Let’s hand out some San Francisco 49ers positional grades from their 22-point win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. It’ll serve as our weekly report card moving forward.
Quarterback: A+
When your quarterback is playing well, you’ll always have a chance to win.
When your quarterback has the highest EPA per play by .40 for the week, a success rate that’s 16 percentage points higher than anybody else, was on target on 91% of his throws, avoided free rushers, and managed to use his legs when he needed to to keep the offense
on schedule, you have a chance to win by three touchdowns.
Running backs: C+
Eh. The running backs weren’t bad, by any stretch. They didn’t have near the volume as they did in Week 1. Christian McCaffrey ran well. Kaelon Black left some yards on the table. Both continue to produce yards after contact.
The passing game was so extraordinary that the running game didn’t need to do much. Still, it felt like the Dolphins got the best of the Niners’ ground game.
Tight ends: A
Luke Farrell didn’t get enough credit for how well he blocked in Week 1.
Farrell and George Kittle played the same number of snaps in Week 2. Only one of these players was targeted. It was good to see Kittle still has enough burst to run away from safeties. He stiff-armed the poor rookie safety.
Kittle benefited from a couple of coverage busts, but this group blocked well again, and when you can generate multiple explosive passing plays, you’re going to grade out well.
With all the questions about how the 49ers will weather the storm with so many wide receivers banged up, the easy answer is to throw the ball to 85 more.
Wide receivers: B-
It looks like there’s a clear drop-off, at least in terms of responsibilities, from Demarcus Robinson to the next player. Kyle Shanahan will create space for Deebo Samuel underneath, but I don’t know if they trust Deebo as a route runner beyond 10 yards to get open. Deebo also has a case of the dropsies.
Mike Evans caught all three of his targets, but two of those were a byproduct of his quarterback.
In his role, Robinson has been everything you want from a “Z” receiver. He has a very good feel for the offense. The 49ers are going to miss that.
KhaDarel Hodge has the size and experience to fill in for Robinson, but he’s an unknown, just like Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins. With Denver and Seattle on the horizon, somebody is going to have to step up.
Offensive line: B-
The run blocking was more of a stalemate. There was a mix of good and bad. Trent Williams is amazing and seems to be inventing new techniques. As always, he brings up the grade.
It’s rare to see somebody get the best of Williams, but that happened in pass protection. It was somewhat mesmerizing to see Williams off balance on a play.
The pressures were low, but Miami won enough times to make Purdy move or at least stand tall in the face of pressure.
Overall, the offensive line was good. But probably not good enough for an opponent like the Broncos or Seahawks.
Defensive line: B+
Nick Bosa didn’t make our winners list because it’s boring to put him on there every week. Bosa had more pressures than all of the other edge rushers on the roster combined. Romello Height’s sack should have an asterisk next to it since Bosa was the one who made Malik Willis run for his life. Bosa pressured Willis on 27.8% of his dropbacks. Bosa continues to impress as a run defender, though he missed a couple of tackles.
Keion White keeps finding ways to be disruptive. The roughing-the-passer call on White was comically bad. He was penalized on third down for tackling. White’s getting the opportunity to play inside, and he’s flashing a couple of times a game. That’s what the 49ers need.
CJ West has been this close to making plays two weeks in a row. For whatever reason, he’s missing the tackle at the point of attack. It’s hard to explain. West wins. He’s there. Then the running back slips out of his grasp. Don’t be surprised to see West start finishing those plays.
But you can’t ignore the plays where West and James Thompson Jr. get blown off the ball. That’s been consistent two weeks in a row now. It’s why this group didn’t get an A. Osa Odighizuwa competes, but he also gets moved. Odighizuwa makes up for it by pressuring the quarterback, something Thompson and West have not done.
The star of this group was Gracen Halton. He saved Ji’Ayir Brown’s tail on the first play of the game. Halton should’ve had a sack on the play, but Willis slipped out of his grasp.
Halton had three pressures and three run stops. He was the only defensive tackle in Week 2 to finish in the top ten in both pressure and run-stop percentage. My only complaint is that Halton can’t stay on the field for more than 5 or 6 snaps at a time; it seems. The big fella needs to work on his conditioning.
Linebackers: C+
I find it funny whenever a team gets over on Fred Warner. It happens once every few games. Miami caught Warner napping on the first play of the game. There was also a run play or two where I thought Warner could have played better.
Honestly, I thought Dugger played the best of the linebackers, all things considered. He isn’t tasked with nearly as much as Warner, but Dugger made multiple plays.
Dre Greenlaw had the most tackles of the group. His run stops were due to the scheme and the defensive line. Greenlaw missed a tackle on a screen and gave up a little too much in coverage for my liking.
Secondary: B
The 49ers secondary allowed 73 yards on 12 targets if you remove the garbage-time touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Upton Stout and Marques Sigle generated pressure. The cornerbacks were stingy in coverage. Ji’Ayir Brown, Sigle, and Lenoir were all good against the run.
But you can’t ignore the long touchdown, or Brown on the first play in coverage, or Stout missing a tackle on third down. The short throws that went for first downs on third down, like the throw Lenoir allowed, aren’t a big deal.
Special teams: C+
Corliss Waitman only punted twice, which is always a positive. His net was only 43 yards, though. Eddy Pineiro had the day off, outside of PATs.
Deebo Samuel and Jacob Cowing didn’t have a big return. Cowing had a long punt return, but it was called back due to a flag.
Coaching: A+
Kyle Shanahan toyed with the Dolphins’ inexperience on defense. He drew them up early with underneath throws. As the game progressed, he got more and more aggressive. It was another masterclass of sequencing.
Raheem Morris was equally as impressive. A week after only blitzing Matthew Stafford fewer than five times, Morris came after Willis early and often. We’re seeing Morris adapt to his personnel by using dime packages. But he’s also playing his best players, as evidenced by Halton’s snaps.
I think for this team specifically, Morris is the perfect coordinator to get the most out of this defense.
