San Franciso 49ers: Grading the Week 10 27-20 Win

I don't even know how to start this report card. On one hand, I'm absolutely ecstatic that the 49ers just outplayed a legitimate contender in the NFC for a big win. On the other hand, my little sister could have defended the pass better than Chris Culliver did.

One one hand, Alex Smith looked like a bona fide star at quarterback. On the other, Ted Ginn, Jr. was about as visible as a polar bear in a blizzard. What? See, I'm confused. 

Anyway, it's going to be tough to grade as menacingly as I want to when the 49ers just beat the New York Giants 27-20 and went to 8-1 on the season. And on a day when the Ravens got trounced 22-17 by the Seahawks of all teams, the 49ers have cemented themselves as the second-best team in the NFL.

So here goes nothing, my grades for the 49ers' huge win in Week 10.

Passing Game: A

Alex Smith is my hero.

OK, but really, I've been the biggest Smith apologist since day one, and here he is a mere seven years later, finally having the kind of game the 49ers drafted him to have. He looked sharp, smart, accurate and strong on his passes. He had one of his better yardage totals of the year (242) and took complete control in the surprise pass-heavy scheme in leading six fearless scoring drives.

The only blemish on his record today was an interception that hit a wide-open Ted Ginn, Jr. in the hands and bounced up in the air before being pulled down by a Giants defender (more on this in the next slide). Can you say "fluke"? 

I just have too many good things to say about Smith's game today. Pretty much everything he did, he did right. If anyone doubts he has the chops to be a playoff quarterback, I think he put that to rest in San Francisco in Week 10. 

And yes, by the numbers and just by sheer observation, it's clear he out-played Eli Manning today. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers, made great decisions and made pinpoint throws while on the move.

I don't know about anyone else, but I smell a Pro Bowl.

Ted Ginn, Jr.: F

I'm not really allowed to do this, but I'm breaking the rules. I'm going to be Negative Nancy here and just vent a little bit about how poorly Ted Ginn, Jr. played and why we really need him to have a short memory and return to form in time for next week's showdown with the Cardinals.

First of all, the interception. Obviously, it didn't hurt the 49ers in the end, but if the Giants had come back and won today, you could almost squarely place the blame on that one play back in the first half. Up 9-6 late in the first half and after a big interception by Carlos Rogers, the 49ers were driving mercilessly down to the red zone. 

They had a great opportunity to either put one in the end zone or at least put up a field goal to go up by 10 or six, respectively, at halftime. With a bigger lead and getting the ball to start the second half, the 49ers would have been in even better position to win. Instead, a perfect pass hit Ginn right in the hands and ended up as a turnover, killing the drive.

Then in the second half, he let an easily catchable punt drop in front of him. Forget the fact that he had a chance at a big return, but the ball almost hit him on the way down, then almost hit another 49er special-teamer. The Giants recovered the loose ball and if it had touched either player, all the momentum would be lost and New York would be in business. That ball needs to be caught, whether it's a fair catch or not. And if you're going to let it drop, let the rest of your team know.

Maybe I'm just upset at Ginn's play because I know he's better than that, but it could have something to do with the multiple close calls I suffered. As in heart attacks.

The guy was killing me today. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress...

Running Game: C-

This is a deceiving grade, mostly because the game plan didn't include a lot of hand-offs. And it doesn't help when the big guy, Frank Gore, goes down early with a minor knee injury. First of all, I'm glad they didn't let him power through an ankle and knee injury because I'd rather have Kendall Hunter taking the carries for a game than lose Gore for an extended period of time.

And still, the Giants' front seven is no joke. So, the fact the 49ers only managed 77 yards on the ground today isn't too shocking, considering the circumstances. However, I have to be consistent here, and if I expect a big ground attack and the results aren't there, the grade suffers.

Hunter broke off a huge run to seal the game in the fourth quarter and looked good again getting more carries, but Gore was shut out for the first time in his career, getting zero yards on six carries. And when your most effective overall rusher is the quarterback (six scrambles for 27 yards), you've done something wrong.

But the offensive line still looked pretty solid today. It only allowed two sacks, opened up some decent holes for Hunter and gave Smith enough time to throw almost every time. I heard hardly a whistle in Anthony Davis' direction, which is always a nice surprise. Overall, a pretty impressive effort overall against a tough defense by this O-line.

Front Seven: A

And the unblemished record continues for this unit. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman combined for 19 tackles. Willis recorded a huge sack. And for the 31st straight game, the opposing running game failed to get a rusher over the century mark. 

Even the beastly man that is Brandon Jacobs couldn't run over these defensive linemen and linebackers. The Giants actually had a little more success than most teams, putting up a total of 93 yards between three guys. But all in all, the running game was pretty non-existent.

The biggest play of the game was courtesy of Mr. Consistency, Justin Smith. On fourth down, defending their own red zone, Smith batted down Manning's pass to secure the victory, with just over a minute left in the game.

These guys just continue to get more and more obstacles thrown at them by better and better teams. And they continue to dominate. It's a pleasure to watch.

Secondary: D-

Ugh. The Giants boasted the most balanced passing attack this 49ers defense has faced so far, so the results aren't terribly surprising—but that doesn't mean it wasn't disappointing.

Yes, Carlos Rogers made two big picks, and a lot of the players in the secondary racked up decent tackling numbers, but my goodness. For stretches of this game, they made Eli Manning look like a certain star in Indianapolis who shares a striking physical similarity to the Giants' QB. Manning completed 65 percent of his passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Honestly, he was outplayed by Smith, but it was still frustrating to watch him march his offense up and down the field pretty much at will for most of the game.

Especially at the beginning and the end of the game, he looked unstoppable. The secondary did just enough to keep the 49ers in the game, and then to keep the lead protected. But aside from Rogers' second interception, which led to immediate points, they looked lost. 

Chris Culliver in particular looked like the rookie he is, getting burned multiple times. It's hard to defend a QB who can drop in a long ball on a dime, but that's not where the problem lies. The problem was the soft coverage for the whole game and getting burned in one-on-one coverage almost every time. Call me a grouch, but that kind of coverage isn't going to cut it against quarterbacks like Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, who will most certainly be matching up against the 49ers in the playoffs.

To end this otherwise depressing slide on a positive note, we'll focus on Rogers' two picks (the first time in his career he's had multiple interceptions in one game) and the fact that the secondary locked down in the red zone. Congratulations, Carlos, you helped this unit stay out of the "F" range for the day!

Special Teams: A

What more can I say about David Akers? Who knew wrinkles were good for kicking? The guy went 4-for-4 on field goals, and continued his mastery of 50-yarders, booting a 52-yarder to make it 5-for-5 from that distance on the season.

Andy Lee had a boring day, only punting three times. And Ginn, other than the one gaffe, was just average again. He looked a little more determined running the ball back today, but it didn't produce great results. 

The reason for the high marks belong to Akers. Thirteen points on the day and a perfectly executed surprise onside kick makes for one hell of a day. He may just be the best kicker in the league right now.

Coaching: A-

Jim Harbaugh stood toe-to-toe with a Super Bowl-winning (and very grumpy) coach in Tom Coughlin, and came out victorious. Boom. Feels so good. He made some great calls today. 

First, let's talk about the gutsy-as-all-git-out onside kick call after tying the game 6-6 in the second quarter. It paid off in a huge way, as Delanie Walker recovered and the 49ers promptly strode down the field for another field goal to take a 9-6 lead into halftime.

Then, down 13-12, the 49ers put the ball in the end zone for the first time in the third quarter. Conventional football says go for two, but I figured they wouldn't given the mostly soft play calling this season. Instead, without hesitation, Harbaugh called for two and drew up a play that would give Smith room to roll out and throw and give Michael Crabtree some space in the end zone. 

Some good execution later, the 49ers were up a touchdown. And that was just a microcosm of the great offensive game plan put forth by Harbaugh and company today. The Niners have thrived off the running game for most of 2011 and I'm sure the Giants fully expected a heavy dosage of Gore today.

Instead, Harbaugh flipped the script and put his faith in Smith's right arm, and that move paid huge dividends. Overall, a fantastic performance by the captain and his cronies. The only reason for an "A-" is the pointless, wasteful challenge late in the game. It didn't make a difference in the end, but if the Giants had tied it, losing that timeout on the ensuing drive would have been a huge hit.

Overall: B (Excluding the Ginn Grade)

Yes. That's a "B." True, they beat a real good team, ran their record to 8-1 and saw the most impressive performance of Alex Smith's career. They did it without a running game and are now in line for a first-round bye in the playoffs.

This is what I think:

The 49ers won. That's what really matters. They had great performances from Smith, Akers, the O-line, the front seven and the coaching staff, and they will most definitely take a ton of confidence from this win and apply it to the final seven games.

However, if they are going to be a serious Super Bowl contender, the 49ers must, must, MUST improve in key areas that were glaring weaknesses today. First and foremost, they need to get a couple big names on track.

Frank Gore is hurt. Even when he was in the game today, he looked liked a shell of the last five weeks. I don't know how much to chalk that up to the knee and ankle, but he needs to get healthy at least in time for the Thanksgiving game against the Ravens.

And we know Ted Ginn, Jr. doesn't have great hands at receiver, but they aren't that bad. The coaching staff needs to take this week at practice to make sure he doesn't suffer a blow to his confidence in practice this week because he needs to be out there as a receiving option as well as a returner with swag (YES! I've been waiting all season for a good time to use that!).

So, those are two big things that need to be looked at. But most importantly, the secondary—rookie Chris Culliver, in particular—really need to take reps covering the first-team receivers in practice this week. They absolutely can't afford to get burned as badly as they were today. That was the most glaring weakness in the game against the Giants. 

And with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin headlining the next couple receiver corps this 49er defense will see, they better get the shortcomings shored up really fast.

All in all, a fantastic win for the 49ers. And it really does feel so good to talk about my team in the terms of a division-leading, legitimate Super Bowl-threatening 8-1 juggernaut. If nothing else, take solace in the fact that a "B" shows how scary good this team can really be when firing on all cylinders!

Here's to next week and beating the feathers off the division-rival Arizona Cardinals!