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Team Grades: 49ers Start Strong, Stumble Late In Overtime Loss To Chargers

By Jerrell Richardson

Things started well enough for San Francisco Saturday night. They were running the ball, shutting down the Chargers and even got a defensive touchdown. However, despite racing out to a 28-7 halftime lead, the 49ers watched the Chargers come all the way back, tie the game, send it into overtime before they kicked the winning field goal, completing the dramatic comeback beating the 49ers 38-35. By the numbers San Francisco actually played well enough to win, and it took San Diego reaching desperation mode and converting several 4th downs to keep it close, but in the end it was a complete let down in the second half for the 49ers leading to their 4th loss in a row and 8th of the season.

Offense: C

The offense got back to the run, and it certainly made a difference, at least in the first half. As a team the 49ers piled up 355 rushing yards and were controlling the line of scrimmage. Frank Gore ran the ball 26 times for 158 yards and Colin Kaepernick had 151 yards, with 90 coming on an electrifying 90-yard scamper. As a team they ran the ball 40 times, which is by far the team’s most effective running game this season. However, despite the team ending the game with an 8.9 per rush average, the running game was not able to ice the game late, and left it on the passing game and defense to seal the win.

Due to the dominant running game, Colin Kaepernick was not asked to pass nearly as much as Phillip Rivers. He dropped back 26 times, completed 15 of his attempts for 114 yards and was sacked twice. One sack was a big one, that resulted in a fumble and 7 points for San Diego, but with a 97.7 Quarterback Rating for the game, and his rushing totals he played a solid game, and was not one of many reasons San Francisco was unable to hold off the Chargers.

The San Francisco receivers weren’t asked to do much, and obliged. Vernon Davis did have a touchdown called back, but other than Anquan Boldin the wide outs were no shows. Boldin had 7 catches for 61 yards and no other player had 2 receptions. Bruce Ellington had the most productive game of his rookie campaign with a touchdown catch and run, but with one catch and 3 rushes on the day not even he can really brag about his production. But they did score 28 points.

Defense: D+

Despite missing several big names on defense, the 49ers looked like they had the Chargers number. San Diego was having problems running the ball, and Rivers was out of sync for the first half. However, once the Chargers got rolling, the San Francisco defense could do anything to even slow them down, giving up 21 second half points and provided very little resistance.

Phillip Rivers had an interesting game. Due to the score, he was asked to throw the ball 54 times. While he did throw 3 interceptions, he also threw 4 touchdowns and had 356 yards. What made the comeback so impressive and it easier to forget his 3 interceptions was his ability to find the open receiver. Despite missing Keenan Allen, Rivers had no problem finding someone to throw to.

Eddie Royal had 10 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. He also had a huge 4th down catch that kept his team alive. Not to be overshadowed, Antonio Gates had 2 touchdowns as well. 4 different Chargers had at least 50 yards, and for the first time this season, the San Francisco secondary completely laid an egg.

The Chargers were only really able to run the ball late, after they had worn down the 49ers defense, but still managed 98 yards on 24 carries as a team. Linebacker Michael Wilhoite lead the defensive charge with 9 tackles, while fellow linebacker Nick Moody chipped in 7. Safety Antoine Bethea had 8 tackles and a pick six but in the end, after allowing 38 points, no member of the defense can say they played well for 4 quarters.

Special Teams: C+

The special teams played well, but couldn’t do quite enough to help the team get the win. Andy Lee was solid as usual, and the 49ers had several good kickoff returns, but Phil Dawson missed a potential game winner. Dawson’s attempt was from 60 yards, but he has shown the leg and accuracy to hit from this distance and the team desperately needed him to deliver the late game heroics. Perrish Cox set up the final attempt with a 57 yard kickoff return, but in the end it was not enough.

Losing Streak Continues, But 49ers Show Life

Despite the score, and fact that they gave up 28 points in the second, half, the 49ers were still in a position to win the game late. In fact if not for a fumble in overtime, San Francisco might still have pulled out the win. However, they didn’t deserve a win, and couldn’t make the final one or two plays to put the nail in the coffin of their opponent. Despite the outcome though, the 49ers at least showed some signs of life. Factor in who they had on the field, what their opponent was playing for and while there is no around the fact that they handed this game to the Chargers, it’s at least a good sign that the team finally remember that they can run the ball and that they have yet to call it a season, despite the playoffs not in their future

For more 49ers news and updates, visit 49ers Central.

Jerrell Richardson is a Bay Area native who due to a college career at San Diego State University has grown an appreciation for all things sports related in California. His heart will always remain in San Francisco though where he currently resides and covers everything from the San Francisco 49ers and Giants to the San Jose Sharks and California Bears Baseball team. Jerrell is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

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