San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is on a heater. His team is 3-0 and his quarterback, Brock Purdy, is putting on an electric show early in the season.
All of that success prompted reporters to ask Shanahan whether this year was as good as his 2016 season as Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, when he coached Matt Ryan to an MVP season.
Shanahan didn't hesitate with his response.
“Yes, I had that with Matt in ‘16," Shanahan said. "Had it in [former NFL QB Matt] Schaub way back in the day. AndI've had it with Brock, I think, four years in a row now.”
Coming from Shanahan, that is a significant comparison.
Ryan's first three games in 2016 are a fair yardstick. He went 73-of-103 for 970 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception, but
took six sacks, and Atlanta started 2-1. Through three games, Purdy's numbers are equally impressive. Purdy has thrown more touchdowns in fewer yards and has done it cleanly. He completed 60-of-83 (72.3%) passes for 789 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt with a passer rating around 133. He has not been sacked once, and the 49ers are undefeated.
In 2016, Ryan finished the year with a 69.9% completion rate for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Ryan's 117.1 passer rating and 9.3 yards per attempt powered one of the most efficient offenses of the era and an 11-5 team, and the Falcons were a half away from winning the Super Bowl.
That's a good mark to shoot for for Purdy, including a trip back to the Super Bowl.
More 49ers: Notes and observations from wild 49ers Week 3 win over Cardinals
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: How Brock Purdy reminds 49ers head coach of a former NFL MVP
