The Failed Harmony: Execution Errors Continue to Plague the 49ers
Broken leashes are all over the floor.
Keys left hanging in a swinging door.
Why do I keep fuckin' up?
- Neil Young
It’s an irrational mentality, but I cannot stand watching the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Seattle Seahawks. On the one hand, we have a proud franchise with an 80-year history from Y.A. Tittle to Patrick Willis.
On the other, a fair-weather team with no discernable history – except for Brian Bosworth getting trucked on Monday Night Football – and a penchant for blatantly ripping off traditions college teams.
The ugly Week 11 loss got the X-verse choir tuned up and singing their dreary hymns. There might be some notes of truth buried among the saw-toothed vocals. But continuing to call out head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system and going as far as to think he should get fired is avant-garde nonsense.
The underlying frustration is likely due to what fans have seen over the past few seasons: success. And this year, success has yet to come delivered on a gem-encrusted platter.
In past seasons, the 49ers’ offense could score at will or rob the opposition of momentum. It felt like a symbiotic relationship: the defense would take, and the offense would score.
This season, it’s a failed harmony.
Take, for example, cornerback Isaac Yiadom’s interception of Geno Smith to start the 3rd quarter. The 49ers’ offense was gifted prime field position – Seattle’s 27-yard line, in fact – and a mighty hammer to bury Seattle into the Bay.
Instead, the 49ers offense ran seven plays, gained 12 yards and walked away with three points. What’s more depressing is the 49ers had 15 penalty yards on this possession, three more than the total yardage gained for the series.
Below are three other plays that show a lack of execution from the offense. You can also read my X thread that includes more from this game. I’m also on Bluesky, but it seems I cannot post videos larger than 50MB.
1st Quarter – 3rd and 3 at the SF 33 (13:37)
An absolute grievous football sin is throwing short of the first down marker. The quarterback and receiver should agree to gain five yards if you need to gain four yards. Leave no doubt that you’ve gained enough yardage to get a fresh set of downs.
On the 49ers’ first possession, they found themselves at a very makeable 3rd and 3 yards at their 33-yard line. Nearly all Shanahan’s three-step drop plays would work in this situation: Dragon-Lion, Omaha, Stick-Spacing, or Stick-Dragon. All these plays have receivers going at least 5-7 yards down the field, using two-man route combinations that create open receivers.
Shanahan called in ‘Y Fly to Trips Right Off 300 Jet Disk,’ a 3-step drop play that calls for two stick routes and a go-route up top, with a ‘thunder’ route on the other side of the formation. ‘Disk’ is an ideal call for this down and distance.
Instead of running a ‘thunder’ route, wide receiver Jauan Jennings ran a speed out or a drag a yard past the line-to-gain. Jennings and Purdy could have agreed upon the adjustment in the huddle, or changed due to the coverage.
Unfortunately, quarterback Brock Purdy threw at least a yard in front of the marker, forcing Jennings to return on the ball. The 49ers failed to convert and were forced to punt.
1st Quarter – 1 and 10 at the SF 29 (8:08)
Left guard Aaron Banks is a good offensive lineman. Unfortunately, he seems to commit a mental error at the wrong time, which leads to some thinking he’s below average.
Banks’ most prominent issue is a breakdown in fundamentals, as noted in the play below. While one play isn’t going to make or break an entire game, the 49ers cannot stomach that kind of latitude this season. One or two errors a drive is one factor in its ongoing red zone woes.
On the 49ers’ second possession, Shanahan called in a Zorro run. As you know, Zorro is an outside zone run that attacks the strongside perimeter.
With any outside zone run, Banks’ job is to take that 3-technique and move him 3 yards into the middle of the field. Unfortunately, Banks’ technique fell apart from the snap.
Banks’ first step did not gain ground; rather, he moved it to an 8-o’clock position. Compare Banks’ position to left tackle Trent Williams, whose left foot moved to a 10-o’clock position—that’s where Banks should have been.
Second, Banks never hit his aiming point, the play side number and his backside hand never caught defensive tackle Leonard Williams’ armpit. Banks should have been driving Williams up field on his second step but instead was moving laterally with no way to drive Williams from the running lane.
Williams bench-pressed Banks away from him and behind the line of scrimmage, forcing McCaffrey to work around the error before turning upfield.
4th Quarter – 2nd and 11 at the SEA 47 (3:02)
The 49ers’ defense held Seattle to no gain on back-to-back plays with 4 minutes left in the game. Their stand was a massive shift and another gift to the offense.
With 4 minutes left in the game, the 49ers’ offense took over at their 37-yard line. Their task was to drag out as much clock as possible to seal a victory.
The 49ers had two back-to-back first downs to start the series: one from McCaffrey and one on a defensive penalty, putting the offense at Seattle’s 46-yard line. After a run for a loss, the 49ers faced a 2nd and 11.
The Fox broadcast knew a play action was coming, as I’m sure most of the stadium felt a pass was imminent.
Shanahan called in a Day 1 install play: F Fly to I Left Clamp P14 Weak Z Drift. I’ve seen ‘drift’ called in times of good and trouble. It’s elegant, reliable and about the most straightforward play in the playbook for a quarterback.
Seattle should have seen a play-action coming, But they didn’t, and Purdy had a large window to hit wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Instead, Purdy sailed the ball high and almost behind Samuel for an incompletion. On the next play, he threw a five-yard completion to Jennings, and the 49ers were forced to punt.
Gentle Reader, what you see above is not a coaching problem, and it’s certainly not a scheme problem. Purdy should be expected to hit a drift route in Week 11.
Of course, I wanted the 49ers to hang 40 points on the Seahawks in Week 11 and ended up watching a hobbled franchise struggle to put 17 points on the board. I’m always hopeful for a victory on Sunday, but it’s unclear if Shanahan and the offense can figure out a way to execute in a far higher and more efficient manner.
All images and videos courtesy of NFL.com, except the cover image which is courtesy of myself and a ticket to 49ers-Bengals in 2023.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless noted.