San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk had a fantastic game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. In fact, his 91.8 Pro Football Focus grade in the 24-20 victory at Levi's Stadium was the highest of his career and the best individual performance, according to the analytics site, from both teams during the Week 3 matchup.
The 49ers' Pro Bowl fullback finished the game with three receptions for 51 yards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked after the game if the plan was to use Juszczyk so much.
"No, we knew he had a chance at some things," Shanahan responded. "He's a fullback, so he's doing a lot of blocking out there. There were a few times when we thought he could slip through. He had a tough time slipping through there because of all the pressure, but Jimmy (Garoppolo) had to wait on him a little bit.
"He finally got passed (Steelers LB Mark) Barron, and that was one of the most impressive catches I've seen. It took a while to get there, so Jimmy had to let it go, especially with that safety in his face. That was huge."
Cornerback K'Waun Williams earned the defense's top grade. He finished the game with two combined tackles, an interception, and a pass defensed.
Below are the five 49ers players on offense who earned PFF's top grades against the Steelers.
- FB Kyle Juszczyk (91.8)
- TE George Kittle (83.5)
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo (79.0)
- C Weston Richburg (75.2)
- WR Dante Pettis (71.1)
Below are the five 49ers players on defense with PFF's top grades in the same game.
- CB K'Waun Williams (91.6)
- CB Richard Sherman (84.3)
- DT DeForest Buckner (83.6)
- DE Dee Ford (83.4)
- DE Arik Armstead (77.5)