San Francisco 49ers: 3rd Quarter Grade Report for the Season
After three quarters of the season, we now have a very clear picture of the San Francisco 49ers. This grade report will cover those first three quarters and the results aren't pretty.
With a record of 4-8, the 49ers now trail the Rams and Seahawks by two games in the NFC West. At this stage of the season, amazingly, the 49ers are still alive in the playoff chase because the NFC West is the weakest division in pro football.
Nevertheless, it is very unrealistic to expect the Niners to make a run at the playoffs, given what we have seen thus far. San Francisco still has three games remaining against division opponents and must win all of them to even have a chance.
The following grade report will underscore the 49ers' season under the microscope.
Quarterbacks: Grade = F
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What do the Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Packers, Saints, Falcons, Bears, Giants and Eagles all have in common?
There are two things, one being they are all in the playoff hunt, and the second being that they all have quarterbacks who you would rate, at worst, a "B-minus." In fact, most of these teams have quarterbacks that you would consider in the upper echelon of the NFL.
The quarterback postion is by far the biggest hole in the 49ers roster. The Niners have tried two Smiths and a Carr. The cumulative result is an "F." No quarterback has stepped forward and shown that they can be the long-term leader that the Niners need.
Troy Smith has apparently lost the starting job after a dismal 10-for-25 performance against the Packers, when he missed open receivers and failed to sustain anything on offense. After starting out well against the Broncos and Rams, Troy Smith has faded back to mediocrity or worse in his last three games against Tampa Bay, Arizona and Green Bay.
Alex Smith will get the start against the Seahawks. However, before we get too excited, remember that this is the man who led the 49ers to a dismal 1-5 record before getting injured in game seven.
We have also seen about one half of football from David Carr, which was enough for everyone to plainly see he is not the answer to the 49er quarterback woes.
The bottom line is to be successful in today's NFL, you need a decent quarterback. The 49ers have arguably the worst situation at the quarterback position in the league.
Unless the Niners get a franchise quarterback through the draft or acquire even a decent one via a trade or free agency, they will be doomed to failure.
Quarterbacks: Grade = F
Running Backs: Grade = B
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Frank Gore was playing at a very high level before sustaining a broken hip, which will cost him the rest of this season. Gore played at an "A" or "A-minus" rating prior to his injury and accounted for roughly 40 percent of the entire 49er offense.
Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon were hardly used in the first 10 games of the season. Now, the two are being called on to take up the slack for the injured Gore.
Brian Westbrook had a good game against the Cardinals, rushing for 123 yards, after he replaced Gore. Unfortunately, Westbrook was not nearly as effective against the Packers, when he rushed for only 31 yards in nine attempts.
Rookie Anthony Dixon got his first significant playing time of the season, but could only muster 33 yards on nine carries.
The 49er running game is far too predictable, as they frequently run up the middle, making it easy for defenses to load up the box and stifle the 49er offense. More diversity is something the coaches have not been able to implement successfully.
Running Backs: Grade = B
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: Grade = D
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The San Francisco 49er receiving corps has underachieved all season. There are a myriad of factors for this, including poor quarterback play, poor offensive line play and poor play-calling.
Even with these external factors, the receivers are also culpable for their lack of production. Michael Crabtree missed the entire preseason slate of games and has not had the kind of season expected from him. After 12 games, Crabtree has only 41 receptions for 554 yards and 5 TDs.
The other starting wideout, Josh Morgan, has also not been a consistent threat. He has only 29 catches on the season. The third and fourth receivers, Ted Ginn Jr. and Dominique Zeigler, have been unproductive.
Tight end Vernon Davis has been the 49ers' most productive receiver with 44 catches for 674 yards and five TDs. These numbers are below expectations, however, and the 49ers need a lot more from Vernon Davis.
Backup tight end Delanie Walker is a versatile weapon for the Niners, but has battled nagging injuries.
One of the biggest issues pertaining to the receivers is the fact that they often do not run their routes as precisely as they need to. This throws off the timing between quarterback and his target, resulting in more incompletions and interceptions.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: Grade = D
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Offensive Line: Grade = D
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The foundation of any productive offense is the offensive line. Strong offensive line play is essential for a team to have any rhythm or consistency on offense.
The best offensive lines in the game are those who have the chance to play together over the course of an entire year, or multiple years. From day one in the 2010 season, the 49er offensive line has been wrought with chaos.
Rookies Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati were drafted in the first round of the 2010 draft and plugged into the starting lineup to start the season. Rookie mistakes happen and the end result is sacks and penalties. These are drive killers and the 49ers have thwarted themselves on far too many occasions.
Davis has really struggled at right tackle, giving up far too many sacks and frequently committing multiple penalties in each game. He simply was not ready for a full-time starting role when the 49ers threw him into the job.
Right guard Mike Iupati has, in my opinion, been the lone bright spot along the line. He is a fierce and effective run blocker and his pass protection has generally been pretty good.
The center position also had a new face, as David Baas replaced Eric Heitmann, who was injured in training camp. Baas has been an adequate replacement, but he is new to the position.
The center is the one who makes all of the offensive line calls and blitz pickup calls prior to the ball being snapped. Baas had to learn this role and that also hindered this unit from jelling like the Niners needed.
Left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Chilo Rachal, the lone holdovers from the 2009 season, have had subpar years. Staley was also injured and replaced by veteran Barry Sims. Rachal is being pressed by the versatile Adam Snyder for the starting right guard spot.
Reserve lineman Tony Wragge has also been pressed into duty due to injuries to other players.
The fact that I just rattled off the names of nine players who have played the five line positions indicates that there has been too much turmoil along the line for this unit to develop any kind of consistency.
Offensive Line: Grade = D
Defensive Line: Grade = C-
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The San Francisco 49er defensive line has been fairly solid, though unspectacular. Justin Smith leads this unit and his never-ending hustle is great to watch. Justin Smith is having a good season, but the rest of the defensive line has played below expectations.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Fanklin missed nearly all of training camp and he is not the imposing presence that he was in the 2009 season. Franklin appears to have lost a step and it will be interesting to see if the 49ers sign him for next year. My best guess is that the Niners will not have Franklin back in 2011.
The defensive end opposite Justin Smith is Isaac Sopoaga, and he has been a disappointment. Sopoaga is not a strong pass rusher, which hurts this group.
Top reserves Ray McDonald and Ricky Jean-Francois have not had the kind of impact expected of them.
The 49er defensive line has been above average against the run, but does not apply enough consistent pressure to help the secondary.
Defensive Line: Grade = C-
Linebackers: Grade = C
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Patrick Willis is a Pro Bowl linebacker and is the glue that leads the 49er defense. Willis leads the team in tackles and is especially tough against the run.
Alongside Willis is Takeo Spikes, who is having a solid season. Willis and Spikes combine to establish a strong presence for the linebackers.
Outside linebacker Manny Lawson has made some highlight reel plays, but needs to be more consistent.
The other outside 'backer position is frequently used as an extra pass rusher. Starter Parys Haralson has been spotty at best. Pass rushing specialists Ahmad Brooks and Travis LaBoy have been inconsistent and have jumped offside on far too may plays.
The linebackers have been fairly solid but have not made enough big plays to create turnovers. The 49ers expected this group to play better than they have.
Linebackers: Grade C
Defensive Secondary: Grade = F
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The San Francisco 49er defensive secondary has played very poorly this season. As a group, this unit has been a huge disappointment.
Starting cornerbacks Nate Clements and Shawntae Spencer have given up far too many big plays. Both players have been victimized for long touchdowns in recent games.
Starting safety Dashon Goldson was expected to emerge as a Pro Bowl-caliber player this season. Unfortunately, Goldson has regressed and is simply not playing well. As a starting safety, Goldson has no interceptions, no fumbles caused and no fumble recoveries. This is absolutely pathetic.
The other safety spot has seen Reggie Smith replace rookie Taylor Mays as the starter. Smith has been mediocre at best and the fact that he has replaced Mays means that Mays was also not playing very well.
Nickel back Tarell Brown is the nickel back for a reason. He is not good enough to be a starter at this point in his career.
The defensive secondary of the 49ers needs substantial improvement. The inconsistent pass rush also exposes an already weak defensive secondary.
Defensive Secondary: Grade = F
Special Teams: Grade = B-
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The 49er special teams have been improved over the 2009 season. Place kicker Joe Nedney is as reliable as they come. Unfortunately, Nedney was injured and could be lost for the season.
The 49ers brought in veteran Jeff Reed and he booted three field goals in the last game, against Green Bay.
Punter Andy Lee is as good as they come. He is also quite adept at pinning opposing offenses back inside the 15-yard line.
After a very sluggish start, the coverage units have shown improvement under special teams coach Kurt Schottenheimer.
The return game, although only adequate, is far superior to what the 49ers had in 2009. Ted Ginn Jr. has done a decent job on kickoff returns. Although he lets the ball hit the ground on too many punts and does not field them, he still is an improvement over the debacle that was here in 2009.
Rookie Kyle Williams would be a very good alternative as a punt return man, but he has battled several injuries and has not shown an ability to stay on the field.
Special Teams: Grade = B-
Coaching: Grade = F
9 of 10
The San Francisco 49er coaching staff is not getting the job done. This all starts and ends with head coach Mike Singletary.
As I have mentioned on several occasions, I do like Singletary as a man and I believe he has many positive things to add to any team. He is a driven individual and stresses hard work, dedication and intense focus.
Unfortunately, Singletary continues to try and play a conservative, smash-mouth style of football. This strategy has not worked, as the Niners' 4-8 record would indicate.
Mike Singletary had no prior head coaching experience and also had never been a coordinator when he took over the 49ers. There are times in the games when the 49ers frequently appear in disarray. Mike Singletary needs extremely strong coordinators, which he doesn't have. He is overmatched as a head coach in the NFL.
Another big issue with the 49er coaching staff is their inability to make quick adjustments when plan A is not working. Their offensive game plans are far too predictable and do not have enough diversity and creativity.
Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson is a better fit than Jimmy Raye, who he replaced after the third game of this season. Johnson is still told what to do by Singletary, however, so he is somewhat handcuffed in his play selection.
Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has done a reasonable job, but his unit is on the field far too long in almost every game. Against Green Bay, for example, the 49er defense was on the field for over 37 minutes, while the 49er offense was on the field for less than 23 minutes.
The failure of the 49er offense puts too big of a burden on the 49er defense. As games progress, the defense wears down and becomes vulnerable.
The 49ers frequently display a lack of discipline out on the field. This manifests itself in an excessive number of penalties, failure to run proper routes on offense, arm tackling and an overzealous tendency for the defensive backs to gamble for interceptions and get burned.
This lack of discipline is a reflection of the coaching staff, as they are not preparing the players well enough.
I believe the 49ers will fall short of the playoffs. Assuming this occurs, I also believe that head coach Mike Singletary will be fired.
Coaching: Grade = F
Overall Grade = F
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The San Francisco 49ers' season hangs in the balance. They play a must-win game this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, a team who beat the 49ers 31-6 in the first game of the season. If the 49ers hope to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, they must win this upcoming game.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the 49ers have one more grading period for me to evaluate.
Although the 49ers have had some flashes of brilliance, their overall results have been quite poor. This is a league where a team is measured by wins and losses. This being the case, I must give the 49ers a failing grade.
Overall Grade = F
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