The 49ers came out of their win over the Seahawks with a mix of praise, concern, and a few fresh updates that painted a fuller picture of where the team stands after Week 5.
Start with the offensive line, where Colby had his roughest game of the year. He gave up a team-high six quarterback pressures, and his main assignment, Byron Murphy II, finished with two sacks.
Colby was responsible for one of them, though on the other Murphy sack, Purdy had to step up in the pocket - meaning Colby wasn’t beaten on that snap. Williams had the cleaner night.
For the second straight game, he didn’t allow a quarterback pressure, and Pro Football Focus has him down for just five pressures allowed on the season.
Purdy’s performance drew a more complicated review. He was active enough to keep drives moving, but he also left plenty on the field.
One sack and a couple of pressures could be placed on the quarterback, and he sprayed the ball around while missing a few receivers. There was also a late, inaccurate throw to Jacob Cowing after he didn’t correctly diagnose the coverage.
Statistically, the picture was modest: Purdy ranked 21st in success rate for Week 5 and 19th in EPA per play. Including the Mike Evans drive, he was still below average overall.
At the same time, Purdy didn’t retreat after the interception. For much of the game, he leaned on short throws, with nearly 60% of his attempts coming underneath 10 yards.
His on-target percentage still checked in at 24th for the week, between Jalen Hurts and Daniel Jones, and he went just 2-for-6 for five yards against the blitz. But he also produced enough off-script to keep the offense alive.
It started on the opening drive, when he found Evans along the sideline and then hit him in the end zone. After the interception, he stayed aggressive instead of shrinking from the moment.
Defensively, Kyle Shanahan had strong words for Raheem, and he didn’t hide how much respect he has for the job being done. “It doesn’t surprise me with Raheem.
I’ve just been around him for too long. He’s one of the best people and best coaches I’ve ever been around.
I tried to bring him here originally when I left Atlanta. They wouldn’t let him out.
So, it’s been a long time coming to get him here. He’s done an unbelievable job this year, especially with the injuries, but just overall everything he’s mixed up schematically.
I love the confidence he’s given our DBs and the way they’ve been playing since training camp. He’s had a real huge effect on this team and we’re very lucky to have him.”
There was also a notable rookie performance on the defensive side. Rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger tied Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV for the game’s top tackling grade at 80.8.
And there’s more roster movement to track on the offensive side. Deebo Samuel is set to miss “some time” because of a hamstring injury, according to Kyle Shanahan. Meanwhile, veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson is eligible to come off injured reserve for the 49ers’ Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, though the more likely return window is Week 9, after the bye week.
In Other News...
49ers Get A Serious Keion White Shooting Case Update
A months-long investigation into the shooting that injured 49ers defensive end Keion White has moved forward with San Francisco police announcing four arrests tied to the case. The effort, dubbed Operation D-Line, included more than 50 search warrants and involved over 250 law enforcement personnel, with drugs and firearms recovered during the operation.
For a team that has already had to navigate the on-field fallout from the incident, the developments bring the matter back into the spotlight in a more concrete way. The suspects were arrested between Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, underscoring how long the case has taken to unwind after White was injured in the shooting earlier this year. [Read more 🡒]
Why The 49ers Offense Looks Even Scarier Than Fans Realize
Through five weeks, the 49ers have looked like one of the NFLs most efficient offenses, piling up 30.8 points and 365 yards per game while keeping quarterback Brock Purdy and the rest of Kyle Shanahans group on schedule. With Mike Evans stretching defenses, George Kittle working the middle, and Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black adding balance in the backfield, San Francisco has paired explosiveness with the kind of rhythm that makes every drive feel threatening.
What makes the numbers even more alarming for opponents is how rarely the offense hurts itself. The 49ers are one of the leagues cleanest units, and once they get near the goal line, they finish with ruthless consistency. That combination of staying ahead of the sticks and turning scoring chances into touchdowns is a big reason Shanahans play-calling has looked so hard to solve, and it leaves little comfort for anyone trying to slow this group down. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Have An Uncomfortable Eddy Pieiro Problem Brewing
Eddy Pieiro has quietly become one of the first uneasy storylines around an otherwise undefeated 49ers start. The kicker delivered when it mattered with a 43-yard field goal recently, but the broader picture is harder to ignore: his field-goal and extra-point percentages are down from last season, and the early misses have chipped away at the sort of steady trust the 49ers hoped they were buying into.
Pieiro already has five missed kicks on the season, matching his total from all of last year, and that kind of wobble tends to draw attention fast in a place that expects to contend. The Niners are winning enough to keep the issue from becoming a crisis, but the inconsistency is real enough to linger, especially with so much of the margin in close games often coming down to one swing of the leg. [Read more 🡒]