Saints vs 49ers: Week 9 Grades and Analysis for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers showed some spark on offense, but it was nowhere near enough. The 49ers lost their seventh straight game by a score of 41-23

The San Francisco 49ers, to no one’s surprise, lost their seventh-straight game on Sunday — a 41-23 offensive showdown against the New Orleans Saints. Despite the blowout loss, the 49ers showed some promise. DuJuan Harris, in particular, shined for an offense that managed two big plays.

Statistically, Colin Kaepernick appeared to have played much better, but the stats hide a number of poor throws and decisions.

The 49ers defense, meanwhile, crumbled as they spent way too much time on the field. The 49ers needed to win time of possession to have a chance at winning the game. The Saints easily dominated this statistic, however, holding the ball for over 38 minutes.

The 49ers defense, depleted by injuries, never stood a chance.

The 49ers now fall to 1-7 at the halfway point of the NFL season and continue to compete for the first overall pick.

November 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back DuJuan Harris (32) runs past New Orleans Saints inside linebacker Nate Stupar (54) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Grades

Quarterback: C-

Yes, Colin Kaepernick passed for nearly 400 yards. Yes, Kap completed over 60 percent of his passes (24 for 39) — though that isn’t much of a compliment.

While the statistics for Number 7 look much improved from his earlier games this season, they hide the poor play that was most of Kaepernick’s day.

Kaepernick’s two touchdowns came on short passes that were taken the distance by Harris and Vance McDonald. Kap deserves little credit for how those plays turned out. These plays are a big reason for Kaepernick’s 102.3 passer rating.

While Kaepernick did have his share of nice throws, he also had a number of passes that looked absolutely awful. Sometimes this appeared to be the result of a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver. In other instances, the throws were simply poor — not a huge surprise.

Tellingly, Kaepernick continues to struggle in the Red Zone. This has been an issue dating back to the Jim Harbaugh era. Decision making and field vision are not Kap’s strong suits.

Kaepernick’s Sunday was an improvement, but he still has a long way to go.

Running Back: A

DuJuan Harris played one heck of a game for the 49ers. Harris has struggled to make it in the NFL. Sunday’s effort may help. (And if you were like me and picked up Harris on your Fantasy team in a Bye Week crisis, you were likely pleasantly surprised.)

Harris’ 47 yard touchdown catch and run was one of a number of nice plays by the fifth-year pro. Harris also managed 59 yards on the ground on only 10 carries.

Not much is going right for the 49ers right now, so Harris gets an A.

Wide Receiver: C+

Quinton Patton and Kaepernick have great rapport off the field. Some of it bled onto the field today. Patton’s involvement in Sunday’s game exceeded previous efforts. His six-reception 106-yard day was much needed. The 49ers need this production to continue if they want to win games down the stretch.

Outside of Patton, however, the 49ers receiving corps did little. Whether this was because Kaepernick only has eyes for his roommate or they struggled to get open is another question. Jeremy Kerley caught three balls for 22 yards. Torrey Smith grabbed two for 18.

Tight End: B+

The 49ers tight ends came to play today. McDonald’s huge 65-yard grab put the 49ers back in the game. Garrett Celek make a few very impressive plays in his four catches.

San Francisco is at its best when the tight ends make plays. Celek and McDonald need to keep it up.

Offensive Line: B-

The offensive line managed to create some nice holes for DuJuan Harris. It also gave Kaepernick more time to throw than in recent weeks. Kaepernick’s only sack occurred when he turned directly into two defenders.

Ultimately, the offense looked improved. But it must be remembered that the opponent’s defense was, well, less than great. Next week’s matchup against the Cardinals will tell us more.

December 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) tackles Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Grades

Defensive Line: D+

The defensive line struggled again on Sunday. Though this honestly cannot be much of a surprise the way this season has gone. Arik Armstead‘s injury certainly hurt as well.

Anytime you give up 158 yards to one running back — and 248 rushing yards overall — you’ll get a bad grade.

Linebacker: D+

Ditto the defensive line grade. The 49ers continued to show why they rank last in the league in run defense. Giving up 323 yards passing to Drew Brees did not help the 49ers either.

Defensive Back: C-

Ultimately, the 49ers secondary remains its best unit. That is not saying much, however. The 49ers secondary had a few nice pass breakups. Tramaine Brock also cannot be held that responsible for Michael Thomas‘ miracle grab.

On the negative side, Antoine Bethea did miss an open-field tackle opportunity that led to Mark Ingram‘s 75-yard touchdown run.

Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly stands on the sideline against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams & Coaching Grades

Special Teams: B

Jeremy Kerley had a couple of nice returns — and picked up fifteen yards when he was smothered after calling for a fair catch.

Phil Dawson continues to be Mr. Reliable as well.

Coaching: C+

The aforementioned play by the secondary at the end of the first half was genius. With seconds left on the clock, the entire secondary grabbed receivers and held on. This disallowed any chance of a touchdown. Meanwhile, the clock ticked down to four seconds, forcing the Saints to choose between a field goal or one last chance at a touchdown.

The Saints chose the field goal, and the 49ers may have saved themselves four points.

Unfortunately, this did not matter much in the end. One play does not make up for an inability to control time of possession — essential against an offensive juggernaut like the Saints. While the 49ers two fourth-down conversion attempts failed, they were not bad decisions.

Being generous, I’ll give the coaches a C+ on the day.

Nov 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) carries the ball to score a 75-yard touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Cumulative 49ers Grade for Week 9: C-

The 49ers showed some promise on offense, albeit against a very poor defensive squad from New Orleans.

While the 49ers continue to struggle mightily on both sides of the ball, the DuJuan Harris spark provided some entertainment.

The 49ers need to improve Red Zone and third down efficiency to give the defense time to rest and put more points on the board. Defensively, the 49ers will improve with some extra rest, fewer injuries, and learning how to stop the run.

The San Francisco 49ers visit divisional rival Arizona next weekend as they try to break a seven-game losing streak.