Seahawks vs. 49ers: Full San Francisco Grades & Analysis for Week 17
The San Francisco 49ers hosted the NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 and ended up losing 25-23 to close out the season. Niner Noise has your postgame grades and analysis for the red and gold.
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers closed out the 2016 season with a 25-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.
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San Francisco wraps up this disappointing year with a 2-14 record. And while the year is yet another Niners embarrassment, the bigger story was the scheduled firing of general manager Trent Baalke and, likely, head coach Chip Kelly.
Baalke confirmed his pending firing via KNBR 680 and wished San Francisco the best moving forward.
And yet there was a game to be played. With the Cleveland Browns losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Niners were guaranteed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Still, the 49ers could have helped thwart Seattle’s playoff seeding in the postseason.
But the Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the New Orleans Saints ensured the Seahawks wouldn’t get the No. 2 seed in the NFC anyway.
So, for the final time this season, Niner Noise has your postgame grades and analysis for San Francisco’s effort.
Let’s take a look as we gear up for a plethora of changes in Santa Clara this offseason.
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson (82) scores a touchdown against San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Grades
Week 17 ensured the Niners would set franchise records for what has been a historically bad 49ers defense this season, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee:
#49ers have now established franchise highs in:
* Yards allowed in a season
* Points allowed in a season
* Rushing yards allowed in a season— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 1, 2017
Initially, San Francisco’s defense looked as if it had Seattle’s number. But momentum started to shift in the Seahawks’ favor midway through the second quarter.
Defensive Line
Rookie defensive end Ronald Blair was about the lone bright spot in what was otherwise a merely OK performance from San Francisco’s defensive line.
Blair recorded two quarterback hits on the game. But the D-line couldn’t get to Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson with any sort of regularity, in spite of a weak Seahawks offensive line.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
Equal a problem in the pass rush, San Francisco’s linebackers couldn’t converge on Wilson with any sort of regularity. The Niners did manage a few quarterback hits but registered zero sacks on the game.
It’s clear the 49ers need some pass-rushing linebackers, as well as interior help, to shore up this side of the ball moving forward.
Grade: D
Secondary
Rookie cornerback Rashard Robinson suffered an ankle injury defending against Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin.
With San Francisco’s best corner down, the defense was forced to rely more on depth guys like Keith Reaser and Dontae Johnson.
Johnson’s efforts weren’t particularly good. And the 49ers will likely need some more help here this offseason.
Grade: C-
Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) dives after the fumble against Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during the first quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Grades
The Niners managed to get off to a relatively strong start, even leading 14-3 in the second quarter.
But San Francisco’s fumbling woes led to 10 Seahawks points before halftime. And the 49ers offense again went stagnant midway through the game.
Quarterback
In what might have been Colin Kaepernick’s final game of his 49ers career, San Francisco’s signal-caller went 17-of-22 for 215 yards and a touchdown to tight end Garrett Celek. All this amounted to a 122.3 passer rating — considerable, considering his career-long woes versus Seattle.
But Kap also fumbled twice, one of which was lost, and these ensured Seattle would overtake San Francisco in the momentum department.
Still, this was a relatively commendable effort from a guy who might have just played his final game with the 49ers.
Grade: A-
Running Back
With No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde (knee) out, ball-carrying duties fell on backup runners Shaun Draughn and DuJuan Harris.
Harris’ first-half fumble led to a Seahawks touchdown, and that hurt. Although Draughn did manage to find the end zone twice.
Overall, 49ers tailbacks combined for just 47 rushing yards and averaged a measly two yards per carry.
Grade: D+
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley made a strong effort in Week 17, hauling in six passes for 61 yards, including a clutch one-handed grab that helped set up tight end Garrett Celek’s nine-yard touchdown reception.
Second-year wideout DeAndre Smelter also got his first pro start of his career, hauling in a lone 23-yard pass.
Still, this group needs plenty of help this offseason.
Grade: C
Offensive Line
It’s clear the attrition was hurting San Francisco’s offensive line against a tough Seattle front-seven defense.
The Niners running game never got going. And Kaepernick was sacked five times for 24 yards.
Rookie guard Joshua Garnett continues to go through growing pains, and it’s pretty clear his first year at the NFL level has been little more than a disappointment.
Grade: D+
Jan 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly during the second quarter against Seattle Seahawks at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Special Teams & Coaching
In what likely was head coach Chip Kelly’s final game with the 49ers, San Francisco fell victim the the seemingly ongoing second-half offensive woes the team had endured all year long.
Regardless of personnel, Kelly’s ability to maintain any sort of rhythm after halftime is yet another indictment on his NFL scheme.
And it wasn’t as if defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s likely last efforts with the Niners were any better.
Special Teams
Well, at least the Niners tried some trickery and succeeded.
Returner Jeremy Kerley tossed a lateral to fellow special teamer Raheem Mostert to get the 49ers into Seattle territory. The drive ended in a touchdown, so that’s a positive.
Punter Bradley Pinion was busy though, but this isn’t much of a surprise.
At least San Francisco also managed to block an extra-point attempt.
Grade: A
Coaching
Kudos to Kelly going all out in Week 17. San Francisco was clearly more aggressive this week than it had been almost all season.
The Niners managed to go 2-of-3 on fourth-down attempts but also had a 2-of-11 mark on third downs — not exactly a recipe for success.
Kelly’s offense didn’t find much rhythm after the first quarter either. While an impressive fourth-quarter drive made things interesting, San Francisco’s efforts were, again, too little and too late.
O’Neil’s soft-zone coverage schemes also don’t make much sense either. But at least he’s all but gone after 2016.
Grade: C
More from Niner Noise
So now San Francisco heads towards a very uncertain future, as general manager Trent Baalke has been fired. And Kelly, along with a likely vast majority of the coaching staff, will follow suit.
Changes are on the horizon in Santa Clara. And all we can hope is that they’re for the good.
