The San Francisco 49ers dropped their record to 6-9 after a 29-17 loss against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades and snap counts from the game. Which Niners stood out, and who has more work to do?
Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Dolphins.
- Deebo Samuel, WR, 89.4, 53 snaps
- Eric Saubert, TE, 81.3, 10 snaps
- George Kittle, TE, 80.3, 63 snaps
- Brock Purdy, QB, 71.5, 64 snaps
- Dominick Puni, RG, 69.5, 64 snaps
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.
- Dee Winters, LB, 83.9, 51 snaps
- Nick Bosa, DE, 71.9, 56 snaps
- Ji'Ayir Brown, SS, 63.8, 4 snaps
- Maliek Collins, DT, 63.4, 41 snaps
- Tashaun Gipson Sr., SS, 63.2, 3 snaps
Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on offense.
- Patrick Taylor, RB, 45.4, 51 snaps
- Jake Brendel, C, 48.7, 64 snaps
- Jacob Cowing, WR, 53.4, 10 snaps
Below are the three lowest-graded 49ers players on defense.
- Evan Anderson, DT, 40.6, 29 snaps
- Dre Greenlaw, LB, 40.9, 4 snaps
- Malik Mustapha, FS, 41.6, 67 snaps
Quick Takeaways
According to Pro Football Focus metrics, wide receiver Deebo Samuel delivered his best performance of the season. His 89.4 offensive grade led all teammates and matched his career-best mark from the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks during his 2022 campaign. Samuel caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown—his first game surpassing 22 receiving yards since November 10 and his first touchdown since October 10. Additionally, he contributed 25 rushing yards on five carries, totaling 121 scrimmage yards. Samuel also earned a team-high 75.4 run grade.
Tight end Eric Saubert, who scored his first touchdown of the season (and first since 2022), received an 81.3 offensive grade. This marked his highest grade since Week 2 of the 2022 season when he was with the Denver Broncos (vs. Texans).
Tight end George Kittle continued his stellar season, hauling in eight passes for 106 yards—his third game of the season with 100+ receiving yards. Kittle now sits just 33 yards shy of his fourth 1,000-yard season, leading the team with 967 receiving yards.
Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. It marked his third 300-yard passing game of the season and the ninth of his career. Purdy earned a 71.5 overall offensive grade, which jumped to 82.1 when operating from a clean pocket. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns in those situations. However, his performance under pressure told a different story, with his grade dipping to 48.2 in that scenario, completing just four of 11 attempts for 42 yards and an interception.
Rookie right guard Dominick Puni rounded out the 49ers' top five offensive players with a 69.5 grade. Over 47 pass-blocking snaps, Puni allowed two pressures. He earned the team's highest run-blocking grade (71.0) among offensive linemen.
Offensive lineman Nick Zakelj, who played 18 snaps due to injuries, received the top pass-blocking grade (73.6).
Pressures allowed among O-line:- C Jake Brendel - 4
- RT Colton McKivitz - 3
- LG Spencer Burford, LT Jaylon Moore, RG Dominick Puni - 2 each
- OL Nick Zakelj - 1
The best run-blocking grade of the game (86.9) belonged to wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who also recorded four receptions for 37 yards on four targets. His 65.7 offensive grade was his highest since Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (69.4).
On defense, linebacker Dee Winters stepped up in place of the injured Dre Greenlaw, playing a career-high 51 snaps and earning the best defensive grade (83.9) among his teammates. He recorded a career-high eight tackles, a pass defensed, and a game-high 84.0 coverage grade.
Defensive ends Nick Bosa and Yetur Gross-Matos led the team with two pressures each, while Bosa also notched a team-best 75.4 run-defense grade and two stops.
Pressures by 49ers defenders:- DE Nick Bosa, DE Yetur Gross-Matos - 2 each
- DT Maliek Collins, DT Jordan Elliott - 1 each
Safety Talanoa Hufanga excelled in tackling, earning an 85.6 grade, the best in the game. However, his 51.7 run-defense grade lowered his overall defensive score to 61.0.
Missed tackles by 49ers defenders:- FS Malik Mustapha, LB Fred Warner - 2 each
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, CB Deommodore Lenoir - 1 each
49ers Week 16 Snap Counts
Offense
64 - Brock Purdy (QB), Colton McKivitz (RT), Dominick Puni (RG), Jake Brendel (C)
63 - George Kittle (TE)
60 - Jauan Jennings (WR)
53 - Deebo Samuel (WR)
51 - Patrick Taylor (RB)
46 - Aaron Banks (LG), Ricky Pearsall (WR)
33 - Jaylon Moore (LT)
31 - Spencer Burford (LG)
22 - Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
18 - Nick Zakelj (C)
10 - Eric Saubert (TE), Jacob Cowing (WR)
4 - Chris Conley (WR)
1 - Brayden Willis (TE)
Defense
67 - Charvarius Ward (CB), Deommodore Lenoir (CB), Fred Warner (LB), Malik Mustapha (FS)
62 - Talanoa Hufanga (FS)
56 - Nick Bosa (DE)
55 - Renardo Green (CB)
51 - Dee Winters (LB)
41 - Maliek Collins (DT)
35 - Yetur Gross-Matos (DE)
32 - Jordan Elliott (DT)
30 - Leonard Floyd (DE)
29 - Evan Anderson (DT)
22 - Kalia Davis (DT)
21 - Sam Okuayinonu (DE)
20 - Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (LB)
4 - Alex Barrett (DE), Dre Greenlaw (LB), Ji'Ayir Brown (SS)
3 - Tashaun Gipson Sr. (SS)
Special Teams
25 - Isaac Yiadom
22 - Alex Barrett, Brayden Willis, Eric Saubert
18 - Chris Conley, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jalen Graham, Nick McCloud
15 - Ji'Ayir Brown
14 - Dee Winters
8 - Deebo Samuel, Jake Moody (K), Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Pat O'Donnell (P), Taybor Pepper (LS)
7 - Deommodore Lenoir, Evan Anderson, Fred Warner, Malik Mustapha, Talanoa Hufanga
6 - Jordan Elliott, Yetur Gross-Matos
5 - Maliek Collins, Tashaun Gipson Sr.
4 - Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni, Nick Zakelj, Spencer Burford
3 - Aaron Banks, Kalia Davis
2 - Austen Pleasants, Jacob Cowing, Jaylon Moore
1 - Jake Brendel, Sam Okuayinonu