The 49ers’ defense may not have looked great in their 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but it clearly impacted the game, as evidenced by their PFF grades.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his offense appeared unstoppable in the first half of the contest, scoring on each of their three possessions. The 49ers defense made adjustments in the second half and caused two turnovers that ultimately sealed the win for the “away team.”
Nick Bosa still hasn’t recorded a sack since signing a lucrative extension with the team, but he still received top marks on defense and recorded five total pressures – three hits and two hurries.
Fred Warner was the only 49ers defender who actually got past the Rams’ offensive line and brought Stafford to the ground. The All-Pro linebacker also recorded a very productive total of eight tackles – six solo and one run stop.
The Rams’ game plan was to attack with a short game and not allow the defensive line to get to their quarterback. Warner was also effective in coverage, allowing three catches on five targets for just 24 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the 49ers’ offensive line was significantly improved on Sunday, allowing just six total pressures on quarterback Brock Purdy after allowing 15 total pressures in their Week 1 performance. Technically, the 49ers quarterback was sacked once in Los Angeles, but PFF didn’t blame a single player for it.
Here are the highlights of the 49ers’ Week 2 PFF classes:
QB Brock Purdy – 65.1
The 49ers quarterback had problems with his deep passes on Sunday, but was much more precise on intermediate throws. Purdy completed all four of his attempts for 67 yards on throws 10-19 yards off the field.
Those mid-range throws were Purdy’s favorite for two weeks after he completed 13 of his 14 attempts for 209 yards, a touchdown and a 142.6 passer rating.
RB Christian McCaffrey – 65.5
The running back played 100 percent of the 49ers’ 57 offensive plays and carried the ball 20 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. The All-Pro ball carrier also caught all three of his targets for 19 yards.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of McCaffrey’s stats was that 99 of his 116 rushing yards came after contact. The ball carrier forced seven missed tackles on Sunday, increasing his total on the season to 12, leading the NFL.
WR Deebo Samuel – 71.1
The wide-back returned to his ball-handling skills in Los Angeles and recorded five runs for 38 yards and a rushing touchdown. Samuel also caught six of his nine targets for 63 yards, three of which went for first downs.
Offensive line:
LT Trent Williams – 83.4 overall, 88.4 pass blocking
LG Aaron Banks – 55.2 overall, 86.7 pass blocking
C Jake Brendel – 63.8 overall, 66.9 pass blocking (one pass)
RG Spencer Burford – 27.8 overall, 0.0 pass blocking (three runs)
RT Colton McKivitz – 58.1 overall, 61.0 pass blocking (one hit)
RB Christian McCaffrey was responsible for a rush
While the 49ers’ defense technically only recorded one quarterback sack, they racked up a whopping 27 pressures over the course of the 60-minute contest – one sack, five hits and 21 hurries on Stafford.
The Rams’ game plan called for Stafford to get the ball out quickly to neutralize the 49ers’ formidable defensive line, which was effective.
Defense line:
Nick Bosa: Overall grade 92.1 – three hits, two hurries, one run stop
Javon Hargrave: Overall grade 68.7 – five runs, one run stoppage
Javon Kinlaw: Overall grade 83.8 (second highest of his career) – four hurries, one batted pass
Kevin Givens: Overall grade 67.2 – one hit, one rush
Drake Jackson: Overall grade 71.5 – three runs, one run stoppage
Clelin Ferrell: Overall grade 48.6 – one hit, one rush
Kerry Hyder: Overall grade 52.7 – a rush
Arik Armstead: Overall grade 67.4 – one rush, two run stops
Fred Warner was responsible for the only quarterback sack of the day
Passport coverage:
CB Isaiah Oliver: Coverage grade of 75.4, allowed five catches on six attempts but for just 29 yards, and recorded one interception
S Tashaun Gipson: 71.2 coverage score, no catches allowed on one attempt
CB Charvarius Ward: 68.5 coverage score, allowed 10 catches on 11 attempts for 88 yards, one forced incomplete, one pass breakup
LB Dre Greenlaw: 68.1 coverage score, allowed three catches on seven attempts for 23 yards
LB Fred Warner: 67.0 coverage score, allowed three catches on five attempts for 24 yards
CB Ambry Thomas: 59.5 coverage score, allowed four catches on four attempts for 31 yards
S Talanoa Hufanga: 54.0 coverage score, allowed two catches on four attempts for 27 yards
CB Deommodore Lenoir: 46.3 coverage score, allowed seven catches on 11 attempts for 85 yards, one interception
Bits and pieces:
Pressure on Stafford:
The Rams quarterback was blitzed on just two of his 20 dropbacks, or 10 percent, in the first half and was blitzed under pressure on four dropbacks, or 20 percent. Stafford completed 14 of his 18 attempts for 183 yards, 7.9 yards per attempt, one touchdown and a passer rating of 118.3.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks increased the pressure in the second half, blitzing on 32.5 percent of Stafford’s dropbacks and applying pressure on 45 percent. Stafford’s production declined significantly and he completed just 20 of his 37 attempts for 164 yards, two interceptions, an average of 4.4 yards per attempt and a rating of 43.1.
Under pressure, Stafford only managed seven of his 20 attempts for 60 yards, one interception and a 22.9 rating throughout the game.
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