49ers Stock Report: 3 Risers and Fallers From Week 13
Heading into Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the pouring rain was the steepest uphill climb the 49ers have faced all season. Unfortunately for the Niners, the climb proved too much for them as they were handed their second loss of the season. It was once again another finish to the end for the 49ers who refuse to let any team get an easy win against them.
Both losses for them have come in the final seconds as the clock expire on a game winning field goal. The 49ers have nothing to be ashamed with their performance for the most part.
For the 49ers, their were some strong performances from a few players who were able to raise their stock. And just like any game there were still some players or coaches who's stock also took a hit.
Here is the latest 49ers stock report of the the three risers and fallers from week 13.
Risers
Raheem Mostert
A major factor for the success of sustained drives for the 49ers was thanks to running back Raheem Mostert. The guy played like a man possessed and show excellent patience and vision with every carry. Mostert registered career highs in both carries (19) and rushing yards (146) to go along with a 40 yard touchdown run.
His 146 rushing yards are the most by a member of the 49ers since Carlos Hyde had 193 rushing yards against the New York Jets in 2016. If it wasn’t for the phenomenal production of Mostert, the 49ers likely do not keep the game close. In his limited carries, Tevin Coleman was not able to provide the spark to the offense like Mostert did.
After a game like that, his stock doesn't just rise it skyrockets. Mostert has shown time and time again that he is deserving to be in a three man rotation with Coleman and Matt Breida. He just might even be the better running back of the bunch as well. Heading into New Orleans with a matchup against the Saints, Kyle Shanahan is sure to get Mostert his touches.
Daniel Brunskill
The stock of Daniel Brunskill just continues to soar as he notched another impressive performance. With Joe Staley out for a third consecutive game, the 49ers opted to give Brunskill the start instead of Justin Skule. Against the Packers in week 12, Skule struggled immensely and was pulled out of the game in favor of Brunskill.
Ever since he entered that game he has picked up where he left off before Mike McGlinchey returned. Brunskill only allowed one pressure against a blitz happy Ravens defense via Pro Football Focus. What standouts the most from this game, and even last week, is that he has done it at left tackle. Brunskill is predominately a right tackle, so the fact that he can manage to break his mental conditioning just gives credence to his football acumen.
Not many offensive tackles are capable of playing both sides, especially at a high-level. Brunskill has been one of the best additions for the 49ers this season as he has made the losses of McGlinchey and now Staley a moot point.
Marcell Harris
Jaquiski Tartt went out in the middle of the game with a rib fracture, which allowed backup safety Marcell Harris to step into the fold. Harris could have easily been in a liability on the defense and a point of emphasis in coverage for the Ravens. However, Harris played lights out in relief of Tartt and made arguably the play of the game.
Harris registered a forced fumble on Lamar Jackson, marking the first forced fumble and recovery of his career. He didn’t just force a fumble on Jackson, he took the ball straight out of his arms. It was an absolute beauty to watch and a turning point in the game. Harris had to have learned that from having Tartt as leader of the group.
Remember, Tartt snatched the ball away from D.K. Metcalf back in week 10. A play that left everyone in amazement. Harris also earned an elite grade from Pro Football Focus (91.0) to cement his incredible performance. The 49ers should feel comfortable rolling out Harris if Tartt isn’t able to go on Sunday.
Fallers
Kyle Shanahan
Poor clock management and an atrocious play-call on fourth-and-1 are the main factors that cause the 49ers to lose to the Ravens. As elite as Kyle Shanahan has been all season, he dropped the ball in this game. With the questionable clock management to end the first half, Shanahan took the conservative route.
He did not want to have a failed drive that resulted in punting the ball away to the Ravens with too much time left. I understand that he wanted to be cautious, but it is that type of scared mindset that separates the great ones. Of course, being conservative is nothing new with Shanahan since that it is one of the reasons the Falcons lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots.
Shanahan also tends to get too cute in crucial situations. The final offensive play for the 49ers on fourth-and-1 was a poor selection. Rather than dial up a play-action or a run, Shanahan chooses a shotgun pass play. A lot of overthinking occurs with him and it is why his stock has fallen a bit. It’s these types of situations that should cause a bit of concern when the 49ers are in a playoff game.
Justin Skule
When a predominate right tackle steals your starting role as a left tackle, that’s an indicator of being in the dog house. The faith and confidence that was instilled in Justin Skule after anchoring the left side in Staley’s absence is no longer there. All it took was a poor first quarter for that to dissipate. In a way, the 49ers are jumping the gun with Skule.
One quarter of football should not and does not undo all the great contributions he has done for the 49ers.
However, given the fact that the 49ers are now in the final stretch of the season, the margin for error is extremely slim. They can not afford to roll Skule out there given his latest performance. I believe it is safe to say, barring any more injuries, that Skule has played his final snap of the 2019 season. His stock has fallen to an all-time low at this juncture.
Robert Saleh
A poor first half gameplan is what has caused Robert Saleh’s stock to fall a bit. Every time the Ravens went into a pistol formation and ran a read-option, the edge defender predictably crashed down. It wasn’t just one player, it was every player who found themselves as the containment on the edge. Rather than attack Lamar Jackson and shake him up, every edge defender opted to make the impossible play of crashing down.
There is just no way that these guys were going to make a play if the runner went up the gut, so they might as well have laid into Jackson. That means that it was something preached by Saleh.
It was taught and embedded into their heads as part of the game plan.
When the 49ers came out in the second half, the edge defenders didn’t automatically crash down. That was a clear adjustment on Saleh to further indicate that he had them attack the middle. Had the 49ers hammered Jackson from the beginning and assumed he had the ball, they probably could have avoided a score. Overall, the 49ers played well on defense, but that first half game plan is what did them in.
