Adversity caught up to the 49ers this season. That much has been obvious for weeks — and continued to be obvious during Monday’s 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
But while the team hasn’t been the top-to-bottom powerhouse it was in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, it’s still packed with enough healthy star power to will its way to some tough road wins. An October victory in Seattle and a November triumph in Tampa were both illustrations of that. Stars like quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and receiver Deebo Samuel all made huge splashes in those games to cover the 49ers’ plentiful flaws.
Purdy, Kittle and Samuel all played well again in Miami. But at this point in the season, there were too many blemishes to cover. The 49ers continued languishing on special teams. They committed an inordinate number of penalties. And injuries strained them even further at an indispensable spot, the offensive line.
It was all too much to overcome.
Here are full snap counts and grades from the 49ers’ loss
Quarterback: Purdy (64 snaps)
Game grade: A
The 49ers offense, down to its fifth-string running back and lower-level depth along the offensive line, was obviously hamstrung. But Purdy played a very good game. He delivered on time when the 49ers protected him and evaded much intense pressure. Purdy even made the right decision on his late interception, which was a product of blown protection against a Miami stunt.
Purdy’s splits against Miami
Kept clean: 22-of-29, 271 yards, 9.3 YPA, 2 TD, 2.05 TTT
Under pressure: 4-11, 42 yards, 3.8 YPA, 0 TD, 1 INT, 3.92 TTT
YPA is yards per attempt and TTT is time to throw, the average time between snap and release. Purdy’s 3.92-second average in the second split is extremely high; it’s indicative of the fact that he was running for his life. There’s no NFL quarterback who’s consistently good under pressure. In fact, Purdy’s passer rating of 77.9 when under pressure — which isn’t an efficient mark — actually ranks fifth in the NFL.
Here’s the bottom line: The 49ers will make a long-term investment in Purdy, but they must protect that investment.
Running back/fullback: Patrick Taylor Jr. (51), Kyle Juszczyk (22)
Game grade: D
Taylor had a couple decent runs but finished with only 24 yards. That didn’t outweigh his very shaky performance in the pass game. On consecutive plays in the first half, Taylor dropped a pass that was nearly intercepted and released incorrectly on a route — which again nearly caused a pick.
“I just didn’t get out clean,” Taylor said in the locker room. “I tripped getting out. That was the right read for Brock. It was just on me.”
These problems weren’t surprising. Taylor, after all, is the 49ers’ fifth-string running back. But they were certainly damaging. When Purdy can’t trust his backfield outlet, the offense will suffer. The 49ers can’t wait for a fully healthy Christian McCaffrey to return in 2025.
Wide receiver: Jauan Jennings (60), Deebo Samuel (53), Ricky Pearsall (46), Chris Conley (4), Jacob Cowing (10)
Game grade: C
Samuel bowled over two defenders to score his first touchdown since Week 6 at Seattle. “That felt good, for sure,” he said in the locker room.
It’d been a hellish season for Samuel, who got off to a hot start but hurt his oblique in Week 2 and was hospitalized with pneumonia after Week 7. On Sunday, he rushed for 25 yards on top of his seven-catch, 96-yard performance. Samuel missed the century mark only because a Pearsall illegal formation penalty nullified a huge third-down conversion near the goal line.
That was Pearsall’s second formation penalty of the drive, overshadowing his four-catch performance and drawing a tongue-lashing from 49ers wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson on the sideline.
“Both of those penalties were on me,” Pearsall said in the locker room. “I’ve just got to communicate with my teammate and the ref better. I’ve just got to get better at it.”
The 49ers aren’t worried about Pearsall. Those are growing pains of a rookie playing a significant role in a Shanahan offense, which is known for its complex terminology. But on Sunday, those growing pains might’ve cost the 49ers a win.
Tight end: George Kittle (63), Eric Saubert (10), Brayden Willis, 1
Game grade: A
Through 11 weeks this season, Shanahan had called the fewest screen passes in the NFL — which was a rather shocking development. But over the past four games, Purdy has thrown the third-most screens in the league — and many of them have gone to Kittle. The tight end rumbled to 106 yards on eight catches in Miami.
Kittle is now at 967 receiving yards on the season, so he needs only 33 more yards over the final two games to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year. That would mark the fourth time Kittle, who’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory, has reached the threshold in his career.
Saubert scored his first touchdown for the 49ers on a late play-action release in the end zone.
Offensive line: Colton McKivitz (64), Dominick Puni (64), Jake Brendel (64), Aaron Banks (46), Jaylon Moore (33), Spencer Burford (31), Nick Zakelj (18)
Game grade: D-
The 49ers allowed 16 pressures against Miami, which is too many. The Dolphins, for comparison, allowed only six pressures. Here’s the breakdown:
49ers O-line pressures allowed versus Dolphins
- Brendel: 4
- McKivitz: 3
- Moore: 2
- Burford: 2
- Puni: 2
- Zakelj: 1
Of course, the 49ers were dealt a bad hand. Both Moore and Banks exited the game with injuries, forcing Burford into a left tackle position he hadn’t played since college, and pushing Zakelj into his first meaningful career action. But both of those linemen actually acquitted themselves relatively well. The biggest issues were collective ones, as the 49ers struggled to handle Miami’s exotic stunts and blitzes. The nexus of responsibility there lies with the center, Brendel.
Defensive line: Nick Bosa (56), Maliek Collins (41), Leonard Floyd (30), Yetur Gross-Matos (35), Sam Okuayinonu (21), Jordan Elliott (32), Evan Anderson (29), Kalia Davis (22), Alex Barrett (4)
Game grade: C+
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa averaged the fastest time from snap to release, 2.45 seconds, in Week 16. This severely limited the 49ers’ pass-rushing opportunities. The defense wasn’t nearly as good against the run as it had been over the prior two games, allowing 166 yards on 30 carries.
Part of that is obviously on the defensive line, but it’s worth noting that — outside the win against Chicago’s bumbling offense — the 49ers defense has only been dominant against the run this season when linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga have been simultaneously healthy (in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams). Greenlaw exited this game after four plays, so a line that needs top-notch linebacker support given its Wide-9 alignment didn’t enjoy that.
Elliott committed one of the 49ers’ three costly personal foul penalties.
Linebacker: Fred Warner (67), Dee Winters (51), Greenlaw (4), Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (20)
Game grade: C+
The 49ers removed Greenlaw for precautionary reasons after his right calf acted up early in the game (he tore his left Achilles in last season’s Super Bowl). With De’Vondre Campbell no longer around, Winters enjoyed his most extensive career action and racked up seven tackles.
Warner challenged the team to force a turnover at halftime, thinking it’d be necessary for the 49ers to win. The defense failed in that regard.
“One takeaway in the last five games is just not going to get the job done,” Warner said.
Defensive back: Malik Mustapha (67), Talanoa Hufanga (62), Deommodore Lenoir (67), Charvarius Ward (67), Renardo Green (55), Ji’Ayir Brown (4), Tashaun Gipson Sr. (3)
Game grade: D
The 49ers entered the game as the second-least penalized team in football, so their 11 penalties for 90 yards were jarring. Three of those flags for 45 yards came via personal fouls, two of which were committed by the secondary. Hufanga blindsided a Miami receiver late and Lenoir shoved a Dolphins player after the whistle.
“I let my emotions get the best of me,” Lenoir said in the locker room. “I’ve got to be better.”
The 49ers did make some plays on the back end, namely when Lenoir and Green both successfully covered Miami receiver Tyreek Hill in the end zone. But the defensive backs weren’t airtight in coverage and the personal fouls might’ve cost the 49ers the game.
Special teams
Game grade: F
Shanahan was incensed on the sideline after Moody shanked a 41-yard attempt in the third quarter. He did not give Moody an endorsement when asked about his confidence level in the second-year kicker after the game.
“It wasn’t good out there missing that kick,” Shanahan said. “I don’t know what exactly happened on the snap and the hold, but that’s one he’s gotta make.”
Moody has regressed in 2024. His field goal percentage is down from 84 percent as a rookie to 76.7 percent this season, which ranks No. 31 of 42 qualifying kickers. It’s absolutely worth noting the negative tenor of Shanahan’s comments.