San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan brought a Shana-plan to their Week 2 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, securing a 26-21 win with a backup quarterback on the road. Let’s take a look at the top and lowest graded players on both sides of the ball according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). As an aside, all players listed below played a minimum of 20 snaps.
Top Graded Offensive Starter: Trent Williams, 83.4
After not practicing late last week and raising concern about his ability to play on Sunday, Williams did what he always does: he showed up and played fantastic football for 60 minutes.
On a day where protecting the new starter was key to victory (so much so that we wrote about it leading up to the game), Williams provided exceptional pass blocking, posting a 90.0 grade in that regard. As long as he suits up, the 49ers have a chance, no matter who’s taking the snaps.
Lowest Graded Offensive Starter: Jake Tonges, 47.4
Turns out that Tonges may have not been a starter for a reason. After posting an 84.5 grade in Week 1 while playing a career-high 30 snaps as George Kittle’s injury fill-in, he struggled in his first career start.
Perhaps expectations were unfairly high after his outlier last week. But, if San Francisco is going to stay afloat until Brock Purdy and Kittle return, Tonges will have to show his floor is higher than Week 2, even if his ceiling is likely lower than Week 1.
Top Graded Defensive Starter: Fred Warner, 95.1
Warner is to the defense what Williams is to the offense: Quiet, getting up there in years, and still absolutely dominant when he’s on the field. So much so that though two weeks, Warner is the highest graded linebacker in the sport.
In Week 2 specifically, there’s a myriad of stats to choose that highlight his impact. On seven targets, he gave up only four catches for 27 yards while recording a pass breakup. As a run defender, he recorded four solo stops while forcing a fumble.
No matter how you slice it, Warner is still elite. And, like Williams on offense, he gives the 49ers a chance on defense every week he suits up.
Lowest Graded Defensive Starter: Kalia Davis, 30.8
For as good as Warner was in Week 2, Davis was just as bad. Getting pushed around in run defense to the tune of a 29.7 grade in that area, he proved why having a defensive vacuum like Warner is valuable.
It’s an especially dispiriting performance after a strong showing in Week 1, one that saw him post an overall grade of 65.5. Like Tonges, his normal floor isn’t likely to be this low, and he’ll have to hope it’s closer to Week 1 if he has desires of staying on the field.