Pro Football Focus passed along their gradebook for the San Francisco 49ers 22-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and I thought I would share some of the more interesting information to come from that. You can also read their "Re-Fo" article on the game. Thanks to Jeff Deeney for passing this information along.
If you have any questions about PFF grades or stats, let me know. I can't go in and copy and paste all their content here because they make a living off that information. However, I can provide some details. And if you have any questions about their process, let me know and I can talk to Jeff Deeney, who is available to answer questions as best he can.
Usual disclaimer: No one stat or grade or measurement is the be-all, end-all when analyzing performance. However, each stat can provide a little something extra to figuring out the bigger picture. If you get a minute, I highly recommend reading this 2-part series (Part 1, Part 2) at our Eagles blog, taking a look at their system.
Colin Kaepernick
The 49ers quarterback faced a blitz on ten pass attempts. In those pass attempts he was 6 of 10 for 129 yards and a touchdown, with a passer rating of 137.5. He had 23 targeted attempts (discounts 3 throwaways), and 11 were 10+ yards. Kap's average depth of target was 11.0, while Alex Smith's was 6.6.
Targets
The 49ers went after Marcus Cooper. Considering he has been inconsistent at times, and was dealing with a knee issue last week, it made plenty of sense. Cooper was targeted 9, allowing 4 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs did not really adjust until the 7:10 mark of the fourth quarter. At that point, they moved Sean Smith to left cornerback to cover lone WR in formation on six plays (Brandon Lloyd 3, Anquan Boldin 3).
The 49ers also targeted Lloyd 5 times on 15 pass routes. He finished the game with 3 receptions for 76 yards. Four of his five targets were on go routes, which included this ridiculously acrobatic catch.
Rushing
The 49ers used two running backs on 60.6 percent of their offensive snaps. Carlos Hyde rushed the ball 10 times, and 8 of those rushes were between the A-gaps (between center and guards). Gore had 18 carries, and 8 of them for 53 yards were outside the left tackle. The 49ers dominated on that left side thanks to strong performances from Joe Staley and Mike Iupati in the run game (see below), and Gore rode them to a big performance.
Blocking
James took a look at some of the pass blocking issues earlier today. Although there were some struggles, the 49ers offensive line put together some good work for extended stretches against a solid defensive front. Joe Staley and Mike Iupati each graded out at +4.4 in run blocking, while the other three linemen were just on the positive side. Staley also graded out at +2.1 in pass blocking. Daniel Kilgore had a +0.8, and the other three were negative.
Aaron Lynch
The 49ers rookie outside linebacker just gets better and better. He graded out at 2.7 with a 1.3 in pass rush, and 1.3 in run defense. He had another 26 snaps this week, and 10 of them were against the run. Previously he had primarily been in as a pass rusher. In defending the run, we saw his crazy athleticism put to good use. PFF credited him with 3 quarterback hurries and a batted down pass.
QB pressure
PFF provided an updated run down of percentage of dropbacks in which the 49ers have pressured the opposing quarterback:
Week 1 vs. DAL: 22.5%
Week 2 vs. CHI: 24.3%
Week 3 vs. AZ: 20.0%
Week 4 vs. PHI: 31.1%
Week 5 vs. KC: 25.0%