PFF grades show 49ers offense’s power, defense’s lapses vs. Seahawks

PFF grades show 49ers offense’s power, defense’s lapses vs. Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There was some good, some impressive but still some ugly Thursday night in the 49ers’ 36-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks, according to their PFF grades.

On offense, San Francisco’s star power shined brightly, with momentum-changing plays by George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brock Purdy. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo also contributed when starter Jordan Mason left the game with a shoulder injury, gaining 99 yards on 10 carries, including a 76-yard run that essentially sealed the Seahawks’ fate.

The 49ers’ 2024 rookie class stepped up on defense in the team’s moments of need, with both cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha snagging interceptions. The two young defenders were thrown into the mix because of injuries to veteran starters Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward.

For as much as the 49ers did right — which was enough to pull out a win — they made enough mistakes to allow their 20-point lead to shrink to six in the third quarter. Lavishka Shenault’s 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was a major mistake, but so was San Francisco’s defense racking up double-digit missed tackles for the third week in a row with 13.

The defenders who missed tackles were:

CB Deommodore Lenoir: 4

LB De’Vondre Campbell: 2

DE Nick Bosa: 2

LB Fred Warner: 2

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown: 1

CB Isaac Yiadom: 1

DL Kevin Givens: 1

The 49ers also missed 19 tackles in a Week 4 win over the New England Patriots and 12 in their Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Here are the PFF’s Week 6 grades on San Francisco:

Defense

CB Renardo Green: 76.7

Green allowed five catches on 11 targets for 57 yards and one touchdown, and he made one interception. The rookie also received credit for forcing Seahawks star DK Metcalf out of bounds to prevent a touchdown just before halftime.

Safety Malik Mustapha: 80.2

Mustapha received the second-highest overall grade on defense even though he was on the field for just 20 snaps before he left with an ankle injury. The rookie recorded two tackles, one pass breakup and one interception.

CB Deommodore Lenoir: 50.5

The physical cornerback recorded eight tackles (six solo), but he also was charged with missing four. He broke up one pass but allowed seven catches on 10 targets for 67 yards.

LB Fred Warner: 61.4

An abnormal day for the All-Pro, who registered 11 total tackles (six solo) but missed two. He also allowed catches on all 11 targets for 102 yards, but he also broke up one pass and forced a fumble.

DL Evan Anderson: 93.3

Anderson was on the field for just 13 snaps and managed two QB pressures — both hurries — in four pass rushes. The rookie also received credit for two tackles.

DL Nick Bosa: 75.3

Bosa led the 49ers with 14 total hurries — 12 hurries and two QB hits — which is the second most of any player in the NFL this season (Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson tallied 15 in Week 4 against Seattle). It also ties his career high from 2022 Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams.

San Francisco’s D-line had 31 total pressures.

Leonard Floyd: 52.2 pass-rush grade, one hit, five hurries

Maliek Collins: 59.2 pass-rush grade, one hit, three hurries

Sam Okuayinonu: 70.3 pass-rush grade, one sack, two hurries

Kevin Givens: 56.0 pass-rush grade, two hurries

The 49ers pressured Geno Smith on 24 of his 53 drop-backs (45.3 percent) and blitzed six times (11.3 percent).

Offense

QB Brock Purdy: 76.5

Purdy completed 18 of 28 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, good for a 129.3 rating. When under pressure, he completed 9 of 13 passes for 159 yards, two TDs and a 142.6 rating.

Purdy was under pressure on 17 of his 31 drop-backs and didn’t take a single sack, giving him a 12.8 percent pressure-to-sack rate this season, sixth best in the league.

Purdy’s average depth of target was just 7.3 yards, his lowest mark of the season, after he’d aired out the ball in three consecutive games against the Rams (11.3), Patriots (14.7) and Cardinals (9.8). His second lowest was an 8.8-yard average depth of target in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The 49ers’ offense returned to using play action Thursday with a season-high 29 percent, and Purdy completed 4 of 8 passes for 106 yards, one touchdown and a 135.4 rating.

Purdy also was 7 of 11 for 174 yards, three touchdowns and a 146.8 passer rating on throws of 10 yards or more downfield.

RB Jordan Mason: 86.6

Mason had nine carries for 73 yards — 54 after contact — and forced four missed tackles before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. He leads the NFL in rushing yards (606), yards after contact (394), missed tackles forced on runs (29), and runs of 10 or more yards downfield.

WR Deebo Samuel: 78.9

Samuel caught three of his five targets for 102 yards — 73 after the catch — and forced three missed tackles as a receiver.

TE George Kittle: 80.6

Kittle caught five of his six targets, two which were contested, for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

Offensive line

RG Dominick Puni: 87.8

The rookie topped the offense with a 90.3 run-blocking grade, including a block to help spring Isaac Guerendo on his 76-yard run. Puni did allow two hurries.

LT Trent Williams: 71.4 overall, 84.9 pass-blocking grade, one hurry

LG Aaron Banks: 64.3 overall, 56.4 pass-blocking grade, one hit, three hurries

LG Spencer Burford: 27.2 overall, 24 pass-blocking grade, no pressures

Center Jake Brendel: 64.2 overall, 45.7 pass-blocking grade, two hurries

RT Colton McKivitz 57.3 overall, 78.1 pass blocking grade, one hurry

Now, 49ers players will have a few extra days of rest before they reconvene Monday to prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 visit to Levi’s Stadium in a Super Bowl LVIII rematch.

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