How PFF graded Bosa, 49ers in up-and-down win over Lions

The 49ers' 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions had some notable performances, but also some challenging moments that are evident in their Pro Football Focus grades. 

As expected, Trent Williams led the offensive line in a very commendable performance. The left tackle exemplified why he was worth the history-making contract he received during the offseason.

Williams’ 92.2 overall grade was highest on the team and the highest of any NFL tackle in Week 1. The Pro Bowl left tackle did not allow a quarterback pressure. Right guard Daniel Brunskill and right tackle Mike McGlinchey allowed one hurry a piece. 

Where the pass blocking actually broke down was through running backs Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty. The rookie allowed Lions' Tracy Walker get through on a safety blitz for a sack of Jimmy Garoppolo, and Hasty had a rough day allowing one quarterback hit and two hurries. 

The biggest challenge for the 49ers might have been their tackling. While the defense was on the field for an excessive 92 plays, nine missed tackles extended Lions drives throughout the game. The biggest offenders according to PFF were Dre Greenlaw, who missed three tackles, and Azeez Al-Shaair who missed two. 

The defensive line had a solid performance, with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford making their return to the field after nearly a year away from the game. 

Here are more highlights from the 49ers PFF scores from Week 1

Offense

Deebo Samuel -- 86.7

Samuel's 86.7 overall grade ranked second among all NFL receivers in Week 1. Only Kansas City Chiefs' Tyreek Hill ranked higher with a 90.5 score. One hundred nine of Samuel’s 189 receiving yards came after the catch, 45 more than any other receiver in Week 1. 

George Kittle -- 83.9

Kittle scored a 90.9 receiving grade, which tied with Houston Texans’ Pharaoh Brown for the top tight end of the Week. Fifty-seven of Kittle's 78 receiving yards came after the catch, which was the most of any tight end on Sunday.

Jimmy Garoppolo -- 71.2

Garoppolo was under pressure on 7 of his 27 dropbacks, but had a perfect quarterback rating when under duress completing four of his five attempts for 112 yds and one touchdown. Garoppolo was also a perfect 5-for-5 for 184 yards and one touchdown on throws of 15 yards or more downfield. 

Elijah Mitchell -- 63.4

The rookie had a standout ball-carrying performance, but was on the field for 14 pass plays as well. He allowed a sack on one of the four plays he was required to block, which gave him a score of 23.4. Only JaMycal Hasty (54.9 overall) scored lower with a 0.0 after allowing one hit and two hurries on three pass blocking plays.

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Defense

Nick Bosa -- 87.6

Bosa’s 87.6 overall grade was the best on the defense. He was able to rack up five quarterback pressures -- one sack, two hits, two hurries, as well as three run stops. 

Arik Armstead -- 77.3

Armstead might not have managed a sack but he was extremely effective. His 82.1 pass-rush grade is a result of a team-high nine quarterback pressures -- one hit, eight hurries. 

Dee Ford -- 75.0

Ford also had a very productive return. His 79.1 pass-rush grade was a result of five quarterback pressures -- one sack, four hurries. Ford had a stretch of three consecutive pass rushes late in the first half -- a quarterback hurry to force Dre Greenlaw’s pick-six, a sack and then drawing a holding penalty.

Deommodore Lenoir -- 56.8

The rookie defensive back played the most snaps - 90, including 69 coverage snaps - of any defensive player in the league. Targeted just three times, Lenoir allowed one catch for just three yards. 

Dre Greenlaw -- 55.6

While Greenlaw and Al-Shaair missed multiple tackles each, their scores in other defensive categories were much higher. Greenlaw who had a team-low 28.5 score in tackling but received the second-highest score in coverage (70.4), only bested by Al-Shaair, who was best on the team with a 74.6. 

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