49ers report card: The ABCs of winning in Seattle weren’t easy to spell
SEATTLE — Here is how the 49ers (3-3) graded in Sunday’s 36-24 win Thursday night over the host Seattle Seahawks (3-3):
PASS OFFENSE: A-
Brock Purdy delivered three touchdown passes, committed no turnovers, eluded defenders without getting sacked, and posted a 129.3 passer rating. But enough about how he outplayed his counterpart Geno Smith. Purdy’s trust in George Kittle produced two of those touchdown passes, the first on a 10-yard grab with fancy footwork at the front pylon for a 23-3 lead, then the latter being a 9-yard third-down catch with 6 ½ minutes remaining. Deebo Samuel came out of relative hibernation and delivered a 76-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run, then shook off a fourth-quarter injury to battle for more yards. Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Kyle Juszczyk also made key catches. Trent Williams said the offensive line is gelling right now, and Spencer Burford filled in during the second half when Aaron Banks battled leg cramps.
RUN OFFENSE: A
Jordan Mason rebounded from last game’s lost fumble and took the NFL rushing lead with 73 yards, but he could only last nine carries before exiting with a shoulder injury, the severity of which is unknown. Mason’s exit opened the door for rookie Isaac Guerendo, Deebo Samuel, and the rarely seen Patrick Taylor Jr. to fill the ground-game void, which they did impressively. The 49ers thoroughly practiced an outside-zone run that resulted in Guerendo’s 76-yard sprint down the right sideline. It was the rookie speedster’s greatest showcase yet, even though he went down at the 5-yard line to Kyle Shanahan’s dismay. That run set the stage for Kyle Juszczyk’s 6-yard touchdown run (his first of the season) with 1:17 remaining. Overall, the 49ers ran for a season-high 228 yards (33 carries).
PASS DEFENSE: B+
Rookies Malik Mustapha and Renardo Green each recorded their first career interception. Mustapha’s came on the opening series (before an ankle injury forced his exit), and Green’s came in the fourth quarter to set up Kittle’s second touchdown. Fellow cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Isaac Yiadom helped deny D.K. Metcalf from impacting the outcome (three catches on 11 targets, 48 yards). Geno Smith (30-of-52, 312 yards) threw only one touchdown pass, and it came on fourth-and-9 to cap a drive that took 4 1/2 heavy minutes off the clock and left only 1:44. Nick Bosa didn’t record a sack and instead had 14 pressures that tied for the most in a game over the last four seasons, a mark set by him two years ago against the Rams. Sam Okuayinonu got the 49ers’ lone sack in the final minute.
RUN DEFENSE: A
Fred Warner had a team-high 11 tackles, he broke up a pass, and he forced his fourth fumble this season (the Seahawks recovered it). The 49ers knew Kenneth Walker III commanded more carries after just five in Seattle’s loss Sunday to the New York Giants, and so they were ready for him. Walker had 14 carries and just 32 yards. Zach Charbonnet had 20 yards on five carries. The Seahawks’ 52 yards and 2.6-yard average per carry were the fewest totals against the 49ers’ run defense this season. Ji’Ayir Brown, Mustapha and Okuayinonu each made a tackle for loss, while five other defenders combined on stops for no gain.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Darrell Luter forced a fumble on a kick return and Tatum Bethune recovered as the 49ers were building a 16-0 lead. More first-half highlights came when kicker Matthew Wright — whose name Kyle Shanahan just learned on Wednesday — made all three of his field-goal attempts. Wright banged up his shoulder making a tackle on his final kickoff, so stay tuned on whether the 49ers might need a third kicker in as many games. As is the case weekly with this unit, a major mistake ruined the mood, this time with a 97-yard kick return from Laviska Shenault in the third quarter to spark Seattle’s comeback bid from a 23-3 deficit.
COACHING: C
Had the 49ers blown a 20-point lead and fallen to 0-3 in the NFC West … Nevermind. Didn’t happen. Coach Kyle Shanahan insisted he did not let negative thoughts enter his mindset regarding this season’s past collapses to Arizona and Los Angeles. All three phases of the 49ers did rally down the stretch, however. Nick Sorensen need not look over his shoulder for Robert Saleh. Next challenge: beat Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time in Shanahan’s eight seasons.