Grades from 49ers slugfest win vs. Cowboys in NFL playoffs

49ers Offensive Grades vs. Cowboys

Quarterback

Brock Purdy was rattled, inaccurate, inefficient, reckless at times with the football, and generally uncomfortable with a fast and aggressive Dallas defense.

In the end, it didn’t really matter all too much.

This isn’t to say that Purdy played incredibly poorly. Dallas got after him, and to finish 19-of-29 for 214 yards on throws that attacked the intermediate part of the field was a good performance in the second half for the rookie signal-caller.

But the 49ers offense was unable to get anything going, and part of that had to do with Purdy being flushed by pressure and running into the edges of the Cowboys defense. Against a Philadelphia Eagles defense perhaps more equipped to rush the passer with speed, some things will have to change.

But the only thing that matters is a win right now, and Purdy played well enough for that.

Grade: C

Running Backs

The 49ers rushing attack was woefully inefficient, but how much of that was due to the running backs themselves remains to be seen. As it stands, the running backs, particularly Christian McCaffrey, were adept at getting the yards they needed.

This grade, though, will be severely dampened by Elijah Mitchell’s decision to go out of bounds with 1:40 left to go in the game.

It was a loss of judgment from a player who will know better now, but it could have cost San Francisco the game.

Grade: D+

Wide Receivers

The 49ers passing attack was not truly able to get going, and so there’s very little to say about how the receivers played. They made do with their opportunities, but the unit as a whole finished with 97 yards on eight receptions.

Not much more to say.

Grade: B

Tight Ends

George Kittle was the way the 49ers gained explosive plays in the game. He had two huge receptions, including this gem, as he finished with 95 yards on five receptions.

A big-time game from one of the Niners’ big-time players.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

The 49ers offensive line was getting beaten soundly in the first half. Perhaps the worst half the unit has had in the 12-game winning streak. But they were eventually able to get some bearing, especially in the second half in the run game.

San Francisco’s inefficiency on the ground at 3.5 yards per carry is an issue that’ll have to be fixed up front next week, though.

Grade: D