Kyle Shanahan has spent the first three weeks of the season defending a group that doesn’t always get much love: San Francisco’s offensive line.
That unit has helped keep Brock Purdy clean through three games, and the quarterback has yet to be sacked. It’s a strong start for Purdy, but it also says plenty about the protection in front of him. After the 49ers’ Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Shanahan made it clear he thinks the criticism has missed the mark.
"The hate on our O-Line always surprises me, personally," Shanahan told reporters. "I think they’ve done pretty good for awhile.
I love our O-Line. I think they’ve been real consistent for a number of years, and they’re playing really well right now."
There’s truth in that. There’s also a much tougher assignment waiting in Week 4.
The Broncos are bringing the most demanding pass-rush test the 49ers have seen so far. San Francisco’s first three opponents - the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Cardinals - haven’t exactly stacked up as elite pressure teams. Those three clubs have combined for seven sacks, Miami still has none, and all three sit in the bottom 10 in quarterback pressures.
Even that Week 1 matchup with the Rams came with complications. Los Angeles was supposed to have one of the league’s better defensive fronts, but the 49ers weren’t really hit with the full force of it because of the Rams’ unusual Australia travel situation, along with defensive end Myles Garrett’s injury and the absence at the time of defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Denver is a different kind of challenge altogether.
The Broncos have only eight sacks through three weeks, but the raw sack total doesn’t tell the full story. Their 18 quarterback hits lead the NFL, and their defense has been getting after passers in a hurry. They also allow the third-lowest time to throw in the league at 2.67 seconds and own the sixth-highest pressure rate at 39.5%.
That kind of heat can change a game fast. It can force throws, rush decisions and, as the Rams learned in Week 3, create takeaway chances like Talanoa Hufanga’s interception.
So when the 49ers line up against Denver at Levi’s Stadium, Purdy and his offensive line will be under the microscope in a way they haven’t been yet. If San Francisco’s protection has really been as solid as Shanahan believes, this is the week to prove it.
There is one possible counterweight. The Broncos have struggled against the run, which could push Shanahan toward the ground game and help keep Purdy out of obvious passing situations. But on the obvious pass sets, the question is simple: has San Francisco’s clean pocket streak been a real sign of things to come, or just a product of weaker opposition?
Sunday should tell us plenty.
In Other News...
Tom Bradys Latest Rankings Set Up A Chiefs Debate
Tom Bradys latest FOX Sports power rankings landed after Week 3 and gave the 49ers another bit of national validation for their 3-0 start. He bumped San Francisco all the way to No. 1, while the Seahawks slid to No. 6 after taking their first loss, and he also singled out Brock Purdy for the way he has played through the opening stretch of the season.
The rest of Bradys list is what opens the door to the next debate, because he packed the Chiefs, Bills, Vikings and Raiders into the top five around San Francisco. With Kansas City still part of the conversation and the top of the board already stirring discussion, the 49ers now find themselves at the center of an early-season argument about which contender truly deserves the highest spot. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans Just Got Wild Broncos Fuel Before This Matchup
With the 49ers set to face the Broncos, a recent radio segment out of Denver offered San Francisco fans a little extra bulletin-board material. Hosts Josh Dover and Cecil Lammey weighed Brock Purdy against Bo Nix and came down on the side of the Broncos rookie, pointing to Nixs fourth-quarter comebacks as the main reason they liked him better heading into the matchup.
The conversation did not stop at quarterback. Dover and Lammey also gave Sean Payton the edge over Kyle Shanahan, leaning on Paytons Super Bowl ring and broader coaching rsum. It is the kind of talk that can sharpen a game like this, especially when the evidence on the field may not line up with the confidence behind the mic. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Shanahan Reignites A 49ers Officiating Debate Fans Know Too Well
Pass interference has been back in the conversation around the 49ers, and not in a way anyone in Santa Clara enjoys. Recent controversial calls around the league involving the Cardinals, Rams and Broncos only added fuel to an argument San Francisco fans know well, especially with Kyle Shanahan weighing in on the NFLs old experiment with challenging defensive pass interference. Shanahan said he no longer supports that rule, pointing to how it affected the flow of games when the league tried it.
For the 49ers, the frustration is part of a familiar pattern under Shanahan. San Francisco has spent plenty of time on the wrong side of officiating debates during his tenure, and a recent unnecessary roughness penalty on Fred Warner only kept that irritation simmering. Even when the play itself is over, the discussion around the whistle rarely is, which is why Shanahans latest comments landed with so many 49ers followers. [Read more 🡒]