That’s about as complete of a game as you can ask for on a short week against your divisional rival without your top two running backs in the second half and top cornerback for the whole game.

The San Francisco 49ers forced a pair of turnovers, turned the Seattle Seahawks over on downs, and scored on seven of its 11 drives, excluding the final kneel down, including two touchdowns in the fourth quarter when the offense needed to put the game out of reach.

Let’s get into the winners and losers from Thursday night.

Winner

Nick Bosa

The 49ers’ offense was 17 yards shy of 500 yards and averaged almost eight yards per play, yet I was more impressed with the defense.

Nick Bosa was a big reason why.

Per Next Gen Stats, Bosa led all players in Week 6 with a 28 percent pressure rate. He was credited with 14 pressures, and one led to a turnover. Bosa was equally dominant as a run defender, redirecting Seattle’s running back multiple times and setting the edge when the Seahawks ran his way. Bosa added four run stops to his ledger.

Renardo Green

The Seahawks pose significant challenges to opposing defenses. Geno Smith teeters on the line of a great quarterback behind a shaky offensive line, and they have four competent pass catchers if you include tight end Noah Fant.

No player was targeted in Week 6 more than rookie Renardo Green, yet he allowed one of the lowest passer ratings of the week at 39.6. Green only allowed 39 yards on those 11 targets, including a -5.5 EPA allowed (top 5 on the week).

You can’t help but appreciate how competitive Green was. He was even in position on the touchdown he allowed on fourth and goal. He only allowed 2.3 yards after the catch per reception. There was a lot to like from Green, who played a season-high in snaps.

Jordan Mason

Mason would’ve led the week in rushing had he gotten more than one carry in the second half before exiting with an AC sprain in his left shoulder.

Mason averaged 8.1 yards per carry, had 37 yards more than he expected, per Next Gen Stats, and an incredible 60 of his 73 yards came after contact. On only nine attempts, Mason forced four missed tackles and had two rushes of 10+ yards, including the 38-yarder to flip the field. Mason is improving as the season progresses, and these explosive runs are becoming a theme.

Offensive line

When you have zero sacks in a game, that’s a sign that your offensive line did its thing. Mason and Isaac Guerendo don’t have the nights they do without the blocking. Over 220 yards rushing is a testament to the five guys upfront.

Trent Williams said that rookie Dominck Puni has the makings of an All-Pro/Pro Bowl-caliber player. Puni did not miss a block for the second game in a row and the third time this season. Jake Brendel and Colton McKivitz also had cheats, while Sports Info Solutions credited Williams with one blown block.

The protection and run-blocking issues stem from the left guard. But watching the game back, Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford were tasked with executing difficult blocks, and there aren’t many guards in the NFL who could pull off the plays they missed.

Losers

Special Teams

Mitch Wishnowsky had four punts for an average of 43.4 yards. He’s 30th in net average on the season at 38.7 yards per punt. When the 49ers punt, they concede field position, almost an entire first down worth, with how short Wishnowsky’s punts are going.

Deebo Samuel came close to a big return. I still think he’ll break one sooner rather than later, but the kick coverage teams continue to be abysmal. Kicker Matthew Wright could be lost due to injury after needing to make a tackle. That should not happen, yet it has twice this season.

Yes, Darrell Luter Jr. forced a fumble. That’s great. But it was quickly erased after Laviska Shenault Jr. took a kickoff return for 97 yards. Dee Williams had a 37-yarder on Wright’s tackle.

Find a kicker who can kick it out of the end zone.

As a unit, the 49ers have the second-worst special teams, according to DVOA.

Red Zone play-calling

Kyle Shanahan is starting to figure out what the 49ers can and can’t do in the scoring zone, but he has not moved off the idea that he has to run the ball.

At one point, Shanahan ran the ball on first down in Seattle’s territory four times. The 49ers gained ten yards. Seattle had loaded the box, yet the offense continued to waste downs and run into bad looks.

The long-developing screen passes to the fullback should receive a bold red line moving forward. You’re asking your line to do things you usually wouldn’t. Why start when you need to gain yards more than ever?

On the first couple of trips in the red area, Shanahan relied on Deebo Samuel to win. He did not on two routes: A short crossing route or a fade in the end zone.

If only there were a 6’4, 250-pounder who runs a sub 4.5 40-yard dash and just mossed three defenders last week in the end zone on the roster. If only.

Sure enough, Kittle won on an out route, then on a gorgeous design when he was 1-on-1. We’ll have a standalone article about the 49ers in the red zone, but the process is the root problem, so it’s no surprise the results have been subpar to date.

Winners

Fred Warner

No Javon Hargrave or Charvarius Ward means that the Niners need their best players to ball out. Average performances aren’t good enough. The Niners got the best versions of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner on Thursday night.

I had Warner down for four game-altering plays. He finished with 11 tackles and seven run stops, but the play to beat a block and get off the field after stopping a screen was next level effort from Warner:

Statistically, per Sports Info Solutions, no player in the NFL has been more valuable at saving points than Warner.

Nick Sorensen

Sorensen continues to grow on me. Facing a divisional foe on a short week when you’re handcuffed can lead to plenty of problems, but Sorensen more than weathered the storm. We saw his blitz rate tick up as the season progressed. That changed on Thursday, as the 49ers had the lowest blitz rate in the NFL for Week 6.

Sorensen continues to change the post-snap picture from what he showed in the pre-snap, which gave Geno Smith fits. This led to Smith holding the ball, which was also a direct result of the second interception Smith threw.

The new 49ers defensive coordinator is also not afraid to change his personnel. The Seahawks had two scoring drives to make it a one-possession game. So what does Sorensen do? He yanks De’Vondre Campbell for Dee Winters to begin the fourth quarter. The defense gets a three-and-out, the offense goes down to score, and the Niners are back in business.

Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd were the bookend edge rushers as the defense closed the game. At defensive tackle, it was Sam Okuayinonu rotating in. He’s been their third-best pass rusher.

I know 24 points and 358 yards look bad in the box score, but seven of those were from special teams, and Seattle had to convert three third/fourth downs on one drive to score and needed double-digit plays on their other touchdown drive. The defense made Seattle work. That’s the name of the defensive game in today’s NFL.

For all of the “Fire Sorensen!” posts you’ve seen on social media, the 49ers are fifth in schedule-adjusted defensive efficiency this season. They are playing above their skis despite injuries. Sorensen deserves his flowers for that.