Trick play for the ages: Behind the 49ers’ wild Jauan Jennings touchdown pass in win over Eagles

Regardless of whether or not the San Francisco 49ers win in the NFC Divisional Round next week against the Seattle Seahawks, it's going to be hard to find a better highlight reel play for the 2025 team than the double reverse touchdown pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings to running back Christian McCaffrey in the upset win over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The pass took place on the first play of the fourth quarter of the 23-19 Wild Card round win, with the 49ers trailing 16-10. It had been an inconsistent day offensively up to that point for the 49ers offense, which stormed out of the gate with a touchdown on the opening drive of the game but had only mustered three points since. But on a 1st-and-10 from the Philadelphia 29-yard line, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak suggested the offense reach into its bag of tricks to run a play it hadn't run since a 2019 win in New Orleans, when it resulted in a touchdown pass from wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to running back Raheem Mostert.

"It's called sky bang reverse pass," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his postgame press conference. "Last time we called it, it was called Deebo bang reverse pass. We ran it in New Orleans when Emmanuel threw to Raheem, kind of the same area of the field."

The 49ers had the play in mind earlier in the game when they ran a sweep to wide receiver Skyy Moore. When it came time to run the trick play, Moore took the initial handoff from quarterback Brock Purdy, then tossed it to Jennings on a reverse. Jennings, who was a quarterback in high school, threw downfield to running back Christian McCaffrey, who was wide open and hauled in the pass to complete the touchdown.

"We were trying to set it up a little bit," Shanahan said. "We got a jet sweep to Skyy earlier in the game and we had to be on the right hash for the play because Jauan's not left-handed, so we're just hoping to get it around there. Klay suggested it. It was a hell of a suggestion."

Jennings also took a roughing the passer penalty on the play, but it didn't affect the result in the end.

"Jauan threw a perfect ball, which made me a little scared," Shanahan said. "I thought he should have just thrown a bad ball and put it on him, so I thought it was a hell of a catch by Christian, and I didn't see it, but knowing that he got roughed up and stuff just shows what a G Juan is."

The play marked the second postseason touchdown pass in the career of Jennings, who also was credited for a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LVIII (also to McCaffrey). Given his experience as a quarterback earlier in his career as well as in the postseason, there weren't any nerves on his part when his number was called.

"I was just thinking, 'Get the ball, execute, tuck the ball away, make the defense think I'm running it," Jennings told reporters Sunday. "And I saw Christian get open and (made) the right pass."

Jennings actually thought at first that he made an overthrow on the play. But once he heard the reaction from the crowd, he knew his pass had reached its target.

"I really did, I was scared for a little bit," Jennings said. "But after I heard the screams, I'm just like, 'Yeah.' MC had to make a great catch because coming off my hand I definitely thought I threw it a little bit too far."

Doing all that through a roughing the passer call was icing on the cake.

"Oh yeah, 'And one,' you know what I'm saying?" Jennings said. "It's the and one, you know! Brock, the whole team just pumping me up after we found out it was an and one, and I went to the sideline and just celebrated with the team, man. Pumped. And for defense to come out there and finish the game the way they did, it was tremendous."

McCaffrey took the field with a business-like approach on the play as well, focusing on executing the play that was called. But when the ball hung in the air for as long as it did, he went into thinking mode for a moment. It didn't change McCaffrey's focus, however, and he was able to adjust to the ball and make the catch.

"Yeah, that was a blur," McCaffrey said following the win. "You know, normally you don't think about anything during a play, but I felt like I had a lot of time to think. That was not easy for sure with the wind, but again, it's a great throw. Glad he threw it. It worked out."

As for Purdy, he had the rare perspective of standing on the field from a distance while one of his teammates threw a touchdown. When he saw Jennings get hit, Purdy had a moment of guilt over not involving himself more in the play. But he was as excited as anyone once the play was finished.

"I was on the edge," Purdy said, "sort of blocking, sort of not in the play, and then I look back I see JJ get hit and I was like, 'Dang, dude, should I have done something about that?' And then I look up and the ball's in the air and Christian tracked it. It was wobbling in the wind and the fact that Christian caught it over his shoulder, I was like, 'Oh my gosh,' and I looked back to JJ and I was like, 'You all right?' And then celebrated.

"So it was a really cool play. I mean, JJ's, he's a baller when it comes to that. He did the same thing in the Super Bowl, took a hit, threw it to Christian on a trick play for a touchdown, so those two are pretty cool to watch."

Despite Sunday being the first time in years the 49ers attempted the play in a game, they had worked on it in practice a number of times throughout the season. Purdy said there have been games in the past where the play hasn't been an option, but Sunday's game was not one of those.

"Yeah, we ran it a good amount (in practice)," Purdy said. "We had it up earlier in the year too, you know, some trick plays and stuff you have in some weeks, some weeks you don't. So, that's something that we've sort of been working on, I guess, over the last I don't know however many months. But it was cool in that moment that they believed in JJ to get it done, so it's cool."

On the sidelines, the hope was that the playcall would pay dividends, but if it wasn't going to work, Jennings would make the right decision and throw the ball away. Shanahan admitted that there might have been some doubt as far as Jennings' willingness to do that.

"Lots of things in our minds, but you're more hoping that it'll work and it'll be open, and you're more hoping that if it doesn't work, please remind JJ to throw it away because JJ thinks he can make every play known to man," Shanahan said. "But that's what you're hoping. You're just hoping it works, and if you call it versus the wrong look, kind of like we did last week when we called one on a flea flicker to George (Kittle) and it wasn't there and Brock just threw it to the flat to Christian, but just hoping something bad doesn't happen if it's not the right look. But we got the right look and the guy pulled off a hell of a play."

The trick play was just the first moment in a fourth quarter that saw the 49ers fall behind yet again, then take the lead on a late touchdown before holding off a potential game-winning drive by the Eagles. It served as one of the biggest moments in a win the 49ers weren't expected to get, and thanks in part to that play, the 49ers are now off to play their division rival Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.

"Man, it feels incredible, you know what I'm saying?" Jennings said. "Y'all need to go listen to that Future song 'Incredible.' That's how I'm feeling. And we just gotta carry on to the next game."