49ers vs. Cardinals PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts

The San Francisco 49ers improved their record to 3-0 after a 16-15 win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades and snap counts from the game. Which Niners stood out, and who needs more work?

Highest-graded 49ers: Offense

• Mac Jones, QB, 80.7, 65 snaps
• Trent Williams, LT, 78.5, 65 snaps
• Ricky Pearsall, WR, 75.2, 63 snaps
• Colton McKivitz, RT, 69.0, 65 snaps
• Brian Robinson, RB, 69.0, 6 snaps

Highest-graded 49ers: Defense

• Bryce Huff, DE, 90.1, 36 snaps
• Fred Warner, LB, 82.4, 66 snaps
• Dee Winters, LB, 79.5, 66 snaps
• Nick Bosa, DE, 79.1, 14 snaps
• Deommodore Lenoir, CB, 72.9, 64 snaps

Lowest-graded 49ers: Offense

• Dominick Puni, RG, 45.4, 65 snaps
• Connor Colby, LG, 46.6, 65 snaps
• Luke Farrell, TE, 55.7, 30 snaps
• Skyy Moore, WR, 57.4, 34 snaps
• Kendrick Bourne, WR, 58.1, 47 snaps

Lowest-graded 49ers: Defense

• Alfred Collins, DT, 35.7, 31 snaps
• Kalia Davis, DT, 48.9, 31 snaps
• Upton Stout, CB, 53.9, 32 snaps
• CJ West, DT, 53.9, 14 snaps
• Marques Sigle, SS, 54.0, 66 snaps

Highest-graded Cardinals

• Calais Campbell, DE, 90.3, 32 snaps
• Josh Sweat, ROLB, 81.7, 27 snaps
• Kyler Murray, QB, 80.4, 66 snaps
• Hjalte Froholdt, C, 79.5, 66 snaps
• Kitan Crawford, SS, 78.8, 6 snaps

Quarterback play

49ers quarterback Mac Jones earned an 80.7 offensive grade, the highest of the game. He completed 65.9% of his 41 pass attempts for 284 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray completed 22 of 35 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing six times for 37 yards. He finished with an 80.4 offensive grade.

Highest marks

Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell posted the top defensive grade of the game at 90.3. Not far behind, 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff earned a 90.1 defensive grade.

Blocking

Left tackle Trent Williams was the 49ers' highest-graded offensive lineman for the second straight week, finishing with a 78.5 offensive grade. He also posted a game-high 83.9 run-blocking grade and a team-high 69.8 pass-blocking grade.

Tight end Luke Farrell earned the 49ers' best pass-blocking grade at 75.6.

Second-year right guard Dominick Puni and rookie left guard Connor Colby—making his first NFL start—earned the lowest grades on the offensive line (45.4 for Puni, 46.6 for Colby). Colby allowed a team-high five pressures.

In total, the 49ers' offensive line surrendered 11 pressures.

• LG Connor Colby — 5
• RT Colton McKivitz, RG Dominick Puni, LT Trent Williams — 2 each

Pass Catchers

49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall tied Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins as the game's highest-graded pass catcher (75.2 overall). Higgins held the edge in receiving grade (78.9 vs. Pearsall's 74.0), but Pearsall was far more productive, recording eight receptions for 117 yards on 11 targets, compared to Higgins' single seven-yard catch.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who scored a touchdown, earned the team's second-best receiving grade (69.3).

Wide receiver Skyy Moore posted the lowest receiving grade on the team (57.3).

Rushing

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray earned the game's best rushing grade (75.0).

For the 49ers, running back Brian Robinson led the way with a 69.0 rushing grade on two carries for 22 yards.

Running back Christian McCaffrey earned a 63.5 rushing grade, ranking second on the team. His season grade of 64.3 is the lowest of his career. McCaffrey still finished with a game-high 52 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Pass rush

Defensive end Bryce Huff was the 49ers' top pass rusher, earning an 89.2 pass rush grade. He logged five tackles (one for loss), two quarterback hits, one sack, and a pass defensed.

Huff and rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams combined for 11 of the team's 22 pressures, with Huff credited for five.

Rookie defensive tackles CJ West (48.6) and Alfred Collins (51.7) earned the team's lowest pass-rush grades.

• DE Mykel Williams — 6
• DE Bryce Huff — 5
• DE Sam Okuayinonu — 3
• DT Jordan Elliott — 2
• DE Nick Bosa, SS Ji'Ayir Brown, DT Alfred Collins, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, DT CJ West, LB Dee Winters — 1 each

Run defense

Linebacker Fred Warner earned a game-high 90.1 run-defense grade, finishing with 11 tackles, two passes defensed, and a game-high seven stops, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cornerback Renardo Green recorded the lowest run-defense grade of the game at 30.6.

Pass defense

Linebacker Dee Winters led the team with a 75.2 coverage grade, allowing four receptions for seven yards and one touchdown on six targets.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir earned the best coverage grade (71.2) among 49ers defensive backs, while safety Ji'Ayir Brown posted the lowest (50.6).

Tackling

Rookie cornerback Upton Stout was the 49ers' top tackler, earning an 80.4 grade and finishing with five tackles and a pass defensed. Jason Pinnock ranked second with a 78.4 mark.

Defensive tackles Kalia Davis (25.3) and CJ West (28.4) earned the lowest tackling grades among their teammates.

• DT Kalia Davis — 2
• SS Ji'Ayir Brown, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, DE Bryce Huff, CB Deommodore Lenoir, DE Sam Okuayinonu, SS Marques Sigle, LB Fred Warner, DT CJ West, LB Dee Winters — 1 each

49ers Week 3 snap counts

Offense
65 - Colton McKivitz (RT), Connor Colby (LG), Dominick Puni (RG), Jake Brendel (C), Mac Jones (QB), Trent Williams (LT)
63 - Ricky Pearsall (WR)
59 - Christian McCaffrey (RB)
47 - Kendrick Bourne (WR)
45 - Jake Tonges (TE)
34 - Skyy Moore (WR)
30 - Luke Farrell (TE)
22 - Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
17 - Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR)
6 - Brian Robinson (RB)
1 - Brayden Willis (TE), Malik Turner (WR)

Defense
66 - Dee Winters (LB), Fred Warner (LB), Jason Pinnock (FS), Marques Sigle (SS)
64 - Deommodore Lenoir (CB)
57 - Renardo Green (CB)
43 - Mykel Williams (DE)
42 - Sam Okuayinonu (DE)
36 - Bryce Huff (DE)
32 - Jordan Elliott (DT), Upton Stout (CB)
31 - Alfred Collins (DT), Kalia Davis (DT)
25 - Ji'Ayir Brown (SS)
22 - Yetur Gross-Matos (DE)
14 - CJ West (DT), Nick Bosa (DE)
12 - Luke Gifford (LB)
7 - Darrell Luter Jr. (CB)

Special Teams
21 - Luke Gifford
19 - Siran Neal
15 - Curtis Robinson, Darrell Luter Jr., Isaac Guerendo, Jake Tonges, Tatum Bethune
13 - Ji'Ayir Brown
12 - Chase Lucas
11 - Brayden Willis
9 - Eddy Pineiro (K), Marques Sigle, Skyy Moore
8 - Luke Farrell, Sam Okuayinonu
7 - Jon Weeks (LS), Malik Turner, Thomas Morstead (P)
6 - Fred Warner
5 - Kalia Davis
4 - Alfred Collins, Austen Pleasants, Colton McKivitz, Connor Colby, Dominick Puni, Drew Moss, Jordan Elliott, Matt Hennessy
3 - Kyle Juszczyk, Mykel Williams
2 - Bryce Huff, Dee Winters, Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Yetur Gross-Matos