Santa Clara – The Forty-Four have reported more than their fair share of injuries Coming off a 35-7 victory Over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But even with the uncertainty with many players, Including wide receiver Deebo SamuelThe 49ers were satisfied with their new quarterback and their team’s overall performance.
“We’ve got a quarterback,” said 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa Rookie quarterback Brock Purdywho became the first quarterback to earn his first NFL win against a team captained by Tom Brady.
It was a full day, and so did a lot of his teammates.
Here’s a look at the 49ers report card from their comprehensive Week 14 victory over Tampa Bay at Levi’s Stadium:
The crime of rushing
The 49ers tried to ease the Buk defense by focusing on the passing game to open up the game. Christian McCaffrey got his first carry on the fifth play for 49 from scrimmage and shredded for 21 yards.
The 49ers dominated the game on the ground, rushing for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 36 attempts.
Samuel got the 49ers on the board when he took a layup, turned the corner and somehow got into the end zone.
McCaffrey put the game away with a 38-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. He finished with 119 yards on 14 rushes. Rookie Jordan Mason came in and added 56 yards on 11 rushes.
Grade: a
pass offense
Purdy did everything the 49ers asked of him in his first NFL game. . . And then some.
He showed off his motor skills early in the second quarter when he scrambled 2 yards for a touchdown. On the 49ers’ next offensive play, he ran off rushing and found Samuel on an 18-yard contest.
Purdy finished with 16 completions on 21 attempts for 185 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions thrown. He had a 27-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey and a 32-yard pass to Brandon Ayuk.
The 49ers offensive line protected Purdy well, as he was not sacked in the game.
Grade: a
rush defense
The Buccaneers averaged 3.6 yards per carry, and the 49ers made Tampa Bay one-dimensional. Rashad White gained 56 yards on 13 attempts while Leonard Fournette was a absolute non-factor with 13 yards on four attempts.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was all over the place on the 49ers defense with 15 tackles.
Late in the game, the 49ers had their third touchdown of the game when Jimmy Ward forced White’s tackle and linebacker Aziz Al Shaer to fumble.
Grade: a
pass defense
Tom Brady was having a rough and tumble day against the 49ers defense.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion threw for 253 yards against the 49ers defense, but lost a lot of skin getting there.
Brady completed 34 of 55 pass attempts with 1 touchdown pass and throwing 2 interceptions. Tashawn Gibson and Greenlaw recorded two interceptions, as Brady’s passer rating was a game-low 63.7.
The 49ers picked up no sacks against Brady, who stuck to the short pass game. But San Francisco has had enough pressure to make things very difficult.
Grade: a
special teams
Robbie Gould was called for extra points, not field goals. No one with the 49ers complained about this turn of events.
Returning man Ray-Ray McCloud had a good day averaging 14.3 yards on three punts and a 27.0 average on kickoffs.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky had a 44.7 average (37.7 net) on three-pointers.
Grade: a
training
The 49ers have installed solid game plans on offense and defense against the NFC-leading Buccaneers.
Coach Kyle Shanahan took advantage of Birdie’s offensive management skills. He saw something in the second quarter that caused him to call a play that wasn’t in the game plan. Purdyy’s 32-yard touchdown pass on a double drive was the score.
Defensively, the 49ers kept Brady bottled up and removed any ability from the Bucs to make big plays.
Grade: a
Inclusive
The 49ers and Buccaneers are two teams that appear to be heading towards the playoffs.
The 49ers left no doubt on Sunday, taking a 35-0 lead and trailing in the last 29 minutes of the game.
Related: Where the 49ers stand in the NFC playoff picture after Week 14
The 49ers didn’t blink after Samuel went down with an ankle injury, as the team has shown an ability to stay focused through adversity.
Grade: a
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