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GB-SF Grades: Rodgers impressive, Kaepernick struggles

Here are the top takeaways from Sunday’s Green Bay-San Francisco game, including the highest-graded players for each team:

Green Bay Packers

– With the grade everyone wants to check this week, QB Aaron Rodgers (+4.9) made a series of big time throws and kept the errors to a minimum. Only downgraded on two of his 32 attempts, Rodgers pushed his game grade well above the average with a handful of jaw-dropping throws. His TD was one of those—on the move, and threaded to an adjusted route in the back of the end zone—as was his perfectly placed, but dropped, stutter-go to open the game.

– OLB Nick Perry (+1.1) has posted significant positives as a pass rusher in back-to-back games. He hasn’t shown consistency, so keep an eye out to see if he can carry this momentum through next week. Highlighting his day’s work was a second-quarter sack in which he swatted Joe Staley’s hands and burst around the edge to reach Colin Kaepernick.

— The struggles of RT Don Barclay (-2.2) have been well documented, but after a Week 2 performance that saw him equally bad in the pass and run games, and a Week 3 showing that magnified his run game troubles, it was back to the pass protection issues in Week 4. Barclay entered the game with 15 hurries allowed, but hadn’t let anyone get to the QB. That changed this week as he was charged with three sacks and a hit to go along with one more hurry to add to his pile.

Top Performers:

QB Aaron Rodgers (+4.9)

RG T.J. Lang (+3.3)

HB Eddie Lacy (+2.5)

CB Sam Shields (+2.1)

WR James Jones (+2.5)

San Francisco 49ers:

– Sunday brought a mixed bag for LT Joe Staley (+1.5), who picked up the highest grade on the San Francisco O-line, despite surrendering a sack for the third straight game. That alone isn’t particularly noteworthy, but the fact that he hasn’t given up sacks in three consecutive games since the start of the 2008 season might be. The team’s list of issues is not a short one, so they certainly don’t need their remaining cornerstones showing signs of wear.

– At the top of that list of problems is the recent play of QB Colin Kaepernick (-5.2). On the heels of his wild four-pick performance last week, Kaepernick literally bounced balls short, sailed them far over heads or bulleted them behind his receivers throughout this game. Multiple receivers looked frustrated by the misfires and this game, which was never more than two scores out of reach, felt like it was in garbage time for much of the second half.

– LB Aaron Lynch (+1.7) leads the SF defense in total pressures generated (12) after collecting a pair of sacks, a hit, and a hurry on Sunday. Currently the team leader in each of those categories, the second-year edge rusher wore the team’s total pressures crown as a rookie (41), as well. After seeing his production slow late last season, it’s a good jump out of the gate for this key piece in a defense that lost much of its identity in the offseason.

Top Performers:

OLB Aaron Lynch (+1.7)

LG Alex Boone (+1.7)

LT Joe Staley (+1.5)

CB Tramaine Brock (+1.3)

OLB Corey Lemonier (+1.1)

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