49ers vs. Buccaneers offensive grades: Brock Purdy shines in 1st career start

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 35-7 rout to place themselves close to a division title, as they would clinch the NFC West with a win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

Quarterback Brock Purdy was the headline of the game, as the rookie shined in his first career start, completing 16/21 passes for 185 yards and three total touchdowns.

Here are the offensive grades against the Buccaneers.

Quarterback: A

Brock Purdy put together an impressive performance, building off an unexpected game against the Dolphins where he was inserted into the lineup after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for the next three months.

On the stat sheet, Purdy's performance may not have stood out, but the rookie played with poise and had full command of the offense, erasing some of the mistakes he made last weekend, while making a number of impressive throws.

Purdy began the game with a questionable decision, calling for an audible that resulted in him getting sacked off a free rusher, although the play was wiped due to a 15-yard penalty.

However, the rookie quarterback emerged from that mistake, making a nice third-down conversion to George Kittle after reading the safety.

Overall, Purdy continues to showcase his sneaky athleticism, as his mobility got him out of potential sacks and into completions or throwaways that prolonged the 49ers' drive. This aspect had been lacking over the previous weeks and opened up the offense to more off-schedule plays.

But, the most impressive element of Purdy's game was his grittiness. After suffering an oblique injury on San Francisco's second drive of the game, the rookie quarterback not only remained in the game, but made two different deep touchdown passes while getting drilled by pass-rushers.

Purdy benefitted from good blocking and a ferocious run game, but it was certainly a strong performance on the day, especially from a player of his NFL experience.

Running Backs: A

Christian McCaffrey had an immense impact on the 49ers' offense, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown off 14 carries.

Time and time again, McCaffrey exerted just the right amount of patience that opened up holes and allowed him to operate in his slippery manner, making this partnership look good in the early returns.

McCaffrey also made a nice touchdown catch over his shoulder after running a solid route on the boundary, showcasing his versatile skillset.

The former Panthers running back's patience will continue to be vital, as it was on Sunday, if the offense is to execute at its highest potential.

Jordan Mason continues to shine with his opportunities, rushing for 56 yards on 5.1 yards per carry. While Mason didn't earn carries until the third quarter, he has proven to be more than capable of being San Francisco's backup running back with his powerful approach.

The duo contributed to a season-high 209 rushing yards for the 49ers, which came on incredible efficiency in a strong offensive performance overall.

Wide Receivers: A

It was a widespread attack for the 49ers in the air, as no receiver had more than five targets on the day, while each of San Francisco's five active wideouts caught a pass.

Overall, it was an efficient performance from a unit that had been prone to the occasional dropped pass, which was much needed to support quarterback Brock Purdy against a tough defense in his first career start.

Brandon Aiyuk led the day with 57 receiving yards, including a 32-yard touchdown catch off a pristine double-move route that wasn't even repped in practice all well.

Aiyuk's route-running and fluidity have helped each of San Francisco's quarterbacks improve this season, which has increased the team's confidence in their third-year receiver.

Deebo Samuel caught four passes for 43 yards, serving as a checkdown option for Brock Purdy, while also rushing for 21 yards and a touchdown on four attempts.

Samuel continues to make magic work after the catch and displayed his rushing ability on a 13-yard touchdown where he hit the edge and maintained his balance.

Unfortunately, the South Carolina product injured his MCL and ankle after an awkward bend on a carry, although head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed to the media that Samuel's expected healing time should be only three weeks.

Ray-Ray McCloud only had one catch on the day, but continues to be an underrated returner after a somewhat shaky start to the season, which has led to good field positioning.

Tight Ends: A-

George Kittle only had four catches for 28 yards, but was efficient with his five targets and served as a strong blocker in the run game, which fueled a good rushing attack throughout the game.

Kittle's efforts in the running game continue to be understated, but are an integral part of his performance weekly and he fulfilled that role well against the Buccaneers.

Offensive Line: A

The offensive line had their best game on the ground all season, consistently creating holes for Christian McCaffrey, which led to his 14-carry, 119-yard performance on Sunday.

Every starting offensive lineman had an integral block on a specific carry, speaking to the importance of execution by all five members in regard to successful rushes.

Trent Williams continued to dominate, which is why it comes as no surprise that most of the 49ers' success came when rushing to the left side of the offensive line, as it has all season long.

While the disparity in rush success between the left side and right side of the offensive line may be an issue down the line, the 49ers' offense is currently rolling at a high pace, while still seeing continued success in their current approach.

In pass protection, the 49ers primarily kept Brock Purdy clean, although Tampa Bay did have several different packages and blitzes that sent extra pressure toward the quarterback, leading in hits.

However, the solid protection, combined with Purdy's mobility and grittiness led to a zero-sack game, which is always commended for the starting five up front.

Now, the 49ers have a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football with a chance to claim the division.

Written By: