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The 49ers are in a world of hurt.
In a phone conversation Sunday night, a few hours after the team lost 26-21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Brock Purdy told coach Kyle Shanahan that his toe was starting to bother him again.
Purdy had missed the previous two games with turf toe. Soreness persisted into Monday morning and, thanks to the 49ers’ quick turnaround ahead of a Thursday game against the Los Angeles Rams, immediately threatened Purdy’s availability for this key NFC West matchup.
“When guys are sore and hurting on a Monday, you usually don’t stress too much about it,” Shanahan said. “But, anytime you have a Thursday game, it’s a totally different element. So yeah, I’m concerned with anybody who’s not totally healthy at this moment.”
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That includes receiver Ricky Pearsall, who exited Sunday’s loss after taking a hard fall on the knee. Shanahan said Pearsall’s injury probably isn’t severe — “they’re thinking more of a minor PCL,” he said — but the timing is poor, especially since fellow wideout Jauan Jennings had to labor through Sunday’s game with shoulder, ankle, and rib injuries.
The 49ers will practice lightly Tuesday before jetting down to Los Angeles, where they’re 5.5-point underdogs. Here are snap counts and grades from Sunday’s loss.
Quarterback: Purdy (66 snaps)
Game grade: C
This wasn’t the best performance of Purdy’s career. But, especially given health circumstances, it wasn’t a terrible one. He passed for more than 300 yards and committed only one turnover-worthy throw, the ugly second-half interception to linebacker Devin Lloyd. The first pick came off an extremely difficult throw that hit Christian McCaffrey’s hands.
Purdy also made several good throws to keep the 49ers in the game. Many of them came under duress, since Jacksonville racked up 16 pressures. Without the 49ers’ staggering five drops, Purdy’s completion rate would’ve again been above 70%.
Running back/fullback: Christian McCaffrey (56), Brian Robinson Jr. (10), Kyle Juszczyk (23)
Game grade: C
The 49ers are one of three NFL teams that have yet to pop off a run of 20 or more yards. A full month into the season, that’s a shocking stat. They also don’t have a rushing touchdown, as McCaffrey’s spectacular score came off a shovel pass.
But that play was evidence that McCaffrey still has plenty of juice. So is his consistent production in the receiving game. The 49ers’ problems running the ball seem rooted in the defenses they’ve faced (the improving explosive pass rate above can make running easier), game script problems (giveaways put them in a two-score hole), and suboptimal blocking (they sorely miss tight end George Kittle).
Wide receiver: Jennings (48), Pearsall (37), Kendrick Bourne (44), Skyy Moore (8), Demarcus Robinson (25)
Game grade: D
So much for the limited role the 49ers had planned for Jennings, who entered with an ankle injury. Pearsall’s early exit forced the 49ers to lean more into Jennings, who hurt his ribs taking a huge shot on a two-point conversion.
Although Pearsall, Jennings, and Robinson made one spectacular catch apiece, drops marred the performance of this position group. Bourne’s three drops were especially brutal, while Jennings should’ve held onto a lower throw from Purdy in the red zone.
Tight end: Tonges (45), Luke Farrell (32), Brayden Willis (2)
Game grade: C-
Tonges is blossoming into a reliable receiver, and that may prove handy beyond Kittle’s return, which can happen as soon as Week 6. But his counterpart, Farrell, made a huge miscue that set a tone for the miserable afternoon. Farrell fumbled on the 49ers’ second drive after he’d had more than enough time to cradle the ball away to safety. Thus began the giveaway parade.
Offensive line: Trent Williams (66), Connor Colby (66), Jake Brendel (66), Dominick Puni (66), Colton McKivitz (66)
Game grade: D+
Guess what: McKivitz is Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-graded pass-blocking right tackle. He’s ranked second in overall grade at the position behind Detroit’s Penei Sewell. That’s massive progress for a lineman who ranked near the bottom of the league just two seasons ago.
Unfortunately, the 49ers’ front has been leaky elsewhere — particularly left guard, where the rookie Colby has allowed 10 pressures over his first two career starts.
Despite allowing those four pressures, Williams actually grades out as PFF’s No. 5 tackle. This indicates that he’s picking up slack for Colby on the left side.
Both Brendel and Puni are registering near the middle of the pack at their respective positions (although former 49er Arik Armstead overwhelmed their part of the line to seal the game for Jacksonville), leaving left guard as the glaring problem point. Starter Ben Bartch must spend at least two more games on injured reserve.
Defensive line: Mykel Williams (46), Bryce Huff (38), Jordan Elliott (42), Kalia Davis (36), Yetur Gross-Matos (20), Sam Okuayinonu (45), Alfred Collins (23), Jordan Jefferson (12)
Game grade: C-
In their first game without Nick Bosa, the 49ers’ defensive line mustered only five pressures. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence averaged a brisk 2.63 seconds between snap and release, which suggests that the 49ers will need tighter coverage from their back end to buy more pass-rushing chances. But this was the first time since 2015 that the 49ers didn’t log a single sack or QB hit in a game.
They also struggled against the run, especially in the first half. Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne Jr. racked up 124 yards on 19 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown that burned Williams — and others — around the edge.
The saving grace here was an energetic, effective second half that can be taken as a good sign regarding the developmental trajectory of this defense.
Linebackers: Fred Warner (68), Dee Winters (68), Luke Gifford (19)
Game grade: B
Warner remained sensational, but the 49ers certainly wish he could’ve snagged at least one of his two potential interceptions. The 49ers are still without a pick since November 2024.
The quick turnaround to Thursday night against the Rams puts the two top-graded NFL players — Warner and receiver Puka Nacua — on a collision course. Both played college ball at BYU.
Safeties: Jason Pinnock (68), Marques Sigle (68), Ji’Ayir Brown (4)
Game grade: D+
This position might suffer most in Bosa’s absence. Both Pinnock (by Etienne on the long run) and Sigle (by tight end Hunter Long) were victimized for touchdowns. One of those players will likely be unseated by Malik Mustapha when he returns from his ACL tear. Shanahan said Monday that Mustapha may begin practicing after Week 6.
Cornerbacks: Deommodore Lenoir (68), Darrell Luter Jr. (68), Upton Stout (43)
Game grade: C
Luter — who was particularly good against the run — did a solid job in place of Renardo Green, who may miss more time with a neck issue. Stout continues to impress, but his interception was nullified by a controversial penalty.
A massive test awaits Thursday, since the Rams feature Nacua — who already has 44 catches — and longtime star Davante Adams at receiver. Lenoir and Co. will have to be at their best for the shorthanded 49ers to hang in.
Special teams grade: F
This was an abomination.
The 49ers’ highest-graded special teams player, Brayden Willis, scored a 68.9 on PFF’s scale. Jacksonville had six players score higher than that; of them, five were over 75 and two were over 80.
For all the issues the 49ers had on offense and defense, they actually outscored (21-20) the Jaguars in those two phases of the game. It was Jacksonville’s 87-yard punt return for a touchdown that accounted for the clearest margin Sunday.