49ers report card: Depleted defense caves to obvious Rodgers-Adams alliance

SANTA CLARA — Here is how the 49ers (2-1) graded in Sunday night’s 30-28 home-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers (2-1):

PASS OFFENSE: C-

All hail Kyle Juszczyk for crashing across the goal line for a last-minute (ah, but not last-second) touchdown, and for clutches catches by George Kittle and Deebo Samuel earlier on that drive. So what about Jimmy Garoppolo? His detractors can attack those four errant throws on the final drive, his first interception of the season, and, most of all, his backward-pass turnover in the fourth quarter. But he has a vital ability lead a hurry-up, move-the-ball drive, which he did on this final possession as well as last game’s touchdown drive before halftime in Philadelphia. Brandon Aiyuk scored a touchdown, but something still seems off with him. Anyone seen Trent Sherfield, who split reps with Aiyuk in Week 1?

RUN OFFENSE: F

Never has the 49ers’ rushing attack seemed so barebones under Kyle Shanahan, even though injuries annually dishevel that corps. There clearly is a lack of trust in Trey Sermon (10 carries, 31 yards, fourth-quarter touchdown plunge). Sermon scored by going vertical, but his lateral, stutter steps and inconsistent hands as a receiver seem why he’s been buried on the depth chart. Sermon is essentially the No. 5 option considering those injured ahead of him (Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty, Elijah Mitchell). The 49ers made sure to get the ball to even others (Juszczyk, Aiyuk, Samuel and Trey Lance) than give a carry to the newer, untested rushers in Trenton Cannon, Kerryon Johnson and Jacques Patrick. Cannon’s speed, however, merits him getting looks in the outside-zone scheme. Lance should get more snaps, too, although Shanahan made sure to note after the game that “You’re not going to just play him like a running back. That (touchdown on a situational play) doesn’t change anything.”

PASS DEFENSE: F

Allowing Aaron Rodgers to continually find Davante Adams is what cost the 49ers. Adams had 12 catches on 18 (EIGHTEEN) targets for 132 yards, including their first touchdown (Deommodore Lenoir got crossed up) and two final catches to set up the winning field goal. Fred Warner just missed breaking up Adams’ penultimate catch at midfield, and Warner earlier got flagged for one of the 49ers’ three pass-interference penalties on third down, but he wasn’t this game’s main culprit. Rodgers got sacked only once (Arik Armstead) on 34 pass plays, with a third-stringer making his first start at left tackle against Nick Bosa & Co. The cornerback crew has been in chaos since Jason Verrett’s Week 1 exit. So with Josh Norman (chest) hurt, and with Lenoir having rookie growing pains, it’s again time to ponder Richard Sherman. It would be a reunion that John Lynch seemed to embrace last week in echoing Sherman’s own words about a “momentary lapse of judgment” regarding an offseason arrest. By the way, nice hit by Jimmie Ward on Adams, even if it only knocked him out of the game for stunningly only one play.

RUN DEFENSE: C

Nick Bosa lost containment on the edge as Aaron Jones raced by for a touchdown to highlight his otherwise pedestrian day (19 carries, 82 yards, 12-yard long). Azeez Al-Shair had 10 tackles and Warner eight, but none for loss. Most runs came on early downs before Aaron Rodgers would air it out against a suspect secondary. Next up is Seahawks’ power runner Chris Carson.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

The 49ers awoke from their 17-0 slumber once Cannon zipped 68 yards on a kickoff return, setting up Lance’s score for their first touchdown. Cannon also made a solid tackle on punt coverage and is the frontrunner for this unit’s Grass Goon award. Robbie Gould made all four point-after kicks, the last of which put the 49ers in the lead with 37 seconds until heartbreak. Too bad Javon Kinlaw didn’t block a field-goal attempt for a second straight week.

COACHING: F

So much to second guess. Like the defensive strategy against Adams, especially at the end. Like the decision to punt on fourth-and-1 at midfield, down 10-0. Like the offensive script that again backfired at the start. Should they have stalled before the go-ahead touchdown? Look, this offense has never been a red-zone juggernaut under Shanahan, so get the lead when you can, and this is not my main quibble. First-year coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ too-vanilla defense must be more intimidating and productive, especially with a healthy Nick Bosa, yet they couldn’t safely kill 37 seconds.