In previous seasons, teams were hesitant to use man coverage against the 49ers due to Christian McCaffrey’s dynamic playmaking ability. No linebacker could match up with him one-on-one, which forced teams to play zone, and the 49ers often shredded those defenses with ease.
However, with McCaffrey out of the lineup, the 49ers are facing a lot more man coverage and struggling to move the ball. After their recent loss to the Chiefs, I asked head coach Kyle Shanahan about the team’s difficulties against man-to-man defense.
Q: The team seemed to struggle against man-to-man coverage. As a play caller, is there something you can do to get your receivers open against those looks?
Shanahan: “Yeah, that’s what we try to do. I thought a couple of our guys did pretty well against man. We got a good curl pump with Jacob Cowing toward the end, and I thought Brandon Aiyuk had a good route that we didn’t go to. One of the picks happened on that. Ronnie Bell was open on the other pick. There were definitely times guys beat man coverage, and sometimes they didn’t.”
Shanahan’s answer is revealing. He’s saying that his receivers were getting open against man coverage, which implies the issue lies elsewhere. Essentially, Shanahan is pointing the finger at quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw two interceptions in key moments. According to Shanahan, Aiyuk and Bell were open on those plays, but Purdy failed to capitalize.
While Shanahan subtly shifts the blame to his quarterback, there’s an argument to be made that the coach should also take responsibility. After all, it’s up to Shanahan to adjust his game plan and ensure the entire offense is functioning effectively, even when the pressure is on.
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