Why George Kittle is Producing More With Brock Purdy Starting
George Kittle has been on a tear the last two games for the 49ers.
He's put up 10 catches for 213 yards and four touchdowns. 49ers fans, and fantasy football owners, are thrilled that they are getting vintage Kittle in recent weeks. It has been a great sight to see for the 49ers offense, especially with Deebo Samuel out.
Before this two game domination, Kittle wasn't really a factor in the passing game. It wasn't for a lack of routes or targets. He's still seeing the same routes ran (90 percent or so) and targets (five to six) share as he was before this, so he isn't being asked to do anything different with Brock Purdy now than he was with Jimmy Garoppolo. So what gives? What is the cause for Kittle's recent surge?
Purdy actually throws it to Kittle and for actual chunk plays.
“Brock has made a few good plays letting it rip," said Shanahan. "and Kittle's gotten some good looks, where he has been open and also he got one more big one intercepting him from Ray-Ray [McCloud], so that definitely helped, but I also think Kittle, just like I was saying with Bosa, Kittle’s been the best he's been all year here in these last three weeks."
It really is as simple as that. Kittle is doing not a single thing different from Garoppolo to Purdy. The only difference is one quarterback will actually look his way when he is beyond 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, while the other never even glances his way. The touchdown pass that Purdy threw to Kittle, the one Ray Ray McCloud was robbed of, deep down the seam is a testament of that. On that play, Garoppolo would have never thrown it to Kittle. He would've took something underneath and just kept the drive alive.
That is the difference between Purdy and Garoppolo. It's that one looks to actually take shots and score, while the other doesn't have that killer instinct. Kittle is suddenly looking the star tight end that he's known for and it is thanks to Purdy. It's quite the revelation considering Garoppolo and Kittle are best friends. You would think Garoppolo would have looked for him more on lethal routes regardless.
In the case of Purdy, Kittle is always on his radar.
