49ers report card: Grades for offense, defense in 37-8 win vs. Packers

Share

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers get high marks across the board for their dominating performance on Sunday night.

The 49ers got out to a fast start and did not ease off the accelerator in a 37-8 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers’ defense held Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the worst statistical output of his career, and the offense got back on track with the return of tight end George Kittle.

Here are the 49ers’ grades from the Week 12 victory.

Rushing Offense

The 49ers’ run game got going again, as they averaged 5.1 yards per rushing attempt after struggling on the ground in the past three games. Tevin Coleman scored on a 2-yard touchdown run on the 49ers’ first offensive play of the game.

Raheem Mostert capped the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Mostert had 45 yards on six rushing attempts.

San Francisco 49ers

Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

How 49ers could be impacted by NFL's 2025 salary cap spike

Why 49ers likely won't use franchise tag on their 2025 free agents

The return of Kittle was a big help for the 49ers, not just in the passing game but also in helping get the run game going, too. The 49ers missed his skills as a run-blocker during his two-game absence.

Grade: B-plus

Passing Offense

Jimmy Garoppolo was on point. He completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 253 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating was 145.8.

Kittle was exceptional, as usual. Garoppolo targeted Kittle six times. They connected each time for 129 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown strike.

Deebo Samuel had two catches for 50 yards with a 42-yard touchdown that gave the 49ers a 20-0 lead late in the second quarter.

Garoppolo was sacked three times for 26 yards. Left tackle Justin Skule, filling in for veteran Joe Staley, struggled early and was replaced by Daniel Brunskill.

Grade: A

Rushing Defense

Running back Aaron Jones was having a strong season for the Packers, but he did not have much room to run Sunday against the 49ers. Jones gained just 38 yards on 13 carries with a 2.9-yard average.

Linebacker Fred Warner had another strong showing with 11 tackles, while Dre Greenlaw checked in with eight. Nose tackle D.J. Jones returned to action and was very stout against the run with two tackles for loss.

Grade: A-minus

Passing Defense

It does not get much better than what the 49ers were able to accomplish against Rodgers.

Rodgers completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for just 104 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Rodgers’ 3.2 yards per attempt was the lowest in his 169 career starts. He also was sacked five times for minus-38 yards.

One of those sacks came on the opening series and led to a short field for the 49ers’ offense. Warner recorded the sack and forced a fumble. Nick Bosa recovered at the 2-yard line, setting up Coleman’s short TD run. The 49ers’ pass rush was as good as advertised.

Arik Armstead had two sacks. Bosa and Warner each had a sack, and Buckner and Jaquiski Tartt had a half-sack apiece.

Free safety Jimmie Ward had a big day with two passes defensed. Richard Sherman was called for two penalties, but he did a good job on Davante Adams.

Grade: A

[RELATED: How Jimmy G's pep talk sparked 49ers' rout of Packers]

Special Teams

Mitch Wishnowsky had a big day. He averaged 45.5 yards on four punts, but his net average was actually better than his gross. Because of some great coverage from Mostert and others, the Packers actually lost yards on their punt returns. Wishnowsky’s net was an impressive 46.3 yards.

Kicker Chase McLaughlin continued to fill in for Robbie Gould. He made field goals of 29, 27 and 48 yards. The 48-yarder came on the final play of the first half and gave the 49ers a 23-0 lead.

Grade: A

Overall

This was the start of a brutal three-week stretch for the 49ers. But the 49ers made this game look way too easy.

It was complete domination all the way around. The defense was fantastic. The offense was very efficient (except on third downs), and Kyle Shanahan and his staff certainly got the better of Packers coach Matt LaFleur and his staff.

The 49ers are a team that has a chance to get better and better down the stretch, and this was as impressive as it gets.

Grade: A

Contact Us