Yes, Kyle Shanahan is an offensive guru. However, if his offensive players were not able to evade defenders and create big plays, Matt Ryan would never have won MVP, and the 49ers would not be in their second Super Bowl in four years.
49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy led the league in yards after catch per completion. While he was never afraid to push the ball downfield, his explosive teammates have the ability to take one of those crossing routes 30-plus yards on any play.
Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle, hell, even fullback Kyle Juszczyk caught a toe-tapper in the NFC Championship game. The skill-position players will have to continue to make big plays against a strong Chiefs defense in the Super Bowl.
What will best help the 49ers offense is for them to be slippery in the open field. Every extra yard they gain by shaking away from a Chiefs defender has a chance to build frustration. A frustration, and/or fatigue, that could lead to a 10-yard pass turning into a 40-yard score in the fourth quarter.
