The San Francisco 49ers improved their record to 4-4 after a 30-24 win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades and snap counts from the game. Which Niners stood out, and who has more work to do?
Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Cowboys.
- George Kittle, TE, 90.2, 64 snaps
- Deebo Samuel, WR, 78.2, 42 snaps
- Jake Brendel, C, 70.0, 68 snaps
- Brock Purdy, QB, 70.0, 68 snaps
- Kyle Juszczyk, FB, 69.2, 39 snaps
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.
- Renardo Green, CB, 91.3, 45 snaps
- Ji'Ayir Brown, SS, 86.4, 62 snaps
- Dee Winters, LB, 85.5, 11 snaps
- Deommodore Lenoir, CB, 76.6, 61 snaps
- Fred Warner, LB, 72.8, 62 snaps
Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on offense.
- Jordan Mason, RB, 44.9, 11 snaps
- Chris Conley, WR, 52.4, 52 snaps
- Ronnie Bell, WR, 53.8, 15 snaps
Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on defense.
- Kalia Davis, DT, 43.8, 14 snaps
- Evan Anderson, DT, 53.2, 14 snaps
- Leonard Floyd, DE, 53.3, 46 snaps
Quick Takeaways
Cornerback Renardo Green earned the game's highest overall grade (91.3), so let's start with the 49ers defense, which put on an impressive performance for three quarters. Green allowed only two receptions for 27 yards across his 33 coverage snaps (45 total). While he did allow a touchdown, it was due to being taken out of the play by a hit from teammate Ji'Ayir Brown. Green's 91.4 coverage grade was the highest in the game.
Brown finished with the second-highest defensive grade (86.4) and the second-highest coverage grade (82.8). He was one of two 49ers players who intercepted a pass by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
The other was cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who earned the game's top run defense grade (93.2). Rookie safety Malik Mustapha earned the game's best tackling grade (82.2).
Defensive end Maliek Collins recorded the game's best pass-rush grade (79.5), generating five pressures over 31 pass-rushing snaps. Meanwhile, defensive end Nick Bosa recorded a sack, a game-high six pressures, and the second-highest pass-rushing grade (74.5).
Pressures by 49ers defenders:- DE Nick Bosa - 6
- DE Sam Okuayinonu, DL Maliek Collins - 5 each
- DE Leonard Floyd - 3
- DE Robert Beal Jr., DT Jordan Elliott, LB Fred Warner - 1 each
Linebacker Fred Warner earned a defensive grade above 65.0 for the first time since Week 4. His 72.8 grade was the fifth-highest among his teammates.
On offense, tight end George Kittle recorded six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. His National Tight Ends Day performance earned him a 90.2 offensive grade, the highest among his teammates and only slightly below Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb's 90.3. Kittle's grade was his season-best and highest since Week 16 of 2022 (95.6 vs. Commanders).
Quarterback Brock Purdy has now achieved an offensive grade of 70.0 or higher in six games this season. His 85.6 run grade in this matchup was a season-high. Purdy completed 18 of 26 passes for 260 yards, threw a touchdown, and ran the ball eight times for 56 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall is showing steady improvement, with a 68.3 offensive grade and a 66.5 receiving grade—up from his NFL debut marks of 58.0 and 58.2, respectively. Pearsall finished with four catches for 38 yards on four targets and added one carry for 39 rushing yards.
Center Jake Brendel was the 49ers' highest-graded offensive lineman, earning a 70.0 offensive grade, his second-highest of the season (73.5 in Week 4). Tackle Trent Williams followed with a 65.6 grade. Neither offensive lineman allowed a pressure in the game.
Pressures allowed among O-line:- LG Aaron Banks, RT Colton McKivitz - 2 each
- RG Dominick Puni - 1
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk earned the highest run-blocking grade of the game at 88.8, marking the second-highest of his career (90.4 in Week 14 of the 2014 season). Brendel led all 49ers offensive linemen with a run-blocking grade of 73.2.
Unsurprisingly, Williams was the top-graded pass blocker, earning an 86.4 in that category—his second-highest pass-blocking grade of the season. However, the veteran lineman's recent run-blocking grades of 61.9, 54.9, and 52.4 over the past three games have lowered his overall offensive grade for the season to 84.4—his lowest since 2018.
49ers Week 8 Snap Counts
Offense
68 - Aaron Banks (LG), Brock Purdy (QB), Colton McKivitz (RT), Dominick Puni (RG), Jake Brendel (C), Trent Williams (LT)
64 - George Kittle (TE)
52 - Chris Conley (WR)
43 - Isaac Guerendo (RB)
42 - Deebo Samuel (WR)
40 - Ricky Pearsall (WR)
39 - Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
15 - Ronnie Bell (WR)
14 - Eric Saubert (TE)
12 - Jacob Cowing (WR)
11 - Jordan Mason (RB)
5 - Patrick Taylor (RB)
2 - Jake Tonges (TE)
1 - Brayden Willis (TE)
Defense
62 - De'Vondre Campbell (LB), Fred Warner (LB), Ji'Ayir Brown (SS), Malik Mustapha (FS)
61 - Deommodore Lenoir (CB)
60 - Nick Bosa (DE)
58 - Charvarius Ward (CB)
47 - Maliek Collins (DE)
46 - Leonard Floyd (DE)
45 - Renardo Green (CB)
33 - Jordan Elliott (DT)
29 - Sam Okuayinonu (DE)
14 - Evan Anderson (DT), Kalia Davis (DT)
11 - Dee Winters (LB)
9 - Isaac Yiadom (CB)
5 - Robert Beal Jr. (DE)
2 - Tatum Bethune (LB)
Special Teams
24 - Eric Saubert
22 - George Odum
19 - Robert Beal Jr.
18 - Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Isaac Yiadom, Tatum Bethune
17 - Darrell Luter Jr., Patrick Taylor
15 - Jake Tonges
13 - Anders Carlson (K), Isaac Guerendo
10 - Mitch Wishnowsky (P), Taybor Pepper (LS)
9 - Dee Winters
8 - Adrian Amos, Brayden Willis
6 - Aaron Banks, Colton McKivitz, De'Vondre Campbell, Dominick Puni, Fred Warner, Jaylon Moore, Ji'Ayir Brown, Maliek Collins, Nick Zakelj, Sam Okuayinonu, Spencer Burford
5 - Deommodore Lenoir, Evan Anderson
4 - Jacob Cowing, Jordan Elliott
2 - Chris Conley
1 - Charvarius Ward, Leonard Floyd, Nick Bosa, Renardo Green, Ronnie Bell
