when it comes to making adjustments in the face of ever-present challenges to the offense.
In this, he failed.
Oh, and penalties once again came back to nag the 49ers. An undisciplined San Francisco squad was penalized nine times for 44 yards. This has also been an ongoing problem.
But the biggest problem is the fact that San Francisco had two weeks with which to prepare for this matchup. If this is the eventual result, one can only wonder what actual preparations were being made in Santa Clara.
Grade: F
Final Grades
10 of 10
QB: C-
RB: C
WR/TE: B
OL: F
DL: B+
LB: B+
Secondary: A
Special Teams: D
Coaching: F
Cumulative Grade: C-
This author's personal grade: F
OK, so the cumulative grade results in a C. This is from averaging everything out, which receives some lofty marks thanks to the better-than-average play of the 49ers wide receivers, linebackers and their secondary.
In reality, the defense was pretty solid on Sunday. It's safe to say that they were not the liability in this Week 9 loss.
We can take all the positives we want from that—perhaps we should—but this loss was so ugly that this author felt compelled to give it a grade that marked far lower than the cumulative mark.
This loss has an F stamped all over it. We'll go ahead and say that the lack of offensive production brings everything down. We aren't in school, after all.
Almost nothing went right on the offensive side of the ball. Yes, Colin Kaepernick put up some good numbers through the air, but his sack totals sting. This falls mostly on the offensive line, which was horrible. The play-calling was equally as bad, and it further hindered any signs of development on this side of the ball.
San Francisco will not have the time to regroup like it did after suffering an equally embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 7. There is no bye week, and the 49ers will face a tough challenge as they travel to take on Drew Brees and the 4-4 New Orleans Saints in Week 10.
Hopefully they can leave this ugly game behind them and concentrate on what they need to do in order to right the ship.
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 @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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