Brock Purdy headlines list of winners and losers from 49ers' Week 2 upset defeat to the Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers will today officially turn the page from their Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and look ahead to their first divisional matchup of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco paid the price for turnovers and an inability to convert on third down on offense, with the 49ers' […]
The San Francisco 49ers will today officially turn the page from their Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and look ahead to their first divisional matchup of the season against the Los Angeles Rams.
San Francisco paid the price for turnovers and an inability to convert on third down on offense, with the 49ers' failings on the other side of the ball on third down also key to a 23-17 defeat.
There were several players who stood out, some for the right reasons, and some for performances they would probably like to forget. After reviewing the All-22 tape, here I look at some of the winners and losers from an underwhelming Week 2 for the 49ers.
Loser: Brock Purdy
Yes, Purdy leads the NFL in passing yards through two weeks and has a completion percentage of 72.3, but his performance against the Vikings can best be described as "uneven".
When he was on time and in rhythm, Purdy produced some very impressive throws. However, the processing ability for which he is renowned was not apparent.
Indeed, Purdy's decision-making was hit and miss, his interception deep inside his own territory a product of him being slow to hit Kyle Juszczyk on a short throw having passed up a deep in-breaker to Jauan Jennings that was open.
That play encapsulated Purdy's second-half performance. He was reluctant to pull the trigger on throws where the windows were there, he held the ball too long and didn't use his checkdowns as often as he should, and his pocket movement was inconsistent at best. Yes, it was not a great day for the offensive line, but Purdy didn't consistently take advantage of the clean pockets they did give him and was guilty of running into pressure.
With Deebo Samuel joining Christian McCaffrey on the sideline for a couple of weeks, Purdy must show better than this to prove he can thrive without his full All-Star supporting cast.
Winner: George Kittle
Samuel was clearly the 49ers' best pass-catcher in Week 2 as he went for 110 yards, but it's difficult for him to labeled as a winner given he suffered a calf strain that will likely see him miss the next two games.
Similarly impressive was Kittle, who has shown no signs of rust following an offseason in which he underwent core muscle surgery. While there has been plenty of talk in the wake of the defeat about receivers being unable to separate, that is not accurate when it comes to Kittle, who did an impressive job gaining breathing room from defenders.
Per NextGen Stats, Kittle received an average of 4.2 yards of cushion in Week 2, tied for the third-lowest in the league. However, he was tied sixth with 3.9 yards of average separation.
That led to a performance he finished with seven catches on eight targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. Kittle also had a crucial block on Jordan Mason's fourth-quarter touchdown that made it a one-score game. Kittle is going to be crucial to Purdy and the 49er offense thriving without both McCaffrey and Samuel.
Winner: Fred Warner
I wrote extensively about Warner following a remarkable individual performance that ultimately proved in vain, but it's worthy of circling back to touch on his display again, given it was even more impressive on the All-22.
There was not a box Warner did not tick in his outstanding showing that saw him save at least 10 points with an interception and one of two forced fumbles.
He displayed the athleticism, instincts and playmaking ability in coverage that have become trademarks of his game, he did a phenomenal job slipping blocks in the run game, while his speed to the ball in pursuit was obvious throughout. That last trait, combined with incredible effort, was key to him punching the ball from Aaron Jones' grasp on the one-yard line to save a certain touchdown.
In short, it was a game that served as a bewitching illustration of why Warner is regarded as the modern day archetype at linebacker. A few more performances of this standard, and it will be time to start seriously talking about Warner as a candidate to become the first inside linebacker to win Defensive Player of the Year since 2013.
Loser: George Odum
Burnt on the 97-yard touchdown throw from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson, Odum looks likely to soon return to serving solely as a special teamer for the 49ers.
The safety made his second successive start next to Ji'Ayir Brown with Talanoa Hufanga still not quite ready to return from the torn ACL he suffered last November.
But he ended the game with fewer snaps than rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha, who played 31 to Odum's 23.
With Kyle Shanahan sounding an encouraging tone about a potential return for Hufanga this week, the chances of Odum playing safety snaps deep into the season appear slim. Even if the 49ers bring Hufanga along slowly on his return, Mustapha now stands as the favorite to split snaps with him and get on the field in three-safety looks should they decide to utilize any.
For Odum, the focus looks set to be purely on ensuring a special teams unit that struggled in Week 2 is much improved the rest of the way.
Loser: Isaac Yiadom
Yiadom was brought in to give the 49ers a dependable third corner on whom they could rely to man the outside on nickel downs and allow Deommodore Lenoir continue bumping inside to the slot.
He recovered the Jones fumble on Sunday and was also on the spot to save the Niners by recovering a muffed punt by Jacob Cowing. However, Yiadom was anything but dependable in coverage, allowing three catches on third down to go for first downs on the Vikings final drive, including a key 26-yard reception by Jalen Nailor, as Minnesota essentially iced the game with a field goal.
His underwhelming showing was especially poorly timed, as it came in a game in which rookie second-round pick Renardo Green displayed some encouraging play in coverage in his cameo appearance.
The most targeted player on the 49er defense, Yiadom is allowing 0.49 Expected Points Added per target, per Sports Info Solutions. In other words, nearly a half point every time the ball is thrown his way. It wouldn't be a huge shock to see Green worked into the lineup ahead of Yiadom against a undermanned Rams offense in Week 3.
Winner: Deommodore Lenoir
Yiadom has failed to excel in playing a role that has facilitated Lenoir moving inside on nickel downs. Lenoir, however, has enjoyed an excellent start to the season and was superb against the Vikings.
He gave up two catches for eight yards on three targets, per Pro Football Focus, producing teach tape in man coverage against Justin Jefferson on a play that ended in an incompletion. Lenoir's total EPA when targeted this season is minus 3.48, with his stingy play in coverage backed up by some exemplary work against the run.
Lenoir finished the Vikings game with five tackles, reflecting his prowess in fitting the run as well as his efficiency in getting downhill and providing the kind of aggressive rush defense the 49ers demand from their corners.
In a contract year, Lenoir is already producing performances that will increase the price for the 49ers should they try to re-sign him or for any team looking to acquire him via the open market next offseason.
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