Kyle Shanahan’s offense has long been built on manufacturing easy yards, and a new data breakdown confirms the 49ers were the most effective team in football at doing exactly that through the screen game last season.
According to charting data from FTN Fantasy (via @NutshellSports on X), San Francisco posted a league-best 0.239 expected points added (EPA) per play on screen passes during the 2025 regular season. They were the only team in the NFL to clear the 0.2 mark, and did so by a wide margin over the rest of the field. The 49ers ran 40 screens on the year, a moderate sample size that tied for fifth-fewest in the league yet resulted in the most explosive returns.
A look at how effective teams were on screen passes during the 2025 season
Kyle Shanahan had the 49ers cooking in the screen game last year.
Screen pass designation via @FTNFantasy charting data. pic.twitter.com/bXRPH4PG5L
— Nutshell Sports (@NutshellSportz) June 25, 2026
The New England Patriots (0.203) and the Detroit Lions (0.202) rounded out the top three, with the Indianapolis Colts (0.163) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0.131) also posting strong marks. On the other end, the Cincinnati Bengals were the league’s worst screen-passing team by a wide margin, posting a -0.560 EPA per play on 46 attempts — nearly a point-and-a-half swing from San Francisco’s number on the same play type.
The screen game’s effectiveness for the 49ers fits a broader pattern in their passing attack. Quarterback Brock Purdy ranked 30th in the NFL in intended air yards last season, with backup Mac Jones close behind at 31st. Purdy was 21st in intended air yards per attempt (7.3), while Jones ranked 23rd (7.5) — numbers that reflect an offense built around manufacturing yards after the catch rather than pushing the ball deep down the field.
That dynamic makes the screen game’s success especially significant for San Francisco’s offensive identity. Rather than relying on a vertical passing attack, Shanahan’s system has consistently leaned on scheme, spacing and run-after-catch ability from players like running back Christian McCaffrey as well as pass-catchers like George Kittle. It will be interesting to see how Mike Evans plays into this calculation after he averaged 12.3 yards per reception in 2025, which was more than the 49ers’ top targets this past year.
With a run-heavy infrastructure and a quarterback who doesn’t push the ball downfield at a high volume, the screen pass has effectively functioned as an extension of the 49ers’ ground game — and the numbers suggest it was working better in San Francisco than anywhere else in the league last season.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers ranked No. 1 in screen pass efficiency during 2025 season
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