Snap Counts & Grades: The 49ers offense lets them down on Sunday

Well, that was an ugly loss. Dissecting any loss will eventually lead to understanding that the loss is filled with self-inflicted issues and mistakes, but man, did the 49ers beat themselves on Sunday. Four turnovers, multiple dropped passes, and more special teams coverage issues were a perfect storm for a 49ers loss. The 49ers’ defense struggled to pressure Trevor Lawrence, which was predictable following the loss of Nick Bosa, but for the most part, the defense did its part when they weren’t forced into a bad situation off a turnover on offense.

Let’s look at the snap counts and grades from Pro Football Focus.

Offense

Quarterback

Brock Purdy 66 (61.7)

The 49ers franchise QB returned after a two-game absence, but sailed passes high, low, and even right into Jaguars defenders’ hands on Sunday. Purdy’s toe injury isn’t 100%, but if he’s on the field, then the excuse loses merit. The 49ers receivers were credited with four drops (that still seems low), but two interceptions and a fumble can’t happen. The fumble also occurred on the potential game-winning drive.

The bottom line is Purdy must protect the football. Purdy was under pressure on 39% of his dropbacks and finished 6/14, 100 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception when pressured by the Jaguars. Flush the game on Sunday and get ready for Thursday in LA. A notable caveat is that while Purdy attempted only four passes of 20-plus yards, he completed three of four attempts for 74 yards, earning a 116.7 passer rating.

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey 56 (56.6)

Kyle Jusczcyk 23 (72.2)

Brian Robinson, Jr 10 (67.3)

McCaffrey finished with 49 yards on 17 carries with 48 (!!) coming after contact. With an underwhelming 2.9 per attempt, the 49ers’ rushing attack continues to be stuck in the mud in 2025. Brian Robinson pitched in with 21 yards on five attempts for 4.2 per attempt and 15 yards after contact. The value to the offense is McCaffrey as a pass catcher with another 92 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, but the issue has been drops for the running back. PFF credited him with one drop.

Wide Receivers

Jauan Jennings 48 (61.2)

Kendrick Bourne 44 (37.6)

Ricky Pearsall 37 (68.7)

Demarcus Robinson 25 (69.5)

Skyy Moore 8 (54.4)

Four drops were credited to the pass catchers. Three of them were from Kendrick Bourne. Unacceptable. Jennings labored through this game, especially following his two-point conversion, where he got absolutely crushed by two Jaguars. Ricky Pearsall left the game after falling on his knee with what Kyle Shanahan described today as a “minor PCL injury.” That diagnosis is initial, and isn’t final until the full tests reveal the extent of the injury. Thursday feels like a long shot, but we’ll hope for good news, right?

Demarcus Robinson returned from his suspension and caught his only target for 20 yards. He’ll be featured on Thursday if Pearsall and possibly Jennings miss the game in LA. Robinson’s revenge game? Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Tight Ends

Jake Tonges 45 (75.3)

Luke Farrell 32 (52.6)

Brayden Willis 2 (58.7)

Tonges departed briefly with an injury, but was a real bright spot for the 49ers offense with three catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. Luke Farrell caught two passes for 20 yards but fumbled the football. When does George Kittle return?

Offensive Line

Trent Williams 66 (78.4)

Colton McKivitz 66 (77.1)

Dominick Puni 66 (67.8)

Connor Colby 66 (66.8)

Jake Brendel 66 (62.2)

Somehow, the 49ers didn’t allow a sack on Sunday. The offensive line did allow 16 pressures, 14 hurries, and 2 QB hits. Connor Colby led the team with five pressures allowed. Trent Williams was second with four pressures, three hurries, and a QB hit. That just isn’t like Williams at all, and the future Hall of Famer has had an up-and-down season. Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz allowed two pressures apiece, and Jake Brendel allowed a pressure and a hurry.

The run blocking continues to be an issue. What is even more shocking is the lack of big runs to the left side of the offensive line. With only two attempts to the left end for McCaffrey totaling one yard, it should be as easy as running behind your best offensive lineman. The highest YPA (6.3) was running toward the left guard.

Defense

Defensive Line

Mykel Williams 46 (45.7)

Sam Okuayinonu 45 (46.9)

Jordan Elliott 42 (58.3)

Bryce Huff 38 (71.7)

Kalia Davis 36 (54.5)

Alfred Collins 23 (63.0)

Yetur Gross-Matos 20 (76.9)

Jordan Jefferson 12 (40.7)

Robert Beal Jr 12 (39.2)

The defensive line without Nick Bosa totaled five pressures, five hurries, and zero sacks. Bryce Huff led the defensive line with two pressures and hurries, but the team struggled to create pressure on Trevor Lawrence. Yetur Gross-Matos is working his way through an injury, but he needs to see the field more and be involved as a pass rusher.

There were times when the defensive line made plays to get off the field, but the lack of consistent pass rush is a concern.

Linebackers

Dee Winters 68 (59.5)

Fred Warner 68 (90.9)

Luke Gifford 19 (70.5)

Dee Winters and Fred Warner combined for seven of the 19 total defensive stops for the 49ers’ defense. Winters led the team with nine tackles and finished second on the defense with an 84.0 run defense grade. Warner was the highest graded defender in coverage with a 92.0 grade. Two passes were in Warner’s hands, and the star middle linebacker passed Patrick Willis for forced fumbles as a 49er. However, the fumble landed back in the legs of a Jaguars player and was an indication of the ball not bouncing the 49ers’ way at times on Sunday.

Secondary

Marques Sigle 68 (60.1)

Darrell Luter Jr 68 (64.6)

Jason Pinnock 68 (63.2)

Deommodore Lenoir 68 (61.2)

Upton Stout 43 (54.5)

Ji’Ayir Brown 4 (61.9)

Darrell Luter Jr replaced the injured Renardo Green and was the highest graded run defender with an 85.6 run defense grade. Luter Jr was only targeted twice and allowed one catch in 36 coverage snaps. Marques Sigle continues to be targeted in his rookie season. Sigle allowed a team-high 60 yards on six receptions and seven targets. Upton Stout was dinged for a ticky-tack pass interference call on what was initially the first interception of his career and for the 49ers’ defense.