Loaded 49ers enter potentially defining period of Kyle Shanahan era
Throughout his head coaching career with the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan has excelled at mitigating weaknesses on his roster. He has used his system to elevate quarterbacks, coached around injuries on the offensive line and built a roster that appears almost uniquely constructed to overcome adversity. Putting aside the continually dreadful injury luck the Niners have […]
Throughout his head coaching career with the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan has excelled at mitigating weaknesses on his roster. He has used his system to elevate quarterbacks, coached around injuries on the offensive line and built a roster that appears almost uniquely constructed to overcome adversity.
Putting aside the continually dreadful injury luck the Niners have had at the quarterback position, that adversity has decreased in recent years as the 49ers have established themselves as arguably the most talented team in the NFL.
And, this year, as a consequence of the quarterback injuries that inadvertently led the Niners to a player they believe will be their long-term answer at quarterback, Shanahan has everything he needs to mastermind a Super Bowl-winning season for San Francisco.
An unexpected solution
Brock Purdy was not the answer the 49ers anticipated at quarterback when they selected him with the final pick of last year's draft a year after trading three first-round picks to move up to third overall and select Trey Lance.
The hope was that Lance could execute the Shanahan offense effectively while using his athleticism and downfield throwing ability to offer the kind of upside that has seen the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen shred the 49ers' vaunted defense.
Lance, of course, never got a true chance to prove he could give the Niners' attack that high ceiling at the position. But Purdy's emergence has revealed San Francisco doesn't need it to go deep into the playoffs.
Purdy ticks all the boxes of a Shanahan quarterback. He is a smart decision-maker who understands and knows how to the execute the offense to Shanahan's desire.
On top of that, he delivers decisively and, over the course of his incredible run that saw him go 7-0 in games he started and finished across the regular season and playoffs, consistently did so under fire from opposing defenses. Purdy was first in positive play rate (42.9%) under pressure last season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 50 attempts under duress.
In that sense, Purdy is the quarterback Shanahan always wanted before he became enamored with what Lance could potentially offer. He is a point-and-shoot thrower who, for the most part, goes through the progressions as they are drawn up and puts the ball where it is meant to go.
But Purdy has added a surprising playmaking element to the 49er offense as a quarterback who can make plays out of structure with his arm and his legs. He was fourth in positive play rate (53.8%) throwing on the move (min. 20 attempts) and was efficient on the less frequent occasions where he attacked aggressively downfield. Purdy ranked first in positive play rate (65.7%) on throws past the sticks (min. 50 attempts).
Purdy will not be expected to maintain that kind of efficiency over the larger sample size of a full season, but what those numbers illustrate is that, while he may not have all the physical tools of Lance, his playmaking upside is enough to give San Francisco's passing offense another element beyond the time tested intermediate throws that set up yards after catch opportunities for the Niners' cavalcade of playmakers.
Shanahan stumbled onto the extra sauce he wanted to add to the offense when the Niners took a chance on Purdy. Now, after his apparently seamless recovery from surgery on the elbow he injured in last season's NFC title game, the 49ers head coach looks to have the quarterback he needs to take his offense to new heights.
Stellar support
Purdy won't be the only architect of that rise if it comes to pass. The trade for Christian McCaffrey has proven a masterstroke that transformed the Niner offense last year, offering them a dual-threat at running back who can manipulate coverages and shred pass defenses out of the backfield and when lined up in the formation while also providing a devastating big-play threat on the ground.
The thought of McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel lining up in the backfield at the same time more often this year should be a terrifying one for defenses across the NFL and, with George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk both having established impressive rapports with Purdy, the firepower the Niners have on offense could be unmatched by any team in the league.
San Francisco has this offensive weaponry at the same time as possessing a defensive front boasting Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and two imposing interior rushers in Javon Hargrave and Arik Armsead. Behind them, the 49ers have the best linebacking duo in football and the best secondary they have had since the 2019 Super Bowl run.
Potential problems
The list of strengths is long, but that's not to say there aren't questions, which primarily surround a new starting right tackle Colton McKivitz on an impressive offensive line that most would concede lacks depth. It also remains to be seen whether a defense loaded with Pro Bowlers and All-Pros can transition effectively from DeMeco Ryans to Steve Wilks at coordinator.
Still, as they go into a season opener with the Steelers that may reveal a lot about this team's Super Bowl readiness, it is exceedingly tough to poke clear holes in the 49ers' roster.
Shanahan has everything he needs: a stacked roster on both sides of the ball and a quarterback who can execute his vision while adding valuable improvisational tools. With that roster growing increasingly expensive following Bosa's record-setting extension, the time is now for Shanahan to deliver the ultimate prize.
There should be other opportunities in the coming years, but this period of Shanahan's tenure may well come to be defined by his ability to win it all with this group of players.
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