San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons: Full Report Card Grades for 49ers
Defense wins championships. Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, they are years away from being a championship caliber team, let alone a playoff contender. The team allowed 550 total yards of offense with 248 rushing yards on the ground.
No receiving playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and a banged up offensive line is what ultimately led to the 49ers losing 41-13.
Did we actually think the 49ers would pull of a win? That would be wishful thinking as the odds were stacked against them. However, we did expect them to come out fighting, and I'm not sure if I saw that fight in them today.
Too many missed tackles, lackluster energy and lack of mental focus were evident throughout the game.
Quarterback
1 of 8
I sound like a broken record when it comes to evaluating San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. A player who continues to be inconsistent downfield, I can't help but think the 49ers will go in another direction in 2017.
During first-half play, the Nevada product racked up two touchdown passes while keeping the 49ers within striking distance. However, he was erratic on his deeper throws, one in which would've resulted in a first down had he not overthrown a wide open WR Jeremy Kerley.
He rarely tested the Falcons secondary downfield, and that may have been by design. Does the coaching staff trust Kaepernick's accuracy downfield? I don't think so. Which is why receivers are running routes no longer than 15 yards.
Kaepernick would finish the game by completing 20 of 33 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
Grade: C
Running Back
2 of 8
49ers second-year RB Carlos Hyde ran extremely hard while fighting for extra yards after contact. A bruising north-south runner who loves to make initial contact rather than waiting for it, Hyde would go on to have a nice day despite not reaching the end zone, finishing with 71 yards on just 13 carries.
Grade: B-
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
3 of 8
The 49ers receivers unit was depleted and thin coming into the game. 49ers WR Torrey Smith was ruled out due to a concussion, and in the first half, WR Quinton Patton was ruled out with a foot injury. To make matters worse, TE Blake Bell left the game with an arm injury, leaving the 49ers without any proven playmaker outside of WR Jeremy Kerley.
That ultimately was the team's downfall. The Falcons stacked the box and dared Kaepernick to beat them deep. He couldn't do it, and no 49ers receiver made a significant impact. When you're leading receiver is a player who makes one catch for 45 yards, that can't be good.
Grade: F
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Offensive Line
4 of 8
The 49ers were playing musical chairs coming into this game. LT Joe Staley (hamstring) was ruled out, forcing the team to move reliable LG Zane Beadles outside. That meant OG Andrew Tiller would start at LG while OC Marcus Martin would start at center in place of OC Daniel Kilgore.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, the move proved disastrous. Despite the 49ers offensive line keeping Kaepernick relatively clean in the passing game, the running game was a different story. The team only mustered 107 rushing yards on the ground and generated little push up front while giving up two sacks in the passing game.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 8
248. That's the number of rushing yards the 49ers defensive line allowed to the Atlanta Falcons. Falcons RB Devonta Freeman was responsible for 139 of those 248 rushing yards on only 20 carries (6.9 average). That's just inexcusable. Not only that but Freeman scored the hat trick, reaching the end zone three times in the process.
As a unit, the team played horribly, but if there was a lone bright spot, it was none other than rookie first-round pick (No. 7) DE DeForest Buckner.
The Oregon product set the edge fairly well while playing with a strong base at the point of attack. He leveraged his blocking assignments flushing plays back inside en route to racking up four tackles.
Grade: D
Linebackers
6 of 8
Just like the team's wide receiver position, the inside linebacker position was extremely depleted coming into this game. The team disciplined ILB Gerald Hodges for violating team rules while ILB Shayne Skov went on IR just one week prior. That left a huge gaping hole up the A-gap as the team played musical chairs with ILB Nick Bellore, ILB Michael Wilhoite, SS Antoine Bethea, and FS Vinnie Sunseri.
That was a recipe for disaster, as none of those players made a significant impact while being outmuscled down in the trenches. 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil clearly didn't have the horses to run his scheme and was left with little to no time to adjust his game plan.
The outside linebackers were a different story, as OLB Aaron Lynch and OLB Eli Harold both put together a nice game in setting the edge. Lynch did miss a tackle which allowed RB Devonta Freeman to reach the end zone but other than that was one of the lone bright spots. Harold racked up the team's only sack on the day, chasing Falcons QB Matt Ryan in pursuit.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 8
49ers DB Jimmie Ward was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury, and CB Tramaine Brock continues to get beat for touchdowns—the storyline for these two cornerbacks in 2016. Brock once again allowed a touchdown in the end zone to speedy WR Taylor Gabriel, and 49ers' SS Jaquiski Tartt mistimed his jump on a 50-50 9-yard alley-oop to TE Austin Hooper.
The unit racked up no turnovers while yielding 302 yards of offense via the air.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 8
The 49ers coverage unit was awful. 49ers' K Phil Dawson missed an extra point, and P Bradley Pinion only pinned two of his seven punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Football is all about field position, and special teams plays a huge role. Falcons PR Eric Weems returned two punts for 42 yards. Punts not kickoffs. That's unacceptable and embarrassing.
Grade: D
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