49ers 22, Chargers 16: Grades
Chargers #Chargers
A win is a win, and the 49ers need to stop playing down to their opponents.
SANTA CLARA — Here are the 49ers’ grades for their 22-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: B-PLUS.
He didn’t throw for 300 yards or a touchdown, but he didn’t turn the ball over, which all the 49ers ask of him. He also made some clutch plays, including a quarterback sneak for a touchdown, and a pass to Brandon Aiyuk that should have been a touchdown but Aiyuk dropped it. In addition, Garoppolo made three big-time throws toward the sideline — one to Ray-Ray McCloud for 33 yards, one to George Kittle for 21 yards on 3rd and 12, and one to Jauan Jennings for 11 yards on 3rd and 5 in the fourth quarter. Garoppolo never will be a good downfield thrower, but if he can start hitting some throws outside the numbers the 49ers offense will be much more difficult to defend.
RUNNING BACKS: B-PLUS.
Christian McCaffrey didn’t play particularly well — he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry on 14 attempts, although he did score a rushing touchdown. Elijah Mitchell was much more effective than McCaffrey. Mitchell averaged a whopping 4.9 yards per carry on 18 attempts despite not starting. If Mitchell didn’t play in this game, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have won, because entering the fourth quarter, they were down by three points. And in the fourth quarter, McCaffrey ran three times for negative-one yards, while Mitchell ran 9 times for 42 yards (4.7 yards per attempt). He put the game away. The return of Mitchell is huge for the 49ers, while the addition of McCaffrey hasn’t improved them so far.
WIDE RECEIVERS: B-MINUS.
Deebo Samuel was a non-factor in his first game back from a groin injury — just two catches on six targets and 51 yards from scrimmage. Fortunately for the 49ers, Jauan Jennings stepped up and made three clutch catches in the fourth quarter. Brandon Aiyuk finished the game with six catches for 84 yards, but he also fumbled and dropped a pass when he was wide open in the end zone. He needed to make that catch.
TIGHT ENDS: C-PLUS.
George Kittle made just one catch, but it was a 21-yarder on 3rd and 12, which was clutch.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: B.
They gave up just one sack, but the offense struggled running the ball to the right because Mike McGlinchey is terrible at his job. He missed blocks all night.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: A.
They gave up just 51 rushing yards despite missing three-fourths of their starting defensive line. Impressive. They also registered three sacks against Justin Herbert who had been sacked just 10 times all season coming into this game. Doubly impressive. Charles Omenihu in particular forced a fumble and tipped the pass from Herbert that got intercepted at the end of the game. Triply impressive.
LINEBACKERS: A-MINUS.
Dre Greenlaw recorded 7 tackles in the first half before getting ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Herbert. After this hit, Herbert did not play well.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: B-MINUS.
In the first half, they were awful, particularly Talanoa Hufanga, who gave up a touchdown catch. But in the second half, they were outstanding, particularly Hufanga, who ended the game with an interception.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-PLUS.
They missed an extra point and got a punt blocked — not good. But they also pinned the Chargers at the 1-yard line late in the game and the Chargers couldn’t recover.
COACHES: B-PLUS.
The 49ers looked completely flat in the first half — you would have thought the Chargers were the ones coming off a bye. The defense made the Chargers backup wide receivers look like playmakers, and the offense struggled to score points yet again. But at halftime, the coaches made the right adjustments, and the 49ers’ talent took over. On defense, DeMeco Ryans called blitzes at all the right times in the second half, which is a big reason the Chargers didn’t score after the second quarter. On offense, Kyle Shanahan recognized that Mitchell was his best running back and fed him the ball with the game on the line. Good coaching. Unfortunately for the 49ers, their offense still stinks despite having a ton of firepower and a supposed genius play caller. What’s more, they lack an identity. They want to force the ball to McCaffrey, but he can’t get the tough yards, and so Shanahan didn’t seem to trust him in the fourth quarter. They also want to force the ball to Samuel, but he has been extremely inconsistent this season. They’re still searching to find what works, and maybe they’ll find it soon. And maybe they’ll stop playing down to their opponents as well. But in the meantime, a win’s a win.