The San Francisco 49ers have always known for dynamic offense, and more recently, play-action passes have been a cornerstone of their offense. However, this season is something different. It almost might as well have been a non-entity with play-action thrown into the mix just 13 percent of passes by quarterback Brock Purdy, who happens to sport the league’s second-lowest rate. Fans and experts alike can’t understand why that was kept under wraps. Now, the shift is jarring in a game of deception. Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on with the 49ers’ play-action game.
Shanahan’s Strategic Shift Explained
Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently explained his reasons for this shift. He mentioned schematic reasons, and indeed the game plan needs to be adjusted to whatever defensive challenges they face. If the other team is blitzing deep and stacking it up in the line, Shanahan would rather switch to drop-back passes instead of risking an easy play action on such a play. It’s simply a smart strategic move to keep Purdy safe while also giving them their best possible chance.
Brock Purdy had flashes of what he is capable of, but this game plan isn’t playing to his team’s strength: Play-action has the help separate receiver from defender and give defenses the doubt to pause for him to be open downfield. Without it, Purdy has been under more duress and fewer completions. Expect Purdy to feel uneasy as defenses settle into the pattern and realize what San Francisco’s game plan will be. Young quarterbacking needs to have the right pieces surrounding him.
49ers’ Play-Calling Challenges Exposed
One component of the 49ers’ recent play-calling decisions is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings blitz frequently and more aggressively than most teams, which has caused Shanahan headaches in prior seasons for disrupting his offense. Shanahan’s conservatism for teams that bring the heat is fair but might also predict the team’s overall offensive philosophy. If it continues to be taken advantage of by them, the 49ers will get sucked into this quagmire.
Another wrinkle in this puzzle is the fact that star running back Christian McCaffrey is not on the field when things get dicey. McCaffrey is a body that adds so much more to the run game, but also creates attacker opportunities through play-action. His ability to catch quick passes can keep teams’ defenses nervous, so they might tend to be more cautious with their approach. So, Shanahan misses that safety net too, making things even trickier.
Conclusion
In general, the limited play-action passes by the San Francisco 49ers this season come forth with so many questions. On one hand, there could be several tactical reasons for it, but caution needs to be balanced with offensive creativity. In coming games with tougher opponents, possibly play action will be the key to Purdy’s further development and the team itself. Fans and analysts alike will keep an eye on how Shanahan adjusts to this. Through play action, hopefully, they are now back to their roots—use of the play-action to confuse defenses and make the offense explosive again.
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