49ers 17, Packers 34: Grades
SANTA CLARA -- That was the most ridiculous game I’ve ever covered.
The 49ers essentially played their practice squad and lost to the 34-17 to the Green Bay Packers. And the 49ers played their practice squad because Kendrick Bourne had a false-positive test result for Covid-19, which forced Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams to sit out as well.
If the NFL had any respect for the 49ers and owner Jed York, it would have postponed this game until Sunday. Instead, we saw one of the worst games you’ll ever witness. I genuinely feel bad for every player who had to participate in this abomination.
With that in mind, here are the 49ers grades:
NICK MULLENS: C
I would give Jimmy Garoppolo the same grade under the same circumstances. No quarterback would have played well for the 49ers tonight -- not even Tom Brady. Not with Justin Skule at left tackle and River Cracraft at wide receiver. Impossible. Mullens made some beautiful throws early, including what would have been a phenomenal touchdown pass had Cracraft held onto it. But then Mullens took some hits and lost his poise. Started playing like a backup. Threw a pick and fumbled. Fortunately for the 49ers, he regrouped and finished the game strong. The 49ers need Mullens -- he’s the only healthy quarterback on the roster who gives them a chance to win. But he’s not the long-term answer for the future. The 49ers will have to draft a QB in the first round next year or trade for someone such as Matt Ryan or Matthew Stafford.
RUNNING BACKS: B
Jerick McKinnon ran extremely hard and scored a touchdown -- he was terrific. His backup, JaMycal Hasty, had just three yards on four carries. His longest run didn’t count because Mike McGlinchey committed a holding penalty. Kyle Juszczyk got just one target and zero carries. Not his fault.
WIDE RECEIVERS: B
Richie James Jr. finally got an opportunity to start, and caught nine passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. He always plays well when he gets opportunities. Imagine how good he and the 49ers offense would be had they made a concerted effort to develop him and throw him the ball the past three seasons. More on that later.
TIGHT ENDS: B
Ross Dwelley got three targets, caught all three passes and gained 52 yards. And yet, he got two fewer targets than River Freaking Cracraft. When will Kyle Shanahan learn that Dwelley really is a terrific player? The other tight end, Jordan Reed, clearly still is injured and should not have played in this game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: F
Justin Skule is not a left tackle or an offensive lineman. He’s a hologram. He couldn’t block anyone or anything in this game. The 49ers are lucky Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t play, because he might have gotten injured again. And for some reason, the 49ers benched Hroniss Grasu, moved Daniel Brunskill from right guard to center and elevated Tom Compton to right guard -- all on a short week. They had just one practice together. Why would Kyle Shanahan expect them to play well?
DEFENSIVE LINE: F
Jordan Willis recorded one sack. The rest of the 49ers never touched Aaron Rodgers. And the Packers controlled most of the game with their rushing attack, which the 49ers also couldn’t stop until they were down by four touchdowns. Arik Armstead, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension just this offseason, didn’t record a stat in this game. Not a tackle. Not a quarterback hit. Not nothing. I’m sure Jed York will just love sending Armstead his massive game check this week.
LINEBACKERS: C
Fred Warner had 13 tackles and one tackle for loss. He seemed like the only player on the defense who gave a crap. He’s the only captain on the team who actually played like a captain in this game. Respect. His running mate, Dre Greenlaw, was OK but not spectacular.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: F
Emmanuel Moseley gave up a deep touchdown catch to Davante Adams on the first drive of the game but recovered and played well after that. Jason Verrett did not play well. He gave up a long catch up the sideline and a touchdown catch in the red zone -- he looked like he was jogging. He did intercept a pass, but it didn’t count because the 49ers had 12 men on the field. And as bad as Verrett was, the safeties were even worse. Jaquiski Tartt gave up a touchdown pass before leaving the game with an injury. And then his backup, Marcel Harris, gave up a long touchdown catch. The 49ers best safety, Tarvarius Moore, didn’t get to play defense, because Jimmie Ward started and floated through the game as usual. Too bad the 49ers can’t find a way to play their best safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
At least Dante Pettis wasn’t here to fumble a kick return.
COACHES: D.
I’m not giving them an F, because they were in an impossible situation. In hindsight, it was ridiculous to expect them to win. But it’s reasonable to expect them to compete. And they didn’t. For the third time this season, the 49ers got blown out. I can’t fault defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. To shut down the Packers with what he had, he would have needed to load the box with eight defenders, double cover Davante Adams AND blitz every play. Meaning he would have needed 13 players. Kyle Shanahan also had no chance. Still, he waited until the end of the third quarter when he was down by four touchdowns to call his first screen pass, and it gained 47 yards. He should have called those all game. On his opening drive, he called three straight passes to start the game. He almost never does that when Jimmy Garoppolo is the quarterback. Shanahan was far from his best. He almost seemed like he was pouting and going through the motions because the NFL didn’t postpone the game.
QUALITY CONTROL: B.
I predicted the 49ers would win, so I can’t give myself an A. But I’ve been lobbying for years for the 49ers to play Richie James Jr. and Ross Dwelley more, and I was proven right tonight. They’re play-makers. They should be permanent fixtures in the offense. And Tarvarius Moore should be the starting free safety. And Kyle Juszczcyk should get five touches every game. And Kyle Shanahan should call screens in the first half, never open with three-straight passes and never shuffle the interior offensive line during a short week. I’ll send him a memo.
