Report card: Gabbert a bright spot, but same dreary result for 49ers

Offense: Blaine Gabbert showed nice command and poise with an end-of-half drive that went 92 yards and ended with tight end Vance McDonald’s first-ever touchdown catch. Gabbert continued that momentum in the second half, but his efforts merely allowed the 49ers to save a bit of face in a game they still lost by 16 points. Grade: B-

Defense: A unit that was brimming with energy in a win over the Falcons was decidedly flat in Seattle. Longtime tormenter Marshawn Lynch is absent? No matter. His undrafted rookie backup, Thomas Rawls, ran for 209 yards and scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown. Another rookie, wide receiver Tyler Lockett, scored two touchdowns. Grade: D-

Special teams: Bruce Ellington dodged a big error when his fumbled kick return bounced out of bounds. Bradley Pinion’s strong directional punting bodes well for the future. And 40-year-old kicker Phil Dawson hasn’t missed a field goal since his Week 1 attempt was blocked. He’s a free agent after the season. Grade: C+

Overall: The 49ers’ pattern this year has been to take a step forward and then a couple of pronounced stumbles backward. They stuck to that script in Seattle, where the Seahawks struggled against the division-leading Cardinals a week earlier but had few problems with the cellar-dwelling 49ers. Grade: D

Matt Barrows

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 4:32 PM.