49ers 31-7 loss to Eagles falls at feet of Kyle Shanahan

Posted By on January 30, 2023

The 49ers never had a chance in their 31-7 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.

Losing Brock Purdy just six plays in and having to rely on Josh Johnson was a bridge too far for a team which had already overcome the loss of its top two quarterbacks earlier in the season.

It’s easy to point to the ineptitude of the offense under Johnson to absolve Kyle Shanahan of the loss. However, looking at why Johnson was in the game to begin with points directly back to a head coach who made three mistakes in the first half which cost his team.

Not challenging fourth down catch by DeVonta Smith

On the opening possession of the game Philadelphia faced fourth and three from the 49ers 35. Instead of kicking the field goal Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni chose to go for it.

As Jalen Hurts dropped back to pass the 49ers defensive front got good pressure forcing the quarterback out of the pocket. Rolling to his left, Hurts lofted a pass deep down the left sideline to DeVonta Smith. The receiver made a spectacular catch.

As teammates and fans celebrated, the receiver jumped up and yelled for the offense to hurry up and get the next play off.

Despite the odd reaction from Smith and 49ers safety immediately signaling incomplete, Kyle Shanahan chose not to challenge the ruling of a completed catch.

“The replay we saw up on the scoreboard didn’t definitively show that (it was incomplete). I wasn’t going to throw one anyways just to hope to take the chance,” said Shanahan after the game. “That looked like a catch and we didn’t want to waste a timeout.”

In fairness to Shanahan, the NFL has a replay assist rule which allows the replay official to make a quick reversal without a coach’s challenge. However, the Eagles rush to the line of scrimmage beat them to seeing an angle which would have overturned the play prior to the ball being snapped for the next play.

As chaotic as the scene was, Hufanga signaling incomplete and Smith’s reaction to hurry the offense to the line of scrimmage should have tipped Shanahan off.

Forget wasting a timeout. This was the first big play of the game. Take the shot and throw the flag. Even if you lose the challenge at least your defense gets time to settle in.

Instead of getting the ball at the 35 with no score, San Francisco gave up a touchdown two plays later. Little did they know their ship was about to hit an iceberg.

Plan to block Hasson Reddick

Philadelphia’s prowess at getting after opposing quarterbacks was a point of discussion throughout the week leading up to the game. The Eagles had four pass rushers reach 11 or more sacks during the regular season. Hasson Reddick led the charge with 16.

On the 49ers sixth offensive play of the game it was Reddick who screamed around the right side of the San Francisco line, hitting Brock Purdy and forcing a fumble the Eagles would recover.

The strip sack was the least of the 49ers worries. Reddick’s hit on the quarterback’s arm while in the motion of throwing injured Purdy’s elbow knocking him from the game.

This play showed a fatal flaw in Shanahan’s game plan.

San Francisco had chose to try and block one of the best pass rushers in the NFL with its backup tight end.

“It’s a tough block, but all play-actions are tight ends versus edge rusher,” Shanahan replied when asked about the decision. “You hope you can step up on it, which you usually do in the pocket. It was going, Aiyuk beat him. It was going to be a big play, but I didn’t see what else the pocket was like.”

This was not the first time a missed block by a tight end in pass protection had led to a 49ers quarterback being injured.

Jimmy Garoppolo suffered torn ligaments in the thumb on his throwing hand against Tennessee last year after George Kittle was beat, allowing a hit on the quarterback.

This time around it was Kittle’s backup, Tyler Kroft. What makes the plan all the more curious is Shanahan and the coaching staff made Kroft inactive last week against Dallas.

From inactive to being tasked with taking on one of the best pass rushers in the league in consecutive weeks?

Two-minute offense

After San Francisco tied the game at seven, Philadelphia drove 75 yards to retake the lead with just 1:36 left to play in the first half.

Instead of playing it conservatively and trying to run out the clock Shanahan went for it. A quick completion on first down to Deebo Samuel emboldening the coaches choice.

On the next play Josh Johnson couldn’t handle the shotgun snap, the ball hitting him in the hands before falling to the ground. Philadelphia recovered at the 49ers 30, extending their lead to 21-7 just three plays later.

For all intents and purposes the game was over as soon as the referee signaled Eagles ball.

Without Purdy it was clear San Francisco’s offense was in no position to come back from multiple scores down.

Instead of trying to go the length of the field in a minute and a half with a quarterback who joined the team eight weeks ago, Shanahan should have run the clock out and taken his shot after the half. Afterall the 49ers were going to have the ball to open the third quarter.

This article has 148 Comments

  1. Good article, Jack. I agree 100%. Do you have any comments on why Johnson was on the team in the first place? Weren’t there any better choices for a backup QB – like maybe, Cam Newton? The “genius” KS isn’t such a genius when it comes to big-time playoff games.

    KS seems to be getting the praise for the victories with Brock Purdy at QB during the regular season and two playoff games. However, I wonder if it isn’t Brian Griese who really deserves the praise. JG was playing better ball with Griese as his coach. As I understand it, it was Griese who pounded the table for the team to draft Brock Purdy. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was Griese who in fact got Purdy ready to play for the “difficult to play for” offensive coach, Shanahan.

    1. I’m pretty sure that Shanahan makes the call on who makes the 53. You’re really stretching here.

      1. I guess you missed my point. If Griese hadn’t pushed for Purdy, he would never have been on the team in the first place. Yes, KS does make the call on who makes the 53.

        1. “if Griese hadn’t pushed for Purdy, he would never been on the team”. This appears to be made up. How would you know such a thing? I saw your point, I just disagreed. The credit goes to the person making the decision, not to a guess on how others viewed it.

          1. What 49ers and Brian Griese saw in Brock Purdy before even picking him

            In the offseason, over a span of several months, Griese and assistant quarterbacks coach Klay Kubiak were charged with studying college quarterbacks, about 15 in all, and presenting their grades and evaluations to the rest of the staff before the draft. They did so understanding it could be fruitless. The 49ers had Trey Lance, backup Nate Sudfeld and plenty of other draft needs.

            When it comes to quarterbacks, Griese is big on accuracy and intangibles. Purdy, who owns Iowa State’s career completion percentage record, kept hitting the mark when it came to other QB traits.

            “A lot of folks look at how big they are,” Griese said. “How strong they are. How far they can throw it. How fast they are. And these things are important. Don’t get me wrong. But I think accuracy is undervalued. I think leadership is undervalued. I know that we valued the fact that Brock was selfless. He was humble. Relationships mattered to him.

            You can tell pretty quickly if a quarterback is about lifting up other people around him. Or if it’s about him. And Brock is very clearly about the team and competing and winning.

            Highly unlikely the 49ers would have drafted Purdy if Griese/Kubiak hadn’t made the case for him.

            https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/49ers/article/Brock-Purdy-Brian-Griese-17686517.php

            1. Maybe we’re talking past each other here. Of course, someone has to do the scouting and recommending. That applies to every player drafted. Scouts typically start the process and recommend players and then the coaches get involved and finally the head coach and GM make the decision. It’s a collaborative decision making process, but it’s the head coach and GM who are responsible and accountable. Griese was a part of the process. Good for him.

    2. Thank you, Cubus. Bringing a guy in midsession is tough, especially if they don’t have familiarity with the system. That’s why the choice was Johnson.

      1. “Bringing a guy in midsession is tough, especially if they don’t have familiarity with the system.”
        It’s even tougher to loose BECAUSE of the poor QB choice!
        A seasoned QB like Cam Newton would have been able to learn the system in 8 weeks…. This was not just an emergency QB this was the #2-QB for a SB contender
        KS dropped the ball like so many times when you need a leader instead of someone who freezes at the wheel.
        This isn’t Monday morning QBing, this was predictable and avoidable!

      2. So damn upset about the loss of Purdy. Just as upset as I was when Trey Lance was sacrificed and needlessly lost for the season. Do hope this warrants an examination. Jack.

  2. Wow, a big stretch in my opinion.
    1. Kyle didn’t throw the flag because it looked like a catch to him. It was the fault of the refs forgetting it wrong. I don’t see where this is on Kyle. Hindsight is always 20/20.
    2. Another hindsight call but a tight end should match up with a linebacker. Of course Hassan is not just any linebacker but Kroft wasn’t expected to control him, just slow him but he completely whiffed. That’s on Kroft. Players miss assignment’s on occasion. There’s reasons why you have a TE block the edge on play action.
    3. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Somehow it’s Kyle’s fault because he had a QB who only had 8 weeks on the team but supposedly he’d be better in the second half? No, he’d have fumbled in the second half. In reality, the game was over once Purdy was injured.

    1. I’m with you, Felix….where were the coaches in the press box, when it came time to call for a replay? Were they not paying close enough attention to tell Kyle to challenge? And as you noted, the ref got the call wrong…the hit on Purdy by Hassan Reddick was the game changer, but for Jack to infer that Kyle had no plan to block him is a reach..if we’re going down that road, how about the blown blocking assignments on the interior of the line? It not like Trent and the other four guys played like all pros….had Purdy not gone down, the outcome could very well have been different. No mention of penalties here…why not?…the penalties cost the 49ers.. But to blame Kyle solely for the loss is, IMHO, a reach….it’s up to the players to take control of the game, and the Eagle players did that..which is no fault of Kyle

      1. its true there is blame all around but to absolve Kyle of any responsibility for what happened is not correct. He is the head coach and offensive coordinator therefor some blame is on him

    2. 1. The league affords you the benefit of hindsight for the simple price of using a timeout or challenge flag. All you have to do to see if you should challenge is call a timeout to look it over. Instead he took all 3 saved timeouts with him to halftime.

      2. They went back to this play on more than one occasion and it failed miserably each time. Ego at play here, especially after it proved dangerous more than once.

      3. You go into the half down 7 and spend the time to get your backup QB’s head right. He was throwing dead ducks and nearly had another turnover early in the game. It was clear Johnson was at risk of turning it over again. All you need to do is run out as much as you can and get him acclimated at halftime so he doesn’t blow it, which he promptly did by not catching a simple snap because he was a deer in the headlights. Failure to read the room moment.

      Shanahan gave his team no chance yesterday. It’s okay to admit that while also acknowledging he’s one of the top coaches in the league. The two are not mutually exclusive and he does need to get better in big games. There were game management mistakes made last week as well. Lucky for us, McCarthy was coaching on the other sideline.

    3. Funny how Sirianni threw the challenge flag pretty much immediately to contest the call of an incomplete pass, when it was actually a fumble, on the play that Purdy got hurt. Ultimately, it was ironic that the team went into half time with all of their timeouts.

        1. If Jack is right that Hufanga waived the play off as a no catch, then KS should have pulled the trigger. Particularly, because it was a 4th down play, that if overturned, would have prevented any attempt by the Eagles to score and given the 49ers decent field position. The immediate reward of the play being overturned would have been greater for this 4th down play than a 3rd down play (for which I still would have wanted him to throw the flag).

    5. You are wrong on all 3. That doesn’t make any sense. Jack nailed it honestly. It wasnt looking good regardless we can agree on that, but the prudent thing to do would have been to be smart & go into the half tied. Talk to Johnson and get on the same page & get him settled down. Remember, the gameplan was for Purdy & Johnson was on the sideline not expecting to play then boom he’s being thrown into the nfc championship game. Should have gone in down 7 and had a chance to adjust.

  3. Not much to argue with there Jack. The buck stops at the coach, period, although if he had just thrown the red flag the Eagles don’t score, or if Brock would have stepped up a foot or two and maybe Hassan wiffs and Aiyuk makes a big play, Purdy doesn’t get hurt, Niners go on to score, then maybe nobody would be talking about Kroft, the refs don’t get flag crazy on questionable iffy calls, then possibly the game turns out different. Maybe we win. How’d you miss that Jack? ;-)
    Can’t wait for the draft. How many picks do they have? (Eye roll)

  4. Where is the blame for DeMeco Ryans? His defense gave up 31 points. I suppose that is also Shanahans fault.?

    1. It’s a fair question. Based on the statistics, it looks like Ryans was setting the defense to stop the pass more than the run. Eagles had 148 yards rushing but only 121 yards passing including the dropped pass by Brown. Initially, the defense was pretty successful at stopping the run, but IIRC at the end of the 1st half the Eagles ran all over the defense for the two TDs (or maybe the one that I’m thinking of was in the 2nd half).

      1. Maybe the Eagles were just running the ball because they had the lead and didn’t need to risk passing the ball. Thats what most teams would do in that situation. The offense made it impossible for the defense. Sad day but we get to do it all over again next year.

  5. Shanahan quit. We didn’t even try to throw the ball. Shanahan just gave up.

    Thats it for me. I am 100 % done with this team until Shanahan is fired and Colin is brought back to be our QB. The Yorks can kiss my @$$

    2. Hahaha…Purdy was capable of throwing approximately 10 yards with the injury. Did u want him to aggravate the tendon.
      The only quitter seems to be you.. You sound like a cowgirl fan anyway

  6. It is not KS fault for Brock getting hurt. But once that happened the Niners were doomed. Josh Johnson is garbage. He missed a wide open George Little who would have had good yac.can’t wait for the draft. JG will be gone, so we need to draft another good QB who has at least 3 years of starting college experience. You know. Like the second coming of -you guessed it- Brock Purdy! And they need to draft a couple more OL. Trent Williams at the football age that he is will not be around forever. They need better than Mike McGlinchy. Another CB, and safety. Jimmy Ward is good, but he’s been injured often and is 31 years old. Oh, yeah! Here’s one that shouldn’t be overlooked. KICKER! Robbie Could is still great but he is a little old football wise and has missed a few kicks. Time to start grooming another kicker before it’s too late. Because one day Robbie might be counted on to kick the winning field goal in the playoffs and boom! Wide right or left. Or maybe blocked. Heartbreaker. Just remember what Bill Walsh once did. He would get rid of players before they get too old and start declining in skills in favor of keeping the team young and competitive. Who agrees with this Niner Faithful? Okay. On to the off-season and the draft preperations.

    1. Capt.
      All that would be fine for a team with a 1st and 2nd round pick and cap room after signing Bosa this team will have neither.

    2. That all sounds great! But you’re missing one critical element…the 9er lack the draft capital to fill your wish list….

  7. Going into that game with Johnson as our only backup was head coaching malpractice. Nothing more to talk about.

    1. I’m not sure I agree with this. The issue was more protecting your quarterback since there’s no one else out there that’s going to give you a decent shot, against a team that had 70 sacks on the year. That means maybe scrapping the idea of a backup tight end blocking Reddick and keep your quarterback upright instead of taking stupid gambles, which is what Shanny and his staff decided to do again and again. But of course it’s all Lance and Purdy’s fault as was Jimmy’s fault last year. It’s funny how the rest of the league doesn’t cycle through these QB injury problems again and again like the 49ers. The only exception would maybe be the Ravens who also have a skewed game plan with their somewhat delicate QB. Then again, it’s not like they have a choice over there. Jackson is not and never will be a pure pocket passer.

      1. Its a Quaterback centric league…why do u think some get half a billion contracts.
        We took the last pick in the draft and had a magical ride till the clock hit midnight
        Not too many coaches could prepare a rookie QB to take over as well as well as Kyle did. Where the credit???
        Thats why they call Niners fans whiners not winners,

        1. Clearly you haven’t been around much or you’d know I have showered praise on Shanahan plenty of times.

          Go to any team’s primary fan blog page. You’ll see we’re no different.

          1. I know whining when i hear it. Apparently some fans think they are more knowledgeable then the 49ers
            staff . Are us studying film for 16 hrs a day. Don’t think so.
            The only issue I have with Shanahan is that he doesn’t delegate and have a guy like Griese on the sidelines giving him a different perspective. Myopic

    2. I kind of have to agree with this, but not as forcefully as you state. It does seem like malpractice but I think you need to ask the question: who else was available. Cam Newton, maybe? Yesterday, before the game, I told my wife that my biggest concern was that Purdy might get hurt because I knew JJ wasn’t going to be able to replace him.

    3. WC,
      I often thought after Purdy became the Starter on who would be the backup QB if Brock was injured. But, aside from Johnson, what other QB is familiar with this offense?
      Imo, Johnson was the only option.

      It was just a freak year for the 49ers in that very rarely does a team go through 4 injured QBs. It’s amazing that they even made the playoffs let alone the championship game.

      2. Right on brother …finally someone with a perspective unlike so many sour grapes here.

  8. Before getting into analysis, I just want to say what a fantastic year! So many twists and turns. Losing Emmanuel Moseley and seeing Lenoir step up and play fairly well. Aaron Banks far surpassing my expectations. Hope he continues to improve. Going through 2 starting NFL QBs and then finding a hidden gem in third stringer Brock Purdy. Trading for Christian McCaffery and realizing what a difference a versatile RB can be in this offense. Beating the Seahawks 3 times on the year was awesome. Winning the division and getting the #2 seed after starting the year 3-4. Truly an amazing and enjoyable year. And the best part is the entire core of this team will be back next year. Very exciting time to be a 49er fan.

    1. Yes, yes. It was all good. But it’s precisely because it was all so good, that the loss hurts as much as it does. KS continually makes errors during big games. Maybe it’s because trying to call the plays and manage the game at the same time is too much. It’s a lot to manage and strategize amidst what is probably a chaotic sideline during a fair portion of the game. And most of the people around him are probably reacting emotionally instead of logically. An assistant for game day strategy or hiring an OC, like Kellen Moore, could make a big difference come game day.

      1. Oh please. Instead of complaining about the coach who is obviously and largely recognized as one of the best in the league, you go with the obvious which is Purdy was injured.

        1. It wasn’t just the injury it was the rookie coaching error of not throwing the flag. The “genius” Kyle Shanahan is anything but on game day expecially for big games.

          1. Wow…you saw the ball get boggled almost 3000 miles away. Why didn’t you call our coaches? Our upstairs booth personnel are supposed to tell him when to throw the flag in most cases. The League also should have flagged it from New York as well as when the refs don’t have a clear view.
            Why don’t u dump on Kyle some more or better yet know what you’re talking about?
            Normal camera coverage is about 4-5 different perspectives. Why do you think only 1 view was shown?
            People like to find scapegoats but that was a collective effort of the 49ers; refs;Nfl Head quarters; mother nature, the boogieman;the ball boy,planet alignments; superstions
            If you want to bask in the glory of winning don’t cry when you lose.

    3. Pat,
      I’m not so sure the entire core will be back. After resigning Bosa I think the 9ers are going to have some real cap problems and thats without having to pay a franchise QB.

      1. Aziz is the only guy I think they might lose. Who else is going to be a free agent that they might not be able to bring back?

        2. Pat,
          They need to resign
          J. Ward
          Ebukam
          Moseley
          McGlinchey
          Shaair
          Gould
          Brunskill
          Ridgeway
          Hyder
          Kroft (lol)
          Gipson
          Willis
          Pepper
          Brendel
          Flannigan-Fowels
          Givins
          Omenihu
          Jennings
          After signing Bosa I don’t think they will have too much cap room left. They could always choose not to resign Bosa I guess.

          2. Bosa’s salary for next year is set, he will be signing an extension. Unless some of the signing bonus counts immediately? But other guys with big contracts will become huge parts of the salary structure, mostly Trent Williams and Armstead. They will be earning big bucks.

          3. I think they easily sign half these guys with no issues. Even if they lose Jimmy Ward and Mike McGlinchey, I actually think they can upgrade those positions with younger talent. You’ll have Bosa, Mooney Ward, Huf, and Warner on defense. Trent W, Trey/Brock, CMC, Kittle, Deebo, and Aiyuk on offense. That’s a helluva core for the 49ers. It would hurt to lose guys like Ebukam, Omenihu, and Shaiir but I think they’ll find a way to sign most of those guys. To me the most important thing to address on defense is what to do about Kinlaw. I’ve given up on him. I like his skill set but I think he’s injured and may never be healthy. He got absolutely destroyed against the Eagles. Literally got pushed 5 yards back on multiple plays. If he’s double teamed, he can not hold the point of attack which is critical in the 49ers scheme. You’ve got to be able to hold your position, even when double teamed to free up LBers instead of getting pushed into their faces. Eagles ran right at him when they needed to run a few yards. If you can stomach it, go watch the first TD of the game and focus on Kinlaw. Let me warn you ahead of time though – it’s bad.

    4. Right on brother …finally someone with a perspective unlike so many sour grapes here.

  9. To me, the biggest issue in this game and the biggest issue with the Shanahan offense is the blocking scheme and failing to address glaring weaknesses on the offensive line. Expecting Kroft to block Reddick was ludicrous. Kroft has never been a good blocking TE. Look at other teams running the Shanahan scheme. The 49ers used 4 QBs this year and 3 of them went out with season ending injuries. The Jets used 4 QBs on the year. The Dolphins used 3 QBs on the year. If you look at the teams in the Conference Championship games – no team used more than 2 QBs all year. Shanahan needs to put more of a premium on protecting the QB. One or two years with multiple QB injuries is bad luck. When you are running through multiple QBs every year then it’s a scheme problem.

    1. I guess if we hadn’t signed up some of our star players, we could have invested in a better line.
      No team has the ability to put All Stars at every position which is what makes the league competive.

      1. Thats really not true. The 49ers could have drafted Creed Humphrey and Aaron Banks in the same draft, resigned Laken Tomlinson, and still signed every other player currently on the roster. Trading that 2nd round pick and then drafting Aaron Banks too high is the reason the 49ers had poor play at Center and Right Guard. Easily could have avoided that situation.

        1. Well why didn’t you share your crystal ball on draft day with the 49er brass…oh that’s right hindsight is 20/20
          Why didn’t you say this in the beginning of the year?

          PS who should the Warriors pick in the next draft, next great stock market pick,presidential election; etc?

          1. I said it was a huge mistake on draft day. Hated the Banks pick. I was on the Creed bandwagon even before he decided to go back to Oklahoma for a year. He’s a GREAT Center. Could have had Trey Lance, Creed Humphrey, and Aaron Banks to solidify the middle of the offense in the same draft. That’s exactly what I said on draft day. It wasn’t just me saying it. Many draft experts were saying something similar.

            1. And somehow Banks contributed enough to get the 49ers into the championship game, right 1.9?
              Go figure!
              Lot of overreacting going on here.

              1. Banks is better than I expected but he has a long way to go to get to the level of Laken Tomlinson. Brendel and Burford were both bad. As in bottom 5 in the NFL bad. My point remains the same. 49ers could have had a dominant O-line but they made draft mistakes that prevented it.

  10. A couple of thoughts about next year. If Purdy needs Tommy John surgery that would mean the 9ers would be going into next year with one QB who is coming off of major surgery. Would they need to draft or sign another high quality QB.
    Secondly after using Bosa the way the did since the Raider game (IE to keep the QB in the pocket and close in around him) taking away his best chance to get sacks, will Bosa be anxious to resign with the 9ers.

  11. Kyle shannahan needs a year off calling plays at least not every time have someone else up there calling plays and he can occasionally throw in some plays he is becoming to predictable. Also we need help on the offensive line.

    1. You have to realize that KS is highly regarded in the coach’s pool and has a lot of imitators now who copy his scheme.
      I agree that new wrinkles might help.

  12. If Purdy doesn’t get injured yesterday it is possible that the officials would have cost the 9ers the game. Is it time for the NFL to talk about full time referees? I read that it would cost the NFL one quarter of one percent of their final profits to fund full time referees. I can only think of one reason they don’t do it, they are cheap idiots. I wonder if the owners asked the players to fund half the cost out of their end of the cap if the players would be willing.

    1. But what makes you think full time officials would call the games any different? Officials don’t have the benefit of realtime replay like we do, they only get that if the booth upstairs, New York calls or someone throws the challenge flag. It’s not like these guys don’t know the rulebook.

      Like anything, when you invest your money into something, be it 1%, 10% or 50%, you want to know what you’re getting. And what you invest now will likely grow in terms of a cost later due to unionization. I’m not sure the league is confident in what they would get for their 1% investment in 2023 because I doubt the officials are lacking. Feels more like this is just a tough sport to officiate what with all the people flying around, weird scenarios and what not. It’s probably the most imperfect sport out there, which is why it needs so many rules in the first place. But having these guys study year round is probably unlikely to change the percentage of correct calls being made in live games.

      1. Basketball and baseball are where my real expertise lie. I watch far more of those games than football. I believe very strongly that major league umpires and NBA basketball refs are far far far more competent than NFL officials. I have refereed probably 1000 basketball games. I have never officiated football but I know many men and women who have done both at the HS level and college level. Everyone of them to a person has said basketball is a far more difficult game to officiate than football. The cost would increase one quarter of a percent not one percent. Maybe it doesn’t get a lot better but as far as I am concerned it can’t get worse. This is a billion dollar industry with a nickle and dime officiating program.

        1. Agree. It’s like running a billion dollar company using Quickbooks as your accounting program and one data entry person.

        2. Its never going to change having the losing team always bitchin about the refs. My complaint is some are not in the kind of shape necessary. I didn’t hear 49er fans whining the previous two weeks.

        3. I kind of disagree. NBA officiating is the worst of any sport. I stopped watching the NBA. There’s 2 different sets of rules for stars and then whomever is the home team. I like college basketball but I can’t stomach NBA officiating. Some of the rules differential exists in the NFL but not as bad as the NBA.

          1. NBA is a differnt animal. The tempo of the game determines fouls more than anything. Refs could stop play just about every 3 minutes with ticky tack calls How boring would that be? NFl every play has a penalty of some kind.
            NBA refs are much more in shape than the typical middleaged pot belly NFL ref.

  13. INTERESTING NEWS:

    Mike Silver is reporting that he spoke with Fangio late last night and Vic said “Nothing has been decided on my end”.

  14. If you understand pass protections, which most 49er fans dont- than you know its a basic play. Why do you think we have so much success off play action in the first place? Theres alot more to it than a fake handoff. The difference in Purdys play where he got hurt was the roll action. They moved his launch point to the left. The opposite end is always blocked by a FB and or TE. Its how you sell play action. This is so basic its ridiculous. It was a freak injury. Had Purdy got rid of the ball a tick early, had the receiver got to his spot a tick early, anything, it wouldnt have happened. More concerning to me was where was Bosa? Reddick showed up and showed out- he did what Bosa is supposed to do. And Bosa has plenty of help. Im starting to believe This guy dissapears in the playoffs and is consistently exploited in the run game. Of course I was dissappointed in how unprepared for the moment Josh Johnson was too. All we needed was a functional QB, not one that wilted. Your blaming KS instread of a QB who fumbled a simple snap that my sister wouldve caught. A professional QB? Think about that. Josh Johnson is a professional phony who made a career of avoiding big games while acting like he could handle it. I seriously blame him more than KS.

      1. Who was he supposed to get in the middle of the season who knew the system and was somewhat experienced? It’s easy to blame but can you solve the problem?

    2. I TOTALLY disagree. Of course, TEs block DEs and OLBs. Kittle does it all the time. Putting Tyler Kroft in a position to block a guy who has 16 sacks on the year without any help was a mistake. Not only was he asked to block Reddick 1v1 – it was on a slow developing play action pass with a 7 step drop. You can have your “you guys don’t know football” opinion all you want but Tyler Kroft blocking the #2 NFL sack leader on that play was bad scheme. It’s really not debatable.

      1. Why is Tyler Kroft on the team? Same for Charlie Woerner? Neither seems like a good blocker, and last I saw Woerner has a 0% catch rate. At least Dwelley has great hands and is a very good receiver with penchant for getting open. Just the team won’t use him anymore. If Shanahan is going to use tight ends in such crucial situations he better find an actual blocking tight end that is good at his job. Kittle can’t do it all. Would help when trying to grind clock to also have a second competent blocking tight end too.

        1. Kroft is on the team specifically as a blocker but he’s really not that great of a blocker. I always thought it was a bit of a head scratcher. Kroft was a healthy inactive against the Seahawks and then you’re leaving him 1v1 on the best pass rusher not named Bosa in the NFL this year. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I guess the Deebo motion on that play was partly intended to make Reddick stay home on contain but that obviously didn’t work. Has one player ever guaranteed they won’t be resigned by a team in 1 play? Maybe Tartt after the dropped Int last year? No way Kroft is signed again.

      2. Its not debatable? Laughable is what it is.
        Are we going to believe a professional football coach or a guy who sits on his couch on Sundays?

        2. Well in this case, it’s really not debatable. The proof is in Brock Purdy’s torn UCL.

      3. Keyshawn Johnson on ESPN this morning called it an “egregious mistake.” He’s no fan of Kyle Shanahan.

    3. Brent Jones played tight end in the NFL and said using a tight end, especially TE2, to protect against a guy like Reddick was a major mistake.

        1. Also, did everyone including Shanny miss that you shouldn’t do it again after nearly blowing up Purdy’s arm?

          With Johnson in, Shanny had the nerves to have WR Jennings block Reddick and of course he blew up the quarterback again (and nearly stripped the ball from Johnson).

          🤦🏻‍♂️

        2. I’m not upset at all. I’m just not buying it. Instead of quoting an old TE why can’t Jack explain why a TE can’t lock or at least chip an edge. If a TE can’t block Hassan then do you not run play action or who could block him and how does that change the play.

      2. Why would a tight end who specializes in blocking not be able to at least chip Hassan? Kroft is bigger than Hassan. Love Brent Jones but I don’t know why a TE can’t block an edge rusher and if he can’t who could have?

      3. Seems like every former player that commented on that play said it was foolish to have someone like Kroft trying to make that play.

        1. Then imagine WR Jauan Jennings forced to make that same block on Reddick just a few plays later. Yeah, it turned out pretty much the same.

  15. Cubus,
    The 2022 Newton was never an option.
    Cam Newton was not signed by a team this year. 32 teams apparently concluded that he’s done, why should the 49ers have felt any different?

    1. AES: It’s one thing to have JJ on the practice squad or even 3rd string. But as a backup on a team that is somewhat notorious for having injured QBs? He had no experience in this magnitude of a game and was probably very jittery. It’s a year that could have resulted in a SB; you have to take the initiative to upgrade the backup position. Maybe even Mayfield should have been considered (although I’m unclear on cap ramifications). The point is: it was a real weakspot that, imo, was not addressed. At least Cam had the experience; JJ not so much. There may have been other QBs available.

  16. You say ‘notorious for injured QBs? really ? Every team has banged up QBs ..just some more than others.
    Fans used to the 49er FAITHFUL …where did that go?

    1. I’m a big time fan of the 49ers since 1979. Rejoiced during the good times and suffered during the bad times. Any fan should be able to call out the players and coaches, pure and simple. Many people besides 49er fans are wondering about the propensity of KS’ “system” to increase the injury rate of QBs. Read the comments from Stefania at ESPN below.

  17. Just heard on KNBR, ESPN reports Purdy has a total tear of the ulnar ligament. He needs Tommy John will miss most of next year if not the whole season.

    1. This throws a whole new set of issues in their lap.
      If they want to win now, this latest developement opens up quite a few options.

    3. Out of curiosity , has there ever been an example of an NFL QB having this surgery and returning to play well? I know it happens in baseball but I don’t know about football.

        1. Really, for an NFL elite quarterback? Not saying you’re wrong but what makes you say that? Not shading you. Would really like to know, you know, to give us some hope he’ll be the same. You’re pretty active in telling people they make “ridiculous” or “stupid” comments. I wouldn’t want others here to think the same about you.

        2. Felix,
          I’m definitely not an expert. But I tend to agree with you. A QB does not generally throw the ball 35-40 times per game. Whereas a Pitcher throws an average of 80-100 times per game. And a MLB pitcher uses much more exertion and torque than a QB. Also, a Pitcher plays more games during the baseball season.

          In Purdy’s case we can only hope that he fully heals and can continue to play at a high level.

      2. Purdy is seeking second opinions in hopes that he can undergo a repair that isn’t Tommy John surgery. If that’s the case, Purdy would miss around six months and be ready for training camp.

        In 2007, Jake Delhomme had Tommy John surgery and after six months he said his arm was “better than ever.” Of course, that’s a one-off example and there’s the other side of the coin to consider. In Purdy’s case, the fear is that his arm strength will be completely depleted after needing reconstructive surgery.

        https://www.ninersnation.com/2023/1/30/23578648/49ers-brock-purdy-ucl-6-months

      3. This was also tweeted. Frankly, I don’t remember the Nick Mullens surgery. Also, her 2nd response is for UCL repair with InternalBrace.

        Stephania Bell
        @Stephania_ESPN
        ·
        1h
        The irony of this Brock Purdy injury is that it is the same injury Nick Mullens suffered when he was playing for the 49ers in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo in 2020.
        Stephania Bell

        @Stephania_ESPN
        Mullens underwent a surgical UCL repair with InternalBrace, less extensive than a complete reconstruction.
        If Purdy needs a repair, this would make them the only NFL starting QBs to have had the procedure.
        It’s uncanny.

  19. Jimmy G has to be shown the door. Has no ‘fire in him as a competitor.
    Disturbing to see him twice on the tube in the later part of the 4 th quarter Chuckling and smiling when his so called ‘boys are getting their asses handed to them. Great team guy huh?
    Theirs a reason Bellicheck dumped him. Compare him to Brady’s demeanor when it comes to winning.. Jimmy is the kid in the neighborhood when you played pick up complained more about his clothes getting dirty, then why they were losing.

    1. Ridiculous comment. How would you know what kind of kid Jimmy was. He is loved by him teammates which is all the proof I need to know he’s a stand up person. Someone was talking to him when the camera was on him and you have no idea why he was smiling.

  20. “Tommy John” surgerys take between 9 months to two years to completely heal.
    Just devastating for him.

  21. I think he is better off getting the surgery. He may not be back to 100% until 2024 but his arm may actually be stronger than before. Rehabbing thru therapy might get him back sooner but he already had Avg. to slightly below Avg. arm strength and might come back weaker.

  22. If Purdy gets the full T.J. The 49ers should look into signing Jimmy G. but only if they can get him for Approx. 15 mill. Much more than that would be a deal breaker. If they can draft well and sign a couple of B level FAs while bringing back as many of their own FAs as possible then a QB room of Lance and JG could win a SB. imho

    1. agree..let Jimmy G and Trey compete. I predicted Brock would be injured badly in this game and could not watch it. The entire day was a nightmare.

  25. I was listening to a sports talk show today and a surgeon called in to talk a little about Brock and his condition. One of the things he said was that having a tear doesn’t necessarily mean Tommy John. He also said depending on the nature of the tear and the overall condition of the tendon, it’s possible he’d be ready for TC. Plus he said it’s possible his arm will get stronger as a direct result rehab because in rehab you strengthen some muscles you don’t ordinarily use. Wouldn’t that be great if it happened!

    Another point: I do think that Kyle not challenging that catch was malfeasance. Generally speaking I like him and give him lots of credit for building the team into what it is today. But the first things I thought when Smith came down with the ball were that it wasn’t secured and that it hit the ground. I mean, how likely would that have been otherwise? Only today did I learn that Hufunga communicated it wasn’t a catch. That and them rushing to get their next play off were the red flags. Imo Kyle clearly goofed. After the game he had a ready explanation for it, but what are we, idiots?

    As for Kyle being responsible for Reddick getting through, I don’t think so. Purdy was focusing on the play to open up and didn’t see him coming. One of those things.

    1. The pocket was clean.
      That’s on Purdy for not stepping up, and that’s been a consistent fault.
      Since his arm is not strong, he should throw downfield with more anticipation if the receiver has man coverage —
      throw to where he would be if he breaks open. OK, so maybe it’s a 50/50 jump ball. This lack of anticipation on downfield throws has also been a consistent fault.

      1. Jack Hammer, others have already said the pocket was not clean. And Keyshawn Johnson & lots of other former players are charging Shanahan with an “egregious mistake” for running the scheme that caused the Purdy injury. What are you seeing that they aren’t?

        2. And other former players eg, Joe Thomas say it was the usual scheme run hundreds of times a season throughout the league.
          Purdy has to learn.
          See J’s comment below — “Its Purdy’s JOB to step up in the pocket, scramble, fall into the fetal position like Brady does…….
          you figure, as a play caller, worst case scenario is a sack or a turnover…..what are the odds on any given play you blow your elbow out?”

      2. Like I said before, Purdy was standing where he needed to be. He stepped back to allow the time for the play to develop. It was going to be a long pass. Moving up would have negated the play. It was a plan design that was a work of art, and if it had worked, Aiyuk would have scored. You can see from the view there was no one between him and the end zone. The problem was, it took too long to develop. Purdy had to wait, and he didn’t see Reddick. I think that’s the real issue. Had he swiveled, he would have seen him, then collapsed and taken the sack.

  27. Looking at the bright side:
    The injuries to Garoppolo and Lance allowed us to discover that Purdy is a fine quarterback. That’s so huge.
    Lance was QB1. The plan was to start him and hopefully, stay in playoff contention so that by the end of the season, he would be experienced. So let’s do that. And if he falters during the season, maybe Purdy will be ready before we have caved out of contention.

  28. first and foremost….the back up TE in the NFL used to be the blocking TE. I used the term “used to be” do to the fact that its a pass happy league these days…..and so it might not be the case in todays game.

    But im sure about one thing….and that is the NFL being a dangerous sport where injury’s constantly occur…..and i find it completely ridiculous that so called fans blame a HC for every injury racked up by the team he coaches!!!! Just ridiculous!
    Not the greatest play call in the world asking a TE to block a plus edge rusher 1 on 1……but laying Purdy’s injury on Kyles feet over it!? c’mon ppl!
    Its Purdy’s JOB to step up in the pocket, scramble, fall into the fetal position like Brady does…….
    you figure, as a play caller, worst case scenario is a sack or a turnover…..what are the odds on any given play you blow your elbow out?

    Based of the logic presented by paid sports journalist……we may as well forfeit to the rams twice a year! I mean….how can we run ANY PLAY that requires a single outmatched OG to block Aaron Donald!
    I mean, Grant Cohn is playing 9D chess while Kyle is playing checkers i guess……Grant scouts all 11 matchups on any given play…..and is too smart to run a play if any 11 matchups is a mismatch!!!

    But in reality this is impossible to do, in the 40 seconds you have to run a play b4 delay of game.
    And KS isnt responsible for TL, or JG getting hurt either…..you see…..those guys were hurt while being tackled!!! it is, after all…..tackle football!!!!!! on any single play……all 22 players run the risk of getting hurt …as well as a number of players/staff on the sideline ( bosa).

    But praising KS for making the final 4 , AGAIN, without a stud qb dosent generate clicks…….so here we are.

  29. Joe Staley just on KNBR said that the play Purdy got injured on is the same play they ran at least 50 times this year. He went on to say that if you are going to run outside zone with play action that is how it works. He also said it is the QB’s responsibility to know the situation and adjust accordingly.

  30. Any one know of any late 3rd round prospects playing in this weeks Senior Bowl. The 9ers likely have 4 late third round picks.

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