Grading the 49ers win vs. Seattle: Nick Bosa is a pressure machine

SEATTLE — By at least one metric, 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa on Thursday delivered one of the most productive games the NFL has seen from an edge rusher in recent years.

Bosa notched 14 pressures, according to NFL Next Gen Stats (NGS), in the 49ers’ 36-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks. It was the league’s most productive outing in that regard since Bosa notched 14 pressures in a 2022 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Despite that prolifically balanced pass-rushing chart, Bosa wasn’t thrilled — just because he didn’t register a single sack.

“It’s a finishing business,” Bosa said. “Especially when you’re me and you’re expected to finish. There’s a couple close ones there where it was almost ball out, game over. It’s a long year. I just have to look at the tape and try and finish those because that’s what players like me need to do.”

Perhaps there’s a lesson there. The 49ers were good as a team in their big win over Seattle, but they’re still in the early stages of this 2024 journey. And the challenges will get tougher, starting with a visit from the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs next week. The 49ers found another gear Thursday night, but the escalation can’t be over yet — and Bosa knows that.

Quarterback: Brock Purdy (65 snaps)
Game grade: A+

Remember that the Purdy phenomenon really picked up steam at Seattle in 2022, when he played with a broken rib in just his second career start and guided the 49ers to a division-clinching win. Purdy has now started three games in the Pacific Northwest, and the 49ers have won all of them.

He’s the conductor of this 49ers offense, which ripped through the Seahawks defense in the air and on the ground.

Purdy even solved the 49ers’ red-zone issues with his dazzling throws, at least for the night. Both of his touchdown tosses to tight end George Kittle were lasers, but the first went from the far-side hash to the pylon on a line. Remember that football fields are more than 53 yards wide. That was arm talent on display.

Running back/fullback: Jordan Mason (18), Isaac Guerendo (17), Patrick Taylor Jr. (16), Kyle Juszczyk (42)
Game grade: A+

Fans occasionally wonder about Juszczyk’s true value within the 49ers offense. Games like Thursday’s remind us that it is immense. Mason and Taylor both got hurt during the game, so Juszczyk scored the final touchdown himself.

But the fullback’s biggest value came when the 49ers ran 21 personnel — two backs and one tight end — at Seattle’s defense. Juszczyk enables the 49ers to maintain tremendous run-pass adaptability in 21 personnel, and the results were spectacular in this one.

Mason is day-to-day with a sprained AC joint, according to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. He added that Mason would’ve been able to return in an emergency.

Wide receiver: Brandon Aiyuk (62), Deebo Samuel (53), Jauan Jennings (34), Chris Conley (6), Jacob Cowing (1)
Game grade: A

It turns out that Samuel moved faster (20.9 mph) on his 76-yard touchdown reception than Guerendo did on his 76-yard run (20.64 mph) to seal the game, per NGS. So the receiver has bragging rights.

It was Samuel’s third time hitting 20 mph this season and the fastest in-game speed he’s logged since his 2019 rookie season. During training camp, Samuel said he’s lighter now than at any point of his NFL career. That seems to be paying off downfield.

Tight end: George Kittle (57), Eric Saubert (18), Jake Tonges (1)
Game grade: A+

It’s hard to believe that Kittle finished with only six touchdown catches last season after hauling in a hat trick against the Dallas Cowboys on his birthday. But injuries did slow down his receiving production over the back half.

After two more scores in Seattle, Kittle has five touchdowns, and the 49ers are only about a third of the way through the regular season. His initial toe-tapper was spectacular, but both scores highlighted the tight end’s connection with his quarterback.

“It comes down to that component of trust,” Purdy said. “Both touchdowns were just a trust factor.”

Offensive line: Colton McKivitz (65), Dominick Puni (65), Jake Brendel (65), Aaron Banks (51), Trent Williams (64), Spencer Burford (14), Jaylon Moore (1)
Game grade: B

Williams had lofty praise for the rookie Puni after the game.

“I didn’t know he didn’t play right guard in college, which is crazy because he literally has the makings of a Pro-Bowl and All-Pro player at that position,” said the All-Pro himself. “He’s a godsend.”

The 49ers saw struggles only at two O-line positions Thursday. Left guard Aaron Banks allowed four pressures and missed 14 plays due to cramps. Center Jake Brendel allowed a pair of pressures and committed a holding penalty in pass protection.

But the 49ers’ protection has been passable this season. Seattle did not sack Purdy a single time — also a testament to the QB’s escapability — and the offensive efficiency numbers above speak for themselves across both the run and the pass game.

“As long as we can keep Brock upright, he’s going to carve the defense up,” Williams said.

Defensive line: Nick Bosa (68), Maliek Collins (59), Leonard Floyd (51), Kevin Givens (43), Sam Okuayinonu (32), Kalia Davis (31), Robert Beal Jr. (16), Evan Anderson (13)
Game grade: B+

Bosa might be disappointed regarding his lack of sacks, but he and Floyd undoubtedly derailed a lot of Seattle plays with how they roared around the edge. The bookending duo combined for 20 pressures and, according to GPS tracking data, constricted the pocket at prolific levels.

The 49ers also enjoyed four pressures from defensive tackle Maliek Collins, who got to Smith ahead of the late-game interception to 49ers cornerback Renardo Green. Bosa said one of his worst pass rushes came on that play, so he was happy that Collins picked up the slack there.

Linebacker: Fred Warner (78), De’Vondre Campbell (73), Dee Winters (12)
Game grade: A

Warner’s monstrous hit of Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III off a third-down screen pass set a key early-game tone for the 49ers. The star linebacker was also instrumental in the 49ers’ excellent performance on run defense. They allowed the Seahawks only 52 yards on 20 carries, or 2.6 yards per rush.

Don’t underestimate the difficulty of the 49ers’ defensive workload, by the way. Warner was on the field for 78 snaps just four days after he and the 49ers had labored through ultra-hot weather in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals. This was an impressive defensive performance that also saw the 49ers give the youngster Winters some time at the second linebacker spot in place for Campbell.

Defensive back: Ji’Ayir Brown (78), Isaac Yiadom (77), Deommodore Lenoir (75), Renardo Green (71), George Odum (58), Malik Mustapha (20), Darrell Luter Jr. (3)
Game grade: A

If the Seahawks figured that cornerback Charvarius Ward’s absence would set their receiver DK Metcalf up for a big game, they were wrong. Smith targeted Metcalf 11 times, but he caught only three passes for 48 yards — and only two for 18 yards following a 30-yard gain on the opening drive that saw the 49ers crossed up defensively (the linebacker Campbell was covering Metcalf).

Even after the game, Lenoir didn’t back down from Metcalf. Lenoir was instrumental in the 49ers’ first interception, generated by the rookies Mustapha and Green, when he locked up Metcalf on the left side and forced Smith to look right. This was a cohesive effort in coverage.

Special teams: 

Robert Beal Jr. led the 49ers with 19 specials teams snaps and two tackles. Mitch Wishnowsky punted well, pinning the Seahawks inside their 20-yard line three times. The 49ers generated a takeaway on kick coverage when Darrell Luter Jr. punched jarred the ball from Seattle returner Laviska Shenault. Rookie Tatum Bethune recovered it. The 49ers would’ve had a second special teams takeaway on punt coverage if not for the NFL’s botched replay review process, which somehow didn’t have access to all of the television broadcast’s camera angles.

That’s the second straight week in which the 49ers special teams unit has delivered positive-value plays. But they also let up a very damaging one when Shenault evaded tackle attempts from Jaylen Mahoney and Jalen Graham on his way to a 97-yard kick return. That score might’ve singlehandedly kept Seattle in the game.

Friday saw good news on backup 49ers kicker Matthew Wright, who briefly dislocated his shoulder trying to make a tackle. X-rays came back negative, so the 49ers — who already have starter Jake Moody on injured reserve — likely won’t need their third different kicker in three weeks when the Kansas City Chiefs come calling.

Game grade: C-