The San Francisco 49ers put up a stinker in the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. It was a game that highlighted the discrepancy between the Jimmys and Joes on each team.
That statistic success
rate, especially passing success rate, is one of the highest correlations to winning in the NFL. On Saturday night, the 49ers posted their lowest success rate since Kyle Shanahan became head coach.
The one thing the offense could hang its hat on was not having many negative plays. Unfortunately, they couldn’t generate many chunk plays, run the ball, or consistently get open.
Defensively, the tackling was sloppier than it’s been all season. Still, they did enough to keep the offense in the game. However, the opportunities to flip the game, such as recovering a fumble, weren’t taken advantage of. Eventually, the lack of talent showed when injuries set in, leading to the final score.
Let’s get into the winners and losers from Week 18.
Winners
Offensive line
It’s our job to buck any false narratives. Re-watching Week 18, there were maybe three plays where you noticed Trent Williams wasn’t on the field. One was on a screen where Austen Pleasants didn’t make it to the second level in time.
For the most part, the offensive line kept Seattle’s pass rush at bay. They played well enough to win, which is encouraging heading into the postseason.
The Niners’ offensive line generated a higher yards before contact (1.08) than the Seahawks’ offensive line (0.85). They also had a better rushing success rate, at 41.7, compared to 38.5.
Brock Purdy ended up being pressured on 34.4 percent of his dropbacks, good for 19th in Week 18. Four of those 11 came on the final two drives, and a few others were due to Purdy holding the ball because nobody was open.
There were a couple of back-breaking missed blocks, like Colton McKivitz whiffing on fourth down, but as a whole, the offensive line wasn’t the reason the offense stalled consistently on Saturday night.
Eric Kendricks
Kendricks ended up playing 36 of the 69 snaps after Dee Winters ended up leaving with a calf injury. It’s officially an ankle injury for Winters. Kendricks looked like the type of player the 49ers need on this side of the ball. He was aggressive, didn’t miss any tackles, was getting the defensive line lined up correctly, and was excellent in coverage. You wouldn’t think it would be difficult, but Robert Saleh needs to find a way to get Kendricks on the field during the postseason. He looked like he belonged on the field.
Kendricks will get his chance in the Wild Card round with Tatum Bethune out. Despite playing only 52 percent of the snaps, Kendricks finished with a pair of run stops. He took on blocks in the run like you’d expect a middle linebacker to. It was an encouraging sign for a player who hadn’t played football in a year.
His awareness in coverage and knack for getting to routes that Bethune didn’t will end up being a blessing in disguise.
Sam Okuayinonu and Keion White
White and Okuayinonu led the team in pressure rate. Each one of those pressures impacted the play. White had a win as a pass rusher one play after a tackle for loss.
Sam O had a sack before halftime that likely saved three points. His impact was felt in the run game, where he had three stops. Okuayinonu also had a quarterback hit.
Clelin Ferrell made a couple of plays, so perhaps we should give the trio of edge rushers credit. Unfortunately, the play from the rest of the defensive line wasn’t up to par, effectively erasing the good from these three.
One thing is for certain: Sam O and Keion White are legitimate role players the 49ers can rely on next season.
Upton Stout
I’d argue Stout ended up as the most consistent player in the secondary in December. It was a strong finish to a rookie season, and Stout did not disappoint in Week 18.
The lack of speed on this defense sticks out like a sore thumb, so when you see Stout closing in to make tackles from 10 yards away, you can’t help but be impressed.
Stout finished with three run stops, which was tied for a team high. He only allowed two yards in coverage on three targets, and had a pair of critical tackles on third down to force field goals. Stout is a quality building block on this defense.
During Monday’s conference call, Shanahan said, “I thought it might be his best game of the year. He had an awesome game,” of Stout.
IDK
Brock Purdy
Purdy finished 19-for-27 for only 127 yards. It was like 2024 all over again. We got to evaluate Purdy without Trent Williams or a credible WR1.
When the margin for error is razor-thin, as it was in Week 18 for the 49ers offense, your quarterback has to be flawless. Purdy was not. In the game preview, we talked about how there would be 3-5 chances for the offense to take a shot when Seattle was in Cover 2.
On the throw where it looked like Jauan Jennings may have gotten hurt again on a shallow crossing route, the design was a shot in the Cover 2 hole. Purdy didn’t take it. The intended target was George Kittle. He was open.
There was another play where Purdy ran into a sack on a play-action pass, where Kittle was open once again. Instead of setting his feet to throw, Purdy tried to climb the pocket, but to no avail.
Early in the game, Purdy missed Christian McCaffrey on a swing route. On 3rd & 2 to Demarcus Robinson, his pass floated and took Robinson basically behind the line of scrimmage. The throw needed to be on a line and lead Robinson up the field. If it were, the offense stays on the field, and maybe that first down turns into points.
Purdy has been excellent for a month. I don’t think he played poorly. His mobility is still a weapon. His receivers didn’t do him any favors. But Purdy also didn’t elevate the talent around him, which is why the result ended up being what it was.
Losers
Tackling
Bethune: 5
Winters: 4
Mustapha: 3
Brown: 2
Lenoir: 2
Kendricks: 1
YGM: 1
CJ West: 1
Huff: 1
Stout: 1
Wallow: 1
Collins: 1
Good luck getting off the field when you miss 23 tackles. That’s not a coaching issue. In no scenario can your linebackers combine to miss 11 tackles and you expect to win. Not all missed tackles are created equal, but the Seahawks had a total of 272 yards after contact.
The receivers
Ricky Pearsall’s impact was greatly missed in this contest. Purdy had five attempts over 10 yards. Only one of those was an outright win by a wide receiver. The 49ers wideouts are slowwww.
When you step up in competition, you can see who belongs and who doesn’t. Kendrick Bourne didn’t stand a chance of getting open on his 17 routes. Jauan Jennings had 35 yards on six targets. His lack of a second gear really hampered the passing game. Demarcus Robinson can run, but he’s not a technical wideout, limiting his route tree.
To beat the Seahawks, you need an ace in the hole. Somebody like, I don’t know, Brandon Aiyuk. Pearsall is the kind of wideout whom Purdy trusts, so he’s willing to take more chances with him. It looked like Brock didn’t throw with his usual anticipation on in-breaking routes due to a lack of trust.
My biggest overreaction from this game is that the 49ers need a wide receiver, perhaps more than any other position, if they are going to beat an elite defense like the Seahawks.
Jacob Cowing will improve the team’s speed.
Tatum Bethune
Unfortunately, Bethune will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. He had a hell of a season, all things considered.
Bethune’s best quality is his aggressiveness as a run defender. I’d say for the first time, he looked like a seventh-round pick. Bethune led the team in missed tackles, as generally late to get to the spot of the ball-carrier. When he did get there, he’d get washed out by the block. He was not his usual aggressive self.
The passing game was the bigger issue. I’m willing to forgive Renardo Green for allowing 76 yards in coverage, knowing most of those came against one of the best wide receivers in the game. However, Bethune giving up play after play in underneath coverage was concerning. His lack of a feel for what was about to develop or the passing concept proved to be the death knell for the defense.
There was one play where Cooper Kupp ran an underneath route. Bethune saw the play happen, but couldn’t get his eyes out of the backfield. That resulted in a first down. On another, Bethune kept drifting toward the sideline, despite there being no eligible receivers over there. He opened up a passing window for Seattle to pick up another first down.
Bethune was never supposed to be in this situation, so credit him for giving the 49ers everything he had this season. At some point, the “next man up” will get exposed. That happened in Week 18.
