Brock Purdy's double-pump fake TD pass to George Kittle was inspired by Bill Walsh's 49ers of old

Kevin Skiver

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Brock Purdy's double-pump fake TD pass to George Kittle was inspired by Bill Walsh's 49ers of old image

It wasn't enough for the 49ers to wear their throwback jerseys Thursday against the Seahawks. They had to dig out some of the old plays too.

With the first quarter winding down, quarterback Brock Purdy lined up with Christian McCaffrey and Ray-Ray McCleod III in the backfield. He first faked to motion man McCleod and then swung around and faked to McCaffrey, getting the Seahawks' defense on skates.

Purdy then hit a wide-open tight end George Kittle over the middle for the fist touchdown of the game.

The play went for 28 yards, and no one came close to bringing Kittle down.

MORE: 49ers vs. Seahawks live score, updates, highlights

NFL fans were enamored with the call from Kyle Shanahan.

It's no secret that good coaches steal plays, but Shanahan took a page from one of the most revered names in 49ers history. On a night they were wearing Steve Young's throwback threads, the Niners also stole a play Bill Walsh drew up, as noted by Ross Tucker.

This type of play has, of course, been run since Walsh and Young ran the Falcons' defense off the field in the above highlight. Andrew Whitworth called it a "Shanahan favorite" during the "Thursday Night Football" halftime show. But seeing it run in these jerseys, in this matchup, with these stakes — the Niners can clinch the NFC West with a win Thursday night — is special.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.