While being without several starters due to injury, the San Francisco 49ers saw a number of players step up in the Week 2 victory over the New York Jets. Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus highlighted multiple players who had standout performances during Sunday's contest. Take a look at which 49ers stood out over the weekend.
1. Jordan Reed
The 49ers appeared to see little-to-no drop off without George Kittle in the lineup, while the stud tight end works his way back from a knee injury. Reed, whose budding rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo seems to be paying dividends early, stepped in on Sunday and led the 49ers with eight targets against the Jets (more on Garoppolo below).
Reed earned a 92.1 overall grade, the 49ers highest mark this week and his highest game grade since Week 12 of the 2016 season against the Dallas Cowboys. The veteran tight end caught seven passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Reed forced three missed tackles on Sunday, the highest of any tight end so far in Week 2. He has caught nine passes and two touchdowns this season, despite running just 24 pass routes in the 49ers first two games of the season.
Garoppolo wasn't able to finish Sunday's contest due to a high ankle sprain suffered in the first quarter of the game, however, he had his best outing as the 49ers starting quarterback. His 90.2 overall grade was his highest since joining the team, topping his 90.1 overall grade in 2019's Week 17 down-to-the-wire victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
The quarterback finished the first 30 minutes of Sunday's game completing 14-of-16 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns for a 140.4 passer rating. He completed 5-of-6 passes when under pressure, with the only incompletion being his deep, yet catchable pass to Kendrick Bourne. Through his one half of football, Garoppolo is the highest-graded quarterback through Week 2 so far.
According to Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo still has a chance to play in Week 3 against the New York Giants given the mildness of his injury.
Armstead was the lone member of the 49ers to register a sack on Sunday. The pass rusher also nearly picked off his own batted down pass that forced a Jets punt. Armstead earned an 88.0 overall grade, the highest on defense, registering five-total quarterback pressures (one sack, two hits, two hurries).
4. Jerick McKinnon
With Mostert out, McKinnon saw an increase in snaps on Sunday. The running back registering 77 yards on the ground and a touchdown, an 18-yard score. His most impressive play came on a pitch from Nick Mullens on 3rd-and-31. McKinnon ripped off an impressive 55-yard run that moved the 49ers into Jets territory and set San Francisco up for a field goal. He also forced three missed tackles on his three carries. McKinnon earned an 87.4 overall grade following his performance on Sunday.
5. Raheem Mostert
For the second-straight game, Mostert registered a 76-plus-yard touchdown. This time around, he succeeded his previous career high. On the first play from scrimmage, Mostert took the handoff, found a hole and went untouched for an 80-yard touchdown carry. His touchdown run was a career-long and marked his 10th career score. Despite not taking a snap in the second half, the running back finished the game with eight carries for 92 yards (11.5 average) and a touchdown, while adding two receptions for 15 yards. He nearly had another long touchdown run, a 67-yarder that was called back due to penalty.
6. K'Waun Williams
The 49ers cornerbacks may have been without Richard Sherman, but San Francisco's nickel corner held his own in his 39 snaps (60 percent) on Sunday. Williams earned a 76.1 overall grade, allowing just three catches on five targets for 14 yards. He also recorded a pass break up on the day.
Honorable Mentions
- Kevin Givens notched three quarterback pressures and two runs stops, earning him a 76.1 overall grade.
- Emmanuel Moseley earned a 73.5 overall grade, allowing just one catch on three targets for seven yards. He also registered two pass break ups on Sunday.
- Fred Warner notched 13 tackles and registered two run stops, including the impressive 4th-and-1 to force a turnover on downs. Warner allowed two catches on three targets for just eight yards, earning himself a 71.0 overall grade.
