SEATTLE — Brock Purdy couldn’t have picked a better time for a dime. On third-and-3, from Seattle’s 10-yard line, the San Francisco 49ers were on the verge of another disappointing field goal and the prolonging of their red zone woes. Of squandering another chance to step on the neck of an opponent. But Purdy zipped one of his tight-window throws that makes his game-manager reputation look so silly.
“They were in a really funky coverage against it though,” tight end George Kittle said. “But Brock put it in the (most) perfect spot possible.”
From the left hashmark, at about the 17-yard line, to the right pylon, where his tight end was heading. Seahawks free safety Julian Love just knew he could get to the pass. But his diving swipe for a deflection whiffed.
“It was a dime right in the corner,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We called a lookie to (Brandon Aiyuk). They played (a) coverage where two people were on him. He went across the board and had a hell of a throw to George.”
Half of the greatness displayed on the play was complete. Kittle did the rest.
On a play they’d installed three years ago, and run regularly in practice, Kittle ran his route perfectly. The depth of the route, the leverage he manipulated, his timing on the breakdown, the angle he gave Purdy. The flawless execution was topped only by the catch, which followed with a toe-tap in the end zone that surely warmed the heart of tight end coach Brian Fleury, who has Kittle work on toe-taps twice a week.
“The fact that he kept his two feet in is crazy,” Purdy said.
Kittle being Kittle.
📺 #SFvsSEA on @NFLonPrime
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/ivhbMFCMXj— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 11, 2024
The touchdown put visiting San Francisco ahead by three scores and set an imperative tone in Thursday night’s 36-24 win at Seattle. And a 49ers truism remained true: When you really need it, just throw the ball to Kittle. Because some jobs are made for No. 85. And this challenge was ending the curse on their ability to finish drives.
The 49ers had to have this one. For the sake of their own sanity with 10 days off. For an even 3-3 slate heading into their Super Bowl rematch with Kansas City on Oct. 20. For the affirmation they can get to the team they need to be.
“I think we knew the gravity of the situation,” Fred Warner said. “We couldn’t drop all three in the division to start the year.”
But the possibility of finding their way required solving one of the season’s great mysteries: their red zone futility. For some reason, Shanahan’s juggernaut offense seems to transport to a dimension of mediocrity whenever they cross the 20-yard line.
The 49ers entered the game 29th in the league in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns on 40.9 percent of their trips inside the opponent’s 20. Thursday, they settled for field goals on their first two trips, putting them at 9-for-24 for the season — 37.5 percent efficiency. It was a good thing they wore white uniforms on Thursday, the way they haven’t gotten it done in the red.
What began as a mild slump, no doubt enabled by the absence of superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, was snowballing into a massive problem, one they couldn’t keep passing off on the youth of the season. It needed to be fixed. They needed an antidote.
But there’s poetic justice in having Kittle star in this gut check. The face of the 49ers’ fortitude. A pillar of their pride. Purdy to Kittle, in one pretty pass, and one crafty catch, jolted the 49ers back into themselves.
Going to Seattle, and having Kittle be the hero with two red zone touchdowns in a game they had to have, was a conjuring of 49ers’ glory. A reminder of how they can revive again.
The quarterback turned to his safety blanket.
“It comes down to that component of trust,” Purdy said. “Both touchdowns were just a trust factor.”
With their clumsy start to this season, the 49ers have been comforted by the reality they’ve been here before. They’ve bounced back before. They’ve conquered slow starts. They’ve overcome injuries and disappointing losses.
Certainly, after playing deep into the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, the taxing life of NFL championship contention catches up with the best of them. It was hard to tell if their blown leads to bad teams were a Super Bowl hangover or a forecast of their decline. But verbally, and telepathically, they reminded each other of their experience and resilience. They passed that reassurance around the locker room like a blunt.
But they had to back it up on the field. They had to make plays, and not so many mistakes. They had to remain disciplined and lock in. And perhaps most important of all, they had to put points on the board. Because until they get to full strength, it’s the one thing they can do to cover their myriad of incongruence. As long as Shanahan has had Purdy, all is most right with the world when they are putting up 30-spots.
They’ve left points on the field, and thus wins, because of their difficulties finishing drives and putting away bad teams. Their red zone issues were a priority.
And with all their resolve, and experience, they still somehow found themselves Thursday on the verge of another blown lead to an inferior team. Their 20-point lead was trimmed to six in the fourth quarter.
But 49ers rookie corner Renardo Green picked off Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, and Green’s return set the 49ers up at Seattle’s 15. In the red zone. Because this problem must be solved.
The 49ers’ last two losses, they were one red zone touchdown from sealing the deal. So to fully exorcise this issue, it’s only right they had to win it this way.
On third-and-4 from the 9-yard-line, Purdy dropped another dime. He zipped another pass through the eye of a needle between Seattle defenders. Purdy went back to his safety blanket. Because when you really need it, Kittle is always a good option.
Cha-ching.
📺 #SFvsSEA on @NFLonPrime
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/TZ5jvKcV61— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 11, 2024
The 9-yard touchdown pass put the game out of reach. Shanahan can only hope it also put their red zone issues behind them. And put the 49ers back on track.
Some jobs are made for No. 85.
(Photo of Kittle celebrating his first touchdown of the game Thursday: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
