49ers Week 5 rookie report: Injury forced a change and the big man joined the band (paywall) “You won’t find defensive end Mykel Williams in the box score. You will see safety Marques Sigle toward the top with his team-high 13 tackles, albeit due in large part to how much he struggled in coverage. Mykel Williams did not record a single stat, reminiscent of his quiet NFL debut. Sigle was targeted seven times and allowed six catches for 138 yards, accounting for more than a third of Matthew Stafford’s
389 yards through the air.
But both hunkered down as key cogs on the play that secured their team’s win in walk-off fashion as the Rams failed to convert on a 4th-and-1 carry from the San Francisco 11-yard line in overtime.
Mykel Williams cut inside Rams backup right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. in a way that carried McClendon out of the B-gap, opening a clear path for Warner to burst through. Kyren Williams was therefore forced to bounce his run to the C-gap. Reserve nickel back Chase Lucas occupied a blocker in that hole. Sigle, along with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, did what earned him the “Sultan of Swarm” nickname from the 49ers scouting department.“
49ers vs. Rams PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts
“Center Jake Brendel earned the team’s best run-blocking grade (73.6), while running back Christian McCaffrey posted the best pass-blocking grade (81.7). Among offensive linemen, Williams had the top pass-blocking grade at 56.3.”
Kyle Shanahan provides 49ers updates after Week 5 win vs. Rams
“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters during a conference call on Friday, the day after the team’s 26-23 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. Here’s everything he said.”
Kyle Shanahan states George Kittle is a ‘long shot’ to play vs. Buccaneers
“The 49ers expect to get second-year safety Malik Mustapha back at practice next week, but George Kittle is likely to miss at least another game.”
Why Brock Purdy vs. Mac Jones quarterback controversy is good thing for 49ers
“Purdy is still the quarterback. That is not even a question less than five months after he signed a five-year, $265 million extension.
But Purdy is not healthy. And it is anybody’s guess when he will be ready to get back on the field and play up to his standard.
In the meantime, Jones has made a major contribution toward putting the 49ers in a great position for the final 12 games of the regular season. Jones was called upon to start against the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals before facing the Rams on a short week.
The 49ers are 4-1, including 3-0 within the NFC West. Jones might not be done, yet. The team has confidence that they can win a lot of games with him at quarterback — even if “backup” is his official, unquestioned title.
Let’s face it, if there were no talk of a quarterback controversy right now, the 49ers’ season would not look nearly as promising.“
49ers minutia minute: Mac Jones went bananas as offense ran up huge snap count (paywall)
“Jones was cramping and even dry heaving late in the game, and at one point, head coach Kyle Shanahan was told that the quarterback’s forearm cramps were so intense that backup Adrian Martinez had to go in.
“We were calling the play for Adrian, and then I looked up and Mac was in the huddle,” Shanahan said Friday. “He just sprinted out there and kept it going. And I said, ‘All right, let’s see how long this lasts.’ He lasted the whole game and obviously was a big part of why we won.”
Shanahan said trainers wanted to bring Jones into the locker room for an IV but there were only seven minutes left in the game — not enough time for the procedure. So Jones instead ate three bananas.
“I guess (bananas) was the next-best plan — and to have some pickle juice also,” Shanahan said.“
Kawakami: The no-quit 49ers, Kuminga in pre-trade limbo, and more bold thoughts (paywall)
“I’ll say it: This defense and this team is earning the biggest opportunity out there for the 49ers. Yes, they’re good enough to get the 49ers’ front office thinking about making a trade for Trey Hendrickson to fill the Bosa void.
You don’t do that if you have a mediocre team. Or a team that has suffered the kinds of injuries that might make it let go of the season. But this 49ers team isn’t letting go of anything.
They’re on a playoff path. They’re not dominant, they still can’t really run the ball, and there are other vulnerabilities. But they’re resilient and they’re winning games.
If it costs a second-round pick to get Hendrickson, that’s not a terrible price to pay for a real shot at winning a few playoff games. Or possibly winning all of the playoff games.“
