49ers news: Does Brock Purdy need to get more play-action passes?

The San Francisco 49ers offense has been traditionally seen as one of the more high-octane offenses in the NFL, thanks to the slew of elite skill-position players, quarterback Brock Purdy, and the play-calling prowess of head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Last season, they ranked among the top three in a number of statistical categories, including points per game and yards per game, maintaining their position as one of the top offenses in the NFL.

However, the offense was stifled in Week 2 by Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, as Brock Purdy had multiple turnovers and was sacked six times (although it looked more like four true sacks).

One intriguing note from the game? Purdy ran play action just three times on the day, which was tied for the lowest number of play-action drop backs he’s ever had in a game in his career.

Back in Week 1, the play-action rate seemed lower as well, but the 49ers still moved the ball exceptionally well, scoring on eight consecutive drives to eclipse the 30-point barrier.

With the low numbers for an area where Purdy has traditionally played well in, do the 49ers need to dial up more play action for their quarterback?

Well, head coach Kyle Shanahan is aware of the disparity compared to the past, instead citing the specific teams and their defensive schemes as the reason for the change in play-calling to start the year.

“Just schematic reasons, who we were going against, what’s good versus these teams,” Shanahan said as the reasons for the lesser amount of play-action. “Sometimes, when play-action doesn’t do much for six on the line, doesn’t do much for a lot of blitzes things like that. So that a little factored to do with the last week. I’d say the week before, running it 38 times limits everything a little bit.”

Well, this week wasn’t an anomaly. As I said above, Purdy had just three play-action drop backs in this game, which was tied for the lowest amount in his career. One of the other times he had three play-action drop backs? Last year’s contest against Minnesota in Week 7, where the 49ers intriguingly went up against a similar Brian Flores defense and scored 17 points yet again.

So, there is a pattern there, and Shanahan’s reasoning makes sense. With the exotic zone blitzes and looks along the defensive line that Flores throws you, play action may be tougher to execute with defenders crashing the edges, making it harder for the quarterback to make a play since his back is initially turned away from the defense.

Now, the 49ers were still looking downfield, as Purdy’s average air yards per attempt was still at 8.7, while the quarterback had 3.02 seconds to throw on average.

But, the Vikings managed to limit the damage in Week 2, stifling the 49ers offense with various looks, while making a number of defensive stands, shutting San Francisco out on two fourth downs, while forcing two turnovers.

Heading into Week 3, I’d expect a higher dosage of play action against the Rams, but San Francisco could also just look to pound the football against a team that’s given up 197 rushing yards per game on 5.5 yards per attempt, both of which are third-worst in the NFL currently.