Grading the San Francisco 49ers' Week 6 Win

Well, that was fun! The San Francisco 49ers just passed their toughest test to date, defeating the Detroit Lions 25-19 on the road. I'm starting to think this team is for real. The Lions had yet to play a complete game this season, but were still 5-0 and loaded with star talent.

The supposedly tough Detroit front seven allowed over 200 rushing yards, and Alex Smith fixed his release problems just in time to throw the game-winning touchdown pass on fourth down with just a couple minutes left. 

It was a hard fought victory, and I was very impressed with the passion (both during the game and after the game) that everyone displayed. There are definitely a few things the Niners can work on for next week. But barring a major collapse at home against Cleveland or on the road against the Redskins, we could be looking at a 7-1 49ers team taking on the New York Giants in Week 9.

Here are my grades for the Week 6 victory over the Lions:

Passing Game: B-

How often in the last seven years, have I been able to say this: Alex Smith had an off-day. Funny enough, 53 percent on completions, 125 yards, one touchdown and one interception would have been a great game for him in the past. But the way he's been playing in 2011, it's fair to say that was an off-day.

He was good in the pocket, and made the 4th-and-goal pass to Delanie Walker that proved to be the winning score. But, for most of the second half, he was throwing the ball high. It cost him an interception and a few opportunities down the field.

Smith also lost a fumble on the first drive, though that can hardly be blamed on him. Overall, he just had a decent game. But in the end, a win is a win and after the long drought he went through at the beginning of his NFL career, the win this weekend was huge.

Running Game: A

Frank Gore continues to tear it up. He went over 100 yards for the third straight game, and busted off two huge runs to get the 49ers in the red zone against Detroit. He averaged almost 10 yards a carry versus the Lions' ferocious front seven.

The offense is clearly the weaker unit of the 49ers this season. So, it's going to be essential for the running game to continue to rack up the yardage. The offensive line just had an okay game in pass protection and was penalized way too much, but they sure know how to open up holes for Gore.

And while Gore has lost a step, and can no longer outrun the secondary when he breaks away, he's still a bulldozer when going through the middle and has the vision to cut and juke like his younger days. I'm loving what the coaches are doing with the play calls on the ground. This could be a legit rushing attack; they've gone for over 200 yards total in the last two weeks.

Front Seven: A

I truly thought this would be the week that the defense allowed a 100-yard rusher. It wasn't because I don't believe in our stellar front seven, it's because the Lions' Jahvid Best is Darren McFadden in blue and white. He's got the speed and the breakaway ability to be one of the best backs in the NFL.

Unfortunately for Best, he ran into the stone wall that is Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman and the Smiths. Detroit managed a measly 66 yards against the Niners. Also, they allowed five sacks. Now, looking at the stat sheet, you can't help but be underwhelmed by P-Will's below-average numbers. But, keep in mind that he was covering tight end Brandon Pettigrew almost the entire game. 

The Lions' tight end caught eight balls, but only for 42 yards. He barely held onto the ball in the end zone, and had another touchdown taken away by a great tip by Willis. Overall, Patrick had three passes defended and hung on Pettigrew all day. He was huge again, just in a different way.

Secondary: A-

I'm really starting to believe in this secondary. Carlos Rogers and rookie Chris Culliver did the impossible and shut down Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. Call them Optimus Prime, if you must.

The best receiver in the NFL was held to seven catches and 113 yards. See, those are some pretty big numbers. But considering he is capable of putting up twice those numbers, and they kept him out of the end zone? We're calling this a win.

For once, the secondary didn't get a pick, but they held Matthew Stafford to a 56 percent completion rate. And it seemed like every time the Lions got in the red zone, they were shut down and held to a field goal attempt. As Jim Harbaugh said in his postgame news conference, that was one of the best defensive performances I've ever seen!

Special Teams: A

Ted Ginn, Jr. had some nice returns, David Akers hit three huge field goals (including a 55 yarder) and Andy Lee made up for only punting once last week. He was called to duty nine times against the Lions. But, he did his thing like usual, hitting four inside the 20, nailing a 60-yarder and averaging nearly 48. His value to this team is underrated; Lee makes a great defense even greater by pinning opponents deep to start their drives.

Coaching: A-

Let's get the negatives out of the way. First, that challenge was absolutely idiotic. It really didn't cost the 49ers in the end, but I was embarrassed for Coach H. Good thing Detroit's Jim Schwartz knew it was a penalty.

He could clearly be seen strutting along the sidelines, taking pleasure in yelling, "Know the rules, Harbaugh!" And then he has the balls to say Harbaugh incited the handshake heard round the world at the end of the game? Schwartz might be my new least favorite coach. Congratulations Rex Ryan, you're off the hook.

Other than the big faux pas at the end of the game, I can't say anything bad about the coaching performance. I love how into the game this staff is. They were like little kids celebrating the victory and I can't fault them for having so much passion.

Plus, the fourth down play call was perfect and it put the 49ers ahead. Pretty much besides the renegade challenge, the coaching was flawless. And if you haven't seen a video of Harbaugh's awesome locker room speech after the game, you need to YouTube it immediately. You can clearly see that he inspires a ton of confidence in Alex Smith and believes that something special is brewing in San Fran.

I can't help but agree with him at this point. His Niners sit at 5-1, just beat the previously undefeated Lions and are a legitimate contender now. 

Overall: A-

The 49ers played a fantastic game overall this last Sunday in Detroit. The passing game was good enough. The running game was ridiculous. And the defense was out of this world. Coach Harbaugh pulled all the right strings, and the special teamers came up huge again! 

I don't want to jinx anything, but barring a breakdown against the Washington Redskins on the road in Week 9, we could be looking at a 7-1 team coming into a big game against the New York Giants. Assuming the 49ers continue to play this well, their only "guaranteed" loss left on the schedule is against the Baltimore Ravens. 

14-2. It sounds nice. Let's see if it becomes a reality.