The 49ers’ offensive weapons and Kyle Shanahan’s plan are cited by Purdy’s critics as the main factors in Purdy’s success. The 49ers will lead the field in a few categories, but they never make it into the top five or even the top ten.
First, let’s talk about pass protection. Philadelphia (77.0), Baltimore (74.5), Minnesota (74.4), Atlanta (74.2), and Denver (72.7) are the top five teams. PFF’s pass-blocking grades serve as the basis for the rankings. The offensive line for San Francisco had a 55.0 pass-blocking grade at the end. Trent Williams is playing left tackle, but even so, the grade is below average. For Purdy, pass protection was not a benefit.
With Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle among their receiving corps, the 49ers have by far the highest grade (91.0). Detroit is in third place at 85.1, behind Miami in second place at 85.7. Dallas and Houston complete the top five.
McGuinness stated the following regarding the 49ers’ weaponry:
The 49ers and Shanahan’s scheme are often associated with receivers who appear to be running wide open a lot. The 49ers are not ranked in the top five in the category called “passing snaps with three or more open receivers.” The remaining five places are Buffalo (185), Arizona (186), Houston (178), Kansas City (228), and Baltimore (195). 17.1% of the time, according to TruMedia, the 49ers have three or more receivers open.
Screen passes/EPA places the 49ers first by a significant margin even though they don’t rank close to the top in terms of screens. During the playoffs, Kansas City called more screens than any other team in the NFL—a total of 135 screens. The 49ers (0.357) are followed by Tampa Bay (0.084), Green Bay (0.106), Atlanta (0.100), and Dallas (0.107).
