The San Francisco 49ers will look to bounce back in Week 8 after suffering back-to-back road losses to the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings. Monday night's game was once again decided by a single score, and despite falling behind early, the 49ers remained competitive throughout. San Francisco ultimately lost the turnover battle to Minnesota and allowed Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to take control of the game via the passing attack. Cousins was able to rack up 378 yards and two touchdowns through the air while the Vikings defensive unit generated three takeaways on the way to a 22-17 victory.
"I just looked at our guys right now and said, 'We've got five and a half days left (before the Cincinnati Bengals),'" Shanahan said. "We've got to focus all on that and make sure we go into that Bye Week 6-2 and not 5-3."
San Francisco's primetime matchup had its standouts which allowed the game to stay within reach on Monday night. Those top performers, per Pro Football Focus, include tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
Here's the breakdown on the weekly grades from Week 7:
Top Offensive Performers: TE George Kittle and WR Jauan Jennings
Kittle owns the top mark of all of San Francisco's players in Week 7, earning an 89.0 for his 51 snaps against the Vikings. He closed out the contest with five catches for 78 yards through the air in addition to his one carry for two yards in the rushing attack. Kittle's 89.0 grade marks his highest single-week mark of the 2023 season.
Jennings also cracked the top performers list with a 78.2 overall grade for his 39 snaps. Jennings saw his rep count increase for a second-straight week with wide receiver Deebo Samuel ruled out of the contest with a shoulder injury. He caught five passes for 58 yards on Monday and was one of five pass catchers with 50-plus yards on the night.
Top Defensive Performer: LB Fred Warner
Warner is a repeat top defensive performer, logging an 85.4 overall grade on "Monday Night Football." His contributions against the Vikings included 13 total tackles (one tackle-for-loss) and one pass defended. Warner also played a critical role in two goal line stands by the 49ers in the second and third quarters.
