Atlanta Falcons

49ers vs. Falcons: Week 15 Grades & Analysis for San Francisco

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:45 p.m. ET

Fansided, Peter Panacy/FanSided via Niner Noise

Week 15 proved to be yet another embarrassment for the San Francisco 49ers, as they lost to the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 41-13. Niner Noise has your post-game grades and analysis in the team’s latest debacle.

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) scores a rushing touchdown against San Francisco 49ers free safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) in the first quarter of their game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers were in the hole before they even took the field against the Atlanta Falcons and their No. 1-ranked offense.

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So the 41-13 defeat at the hands of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and Co. shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

The Niners got into a hole early, falling behind 21-0 before the first quarter was even over. And the typical San Francisco woes replicated themselves once again in Week 15. The run defense was awful, the second-half offense eroded and the team’s secondary looked completely out of position throughout.

Grades for this contest won’t be much different than what they’ve been for most of the season. San Francisco is bad, and we all know it.

And, unlike last week, there wasn’t any one particular bright spot. Running back Carlos Hyde wasn’t particularly dominant. We also watched quarterback Colin Kaepernick all but disappear in the second half.

Yes, there are far too many Niners problems to discuss in just one grades piece.

But let’s get through it at best as we can.

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) throws the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Grades

The Niners managed to put up 272 total yards of offense and even had six third-down conversions on 13 attempts.

But aside from a 13-point second quarter, San Francisco’s offensive production was nonexistent.

Quarterback

Raise your hand if you heard this before — quarterback Colin Kaepernick played well in the first half, only to see his second-half numbers take a hit.

Well, that happened again. Kap finished 20-of-33 for 183 yards and two touchdowns. And he did manage a nice TD pass to tight end Garrett Celek:

This throw ????@Kaepernick7 finds @GCells85…@49ers TD! #GoNiners https://t.co/OSatquqtkL

— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2016

But the majority of those stats came in the first half. And Kaepernick was mostly a non-factor in the third and fourth quarter.

Grade: C+

Running Back

No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde got a little closer to cresting 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career, finishing with 71 total on 13 carries.

Hyde wasn’t able to get much going early though. And a costly fumble on the Niners’ second offensive drive led to a Falcons touchdown.

Grade: C-

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The war of attrition continues to hit San Francisco’s receiving corps hard. Wide receiver Quinton Patton and tight end Blake Bell were both injured during the contest and didn’t return.

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) plays catch fans in the seating area prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The team’s leading receiver was Bell, who had 45 yards on the one catch that got him hurt.

Fellow tight end Garrett Celek managed one of the Niners’ two touchdowns, but he also dropped a number of passes thrown his way. Veteran wideout Rod Streater posted the only other end-zone score.

The lack of receiving weapons is one of many reasons San Francisco’s offense is so lackluster.

Grade: D-

Offensive Line

The 49ers had to go with another makeshift offensive line with left tackle Joe Staley (hamstring) not playing and center Daniel Kilgore (leg) on injured reserve.

Marcus Martin got the start and center, and it’s clear San Francisco’s O-line is even worse off in run blocking with Martin at the position. But even he had to come out of the game due to injury.

If there is a positive, this unit only allowed two sacks of Kaepernick. But he was still under regular pressure for most of the game.

Grade: C-

Next: Defensive Grades

Defensive Grades

Linebacker Gerald Hodges, whom Pro Football Focus ranks as the team’s top-graded defender, was inactive due to a violation of team rules, per CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.

This hurt. The 49ers defense allowed a whopping 550 total yards to the Falcons. And the 41 points against tells you almost everything you need to know.

Oh, and Falcons running back Devonta Freeman became the 11th tailback to manage 100-plus rushing yards. And his three touchdowns only add to the insult.

Defensive Line

Defensive end DeForest Buckner wasn’t quite the force in Week 15, but he did manage one tackle for a loss and four total. More importantly, the defensive line couldn’t establish any sort of pressure at the point of attack.

This led to Atlanta recording a total of 248 rushing yards. Gap control is clearly an issue for the D-line, and the Niners don’t have the adequate linebackers to converge and limit the damage.

Speaking of linebackers…

Grade: F

Linebacker

With Hodges out, the 49ers were able to dress only two inside linebackers — Michael Wilhoite and Nick Bellore. And Bellore had to come out early due to an injury.

San Francisco’s remaining cast wasn’t able to withstand the injury or lack of depth. The Falcons were routinely able to rush right up the middle of the Niners defense.

And it wasn’t as if the 49ers could muster up much of a pass rush either. Outside linebacker Eli Harold managed the defense’s only sack on quarterback Matt Ryan, who routinely picked apart San Francisco’s secondary.

Grade: F

Defensive Backfield

Atlanta didn’t have to worry about being without No. 1 wide receiver Julio Jones (toe). Ryan had no difficulty finding seams in the Niners’ zone defense, which will call into question more issues about defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil’s scheme.

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) runs against San Francisco 49ers free safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran corner Tramaine Brock was about the only bright spot of the game. But even he is too inconsistent to make this a feel-good moment.

Instead, his efforts were overshadowed by defensive backs Jaquiski Tartt and Dontae Johnson routinely being out of position and burned by Atlanta receivers.

Grade: F

Next: Special Teams/Coaching

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (18) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Aldrick Robinson (19) in the first quarter of their game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams/Coaching

The 49ers are still pretty bad on kick/punt coverage. And even sure-thing kicker Phil Dawson has struggled as of late.

And the coaching staff? Well, head coach Chip Kelly certainly didn’t have any answers. Neither did defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, who can’t be feeling too good about his defense starting to go down as the worst in franchise history.

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly on the sideline during the game against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the 49ers 41-13. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams

What’s happening, Dawson? You missed your first extra point of the season. Tack that onto the two missed field goals from Week 14, and one has to wonder if his effectiveness is wearing thin.

And a 42-yard punt return by Atlanta’s Eric Weems isn’t a good look either.

49ers punter Bradley Pinion was busy, having seven punts for 318 yards.

Needles to say, even this group has its fair share of problems heading into the offseason.

Grade: D

Coaching

O’Neil gets an F. If there was a worse grade than that, the defensive coordinator would be worthy of it from this effort.

What about Kelly though?

Well, he hasn’t had any second-half answers for this team for the overwhelming majority of this season. And Week 15 isn’t going to help silence the critics wondering if Kelly will be back for a second year in Santa Clara.

Grade: F