The San Francisco 49ers were in control of their own destiny and earned themselves the title of NFC West champions for the first time since 2012. San Francisco became the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 1997 with their 26-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks - their first win at CenturyLink Field since the 2011 season.
Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus provided grades for the top performers from the primetime divisional matchup, including three offensive players earning a spot on PFF's "Team of the Week". Here's who stood out in the regular season finale.
1. George Kittle - 94.1 overall grade
Kittle caught all seven of his targets on Sunday for 86 yards, five of which went for first downs. San Francisco's tight end also forced three missed tackles against Seattle which brings his total to 20 missed tackles forced this season, the most among all NFL tight ends and wide receivers. Kittle accounted for four explosive plays in Week 17 and averaged 4.53 yards per route run, earning him a spot on PFF's "Team of the Week". Kittle surpassed the needed 33 yards against the Seahawks, marking his second-straight 1,000 yard season (1,053). The dual threat tight end finished the season with an overall grade of 95.0, the highest overall grade for a season ever given to a tight end in the PFF era (previous high Rob Gronkowski - 92.0 in 2011). Kittle has also averaged 3.11 receiving yards per pass route run for the season, the highest in the NFL not only among tight ends but all offensive skill players. He also amassed 621 yards after the catch this season, the most among all NFL tight ends.
2. Jimmy Garoppolo - 90.1 overall grade
San Francisco's quarterback finished the night completing 18-of-22 passes for 285 yards and a 118.8 passer rating. His 90.1 overall grade was his highest ever as a member of the 49ers and earned him is first appearance on the "Team of the Week." Garoppolo was 7-of-7 passing for 129 yards in the second half. He was also 6-of-7 for 134 yards on throws of 10-plus yards downfield for the game. Garoppolo averaged 13.0 yards per attempt on Sunday night. According to PFF, when throwing to a receiver that leads the receiver across the field, Garoppolo completed 90.9% of his passes and averaged 15.6 yards per attempt.
3. Deebo Samuel - 90.0 overall grade
Samuel earned the highest grade of his young NFL career in Week 17. The rookie was perfect on the night, catching all five of his targets for 102 yards and added two carries for 33 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks. Four of Samuel's five targets went for first downs. He also recorded four missed tackles on the night. Samuel tied with Pittsburgh Steelers Diontae Johnson for the most missed tackles forced by a wide receiver this season (18). The rookie also racked up 64 yards after the catch on Sunday, the most by a wide receiver in Week 17. He too, earned a spot on PFF's "Team of the Week."
"Deebo has been the man all year," Kyle Shanahan said after the win. "I have been so impressed with how tough he has played. The moment does not scare him. He has been real banged up the second half of the season. I know he was banged up all week. And for him to come out there today to do the stuff he does in the run and pass game, the play he made on third down I think our second to last possession, ended up leading to a touchdown. Deebo is a stud."
4. Richard Sherman - 77.2 overall grade
San Francisco's veteran corner was not targeted on a single one of Russell Wilson's 40 pass attempts in Week 17. Sherman has earned the top overall grade (88.9) and top coverage grade (90.1) among all cornerbacks for the season. He has allowed an average of 0.44 receiving yards per snap in coverage, the best among cornerbacks and best of Sherman's entire career. Sherman has allowed one catch every 19.1 snaps in coverage, second best among cornerbacks (Los Angeles Chargers Casey Hayward - 19.7). His 46.8 passer rating allowed ranks third among cornerbacks.
5. Kyle Juszczyk - 76.1 overall grade
San Francisco's offensive weapon caught his lone target for a massive 49 yards that set up a Raheem Mostert touchdown. Juszczyk finished the year with an overall grade of 73.3, the highest among all fullbacks. His 74.7 run blocking grade also led all fullbacks.
6. Joe Staley - 76.0 overall grade
Staley did not allow a single quarterbak pressure against Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks pass rush. The veteran left tackle earned an 83.4 pass blocking grade on the night.
7. Jimmie Ward - 75.9 overall grade
Ward continues to string together impressive performances in his sixth season in San Francisco. The veteran defensive back did not allow a single catch on his two targets in coverage on Sunday.
8. Arik Armstead - 74.7 overall grade
Armstead registered seven pressures that included a quarterback hit and six hurries on Sunday night. He finished the regular season with an 89.8 overall grade, the fourth best among all edge defenders.
Honorable Mentions
*Nick Bosa *
The rookie pass rusher recorded a career-high 11 quarterback pressures that included four hits and seven hurries against Wilson. It's worth noting the 49ers had Wilson under pressure on 23 of his 48 dropbacks (47.9 percent). Bosa finished the season with 80 quarterback pressures, sixth most among edge defenders.
Greenlaw led the team with 12 solo tackles. He also registered nine stops including the game-saving play at the goal line.
