49ers Statistics: Brandon Aiyuk’s 2 drops against Jets hits 2023 total

How could you not come away from that San Francisco 49ers game after seeing how they manhandled the Jets? How could you not be surprised to see 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk a bit rusty with his two drops?

Here’s the thing that is surprising. Aiyuk had a grand total of two (2) drops for all of 2023.

So in one game, the season opener, Aiyuk has now hit his drop total from the previous year. Obviously, that is one stat you don’t want to surpass.

Both passes were catchable. The first one was a second down throw Aiyuk simply couldn’t hold onto. It went right into—and out of— his hands.

The second would have been play of the night had it been caught. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen an incomplete pass as widely praised as this one, except for the guy throwing the ball.

Anyways, the throw was right where only Aiyuk could catch it. Not near as easy as the first one, considering he had to dive for it, but still a catchable ball you thought he had his hands on, until he didn’t.

So there we go, in just two plays in the season opener, Brandon Aiyuk has just as many drops as 2023. That right theretells you why the 49ers gave him all that money (the prior year, not the recent game). And that right there is also why skipping training camp and delaying signing isn’t the best of ideas.

Oh, that’s not my take. That’s from Peyton Manning. In case you haven’t heard about it yet (yes, all three of you), Manning was livid on the Manningcast following the touchdown drop:

No one likes training camp. It’s a thing.

This also gives a stat to Brock Purdy. He now has two of the greatest incomplete touchdown passes ever thrown in history. The first one came in the 2022-2023 NFL Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks. Who was the recipient of that throw? Why Brandon Aiyuk. And I believe that’s the same area of the endzone as well.

Ugh. Only a 49ers quarterback. Because, 49ers.

Regardless of the drops, rust is expected. As long as Aiyuk can get things together in a week or two, the 49ers should be just fine.

That actually brings up an alternative, unrelated question I found with his second drop. Namely, what is the identity of this team? Usually in the first game you can overreact to your heart’s content and be wrong about everything. The one thing apparent is a glimpse (even if for a split second) of the team’s identify. Usually in the first game certain nagging character traits show themselves.

For instance, in 2021, the 49ers opened against the Detroit Lions and wound up letting them back in with a game where they were leading 41-17 with five minutes left. I still don’t know really how that was possible (yes, I know there were injuries, settle down). The Lions went on to make it 41-33 and a chance to send it into overtime. The narrative: 49ers can’t finish. And that was something carried through the season and led to their demise at the Los Angeles Rams.

2022’s identity came in Week 2: Their quarterback can’t stay healthy. Because Trey Lance went out, then Jimmy Garoppolo, and then Brock Purdy in the NFC Championship.

In 2023, the 49ers opened against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the 49ers won 20-0 with under two minutes in the half left before kicking it to the Steelers. The Steelers proceeded to march down the field thanks to soft coverages, boneheadpenalties. and overall bad two-minute defense when the other team decided to get aggressive. It was 20-7 when we went to half. The identity? The defense will fail at the worst times.

The character trait of the 2024 49ers? Hell, if I know. They aren’t healthy, and a majority of players like Aiyuk are just getting back into the swing of things. I think even putting an identity on this group like prior years is an “Incomplete”.Because all I saw was a weaker team turning their rings around against a (who I still feel is) good Jets team after the Jets had the first attack. Though my defensive questions from 2023 were answered on that sweet 3rd and 4th down denial (I’m sure Steve Wilks did that at some point, but I’ll be darned if I can remember when or if).

But back to Aiyuk. Sure, those drops are maddening. Even more interesting, he’s hit his 2023 total, but it’s expected. He hasn’t been to training camp and is just now getting back into things. At least he wasn’t Trent Williams going to get an IVfluids during the game (I hate needles…ick).

Hopefully, we go two games before we see a single drop, but I still wouldn’t be too worried if you see a couple more against the Vikings.