Perhaps Sam Darnold too?
The 49ers got some help from the Arizona Cardinals and clinched the number one seed in the NFC. Sunday’s game with Washington wasn’t always pretty, but the 49ers offense pushed towards the 30-point mark again before the year ended. Brock Purdy broke the single-season passing yard record for the 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk passed 1,300 receiving yards, and Elijah Mitchell reemerged in the backfield.
Let’s look at the snap counts and grades from Sunday.
Quarterback – Brock Purdy 65 (89.1), Sam Darnold 5 (43.0)
Purdy posted a QB rating of 124.7 to close out the year. Purdy’s final line stood at 22/28, 230 yards, 8.1 YPA, and two touchdowns. 6.9 percent of Purdy’s throws were BTT, according to PFF. When Purdy was blitzed, he shined, 4/5, 93 yards, on five dropbacks.
Running Back – Kyle Juszczyk 39 (74.3), Christian McCaffrey 38 (67.0), Elijah Mitchell 26 (76.2), Jordan Mason 5 (67.8)
Christian McCaffrey left Sunday’s game with a calf injury. On 14 rushes, McCaffrey finished with 64 yards and 36 yards after contact. Mitchell flashed on 17 rushes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Fifty-seven yards were after contact, and Mitchell forced five missed tackles. Adding Mitchell back into the fold could be beneficial for McCaffrey’s usage in the playoffs.
Wide Receiver – Brandon Aiyuk 61 (79.4), Deebo Samuel 59 (71.4), Chris Conley 22 (59.3), Ronnie Bell 10 (42.6), Tay Martin 3 (58.5)
Aiyuk hauled in seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel added five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown of his own. Aiyuk finished with 4.88 yards per route run. The average depth of target for BA was at 14.5.
Tight Ends – George Kittle 64 (63.2), Charlie Woerner 17 (57.8), Brayden Willis 6 (58.8)
George Kittle posted a modest 29 receiving yards on three receptions, but as usual, his contributions continued with his blocking prowess, in particular, on Mitchell’s touchdown run. Kittle finished with a 69.6 pass blocking and 67.4 run blocking grade.
Offensive Line – Spencer Burford 70 (69.0), Colton McKivitz 70 (79.9), Jon Feliciano 70 (75.7), Jake Brendel 65 (87.7), Trent Williams 65 (93.2), Ben Bartch 5 (74.3), Matt Pryor 5 (66.5)
Jake Brendel finished Sunday with a clean sheet. Trent Williams finished as the highest-graded offensive player. Colton McKivitz bounced back with a solid showing, only allowing one pressure and a hurry. The line allowed six hurries and pressures collectively but zero sacks.
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