Top Performers in the 49ers' 30-13 Win Over the New England Patriots

The Niners did it, they no longer have a losing record after beating the Patriots 30-13 in arguably their most important game of the season. But what were the keys to the Niners winning this game? Who were the guys on the top of their game?

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) walks off the field after the game against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The 49ers did it, they beat the Patriots to become a .500 team. Should we be shocked? No, but coming off two big losses this win was needed to bolster the confidence of the Niners and the Niners faithful. So in an easy victory who were the key players? Who shined bright like a diamond?

PERFORMERS

1. Fred Warner

Fred Warner did not play the entire game, but was clearly the best player for the Niners on Sunday. If you read my Key Factors to Watch article, you might recall I claimed Fred Warner would be drooling at the idea of Jacoby Brissett throwing the ball down the middle of the field. Oh man I was right. Fred Warner had one of the best interceptions in his career, jumping up to snag the ball and take it back for 6 points. On top of that, Warner clogged the run game and was making big tackles everywhere. Even though Warner played only 28 snaps, he ended the game with the second highest amount of tackles on his team at 7. So we got some basic stats and the eye test saying he played incredible, but what about my favorite stat collectors at PFF? They say this might've been Fred Warner's best game of his entire career. Warner earned a PFF Defensive Grade of 96.6, a number he has never reached in his career. After reading that I was in shock, Warner was incredible but how did that limited game rank among other Linebacker greats? I looked at Ray Lewis, Luke Kuechly, and Patrick Willis' PFF grades over their careers. In my time watching football, those are the three dudes that I have thought were the best. Emphasis on I thought. All three of those absolute weapons have never recorded above a 95 PFF Defensive Grade. Fred Warner has done that twice this season. When do we start to put Fred Warner's name in the LB Mount Rushmore?

2. Trent Williams

Trent Williams didn't look like the Trent Williams of last year, but he looked better than he has all season. The Niners decided that they loved the HB Toss to the right side (a Madden Mobile classic) in this game, sometimes cutting between the OLine. They mostly ran the ball off the Right TE to gain some decent efficiency, but it all opened up when they went left side. When running to the left of Trent, their yards per attempt exploded getting to 10.3 and 6.0. This only comes on 4 attempts, but I think the point should be clear. Stop running the ball right and get it over to the best LT in football. Things will open up every time.

3. Sam Okuayinonu, Kevin Givens, and Nick Bosa

This section could be for the entire Defensive Line who were causing chaos all game, hitting Brissett time and time again. But honestly, these three in particular were scary, to the point that I started to feel bad for Brissett. I'll start with the weaker of the three in Kevin Givens. Givens got the most snaps he's received all season and took advantage of the looks. He ended the game with 2.5 sacks a TFL and 3 QB hits. He was everywhere all game shutting down the run and getting to the QB in pass protection. Bosa and Sam were the one-two punch off the edges. Bosa was getting every look he wanted until the Patriots finally double-teamed him, but even then he was still effective. Sam Okuayinonu had a breakout game causing chaos everywhere. He was hitting hard on anyone that came into his path, he ended with a sack and a TFL. If this Defensive Line looks like this every week, no one can stop them.

4. George Kittle

God, I missed Kittle last week. Something about him is so enjoyable to watch on the football field, and I think I figured out what it is. Grit. George Kittle should be the poster boy for Grit. He is willing to do anything to win the game and has all of the intangibles that you would want on every TE. Block a 260 Pound Defensive End? He'll do it. Run in motion as the primary blocker? He'll do it. Need a catch during a scramble drill? He'll get open. Need a touchdown while being triple-covered? You better bet he'll do it. And not only will he do all of these things, he will do them at the highest caliber of skill. He is a player that you don't even need stats to confirm his greatness, but why not let's give some stats to reinforce it? Kittle only had 4 catches in his first game back after injury, but those catches were in crucial moments like his touchdown in triple coverage. He had 45 yards and said touchdown mentioned before. Was it a big yards game for Kittle? Not really, but like I said he doesn't need yards to be George Kittle. He just needs to be him, a gritty hard-hitting football version of the Joker. If we're lucky, we'll only see him evolve more and more to be the best TE in football.

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