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Trey Lance ran the football 13 times for 54 yards in the San Francisco 49ers' regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears. A handful of those runs were by design. Unfortunately, they weren't enough to pull out a win, with the 49ers losing 19-10.
Shanahan hopes Lance's versatility becomes a significant advantage moving forward, though. He wants to keep defenses on their toes and guessing what the 49ers offense might do on any given play. Even when it seems like Lance might pass, his threat of taking off with the football can change how a defense reacts.
"That's his advantage, and that's what he's got to keep," Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. "I mean, that's what gives him an advantage in this league, when you are a threat to run, even though you don't have to do it every time. It can make things easier on him.
"And it didn't feel like we gave him 13 runs. I was surprised at that, but I don't really count the sneaks. I don't count scrambles, things like that. So they're not all designed that way. A lot of it had to do with options and stuff.
But there's going to be weeks where it's like that. There's going to be weeks where there's less. There's going to be weeks where there's more. But there will never be a week where that's not an option on any given down."
Lance finished the game 13-of-28 passing for 164 yards and an interception. So how did the coach evaluate his quarterback's play when it came to throwing the football?
"Outside of the runs, I thought he had real good command," Shanahan shared. "I think when we got down those two scores and that monsoon kind of hit, whoever was up at that time was winning that game. I thought that got a little bit ridiculous.
"It was very similar to how our Indy game was last year, which was déjà vu because I'd been watching that game all week because the [Bears] head coach, [Matt] Eberflus, was at Indy for that game. He was the [defensive] coordinator. So it was very similar to that game. You go back and look at our passing stats in that game, and it was pretty rough too.
"So I don't wish that on anybody. But for the most part, I thought [Lance] had some good plays. And then, towards the end, it [fell] apart, and that pick that he had, I thought it was a hell of a play by [Bears safety Eddie Jackson]. You obviously can't throw it, but I was pretty impressed by the play by the safety."
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
Brock Purdy hopes to organize throwing session ahead of 49ers training camp
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
The San Francisco 49ers will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4 through 6, officially concluding the team's offseason program. After that, the Niners will break for over a month and return to the Santa Clara facilities for training camp in late July.
Between that time, starting quarterbacks will often organize throwing sessions with their receivers in an effort to build chemistry ahead of the rigors of training camp. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been unable to participate in such sessions over the last two years. The last overall draft pick in 2022, Purdy had yet to make a name for himself during his first offseason. Last year, he was still recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
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"Thank God for Mr. Irrelevant": John Lynch reflects on 49ers drafting Trey Lance
By David Bonilla
Apr 22
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
Breaking down the 49ers drafts under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan
By Marc Adams
Apr 20
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
