Tag: Brandon Aiyuk

How will Christian McCaffrey return impact 49ers offense?

Christian McCaffrey’s return won’t make the 49ers’ offense look like it did last year, but it should help in a couple of key areas.

The San Francisco 49ers have somehow managed to churn out a productive, efficient offense even without running back Christian McCaffrey.

Just because they’ve been able to churn out yards and points doesn’t mean life hasn’t been more difficult for the 49ers without the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. His return, which could be coming sooner rather than later, should make a couple of things much easier for the 49ers.

The first area McCaffrey should help is in the red zone. Last season the 49ers were the No. 1 red zone team in the NFL, scoring touchdowns on 67.2 percent of their red zone trips. This season without McCaffrey that number has plummeted to 44.4 percent.

His nose for the end zone as a runner alone will help, but his dual-threat skill set will open a ton of things up down near the end zone.

McCaffrey is a threat as a receiver, which defenses have to respect when he’s out in a route. He can be moved around to help manipulate defenders and open up space for tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Neither Samuel nor Kittle are great at creating separation, which becomes a significant problem in the confined spaces of the red zone. Having McCaffrey to occupy defenders could make life easier for the 49ers’ other pass catchers.

That’s the same way he can help elsewhere on the field where defenses have started clogging the middle of the field and taking away some of the space the 49ers offense has thrived in.

Quarterback Brock Purdy is still working the middle of the field, but the result of those throws isn’t quite the same as it was over the last few seasons. 49ers pass catchers are making receptions in the middle of the field and not creating yards after the catch.

Last season Samuel racked up 8.7 yards-after-catch per reception. Kittle was at 7.3, while McCaffrey and RB Jordan Mason were both at 7.0 YAC/reception.

This year Samuel is down to 7.6 in that category. Mason is at 5.6 and Kittle’s number has fallen all the way to 3.5.

Aiyuk’s is largely unchanged.

Getting McCaffrey back where defenders have to vacate the middle of the field to account for him as a receiver should generate more space and more YAC opportunities for 49ers receivers.

We’ll also likely see Purdy’s completion rate tick up toward the 69.4 percent mark he landed on last season. This year as his downfield throws have skyrocketed, his completion rate has started falling. Part of the push downfield is likely due to how teams are defending the 49ers, but it stands to reason Purdy will take easier throws to McCaffrey instead of scrambling and creating out of structure the way he has so often this season.

It’s unlikely the 49ers’ offense will be an exact replica of last year when McCaffrey returns, but he should make some of the difficult things like red zone TDs and short-area throws much easier when he’s finally back on the field.

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93.7 The Fan host on Steelers’ trade rumors with new WR target

Andrew Fillipponi, host of the popular PIttsburgh sports radio station, 93.7 The Fan, touched a rumor involving a new WR trade target.

Steelers commentator and host of 93.7 The Fan, Andrew Fillipponi, threw some gas on the proverbial ‘Pittsburgh trading for WR’ fire. The trade rumor in question, from Fillipponi, focuses in on the Panthers attempting to move on from former three-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro WR Adam Thielen. This isn’t the first trade Pittsburgh has been linked to, as Omar Khan and the Steelers’ organization attempted to trade for both WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Davante Adams but ultimately came up short. 

Thielen is currently on IR after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3. He will be eligible to return no sooner than the Carolina Panthers’ Week 8 contest against the Denver Broncos on October 27th. Could the Panthers activate Thielen and trade him between this date and the trade deadline on November 5th? 

Fillipponi, asked fans of the ‘Steel City’ on social media if the team should pursue the former Vikings receiver.

Let us know what you think about the rumor involving Pittsburgh’s sixth-round pick and Adam Thielen below:

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49ers star WR has season high in yards after one catch vs. Cardinals

Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for a 53-yard gain in the first quarter against the Cardinals in Week 5.

After an extending training camp holdout, Brandon Aiyuk’s 2024 campaign has got off to an uncharacteristically quiet start for the San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver.

However, it didn’t take long for Aiyuk to get rolling on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter against the Cardinals, Brock Purdy found Aiyuk for a 53-yard gain. The 53-yard connection between Purdy and Aiyuk gave the former Arizona State Sun Devil his highest receiver total of the season.

With only one catch for 53-yards, Aiyuk has a new season-high for the 2024 campaign. In the first four weeks, Aiyuk’s season-high was 48 yards.

Via @NFL on Twitter:

Yet, Aiyuk wasn’t done with just one catch. Aiyuk finished the first quarter against the Cardinals with four receptions for 91 yards.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Don’t expect 49ers to trade for Raiders superstar WR

A Davante Adams trade to the 49ers? Don’t count on it.

There was some speculation the San Francisco 49ers may want to get involved in the trade market for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams when reports surfaced that Adams wanted out of Sin City.

Don’t expect such a blockbuster deal to happen.

While adding another offensive weapon is always enticing for teams looking to get over the hump and win a championship, it doesn’t appear Adams would be interested even if the 49ers wanted to make a deal.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported teams around the NFL believe Adams is determined to orchestrate a trade to the New York Jets to reunite with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets make a ton of sense as a trade destination for Adams. They need wide receiver help, and Rodgers needs a receiver he knows he can rely on. New York is 2-2, 21st in the NFL in scoring, and 18th in passing.

For the 49ers it’s not the end of the world that they’re not likely to acquire Adams. Offensive firepower isn’t their issue, particularly if/when All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey returns.

Some speculated the 49ers could deal the struggling Brandon Aiyuk to Vegas, but that would have come with a massive dead cap hit that might have derailed any financial plans the team laid out during a busy offseason that saw McCaffrey, Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams all get new, expensive contracts.

Aiyuk isn’t liable to go anywhere anytime soon, especially with one of the only players available who would be able to match his production now ostensibly off the table.

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Steelers dodge a bullet in big wide receiver trade

The Steelers almost traded away one diva just to trade for another one.

One of the great mysteries of the universe is why so many talented wide receivers are also divas and act like petulant children at times. The Pittsburgh Steelers know this all too well after living through the Antonio Brown era among others.

So it comes as no surprise to hear that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk got into it with his coach about a dress code violation. A violation of a dress code he fully understood and just didn’t care.

The Steelers made a huge push to try and trade for Aiyuk in the offseason but he ended up getting a new contract with San Francisco that included $76 million in guaranteed money.

The Steelers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson in the offseason in part due to his immature behavior. Pittsburgh looks to have dodged a bullet by not adding another diva in his place.

This week the Steelers take on the Indianapolis Colts on the road.

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Brandon Aiyuk breakout unlikely to come vs. Patriots lockdown CB

The Brandon Aiyuk breakout game is coming … just not this week … probably.

The long-awaited breakout game for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may not be coming in Week 4 when the 49ers host the New England Patriots and star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Aiyuk through three games has just 11 catches for 119 yards on 20 targets. He’s still looking for his first touchdown in 2024. For comparison, he was at 17 receptions, 320 yards and two touchdowns through his first three games last season.

There’s an understandable frustration bubbling up from fans after Aiyuk missed all of training camp and the preseason before agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract on Aug. 29. His absence from camp is being blamed for his paltry production and two drops through three games (he had two drops all of last season).

It stands to reason there’s a breakout coming for the 2023 All-Pro eventually. Aiyuk is getting separation, there’s clearly a little rust with him and quarterback Brock Purdy still and the entire 49ers’ offense is still settling in without running back Christian McCaffrey.

On the other hand, it’s nigh impossible to expect Aiyuk’s first big performance of the season to come against Gonzalez, who has been sensational through the Patriots’ first three games.

In Week 1 he matched up with Cincinnati Bengals’ superstar WR Ja’Marr Chase. He held Chase to just 15 yards and three catches on three targets.

In Week 2 he drew Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf. Gonzalez notched one pass breakup and held Metcalf to four catches and 27 yards on seven targets.

Last week it was New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson who did log a touchdown against Gonzalez per Pro Football Focus. The TD was the highlight of a nine-target, five-catch, 33-yard day for Wilson against the second-year CB.

That trio of receivers combined for 19 targets, 12 receptions, 75 yards and one touchdown when matched up against Gonzalez. He held quarterbacks to a passer rating of 88.7 when targeting Chase, Metcalf and Wilson.

Chances are Aiyuk will draw Gonzalez more often than not when the Patriots visit Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, especially with WR Deebo Samuel still out. Perhaps Gonzalez matches up with WR Jauan Jennings instead after Jennings’ monster outing against the Rams in Week 3. In that event we may see a big-time day for Aiyuk. If it’s Gonzalez on Aiyuk though, it may be a fourth consecutive quiet day for San Francisco’s superstar receiver.

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Numbers say 49ers WR trending toward All-Pro form despite slow start

Brandon Aiyuk was open a lot in Week 2. Brock Purdy has to start finding him.

It appears the San Francisco 49ers are quickly seeing some of the adversity generated when a wide receiver misses all of training camp.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy haven’t been able to get on the same page in the 49ers’ first two games. Aiyuk, who missed all of training camp because of dispute over a long-term contract extension, has 10 targets so far this season. He’s hauled in six of them for 71 yards. His longest catch went for 22 yards.

Part of the blame can fall on his playing time. Through two weeks he’s played 73 percent of the 49ers’ offensive snaps. Last year he played in 82 percent. In 2022 he was at 91 percent.

There’s more to it than just playing time, and there appears to be more to it than just Aiyuk getting in playing shape. While playing shape may have been a problem in Week 1, peripheral stats indicate Purdy just didn’t get Aiyuk the ball in Week 2.

Pro Football Focus ran the numbers on separation for pass catchers through two weeks. They have a metric called ‘separation percentage’ which aims to measure “how often a receiver beats the coverage to get open rather than benefiting from a defense more focused on limiting yards after the catch or stopping them short of the first down,” according to their website.

Week 1 wasn’t good for Aiyuk. He created separation on only four of his 12 opportunities. Those numbers help paint the picture of why he earned only five targets.

Week 2 was substantially better. Per PFF he had 14 opportunities and gained separation on 12 of them. His 85.71 separation percentage was the sixth-best in the NFL in Week 2. Alas, the uptick in separation didn’t lead to an uptick in targets. Purdy threw him the ball only five times again.

This is something that has to get remedied immediately. All indications are that Aiyuk is trending quickly toward his All-Pro form. Purdy now needs to look his way with more frequency. That was always going to be the case, but there’s a dramatic uptick in urgency with Deebo Samuel joining Christian McCaffrey on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Purdy and Aiyuk need to get on the same page because the quicker they do, the quicker the 49ers can overcome injuries and solve some of the offensive issues that have plagued them on third down and in the red zone so far in 2024.

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Brock Purdy’s best throw vs. Jets was an incompletion

In the regular-season opener, Purdy threw for 231 yards on 19-of-29 passing against the Jets.

In the first game of the regular season, Brock Purdy picked up right where he left off, cruising to 231 yards passing on 19-of-29 passing against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.

The only thing Purdy didn’t do was throw a touchdown. However, his best throw of the day should have gone for a score at the end of the first half.

With seconds ticking off the clock at the end of the second quarter and the 49ers driving in the red zone, Purdy floated a beautiful pass to the back of the endzone for Brandon Aiyuk. Instead of coming down with the pass for six points, Aiyuk uncharacteristically dropped the ball forcing the 49ers to settle for a field goal at the end of the half.

Via @905kar on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/905Kar/status/1833318908343767426

After the game, Aiyuk spoke about the pass from Purdy that resulted in a drop. The 49ers star receiver admitted Purdy’s pass was a “dime.”

Via @NBCS49ers on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/NBCS49ers/status/1833364324267831393

Following an eventful offseason, Aiyuk had a slow start to his 2024 campaign, securing only two receptions for 28 yards against the Jets. Despite Aiyuk’s rusty performance, the 49ers still rolled to a 32-19 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Peyton Manning ripped on rusty Brandon Aiyuk after a missed touchdown catch

“Get signed, get in training camp, there’s a reason for training camp, you need it!”

Brandon Aiyuk finally got paid this offseason right before the San Francisco 49ers started their season, after a looooooong, drama-filled holdout.

And on Monday, we finally got to see the wideout back in action, and he nearly snagged a diving touchdown grab that he dropped in the second quarter.

Peyton Manning didn’t mince words on the first ManningCast of the year: “Get signed, get in training camp, there’s a reason for training camp, you need it!”

“Get those contracts done earlier so you can get in training camp, we don’t drop balls on opening night,” he added. “You’re still catching balls at a high school field from some quarterback that’s 45 years old, my age. You’re not catching balls from your quarterback.”

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/1833319528991789403?s=12&t=ZreZcHbu4OAVXRQMEVHdIQ%27

Tell ’em how you really feel, Peyton.

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NFL Week 1: Can Jets’ Sauce Gardner shutdown 49ers’ WR Brandon Aiyuk?

All-pro defensive back Sauce Gardner knows that in week 1 he cannot allow San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to get loose.

The New York Jets ranked  No. 1 in the NFL in opponents pass yards allowed per game last season while playing in an AFC East division with some of the top passing offenses.

All-pro defensive back Sauce Gardner knows that in week 1 he cannot allow San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to get loose.

 

After strenuous hours of training throughout the summer, the Jets are ready to show the world why their defense continues to received so many accolades after 2023. Consider, their pass defense could be even more powerful seeing that they’ve spent countless hours getting reps against hall of fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Winning at the line of scrimmage will be very important for Aiyuk if he plans on shaking off the physical engagement Gardner likes to bring. Gardner is relentless at the point of attack often times forcing wide receivers to the sideline or jamming them at the line of scrimmage. Aiyuk is quick and nimble but he did miss most of training camp vying for a new contract.

After a huge pay day, Aiyuk must prove himself elite versus arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. Gardner and Aiyuk will be a matchup to watch for on Monday Night Football in week 1.