ESPN’s report indicates Kittle could be listed as “day-to-day” rather than, at best, “week-to-week,” as players tend to miss multiple games following a high-ankle sprain. We’ll learn more when the 49ers reconvene to practice Wednesday ahead of their showdown against the Chicago Bears, a fellow 11-4 team.
For now, here are grades and snap counts from Monday’s win.
Quarterback: Brock Purdy (63 snaps), Mac Jones (3)
Game grade: A+
Purdy has made a strong argument to be considered the game’s best quarterback since he entered the NFL in 2022. His efficiency scores — from EPA/play to success rate to QBR — have all ranked No. 1 since that first extended action against the Miami Dolphins after Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot. Monday’s absurd performance planted Purdy back at the top of essentially every metric in this 2025 season. He’s been especially lethal on third and fourth downs.
Source: rbsdm.com/stats
There are several reasons why the 49ers are firm Super Bowl contenders despite their defensive shakiness. The main one is Purdy — and the edge is visually illustrated in that staggering graphic.
Running back/fullback: Christian McCaffrey (53), Brian Robinson Jr. (10), Jordan James (3), Kyle Juszczyk (36)
Game grade: A
McCaffrey, who gobbled up 117 yards on the ground, eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season in the second half. In the receiving department, he has fallen a bit off the 1,000-yard pace — but there’s time to make up ground. McCaffrey needs 151 receiving yards through the final two games to become the first player in NFL history to go 1,000-1,000 twice.
It would mean more if McCaffrey can accomplish this feat in 2025. He noted that in 2019 with Carolina, much more of his receiving production came through relatively inefficient check downs. This season, McCaffrey has been a fulcrum of the 49ers’ pass game. Essentially, every receiving yard has mattered.
Wide receiver: Jauan Jennings (54), Demarcus Robinson (29), Kendrick Bourne (46), Skyy Moore (7), Jordan Watkins (8)
Game grade: A-
Perhaps the most promising part of Purdy’s sensational performance: The 49ers delivered offensive explosiveness without receiver Ricky Pearsall for the first time this season. His injury issues, combined with Brandon Aiyuk’s disappearance, has left the 49ers short two first-round picks at wideout. They entered Monday ranked No. 25 in average separation at time of catch or incompletion and very low in explosive play rate.
But Purdy and Shanahan made it work anyway, leveraging quality outings from Jennings, Robinson, and Bourne. Even Moore got in on the balanced action with a catch. And it might not have come easily, but Bourne is $500,000 richer — he hit his 500-yard incentive — and will be sharing some of that money with his teammates.
Tight end: George Kittle (41), Luke Farrell (27), Jake Tonges (16)
Game grade: A-
3 days ago
6 days ago
Friday, Dec. 12
Kittle’s ankle health is concern No. 1 for the 49ers as they prepare to play the Chicago Bears on a short week. The season has again shown why Kittle is an instrumental piece of everything Shanahan tries to call — he’s the ultimate weapon of adaptability. Some potentially salvaging news: Tonges has done a fantastic job filling in for Kittle as a receiver — including a play that should’ve been a touchdown against the Colts. (For whatever reason, the 49ers didn’t challenge what looked to be an incorrect call of an incomplete pass.)
But remember that Tonges help spearhead the 49ers’ Week 1 win at Seattle after Kittle went down with a hamstring injury. He and Purdy connected for the game-winning touchdown in crunch time.
Side note: How about Farrell’s luck? Colts edge rusher Laiatu Latu beat him clean on a pass rush, and Purdy took a hit that was eerily similar to the one from Philadelphia’s Haason Reddick in the NFC Championship Game that tore up his elbow and ruined the end of his 2022 season. But there was no injury this time, and Farrell — in the right place at the right time — caught Purdy’s fumble and turned it into a positive gain. An unluckier version of that play would’ve made this game much dicier for the 49ers.
Offensive line: Trent Williams (63), Spencer Burford (66), Jake Brendel (63), Dominick Puni (66), Colton McKivitz (63), Austen Pleasants (3), Connor Colby (3), Matt Hennessy (3)
Game grade: A+
Remember all the clamoring for the 49ers to use their 2025 first-round draft pick on an offensive tackle? It turns out that would’ve been a wasted pick. Williams continues to play at a Hall of Fame level, and on ESPN’s post-game show, he dispelled any notion that he may be nearing retirement.
Meanwhile, McKivitz has blossomed into one of the NFL’s better right tackles, all while the rest of the 49ers’ offensive line has gelled into a strong unit. Health has been wealth for Brendel and Puni. The line allowed only five pressures in Indianapolis.
Defensive line: Bryce Huff (35), Sam Okuayinonu (29), Keion White (34), Kalia Davis (22), Alfred Collins (24), Jordan Elliott (26), CJ West (20), Clelin Ferrell (32), Yetur Gross-Matos (18)
Game grade: B
The 49ers’ front played a solid game. To begin, they delivered a rigid performance against the run. Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor managed only 46 yards on 16 carries. Then, the 49ers gradually built more pressure on Philip Rivers. West’s first career sack came after the defensive tackle overpowered a double team directly into the QB’s lap. Later, it was Collins’ turn. He forced Rivers to fumble on his bull rush.
Gross-Matos played 18 snaps, right around his pitch count, in a return from a hamstring injury. His role might increase over the next few weeks, and that could offer more of a boost to a D-line that can live with solid performances like Monday’s.
Linebackers: Dee Winters (55), Tatum Bethune (49), Eric Kendricks (10), Garret Wallow (4), Luke Gifford (3)
Game grade: B-
The Colts’ early damage against the 49ers came through the air. Rivers picked on their linebackers and safeties in coverage. Bethune couldn’t keep up with Taylor on the first third down. Indianapolis wide receiver Alec Pierce then beat safety Ji’Ayir Brown for the first touchdown.
Shortly thereafter, the 49ers’ corners suffered from a lack of safety help — likely because Indianapolis caught defensive coordinator Robert Saleh cheating against the run and short passes.
But all’s well that ends well, right? By the fourth quarter, the 49ers had figured Rivers out, and Winters — playing perhaps the best game of his career — waited in the bushes to deliver a game-sealing pick six.
Something to watch: Kendricks replaced Bethune, who exited with another ankle injury, at the Mike linebacker position for the final 10 defensive snaps of the game. There seems to be a chance that the former All-Pro is thrust into a starting role sooner rather than later.
Safeties: Ji’Ayir Brown (60), Malik Mustapha (59), Jason Pinnock (11)
Game grade: C-
The start of this game was undoubtedly ugly for the 49ers’ defense. After watching quick-release, short-throw tape for a week, they weren’t ready for Rivers’ downfield assault. But Saleh adjusted.
Most encouraging, the 49ers missed only eight tackles as a defense. The magic number seems to be about 10 missed tackles. The defense had been above that against Cleveland and Tennessee, missing 15 and 11, respectively.
Cornerbacks: Deommodore Lenoir (59), Upton Stout (48), Darrell Luter Jr. (60), Eli Apple (1)
Game grade: B-
As expected, the Colts went after Luter, who was filling in for the injured Renardo Green. But Luter held up well considering that he didn’t get safety help on Pierce’s second touchdown catch (schematically inexcusable, because it was third-and-goal from the 16). And on replay, a critical pass interference flag against Luter late in the first half appeared to be a bad call.
Bottom line: The cornerbacks weren’t the problem for the 49ers. In fact, Stout continued his promising trend, notching six tackles and breaking up two key passes.
Special teams grade: A
Eddy Piñeiro finally missed a field goal — from 64 yards and off the crossbar. A kick of that length has been made only six times in NFL history. Piñeiro said he took a little power off his leg swing to ensure he kicked it straight; unfortunately, he needed a few more millimeters of distance.
We won’t hold it against him in this grading, especially because the 49ers’ special teams unit delivered yet another game-changing play when Brown forced a fumble on a kick return that Tonges recovered.
The NFL’s two best special teams units are set for a Jan. 4 collision when the 49ers host the Seahawks. But first, it’s Bears week.