RENTON, Wash. -- The play unfolded precisely how Sam Darnold , Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers drew it up.

It was midway through the fourth quarter of their two-touchdown loss on Christmas night in 2023 .

To that point, the game had been dominated by the Baltimore Ravens ' top-ranked defense, coordinated by future Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.

Down 33-12, Darnold took over for a banged-up Brock Purdy and got the 49ers down to Baltimore's 12. That's where Shanahan saw an opportunity for the backup quarterback to exploit a certain defensive look they had prepared for extensively.

Based on Roquan Smith 's pre-snap alignment and the type of zone coverage it suggested, Darnold would be able to hit receiver Ronnie Bell on a slant route between the Balt

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