Reel-to-Reel: The 49ers Dismantle Dallas on the Ground and in the Air
There was nothing better than watching the San Francisco 49ers systematically dismantle the Dallas Cowboys on national television. And I applaud head coach Kyle Shanahan for running up the score, humbling a sad franchise that continues to build a false reality on a foundation of Play-Doh.
Indeed, one day, the pendulum will swing in direction, but not today, not this season, and not until Dallas has hit true rock bottom.
Last week, I noted that I did not care how the 49ers won the game, and when it started, I thought Shanahan’s plan would grind Dallas’ run defense into dust. Instead, Shanahan blended a running attack that averaged 4.1 yards an attempt for 170 yards and an air assault that gave tight end George Kittle his first three touchdowns of the year.
Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy was nearly flawless and is finally starting to serve some doubters a plate of crow. Purdy threaded the ball through Dallas’ defense, often over defenders or into minuscule windows.
I detailed many of the runs X (formally known as Twitter, I suppose), which you can find here if you wish. However, Purdy’s throws deserve the spotlight this week, and you’ll find three of my favorites below.
2nd Quarter – 1 & 10 at the SF 25 (7:45)
Purdy opened the 49ers’ sixth possession of the game with a dart that hit wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk six steps after his break.
After breaking the huddle, the 49ers quickly aligned, and Purdy sent tight end Charlie Woerner in motion across the formation. At the snap, Woerner took off up the sideline while tight end George Kittle ran what looked like Y-Choice.
On the left side of the formation, Aiyuk and wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud weaved at five yards, allowing McCloud to drift inside on a deep-thru and Aiyuk to continue upfield until breaking inside after 10 yards. The combination looked like a dagger variation, but I am unsure if the assessment is correct.
McCloud and Aiyuk’s mesh confused Dallas safety Jayron Kearse, who completely turned his back on Aiyuk, allowing Aiyuk to break open immediately.
3rd Quarter – 3rd and 13 at the SF 40 (9:36)
Purdy’s best throw of the night came before this play on a ‘flag’ concept to Aiyuk. Unfortunately, it was nullified due to a holding penalty by right guard Spencer Burford, which would be erased on the next play. Shanahan would also return to a ‘flag’ concept in the next series, detailed below.
Facing a third-and-thirteen, Shanahan called in ‘dagger,’ a reliable intermediate concept. The 49ers aligned in a Bunch Left North formation against what looked like another single high defense from Dallas. Purdy took the snap in shotgun, and Dallas immediately showed a Cover 2 look. Note linebacker Leighton Vander Esch carrying wide receiver Jauan Jennings’ deep thru route upfield.
It was clear Purdy noticed the coverage early in the play’s development and easily hit wide receiver Deebo Samuel on a ‘dover’ route, throwing just as Samuel broke inside.
Samuel caught the ball in stride, gained 20 yards after the catch, and brought the ball to the Dallas 18-yard line. They would score three plays later.
3rd Quarter – 3rd and 2 at the DAL 42 (3:44)
The 49ers took over at their 38-yard line after safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. intercepted a God-awful overthrown Dak Prescott rainbow ball.
Midway through the possession, the 49ers faced a third-and-two at the Dallas 42-yard line. Now, everyone in attendance and the 26 million people watching around the world knew the 49ers would get a first down, but it was a matter of how.
Before settling, Purdy sent Kittle into a clamp set to his right. He then motioned for running back Christian McCaffrey to line up in a trips set to the left.
From this formation, it would have made sense to run something like ‘shadow-hash’ on the trips side and send Aiyuk on a post route.
2022 NFL Season; Week 2. 2nd Quarter: 2 & 14 at the SF 34 (12:48) Garoppolo to Aiyuk for 12 yards. Play was: Trips Left Wide 2 Scat X Stick Shadow Hash. A guess on the terminology - there's shadow-hash on one side and 'X Stick' on the other.
Alas, Shanahan called in a flag concept to Jennings and added a ‘now’ route underneath the combination.
Dallas showed a Cover 1-man look at the snap, which was the wrong defense for the flag concept. Vander Esch passed Jennings off and settled to cover Samuel on the ‘now’ route. Dallas safety #28 was never in any position to cover Jennings running the ‘flag,’ and Purdy dropped the ball for an easy 19-yard gain.
I certainly hope the 49ers were able to enjoy the statement win over a long-time rival and have put that behind them. Cleveland is a cursed franchise, fresh off a bye week, and the 49ers are coming off a route. These are the games that tend to be dangerous.
The 49ers can continue to dominate opponents in all three phases of the game if they keep the steely focus and intensity they’ve shown through the first five games of the season.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless noted.
All images and video clips courtesy of NFL.com.