In recent years, Kyle Shanahan has called trick plays involving Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk.

On Sunday, it was George Kittle’s turn.

The play — called Pass 18 Gumby — came at the start of the second quarter after the San Francisco 49ers defense had forced a three-and-out series, one of six in the 49ers’ 42-10 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys, and the 49ers had taken over at the Dallas 38-yard line

It’s called “Gumby” because it’s meant to look like one of the stretch-zone runs to the sideline that are a staple of the 49ers’ rushing attack, plays that are led by Kittle blocking on the edge.

There were two problems after Brock Purdy called it in the huddle, the first being that the Cowboys lined up in a five-man front.

“That’s a pretty tough look to get it off against,” tackle Trent Williams said. “When you call it, though, you don’t have any checks (out of) it. You kind of have to live with it.”

The second was that the play clock already was winding down when the 49ers broke the huddle. When the offense had practiced the play during the week, Kittle explained, the ball was snapped only after Purdy pretended like he was changing it to a new play.

Against the Cowboys, the ball had to be snapped on Purdy’s first “hut.” Everyone took off on time except for right tackle Colton McKivitz, who still thought it was going to be on Purdy’s second “hut.” That required Kittle to linger at the line of scrimmage longer than designed to help block the defensive end.

On this night, however, snafus didn’t seem to matter.

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