The 49ers ended the season with a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. Here are the grades for the offense:
Colin Kaepernick: B-
Kaepernick had a very slow start, but picked it up in the second half. He led them to 17 points in a span of 4:10 in the third quarter and scrambled for a touchdown of his own in the fourth quarter. Kaepernick played the read-option perfectly when he gave the ball to Frank Gore and barely kept it for himself. His grade could've been higher if the first half was respectable. Otherwise, a good share of his throws were on target but unfortunately was still unable to come up with completions.
Running Backs: B-
Gore was ineffective for the first half, but in the second half, he was playing well. He had great vision of the blocking and was useful for any direction to run. On the last two possessions, he combined for 68 yards on five carries. LaMichael James did have on productive carry for eight yards. However, he also fumbled the ball which eventually led to a Ravens touchdown the other way.
Wide Receivers: B-
If this was Michael Crabtree's grade alone, it would be an "A" easily. He wasn't thrown to as often like other games, but he made the most of his receptions which included a touchdown. Randy Moss had only two receptions for 41 yards which included a 33 yard catch. Moss' poor game was throughout the first half where he was targeted twice and failed to put effort in going for the ball. The first time he was targeted, it ended up being an interception by Ed Reed. Ted Ginn was targeted once and A.J. Jenkins was on the field for a few plays, but failed to record a catch. Jenkins went the entire season without a reception.
Tight Ends: A
One good thing from this game was the involvement of Vernon Davis. He was all over the field to spark the comeback with six receptions for 106 receiving yards. Davis consistent beat Ray Lewis early on against man coverage. Delanie Walker was also active with three receptions for 48 yards. He made a huge block for Gore on his six-yard touchdown run. Walker also contributed on special teams for the ensuing kickoff with a monster tackle.
Offensive line: B
The first half was a disaster with the 49ers being unable to run the ball combined with Anthony Davis giving up a key sack to Paul Kruger on first down. Pass protection for the most part was solid, but it wasn't until the second half where this unit improved dramatically. The running game was successful in the third and fourth quarters with the line providing holes for Gore off the read-option.
Coaching: C-
The first half was flat offensively. They were fortunate to salvage two field goals. The second half was great with 24 points coming off four consecutive scoring drives. There was a good mixture of running game and air attack with balance. When the 49ers were on the seven-yard line on the final possession, they didn't give the ball to Gore and everyone can only look back and what could have been. They shouldn't have depended on Kaepernick's arm compared to the running game that worked so well in the second half.
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