Skip to main content

The 49ers offense is already clicking. Two big weapons may give it another boost

Posted on September 28, 2024 - 1:41 pm by

Until demonstrated otherwise, the San Francisco 49ers are a team that must win on the fuel of its offense. That’s what two consecutive losses have suggested, and the likely season-ending injury to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave — which compromises the pass rush of an already struggling defense — might underscore that reality.

That’s the bad news for the 49ers (1-2). The good news is that Brock Purdy is their quarterback, and they’re playing the New England Patriots (1-2) — who haven’t been a good team on either side of the ball — at home Sunday.

One stat illustrates the stark difference between these two teams:

So for the 49ers defense, this game against quarterback Jacoby Brissett and possibly rookie Drake Maye is a chance to correct course a week after allowing too many big passing plays to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. New England, with bruising backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, is also a run-heavy team, so the 49ers have a prime opportunity to apply promised adjustments in that part of their defense.



But it’s Purdy’s offense that has the best chance to kick things into overdrive. The quarterback and receiver Jauan Jennings dazzled in last week’s loss, and the unit is now in line to return some firepower. Tight end George Kittle will be back from his hamstring injury. Receiver Deebo Samuel, who’s working back from a calf strain, also moved well at Friday’s practice. So Purdy may have two stars back at his disposal against New England.

Samuel and Kittle are two of the 49ers’ top weapons after the catch. Their absence has been felt statistically, as the team ranks dead last in yards after the catch per reception, despite consistently leading the league in years prior.



49ers yards after catch per completion, NFL ranks

  • 2018: 7.0 (#1)
  • 2019: 6.6 (#1)
  • 2020: 6.2 (#1)
  • 2021: 6.6 (#1)
  • 2022: 6.6 (#3)
  • 2023: 6.6 (#1)
  • 2024: 3.1 (#32)

Clearly, there remains meat on the bone for the 49ers.

“George, Deebo, and Christian [McCaffrey] are three of the best in the NFL at [yards after catch], so that doesn’t help anything,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “We haven’t had any big screens, which is big, too. But we need to get going with more of that.”

The Patriots’ biggest defensive threat is second-year edge rusher Keion White. He’s racked up five sacks and 12 pressures through just three games and is set to work against multiple spots of the 49ers’ offensive line.

“He’s a hell of a player,” Shanahan said. “Him on the inside is scary, too.”

The 49ers may be without star left tackle Trent Williams, who came into work Friday with a sore toe and was unable to practice because of it. He’s listed as questionable at a rather inopportune time — the 49ers were displeased with how they protected Purdy against the Rams relative to the season’s first two games.



“The bottom line is it wasn’t as productive of a day for us in pass [protection],” offensive line coach Chris Foerster said Thursday.

Purdy, though, has shown even greater escapability in the pocket than over his first two seasons, allowing for the 49ers to keep moving the ball even amid imperfect conditions.

The most recent challenge has been an influx of three-man pass rushes. The 49ers have faced those more than any other team, and the Patriots might employ a similar strategy to help their languishing pass defense, which ranks No. 28 in EPA/play.

Three-man pass rushes have corresponded with the 49ers facing a high rate of eight-man coverage units. Purdy, as a result, has had to strain unusually hard to find open receivers. His average time from snap to release is 3.05 seconds, the second-longest in the NFL. He’s also thrown into tight windows more than 23% of the time. That’s also the second-highest rate in the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats.



Despite that, Purdy ranks No. 4 in EPA per drop back, an indication that he’s ultimately handling three-man rushes and other defensive strategies well.

“My antenna’s up once I feel that kind of stuff happening,” Purdy said. “And knowing that I’m probably going to have to move around here and find some open space, either use my legs or hit someone off-schedule.”

So far, Purdy has done a lot of that. Returning Kittle and Samuel, if he is indeed available Sunday, should allow the QB to do even more of it against New England.

Pass rush under the microscope

Shanahan thought the 49ers’ pass rush was good against the Rams, but that could’ve been expected since Los Angeles fielded one of the worst and most injured offensive lines in football.

The 49ers definitely didn’t overwhelm the Rams, though. And the loss of Hargrave in no small blow. He rates highly in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate despite relatively quiet performances over the first two games:



The Patriots rank No. 32 in pass-block win rate, which theoretically offers the 49ers another chance to crank up the pass rush. Rookie right guard Layden Robinson has already allowed three sacks and 11 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

So even though Hargrave is no longer available to challenge Robinson, perhaps 49ers defensive tackle Jordan Elliott — who dodged serious injury after rolling his ankle in Thursday’s practice — will enjoy a favorable matchup Sunday.

An additional name popped up on the final injury report: Talanoa Hufanga. The safety rolled his ankle Thursday and missed Friday’s practice. He’s questionable for Sunday.



Second-year linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) practiced for the second straight day Friday. Winters is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. The 49ers can use his services, since Shanahan confirmed Friday that linebacker Curtis Robinson tore his ACL during Thursday’s practice.

But how is McCaffrey?

Running back Christian McCaffrey is back from Germany, where he saw a specialist for his Achilles tendonitis this week.

On KNBR, 49ers general manager John Lynch said he hoped McCaffrey’s inflammation is under control. Corralling it was the 49ers’ primary goal when placing McCaffrey on injured reserve before Week 2, forcing him to miss at least four games.

“Now, we can start the process of building back up,” Lynch said Friday morning.

Later in the day, Shanahan confirmed that the 49ers plan to begin McCaffrey’s ramp-up process soon.



“We’d like to start hitting his rehab here harder on Monday,” Shanahan said.