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

The 49ers walked out of Seattle as NFC West Champions with a 21-13 victory over the Seahawks. Here are the grades from the tough win.

The San Francisco 49ers were at a crossroads this season: a 3-4 record with a scuffling offense and a just-acquired running back in Christian McCaffrey.

Their plan for the season, to develop quarterback Trey Lance while still winning games, was already shattered. But at that point, things began to change, and the hot streak that has now included seven consecutive wins continued with a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday Night Football in Week 15, clinching the NFC West.

This is only the second time under head coach Kyle Shanahan the Niners have won in Seattle, and the second time they’ve won the division.

With Brock Purdy under center, San Francisco’s offense was able to move down the field, but getting points was hard to come by until a brilliant play design by Shanahan got tight end George Kittle a wide-open touchdown:

Then, the game continued to stagnate until linebacker Dre Greenlaw, with less than a minute to go in the first half, forced a fumble and allowed the 49ers to subsequently punch it in with McCaffrey to take a 14-3 lead heading into the half:

The 49ers doubled up out of the half with a wide-open touchdown to Kittle, and from there, it was time to hold on until the game was over.

They did just enough to walk out with a win and the division, and here are the grades from the contest.

49ers Offensive Grades vs. Seahawks

Quarterback

Brock Purdy was dealing with an oblique injury from the previous week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it seemed to impact his ability to drive the ball in the pocket.

However, that potential caveat aside, Purdy continued to exceed expectations as a rookie starter taken in the seventh round. His game was largely faciliatory, with the Niners offense giving him openings that he could operate with. When the Seahawks busted on coverage, Purdy was able to take advantage of it with two touchdown passes to George Kittle.

And then, with the game on the line late, Purdy was able to convert on 3rd-and-1.

The biggest issue for Purdy was a near-interception that safety Quandre Diggs was unable to bring in. The quarterback telegraphed the pass the entire way through, and it was a brief reminder that Purdy is going to go through his rookie issues.

But if this is the standard of play San Francisco should expect, it won’t miss a beat.

Grade: B-

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey was the difference-maker on offense for the 49ers. He finished with 108 yards on 26 carries, but it was his constant ability to churn yards.

That doesn’t even begin to mention his impact on the passing game. From being an available outlet to the sheer attention he received, McCaffrey’s 30 yards on six receptions do not do justice to how impactful he was.

Much like the 49ers turnaround this season, it all started with CMC.

Bonus points to rookie Jordan Mason, who iced the game with two tough-nosed runs, including a 55-yard burst that nearly scored.

Grade: A

Wide Receivers

The Niners’ receivers were not nearly as impressive this game, but that was also a byproduct of the game plan in general.

Jauan Jennings had 31 yards with some critical third-down receptions, and Ray-Ray McCloud was able to convert one third down as well. But Brandon Aiyuk, in taking over as WR1 without Deebo Samuel, had only two catches for 19 yards, including a brutal drop that would have continued a drive that ended with kicker Robbie Gould missing a field goal.

Grade: C+

Tight Ends

Kittle re-emerged as the focal point for San Francisco’s passing attack, and while his yards largely came off coverage busts with smart plays, 93 yards on four receptions with two touchdowns, that’ll play.

Even backup tight end Tyler Kroft had a nice catch late.

Grade: A+

Offensive Line

The 49ers offensive line was effective if not overpowering. The Seahawks were able to get some push on a few plays, but it never felt like the Niners were unable to control the trenches.

That said, with the Seahawks ranking towards the very bottom defending against the run coming into the game, it was more disappointing to see the results not favor a much more dominant San Francisco rushing attack.

Grade: B

49ers Defensive Grades vs. Seahawks

Defensive Line

The 49ers defensive line ran roughshod over the Seahawks, and quarterback Geno Smith never had a chance to be comfortable.

The defense had nine quarterback hits, three sacks, one pressure that should have caused a pick-six but was called back because of an atrocious roughing-the-passer call, and held Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III to 3.9 yards per carry, much of which came off a single run for 15 yards.

Grade: A

Linebackers

The Niners have the best linebacking group in the NFL, and their play continued on Thursday night. Dre Greenlaw forced a vicious fumble that eventually gave San Francisco a lead it would not relinquish and almost had an interception.

The linebackers in general played their cues well, and they controlled the middle of the field.

Grade: A

Secondary

The 49ers secondary was going to be tested, and it passed the test… for the most part.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward, in particular, played well against Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, not allowing him much space. Smith got his yards, but it was overly inefficient, with 238 yards coming on 5.4 yards per attempt.

The one issue was a coverage bust by safety Talanoa Hufanga on Seattle’s second-half touchdown, a slowly growing concern.

Overall, though, it was a cohesive effort by the back end.

Grade: B

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.