George Kittle did what George Kittle usually does
The 49ers lost another game after holding a first-half lead. Say what you want about the matchup being meaningless. It was, at the very least, fun. Seventy-four total points weren’t in the cards, but both offenses powered through the opposing defenses. Detroit had a chance to rest key players ahead of their NFC North division winner-take-all matchup with the Minnesota Vikings but played everyone until the final buzzer. The 49ers leaders led by example as Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle, and Brock Purdy played in the Week 17 game to continue the culture under Kyle Shanahan.
Despite the loss, there are plenty of positives to take from this game. Let’s hand out some gold jackets!
Offense: Ricky Pearsall
The first-round pick from Florida turned in a career performance, leading the team with 141 yards on eight catches and a touchdown. The rookie turned ten targets into 17.6 yards per reception and finished with an 80.9 receiving grade, second behind George Kittle’s 92.7 for pass catchers.
A deeper look will show Pearsall’s versatility. With 20 routes from the slot and 19 out wide, Pearsall led the team with 3.92 yards per route run (no, I don’t count Chris Conley’s one catch on Monday for 6.5) and an average target depth of 12.9. When targeted, Pearsall held a passer rating of 112.5 and accounted for seven first downs.
An excellent showing from the promising receiver from Florida.
Honorable Mention: George Kittle
Once again, Kittle finished with the highest offensive grade and 112 receiving yards. Kittle continued his stellar season, and 2024 will go down as his most efficient as a pro—still the best tight end in football.
Defense: Nick Bosa
Facing one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, Bosa wreaked havoc all game and was constantly in the backfield. The former Defensive Player of the Year finished with seven total pressures, two sacks, two QB hits, three hurries, and six defensive stops.
Bosa excelled in true pass sets (no play action). On 11 true pass set reps, Bosa finished with a team-high 91.4 pass-rush grade and five pressures, two sacks, two QB hits, a hurry, and a 55.6% pass-rush win rate.
Honorable Mention: Renardo Green
Green continued his fine rookie season despite the coverage bust that allowed Amon-Ra St. Brown to waltz into the end zone on fourth down. Sitting at 12th in the NFL for coverage grade, Green allowed five catches for 31 yards and a PBU. As for the 31 yards allowed, that is a 6.2 yards per reception average, and Green allowed ZERO yards after the catch.