PFF’s highest- and lowest-graded 49ers players vs. Buccaneers, plus snap counts

The San Francisco 49ers improved their record to 9-4 after a 35-7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades from the game. Which Niners played well, and who has more work to do?

Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Buccaneers.

• Trent Williams, LT, 84.7, 58 snaps
• Jordan Mason, RB, 79.4, 19 snaps
• Mike McGlinchey, RT, 75.2, 58 snaps
• Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 74.7, 49 snaps
• Jake Brendel, C, 74.1, 58 snaps

Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.

• Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, 90.0, 11 snaps
• Dre Greenlaw, LB, 83.9, 71 snaps
• Charvarius Ward, CB, 79.7, 76 snaps
• Samson Ebukam, DE, 73.8, 38 snaps
• Tashaun Gipson Sr., FS, 73.3, 72 snaps

Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on offense.

• Spencer Burford, RG, 39.5, 41 snaps
• Tyler Kroft, TE, 42.7, 16 snaps
• Jauan Jennings, WR, 49.5, 22 snaps

Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on defense.

• Kerry Hyder, DT, 43.9, 30 snaps
• Arik Armstead, DE, 51.7, 51 snaps
• Charles Omenihu, DE, 51.8, 41 snaps

Quick Takeaways

By now, it shouldn't come as a surprise see that tackle Trent Williams was among the 49ers' highest-graded offensive players. He consistently earns high marks from Pro Football Focus and remains the NFL's highest-graded offensive lineman. Williams allowed just one pressure in 27 pass-blocking snaps and earned his third-highest run-blocking grade (90.0) of the season (96.3 in Week 11, 93.0 in Week 8) on 31 run-blocking snaps. However, the one penalty against him did ding his score a bit.

Running back Jordan Mason was the 49ers' highest-graded offensive skill player, albeit on just 19 snaps played against the Dolphins. His 79.4 overall grade was his second-highest of the season (91.4 in Week 12).

Tackle Mike McGlinchey bounced back from one of his worst games of the season, per Pro Football Focus grades, with one of his best. The offensive lineman's 75.2 overall grade was his third-best of the season (81.2 in Week 6, 75.3 in Week 10). McGlinchey's run-blocking grade of 75.2 was his second-highest of the season (79.9 in Week 6).

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a game-high 57 receiving yards and a touchdown on two receptions. His 74.7 overall grade was his best since Week 7 (75.0). The third-year wideout now has 58 receptions for 755 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season.

In his first NFL start, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy earned the eighth-highest grade among his offensive teammates. Purdy finished the game 16-of-21 for 185 passing yards, three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), and a passer rating of 134.0. His 69.1 overall grade was a step higher than the 61.4 mark he earned in his first extended playing time—Week 13 against the Dolphins.

Oh, and Purdy became the first NFL quarterback to beat a Tom Brady-led team in his first career start.

In case you were wondering how Tom Brady graded in the game against the team he grew up cheering (you were wondering, right?), the future Hall of Fame quarterback earned his second-lowest grade of the season—61.7. His lowest was 54.7 in a Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Brady finished the game with 253 passing yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions. His 63.7 passer rating was his lowest of the season.

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair earned the game's highest overall grade but only played 11 snaps—a small sample size.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan believes another linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, had one of the best games of his career. It was certainly one of his best of the season in Pro Football Focus' eyes. Greenlaw's 83.9 overall grade is his second-highest of the season (84.4 in Week 3). In addition, the linebacker tied his career-high with 15 tackles and hauled in his first interception of the season.

Charvarius Ward bounced back from what Pro Football Focus considered a down game against the Miami Dolphins. The cornerback's 79.7 overall grade was his third-highest of the season (90.6 in Week 5, 81.7 in Week 3), as was his coverage grade of 79.8 (90.5 in Week 5, 79.9 in Week 4).

Snap Counts

Offense
63 - Aaron Banks (LG)
58 - Jake Brendel (C), Mike McGlinchey (RT), Trent Williams (LT)
52 - Brock Purdy (QB)
50 - George Kittle (TE)
49 - Brandon Aiyuk (WR)
44 - Christian McCaffrey (RB)
41 - Kyle Juszczyk (FB), Spencer Burford (RG)
28 - Ray-Ray McCloud III (WR)
27 - Daniel Brunskill (RG), Deebo Samuel (WR)
22 - Jauan Jennings (WR)
19 - Jordan Mason (RB)
16 - Tyler Kroft (TE)
13 - Danny Gray (WR)
11 - Josh Johnson (QB)
6 - Charlie Woerner (TE)
5 - Colton McKivitz (RT), Jaylon Moore (LT)

Defense
76 - Charvarius Ward (CB), Talanoa Hufanga (FS)
75 - Deommodore Lenoir (CB)
72 - Fred Warner (LB), Tashaun Gipson Sr. (FS)
71 - Dre Greenlaw (LB)
70 - Jimmie Ward (CB)
54 - Nick Bosa (DE)
51 - Arik Armstead (DE)
41 - Charles Omenihu (DE)
38 - Samson Ebukam (DE)
34 - T.Y. McGill (DT)
30 - Kerry Hyder (DT)
28 - Jordan Willis (DE)
25 - Drake Jackson (DE)
11 - Azeez Al-Shaair (LB)
4 - George Odum (FS), Oren Burks (LOLB)
3 - Kevin Givens (DT)
1 - Ambry Thomas (CB)

Special Teams
19 - Charlie Woerner
16 - George Odum, Oren Burks
14 - Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jordan Mason
13 - Ambry Thomas
12 - Samuel Womack
11 - Jordan Willis, Robbie Gould (K)
10 - Tyler Kroft
9 - Dontae Johnson
8 - Mitch Wishnowsky (P), Taybor Pepper (LS)
5 - Aaron Banks, Colton McKivitz, Daniel Brunskill, Danny Gray, Jaylon Moore, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Spencer Burford
4 - Kyle Juszczyk, Talanoa Hufanga
3 - Jauan Jennings, Mike McGlinchey
2 - Charles Omenihu, Deommodore Lenoir, Drake Jackson, Fred Warner, Jake Brendel, Jimmie Ward, Kerry Hyder, T.Y. McGill, Tashaun Gipson Sr.
1 - Azeez Al-Shaair, Charvarius Ward, Tevin Coleman

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