The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: 5 Takeaways from Week 15

Feels Purdy, baby!!!!!!!

The 49ers securely grabbed the division title with three weeks remaining. Here are the five takeaways from Thursday night's win.

1. The conquerors of the WEST

The 49ers improved their record to 10-4 on Thursday. The win against the Seattle Seahawks secured the divisional title. The last time the 49ers won the division at Seattle was on a Week 17 clash in 2019, which went down to the wire. The NFC West was arguably the best division in football a year ago but went downhill dramatically this season.

The defending champion Los Angeles Rams are in disarray, while Kliff Kingsbury's Cardinals have fewer wins than years remaining on his contract. Seattle was supposed to be the bottom feeders this season after they traded away talisman quarterback Russel Wilson. Still, they made the 49ers chase them for the divisional title midway through the season.

The 49ers decide their own fate now as to go full throttle in the next three weeks or rest key players and be ready for the playoffs. This is a remarkable result for a team that started 3-4.

2. Less expensive, more production.

Christian McCaffrey is less expensive than Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey joined the team halfway through the season and surpassed all the playmakers on the offense. McCaffrey is the best player on the 49er offense. His versatility as a slot receiver and running back mesmerizes defenses. McCaffrey finished with 138 total yards and one touchdown on a busy day.

The 49ers have over achieving players with affordable contracts, while big-money players regress or not having the same production as they used to prior to the contracts.

3. Kirk Purdy or Brock Cousins?

It's no secret how much Kyle Shanahan is obsessed with Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins was the initial plan for the 49ers regime under Shanahan in 2017 before a sudden change of events brought Jimmy Garoppolo to Santa Clara. Over the years, it seemed Shanahan believed in Cousins ability as a quarterback more than Kirk Cousins belief in himself.

At last, Shanahan has found the version of Cousins that he was searching for in Brock Purdy. The play calling with Purdy is not as conservative as with Garoppolo. Shanahan is obviously comfortable progressing through the game when Purdy is the quarterback. He was scouring for the right frequency with Trey Lance but blended naturally with Purdy.

After 6 seasons as a head coach, the quarterback that can add value to Shanahan's offense has arrived. There is a long road ahead, but there are no barriers in the vicinity.

4. Ice cold Purdy

Against the Buccaneers, the 49ers scored 35 points in fewer than 35 minutes. At Seattle, the 49ers jumped to a 21-3 lead at the beginning of the second half. If not for the questionable roughing the passer penalty on Nick Bosa, the lead would have soared to 28-3.

Since Purdy entered the game when the 49ers were trailing 3-7 against the Dolphins, the defense has had more efficient turnovers. It is a result of smooth sailing offense putting points on the board. The opposing teams are forced to come from behind. The offensive execution led by Purdy has provided a cushion for the 49ers defense to be more ruthless.

There were throws that should have been intercepted, but Purdy was unfazed. His scramble to convert a third down late in the game to kill the clock showed the guts of the young quarterback, who is no more a mere third-stringer.

5. Jordan Mason

Jordan Mason's 56 yards inside the final 2 minutes sealed the game for the 49ers. He was barely used the entire night against a Seattle run defense known to falter at will. If Shanahan wants to reduce the workload for starters in the next three weeks before the playoffs, Mason can step in as the No. 1 threat. It is hard for rookie players to get sizable playing time in San Francisco, but running Christian McCaffrey 30 times a game does not make sense when you have a workhorse to share the burden.