49ers, Week 2 — What Repeats: Screens Out, Play-Action In

Last week San Francisco was the screen team. Seven of 36 dropbacks against the Rams, the highest rate in the league, while play-action sat at 22 percent, right where it was all last season. On Sunday against Miami the two traded places. Play-action on 13 of 25 dropbacks, 52 percent, the highest rate of the 32 teams this week, ahead of the Colts. Screens on one of 25, four percent, 20-sixth. Last season this offense ran play-action on 22 percent of dropbacks and screens on six. Brock Purdy threw 10 times off play-action and completed nine for 135 yards. Last season he completed 50 of 74 off play-action. And three of the five completions of 20 yards or more came off a play fake.

Miami sent more people, and the passing game kept completing. The Dolphins brought five or more pass rushers on 13 of San Francisco's 25 dropbacks, 52 percent, the third-highest rate any offense faced this week, behind the Bears and the Bills. Last season this offense saw five or more on 21 percent of its dropbacks, and last week on 14. Nine of the 13 play-action dropbacks came against five or more. On those 13 dropbacks Purdy completed nine of 11 for 162 yards and scrambled twice, one of them the two-yard touchdown. Against four or fewer he completed all 11, for 125. No sacks at all, and none charted on the quarterback. Purdy was out of the pocket on nine of the team's 25 dropbacks, 36 percent, second-highest in the league this week behind Buffalo, against 16 percent last season and 17 last week. From outside the pocket: four completions for 72 yards and three scrambles for 30. Here is the thing to watch on Sunday: the play fake, then the quarterback moving, then the ball out.

The ball charting repeated, and that is the headline for the passing game. 21 of Purdy's 22 throws were charted catchable, the highest rate of any offense this week, ahead of Cleveland; last week it was 85 percent, fourth-highest, and across all of last season his rate was 76. One of the 22 was contested — a receiver and a defender arriving together — under five percent, tied for 20-sixth in the league with the Patriots. Last week it was two of 34, also tied for 20-sixth. Last season 16 percent of his throws were contested. The loose ball from last week did not come back: none of the 22 was interception-worthy, one of 12 offenses with none this week, after two of 34 last week, the sixth-highest rate in the league. One drop on 21 catchable balls, one throwaway.

The run game saw heavier boxes again and this time it showed. Miami put six or fewer in the box on 10 of San Francisco's 22 designed runs, 45 percent, fifteenth of the 32 teams this week. Last week the Rams did it on 36 percent, and across last season this offense saw a light box on 63 percent of its designed runs. So two weeks of more bodies than last year. Last week the run game went through them for 148 yards on 28 designed runs, 5.3 a carry, fourth in the league. This week, 67 yards on 22, about three a carry, 20-fourth, below last season's 3.8. The split is the story: 10 runs into a light box for 44 yards, 12 into seven or more for 23. Christian McCaffrey had 10 carries for 23 and scored twice.

On defense, the rusher count reversed. San Francisco sent five or more on 12 of Miami's 28 dropbacks, 43 percent, ninth of the 32 defenses this week. Last week it was four of 29, 14 percent, thirtieth in the league, and last season 22 percent. Against those 12, Malik Willis completed three of nine throws for 31 yards and took two of the four sacks. Two of the four were charted as the quarterback's fault. The box moved toward last year without getting there: a light box on 17 of Miami's 28 designed runs, 61 percent, sixth-highest in the league, after 22 percent last week and 83 percent across last season. Those 28 runs gained 98 yards, three and a half a carry, tied for twentieth with the Jets, against 4.2 last week and 4.3 last season. And the throws against this defense were hard to catch for the second straight week: 15 of Willis's 23 catchable, 65 percent, 20-fourth in the league, after 54 percent from the Rams last week, 30-first; four of 23 contested, 17 percent, eighth-highest, after 18 percent last week. Last season, opponents' throws were catchable 73 percent of the time and contested 12. No interception-worthy balls this week, after three last week, the highest rate in the league.

The stat lines have settled, so here they are, scored half-PPR. Purdy, 28.5 — 20 of 22 for 287 two touchdowns, +3 carries for 31 more score. McCaffrey, 20.6, with four catches on four targets for 43 alongside the two rushing touchdowns. George Kittle, four of four for 80 and a touchdown, 16 even. Kyle Juszczyk, two catches for 27 and a score, 9.7. Mike Evans, three of three for 54. For Miami, Ryan Miller scored 14.2 on one catch, the 77-yard touchdown; Willis, 14 of 23 for 197, 12.5; De'Von Achane, 20 carries for 74 three catches for 19, 10.8.

The comparison, said out loud so we are held to it: through Week 3 every baseline in this show is last season, and that was a different roster, a year younger. It tells you what was unusual on Sunday. It does not tell you what is true about this team. Last week is one game, and we call it last week.

Now the question in the show's name. Two games, and some figures moved the same way twice. Purdy's throws charted catchable well above last season's rate, both weeks. Contested throws far below it, both weeks. Heavier boxes than last year against the run game, both weeks. On defense, opponents' throws less catchable and more contested than last season, both weeks, and a light box shown on fewer designed runs than a year ago, both weeks. What reversed: screens gave way to play-action, the rusher count on defense went from among the lowest in the league to ninth, the interception-worthy balls disappeared on both sides, and the run game's yards went from fourth to 20-fourth. Two games settle nothing. But the first things that look like repeats are about where the ball goes, not how the plays are dressed.

For anyone new: San Francisco went 12 five last season. In Week 1 it beat the Rams 27 to seven; on Sunday it beat Miami 35 to 13. Last week's notebook had three lines: the defense's light boxes dropping from 83 percent to 22, an offense heavy on motion and screens, and a run game gaining yards into heavier boxes. One week later the light boxes came back partway, to 61; the screens are gone and play-action took their place, with motion still above last season's rate; and the run game's heavy-box yards went away. What stays in the notebook is the ball charting on Purdy, two weeks of catchable throws into very little traffic. The Cardinals visit next Sunday.

That's your 49ers — every game, by the numbers. This is Muffed: we do the same deep dive for all 32 teams. Follow the 49ers show wherever you're listening, so next week's recap lands the moment it's out. No theater. Just the football.

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_Data via nflverse. Charting: FTN Data via nflverse._