The San Francisco 49ers struggled to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs high-powered offense in Week 3. Despite the outcome, Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus provided grades for members of the 49ers who impressed in the 38-27 loss on Sunday.
1. George Kittle
Kittle led the team in targets (7), receptions (5) and yards (79) and forced five missed tackles against the Chiefs. He could have added a touchdown to his stats, however it was overturned due to a questionable offensive pass interference penalty on Kyle Juszczyk. On his 22 snaps in the passing game, he averaged 3.59 yards per route run, ranking second among tight ends in Week 3. Overall, Kittle earned the team's highest overall grade of 92.1 and was named to PFF's "Team of the Week."
"I think we just focused on the run," Kittle said of the 49ers second-half success. "We didn't say 'hey, we're going to air it out now because we're losing by 28 points. Matt (Breida) and Al (Morris) had big time runs. Whenever you can run the ball, it opens up the passing game. Then, it just started clicking. When you give a guy like Jimmy G time, it's pretty easy."
2. Matt Breida
Breida continues to be the highlight of the 49ers offense. The second-year running back put up 90 rushing yards on 10 carries and caught all three of his targets for 27 yards. His 8.6 yards per carry rank best in the NFL. Deeney added that Breida is even more efficient on runs outside the tackles where he has 11 carries for 138 yards and a 12.5 yards per carry average.
3. Fred Warner
The rookie linebacker registered a game-high 11 total tackles, his third-straight week with 10 or more tackles, and he put up five run stops against the Chiefs on Sunday. Warner's 16.7% run stop percentage through three weeks is tied for second highest among NFL linebackers. He is also third in the league with 33 total tackles, and second among rookie linebackers behind Darius Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts.
4. DeForest Buckner
Despite Buckner's first sack-less game of 2018, he led the team with six total quarterback pressures, including two hits and four hurries in 35 pass rushes. He also added three tackles on the day. Buckner is a half sack behind Myles Garrett, Cameron Jordan, Khalil Mack and Von Miller who are tied for first in the league with four on the season.
5. Richard Sherman
Sherman did not allow a catch on both of his targets on Sunday before leaving the game late in the first half with a calf strain. On one target, Sherman perfectly timed a deep pass to the end zone intended for Tyreek Hill and knocked the ball away.
He has allowed just one catch on six targets for 18 yards through three weeks for a 39.6 passer rating allowed on the season. He is expected to miss a few weeks following Sunday's injury.
Honorable Mention - Mike McGlinchey
The 49ers first round pick was solid in the run game posting a 84.7 run blocking grade against the Chiefs. Through the first three weeks of the season, McGlinchey has warranted PFF's highest grade among rookie offensive linemen with 68.1. He has accumulated a run-blocking grade of 79.4 – the second-best mark among all players at the position.
