SANTA CLARA — Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has unquestionably received a lot of advice and information since taking over for injured Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers’ starter.
But coach Kyle Shanahan is determined to resist the temptation to be in his ear too much on Sunday, when Purdy makes his first NFL start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi’s Stadium.
Shanahan controls the sideline-to-quarterback radio communication on game days. He is allowed to talk to the quarterback immediately after one play ends, until the communication is cut off automatically with 15 seconds remaining on the 40-second play clock.
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The coach said he does not plan to fill Purdy’s ear Sunday with more information than he would give a veteran, such as Garoppolo.
“I think that messes guys up,” Shanahan said. “I only do that if quarterbacks request it.”
Shanahan said his one-way communication with the quarterback typically is limited to how he wants to handle certain specific in-game situations. He will keep the quarterback informed for such strategies as burning as much time as possible, informing him when they are in field-goal range or giving a heads-up when he plans to go for it on fourth down if the third-down play fails.
Shanahan and Purdy were on the same page during a perfectly executed drive at the end of the first half of the 49ers’ 33-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers took over at their own 24-yard line with 2:48 remaining in the first half. They managed the clock, play-calling and decision-making to allow for an 11-play, 76-yard drive. Purdy capped it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey with :04 remaining in the half.
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Shanahan said he is careful not to cover too many what-if scenarios that could adversely influence how the quarterback sees things before the snap of the ball.
“Once you start saying like, ‘Hey, throw this versus cover-two,’ they're going to come out and they're going to look at it like it's cover-two and it's not going to be cover-two,” Shanahan said. “So most times I've learned that messes guys up.”