San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer has struggled in the vertical passing game during recent OTAs. Does Hoyer have the ability to complete the deep passes that fuel head coach Kyle Shanahan’s explosive offense?

Newcomer Brian Hoyer will be the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback when the upcoming 2018 season begins, but members of the media are questioning whether he has the deep-passing skills necessary for the 49ers’ new offensive system.

In a recent article, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco noted that during a day of practice, 49ers quarterbacks completed 21 passes to 14 different receivers, but the vast majority of the passes were thrown near the line of scrimmage.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer might have confidence in his ability to throw the ball down the field, but during the 49ers’ practice Thursday the vertical game was non-existent. -Matt Maiocco

Cam Inman of The Mercury News made similar comments in a recent piece titled, “Can 49ers Brian Hoyer throw the deep ball?”

Brian Hoyer undoubtedly has emerged as the 49ers’ best of four quarterbacks with a week left in the offseason program. Can he throw an effective deep ball, however? -Cam Inman

Hoyer can definitely throw the ball deep. The question is whether he can throw it consistently.

After reviewing his film from recent years, Hoyer’s vertical passing game can be summarized in one word: streaky.

He has both the arm and the confidence to throw the ball deep. When he’s on, he’s nearly unstoppable; but when he’s off, defenders have a field day.

Hoyer’s streakiness was especially apparent during his 2014 season with the Browns and then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. In the first half of the season, his deep ball would put 2016 Matt Ryan’s to shame; but in the latter half, his deep ball was just shameful.

By the end of the season, he lead the NFL in yards-per-completion, yet he threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

Especially in recent years, Hoyer has been more effective on throws in middle of the field than throws toward the boundaries. His mistakes are generally based on poor decision-making or accuracy, but never a lack of confidence, as he’s willing to thread the needle on difficult passes.

49ers fans should prepare themselves for a season of both cheering and face-palming. But for those who question whether Hoyer is capable of throwing the deep ball, we’ll review a few examples from his 2016 season with the Chicago Bears.