SANTA CLARA — The personnel the 49ers’ offense will face Monday night is a challenge in itself.
But quarterback Brock Purdy and the rest of the 49ers’ offense will be tested in other ways against the Baltimore Ravens, too.
“They'll mix up throughout the game, so it challenges all of your protections,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “But the hardest thing is how it is to get people open. When they have seven in coverage they're very sound.”
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The Ravens often will have seven defensive players at the line of scrimmage to create the appearance of a blitz. They try to disguise which players are rushing the passer and which are dropping into coverage.
And, as Shanahan pointed out, the Ravens’ defensive backs do not make it easy for the receivers to get open.
“They definitely present challenges, and that’s why it’s such a big part of their game,” 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said. “It’s really hard for a team to get a bead on who’s coming and who’s not. They do a good job of making you keep your eligibles in (to block).”
Purdy’s candidacy for NFL Most Valuable Player will face its biggest test of the season — and that includes the mental aspect.
“We have our plan and stuff, and going into it we're just going to continue to play our style of ball,” Purdy said. “Obviously, there's some things that you have to be ready for and take into account every play with their players and what we're trying to get done.
“We're going to play our way of ball and we have to understand what we're getting into with their defense.”
The Ravens enter Monday night tied for the NFL lead with 50 sacks, led by defensive tackle Justin Madubuike’s 12 sacks. Baltimore’s defense ranks first in points allowed and second in yards allowed.
Purdy will be challenged to recognize from where the Ravens are sending their pressure on pass plays and where to find the open receiver against the Ravens’ tight coverage.
His ability to quickly read the defense and go through his progression has enabled him to put together an MVP-like season. Purdy leads the NFL with a 119.0 passer rating with 29 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He has been sacked just 26 times in 14 games.
Purdy does not seem to get slowed down by defenses that try to mislead him with pre-snap looks before rotating into pass rushes or coverage designed to confuse him.
“It won’t be the first time he’s seen it, and it definitely won’t be the last,” Williams said of Purdy. “From my knowledge of watching him play, I think he does a pretty good job of it.”
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