[Film Session] Is the Jake Brendel Criticism Fair?

Bret Rumbeck dives deep into the play of center Jake Brendel, judging which criticism is fair, and which is not.

For at least the last decade, the San Francisco 49ers have lived under a rotating set of fan obsessions: quarterback play, the creeping injury phantom that haunts the facility and a designated villain on the offensive line.

There have been kernels of truth in choosing a villain, but the 49ers’ offensive line has been reliable. Keep in mind, running back Christian McCaffrey had a career-best year in 2023 running behind nearly the same line on the field today.

After right tackle Mike McGlinchey left for Denver, that black hat rested on center Jake Brendel. Let’s set the record straight: I wasn’t thrilled when Brendel was named the starter in 2022, and I have advocated for the 49ers to upgrade at the position.

via Haley Horn/49ers

I am, however, a fan of objectivity. What’s frustrating is that some people carry an invisible axe to grind against Brendel, often providing no real context for a supposed missed block or a bad play. If you’re going to judge offensive line play, provide the context: the pass protection, the run type and what the center was actually responsible for.

Pro Football Focus is still a good barometer for overall play, though its graders are more like medieval fortune tellers reading animal bones at the bottom of a kettle. The serfs in the village simply trust what’s been divined and nod their heads in agreement.

In Week 10, Pro Football Focus gave Brendel an overall grade of 56.2, grading him poorly in pass blocking – 34.0 – and well in the run with a 62.5. But the 49ers could not run the ball in any direction against the Rams, so blaming the failures of the ground attack on any position is a stretch.

Against Arizona, 49er running backs had 10 attempts for 49 yards and one touchdown running to the left or right of Brendel. McCaffrey’s 20-yard run, his longest of the day, came off center to the left. Oddly, Pro Football Focus only awarded Brendel a 57.3 run blocking grade.

Regardless of this witchery, the Brendel critics have been silent this week. Below are some objective examples of Brendel’s play in Weeks 10 and 11.

Breakdown

Week 10 – 1st Quarter: 1 and 10 at the SF 35 (5:33) - Zen Z Right 15 Wanda Virgin, a weakside midzone run.

On the 49ers’ second possession, head coach and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan called East Right

Brendel’s aiming point was incorrect. He aligned inside instead of attacking the defender’s outside armpit.

Compare his positioning to left guard Spencer Burford – you’ll note his positioning and how he better controlled the defender. Further, Brendel never gained ground and did not attack on the defensive side of the ball.

While McCaffrey only gained three yards, Brendel was not the reason for the meager gain. Look at the backside linebacker, Nate Landman, come screaming across the formation and right tackle Colton McKivitz disengaging from his defender. Blaming Brendel here is trivial for the sake of being trivial.

3rd Quarter: 1 and 10 at the SF 35 (15:00) - GAP PA BRENDEL HURRY

On this play-action concept – likely G6/7 – the protection simulates a gap run with the off-guard pulling toward the end man on the line, and the back sells a fake in the opposite direction.  

The protection resulted in a tough block for Brendel to make, as he was responsible for the defensive tackle in a 4i-technique. Brendel lacks the lateral agility to move and make an effective block. Frankly, I don’t know many centers who could do it. So, Pro Football Focus likely charged him with the hurry and pressure on this play, which is fine, but it’s only the result. The context, chiefly the 4i technique and Brendel’s assignment, should also be included.

Week 11: 1st Quarter – 2 & 8 at the SF 37 (4:18) - 19 ZORRO ROBINSON

On the 49ers’ third possession, Shanahan radioed in a staple outside zone run – 19 Zorro. Outside zone runs are run off angles: the offensive line blocks defenders on the angle they find them, while the back presses a specific landmark for three steps, then sticks his foot in the dirt to make a decision. When it’s executed correctly, the outside zone is pure harmony: everyone is blocking on the same angle, with the back doing the same.

In the play above, Brendel was uncovered and was climbing to the second level. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s motion pulled linebacker Cody Simon over just enough to turn a routine climb into a difficult angle. It felt as if Brendel had no shot at Simon, and rather than chase Simon down, he didn’t hit anyone. At the end of the play, left tackle Trent Williams had a few words for Brendel about the play.

Is this a Brendel miss or mistake? Brendel never adjusted, and it was a poor rep – though a moving linebacker isn’t easy for a center to block on an angle.

1st Quarter: 1 and 10 at the ARI 41 (:22) - IZ STRONG

Brendel had a strong run blocking game in Week 11, mauling the zero technique he faced throughout the afternoon. Shanahan called a lot of inside zone runs against Arizona on Sunday, taking advantage of the defensive line often lining up in 4i and zero techniques.

On the play above, the offense lined up in a North Right Clamp formation and ran a strong-side inside zone run. Brendel stuck his block, maintained leverage and sealed off that inside lane for McCaffrey to gain 14 yards.

4th Quarter: 1 and 10 at the ARI 24 (5:37) - 15 WEAK TRAP LEAD

Near the end of the game, Shanahan dialed up a weak trap lead, resulting in the 49ers’ longest run of the afternoon.

As the team broke the huddle, the offense set in a Strong Right Eastern formation after Juszczyk’s fly motion brought him to the backfield. At the snap, right guard Dominick Puni pulled to his left to trap a confused defensive tackle. Jusczcyk wrapped through the crease created by Puni, Brendel and left guard Ben Bartch, cutting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither at the knees.

McCaffrey then scampered for a big gain and would score on the next play.

Jake Brendel was never going to be an All-Pro center, but he’s not the vampire that paralyzes the 49ers’ offense. He wins more than he loses and works within the structure of Shanahan’s system. If someone wants to find failure on tape, they will — but Brendel’s play isn’t matching that narrative. Context matters, and even the slightest nuance can explain why a play worked or why it didn’t.

You can find a deeper breakdown of Weeks 10 and 11 on my X handle. And feel free to search my posts for multiple Brendel clips and breakdowns.

(All images and videos courtesy of NFL.com. All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless noted.)