The San Francisco 49ers walked away with a 24-14 win against the Denver Broncos, but let’s be real, a couple of those fourth-down calls had everyone scratching their heads and muttering, “What the hell was that?” Even with the W, fans had some serious questions about what Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy were cooking up out there.
Shanahan’s “Long One” And The Failed Sneak
First up, in the initial half, the 49ers faced a fourth-and-1. And when we say “1,” we mean a *long* one, you know? They lined up for their classic QB sneak, the one that usually works like magic on shorter downs, with Christian McCaffrey chilling in the backfield. But this time? Total bust. They failed to convert. Shanahan, trying to explain it after the game, said, “It was a little long. We had the look we wanted. And when you get the look you want, sometimes we get like 3 to 4 yards on those.” How that was supposed to go four yards is still a mystery, honestly. It definitely wasn’t the Thomas the Tank Engine power move McCaffrey pulled last week against the Arizona Cardinals, where he just bulldozed for nine yards. Shanahan gave props to the Broncos’ defense, but you gotta wonder if anyone was actually fooled by that setup.
The “Bad Snap” That Turned Into A Lucky Dive
Then came the second head-scratcher, though this one actually had a happy ending. On fourth-and-1 from the Broncos’ 18-yard line, things got wild. The ball somehow got diverted from Brock Purdy, bouncing right into the hands of Kaelon Black. Talk about unreal awareness, because Black just snatched it, took a one-yard dive, and snagged the first down. If you were at a watch party, you know everyone was arguing whether that was planned or pure luck. Shanahan admitted, “It was a bad snap. We didn’t call a direct snap.” Purdy filled in the details, recalling, “The ball just like, hit Jake’s [Jake Brendel] butt. It popped back up, and I was like, ‘oh gosh,’ I went to go get it, and he [Black] just snatched it and then kept going on his running back track for the run.” Purdy later confirmed the play was actually supposed to be a handoff to Black, not a direct snap like that. Lucky for them, Black’s quick thinking saved the day. The game was tied 3-3 at that point, and another failed fourth down would have had fans absolutely fuming. It wasn’t Frank Gore’s iconic fumble touchdown against the Patriots, but it’s definitely up there for bizarre first downs.
No doubt, the 49ers got the W against the Broncos, but after plays like those, you gotta wonder what was really going on out there. Kaelon Black’s quick thinking totally saved their bacon on that second fourth-down, especially with the game tied up. Sometimes luck is just on your side, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
Leave a Reply