49ers, Lions ran virtually the same trick play for a TD

That was a great play, but hours earlier, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson ran virtually the same play in his team’s 42-24 victory against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

It was Lions quarterback Jared Goff throwing the pass instead of Purdy. Running back David Montgomery and wide receiver Kalif Raymond played the McCaffrey and Samuel roles, respectively. Kittle mirrored the exact route run by Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who also scored the TD for the Lions.

Here are the two plays side-by-side:

The similar plays were no coincidence. Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk was asked about the trick play after the 42-10 win over the Cowboys. Juszczyk explained that he texted Kittle after seeing the Lions TD. The 49ers apparently had that exact play in their playbook as well. Kittle urged 49ers tight end coach Brian Fleury to let the team run it on Sunday night. Clearly, Fleury and eventually Shanahan agreed.

The similarities didn’t stop with just the play itself. Both teams ended up scoring 42 points in a home win. Tight ends Kittle and LaPorta, who both scored multiple touchdowns, share the same alma mater Iowa.

There was some buzz about the Cowboys gathering intel on the 49ers through former Niners QB Trey Lance. Perhaps they should have been watching the Lions game beforehand instead.