Grading the 49ers' players and coaches after beating the Titans 37-24

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers just beat the terrible Tennessee Titans 37-24. Now, the 49ers are 10-4 with three games left against playoff-caliber teams.

With that in mind, here are the 49ers' grades for this performance.

QUARTERBACK: A

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) reacts with offensive tackle Co — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Brock Purdy's numbers were great -- 295 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions -- but that's to be expected against such a bad opponent.

What's more important is the way Purdy looked on the field. It seems like his toe finally is no longer an issue. He had a 26-yard run. He looks more explosive than Christian McCaffrey (more on him in a minute). And Purdy's passes had zip on them for the first time since Week 1. Finally, he played like the Brock Purdy we all know. Let's see if he can keep it up against playoff teams.

RUNNING BACKS: C-MINUS

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is tackled by Tennesse — Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

To be fair to Christian McCaffrey, he played through a back injury. Still, he looked like the same player he has been the past two seasons. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry and caught only one pass. And quite frankly, the offense benefited from him taking on a supporting role. He's not as good as George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall or Jauan Jennings anymore. He's a complementary check-down option. The less they use him, the better the offense is.

WIDE RECEIVERS: A

Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) reacts against the Carolina — Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Ricky Pearsall proved that he's still a good receiver -- he simply wasn't getting the ball because Purdy was having issues pushing it down the field. Against the Titans, Purdy felt confident throwing long, so Pearsall had a good game. He's a deep threat who needs a quarterback who's willing and able to throw long. Purdy usually is willing, but he isn't always able. Today, he was, and Pearsall benefited.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, he injured his ankle and knee. He needs to improve his durability.

Jauan Jennings had 37 yards and 2 touchdowns. He's finally playing up to his standard. When he and Pearsall play this well, the 49ers don't need Brandon Aiyuk, who has played his final game with the team.

TIGHT ENDS: A

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) scores a touchdown during the t — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Finally, he led the team in targets, which he should do every week. It's ridiculous that the 49ers don't feature him more often. Today, they gave him a team-high nine targets, and he caught eight of them for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. He's the biggest mismatch in the NFL. As long as the 49ers keep feeding him, they'll be tough to beat.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: B

November 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) during the first qu — Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 49ers didn't run particularly well, but that's mostly because they lack dynamic running backs. The run blocking isn't bad. And the pass protection is pretty good -- Purdy got sacked just twice despite holding the ball a long time. This group is underrated.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: D

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the ball during the se — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

They couldn't stop the run at all. Every time the Titans handed off, it seemed as though the running back would burst past the defensive line and reach the second and third levels of the 49ers' defense.

We know the 49ers miss Nick Bosa's pass rush, but they also miss Mykel Williams' run defense. They can't stop anyone on the ground without him.

LINEBACKERS: F

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (2) runs with the ball defended by Sa — Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

For the second game in a row, the 49ers couldn't stop a screen pass. That's because third-string middle linebacker Curtis Robinson is filling in for Tatum Bethune, who was filling in for Fred Warner. Once the 49ers get Bethune back, their defense will improve significantly.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: D

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) tackles Tennessee Titans wide r — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

They gave up a passer rating of 101.2 to a rookie quarterback who had zero quality wide receivers. Both Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown dropped potential interceptions. And this unit gave up a 34-yard touchdown catch on first and 20 to a backup tight end. Any team with a quality quarterback will give the 49ers awful defense problems.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A-MINUS

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddie Pineiro (18) after the game against the Atlanta — Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Eddy Pineiro booted a kickoff out of bounds, but made all three of his field-goal attempts. Skyy Moore also had an 18-yard punt return. He's one of the best players on the team.

COACHES: B

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on during the fourth quarter — Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Kyle Shanahan finally stopped forcing passes to McCaffrey and instead featured his Hall of Fame tight end and two starting wide receivers. As a result, the 49ers scored 37 points. Hopefully, he learned his lesson. Use McCaffrey in moderation at this stage of his career. He's not the best player on the offense anymore -- Kittle is. And Pearsall is the most explosive player.

The 49ers offense took care of business in the game, but the team as a whole did not. When the fourth quarter started, they led by 21 points. With four minutes left, they led by just 10 points. They couldn't put away an awful team. Brock Purdy fumbled, then the defense gave up a touchdown catch to a defensive tackle. That's not how Super Bowl contenders finish games against two-win teams.

The 49ers are good, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl barring a miracle. They're a second-tier team.