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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The one thing the offense could hang its hat on was not having many negative plays. Unfortunately, they couldn\u2019t generate many chunk plays, run the ball, or consistently get open.<\/p>\n
Defensively, the tackling was sloppier than it\u2019s 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\u2019t taken advantage of. Eventually, the lack of talent showed when injuries set in, leading to the final score.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get into the winners and losers from Week 18.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s our job to buck any false narratives. Re-watching Week 18, there were maybe three plays where you noticed Trent Williams wasn\u2019t on the field. One was on a screen where Austen Pleasants didn\u2019t make it to the second level in time.<\/p>\n
For the most part, the offensive line kept Seattle\u2019s pass rush at bay. They played well enough to win, which is encouraging heading into the postseason.<\/p>\n
The Niners\u2019 offensive line generated a higher yards before contact (1.08) than the Seahawks\u2019 offensive line (0.85). They also had a better rushing success rate, at 41.7, compared to 38.5.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
There were a couple of back-breaking missed blocks, like Colton McKivitz whiffing on fourth down, but as a whole, the offensive line wasn\u2019t the reason the offense stalled consistently on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Kendricks ended up playing 36 of the 69 snaps after Dee Winters ended up leaving with a calf injury. It\u2019s 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\u2019t miss any tackles, was getting the defensive line lined up correctly, and was excellent in coverage. You wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019d expect a middle linebacker to. It was an encouraging sign for a player who hadn\u2019t played football in a year.<\/p>\n
His awareness in coverage and knack for getting to routes that Bethune didn\u2019t will end up being a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n
Sam Okuayinonu and Keion White<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t up to par, effectively erasing the good from these three.<\/p>\n
One thing is for certain: Sam O and Keion White are legitimate role players the 49ers can rely on next season.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t help but be impressed.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
During Monday\u2019s conference call, Shanahan said, \u201cI thought it might be his best game of the year. He had an awesome game,\u201d of Stout.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t take it. The intended target was George Kittle. He was open.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Purdy has been excellent for a month. I don\u2019t think he played poorly. His mobility is still a weapon. His receivers didn\u2019t do him any favors. But Purdy also didn\u2019t elevate the talent around him, which is why the result ended up being what it was.<\/p>\n
Good luck getting off the field when you miss 23 tackles. That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Ricky Pearsall\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
When you step up in competition, you can see who belongs and who doesn\u2019t. Kendrick Bourne didn\u2019t 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\u2019s not a technical wideout, limiting his route tree.<\/p>\n
To beat the Seahawks, you need an ace in the hole. Somebody like, I don\u2019t know, Brandon Aiyuk. Pearsall is the kind of wideout whom Purdy trusts, so he\u2019s willing to take more chances with him. It looked like Brock didn\u2019t throw with his usual anticipation on in-breaking routes due to a lack of trust.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Jacob Cowing will improve the team\u2019s speed.<\/p>\n