49ers’ game review: How Brock Purdy is making his offensive line look great

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy gestures after running for a first down during the second half of Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. (Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle)

Apologies, Trent Williams. No offense, Colton McKivitz. And it’s nothing personal, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni and Connor Colby.

OK, with that out of the way, let’s go ahead and say it: Quarterback Brock Purdy has as much to do with the San Francisco 49ers‘ season-opening sack-less streak as the team’s offensive line.

The 49ers’ front five clearly deserves credit for the 49ers’ becoming the first team since the 2005 Colts to open a season by not allowing a sack in four straight games. But those Colts had that streak at least partly because their QB, Peyton Manning, had a computer brain and processed defenses before pass rushers could take their second step.

Purdy is also known as a quick processor, but he also has a point guard’s short-area quickness, not a trait the immobile Manning possessed. Last week, when asked about the streak, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said the offensive line has been awesome, but he acknowledged another key factor: Purdy has been a magician.

"There’s been a little bit of luck involved," Kubiak said, "Brock’s made some great plays of making people miss."

Niners quarterback Brock Purdy scrambles during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. He has not been sacked in the first four games this season. (Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle)

Purdy’s sack-avoiding elusiveness was routinely on display Sunday in a 24-14 win over the Broncos. Purdy had a career-high 10 rushing attempts, and four were on scrambles in which the pocket immediately crumbled, or an offensive lineman was quickly beaten.

In the second quarter, Purdy had blitzing linebacker Alex Singleton coming free up the middle and sack master Nick Bonitto bearing down on his blindside after getting a step on Williams. Purdy took a jab step to his right to create space from Singleton and, sensing Bonitto’s presence, Purdy bolted to the right sideline en route to a 5-yard scamper with Bonitto diving futilely at his feet.

Bonitto had both his hands on the top of his helmet – a picture of frustration – as Purdy began jogging back to the huddle.

Earlier in the second quarter, left defensive end Sai’vion Jones beat McKivitz with an inside move, had Purdy directly in his sights and was left grasping air after Purdy took a drop step to avoid him and darted right for a 7-yard gain.

But it wasn’t just his scrambles. On Purdy’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel in the third quarter, Colby, at left guard, was knocked backward by defensive tackle Eyioma Uwazurike, forcing Purdy to drift left to buy extra time before making his flip to Samuel.

Three plays before the touchdown, the Broncos quickly collapsed the pocket and Purdy didn’t hesitate to give up on a passing play, sprinting 11 yards around left end on 2nd-and-11 from Denver’s 18-yard line.

In the fourth quarter, Purdy was chased to the left sideline by All-Pro defensive end Zach Allen. Just before he ran out of real estate, Purdy slammed on the brakes, backpedaled to get distance from the 6-foot-5 Allen and fired a 16-yard completion off his back foot to fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

The 49ers entered Sunday as one of four teams in the Super Bowl era to start a season 3-0 without allowing a sack. The group includes Manning and the 2005 Colts, along with the 1984 Dolphins and Dan Marino, whose lightning-quick release explains how he once went an NFL-record 19 straight games without being sacked.

The point: Great QBs can help make their offensive linemen look statistically great. As it turns out, Williams, 38, a 16-year veteran, knows this: No apology was necessary.

Purdy is "doing a good job protecting himself," Williams said when asked about the front five’s sack-less streak. "The play breaks down and he’s using his legs. So, it’s a team effort. I’d love to take all the credit as an O-lineman. But I’d be lying to you."

• Last year, as an undrafted rookie, defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez was dubbed "The Hulk" in training camp.

Now fans are seeing why.

On Sunday, a week after making his NFL debut, Valdez earned the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (68.7) among the 49ers’ 19 defenders who played at least 15 snaps. In 25 snaps, Valdez had two tackles, two hurries and a QB hit.

About his nickname: Last year, Valdez had 34 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at Washington’s pro day, which was more than any prospect at the 2025 combine.

Niners defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez, shown during a preseason game, was impressive during his 25-snap stint on Sunday. (Scot Tucker/AP Photo/Scot Tucker)

Against the Broncos, late in the third quarter, Valdez’s strength was on display. He engaged with 300-pound center Luke Wattenberg, shoved him onto his back, bolted to his right and combined with linebacker Dre Greenlaw to tackle RJ Harvey on a 2-yard run.

Valdez spent his rookie season, along with the first two games of this season, on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster Saturday.

"He’s been waiting for this opportunity for two years now," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "We were pretty confident that he would take advantage of it when he got it. And he hasn’t disappointed."

• Samuel, 30, was unemployed in late July. Williams said it inspired the 2021 All-Pro who last had 1,000 total yards in a season in 2023.

"This league, it turns on you quick," Williams said. "And I think him having to feel that doubt for the first time, I think it lit a fire on him."

Ask Broncos safety Talanoa Hufana about Samuel’s fire.

Samuel had runs of 22 and 20 yards and each time he encountered Hufanga, his former 49ers teammate, five yards downfield. Each time, it didn’t end well for Hufanga, who went down low on tackle attempts, but didn’t come close to stopping the full-head-of-steam wideout.

Samuel’s dominant days are over, but his early season performance suggests he should have received more interest on the free-agent market. He’s on pace for 1,101 total yards, which would be his second-most since 2021. He had 1,117 in 2023.

• Say this for Russell Wilson, who is an in-studio rookie CBS analyst this season: The former Seahawks QB knows his former rivals well.

At halftime, with the score tied 3-3, Wilson dropped this during a discussion of the first half: "Watch George Kittle late in the game. He’s going to do a little hide route, probably, and they’re going to try to find him."

With just over two minutes left, with the 49ers clinging to a 17-14 lead, Kittle snuck out into left flat after chip blocking Bonitto and Purdy found him for a 56-yard, catch-and-run touchdown.

After Wilson called it, Kittle said he had flashbacks about a similar play. In 2018, Kittle sprinted toward the same end zone at Levi’s Stadium on an 85-yard touchdown catch against the Broncos.

It was part of a performance in which Kittle had 210 yards in the first half, but none in the final two quarters. Kittle missed breaking Shannon Sharpe’s single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end (214).

"Kyle screwed that one up," Kittle said. &qu

Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.