Brock Purdy has lived with the narrative for three years now. He’s had to deal with the story line that he’s just a system quarterback, a guy who puts up numbers and wins games largely because of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system, which would turn any Average Joe QB into a productive winner.
That storyline took a major hit yesterday, though. The former Mr. Irrelevant proved to be anything but when backup Brandon Allen was forced into the lineup against the Packers. With Allen playing the part of the Average Joe, the 49ers offense imploded completely, and the result was a 38-10 trouncing by Green Bay.
San Francisco’s offense tanked despite the return of Christian McCaffrey
The loss wasn’t all about Allen, of course. San Francisco has been dealing with huge injury issues all year long, and there have been games when the 49ers injury report is simply too long and extensive to take in.
But yesterday’s game featured the return of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who is a key cog in the San Francisco offense. The working theory going into yesterday was that McCaffrey would be able to shoulder the majority of the offensive load, taking some of the pressure off Allen, who hasn’t played substantially in a regular season game in three years.
That never happened. Instead, San Francisco’s offense was a mess. Flags flew constantly, including an ongoing series of pre-snap penalties that rarely happen in a Kyle Shanahan offense. The Packers quickly pounced, and with the 49ers constantly playing from behind the chains, they were able to and force even more mistakes. This wasn’t totally unexpected, but there was a definite shock factor in seeing it happen to the Niners.
The effect of Brock Purdy’s injury going forward
Brock Purdy’s shoulder issues will have an effect on the rest of the season, but we still don’t know the extent of that effect. Some of San Francisco’s injury reports have been noticeably unreliable, especially those pertaining to McCaffrey this year.
The 49ers slow-crawled reports about McCaffrey’s injuries in the preseason, stating that he’d suffered a calf pull. The truth was finally revealed early in the season, when the 49ers ‘fessed up and reported that the running back had Achilles tendinitis in both legs, which delayed his return until midseason.
If they’re up to something similar with Purdy—initial reports have him returning right away--there’s a good chance that San Francisco’s season is effectively over. It’s difficult to know what’s going on with Shanahan and GM John Lynch, who have been known to adopt diverse strategies with different players and their injuries. It’s easy to say we’ll know more about this situation in a day or two, but that might not be the case at all.
Purdy’s injuries may affect his offseason contract negotiations, too
Purdy has been patient in the contract department, largely because he has little or no leverage, and he knows it’s in his best interests to take that approach. He’s going to get paid, though, possibly as soon as next year, so his days as a million-dollar wonder are coming to a close.
The 49ers quarterback has also seen what happens to San Francisco’s malcontents, the most recent example being Brandon Aiyuk, who had a disastrous season that started going downhill when he decided to go public with his unhappiness about his contract situation.
If Purdy’s injury is serious, the rest of this season may be about giving him more leverage. Brandon Allen could get marginally better as he starts taking more first-string reps, but San Francisco’s brutal schedule includes a road game in Buffalo next week, along with a visit to Detroit next month to play the red-hot Lions.
The surprising mediocrity of the NFC West may help keep the 49ers playoff hopes alive for another week or two, but inserting career backups like Brandon Allen often triggers losing streaks and late-season collapses. The 49ers lucked out when they suddenly made Purdy a starter a few years ago, but assuming Kyle Shanahan will be able to pull another rabbit out of his hat with Allen feels foolish after watching his performance yesterday.