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Two weeks can be a lifetime in the NFL.
Case in point, the San Francisco 49ers. They started 5-0 while scoring 30 or more points in each of those games, which proved to be a first in franchise history. Quarterback Brock Purdy entered the early MVP conversation. The defense ranked among the league’s best. Everything was going smoothly.
An abrupt change-of-direction started last week, with a loss to the Cleveland Browns then being defeated 22-17 by the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
“…just losing a couple guys in the game, we had to switch a couple guys around and we weren’t quite ready for that, which starts with me with too many mistakes on offense,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the previous loss. “This is our first time having to come in after a loss in a long time and it’s time to get back in, go to work and make sure we come back next week stronger.”
Spoiler alert: The Niners didn’t come back stronger. They looked worse. They went from completely dismantling one of the NFC’s best squads, the Dallas Cowboys, to another mistake-filled affair against the Vikings.
It’s like Adam Sandler going from his magnum opus in Reign Over Me to You Don’t Mess With the Zohan just two films later. The stark contrast between those two points is nearly inconceivable.
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But San Francisco must deal with certain factors. First, Purdy is still in his first full year as a starter and he’s not the player some made him out to be earlier this season. Second, injuries are taking their toll. Finally, the defense isn’t as stout as everyone saw last season.
So much of the discussion around Purdy centered on whether he was a product of Shanahan’s system or that he made the scheme operate more efficiently because of his play.
There’s no denying that Shanahan is one of the league’s best play-callers. The 49ers system is predicated on getting the ball out quickly and in-rhythm to allow receivers to create after the catch. San Francisco has done a wonderful job acquiring unique talents capable of excelling in this environment. Purdy is one of them, because he usually sees the field so well and plays with exemplary feel and anticipation.
However, opponents already had their eye toward how the second-year signal-caller reacts when facing adversity.
“When he gets into a pure two-minute, it’ll be interesting to see because of the arm strength,” an anonymous defensive coach told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “It’s average, at best, and he has to be able to move into it to get the ball down the field. It will be interesting to see if he is able to drive it down the field when the defense can pin its ears back and go get him because there haven’t been many of those opportunities yet.”
Well, those opportunities existed the last two weeks. What happened?
Purdy completed three of six passes during the 49ers’ final drive against the Cleveland Browns, with a little help from a third-down pass interference. Rookie kicker Jake Moody missed the potential game-winning field goal.
Things went far worse against the Vikings. Purdy threw a pair of interceptions on the 49ers final two drives. He anticipated an in-breaking route Jauan Jennings on the penultimate drive and the ball went directly to safety Camryn Bynum.
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Camryn Bynum picks off Purdy!
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“It was just a bad ball,” Purdy said afterward. “J.J. did a good job on his route. The D-line got a good push on us and I sort of tried to anticipate the throw. At the end of the day, it was a bad ball. Obviously, I threw it too far ahead of him.”
The same culprit returned to the scene with a second turnover when Purdy didn’t locate the defensive back’s underneath coverage.
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Bynum picks it off again to seal the W! #Skol pic.twitter.com/KGWfdjs21c
“With 34 second left, I tried to strain and make a play,” the quarterback added. “That was the shot within the play to hit Ray-Ray (McCloud) across the middle. That middle safety did a good job…I tried to just throw it over it, force it and gotta learn from it.”
Purdy has been a wonderful story. He’s a good fit in what San Francisco wants to do offensively. He can’t just ride the wave of positivity, though. In order to be a true franchise quarterback, Purdy must elevate the players around him and make plays when adversity strikes. The 49ers were in positions they didn’t expect to be the last two weeks and the quarterback didn’t play particularly well.
Increased pressure has been added based on the amount of injuries the 49ers are currently nursing. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) didn’t play in Monday’s contest. Running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with a lingering oblique injury, though he still scored two touchdowns (and lost a fumble). Linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner both got dinged during the contest.
These aren’t just regular wear and tear to a roster. Some of the 49ers’ best players are affected. As Shanahan rightly stated earlier, adjustments need to be made and it’s not always easy, especially when those caliber of performers are involved.
Even so, the likes of tight end Georgia Kittle, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, defensive end Nick Bosa and safety Talanoa Hufanga are still on the field. They should be relied upon to make plays when necessary. They didn’t do enough.
The defense, in particular, is becoming a legitimate concern. A different version of primetime Kirk Cousins showed up and threw for 378 yards. Rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison contributed 123 of those yards, including a 60-yard touchdown with only seven seconds remaining in the first half after ripping the ball away from cornerback Charvarius Ward.
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TAKEN AWAY BY ADDISON FOR THE 60-YARD SCORE 🔥
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During the back-breaking score, 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks inexplicably called a blitz with Cover 1 behind the front to allow a big play when there was absolutely no reason for San Francisco to be so aggressive in that situation.
“That’s stuff we’ll discuss this week. Obviously, I did not like the result,” Shanahan said.
The Browns gashed the 49ers on the ground to the tune of 4.7 yards per carry. The Vikings found ways to get the ball out quickly and accurately allowing their receivers to make plays. This isn’t the same shutdown defense in San Francisco, even with all of the talent found on that side of the ball.
Now, the Niners face a rapidly improving Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off a bye, on a short week. It may take until San Francisco’s own bye the following week to finally get back on track and play like the team considered the league’s best just two short weeks ago.
San Francisco isn’t a team of uncut gems anymore. Certain expectations are now in place when things are clicking. They can’t go overboard based on a short losing streak. At the same time, a little hustle is necessary to regain the form of what looked like a bulletproof squad through the first month and a half.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
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