49ers use exact same trick play as Detroit Lions after seeing it work earlier in day

DETROIT – The San Francisco 49ers used the same exact trick play Sunday just hours after their head coach watched the Detroit Lions run it for a touchdown.

Detroit was leading the Carolina Panthers 21-7 in the second quarter when Ben Johnson dialed up the trusty “double reverse flea flicker to a wide open tight end.”

Jared Goff took the snap at Carolina’s 31-yard line and pitched it straight back to David Montgomery, who angled off to the right. Kalif Raymond came from out wide and got a pitch from Montgomery. He then pitched it back to Goff, who was standing a full 11 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

It worked like a charm. Goff found a wide open Sam LaPorta streaking down the right sideline for a walk-in touchdown. The Lions went ahead 28-7, and the game was effectively over.

Well, they weren’t the only NFC heavyweight to run that exact play.

On Sunday Night Football, the 49ers were up 7-0 over the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter when they ran that trick play from the Cowboys’ 38-yard line.

Brock Purdy took the snap and handed off to running back Christian McCaffrey, who pitched to receiver Deebo Samuel, who pitched it back to Purdy. Purdy found tight end George Kittle wide open -- exactly where LaPorta caught the pass -- for a touchdown.

Kittle’s second touchdown of the game; LaPorta’s second touchdown of the game. And both the Lions and 49ers won in home blowouts.

Social media exploded with videos comparing the two plays, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the Lions after the game.

“Detroit ran it earlier in the day,” Shanahan said, according to Yahoo. “They scored. I saw it before the game. Based off what we were going against today, we planned on calling it. But definitely, seeing it work for someone else gives you more confidence.”

Shanahan said the 49ers installed that play a couple of years ago, but this was the first time they broke it out in a game.

Detroit is 4-1 and San Francisco is 5-0. Maybe he saw the play because he was taking a peek at one of his top NFC competitors.

Here are videos of the plays: