The 49ers on Sunday pulled out their best win of the season to move to 11-2 and regain their spot atop the NFC. The wild, back-and-forth contest had its share of good and bad showings from the winning side. While the generally stout defense faltered, the up-and-down offense had a game full of ups to help guide San Francisco to a win.
Here is some of the good and some of the bad from the 49ers’ electric victory:
Good: QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo is building a fine resumé as an NFL starter, but Sunday was his best performance yet. He completed 26 of 35 throws for 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. That was good for a 131.7 quarterback rating. Garoppolo went blow-for-blow with Drew Brees in the Superdome, and helped orchestrate a comeback from a 13-point first-half deficit. The 49ers needed their franchise signal caller’s best, and he gave it to them.
Bad: RB Tevin Coleman
It was another slow week for Coleman who finished with six yards on three carries. His longest run of the game was six yards, and his ineffectiveness limited him to just 11 snaps. Since going off for 105 yards against the Panthers in Week 7, Coleman has just 128 yards on 52 carries (2.5 yards per attempt), and one touchdown. Raheem Mostert’s emergence has helped buoy the 49ers run game with Coleman struggling, but the former lead back needs to get back on track soon.
Good: WR Emmanuel Sanders
What can’t Sanders do? He caught seven balls for 157 yards and a touchdown, and threw for 35 yards and a touchdown. His lone attempt was a completion to a wide open Mostert down the sideline. Sanders has had the desired effect on the 49ers’ passing attack, and it’s hard to imagine they would’ve pulled out Sunday’s game without him lining up out wide for 63 of the team’s 67 offensive snaps.
Bad: SS Marcell Harris
Harris was good filling in for Jaquiski Tartt against the Ravens. He did not pick up where he left off against the Saints. Harris looked lost at times, was a step late on multiple plays in coverage and missed a slew of tackles on a day where tackling was a significant issue for the vaunted 49ers defense. San Francisco needed a good day out of their strong safety, and they got a decidedly bad one.
Good: TE George Kittle
Obviously.
Before his huge 39-yard catch-and-run, Kittle was having a relatively quiet day in the passing game. He had five catches for 28 yards and a touchdown. Then he came up with the biggest play of the game to finish with six catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Bad: LB Fred Warner
Warner is having an All-Pro caliber season, and he should already have his ticket booked to the Pro Bowl. While he wasn’t terrible Sunday, he played well below the extremely high bar he’s set for himself in two seasons. He missed multiple tackles, including one on the Saints’ go-ahead touchdown with 53 seconds left. The missed ones led Warner to finish with just three tackles after averaging more than nine the previous four games. It’s likely not a coincidence that the 49ers’ worst day of the year defensively came with arguably Warner’s worst individual performance.
Good: RB Raheem Mostert
Mostert is rapidly emerging as the 49ers’ most reliable running back. He had a nice day on the ground with 69 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He also added two catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. With Coleman struggling, Mostert has jolted the 49ers’ rushing attack back to life and helped them maintain balance on offense to maximize their effectiveness. He was on the field for 40 snaps compared to 23 combined for Coleman and Matt Breida. There’s an argument to be made Mostert has been the 49ers’ MVP the last two weeks, and they needed every bit of his production Sunday.
Bad: Injuries
Sunday did not go well for the 49ers in the injury department. They lost center Weston Richburg for the season to a torn patellar tendon early in the third quarter. Richard Sherman hurt his hamstring and will miss multiple games, and Dee Ford aggravated his hamstring injury and will miss multiple games. K’Waun Williams also left late in the game with a concussion and is in concussion protocol. The 49ers needed to get healthy in time for a postseason run, but now they’re going the wrong direction.
Good: HC Kyle Shanahan
Shanahan was superb in New Orleans. He went deep into his playbook to keep a very good Saints defense off balance and help pick up a 49ers defense that was badly struggling out of the gates. Shanahan also managed the clock much better than he did last week, and the team’s even-keeled attitude late in a tough game like that is a direct reflection of their coach. Shanahan still isn’t perfect as a head coach, but Sunday was as good of a game as he’s coached.
Bad: Kick coverage
Saints return man Deonte Harris had a monster day in the return game. He had 37 yards on two punt returns, and 155 yards on five kick returns. His elusiveness in the return game gave the Saints several short fields and made life even more difficult on San Francisco’s already scuffling defense. The 49ers have been dynamite in kick and punt coverage all season. They were not good there against the Saints.
Good: Traveling 49ers fans
49ers fans showed out in a big way at the Superdome. There were noticeable cheers when things went San Francisco’s way Sunday, and 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers posted an incredible video of a parade of 49ers fans after the win. The large contingent of 49ers fans didn’t affect the game the way they did in Los Angeles, but their numbers were impressive and surely helped mitigate some of the nastiness that comes with playing in the Superdome.
