Brock Purdy's downfield ambition elevated the 49ers' offense in Week 1 win
The 49ers are riding high after the opening week of the 2023 season, with many quickly labeling them as the best team in the NFL following a crushing blowout win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. San Francisco stands atop our power rankings with 16 of the 272 games in the books. Yet the Niners having […]
The 49ers are riding high after the opening week of the 2023 season, with many quickly labeling them as the best team in the NFL following a crushing blowout win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
San Francisco stands atop our power rankings with 16 of the 272 games in the books. Yet the Niners having arguably the premier roster in the NFL from top to bottom was already established prior to their 30-7 victory at Acrisure Stadium.
So what did we actually learn from the 49ers' Week 1 performance? I've watched the tape back and have plenty of observations to share. I've split my thoughts into two pieces, the first focusing on the offense.
Purdy's past the sticks prowess
Any doubts about how 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would perform in his first regular-season matchup since elbow surgery were quickly extinguished by a poised performance from a quarterback clearly brimming with confidence.
Purdy was typically efficient in processing, delivered the football with decisiveness and accuracy and used his playmaking talent to his significant advantage, negating a series of pressures through his ability to extend plays and find open receivers.
It wasn't a perfect performance, there were misses and plays that went nowhere after he passed off open receivers, but Purdy's proficiency in one specific area should have the 49ers very excited.
The standout element of his game was what he did on throws past the sticks. Purdy, per Pro Football Focus, was 11 of 13 for 168 yards and two touchdowns with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on throws beyond the sticks.
On throws outside the numbers beyond 10 yards, Purdy was five of six for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Yet, beyond the statistics, and the outstanding ball placement he displayed on on a 19-yard back shoulder touchdown throw to Brandon Aiyuk, it is Purdy's sheer willingness to attempt such throws that adds an exciting dimension to the offense, one that was largely absent when Jimmy Garoppolo was the quarterback.
In Shanahan's offense, the underneath gimmes will always be there, and they were primarily the domain of Garoppolo.
Purdy will take the gimmes and keep the offense on schedule, but he is consistently ready to eschew them in favor of more ambitious downfield shots. That mindset, and his out of structure upside, have the potential to make this attack all the more devastating in 2023.
Aiyuk's route-running clinic
Speaking of Aiyuk, there are few players in the NFL that can claim to have enjoyed a better start to the 2023 season than the 49ers' leading receiver from last year.
The numbers, eight catches from eight targets for 129 yards and two touchdowns, speak for themselves.
The tape says even more. Aiyuk put on a route-running clinic against the Steelers, winning with his release and with consistently excellent work at the top of the route, his fluid change of direction ability maximizing his separation from defenders.
You see an example of Aiyuk excelling in both areas on this catch in the second quarter.
Going against Patrick Peterson, whom he tormented all day, Aiyuk sells an outside release before working back inside and beating Peterson's press coverage with a chop move.
The finishing touch is the break over the middle, which is a tremendous example of Aiyuk's agility as he smoothly changed from going vertical to getting horizontal without breaking stride.
That effortless change of direction gave him the space and the time to wait from a late throw from Purdy after the quarterback had successfully escaped pressure.
Aiyuk's contributions were more immediately obvious than those of George Kittle, who was held to 19 yards on three catches, but the Pro Bowl tight end's fingerprints were still all over the 49ers' offensive production as he continually succeeded in helping the Niners manipulate coverage and Shanahan do what he does best, exploit linebackers vulnerable to the passing game.
Kittle's underrated impact
The 49ers did that right off the bat on fourth down on the first offensive series, getting Kittle in motion and out into a route against Elandon Roberts, resulting in an easy conversion.
Later in the third quarter, more motion from Kittle helped put former 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander in a severe bind, with the threat of the San Francisco tight end and a well-executed pump fake from Purdy creating a throwing lane for him to find Deebo Samuel for a first down.
Beyond serving as a tool through which to distort defenses, Kittle was a frequent aid to Colton McKivitz in pass protection against T.J. Watt and was predictably critical to a 49ers' run blocking game that helped Christian McCaffrey rack up 6.9 yards per rush.
Though much of the attention was on the downfield blocking provided by Aiyuk and Ray-Ray McCloud on McCaffrey's 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk consistently helped open running lanes for a ground attack that wasted no time in displaying its diversity, thriving on plays to the outside as well as finding joy on gap scheme plays up the middle.
While the job done in the trenches in aiding McCaffrey's huge day was worthy of great acclaim, the offensive line was not without its issues.
Right side worries
The 15 pressures the Steelers, per Pro Football Focus, had on Purdy in Week 1 paled in comparison to the 28 racked up by the 49ers' dominant defensive line.
But the opening game threw up some legitimate concerns about the right side of the 49er offensive line that weren't limited to new starting right tackle Colton McKivitz giving up three sacks to T.J. Watt.
McKivitz conceded five pressures in total, but was also the 49ers' least effective run blocker on the offensive line, committing several blown blocks that are unlikely to inspire confidence in his ability in that area of the game going forward.
His partner on the right side, Spencer Burford, had difficulties pass blocking against experienced Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, though he did better work in the run game.
Burford was much improved as a second-level run blocker, consistently and smoothly climbing up to his target with considerably more ease than in his rookie year.
Burford's efforts in that regard helped spring McCaffrey for his long touchdown run, but his partnership with McKivitz on the right is still very much a work in progress, and the Niners will need better from both ahead of a matchup with the Rams and Aaron Donald in Week 2.
49ers’ first injury report for Week 2 clash with the Rams
One starter missed practice.
Featured Image Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
