SANTA CLARA – Right here is how the 49ers (7-4) graded in Sunday’s 13-0 dwelling shutout of the New Orleans Saints (4-8):
PASS OFFENSE: B-
4 of Jauan Jennings’ six receptions got here on the drive that finally ended with him scoring the sport’s solely landing. Jimmy Garoppolo took some hits, together with an unlawful blow to his surgically repaired left knee, that required him to jog on the sideline to remain unfastened. He accomplished 70.3 % of his passes (26-of-37) and pushed his streak to 137 consecutive passes with out an interception (or turnover). Garoppolo’s 28 passes earlier than halftime had been a career-high, and he was sacked simply as soon as (on the botched fourth-and-goal go play that morphed right into a minus-1-yard sneak). The offensive line is defending him fairly effectively whereas giving him sufficient time, even when doing so required Mike McGlinchey to commit a holding penalty on one such event. Brandon Aiyuk (5 catches, 65 yards) stays WR1 this season. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle had three receptions apiece, and Christian McCaffrey managed simply 17 yards on his 4 catches.
RUN OFFENSE: C
Knee accidents to Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey are trigger for concern, although neither is taken into account too critical. The 49ers suspect Mitchell sprained his left knee’s medial collateral ligament within the third quarter, in simply his third recreation again since an MCL sprain to his proper knee within the season opener. McCaffrey performed via knee irritation, coach Kyle Shanahan stated. General, the 49ers gained simply 3.3 yards per carry, their second-lowest mark of the season (3.1 ypc at Atlanta). Stopped for no acquire on his first carry, Jordan Mason then ran 4 occasions for 25 yards within the ultimate couple of minutes to assist kill the clock. Mitchell’s damage may result in extra motion for Mason and the usually inactive Ty Davis-Value.
PASS DEFENSE: A
Clutching up within the fourth quarter to maintain Andy Dalton from firing a landing go put a pleasant bow on this shutout, particularly with Nick Bosa coming via on fourth-and-goal with the 49ers’ solely sack. If that wasn’t the play of the day, then it was Talanoa Hufanga dislodging the ball from Alvin Kamara and Dre Greenlaw recovering on the 1. Deommodore Lenoir struggled at occasions in protection and drew two penalties, together with the holding name that arrange goal-to-go from the 4. Bosa and Samson Ebukam had two hits on Dalton (18-of-29, 204 yards), and one of many missed studs in protection was linebacker Fred Warner, particularly within the goal-line protection.
RUN DEFENSE: A
What does it say that Kamara gained simply 13 yards on seven carries? “It says mission achieved,” Bosa answered. “That’s the kind of recreation we anticipated, them attempting to get the run recreation going, and doing it with Taysom Hill, as effectively.” Hill had simply 13 yards on six carries within the Saints’ rhythm-disrupting scheme the place he rotates with Dalton (a reminder of the 49ers’ aborted try to do the identical early final season with Trey Lance and Garoppolo). The Saints averaged simply 2.9 yards per carry (22 for 63 yards) – the fifth time this season a 49ers opponent has been restricted beneath 3 yards per rush. Right here’s a stat: 15 completely different defenders made not less than one deal with, topped by Hufanga’s 9 and Warner’s seven.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A-
Robbie Gould moved as much as fifth place among the many 49ers’ all-time main scorer (647 factors). He made two discipline objectives (24 and 46 yards) plus an extra-point kick to surpass Gordy Soltau (644). Mitch Wishnowsky’s first punt pinned the Saints at their 11. Particular groups tackles got here from Mason, George Odum, Ambry Thomas and Tarvarius Moore.
COACHING: A-
Gamers hailed Kyle Shanahan for lightening their observe load after final Monday’s win in Mexico. DeMeco Ryans’ inventory retains climbing with each half of shutout soccer – or two halves on this case. Subsequent up: Sunday’s reunion with Mike McDaniel, Shanahan’s former right-hand man and first-year coach of the Miami Dolphins (8-3). Let the chess match start!