49ers news: Christian McCaffrey’s absence was felt against the Vikings

After this, we can turn the page from Week 2, but let’s assess how the San Francisco 49ers performed position by position against the Minnesota Vikings.

Quarterback: C+

If you have high standards for Brock Purdy, then this grade is about right. As we discussed, he was responsible for a couple of sacks. He also ran out of a couple of sacks.

There were enough properly layered throws down the field to make Purdy the ideal quarterback for this offense. There were also just enough “stare-downs” that led to pass breakups and an interception. Purdy was confused enough throughout the game that I couldn’t give him anything higher than this grade.

Overall, Purdy played “fine,” but he’s graded on a stricter curve, given his position and what we’ve seen him produce before. It’s evident that the early down struggles are due to a particular running back being out. That put more on Purdy’s plate in this game, and he did not come through in those early down situations.

Brock no longer has the benefit of facing a loaded box on first and second down. The Vikings were comfortable dropping back, playing coverage, and forcing Purdy into difficult decisions that have been wide open whenever No. 23 is on the field.

Running backs: A-

Jordan Mason was among the few bright spots as he led the league in multiple categories through two weeks and amassed 3/4 of his yardage after contact. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Mason’s game is his growth in pass protection.

He and Kyle Juszczyk faced a tall task against a blitz-heavy scheme, but Mason ended up pancaking a defender on three of his eight opportunities. I asked Kyle Shanahan on Monday how he thought the running backs, specifically Mason, did in pass pro:

“Oh, I thought he did a real good job. He didn’t have any busts. He never missed any assignments. He got on his guys. Him and [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice both stepped up in there well. They started bringing a lot of backers internally in the second half, and they went in and protected him well. Their point and all that stuff is to keep the back in so you don’t have any checkdowns. But he stood in there stout and gave the quarterback time to throw.”

The running backs and the pass catchers are missing the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. It doesn’t seem like it because Mason is doing a tremendous job filling in for Christian McCaffrey. However, the difference is that Mason takes carries for 10+ yards, whereas McCaffrey takes these for 40+ yards.

Through two weeks, Mason has an explosive run rate of six percent. That is not a “poor” number, but McCaffrey was over 13 percent in 2023. The lack of explosiveness is causing the 49ers to go on long sustaining drives, which is difficult to do against anybody, especially a Brian Flores defense.

Pass catchers: A-

The offense stalled due to lapses in pass protection, untimely turnovers, and inefficient first downs. I didn’t watch the game coming away thinking, “The 49ers would’ve won if the pass catchers did a better job of getting open. Questionable play calls on third and fourth down didn’t help.

It was considered an “off” game for Brandon Aiyuk; he caught four of his five targets for 43 yards, which was good for 3.4 EPA. There has been discourse about Aiyuk not creating separation, but that could not be further from the truth:

Deebo Samuel had eight receptions for 110 yards. If Purdy had gone to the other side in many of the plays above, Aiyuk would have had Samuel’s stat line.

Jauan Jennings came through on a critical fourth down. I was wrong about Jennings becoming the WR2. That was undoubtedly a Week 1 overreaction. But after an unfortunate injury to Deebo, Jennings will see his target share double as Purdy is running out of options to throw it to.

George Kittle looks like himself. I wonder if we’ll see more 12 personnel with him and Juszczyk on the field, with Aiyuk and Jennings on the outside. That might be the best path moving forward, as defenses would be forced to play three linebackers. Mason would have a field day on the ground if they don’t.

Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell have filled in whenever Aiyuk or Samuel have needed a breather. One of those two, or Jacob Cowing, will need to step up in Samuel’s absence.

Purdy’s not having McCaffrey in the passing game really hurts. Last year, when Brock threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage, he averaged 0.26 EPA per play. That number has flipped to -0.26 EPA per play. He went from being the most to least productive quarterback on short throws. No. 23 is the reason why.

Offensive line: C

This unit was fresh off an A-level game, but the Vikings were far more creative in the looks they presented the 49ers upfront. There weren’t many issues in the running game. There were a couple of occasions when the line didn’t get a push, but that’s football. Mason had plenty of rushing lanes to run through.

Whenever Minnesota rushed a static four or five, the Niners won their 1-on-1 battles. But when the Vikings ran their different pressure packages and started to move around, the pass blocking began to have issues.

You can win 90 percent of the time as an offensive lineman, but that’s viewed as a failing grade. When those turn to busts and unblocked sacks, it drives your grade down even further. Between Aaron Banks, Dominick Puni, and Colton McKivitz, the Niners are relatively young along the line, and this will be a great learning tool for them.

I wouldn’t be too worried, especially considering the schedule. Next week is a good spot for this group to bounce back. But as I stated above, McCaffrey hides deficiencies when he’s a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. The 49ers don’t have that option anymore.

It’s also why I believe the Niners continue to struggle in the red zone. McCaffrey had a nose for the end zone. They don’t have their go-to option on money downs out of the backfield, and it shows.

Defensive line: D+

The unit that is the foundation of your defense can’t have games like they did in Week 2. Fair or not, that’s how this team is built to get off the field. Looking through my notes from the game, Javon Hargrave was displaced in the running game more than he should be for a player making the money that he is. Leonard Floyd was a no-show. Maliek Collins made a couple of plays, but when your starters are batting 4-for-40, you can see why the Vikings had as much success as they did offensively.

Nick Bosa was “good,” but good isn’t good enough when nobody else is winning their 1-on-1s. One of his sacks was courtesy of Darnold running right into him.

They’ll need Yetur Gross-Matos to grow into his role in a hurry. Much like the offensive line, this group is in a prime spot to bounce back against a hobbled Los Angeles Rams offensive line, but they were not productive in Week 2.

Linebacker: C+

Fred Warner is a specimen. He’s unbelievable and has an argument for the best defensive player in the league through two weeks. Watching how aggressive and assertive he is compared to De’Vondre Campbell is night and day. You can tell that one player is used to playing a certain style while the other is not.

Perhaps Campbell will evolve as the season goes along, but the early returns have not been promising, and that is not different from the product he put on the field last year.

The starting 49ers linebackers are on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Cornerbacks: A-

I’m a big fan of this group. Deommodore Lenoir keeps ascending as a player. His effort, hustle, and understanding of the game are off the charts. Charvarius Ward looks bored, and my only worry is that his lack of involvement is why there were times when he fell asleep in the running game.

Isaac Yiadom has been competitive on nearly all of his coverage reps. The long pass down to a tight end down the seam is one coaching point Yiadom can learn. He ran parallel with the tight end instead of eliminating the space. The 49ers are moving Yiadom around a bit, making his role challenging, but he continually answers the bell and should give Nick Sorensen all of the confidence in the world in his top cornerbacks.

Renardo Green made his debut with four defensive snaps – three of which came on at wide cornerback. Sorensen briefly flirted with the idea of six defensive backs on the field. It was on 3rd & 12, and that was the play where Warner had a pass breakup. Based on what we’ve seen from Campbell in coverage and how the safeties are holding up in man-to-man, leaning on your cornerback group – arguably the deepest and most talented unit on this side of the ball – might prove to be a season-saving move.

Safeties: D+

Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum need to hone in on their aggression. Brown, for my money, is at his best when he’s playing as the deep post safety. He struggled to get off blocks around the line of scrimmage and completely whiffed on an unblocked tackle attempt in the backfield.

Odum can be reckless when he’s coming downhill to make a tackle, but it’s the coverage that has been the biggest flaw. For the past two years, Tashaun Gipson has quietly been a shutdown option in the slot. He’s allowed the 49ers to hide the other safety deep, while the coordinator could be aggressive with the front-7.

Gipson is gone, and it’s noticeable to a degree that it has not yet been captured. I’m not sure that Brown or Odum are shifty or quick enough to run with slot receivers. That won’t necessarily change with Talanoa Hufanga healthy, making the need for more cornerbacks on the field even more prevalent.