Game grades, analysis from 49ers division-clinching win over Seahawks

49ers Special Teams and Coaching Grades vs. Seahawks

Special Teams

The good: Ray-Ray McCloud continues to give the Niners yards on the margin. He’ll be due for a touchdown soon, but even if it does not come, the extra yards made all the difference in a game determined by field position.

That was the only positive, though.

Mitch Wishnowsky was decent but not as impactful as he usually is punting, and on every field-goal attempt, the Seahawks got major pressure on the left side. It was enough to, from one perspective, get Robbie Gould to push his lone field-goal try to the left, one that would have given San Francisco a three-possession lead and functionally ended the game.

Grade: D

Coaching

There is not much more that can be said about how Kyle Shanahan and DeMeco Ryans have operated this year. Ryans continued his surefire ascent to a head-coaching position with another strong game plan, but Shanahan’s work must be commended this season, too.

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Against a division rival with the division on the line and a rookie third-string quarterback, Shanahan had the offense working, doing just enough to get out of Seattle with a win.

Phenomenal work.

Grade: A-

The 49ers will celebrate the division with a mini-bye week before playing the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve, looking to potentially claim the No. 2 seed in the NFC.