49ers Grades After 24-14 Win Over Broncos: Brock Purdy Bails Out Kyle Shanahan

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers just beat the Denver Broncos 24-14. Here are the 49ers' grades for this performance.

QUARTERBACK: B

Brock Purdy kept the 49ers offense afloat all game without much help from anyone else, save the offensive linemen. They were excellent. The weapons were not -- they were banged up, and Kyle Shanahan's game plan and play calling were subpar for most of the game (more on Shanahan in a minute). When Purdy dropped back, his receivers generally weren't open until late in the second half when both of the Broncos' starting cornerbacks got injured. Until then, the pass game was anemic, partially because Purdy wasn't seeing the field particularly well. So, he bought time and extended drives with his legs until the passing game opened up. The 49ers wouldn't have won without his improvisation. He has been their best player all season. The 49ers need to help him out.

RUNNING BACKS: C-MINUS

Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown, but averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and caught only three passes for 18 yards. The Broncos essentially held him in check, just like the Dolphins did two weeks ago. He wasn't even dangerous as a receiver, which was surprising. He simply isn't the player he was three years ago. These days, he's good for just a couple exciting plays per game. His backup, Kaelon Black, averaged just 2.2 yards per carry. And their lead blocker, Kyle Juszczyk, left the game with two catches and a knee sprain. The 49ers used to have a dominant running game. Now, they don't. In fact, their most effective runner today was a wide receiver.

WIDE RECEIVERS: C-PLUS

Deebo Samuel had just 26 receiving yards, but he caught a touchdown pass and averaged 14.7 yards per carry on three attempts. He still struggles to get himself open and catch passes down the field, but he's as difficult to tackle as ever, and he seems to score a touchdown every week, which makes him extremely valuable. The 49ers need to get him the ball even more often. I can't believe I just typed that. The other starting wide receiver, Mike Evans, heroically played through broken ribs and caught five passes for 76 yards. What a pleasure it is to watch him work, even when injured. Still, the receivers struggled to get open, which is why the passing game struggled until the Broncos' starting cornerbacks left the game. The 49ers seriously miss Demarcus Robinson and De'Zhaun Stribling. Stribling can't even put weight on his injured ankle yet. He's using a special scooter to get around. Don't expect him back any time soon.

TIGHT ENDS: A

George Kittle caught just four passes -- they should have targeted him much more frequently -- but he put the game away with a 56-yard touchdown catch off a screen pass from Purdy late in the fourth quarter. Better late than never. It's incredible how Kittle has been able to regain almost all of his speed and explosiveness fewer than 10 months after tearing his Achilles.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: A-MINUS

These guys haven't given up a sack yet this season, which is incredible. Trent Williams is playing as well as he's ever played, which is remarkable considering he's 38. Still, the run game struggled, and that's partially the fault of the offensive linemen. They'll have a huge test next week against the Seahawks.

DEFENSIVE LINEMENEN: C

They stopped the run, which is impressive considering how many players are injured, but they can't rush the quarterback without Nick Bosa. They sacked Bo Nix zero times. But they didn't have to sack him to make him play poorly -- he did that all on his own because he's not good. The 49ers simply had to keep him in the pocket, which they did for the most part. Nix finished the game with just two rushes for 10 yards. He's not good enough to beat the 49ers from the pocket, which he proved today.

LINEBACKERS: A

Dre Greenlaw made the Broncos pay for letting him go this offseason by recording a team-high 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Sean Payton must have been so upset that Greenlaw never played like that for the Broncos last season. Fred Warner also had seven tackles and two pass breakups in this game. He was a terrific sidekick to Greenlaw, who was the star for a change.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: A

They held Bo Nix to a minuscule 5.1 yards per pass attempt without a pass rush. That means they just blanketed the Broncos' receivers all game. Not an easy thing to do. The only time the Broncos really moved the ball effectively was when Upton Stout left the game with a shoulder injury. After the game, he had ice wrapped around his shoulder, and he couldn't move his arm. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Stout has an AC sprain, which sounds painful. The 49ers defense is so much better with him on the field than without him. His replacement, Jack Jones, gave up a touchdown catch almost immediately.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-PLUS

Eddy Pineiro had a 54-yard field-goal attempt blocked. He hasn't been nearly as good this season as he was a year ago. He's someone to monitor. Fortunately for this position group, Siran Neal recovered a muffed punt deep in Broncos territory, and this set up a touchdown for the 49ers. Neal is playing like a Pro Bowl special teams player.

COACHES: B

Raheem Morris was the best coach on the field today. He shut down the Broncos offense with half a defensive line. Morris is rolling right now because opposing coaches don't know his tendencies with this defense. Teams are still learning how he's calling plays for this group, which is a huge advantage for the 49ers. Meanwhile, Kyle Shanahan produced his worst performance of the season, partially because his offense is so banged up and Denver's defense is good. Still, he didn't leverage his biggest advantage -- Purdy's mobility -- until the fourth quarter. Shanahan had Purdy dropping straight back all game. Purdy had to call his own number and run when he saw openings. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Shanahan called a play-action pass that was designed for Purdy to roll to his left. He hit Evans for 17 yards, and the 49ers scored a one-yard touchdown on the next play. Finally, Shanahan called a brilliant screen pass for Kittle that put the game away. Which means when Shanahan had to be at his best, he was, even though he struggled for three quarters. That's impressive. Does this win mean the 49ers are the best team in the NFL? Not necessarily, no. They can prove that next week against the Seattle Seahawks. But for now, the 49ers are undefeated, and their team hasn't even gotten healthy yet. If it ever healthies up, watch out. This could be their year.

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