What do we make of the 49ers after Week 12? Let’s talk through what we saw
The San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday with a slight chance at a victory over the Green Bay Packers. They would have needed to generate a few big plays, had a turnover or two, and play mistake-free football.
The offense sustained one drive. By the time the defense settled in, they allowed 17 points. And when you’re without your starting quarterback and left tackle, overcoming a three-score deficit would’ve required every break to go the Niners’ way.
When you allow your opponent to convert six of its first seven third downs, commit nine penalties, and turn the ball over three times, the scoreboard will look like it did every time. Here are the winners and losers from Week 12 for the 49ers.
Winners
George Kittle
Kittle continues to amaze. He caught all six of his targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. Kittle made a couple of difficult catches that were contested and added 35 yards after the catch. Kittle has consistently looked like an All-Pro in a year that might be lost for the 49ers.
Leonard Floyd
The 49ers needed somebody to step up in Nick Bosa’s absence, and Leonard Floyd did not disappoint. He finished Week 12 with a 26.3 percent pressure rate, had four run stops, and had two sacks. They were the only two sacks of the game for the defense. It was Floyd’s best game of the season.
Deommodore Lenoir
Lenoir has not disappointed this season, which is why the 49ers rewarded him with a massive extension. Sunday was no different. Lenoir was targeted four times, allowing one reception for six yards and a passer rating of 39.6. He added six tackles and two run stops.
Evan Anderson
The undrafted rookie defensive tackle tied for a team-high four run stops against the Packers despite playing 24 snaps. The 49ers will come out of this season with an interior run-stopping presence they can rely on moving forward. Anderson is a powerful human who will only continue to get stronger and better once he becomes more technically sound.
IDKs
Brandon Allen
I’m grading Allen on a curve. Brock Purdy’s comparison isn’t Brandon Allen. It’s the quarterbacks in the league making $50 million per season. Allen’s comparisons are the rest of the backups in the NFL.
He strung together enough throws to give the offense a chance but made multiple costly errors to prevent the 49ers from competing.
It started on the first drive when Allen didn’t throw the ball to Ricky Pearsall on third down. Allen missed Jauan Jennings on an in-breaking route that would have put the offense in field goal range. There was another throw to Chris Conley down the field that wasn’t competitive. Allen threw an interception that wasn’t his fault, but ball security was a major issue.
The interception might’ve been Allen’s best throw of the game. He also had an impressive back-shoulder to Kittle. He threw for more yards and had a higher completion percentage than the $220 million quarterback on the other sideline.
Allen played like a backup.
Kyle Shanahan
The idea of coming out throwing to make your quarterback comfortable in a challenging road environment makes sense. But when you don’t target your most dangerous targets until the third drive, you’re not exactly setting your quarterback up for success.
It’s tough to swallow when you consider everything he’s done for the organization over the past few years, but it’s time to pivot from No. 1. Shanahan is still reluctant to do so. Not scheming up plays for your first-round wide receiver is egregious. Absolving Jordan Mason from the offense is worse.
It doesn’t take an expert to recognize that McCaffrey is a shell of himself. Yet Shanahan insists on giving CMC the bulk of the workload. Mason’s first carry, just like in Week 11, was the best run for the 49ers all game.
I was at the game watching the receivers, specifically Pearsall. He has more than enough speed and is savvy as a route runner. He’ll need to get stronger, which will come with time, but this is when you find out what you have in your rookie.
Shanahan does a lot of things well. The trick play jump-start the offense on the third possession was a perfect play-call. After the first couple of series, he opened the passing game and leaned into Allen’s arm strength. From a sequencing perspective, Shanahan even set up shows down the field.
But there are still too many times when Kittle or Jennings get forgotten. The 4th & 2 pass play to McCaffrey — the fourth pass in a row after Mason’s long run — was the most obvious play call of the day. As soon as McCaffrey trotted to the slot, you knew what was coming. The Packers sure did.
Losers
Deebo Samuel
Deebo’s lone catch came on a trick play. He did not have a reception on his other three targets. Actually, that’s not true. One pass was caught his way, but it went through his hands and ended any hope of the 49ers comeback. In fairness, Samuel should have been credited for a game-changing kick return. Who knows where the game goes in a 17-7 game with the offense getting the ball inside the Packers’ 10-yard line.
But the offense needed Samuel to make an impact. In Shanahan’s mind, he can continue to scheme plays for Deebo because he’s always coming through for the offense. That’s simply not the case anymore.
Fred Warner
If we’re grading Allen on a curve, we’ll continue to do the same for the All-Pro. Warner hasn’t been the same player since an ankle injury he suffered in October. The best linebacker in the NFL since 2019 has been a shell of himself.
Plays are happening that have never happened. Against the Packers, No. 71 threw Warner to the ground on an outside running play. On the first drive, Warner missed a tackle 1-on-1 in the hole — a play he usually makes with his eyes closed.
The defense was pushed around the first few possessions, and you could point to their leader as the main culprit. It’s bizarre watching No. 54 on the field. He looks normal.
Warner was responsible for four run stops. He took away Christian Watson’s potential deep pass that led to one of Floyd’s sacks. The flashes are still there, but they’re only that, flashes. He is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and it looks like somebody took his superpowers from him.
Worst of all, Warner isn’t trusting his instincts. He’s doing things he’s never done before. Like running under blocks when there are outside runs. He’s always had the speed to run over the top of the offensive lineman and make the play. Warner has more mishaps in the previous two weeks than he did in the previous two seasons. I don’t get it.
Warner admitted to having poor technique in the locker room. Whether it’s technique, declining athleticism, or another factor, regression has found Warner and he can’t escape it.
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey has no juice. The longest gain he had late in the game resulted in a fumble. He had 11 carries for 31 yards. He was in the negatives in rushing yards over expected and rushing EPA. It still looks like McCaffrey can’t change directions the way he could pre-injury. We’ll see an occasional burst, but there isn’t anything suggesting that McCaffrey is worthy of getting the lion’s share of carries.
As he said in the locker room, “I’ve got to be better.”
The run defense
Shanahan told the media, “We all got embarrassed.” He also said “The run defense was real disappointing. We got out of gaps too many times. Way too many missed tackles. That was one of the worst halves I’ve been a part of.”
The secondary was outstanding in coverage. The front 7 was lackluster against the run. Josh Jacobs had 106 yards. Emanuel Wilson had 41, including a 19-yard scamper when he ran outside with no 49ers defenders in sight.
The defense allowed four rushes of at least ten yards. Green Bay’s ball carriers combined to force 16 missed tackles on 42 attempts, with 12 first downs. Of the 169 total rushing yards, 113 of those came after contact. The 49ers had four players miss at least two tackles. Warner led the way with four. As a team, they missed 19. The execution was abysmal.