In a gritty win without Aiyuk, the 49ers handled business in a blitz-happy battle that wasn’t always pretty or as simple as the final score might suggest. Without injured receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder), the Niners struggled to win on a short week. There’s no need for the 49ers to apologise for another victory, as San Francisco went to 3-0 for just the second time in the past 25 years despite the In their second match in a West Coast journey, the Giants are fielding fewer players than usual.
But if this victory taught us anything, it’s that the Niners should not undervalue Aiyuk’s contribution. Since the league’s 2022 season began, the Giants have blitzed more than any other team. They consistently sent more rushers, proving they lived up to their reputationcontinuously sending more rushers Brock Purdy, the quarterback for the 49ers.
In the first half, those blitzes were successful in pushing Purdy and throwing him off course, which forced Niners coach Kyle Shanahan to use more screens and quick passes rather of the intermediate routes he frequently favours.
Aiyuk would have made a difference in that situation. Aiyuk has 50 catches for 679 yards versus man coverage dating back to the beginning of last season, which is tied for eighth place in the NFL. Aiyuk consistently and more swiftly beats man coverage than anybody else on the Niners.
Brock Purdy Shines Under Pressure in a Blitz-Heavy Battle
Tight end George Kittle (seven grabs for 90 yards) and fellow wide out Deebo Samuel (six catches for 129 yards and a touchdown) picked up the slack in the second half as the Niners defence dominated the Giants.
Aiyuk should have played Thursday night, but the 49ers made the right decision by keeping him out so he can use the extra rest to remain healthy for the long term. They hope to sign him to a contract extension in the offseason. However, his absence should also increase their appreciation of him for the remainder of the campaign. and beyond.
Purdy had a strange night because defenders were in his face all the time, but his final stats were fairly good. With a final completion percentage of 25 of 37 for 310 yards and two touchdowns, Purdy had a passer rating of 111.3. In the early half, Purdy placed the ball in peril a few times and was fortunate to avoid mistakes, but he excelled on third down and came on late in the game. Although it wasn’t his best effort, Purdy is now one of just four quarterbacks in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966) to begin a career with at least eight straight regular season victories.
The greatest blitz rate experienced by a quarterback with 30 dropbacks since Colin Kaepernick (88% vs. Cardinals) in 2013 came on 74% of Purdy’s dropbacks. Purdy faced more than twice as many blitzes—29—as his previous peak. The most passing yards since Aaron Rodgers in 2021 were racked up by Purdy, who had 236 against the blitz.