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If I'm interested in the topic already it isn't pandering, right?
Well, pandering or not, I am here to answer a couple of questions quickly. Yesterday, I wrote about Nnamdi Asomugha's statistics during his tenure as a 49er, and couple of people asked for comparative stats. The two names that came up were Tramaine Brock (Nnamdi's replacement) and Marcus Cooper (a player the 49ers drafted, but let go). So, without further ado, let's take a quick glance at their seasons so far.
Tramaine Brock
In five games in which he has received more than a few snaps, Tramaine Brock has been excellent in pass coverage, except for his game against Jacksonville. On the season, he has been targeted 32 times, giving up 19 receptions for 306 yards and three TDs. In the process, he has caught three INTs and defended four passes. When targeting Brock, QBs have an 83.6 passer rating. While this is not greatly better than Asomugha's 86.6 rating, there are a couple of things to consider here. First off, Brock is a player who is more than willing to take risks. His two worst games of the season game against Arizona and Jacksonville, in which he tried to jump a route. Both catches ended up gashing the 49ers for big gains. But, we have also seen that tactic successfully employed, with it occasionally resulting in an INT. In the run game, Brock has been a non-factor. All of his 14 tackles on the season have come in the pass game. He has only missed one tackle so far.
Conclusion: Brock has had a far better season than Nnamdi did, even if he has been mistake prone due to his risky style of play.
Marcus Cooper
Cooper has been fantastic this season, and it is a bit of a bummer to see a 49ers draft pick flourishing elsewhere.
He has been targeted 39 times, giving up 15 receptions for 212 yards and 2 TDs. He has caught 2 INTs. When targeting Cooper, QBs have a 52.5 QB rating. In terms of tackling, Cooper has been solid. Like Brock, the bulk of his tackling occurs in the passing game, with only 1 of his 16 tackles coming in the run game. He also has only 1 missed tackle.
Conclusion: Based upon the stats alone, Cooper is clearly a guy the 49ers probably should have kept around. I won't fault them for trying to recapture the early Oakland days of Nnamdi's career. He was an exceptional player at one point. But, Cooper has clearly outperformed Asomugha.