Getty Kyle Shanahan needs another "rabbit trick" to fix the 49ers' offense.
A Rabbit trick or a quick fix. It doesn’t matter what you call it, the San Francisco 49ers need something to spark their so-far disappointing season into life. Inspiration could come from a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, a player head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to get involved in creative ways to give his offense a lift.
Shanahan knows all about getting creative in order to transform a stalled offense. It’s what he did in 2021 by turning wide receiver Deebo Samuel into a part-time but lethal running back.
Samuel’s “wide back” role was the catalyst for the 49ers’ run to the NFC Championship Game. This season’s offense, ranked 28th in points and 24th in yards, needs a different solution.
One aimed at putting more speed on the field.
‘Fastest Player’ Needs to See the Ball
Danny Gray has yet to catch a pass in a meaningful game for the 49ers. It’s something Matt Barrows of The Athletic stated needs to change when asked if Shanahan has “another rabbit trick” for the offense: “Maybe get the ball in Danny Gray’s hands? He’s the team’s fastest player but hasn’t touched the ball so far. He was good on screens at SMU. Maybe fake a screen to Samuel on one side of the formation (the Rams will overreact), then throw to Gray on the other side. (You’re welcome, Kyle).”
Barrows isn’t the only one who would like to see Gray more involved. The view is shared by Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, who thinks the fleet-of-foot wide receiver could be the “quick fix” the Niners need: “Gray, the team’s fastest receiver, is basically invisible, with 13 snaps and two targets in the two games he has been active.”
Silver called on Shanahan to add what’s missing from the 49ers’ passing game, namely “a legitimate deep threat.”
There’s no doubt Gray has the raw, physical tools to grow into that role. He proved as much during preseason when he burned the Green Bay Packers for a 76-yard touchdown:
TREY AREAAAAAAAAAAA.
@treylance09 goes UP TOP to the rookie burner, @DGray_5! SIX!
📺: #GBvsSF on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/IPaxU4rWJN
The scoring catch and run wasn’t the only moment of game-breaking speed Gray committed to film. He also blew by the Minnesota Vikings during joint practices, something that caught the eye of Silver’s fellow Chronicle writer Eric Branch:
Is this the Packers preseason secondary? Trey Lance deep TD pass to Danny Gray, who beat CB Patrick Peterson. #49ers
Plays like these should have been the precursor to big things from Gray once the real action started. Instead, a hip injury, along with learning the intricacies of Shanahan’s offense, have slowed the rookie’s progress.
Now seems like the ideal time to accelerate Gray’s development after a 1-2 start featuring sluggish displays by the offense. The only concern might be whether the 49ers have the right quarterback to fully exploit Gray’s vertical speed.
Gray’s Involvement Would Increase Pressure on Garoppolo
Gray’s highlight plays from this preseason had something in common. He was catching passes from Trey Lance.
Shanahan gave Lance the starting quarterback job because of the second-year pro’s superior arm strength. The plan was ruined when Lance broke his ankle on a designed quarterback run against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
Lance’s injury necessitated Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to the lineup, but arm strength hasn’t exactly been the veteran’s forte. Having Gray on the field would demand San Francisco’s QB1 push the ball vertically, something he struggled to do during Week 3’s 11-10 defeat to the Denver Broncos.
Garoppolo’s issues putting the ball in front of receivers who’ve broken behind deep coverage was summed up by this ill-fated connection with Samuel, highlighted by Jack Hammer of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
It’s hardly surprising a quarterback who has averaged just 7.3 yards per completion through his two appearance this season, failed to give Samuel a chance to go the distance on this play.
Shanahan’s offense needs a true deep threat to punish defenses that focus too many players to clamp down on Samuel and tight end George Kittle underneath. The ploy will only work with Gray on the field and Garoppolo proving he can make the long throws with accuracy.