Brock Purdy & 49ers’ Brilliant Run Gives Former Shanahan Protege Flashbacks to His MVP Season

How much has Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling style changed since he was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, before taking over as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017? Not much, it seems. And that’s a good thing. He coached the Falcons to Super Bowl LI, and now he and Brock Purdy have taken the 49ers to the top of the NFC.

Matt Ryan, who was the Falcons quarterback when Shanahan was OC, sat down with the

San Francisco Chronicle and recollected his days with the OC.

Shanahan and Purdy remind Matt Ryan of 2016

What does Matt Ryan remember about Shanahan? “There are a lot of things with the crossing routes, short posts, the timing and rhythm off play-action,” Ryan told the publication. It was all these things that led to Ryan winning his NFL MVP in 2016. He was part of the high-octane offense that scored the ninth most points in the league’s history at 540. In that season, Ryan also recorded a passer rating of 117.1, which is the seventh highest in NFL history.

Although he has hung up his cleats and is now a CBS analyst, watching Purdy and the 49ers on the screen reminds him of himself and Shanahan. The 49ers are on track to score 496 points, which would be the second highest in the team’s history. Their average of 6.75 yards per play is the fifth-highest in the league’s history.

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Shanahan is probably the best man he could get to succeed Ryan as his QB, with Purdy ranking in the top 10 in the entire league in terms of completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. How will the 49ers play that to their advantage as they take on the 3-10 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday?

Will Purdy carry the day for the 49ers on Sunday?

Ryan had nothing but praise for the 23-year-old QB. “

Brock does an excellent job of using his legs to still be a passer,” Ryan said. He admitted that Purdy seemed to be more athletic than he was. And that fits in perfectly with Shanahan’s style. Kyle’s scheme calls for the QB to be able to throw the ball while on the move, which Purdy does a good job of doing.

If he wins in the game against the Cardinals and registers good stats, his claim to the MVP title will only become stronger. In the last game against the Cardinals, he had completed 20 of his 21 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. He might have an easier time now as in opponent completion percentage, they have fallen to the bottom of the league.

The game kicks off at 4:05 p.m. ET on December 17 at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.

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