49ers vs. Cardinals film study: Breaking down San Francisco’s allowed sacks

The San Francisco 49ers gave Brian Hoyer plenty of opportunities in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, and he had a poor performance. I have issues with the lack of defensive holding called on the play he threw his interception, but largely, I place a lot of blame in his corner.

That also applies to the three sacks the 49ers allowed in Week 4. I think Hoyer, when pressured, loses all poise and I think plays that ... perhaps we, as 49ers fans, were used to being extended by more mobile quarterbacks ... instead end with Hoyer turtling in the face of a potential sack.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t want any player to take an unnecessary hit or risk. Football is dangerous and quarterbacks are unique in being the most heavily-targeted players on the football field. I don’t want him to stand and take a hit that he shouldn’t. But he got rattled against the Cardinals.

Let’s take a look at the film.

8:01 in 2nd Quarter: 3rd and 3 from ARI 10: Hoyer sacked at ARI 21 for -11 yards (Olsen Pierre)

I didn’t include coaches film for the first sack because pretty much everything is in frame with the broadcast view. Of particular note is the contact near the middle of the field from both the defender and the receiver. Other than that, it’s Laken Tomlinson who is eventually to blame for the pressure an then the sack. This one is pretty cut and dry, as far as I’m concerned.

Also ... look at Trent Brown mauling that poor man on the right side. Nasty.

12:13 in 3rd Quarter: 1st and 20 from ARI 21: Hoyer sacked at ARI 31 for -10 yards (Frostee Rucker, Xavier Williams)

Here we see Hoyer not realizing that Daniel Kilgore is getting beaten badly, and Kilgore gets pushed into him. Hoyer completely loses his poise, backs up and runs right into a sack from the guy that Brandon Fusco half-heartedly blocked. Bad play from the center and the right guard.

The coaches film doesn’t give us a whole lot here, other than the fact that, with another second and a hard-thrown ball, Hoyer has at least three receivers open. His deep options don’t get separation at all, so he’s really just looking at the three players running shallow curls. He has a chance to quickly get the ball out to the guy in the middle, but he doesn’t and pays for it.

2:04 in 4th Quarter: 2nd and 7 from SF 26: Hoyer sacked at SF 23 for -3 yards (Tyrann Mathieu)

Mathieu is barely slowed by Carlos Hyde while the 49ers’ interior line collapses awkwardly to the left. It seems like an obvious safety blitz and I don’t understand why there wasn’t an adjustment on the line call to allow Staley to bounce further out. Instead, they trust in Hyde and he can’t get it done.

Hoyer, by the time he turns around, is looking at his deep options and not his one shallow option. Then again, that shallow option isn’t quite ready for the pass — which would have been short of the sticks on a 2nd and 7 — by the time Hoyer is already under pressure from the blitzing safety.