The 49ers’ star players contributed quite a bit to the team’s 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Caesars Superdome, but several of the backups also stepped up according to their PFF grades. 

San Francisco battled through ups and downs, but ultimately won with backups and players who weren’t even on the active roster in Week 1. Kendrick Bourne, Eddy Piñeiro and a few others who were promoted from the practice squad played a number of snaps in New Orleans.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones, who stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy, had the support of his teammates in his first start as a member of the 49ers.

“Obviously, when you are having your first start you’re going to have a couple nerves, and I’ve been working through those,” Jones said. “I finally got into a rhythm, and I felt like the line did a great job blocking for me and when they do that, I know I can sit in there and let it fly.”

Jones finished the game completing 26 of his 39 attempts for 279 yards with three touchdowns and boasted the longest run of day — a 13-yard scramble for a first down. The play-caller was under pressure on eight of his 43 dropbacks, or 18.6 percent.

Like Purdy in past seasons, Jones thrived on throws 10-19 yards downfield, earning him a 150.0 passer rating at the intermediate range. 

Here are more highlights from the 49ers’ Week 2 PFF grades:

Offense

LT Trent Williams – 83.4

After a challenging Week 1 where he allowed six pressures, the All-Pro left tackle bounced back with a perfect stat sheet featuring no pressures allowed on 45 pass protection plays. Williams also received a 74.2 run blocking grade.

According to PFF, the six pressures on Jones were allowed by center Jake Brendel — two hits, two hurries — but the center received the highest run blocking grade of 85.0 on the team. Dominick Puni was charged with one hurry, and Colton McKivitz with one sack.

WR Ricky Pearsall —66.8

The wideout snagged four passes off six targets that all resulted in a first down. Three of Pearsall’s four completions also were contested.

WR Jauan Jennings — 66.4

Jennings was dealing with a shoulder injury heading into the game, but still caught five of his nine targets and was able to rack up 49 yards after contact, the highest on the offense.

WR Kendrick Bourne — 65.9

The newly signed wideout was on the field for 35 total plays, catching all three of his targets for 32 yards. Bourne was back to his old run blocking ways with a 79.9 grade, which was second behind only Brendel.

Defense

LB Fred Warner — 95.1

Warner’s 95.1 grade was the highest of any NFL linebacker in Week 2. The All-Pro was making plays all over the field, with nine solo tackles, four stops, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Warner also allowed four catches on seven targets for only 27 yards and a pass breakup.

LB Dee Winters — 74.3

The linebacker racked up six total tackles with one assist, but missed two. Winters allowed catches on all five targets for only 21 yards, giving him the third-highest coverage grade on the defense (90.2), and registered four stops in the pass game.

DL Bryce Huff –  90.4

The defensive end racked up five pressures in 20 pass rushes along with the game-winning strip sack. Huff also registered three stops.

DL Nick Bosa – 78.3

Bosa registered six pressures — one sack, one hit, four hurries — as well as four stops.

DL Mykel Williams: 59.3

The rookie showed a vast improvement from Week 1, where he did not register a pressure in 19 pass rush plays. In his second outing, Williams contributed with three hurries, four solo tackles and four stops.

The defense generated 22 total pressures:

Nick Bosa – 40 pass rush plays: one sack, one hit, four hurries

Bryce Huff – 21 pass plays: one sack, four hurries

Mykel Williams – 34 pass rush plays: three hurries

Upton Stout – 34 pass plays, 4 pass rush plays: one sack, two hurries

Jordan Elliott – 20 pass rush plays: two hurries

Yetur Gross-Matos – 16 pass rush plays: two hurries

Alfred Collins – 10 pass rush plays: one hit

CJ West – Nine pass rush plays: no pressures

Sam Okuayinonu – 13 pass plays: no pressures

Kalia Davis – 17 pass rush plays: no pressures

After only three missed tackles in Week 1, the 49ers’ defense was charged with 12 on Sunday:

Deommodore Lenoir – 3

Upton Stout – 2

Dee Winters – 2

Mykel Williams – 1

Alfred Collins – 1

Yetur Gross-Matos – 1

Jason Pinnock – 1

Bryce Huff – 1

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