Niners Nation
Last season was rough on the San Francisco 49ers and their offense. Red zone issues and injuries were at the forefront with the 49ers quarterback admitting in a recent press conference that he was “doing too much” in 2024. While there is no single reason for the offense not punctuating drives with touchdowns, the good news is the offense was able to move the football up and down the field, albeit without as much ease as the 2023 season, but the offense didn’t struggle to move the ball within the 20s.
After signing a lucrative extension, Purdy is still a quarterback on the rise. 2023 was a magical year for the signal caller, but there is still room for improvement from the franchise quarterback. Brandon Aiyuk won’t return until sometime after Week 5 and was missing as the team’s best separator for much of 2024. However, Ricky Pearsall broke out at the end of 2024 and is the best natural separator heading into Week 1. Jauan Jennings has resolved his contract issues and is on track to play in Seattle, while Christian McCaffrey has looked as healthy as possible since 2023. George Kittle is pretty good, also.
So, what exactly can Purdy improve on in 2025?
The easy answer is the commitment to the run game, which unlocks the play-action game. McCaffrey improves the rushing attack whenever he is on the field. Taking what the defense is giving him instead of forcing a play is another way. Giving Purdy the protection and time to diagnose certainly helps, and the 49ers receivers creating separation and sitting routes down in soft spots against zone coverages is the final piece. However, taking a deeper look into the defenses with which Purdy had success and struggled could be the key to a big season for the former Iowa State quarterback.
2024 – 455 passing attempts (career-high in one less game than 2023) & 3.1% turnover-worthy throw rate (19th in the NFL).
Cover 0 (Man to Man with no deep safety) – 3.4% TWP
All five secondary members have to man up a pass catcher or blitz the quarterback. Its primary function is to speed up the quarterback and take away quick throws. Longer routes can’t develop due to pressure, but the weakness of Cover 0 is its risky nature; if a receiver can find some space, the coverage scheme can be beaten.
This defense caused the fourth-highest turnover-worthy throw rate at 3.4%. Protection, pre-and post-snap recognition, receiver separation, and knowing where to go with the ball all contribute to being successful against the all-out blitz and limited time. Bottom line, teams weren’t afraid to send the house given the state of the 2024 receiver room.
Cover 1 (Man to Man with single high safety) – 5.3% TWP
This defense has multiple variations. Cover 1 “Robber” begins showing two high safeties with a shift from the strong safety underneath the free safety to take away middle of the field throws and crossers. Windows close faster,...
