Perhaps San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wished he saved some dynamic play-calling skills for Week 4's home showdown against the visiting Denver Broncos.
The game was significant, yes. Shanahan surpassed Hall of Famer Bill Walsh for the franchise's leaderboard in games coached, which speaks to the longevity of the former in Niners history. And that was something worth celebrating, given where San Francisco was prior to Shanahan's arrival in 2017.
As for the game? Well, Shanahan has coached better.
Granted, the 49ers still won 24-14, maintaining their perfect record through four weeks but relying heavily on coordinator Raheem Morris' defense to hold quarterback Bo Nix and Co. in check.
While Week 4 figured to be the toughest challenge Shanahan and his squad faced, both because of Denver's defense and the stifling heat at Levi's Stadium, it's not hard to second-guess the Niners' offensive efforts.
Kyle Shanahan's offense went stagnant in 49ers' win vs. Broncos
True, San Francisco took advantage of a questionable Broncos run defense; Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel both got explosive runs on the ground.
But Shanahan seemed to have a tough time putting quarterback Brock Purdy in a position to succeed. After leading the NFL in nearly every significant category through three weeks, Purdy indeed struggled, particularly in the first half, ultimately going 19-of-30 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, all for a passer rating of 107.4.
And it certainly appeared as if the coach/quarterback relationship wasn't on par with what fans grew accustomed to over the first three weeks.
Brock Purdy just not as dialed in today and Kyle Shanahan not calling as good of a game
— Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) October 4, 2026
Offense just seems out of rhythm in this half outside of some Deebo / McCaffrey explosive runs
The 49ers ultimately gained 358 yards of total offense, going 6-of-13 on third downs while not turning the ball over.
That'll ultimately bring their seemingly unstoppable offense back to earth. And that 4th-and-1 direct snap to running back Kaelon Black in a tie game sure was lucky. Benefiting from Denver losing both starting cornerbacks to injury aided, too, as did tight end George Kittle's late touchdown.
Hopefully, Shanahan looks back at his efforts on such a milestone day and make the necessary adjustments, because the Niners' schedule won't afford them much of a break with a Week 5 road trip to take on the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, who have wholly shut down Purdy and Shanahan's offense the last two times the NFC West rivals have met.
Maybe it was the heat. Maybe Shanahan wasn't quite at his best. Maybe it was just one of those games where things just didn't quite go San Francisco's way.
Unfortunately, the schedule won't afford Shanahan and Co. much of a break next week.
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