It's been a few weeks since I've taken a look at the sacks that the San Francisco 49ers have allowed. Part of the reason is the fact that I've been so busy, and the other reason is that I was so distraught at how long it took Jim Tomsula to make a change at right guard and install Andrew Tiller as the full-time starter.
Tiller was much better than Jordan Devey and the fact the decision took so long to make was distressing. Now we have another big issue: center Marcus Martin. Daniel Kilgore returned for the first time this season but the 49ers elected to use him as an extra blocker on a handful of plays, and kept Martin in a starting role.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was sacked four times against the Chicago Bears, and Martin screwed up on all four plays. Let's take a look at what went down below, going in order.
3rd and 6 at SF 22, 9:38 in 1st Quarter: Gabbert sacked at SF 16 for -5 yards (Jarvis Jenkins, Willie Young)
The first sack of the game saw at least three players get soundly beaten. Neither Alex Boone nor Andrew Tiller do much on the play, though Tiller is helping Erik Pears, who is the only guy to really hold his guy on the play. Tight end Vance McDonald and Joe Staley are beaten badly, and Marcus Martin is also easily driven back, as usual. It's Staley and McDonald's guys who allow the sack on Gabbert.
1st and 10 at SF 30, 8:43 in 3rd Quarter: Blaine Gabbert sacked at SF 22 for -8 yards (Eddie Goldman)
Boone and Staley both manage to hold their guys on the play, while Tiller has nobody to block because the linebacker doesn't blitz. Staley and Boone eventually lose their guys, while Pears is the only one to maintain his guy throughout the game. But all of that is a moot point as Martin is so beaten that Gabbert doesn't have a chance to unleash a pass to any receivers on the play. Martin falls down, gets back up (and Boone pushes him a little bit), but Gabbert is done at that point.
As an aside, the Coaches' Film for this game took terrible angles and I didn't get much to use for this breakdown. You can see that Gabbert's guy underneath does get around his guy and there could have been a solid gain there, but Gabbert has no time at all to prep a pass because Martin is doing his best Devey impression.
3rd and 14 at SF 11, 15:00 in 4th Quarter: Blaine Gabbert sacked at SF 5 for -6 yards (Goldman)
Gabbert points out the edge rusher on the left before the snap, but nobody adjusts. I'm not sure if Staley was supposed to adjust, or if Shaun Draughn was supposed to chip, but neither went for the guy at all. Tiller is helping Pears, but he doesn't need it. Pears does well, Staley loses his guy and Boone picks him up, though Boone should have been blocking from the onset. Martin is soundly beaten in every phase and gets pushed way back. If the edge rusher didn't get Gabbert, Martin's guy certainly would have.
1st and 10 at SF 36, 3:27 in 4th Quarter: Blaine Gabbert sacked at SF 30 for -6 yards (Young)
As you can see, this one is a simply case of Staley getting beaten badly. It was a bad game for Staley overall. Pears does fine, Boone and Tiller hold their guys. Martin and Tiller get pushed back, but do OK. The play has no chance of success, because Staley is beaten as badly as he's ever been beaten on a play.
Here's a wider look from the coaches' film. As you can see, there's an underneath option, but Gabbert has little chance to complete a pass. It looks like the longer-developing routes show some promise but the defenders pull up when they're certain Gabbert is going down. It was an ugly game from Staley and Martin, a great game from Pears and a decent game from Tiller and Boone.