Super Bowl LVII Film Breakdown: How did Brock Purdy do?

Purdy's first completion (0:05)

The Chiefs stacked the box to counter the 49ers’ seven-man front, with George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk each lined up outside of the tackles. With a single high safety and press man elsewhere, it was no secret that the Chiefs were expecting a run. Wisely, Kyle Shanahan ran play action to the left. Juszczyk pinned down on the edge rusher to disguise a run and quickly released into the flat for an 18-yard catch and run. This was an eerily similar play design to the one San Francisco ran in Super Bowl LIV to score their first touchdown (40:51). It was also a simple yet effective way to ease Purdy into the game and get his first completion out of the way.

Purdy's second completion (0:19)

The Niners came out in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE). Purdy recognized man coverage pre-snap as the Kansas City defender moved with Jauan Jennings during his pre-snap motion. Juszczyk was lined up off of the line of scrimmage to the right of Kittle. He ran a 4-yard out route while Kittle ran a drag across the field underneath. This cleared out the middle of the field for Christian McCaffrey to free himself up on an angle route out of the backfield, inevitably beating the defending linebacker for an easy first down.

Purdy's third completion (1:21)

The 49ers came out in 20 personnel from the shotgun. The Chiefs showed Cover 2 defense. Deebo Samuel motioned across the formation and then curled back behind the shotgun set. No defender was shadowing Deebo’s motion, signaling zone coverage. After the snap, Deebo continued laterally and settled a few yards before the line of scrimmage as a screen resort. McCaffrey leaked left as the offensive linemen pulled that way, showing the Chiefs defense a disguised screen. Left outside linebacker Leo Chenal was forced to follow this motion. Purdy squared right toward Deebo very briefly, causing middle linebacker Nick Bolton to shuffle that way ever so slightly. This created a throwing lane for Purdy over the middle of the field, between Bolton and safety Justin Reid, where he found Brandon Aiyuk on a short post for 18 yards.

Purdy's seventh completion (3:02)

On 3rd and 9, the 49ers came out in 11 personnel with three receivers to the left and Kittle split out right. The Chiefs rushed five, including MLB Nick Bolton, while the rest of the defense showed Cover 2-man. Split out all the way left was Ray-Ray McCloud, X, who ran a go route. This caused the high weak side safety to have to shadow the deep route, which took him and the cornerback out of the play. Jennings was in the slot and ran a quick 4-yard out route. Between McCloud and Jennings’ routes, Chris Conley, Z, who was lined up inside of Jennings, was able to find the cushion on a corner route toward the sideline. The protection Purdy had gave McCloud enough time to get downfield, in turn giving Conley enough space to complete his route and haul in an 18-yard reception.

Purdy's eighth completion (3:13)

San Francisco came out in 21 personnel, with Juszczyk (44) motioning from right to left. The Chiefs ran a Cover 4-quarters look. This scheme assigns both safeties and both cornerbacks a deep ¼ of the field. Linebacker Leo Chenal (54) was sent on a blitz, leaving fellow linebacker Nick Bolton (32) to cover McCloud (3) until the sticks before passing him on to the safeties in deep coverage. Kittle (85) was set up on the line and ran a bump-and-run to the right-side flat, where remaining linebacker Willie Gay (50) would follow.

You’ll notice that Chenal’s blitz left McCaffrey (23) wide open out of the backfield, which was part of the reason that Bolton had to drop off of McCloud and into underneath coverage. Aiyuk (11) ran a go route, taking out the strong side safety (20), and McCloud was able to work across the middle on his deep dig route underneath the high weak side safety, reeling in a 19-yard catch. 

Purdy's ninth completion (5:34)

The Niners were in 21 personnel from the shotgun, with Purdy having a running back on each side of him. Juszczyk motioned right which led to a 4-yard hitch route on the right sideline. The Chiefs showed a Cover 2 pre-snap look that fell into Cover 3, with a weak side cornerback blitz from Josh Williams. The Niners picked up the blitz perfectly. McCaffrey ran a wheel route out of the backfield down the left sideline, which linebacker Willie Gay and weak side safety Justin Reid had to account for due to the blitzing cornerback. This action freed up Deebo over the middle on a dig route for a 12-yard first down.

Purdy's thirteenth completion (10:49)

The Chiefs played a Cover 1-press-man, rushing five at the line. Purdy was in an empty-set shotgun, with McCaffrey split out far right. Deebo was stacked on Jennings in tight, with Aiyuk alone on the left side. McCaffrey cleared out the right-side cornerback on a go route, while Deebo ran a midfield post. This action opened up the right side of the field completely, where Jennings was able to beat his man on a shallow out route and turn it upfield after a broken tackle for a 17-yard gain.

Purdy's fifteenth completion (11:10)

The Chiefs sent Chenal on another blitz while Kittle stayed in to help with protection. The 49ers had a 3-bunch right look, with Deebo motioning toward the right sideline pre-snap. McCaffrey was alone to the left, about five yards off the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs played Cover 1-man. Out of his motion, Deebo ran a 4-yard stick route near the sideline. Juszczyk ran a seam across the middle of the field. This route combined with McCaffrey’s go route on the opposite side of the field forced the single high safety to respect each threat. Aiyuk was able to beat his man with ease on a 15-yard dig route which would move the chains. 

Purdy's sixteenth completion (12:01)

The biggest completion of the game for Purdy came here on 4th and 3 from the Chiefs’ 15-yard line. The 49ers were in an 11 personnel, 2x2 set against the Chiefs' Cover 1-man defense. Kansas City brought no blitz, and Purdy was able to find Kittle on a quick out route near the right sideline. Deebo's go route up the right side freed up this space for an easy completion and first down. This go route/out route combination is sometimes referred to as "Ohio".

Purdy's seventeenth completion (12:15)

The Chiefs brought the house and blitzed linebackers Nick Bolton and Drue Tranqill, who had a free rush to Purdy. With six rushing, the remaining five defenders were manned up against Aiyuk, Jennings, Kittle, Juszczyk, and McCaffrey. Aiyuk and Jennings ran a rub combo on the right side, with Jennings running a slant and Aiyuk running an out route from the slot. Jennings was able to get under his man just enough, and Purdy delivered a ball in stride and on target. Jennings was able to shed his tackler and break the plane to record Purdy’s first Super Bowl touchdown throw.

Purdy's eighteenth completion (13:58)

The 49ers showed trips left in 11 personnel. Cornerback Trent McDuffie faked the blitz and dropped into a Cover 2-zone. Aiyuk ran a seam route up the middle of the field as Deebo flared toward the left sideline. Nick Bolton hesitated to contain Deebo, which held him for a split second near the line of scrimmage. Aiyuk’s seam caused the high safeties to both stay high, and Jennings was able to settle under the coverage on a post in the middle of the field for a 23-yard completion.

Purdy's twenty-first completion (17:04)

The Chiefs were in Cover 0 “blitz zero”. They sent max pressure with seven guys and showed man-to-man coverage across the board with no safety over the top. The 49ers were in 11 personnel, with three receivers stacked left. McCaffrey stayed in the backfield to block. From the stack, lead receiver Jennings ran a clear-out corner route downfield. Deebo, as the middle receiver, ran a shallow drag route across the middle of the field.

From the back of the stack, Aiyuk ran a 7-10-yard dig route, and Purdy hit him in the chest for a first down in overtime to get them near midfield. The stack formation the 49ers ran is designed to force the cornerbacks to pick up a receiver that enters their zone, as opposed to picking a receiver pre-snap and covering him through the play. Aiyuk got a favorable matchup on safety Mike Edwards and was able to beat him in crunch time.

Purdy's twenty-second completion (17:13)

Both linebacker Drue Tranquill and cornerback Jaylen Watson were sent on a blitz. The Chiefs were in a disguised Cover 1-man look pre-snap, which formed into a Cover 0-man as safety Mike Edwards was responsible for picking up McCaffrey out of the backfield. Jennings motioned from left to right pre-snap, and cornerback Trent McDuffie followed him the entire way, signaling man coverage. As six defenders pursued the backfield, the rush got to Purdy and he was able to shovel it to McCaffrey who flared out as a safety valve following a play-action fake. Safety Edwards was late coming down and McCaffrey was able to dodge his diving tackle and scamper down the left sideline for a 24-yard pickup on a broken play.

Purdy's twenty-third completion (17:27)

On 2nd and 12 from the Chiefs’ 28-yard line, the 49ers were in an empty set look, with McCaffrey motioning toward the left sideline pre-snap. The Chiefs were in an obvious Cover 2-man defense. McCaffrey was purely a decoy on this play, running up the left sideline. Deebo, Aiyuk, and Juszczyk were lined up on the right side, with Juszczyk setting up outside the numbers. This play was originally designed to give Deebo space to beat his man one-on-one using an option route in the middle of the field.

Aiyuk was sent on a go route to create space for Deebo, and Juszczyk, like McCaffrey, was strictly a space-creating decoy. Between the blanketed coverage and pressure, Purdy had to scramble on yet another broken play. With nowhere to go, Purdy was able to improvise and escape the pocket, where Juszczyk would improvise as well to get open and reel in his second reception of the game. The 49ers would kick a field goal a few plays later, giving the ball back to Mahomes and the Chiefs. The rest is history.