Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
That was ugly, in every sense of the word. Horrible offensive line play, a mostly ineffective run game, and confounding turnovers. The 49ers’ recipe for disaster was entirely self-served. Whatever positives there were to be taken were clouded by the massive shadow of self-inflicted wounds.
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Nick Mullens
The most obvious culprit. Mullens literally threw this game away. One thing that was evident from the start and even more so when C.J. Beathard entered the game was that Mullens lacked pocket awareness. When he had an opportunity to throw the ball away, aside from one occasion, he did not. Certainly not when the pressure from Philadelphia’s front was at its most immediate and the stakes were at their highest.
Beathard, on the pair of penultimate plays before the game-ending Hail Mary, managed to get the ball away despite two failed blocks from Mike McGlinchey and pressure sending him to the ground. Mullens, instead, was stone-footed, locking his feet to his mark, failing to find or even look for an escape valve.
What Jimmy Garoppolo often does so well is the off-schedule stuff, a la vintage Ben Roethlisberger. At his best, he feels the pressure, escapes tackles and makes off schedule throws. That is not in Mullens’ arsenal, and by the end of the game, he was throwing pop-ups to the Eagles’ defense. Beathard’s relief appearance was warranted, and he’s likely regained his No. 2 spot in the depth chart.
Mike McGlinchey
McGlinchey is officially on bust watch. He looks slimmer, discernibly in order to deal with speed rushers better. It’s an area of his game where he’s struggled mightily over his career, and if he indeed did lose weight, it’s biting him. He is fundamentally unable to deal with strong pass rushers consistently.
There were countless examples of him getting bullied on Sunday. He allowed the pressure on Nick Mullens’ first interception and simply could not handle Philadelphia’s front, despite the Philadelphia-area native saying this week he knew exactly what problems they would present.
The first Nick Mullens INT. Watch Mike McGlinchey #49ers pic.twitter.com/Ggeupj7kdP
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) October 5, 2020
He provides no stability on the right side of the offensive line, and at this point, is a clear liability. The 49ers should give serious thought to flipping him and Daniel Brunskill. On the final drive, McGlinchey left Beathard out to dry with back-to-back pressures, forcing San Francisco into the Hail Mary. At this point, he’s essentially a run blocking tight end and whatever you get from him that’s not terrible in pass protection is a positive.
This is probably the most damning part of the night for McGlinchey. Avery bullies him and then Graham swipes around him on back-to-back plays, forcing Beathard to preserve the drive and then the Hail Mary to end it for #49ers https://t.co/weA9gbxcx7 pic.twitter.com/JrnxL7sjSE
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) October 5, 2020
Trent Williams
Both tackles struggled. Williams had far and away the worst game of his season and one of the worst in his career. He was bullied by Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat, allowing two sacks and having two penalties (an early holding call and a false start to open the final drive). His technique was far less errant than McGlinchey’s, but he was still taken to task on myriad occasions.
Trent Williams obviously struggled too with his worst game of the early season – had a holding call, allowed this sack (and another, though Mullens had a pocket to step into) and had a false start to open the #49ers’ final drive, along with a handful of other errors pic.twitter.com/mLd8Ku2SvJ
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) October 5, 2020
It was a fundamentally odd sight to see Williams looking lost out there. For so long, he has been a pillar. Unmovable. Unbeatable. Sunday showed that maybe there’s still some rust for the future Hall of Famer to shake off, and not just in the pass game, unless he’s quietly nursing something.
Other fallers: Daniel Brunskill. He allowed the pocket to be collapsed at least twice and still does not look as comfortable at guard as he did at tackle.
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Kwon Alexander
Through three games, Alexander looked lost. He was slow, indecisive and looked everything like the man who came back from a torn pectoral too soon to play in the Super Bowl. But in the fourth game of the year, he turned a corner; at least, he looks like he’s turning one.
He had three key tackles within the first eight minutes of the game, flying around the field much more like the Alexander we saw in the first half of last season. At his best, he’s an elite pass defending linebacker who closes down rushes to the edges and fills in gaps at the line of scrimmage. When healthy and confident, he’s a speedy utility tool. For the first time this season, he led the 49ers in tackles, with nine, and for the most part, they weren’t empty tackles 10 yards past the line of scrimmage after he failed to contain on a read option.
He looks better. Specifically, he appears quicker. We’ll see if that continues.
C.J. Beathard
No complaints about the man who has been (rightfully) criticized over the past three years. He made quick decisions and was, dare I say, slinging the ball. The only criticism possible is that he threw the ball consistently over the middle of the field and didn’t run the ball in on the two-point conversion, as he later admitted he should have done.
But for a man who hasn’t played in nearly two years, Beathard gave San Francisco a genuine chance at the end of the game. He almost won it, and if not for a couple failed blocking attempts by Mike McGlinchey, some better time management by receivers (it’s unclear if they knew getting out of bounds stops the clock), and a Hail Mary that bounced the other way, Beathard would have been the hero of Sunday night.
Brandon Aiyuk
What complaints can you possibly have for Aiyuk, other than the fact that he was limited to just three touches. Clearly, he needs to be more involved in the offense. He’s unafraid of contact, literally bouncing off hits at the point of catch.
When he does have the ball in his hands in open space, it’s quickly becoming a similar nightmare for defenders as it is with Deebo Samuel or George Kittle. He’s the quickest player San Francisco has aside from Raheem Mostert and is entirely unfazed by contact. His 38-yard hurdle touchdown (really 44 yards) was nothing short of spectacular, and should only be a microcosm of what’s to come in his bright career.
