49ers 31, Jets 13: Grades
The 49ers are still alive.
They won a game on Sunday they absolutely had to win -- they beat the Jets 31-13. Now the 49ers are 1-1 instead of 0-2. Huge. They also may have lost Jimmy Garoppolo for a few weeks and Nick Bosa for the season, but those are issues for another day. The 49ers just won a crucial game, and a win is a win. Here are their grades:
QUARTERBACKS: A.
Jimmy Garoppolo looked like Jittery Jimmy early in the first quarter. On the first third down of the game, he froze, took a sack and suffered a high-ankle sprain which ultimately would end his day at halftime. But he played through the injury for most of the first half, and his performance drastically improved after he got injured. Suddenly, he was Confident Jimmy. He made incredibly difficult throws while taking hits on third downs. He stepped into his throws, and threw with more zip than he has shown since before he tore his ACL. It seems he has been avoiding injuries. So when he finally got injured, he started to play free again. Fascinating psychology.
Nick Mullens replaced him in the second half and clearly was not prepared to play -- he hadn’t played in a real game in two years. The offense looked disjointed at first when he was in the game, and he threw an interception, although Mike McGlinchey was just as much at fault as Mullens was, because McGlinchey gave up a quarterback hit on that play. But Mullens settled down and finished the game 8 for 11. Plus he showed improved arm strength on a couple passes over the middle to Kendrick Bourne. The 49ers should win next week with Mullens at quarterback. He’ll be much more comfortable and prepared.
RUNNING BACKS: A.
Raheem Mostert had an 80-yard touchdown run just a week after he had a 75-yard touchdown catch. He’s one of the most electric running backs in the NFL. Unfortunately for the 49ers, he left the game at halftime with a knee injury, although it doesn’t seem serious. Jerick McKinnon also played well -- he rushed three times for 77 yards and a touchdown, although he seemed stuck in fourth gear when he hit the open field. Tevin Coleman gained just 12 yards on 14 carries, but also caught a couple passes before leaving the game with a knee injury.
WIDE RECEIVERS: C-PLUS.
Kendrick Bourne played well -- he had four catches for 67 yards. He clearly is the 49ers’ best and most consistent wide receiver right now. And he seems to have improved his ability to gain yards after the catch. Brandon Aiyuk made his NFL debut and caught two passes for 21 yards. But Trent Taylor caught just two passes for 10 yards -- he continues to make no impact. Mohamed Sanu couldn’t be worse. Dante Pettis got zero targets.
TIGHT ENDS: A.
George Kitte didn’t play, which gave Jordan Reed more playing time, which helped the 49ers red-zone offense. Reed caught two passes in the end zone after just boxing out a defender and catching the ball above his head. You almost never see Kittle do that. The 49ers would have beaten the Cardinals last week had they used Reed as much as they used him against the Jets.
OFFENSIVE LINE: C-PLUS.
They gave up three sacks and lots of quarterback hits, and were responsible for Garoppolo’s high-ankle sprain. Left guard Laken Tomlinson played poorly in particular, as he gave up two sacks to Quinnen Williams.
DEFENSIVE LINE: B.
Arik Armstead played extremely well and recorded a sack after being a ghost Week 1. But Nick Bosa left the game with an apparent ACL injury in the first quarter, and Dee Ford sat out with neck spasms. So the pass-rush struggled, and recorded just one sack. Still, they did a good job shutting down Frank Gore and forcing Sam Darnold to throw lots of short passes.
LINEBACKERS: A.
Fred Warner led the 49ers with 12 tackles and made the play of the game when he stopped Jets running back Josh Adams behind the line of scrimmage on fourth and 1 near the red zone. Warner saved the 49ers at least three points with that play. He’s performing like an All Pro.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: B.
They didn’t have a particularly difficult task, considering how awful the Jets skill players are on offense. Still, the 49ers defensive backs mostly played well. Emmanuel Moseley continues to improve and show he’s a quality starting corner in the NFL. And Ahkello Witherspoon continues to show he’s not ready to play, as he gave up a touchdown pass in garbage time.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A.
Robbie Gould made his only field-goal attempt and all four extra points.
COACHES: A.
Kyle Shanahan used the game plan he should have used last week against the Cardinals -- lots of quick, short passes to running backs and tight ends. Jimmy Garoppolo executes this style of offense so well -- it’s the old Patriots offense. Plus, the 49ers have excellent receivers at running back and tight end. They don’t need to force passes to their young, inconsistent wide receivers. Shanahan was able to create lots of explosive plays against the Jets (plays that gain at least 20 yards), while Robert Saleh limited the Jets offense to just two explosive plays, and both came in garbage time. Both Saleh and Shanahan will have big challenges in the coming weeks to win without some of their star players. But on Sunday, they did everything they had to do to win. Give them credit.
