The Houston Texans came into Santa Clara, CA, looking for back-to-back wins against playoff teams. The first half was a shaky start for the Niners, with their new quarterback playing up and down. Throwing a pick but also showing us his talent for extending plays. Going into the half, the game saw the Texans leading 7-3. After a few adjustments and some settling in from Lance, the Niners went on a 20-0 run in the second half. Winning the game 23-7, here are some of the main points I took away from this matchup.
Lance’s Performance
Introducing the Trey Lance to Deebo Samuel connection ? pic.twitter.com/7Rsgcc0zyM
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 2, 2022
Trey Lance had his second start on Sunday and should be very proud of how he handled himself. After a first half where he should’ve been picked off twice and looked like a rookie. He completed 10 of 13 passes but tossed a ball intended for George Kittle, which turned into an interception by Desmond King. This was one of the many instances of his early lack of awareness. Another thing we saw in the first half was he was good at extending plays, and his receivers came back to the ball on multiple occasions, but he needs to be more decisive on non-designed runs. What I mean by that is when he’s scrambling, he should use his athleticism to make defenders miss instead of trying to take them head-on. It’s just a note for his longevity.
The second half saw him complete six of ten passes, and with fewer passes came bigger throws. The first of these big throws was a slant to Brandon Aiyuk for 11 yards that got extended for 43. Aiyuk was fed six targets and caught four passes, non more significant than this one for the Niners. Lance seemed to have built a connection with the speedy YAC monster, which could be a big deal if the Niners get into the playoffs. On their first touchdown drive, there was a lot to be impressed with, but for me, it was his touchdown to Elijah Mitchell that made me feel like Lance was getting better. It was a simple dump-off to Mitchell that scored, but it showed Lance was reading the defense better. This showed again on his touchdown throw to Deebo Samuel as Lance was able to roll out and see Samuel in one on one coverage and exploit it for a touchdown.
Overall this wasn’t an easy game, and the Texans rolled in with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Lance had his growing pains in this game, but he showed Niner Nation what they wanted to see. He completed 69% of his passes, and his throws looked like they cut through the air but didn’t jam any fingers. One thing I took away from this game was that Lance is mentally strong enough to deal with turnovers, and the guys around him are supportive. If the Niners make it to the Playoffs, win or lose, I want to see Lance leading the team, not Jimmy G.
The Defense Doesn’t Need Norman
Ambry Thomas was so close to his 1st Career INT. Dude is a baller and only getting better. #49ers #FTTB pic.twitter.com/rXwZZlB67D
— Juan Salas (@49ersRushPodcst) January 3, 2022
This defense needs to shore up their secondary this offseason. Relying on Josh Norman got us singlehandedly defeated by AJ Brown (Not the Titans). Norman played his lowest snap percentage since Emmanuel Moseley was injured. He drew pass interference calls when he wasn’t getting beat by Brandin Cooks. On the other side, Ambry Thomas had his best game and came within a split second of getting his first interception and maybe even his first TD. This guy has a lot of fire to him, and I’ve enjoyed his progression over the past month. Here’s to hoping Moseley is back next week to face the Rams receiver room.
My other question is, what’s going on with Nick Bosa? He saw his lowest snap percentages since Week 5. This line needs Bosa to be its leading disruptor, and he’s been relatively quiet this past two weeks, including not recording a QB hit or solo tackle this week. The Niners were lucky that the rest of the line could layout Davis Mills eight times and record three sacks. Fred Warner showed out with 15 tackles and is looking in prime form for the Niners. Another player to highlight is Arden Key, who should be getting a contract for his recent performances. On Sunday, he hit Mills a team-leading four times and recorded one sack, not bad for a rotational lineman.
Overall, this team relies on its line to cover up the secondary weakness and will need Bosa to return to form and their safeties and corners to play their asses off. This team has repeatedly proven they can stop teams, but the offense needs to take advantage of situations, so the defense doesn’t tire out and give up points.
Welcome Back Elijah Mitchell
Elijah Mitchell is really good pic.twitter.com/dAsmWptdgM
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) January 2, 2022
Mitchell coming back before the Rams game was absolutely clutch. Mitchell had a big day with 119 yards, but also broke the Niners rookie record for most rushing yards in a season. The most jaw-dropping part of this feat was he did it in ten games. Some people think this guy is just another running back; well, what do they know? This Mitchell kid is the future in San Francisco; he’s fast, decisive, and he runs downhill. In this game, he got his first receiving touchdown of the year, and I think we should get him more involved in that aspect of the game. He’s a threat with the ball in his hands. He had three runs of ten or more yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
A beast and a necessary player for the upcoming game against the LA Rams. Mitchell had 91 yards on 27 carries and helped secure a season-changing match for the 49ers. Once again, he’ll have a chance to change the 49ers’ fortunes against those same Rams. Overall it was nice to see Mitchell back on the field and doing his best to fall forward on every run. That’s probably the best part of his style; he’s never giving up until the whistle blows. Not bad for a sixth-round pick out of Louisana.
Conclusion
The Niners played a game of two halves against the Houston Texans. They were adjusting to having a new quarterback in the first half and made mistakes on both sides that kept the Texans in the game. The second half was a different story as the Niners pulled together came back from a 7-3 deficit to win the game 23-7. The game was good to look at the potential that Lance carries in the NFL as well as what we can look forward to in 2022 from the Niners’ offense.
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