49ers’ Sam Darnold spends his week as a Matthew Stafford doppelganger

SANTA CLARA — This is the week Sam Darnold channeled his inner Matthew Stafford.

As the backup to Brock Purdy, Darnold simulated running the offense of the Los Angeles Rams to prepare the 49ers defense for Sunday’s NFC West matchup at SoFi Field.

It was Purdy’s job last season when he was No. 2 behind Jimmy Garoppolo, with the 49ers beating the Rams decisively in both games. It carries with it the responsibility of the football version of method acting, where the scout team quarterback does his best to assume the personality and skillset of the weekly opponent.

Last week Darnold was Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett before taking a seat on game day to watch Purdy run the offense. It was just the second time in 57 NFL games with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers that Darnold did not start.

“I take it very seriously,” Darnold said Thursday. “I go out and play against a very good defense every single day, and watching some of Stafford’s film too. It’s super fun and I look forward to helping the team any way I can.”

As comps go, Darnold is about as good as it gets as a Stafford doppelganger. Stafford, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, was the No. 1 pick of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Georgia by the Detroit Lions. Darnold, 6-3, 225, arrived in the NFL nine years later after being taken No. 3 overall out of USC by the Jets.

After signing with the 49ers as a free agent, Darnold won the job to backup Purdy and Lance was traded to Dallas.

Both Stafford and Darnold have passing skills that are considered elite, and thrive in the pocket as opposed to outside it.

“There’s a reason he was the third pick in the draft, his throwing skill, and Stafford is as good as there is at that,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Not many people can come close to simulating that and Sam is one of the few people who can so it’s good for our safeties, good for our linebackers, good for everyone.”

Darnold watched Stafford closely as a high school quarterback at San Clemente High School as well as when he was at USC.

As pure throwers go, Stafford, whose 52,416 passing yards rank 11th all-time, is held in awe by his peers. He played just nine games last season because of an elbow injury and never looked like himself as the Rams skidded to 5-12.

In Week 1, however, Stafford looked back on track, completing 24 of 38 passes for 334 yards in a 30-13 road upset of Seattle.

“He’s just one of those dudes,” Darnold said. “They call him a gunslinger because he’s a guy that just goes out and lets it rip. The amount of respect everyone has for Stafford in the entire league is incredible and he deserves it — a great player and a Super Bowl champion.”

The Super Bowl championship, of course, came following the 2021 season after beating the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

It was Stafford’s first season with the Rams, arriving in a blockbuster trade that sent Jared Goff to Detroit before Shanahan and G.M. John Lynch could put together their own deal and bring Stafford to the Bay Area.

When Stafford went to the Rams, the 49ers, looking to move on from Garoppolo, traded up in the draft and took Trey Lance instead.

Stafford owns the most important win against the 49ers since joining the Rams, rallying Los Angeles from a 17-7 second-half deficit to win 20-17 and advance to Super Bowl LVI, where they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home field at SoFi Stadium.

Yet in four regular season games against the 49ers, the 49ers have won decisively each time. Stafford has just a 79.0 passer rating with five touchdown passes, five interceptions and has been sacked 16 times.

With Rams coach Sean McVay and Shanahan having been together in Washington, the offensive system Darnold is mimicking this week has a familiar look.

Darnold, who could parlay his one year with the 49ers into free agent riches, is doing all he can to flourish in a new role.

“They run a lot of similar concepts that we run,” Darnold said. “It’s fun to be able to throw those routes and get those reps. It’s great to just go out there and play football.”

Purdy feels his time as the scout team quarterback from Weeks 3 through 13 were essential in terms of being ready when he took over as the starter following Garppolo’s injury.

Although not of the same build or arm strength, Purdy watched Stafford closely — no look passes and all – and even picked up few things in terms of knowledge.