The 49ers’ dominance after the catch isn’t an accident. Head coach Kyle Shanahan purposely constructed a roster full of pass catchers who can turn short throws into explosive plays to help mitigate the need for a superstar quarterback. Finding the former is much easier than finding the latter.
Quarterbacks in San Francisco have been tasked with the No. 1 job of being efficient and accurate in areas of the field that allow their pass catchers to generate additional yards with the ball in their hands. That specific job is why Jimmy Garoppolo had so much success. He was nails on short-to-intermediate throws, and the success of his receivers after the catch helped inflate his numbers.
When Brock Purdy stepped in as the starter last season he was given with the same job as Garoppolo and every other QB who’s stepped in under center for the 49ers during Shanahan’s tenure. The offense took off with Purdy at the helm though. It didn’t look substantially different, but suddenly San Francisco started racking up 30 points per game and Purdy launched himself into the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation despite starting only five regular season games.
Purdy’s mobility in the pocket and his ability to extend plays certainly helped, but the numbers show there was more to it. There are a couple of things Purdy did just a little more effectively than Garoppolo that helped this version of the 49ers’ offense reach a new level without any major changes.
Let’s look at those numbers:
(Note: Trey Lance isn’t included in the stats here because of the limited sample size he has as the 49ers’ quarterback).