SANTA CLARA – The 49ers made it look so easy on the first two plays of the game.
From there, it got a little tougher, but the 49ers still pulled off a mostly comfortable 28-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers, coming off an emotional win a week ago over the Philadelphia Eagles, had to overcome some injuries and work hard in the second half to beat Seattle.
“It wasn’t the perfect football (game) by any means, but the goal is to get the win,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
The 49ers (10-3) now have a four-game lead in the NFC West race over the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams with four games to play.
Here are the Week 14 victory grades for the 49ers:
Hasty crime
Christian McCaffrey wasted no time at running back Sunday. On the first play from scrimmage, he found a passer around the left side, cutting off a 72-yard drive to the Seattle 3-yard line.
With McCaffrey called off the field for relief, backup Jordan Mason stepped in and scored on a 3-yard run on the next play.
Thus, the 49ers took a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game. McCaffrey finished with 145 yards on 16 attempts for a 9.1-yard average.
Mason added 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground on four attempts, while Deebo Samuel added a one-yard touchdown run on his only carry.
Grade: A-minus
A passing violation
Midfielder Brock Purdy had one point — an interception on a pass in which he and Brandon Aiyuk appeared to have a miscommunication.
Other than that, the 49ers’ passing game was rolling again.
Purdy completed 19 of 27 pass attempts (70.4 percent) for a career-best 368 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 122.1.
The 49ers were as explosive as ever.
Samuel caught seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Aiyuk had six receptions for 126 yards, and George Kittle had three catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: A-minus
Rush defense
The 49ers’ defense continued to stifle the opposition, as Seattle managed just 70 yards on 20 rushing attempts.
Kenneth Walker, Seattle’s top rusher, gained 21 yards on eight attempts. Zach Charbonnet had 44 yards on nine carries.
Linebacker Fred Warner made a team-high eight tackles.
Defensive end Clellin Ferrell made two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Grade: B-plus
Pass defense
Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock received a call-up on starter Geno Smith, who is out with a groin injury. Lock had a solid game, completing 22 of 31 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown and Warner had interceptions.
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir stepped up with two pass breakups, as the 49ers played most of the game without Charvarius Ward.
Ward suffered a hip injury and was eliminated after four games. Isaiah Oliver played nickel while Lenoir played every snap on the outside.
The 49ers collected four sacks. Defensive end Nick Bosa came up with 1.5 to give him a team-high 9.5 this season.
Grade B
Special teams
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky had a net average of 43.6 yards on five punts with two inside the 20-yard line.
Wishnowsky also would have had a huge offensive play when he ran 30 yards outside of punt formation. However, the first down was disallowed when Ronnie Bell was called for an illegal block below the waist.
Kicker Jake Moody didn’t make any field goal attempts but was 4-for-4 on extra points.
Grade B
Training
The 49ers averaged 9.9 yards per offensive play, with Shanahan calling plays to create opportunities for playmakers.
It also doesn’t hurt that Purdy was making the right decisions and generally throwing the ball on the mark at every depth.
Defensively, the 49ers didn’t have their best game, but they did have two interceptions and four sacks.
Grade: B-plus
Total
Yes, the 49ers have gotten to the point where a 12-point win over a playoff contender doesn’t deserve an “A” grade. That’s how high the 49ers have set the bar this season.
However, the 49ers showed that Game B is good enough to beat a lot of teams — and beat them decisively, too.
Grade: B-plus
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
After securing an impressive victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, the team has received their well-earned grades from NBC Sports Bay Area and California. The players’ performances in the game have been carefully analyzed and evaluated, providing insight into their individual contributions to the team’s success. From standout plays to areas in need of improvement, these grades serve as a reflection of the team’s overall performance and potential moving forward in the season.