Hoyer passes eye test in loss
After Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman read quarterback Brian Hoyer’s eyes on the game’s first play Thursday night, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan did the same moments later.
Was Hoyer OK? At that moment, he was the embattled leader of an offense that didn’t have a touchdown in eight-plus quarters, and he’d just giftwrapped a telegraphed interception to put his team in a 7-0 hole after 12 seconds.
To booing fans, the eye test was easy: Hoyer was hopeless.
But Shanahan performed his own ocular examination.
“I just went up and talked to him, looked in his eyes,” Shanahan said. “He looked fine. He said, ‘I’m ready to go. I’ll be all right.’ He responded pretty well the next drive.”
Hoyer responded well for most of the final 59 minutes and 48 seconds of a 41-39 loss to the Rams at Levi’s Stadium in which the 49ers scored their most points since 2013.
After his opening error, Hoyer completed 23 of 36 passes for 332 yards and had three total touchdowns, including a 9-yard run. That translates to a 112.3 passer rating. His rating on the season after his first-play pick: 53.1.
“Obviously, we don’t want to put our defense in that situation on the first play of the game,” Hoyer said. “That’s not fair to them. But you just go and you keep playing.”
Hoyer’s seven-team, nineyear career has taught him how to dust himself off.
He’s had his season end due to injuries (torn ACL, broken arm) and starting spots lost due to benchings (Cleveland in 2014, Houston in 2015). He’s thrown a career-high four interceptions in his only playoff start and was again dealing with job-security whispers entering Thursday after just two starts with the 49ers.
However, Hoyer has shown enough flashes to inspire Shanahan to target him in free agency and make him his unquestioned starter.
Hoyer’s performance Thursday, for example, marked his fifth 300-yard game in his past eight starts, and he averaged 14.4 yards per attempt thanks to five completions of 30-plus yards. Playing for Cleveland in 2014, in his only other season with Shanahan, Hoyer led the NFL in yards per completion (13.7).
“You definitely respect a guy like that who keeps playing no matter what happens,” wide receiver Pierre Garcon said. “That’s what you want on your team.”
What happened on the game’s first play initially appeared to influence Shanahan’s play-calling.
The 49ers began their second drive with four runs. Then, in the second quarter, Shanahan called for a run to Carlos Hyde that gained two yards on 3rd-and-18 from the Rams’ 20.
A lack of confidence in Hoyer? The quarterback termed Shanahan’s decision a “smart call.”
“Your chances of converting that are probably pretty low,” Hoyer said. “They know that you’re just trying to take the field goal. I really don’t know a play that anyone could call.”
In a game the 49ers never led, Shanahan eventually had to turn Hoyer loose. And he responded despite taking some hellacious hits. The Rams had four sacks and seven quarterback hits, but the biggest wallop didn’t show up on the stat sheet. In the third quarter, All-Pro tackle Aaron Donald pile drove Hoyer to the turf as he fired a 19-yard completion to Garcon and Donald drew a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Hoyer was slow to get up after a few big shots, and Shanahan said that’s probably why rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard began warming up on the sideline in the first half. Shanahan assumed quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello told Beathard to be ready.
“There was never a thought of making a change,” Shanahan said. “I didn’t even see that Beathard warmed up.”
After the game’s first play, plenty of fans might have welcomed Beathard.
But Hoyer passed the eye test. And his performance means there’s no quarterback controversy in sight. Briefly: Shanahan said defensive tackle Tank Carradine has a high ankle sprain that’s severe enough for the 49ers to consider placing him on short-term injured reserve. He indicated a decision would probably be made Monday . ... Shanahan said he would be “shocked” if inside linebacker Reuben Foster, who also has a high ankle sprain, is ready to play against the Cardinals on Oct. 1 . ... Safety Jaquiski Tartt, linebacker Brock Coyle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk are in the concussion protocol . ... Shanahan was asked what he saw on wide receiver Trent Taylor’s controversial offensive pass-interference call on the 49ers’ final drive. Shanahan: “I saw a very good route.”