Aiyuk claims NFL defenses playing him differently this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The NFL is a league of adjustments, and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk believes opposing defenses are doing just that with him this season.
“A little bit different,” Aiyuk told reporters Wednesday when asked if defenders are playing him differently through San Francisco’s first three games. “They just know what we like to do, me and [49ers quarterback Brock] Purdy especially, so working through that. …
“Practice today, trying to get in different spots, getting different looks. Working through that today.”
The 49ers own a 1-2 record to begin the 2024 NFL season, with Aiyuk having caught just 11 passes for 119 yards with zero touchdowns following a lengthy contract holdout this offseason. Some have attributed Aiyuk’s slow start to his lack of training camp, but it’s clear the wideout believes other factors are in play after a 2023 campaign where he logged his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
San Francisco’s offense also is making do without the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year in Christian McCaffrey, who is on injured reserved and hasn’t played a snap yet this season as he deals with calf tightness and Achilles tendinitis.
While star tight end George Kittle will be back on the field against the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium after missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury, it remains to be seen if receiver Deebo Samuel, listed as questionable for the Week 4 tilt, will be back as well.
Between Aiyuk’s perceived rust to begin the regular-season campaign and a handful of injuries in what typically is a well-oiled machine, things have looked a bit different for Purdy so far — but that hasn’t stopped the quarterback from posting a top-three mark in passing yards through three weeks.
“Sometimes there’s some plays where we’re trying to draw stuff up for Christian out of the backfield or George to get a certain matchup. Same with Deebo,” Purdy told reporters Thursday. “And so, when you have those guys out, I think we go back to who we are as an offense, what are our base plays and what we’re really good at, and let’s run those plays.
“We have good guys to step up in those moments and execute well. Use Jordan Mason, use Jauan [Jennings], obviously B.A. So we have guys that are dogs and are willing to step up in those spots and perform really well. So, it was a question for me, like, ‘All right, what’s our game plan going to look like?’ Because every week, it’s a little different. Try to get Deebo the ball a little bit more here because of this matchup, try to get Christian the ball here.
“So last week, not having three of those guys that you listed, it’s sort of just kept things a little bit more simple game plan-wise, but we’re still going to get the ball to our playmakers, J.J., B.A., Jordan Mason, and go about it that way. That’s how I looked at it and thought about it.”
As the 49ers head into their Week 4 game against the Patriots still shorthanded, all eyes will be on Aiyuk — and Jennings, after his stellar game against the Los Angeles Rams — to pick up the slack.
And the Faithful certainly hope Purdy and Aiyuk are able to make some adjustments of their own.
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