Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers have scored over 40 times in three of their previous six games, and they scored 37 in one of those games. The offense is operating at a level that rivals its 2023 second-half performance. The quarterback is healthy and using his entire skill set. The running game has finally caught up to the passing game, and the situational football the offense has been playing is better than that of anyone in the NFL.
And then there’s the 49ers defense. There’s bend but don’t break, and then there’s what we’re watching. The poor showings have been amplified against two of the brightest offensive minds in the game, Shane Steichen and Ben Johnson, in recent weeks, but the defense can’t expect the offense to score on every possession if this team is going to make a playoff run.
Let’s get into the winners and losers from Week 17.
You can tell who has been watching the 49ers lately and who hasn’t. As Brock Purdy was making the same plays he’s been making since Week 13 in the first half, you’d see big names on social media say, “Maybe Brock Purdy is actually good?!”
Purdy’s .33 EPA per dropback in this game was MVP-esque. Completing over 72 percent of your passes with 11 passes over 10 yards and four over 20 is why you’re seeing more and more Drew Brees comps. Against the Blitz, Purdy was 6-for-9 for 104 yards and five first downs.
Numbers aside, when the 49ers needed their quarterback to come through, he did time and time again.
He completed an 18-yard pass on the first 3rd & 7 of the game. On the next third down, Purdy found Demarcus Robinson for 25 yards. Purdy’s legs have been the ultimate cheat code for the offense. 1st & goal from the 10 is not where you want to be, but Purdy didn’t waste time and ran for a 10-yard touchdown.
Second and 10? 30 yards to Ricky Pearsall. 4th & 3? 14 yards to Pearsall. Double coverage against McCaffrey on third down? No problem. Purdy goes to the second level and hits Jake Tonges for a first down.
In the fourth quarter, Purdy completed six of his nine passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Whether the team needed to increase the lead or come from behind, Purdy executed. Kyle Shanahan agrees:
“I thought Brock had a hell of a game, again. Brock’s been playing his ass off, made some huge plays in this game, kept some drives alive with his legs, made some off-schedule plays, and was an assassin out there throughout the whole day.”
Purdy is operating like a top-5 quarterback, and has been for a month now. The offense is reaping the rewards of their quarterback being decisive and aggressive. His scrambling ability makes them borderline unfair. If Purdy continues to streak like this, there is no ceiling for the 49ers in the playoffs.
The 49ers...
