49ers report card: Cardinals dub Shanahan an ‘offensive mad scientist’
Coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers (11-3) clinched their second straight division title and did so with a season-high 45 points against the Cardinals.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Here is how the 49ers (11-3) graded in Sunday’s 45-29, NFC West-clinching victory over the host Arizona Cardinals (3-11):
PASS OFFENSE: A
Brock Purdy strengthened his MVP candidacy by throwing four touchdown passes, avoiding a turnover and shaking off a second-quarter shoulder stinger from a helmet-to-helmet hit that leveled him. Christian McCaffrey caught two of those scoring passes, including a 5-yarder on the same drive that Purdy got hurt and later a 41-yarder that had him backpedaling and falling down before scoring. McCaffrey finished with a team-high 72 yards (five catches). George Kittle had only two catches, but both were third-down conversions, including a one-handed, 19-yard effort to the 6-yard line, on Purdy’s second pass after his injury scare. Deebo Samuel’s own 19-yard catch capped the season-high scoring barrage. Here’s a surprising stat: Purdy did not get sacked in a game where his health and season looked in question from that second-quarter smash.
RUN OFFENSE: A
Christian McCaffrey’s 115 yards expanded his NFL-leading total this season to 1,292, which yields a 324-yard cushion between No. 2 rusher James Cook of Buffalo. McCaffrey’s 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter followed his two touchdown catches; he’s broken the franchise record with six games scoring both on a run and a catch. His 20 touchdowns overall this season are three shy of Jerry Rice’s single-season franchise record. “I think Christian should be MVP. I really do believe that,” Purdy said. “He does everything for us: runs the ball well, can catch the ball. He does everything. So in my eyes, that’s an MVP.” McCaffrey downplayed a right-knee issue as “little stuff that goes on during a game.” Deebo Samuel had just an 11-yard carry, and he criticized himself for missing blocks that could have sprung McCaffrey for more yards.
PASS DEFENSE: B
This was the performance Charvarius Ward needed to gain more national attention for his breakout season. His first career pick-six covered 66 yards and it gave the 49ers a first-quarter lead they wouldn’t relinquish, then he intercepted Kyler Murray in the fourth quarter for Ward’s first career game with multiple interceptions. Murray, in his fifth game back from last year’s ACL tear, inflated his stats (26-of-39, 211 yards) late in the game and threw a last-minute touchdown pass. Nick Bosa got credited with a third-down sack, but don’t be surprised if he gets half-credit upon review for a Javon Kinlaw sack. Chase Young and Fred Warner combined for a sack. Tight end Trey McBride proved as tough a cover as expected (10 catches, 102 yards).
RUN DEFENSE: D
James Conner scored on the opening possession and exited with 86 yards, extending the 49ers’ streak to 41 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. The Cardinals repeatedly attacked the middle of a 49ers defense clearly missing Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead, but sloppy tackling and loose containment on the edge also impacted things. Allowing a 49-yard touchdown run to Emari Demercado early in the fourth quarter was the capper in a bad showing by the run defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
One area of concern resurfaced: Ronnie Bell appeared to fumble a punt return at the 12-yard line, and the Cardinals returned that loose ball for a momentum-swinging scoring 53 seconds before halftime. But a replay review nullified that touchdown and deemed Bell down by contact. Bell made a fair catch on the Cardinals’ only other punt. Him losing the ball in a No. 10 jersey is giving 49ers’ fans flashbacks to Kyle Williams’ muffed punt returns in the 2011 season’s NFC Championship Game loss. Ray-Ray McCloud is on Injured Reserve for at least two more games, so the return specialist job is an issue. Jake Moody made a 43-yard field goal and all six-point-after kicks. Moody is 52-of-52 on PATs, tying him with Stephen Gostkowski for the longest streak since the point-after attempt was moved back in 2015 to essentially 33-yard kicks.
COACHING: B
This letter of recommendation comes from Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton: “Kyle Shanahan, he has it. He is an offensive mad scientist. He knows how to get those run schemes set up. He’s been around the game for a long time and he understands how to rush the ball, how to screen the ball, how to get these short passes out to get those guys into a rhythm. He does a great job with those guys. Hats off to them.”