Brock Purdy reveals why Raheem Morris' new 49ers defense is already causing problems

Brock Purdy has spent his entire NFL career practicing against a familiar version of the San Francisco 49ers defense. The personnel changed over the years, but the basic approach usually featured four defensive linemen and plenty of zone coverage behind them.

New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is making things considerably less comfortable. He has introduced different fronts, tighter coverage and more disguise during training camp. It may create a few ugly afternoons for Purdy, but the quarterback believes those problems will help prepare the offense for the regular season.

Raheem Morris is changing the picture

The 49ers have traditionally relied on their defensive line to generate pressure without much additional help. Morris is not abandoning that foundation, but he is giving the offense far more to sort through before the snap.

“It is different,” Purdy said, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press (h/t The Washington Post). “In camp, it’s usually the four-down, traditional stud defensive linemen with three linebackers and a strong quarter-shell defense.”

That is no longer the only look Purdy is seeing.

Morris has mixed in five-man fronts while changing the coverage behind them. The defensive backs are being asked to play more match coverage, making it harder for Purdy to determine where the open window will be after the ball is snapped.

“Now it’s like, all right, we’ve got five down, he gives us all these different kind of looks and the shell’s always changing and stuff,” Purdy said. “Raheem’s done a good job with trying to disguise things against the quarterback, but also the techniques that the DBs are playing with now, too.”

Morris has the personnel to experiment. Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw can rush, cover or attack the running game. Nick Bosa gives the defense a player who can wreck a play without needing much help.

Quarterbacks may know pressure is coming. Figuring out who is coming should be the harder part.

Brock Purdy sees an advantage for the offense

The changes will not always make training camp enjoyable for San Francisco’s offense. Purdy could hold the ball too long on some plays, receivers will have trouble separating and the defense will occasionally force turnovers.

That does not make the new approach a bad thing.

“That’s a whole other thing,” Purdy said. “I like it. It’s fun because going into the season, I feel like this is the kind of stuff that we’re starting to see more in the NFL.”

Practicing against the same structure every summer can only provide so much preparation. Purdy now has to identify moving pieces, adjust protection and find receivers through smaller windows.

Morris was hired to make San Francisco’s defense tougher for opposing quarterbacks to read. If Purdy is already being forced to slow down and reconsider what he sees, the new system is doing its job.